Welcome and congrats!
now regarding the UTH, you can spend $35 on a thermostat and reside in the knowledge that your snake will always be safe, or you can gamble and ride on the fact that your heat pad will do fine unregulated, and if burned, your vet visit might cost around $200 for a burn treatment. Your choice.
About aspen: although paper towels is perfectly fine, aspen is alright also. If you look at my best birthday ever thread my terrarium setup for a blue tongue skink is there. It uses aspen, but aspen made for reptiles. It is not sharp aspen shreds, more like aspen pieces. The person you are talking to may be talking about rabbit intended aspen, much thinner shredded wood. That has a chance of hurting a reptile.
Sorry if I came off mean sounding, but that thermostat is pretty much a must.
Anyways welcome!
EDIT: spelling
