GODDAMMIT GBOARD

Well at least nothing was randomly capitalized this time

Yeah that’s was probably a 1200 or their document box. I was thinking of the “safes” they sell with a dial or keypad lock. They can be defeated in about the same amount of time. I won’t say how, but YouTube has more than one video showing how it’s done

Yeah those cases are sad. I tend to just say my prices really high, and if they persist in wanting me to come out I suddenly don’t have availability because of the “big government project” I’ve been hired to do. Even if they were worth the trouble of all the follow-up “someone broke in, you have to fix my locks” calls that inevitably come, I couldn’t in good conscience take their money.

Last time it happened a lady wanted me to install Schlage Primus deadbolts on her house because her neighbor was “breaking in and moving things to mess with me”. I gave her a quote that was 5x higher than it should have been. I kid you not, she said, “Okay, but I’ll have to wait a couple of weeks to get the money. My husband said I couldn’t change the locks anymore and that this is all in my head.” Poor lady. I saved her number so I wouldn’t forget if she called again, but I never heard from her. Hopefully she got the help she needed, but probably she got divorced and is living on the streets.

These aren’t secrets, but may not be well known (unless you watch LPL):

Sentry Safes aren’t safes, they are fire boxes with a fancy lock.

High security locks are not high security because of the lock design, but because the keys are very difficult to have duplicated.

No one (except maybe intelligence agencies) breaks in to a house by picking a lock, especially in the US. Windows, weak door frames, and, in a pinch, making a hole in the wall are all faster ways of getting in.

Car keys are so expensive because many manufacturers charge a subscription or per-use fee to access and program the keys to the ignition. These costs are passed on to consumers

No one is picking your locks just to move things around or steal small, insignificant items. You are either suffering from a mental disorder or a trusted member of the household is gaslighting you (it’s not gaslighting though, you’re your grasp of reality is slipping. Don’t call me for a pick proof lock, just get help please)

Some manufacturers (you know, in China) will put any sticker you want on the products they produce, including UL and ANSI stickers. Before buying a product that is supposedly fire-rated, such as a fire safe, check the UL website to verify the item is actually listed with them.

“Grade 1” door hardware sold in stores like Lowe’s or Home Depot is, at best, Grade 2, and is likely Grade 3 (residential grade). These grades are really just about how durable the product is over time, and how much abuse they will endure by the public.

And just a little practical advice. Find a qualified, honest locksmith before you need one. We’re like plumbers. If you wait until you have an emergency to find one, the quality will be questionable. There are a lot of scammers out there. If you don’t have a resource for locksmiths beyond Google, look on the ALOA website for members in your area. The good ones will know who the other good ones are, and won’t be shy about sharing that info if they are unavailable or too far away

I’ve found Grayjay helps me hate YouTube less

youregoddamnright.gif

Oh I ain’t dead, I’m just real depressed

If i knew of any execs near where i live they would be getting a front row seat to my reenactment of the Office Space printer scene.

It’s rare for me to viscerally hate someone just for existing, but if i met an HP exec I would have to exert quite a bit of self control to not beat them until I lost feeling in my hands

Ray Belli is amazing and I’ve failed to learn so many things from his podcast because as soon as he starts speaking my mind wanders. It’s like the audio version of reading the same paragraph four times because my brain decides to think about something else while my eyes move across the page

It took me a depressing amount of time to realize he didn’t have a blonde ponytail coming out of his hat

Same. I have trade and niche hobby interests that don’t have critical mass here.

Conversations are better here tho

Folks, he’s just making his rounds, and is a little behind

I felt ya. If it isn’t misspelling word it’s random capitalization in you’re post. Gboard used to just work. Now it mostly sucks

(For the record: *feel *words, *your)

I was driving an old work van on the highway, doing the speed limit of 65 mph (105 kph). As i crested the hill traffic was stopped a few hundred yards ahead. I had plenty of room to brake and come to a stop, a bit abrupt for the weight of the vehicle but no big deal. I applied the brakes and the pedal went right to the floor. The brake lines had blown out from corrosion. I was in the right lane and there was an exit ramp to my right. The stopped traffic was fast approaching. I dropped the automatic transmission into low gear (it was an older Chevy, so it had R N D 4 3 2 on the column) and swerved right, with what felt like a fraction of an inch to spare from the car in front of me. I swear I could see the sour expression of a woman who very nearly has her day ruined go by in slow motion, like that Umbrella Academy meme. The off ramp gave me time to pump the brakes and let the engine slow the vehicle down. I was fully prepared to throw it into park if necessary, but by the time I got to the intersection enough brake pressure had been regained to stop. Pulled off the road and had that POS towed to a garage.

There was the time I high-sided my motorcycle, but OP asked for almost, not actual.

TBH I didn’t feel that strongly, but I could not resist channeling BLM

That analogy works for many things these days

I’m pretty sure* the cameras at the time filmed in 1080p, which means all higher resolution versions have to be upscaled.

*I read this once and can’t be bothered to fact check

My institutional memories prevent me from buying Sony

When the PS4 came out and my old friends were clamoring over it i thought, “In 2003, we swore ‘never again’. In 2013, we broke that promise.”

But i NEVER DID

member digital cameras being 4 megapixel and that was amazing?

member Nokias being bullet proof?

member Nextel push to talk?

member downloading albums on limewire using the coffee shop’s Wi-Fi across the street, cobbling together a Can-tenna using a coke can cut up with a utility knife for a better signal?

member waiting for Penny Arcade to load like one line at a time because everyone was using the free Wi-Fi from the coffee shop?

member file sharing using mp3 discs with everyone on your floor?

i member

Dude I went straight back to J&R on Park Row and returned that thing. I had SD cards from my camera that I planned to use, and didn’t ask about storage at the store (mistakes of youth lol). I eventually got a Zen (30Gb!) a year or two later. What a tank!