• 2 Posts
  • 337 Comments
Joined 11 months ago
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Cake day: August 5th, 2023

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  • 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



  • So i decided, since work finished early today, to see if an update fixes the controller.

    First i get an Xbox games login requirement using my email, so i do that and get an error, and have to force the program closed via steam.

    I try again and am greeted with the (expected) required update message

    I’m now waiting for the fifteen GB update to download.

    I’ll report back to let you know if my joystick works after this

    E: yeah that took 20 minutes to download and another ten to install. Joystick throttle still doesn’t function correctly in flight, even though it maps correctly



  • Dude I’m happy for you. I don’t play often, and when i do there’s always some giant update to slog through. As is typical for Microsoft, the updates are forced and at the most inconvenient time. My free time is rare and precious.

    The last time i tried to play my joystick was borked in MSFS, but worked fine in Squadrons. I haven’t tried to play since

    Yes the updates have a point, but the forced nature and size of them isn’t convenient and feels arbitrary. Likely others feel the same way I do

    What I want is a game I can sit down and play on the rare occasions where I have a couple free hours. MSFS isn’t that game. I wish it was, because when i can play it, it’s amazing