Nah, you're right to be pissed. But I gotta gently correct something. That tool you bought? It's not a "taper" - it's a flat box or a banjo. Tapers are the people, not the tool. Real drywall tapers use a hawk and trowel. That automatic feeder you got is a specific tool for specific jobs, not a magic wand. Sounds like you got sold a demo unit that was already beat up. $300 for a used tool is a gamble unless you know the guy. I bet the mechanism was dirty or bent from the start.

Take a closer look at the original source. That penguin story was written by a known satirical site that usually labels their articles as fiction, but this one didn't have the disclaimer. The publisher quietly changed it a few days later after people got fooled, so the confusion was partly their fault. It wasn't just you missing something obvious.

Twenty bucks says their neighbors thought they were having a midlife crisis at first. I converted my whole street after the HOA tried to fine me for "weeds", now three houses have bee lawns and one guy actually tore out his entire front yard for a prairie garden. Milkweed is like crack for monarchs, once you see those caterpillars munching it's hard to go back to plain grass.

Honestly, the whole clue hunting mentality is what's ruining a lot of modern TV. Everyone's so busy trying to solve the puzzle they forget to actually feel the scene. But your point about dread being the real payoff makes me think - do you feel like that slow burn dread actually hits harder BECAUSE you aren't looking for clues? Like, when you're not trying to piece together a mystery box, you're just stuck with the uncomfortable silence and the weird camera angles that make your skin crawl. That's the stuff that sticks with you after the episode ends, not some hidden name in a background prop. Ngl, I think the show runners specifically put those boring long shots of Mark just walking around the empty office to test if you're actually paying attention or just waiting for the next big reveal.

Hah, yeah @taylor_patel has a point but I gotta push back a little. It's not so much user error as it is the instructions being buried in the fine print. Most people just plug the thing in and lay it down, not thinking about what the floor is coated with. I've seen a few of those mats actually say right on the box 'not for use on waxed surfaces' but nobody reads that part. Still, you're right that hot wax and electronics don't mix - its more of a 'trust the manual but nobody does' situation.