Well yeah, that’s what I’ve done, but I’m self employed and some of my customers are old and don’t text. I’ve definitely lost some business because my voicemail is full

Visual voicemail is broken on my Pixel, but that might be my carrier (Mint)

BTW if anyone has a fix or a recommended app for visual voicemail please let me know

Excuse me, but it’s pronounced GIF

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

That could be Mama. Nests are not the safest place for fledglings, so mom or dad will push them out of the nest, but they are not abandoned. (Predators can find a nest easier than an able-bodied fledgling).

I once rescued a baby chickadee from a neighborhood cat that was stalking it. The parents were going nuts in the tree above, so i set the little bugger in a yew bush and took the cat away and gave it treats. Everyone was happy that day

Right. Good ma-, er, dwarf

Cheery! Stop playing with your lipstick and go down to Cable Street. Igor’s potatoes have escaped again and Washpot can’t find Fred and Nobby.

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

TBH, smaller communities with more engagement is better IMO. If you don’t get in early there’s no chance to do more than passively comment and get no reply. If I’m going to engage in conversation I’d like at least a little back and forth. Where the lack of volume really is felt is in niche subjects

Dunno where I’m going with this, but your point is valid. I just kinda like the small web feel. Reminds me of early Internet days

Are you kidding? I didn’t handle things maturely at 23! But hey! thanks for getting me to think about aaaaaallllllllllllllllll of my embarrassing childhood memories. Funny how there’s so few good memories, but loads of embarrassing ones