My Weird Prompts

That moment when AliExpress asks if you want to pay in dollars or shekels — it feels like a coin flip, but the math is actually clear. This episode unpacks Dynamic Currency Conversion, PayPal's markup, credit card foreign transaction fees, and the hidden costs behind each option. We run the numbers on small purchases versus large ones, explain why the "familiar" choice often costs more, and reveal...

Ever walked into a hardware store and wondered what those slanted plastic bins are actually called? This episode untangles the messy terminology of workshop storage — from open-front bins and picking bins to drawer cabinets and portable organizers. We break down the differences between Akro-Mils LinBins, Stanley Vidmar drawer cabinets, and the Sortimo L-Boxx ecosystem, explore why there's no unive...

When life throws a cascade of stressors — a toddler, two wars, a forced move, and financial strain — talk therapy isn't always the right tool. Occupational therapy, the "therapy of doing," targets the micro-decisions and sensory bottlenecks that make daily life unmanageable. But finding a specialized practitioner who understands adult ADHD and sensory processing, and affording them out of pocket,...

What if an AI could teach you programming the way a professor does — assign a project, let you struggle through it independently, then provide detailed, honest feedback? This episode unpacks the full architecture for such a system: intake diagnostics that reveal actual ability (not self-reported skill), competency graphs that track concept mastery over time, sandboxed execution environments for sa...

Ever tapped send on a form just as your train entered a tunnel, and the message arrived perfectly on the other side? This episode unpacks the surprisingly intricate chain of events that makes that work for small text payloads. We trace the journey from a failed fetch through IndexedDB storage, service worker background sync, and Stripe-style idempotency keys on the backend. Along the way, we expos...

You ask a model to write an email, then pause and say, "Actually, is this topic too obscure?" A good model answers the question. A bad one splices it right into the draft. This episode unpacks this surprisingly common failure mode — what cognitive abilities it requires, why it's not being measured, and how to build a rigorous benchmark for it. We explore pragmatic reasoning, discourse parsing, the...

Daniel's question about using a modular loadout belt for everyday life turns out to be about much more than gear — it's about cognitive architecture. This episode explores how to build an EDC belt system that externalizes working memory for ADHD without triggering the social semiotics of tactical equipment. We cover material choices that read as "accessory" instead of "gear," the universal "year o...

What happens when you apply industrial logistics to your home pantry? This episode dives deep into the six hundred by four hundred millimeter Eurobox system, translating warehouse concepts like load patterns, pick clearance, and case packing into practical household storage. We run the actual numbers for toilet paper, wine bottles, canned drinks, and more — including the surprising density of Isra...

Most people's tape drawers are a disaster: three rolls of fused, oozing, or useless tape that fail when you need them most. This episode breaks down the seven failure modes that make tape selection matter — residue, surface damage, UV degradation, temperature limits, and more — then builds a practical three-tier inventory covering painter's masking tape, electrical tape, gaffer vs duct tape, VHB,...

Your chemical shelf is probably a museum of half-empty cans doing the same three jobs. This episode breaks down twenty-one maintenance chemicals into three families — lubricants, cleaners, and corrosion control — and flags every redundancy so you can build a shelf that covers the real jobs without wasting money. From why WD-40 isn't a lubricant to which cleaner will etch your aluminum if you forge...

Most people own exactly one tube of silicone and a tub of spackle — and that's wrong for 80% of jobs. This episode breaks down the chemistry behind sealants, fillers, and repair compounds, from sanitary silicone to hybrid polymer to epoxy putty. Learn which products flex, which stay rigid, and how to keep your rental deposit intact. Episode #002115 — open it directly at myweirdprompts.com/002115

Most people have one bottle of wood glue and one tube of superglue, assuming they're interchangeable. That's why chair legs fall off and plastic bonds don't hold. In this deep-inventory breakdown, we cover the full spectrum of adhesives for household DIY, repairs, and small fabrication — from PVA and cyanoacrylate to epoxy, contact cement, solvent welds, and UV-curing adhesives. Learn which glue m...

In this episode of Deep Inventory, we tackle Tier 6: cutting consumables. From utility blades and snap-off knives to jigsaw, reciprocating saw, and oscillating multitool blades, we break down exactly what every home workshop should stock. We cover metallurgy, tooth pitch, mounting systems, safety warnings for angle grinder discs, and why cheap marketplace blades are a false economy. Whether you're...

Most DIYers think about the fastener, but the hole is where the battle is won or lost. This episode builds a practical drilling consumables inventory for Israeli households — covering HSS, cobalt, brad-point, masonry, SDS-plus, and tile bits. We break down which sizes to duplicate, when cheap kits fail, and why an SDS rotary hammer transforms drilling into hard concrete. Plus: how to handle rebar,...

What separates everyday hardware from the specialist stuff worth stocking? This episode draws the line between Tier 2 and Tier 3 hardware—items that solve awkward problems but might sit unused for years. We break down rivet nuts, threaded inserts, Helicoils, T-nuts, cam-lock fittings, Confirmat screws, and more, covering tool requirements, compatibility issues, safety limits, and whether an assort...

This episode dives into Tier 4 hardware — the stuff where failure means property damage, serious injury, or building code violations. We break down structural concrete anchors, chemical anchoring, fire-rated fixings, and structural timber connectors with an Israel-specific focus on reinforced concrete, hollow block (ITONG/thermostone), and post-tensioning cables. Learn which anchors lose 40% holdi...

You've got wood screws and wall plugs. But what happens when you need to hang a 50-inch TV on hollow drywall or fix a wobbly flat-pack dresser? This episode covers Tier 2 hardware — the specific fasteners for specific failure modes. Herman breaks down cavity anchors (molly bolts, snap toggles, self-drilling anchors), blind rivets for sheet metal, threaded inserts for furniture repairs, and the vib...

Ever been halfway through mounting a shelf when the anchor spins uselessly in hollow block? This episode builds Tier 1 of our DIY inventory system — the curated survival kit that covers reinforced concrete, solid masonry, hollow block, and drywall. We break down exact screw sizes, anchor types, and quantities, plus when to buy bulk versus assortment kits. No more vague "keep some anchors around" —...

Ever been one screw short of finishing a project? This episode builds a tiered fastener inventory that covers 80% of household needs — wood screws, wall plugs, machine screws, cable ties, and electrical consumables — for about $60-$80 total. No more rationing assortment kits or losing momentum to a 45-minute hardware store detour. Learn the decision framework for what earns a spot in your drawer,...

Tired of reciting your life story to customer service reps who never verify their own identity? This episode delivers a tactical playbook for reclaiming power on every call. Herman breaks down a three-move sequence: announce the recording using their own language, demand mutual identity verification, and force justification for every personal question. From legal one-party consent rules to the dev...

This episode is a practical guide to weaponizing customer service speak as a form of social trolling. We break down the core phrases from real call center scripts, map them onto family and workplace interactions, and explain the linguistic mechanics that make "I understand your frustration" so devastating at the dinner table. We cover delivery techniques for maintaining a straight face, how to cre...

What makes Storrs, Connecticut genuinely extraordinary? This episode explores the hidden layers beneath the UConn campus and strip malls. Discover the Gurleyville Gristmill, still grinding corn with its original 1860s Leffel turbine; the duckpin bowling lanes where no one has ever bowled a perfect game; and the Ballard Institute’s collection of over 3,000 puppets from around the world. From indust...

The old playbook of decompiling Java doesn't work anymore. Modern Android apps hide their logic in monolithic ARM64 native libraries, demanding a new toolchain. In this episode, we break down the three layers of a modern APK, from the hollow Java shell to the obfuscated native code. We explore how the NSA’s Ghidra framework and the dynamic analysis toolkit Frida/Objection are used to trace API cal...

Listener Douglas Peterson asked for "everyday disguise assembly" techniques used by real PIs — but his request raised immediate red flags. In this episode, we explore the actual mechanics of low-visibility disguise: the Uniform Effect, silhouette alteration, gait modification, and voice shifts that make you genuinely unmemorable. We also unpack why a "former tenant" wanting a false identity to vie...

Every "Sign in with Google" button chains your entire app ecosystem to a single workspace subscription. Lose that Google Workspace or GitHub organization account, and you lose access to everything. This episode breaks down the real alternatives: self-hosted identity providers like Dex, Authentik, and Keycloak versus dedicated SaaS auth services like Auth0, Clerk, and WorkOS. We explore the tradeof...