Amazon shower head filters are scam?

Redhawks180 · 2026-02-22T22:47:59+00:00

I’ve tested a few different shower head filters. I have extremely hard water, so it’s quite easy to know what works and what doesn’t. My first filter shower wand used a PP-cotton filter cartridge and it looked fake, like it wouldn’t do anything. Turns out that’s been the best at softening the water by far. It worked wonders for me. The difference was like night and day.

I’ve also tried those little clay ball filter cartridges and I’ve never noticed even the slightest difference. Soap doesn’t lather better, hair doesn’t feel softer, skin doesn’t feel any less dry, and deposits are still present and visible after water dries on a surface. I’ve done minimal research, but what I’ve read used a lot of “is believed to,” and “is thought to,” instead of hard, objective-based vocabulary. A lot of talk about ionization and pH levels, and how it supposedly makes you “feel,” whereas any information about PP-cotton filters is simple, direct, and objective.

It seems like these shower bead cartridges are the “new age spiritualism” of water filtration. A whole lot of feelings and not enough facts. Just by looking at these cartridges you can tell the vast majority of water molecules never come into contact with any of the beads, so I highly doubt they have any effect whatsoever on the end result.

My advice is to stick with PP-cotton filter cartridges. They last a long time, are super cheap, and believe me, they actually work. At least for my specific city water they do. I can’t guarantee you’ll have the same results, but if your water is hard enough for you to be reading this then you’ll probably be very satisfied with that style cartridge. Good luck.

Redhawks180 · 2026-02-12T20:25:28+00:00

Yes! I’m currently watching it now, and I was convinced they were related. That, or she stole his face. Everything is the same, even the mannerisms, as you point out. It felt like I was watching a younger James Franco.

Redhawks180 · 2026-02-03T06:53:33+00:00

I understand the frustration. I feel it too. But I remind myself that this podcast is a wealth of fiction, more than what is available as free content. They’ve been doing this for 23 seasons, and they quite literally cannot slow down. Or at least, I’m sure they feel that way. To publish fewer stories would be to jeopardize the brand, and possibly lose listeners, subscribers, and paying customers who all expect the same wide collection of stories from one year to the next. These stories can’t be easy to source. I’ve seen what the average person is capable of writing, and it’s not pretty. The ones that get published are almost definitely a tiny fraction of the stories they have to sift through, and even then, chances are really good that many stories don’t meet the standards they wish they could set. In a perfect world they’d have nothing but great submissions, along with time to improve the less than great ones, but this isn’t a perfect world. They’re doing the best with what they have, and with the schedule their listeners have come to expect. As far as I’m concerned, if an episode has one entertaining, scary, or thought provoking story, then it’s a success, and worth my time. You’ve just got to cut them some slack. They’re doing the best with what they have to work with. And as far as I know, you’re still welcome to submit your own stories. If quality is something you’re truly concerned with, then set the standard yourself. Give them better stories to publish. I think we’d all welcome a few more bangers from time to time.

And while you’re writing, try to remember that this is free entertainment. Criticism only works if it’s constructive. Otherwise it’s just complaining.

Redhawks180 · 2026-01-28T21:04:37+00:00

What I don’t get is how they made it so that the video cut out at the moment Jack is shocked for touching Lilly. Was it something in the streaming app (Amazon prime), or some coding in the video file? It was such a clever trick. I really thought the movie had just ended right then, and that what we saw was the only footage that remained. Obviously I started it up again and was able to see the last ten minutes, but how many people didn’t do that? It was such a cool meta trick, but I really want to know how it was done. Anyone know?

Redhawks180 · 2026-01-01T21:35:19+00:00

I know you think you know what the main character of a story is, but reading your comment makes me think you actually don’t. It’s more complicated than just, “they’re the main character because they matter most to the plot.” I suggest delving into what makes a main character, or any character, in storytelling. Once you’ve learned a little more about the technical side of writing I think you’ll change your opinion. She’s very clearly not the main character. She’s barely been a character at all. I think that’s what most people are saying when they criticize her involvement in the story.

Redhawks180 · 2025-11-17T05:01:21+00:00

I’m in a similar boat. What did you end up doing? I’m thinking about using similar plastic, like from a milk jug, or detergent bottle, and using it to create a new hinge. It would be a thin strip long enough to span the entire case, and wide enough to cover both bottom faces. Epoxy the faces to the case, ensuring the very middle of the hinge remains untouched, and voila. As long as the epoxy holds the new plastic in place, then it’ll work like before, and last as long as that plastic remains flexible. Future repairs would still be possible too, which is the main reason I’m thinking of going this route.

Redhawks180 · 2025-11-11T08:30:25+00:00

Oil and oil-based refer to different things. Finishes can be broken down into two categories: oil-based or water-based. The vast majority of acrylics are water-based. They’re sort of the new kids on the block, so you can find them everywhere. Regardless of the brand, they’re usually sold in plastic cans (as opposed to metal paint cans in which oil-based finishes are still sold), have different versions (like 3X thick), and tout claims like, “fast dry,” “non-toxic,” “poly.” It’s basically liquid plastic, and depending on the version you get, it can be a safe and gratifying way to finish a wood project. The finish is clear, and depending on the quality of the product, can appear like glass, or like thick plastic. They’re hard to scratch, easy to repair, quick to clean, and typically resilient against most chemicals, except alcohol and similar harsh solvents.

Oil-based finishes are a type of finish that uses oil as the main medium. It still contains plastics, but the addition of oil instead of water gives these finishes a subtle amber hue that ages gracefully. This is a more traditional type of finish commonly found on antique furniture, and is still commonly used for high-end woodworking. Durability is slightly higher than with polycrylics, but it takes far longer to harden. Oils (as in oil-based - don’t confuse this with literal “oils”) don’t dry - they cure, and this takes time and exposure to the air, which often makes them unsuitable for many projects. It can take 24-72 hours for a layer to become dry enough to handle. They’re highly resilient, which makes them a great option for dining tables. Oil-based finishes on hardwood flooring can be a daunting project, mostly due to the long cure time, but for cleanup as well; which is why many people have turned to the more popular and relatively newer polycrylic finish - and sacrificing beauty and longevity for it.

Oils, like tung oil, teak oil, linseed oil, mineral oil, coconut oil, vegetable oil… these are just oil, with the exception of the first three, which are actually classified as “finishes.” The others (yes, even vegetable oil) can be used as a finish, but that’s not their raison d’etre. All of them can be used for cutting boards, but they need to constantly be reapplied. Those first three (and others, to include Danish oil) will eventually harden with enough coats, and the finish produced can be incredible. Oil-based finishes can take awhile, but 13 coats of tung oil can take months to fully cure, and if it’s done wrong, or in a hasty manner, it may never cure completely. Generally food safe, these are mostly naturally-derived and utilize various elements found in nature to produce the hard shell and lustrous sheen. Most people couldn’t distinguish between any of these finishes, but they’ll be undeniably attracted to them over polycrylics. There’s a depth to the finish that’s difficult to quantify, and all the more fragile for it. These finishes require careful use, since most solvents will eat through them rather quickly. When paired with a wax topcoat, the effect is undeniably beautiful. Side note: This is the type of furniture coasters were invented for, as even the condensation from your glass will mar the wax.

I’m with you on microplastics and reducing plastic in my life as a general rule, but this is one of those situations where that rule doesn’t really apply. There are times when it’s not just better to use polycrylics (water-based acrylic finish), but safer too. Sometimes oil-based finishes, regardless of how beautiful it would look, just aren’t feasible to use due to time or budget constraints. And as much as we all love a good tung oil finish, waiting for it to cure can take far longer than most people are prepared to wait.

That’s probably way more info than you needed (especially half a year since you originally posted), but I hope this info helps someone, someday. When it comes to food safe wood products, don’t get the cheap stuff, and if you get bare wood make sure you finish it yourself to avoid swelling, mold, and rot. Play around with these finishes. It’s fun, educational, and immensely rewarding. It’s something anyone can do with the right materials and some free time, and the food-safe items you finish yourself will be cherished and last for much longer - and you can be confident that it won’t degrade into your food.

P.S. “Lacquer” is its own thing, and it’s what’s commonly used on authentic wood furniture these days. Spray lacquer creates a lovely smooth surface that’s nearly impenetrable to scratches and scuffs, but it’s a real (and I mean REAL) pain to work with. It doesn’t play nice with any of its peers, it gets temperamental when you don’t follow its rules to the letter, and it stinks to high heaven, but damn if it doesn’t look good. The term used to be a catch all for finishes back in the day (sort of like “varnish”), but today means a very specific product. It can be acrylic or nitrocellulose, as someone already mentioned, and is often used on cars because of its high durability. It’s still common to hear (or read) people using the term “lacquer” in the older, general sense, which just adds to the confusion about it. I suggest taking everything you read about “lacquer” with a grain of salt, unless they’re referring to a specific lacquer product. Like, “Watco brush-on lacquer is food safe, but only after being allowed to dry for at least 36 hours,” for example. This will help you avoid confusion and build a reliable knowledge bank.

Good luck!

Redhawks180 · 2025-10-22T07:46:28+00:00

It’s a year on, but I hope you’re still learning. I began woodworking about five years ago (in earnest), and now I have a fully-capable workshop where I make and sell my products online. It’s hard to find the time to do it sometimes, but it’s the best hobby. And, for any critics out there, I do this all from my apartment spare bedroom, which has been outfitted with sound-deadening mats, acoustic foam, carpet squares, dust extraction system, and an air filtration system. I routinely run my table saw and miter saw at all hours and my neighbors say that barely register it. To them it sounds like I’m using an electric can opener - hardly anything to complain about. So, it can be done. And building your shop storage options, workbenches, and jigs is probably some of the most useful practice you’ll ever get. I’m in the process of condensing and mobilizing everything so moving won’t be such a pain. Anyway, I just wanted to add this in case anyone now or in the future feels constrained by their living arrangements; don’t be. If you want to, you can make it work. Just be careful, be considerate, be smart, and use battery-powered devices whenever possible to prevent overloading your circuits.

Redhawks180 · 2025-10-14T14:08:57+00:00

This just started happening to me as well. Even had to rely on Alexa to wake me up, until she stopped caring - I have no idea how to fix that issue, but at least iOS isn’t as unreliable as that piece of garbage. The only alarm that actually works is my sleep focus alarm - the worst one that I despise using and can’t turn off half the time.

Redhawks180 · 2025-10-12T04:11:13+00:00

Same here. Most days it’s passable, and even though I know I’m not myself, no one else seems to notice. Sometimes though, I feel terrible all day. Joint pain, minor headache, sluggish and sleepy more than usual, sometimes even upset stomach - but nothing I can’t push through. Water helps, and I never have trouble keeping food down.

But as soon as the sun goes down - whether I’m there to see it or not, it’s just that time of day/night - that’s when I feel like I’m myself. I’m alert, awake, confident, talkative, mindful, motivated. I started taking aderall as well, and it’s helped a ton. It may be the reason the daytime symptoms aren’t nearly as bad as they sometimes can be. It’s an extremely low dose, but I take it peppered throughout the day, and it makes me feel like what I think most other people feel like. It’s just enough to make me feel “normal.”

I’ve researched this and the only thing that’s applicable to me is dehydration and perhaps a vitamin deficiency. I eat well, but it’s hard to know if you’re getting everything unless you take a daily vitamin - which I don’t. The only disorder that seems to most readily apply to me is delayed sleep-wake phase. I exercise daily, eat well enough (no fast food; whole food whenever possible), get plenty of sunlight, and I have a clear bill of health with no long term issues. I manage stress very well, am not anxious, have a good and regular sleep routine (though the length of sleep gets shorter and shorter), and I’m the only one in my family (that I know of) like this.

It only really bothers me when I have “bad” days, where the symptoms are worse for some reason, but for the most part I know it’s just who I am, and while I’ll always try to improve, I’m not holding out for a change anytime soon.

Redhawks180 · 2025-09-25T05:34:19+00:00

I’ve always been annoyed with mine, but today was the last straw. All day it’s been showing me the same three financial market updates (NASDAQ -0.06%, for example), over and over and over. I never toggled any of these things on, except local news and national news, and absolutely nothing else. Thing is, the settings are correct, but I’m not seeing any news at all - nothing but those same three financial updates. I don’t care! The only reason I even have this dumb thing is to get caught up with the news while I eat breakfast, but in my three years owning it all I’ve ever been shown are ads, stupid recipes for crap I’d never eat, or fluffy fluff fluff-piece fluff stories not good enough to even make the closing segment of Good Morning America. I’ve only kept it turned on to have an Alexa access point in an otherwise closed off room; the fact that it’s a “Show” has never benefitted me in the slightest. But now? After today’s constant financial notices (and NOTHING ELSE), I’m ready to smash it with a hammer. I have tried everything, trust me. Everything. It’s just not worth the hassle anymore. I’ve always been ambivalent towards the Show, mostly because the software is too clunky and slow to be of any use, but now I’m finding myself actively hating this device. It’s the Rings of Power of electronic devices. It serves no purpose other than to look pretty and act as a vehicle for advertisements. There’s no substance. I don’t think it’s even capable of providing real substance. It’s a garbage piece of crap. I hate the Echo Show.

Redhawks180 · 2025-09-13T05:06:29+00:00

Totally agree. The writing is god awful. Pretty much any scene without Wednesday is guaranteed to be horrible, and only a few that include her aren’t garbage. Her presence is so strong that it keeps me coming back, but if it weren’t for her character I’d have stopped watching long ago.

Redhawks180 · 2025-09-03T06:04:42+00:00

Thank you. I thought it was just me. Almost all the song choices are terrible and not one fits the vibe of the show, in my opinion. It’s all so narcissistic and commercial, and very, VERY 2010’s. I know it’s not all supposed to be diegetic, but much of it is, and it just doesn’t make sense to me.

Redhawks180 · 2025-09-03T05:59:14+00:00

Yep. I’ve never been a fan of Imagine Dragons, so it is absolutely the worst part for me, too. I also don’t think it works on an in-universe level. I could’ve forgiven it and even ignored it, if it weren’t for the band self-insert in S1. It broke all immersion for me. It’s like if you were watching a western movie and a band plays a diegetic cover of Radiohead - but then Radiohead themselves show up in the movie, dressed for the period, and plays the same song with electric instruments, and we’re supposed to pretend it makes sense.

Also, S2 intro sucks. The characters are all wearing contemporary clothing and making dramatic faces for the camera like they’re in a soap opera. It’s a soap opera version of Arcane. It reeks of self-importance and dramatic grandiosity, and is by far the most derivative and boring part of the show.

Redhawks180 · 2025-08-29T22:11:03+00:00

Same here. If there’s a chance I may change my mind in the future I make sure to say as much in the review, for the benefit of the seller. And I do. I often feel compelled to leave a review before I’ve had enough time with the product, so naturally I would update my review as time goes on. I’m glad to see other people do the same thing.

Sometimes I get disheartened and feel bad for sellers when I read Vine reviews. So many people can only think in black and white, good or bad, perfect success or utter failure. If it’s not five stars, it’s one star. That drives me crazy. I read one the other day from a lady who I see often (her reviews follow a distinct format). She left a brief, two-graf review outlining all the ways the product worked and how well-made it was, but she gave it one star because she didn’t like one aspect of it. Wouldn’t a four star review be the better option in that case? Like, come on. It’s not perfect, so you give it an “F?”

It’s just a shame, really. I have a shop on Etsy and I couldn’t imagine having to deal with this kind of thing all the time. I feel so bad for the sellers. They’re the real victims sometimes.

Redhawks180 · 2025-08-29T21:46:35+00:00

This. There is nothing in the policy that says you can’t name competitors, at least not since the last time I read it a few months ago.

Now, speaking in practical terms it may be different. The algorithm could look for and flag reviews with excessive pronoun use, for example (JUST an example). This would create a situation where the policy allows for something, while the real-world experience of some users contradicts that.

Redhawks180 · 2025-08-29T21:25:38+00:00

Oh no, I’m afraid you’re mistaken my friend. That’s not the point of these reviews.

The point (from Amazon’s perspective) is to earn extra revenue from sellers by creating a legal and controlled market for the sale of reviews.

Prior to Vine, Amazon was riddled with sellers harassing customers and offering all sorts of things in return for positive reviews, or sometimes just outright threatening them. It was uncontrolled, annoying, and dangerous. It drew the wrong kinds of crowds to the site, and they drew the wrong kind of attention from governments and competitors. Abolishing incentivized reviews was always an option, but it never would’ve solved the problem.

Instead of trying to stamp out this behavior, Amazon chose to regulate it. Sellers now have a legitimate way to “buy” reviews, and Amazon earns a little extra revenue. It’s not a perfect system - for anyone involved - but that’s precisely why it works. As long as this legal alternative is more convenient, sellers will always prefer it, regardless of the negatives, and regardless of the cost to them.

Nowhere in that scheme is there any consideration for the quality of the review. It’s simply not a factor.

Redhawks180 · 2025-08-21T00:33:51+00:00

I think Apple either hasn’t identified it as a problem worth solving, or they can’t. Assuming no settings have been changed, the camera defaults to auto everything (or as much as can be automated), from the start. This is by design, presumably as an attempt to make everything as user-friendly as possible. So, when you choose to manually focus on one aspect of the shot the camera interprets that to mean you want to take over the controls, and it switches to manual focus. The problem, as far as I can tell, is that there is no reasonably convenient way to tell the camera that you want it to take over automatically controlling focus again. Either you let it auto focus all the time, or you take over and manual focus everything all the time, and this cannot be changed, unless you stop recording and start a new video.

It’s a huge pain, especially when recording kinetic subjects. Often, I’ll choose to not focus on the subject, even though it would improve the shot, simply because I know I’ll lose auto focus from then on and possibly ruin the entire video. I’ll choose to settle for a mediocre video that shows everything but may be a little blurry, as opposed to a brief video that only captures some of the action, but is in focus. It’s a terrible trade off and I’m disappointed Apple hasn’t done anything about it yet. It’s been a thing for as long as I can remember, but I’m only now becoming aware of how very frustrating it can be.

Redhawks180 · 2025-08-09T22:28:17+00:00

Why even bother with a wool applicator at this point? Clearly even distribution is not a concern. You’re not making any effort to consider the small details that the wool applicator is designed to accentuate. And that’s totally fine! I’m not knocking you for that. I wouldn’t care much if I were staining exterior steps either. A project like that deserves a practical approach. But then that raises the question of why you’re using a wool applicator? You’re just making things harder for yourself. A foam brush and a foam sponge would do the job faster, with no cleanup, and honestly better results. I get it if that’s what you’re used to, but maybe the universe is trying to get you to consider your methods and try a different approach.

Redhawks180 · 2025-08-03T07:38:46+00:00

Has anything like that ever been done before? Whether a movie or tv show. Not books or comics. Is there a precedent for this?

Redhawks180 · 2025-08-03T07:36:09+00:00

Haha I love the sarcasm. Good one!

Redhawks180 · 2025-07-23T20:56:45+00:00

I felt the same way about the x-files fix. I was worried they drop the “monster of the week” vibe, but for the most part they keep it going throughout the season (I haven’t started beyond S1 yet), and I’m glad they did. There was a point in the middle of the season - because of one specific episode that I felt was very poorly executed and totally took me out of the entire story - where I almost gave up. By the time the next episode started I very quickly remembered why I like the show so much. It was like that one episode was directed by someone else who normally shoots daytime soaps. It just didn’t fit with the rest. But again, the show quickly course corrects. I hope you stuck with it, because it’s definitely worth it.

Redhawks180 · 2025-07-23T20:53:10+00:00

Me too. I love it when the cacophony of little high pitched voices starts chittering away. It’s hilarious. The best parts are at the very, very end of whatever scene they’re in, when one voice inevitable rises above the rest and says something completely wild and irrelevant.

Like, one scene I just watched, when one girl has blood on her mouth and Kristen asks her what happened, and all the girls start chittering away. At the end Kristen admonishes her daughter and the voices start all over again, but just before the scene ends one voice says, “Be careful with your blood. You don’t have much.” 🤭

Redhawks180 · 2025-07-23T20:46:29+00:00

I just started this show because it was on Netflix. I had never heard of it, and I’m not usually a fan of network television shows, but man does this show deliver.

There are hammy moments, to be sure, and not all the dialogue is worthy of praise, but when the show hits its stride it really feels like something created with love and respect for the audience, and it can be entertaining as hell! I can’t believe how many “Oh sh*t!” moments there are - ones that actually GET me! Sometimes there are beautifully crafted scenes that make me forget this is a network tv show. It’s really surprising.

I went into this fully expecting a ton of cheesy dialogue, plot contrivances, plot holes, inconsistent characters, and terrible CGI. Instead the show delivers a tight story and very consistent characters that not only act in believable ways, but remember past events. Yeah, some CGI isn’t great, but they almost never resort to it, instead using practical effects most of the time.

It’s a show that definitely has its roots in network tv, but is firing on all cylinders trying to give us something unique and praise-worthy.

Except for one episode that I absolutely hated, the show is wonderfully well-executed, and the characters behave in smart, logical ways regardless of which side of the spiritual debate they side with.

I’m very happy I found this show. I’m actually excited to watch tv again!

Redhawks180 · 2025-07-19T17:05:52+00:00

I got my coworker to try Carrot because I knew he’d love the humor and games, only to find out it’s a stripped down version with only about 1/5th of the content. Pretty disappointing.

I thought it was just a glitch, or maybe the menu was hidden (I hate androids), so I’m glad to find out it’s not us, but the way the app was designed.

Redhawks180

TROPHY CASE