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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: August 5th, 2023

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  • Just stay away from nvidia on Linux and you are golden.

    I’m sorry but this is the kind of condescending bullshit that pushes me away from Linux

    I got a 3070TI for half off MSRP for open box in the middle of the crypto bubble, and I’m not buying another GPU until I absolutely have to.

    You want more people to embrace Linux? Make it work on startup without jumping through a bunch of hoops, on the hardware we already own.

    Your lived experience with Windows is yours, and I’m glad you have a system that works for you. I don’t have the time or mental energy to learn, not just a new OS, but also all of the bugs that go with it.

    Look, I get it. I’m putting my apprentice in my old work van, and as I’m looking at the old heap I’m remembering all the little quirks it has that I’ve developed blind spots for. Blind spots they don’t have. Quirks that are actually problems. I know there are problems with windows that I ignore because I know how to work around them. I know the workarounds because I’ve been using Windows since 3.11. I didn’t have that experience with Linux, and neither does my wife. A woman who once nearly bricked our computer falling for an Indian call center scam.

    When this rig bites the dust, I’ll probably build a Linux gaming box and just tell her to get used to the OS. For now, we’re using Windows

    Also HP is shit and I’d gladly put any HP exec in the hospital if I met them


  • That would be me.

    Tried Ubuntu 15 years ago, but couldn’t because Nvidia driver issues, and haven’t tried again

    Look, dudes, I’m bootstrapping a small business while trying to manage ADHD. I can barely get two hours of admin work done in an eight hour day. I just need things to work. I’d love to walk away from Windows but I don’t have the mental bandwidth for that shit

    And even if I did, my wife and I share a gaming computer/media center. There’s nothing like having her call me in the middle of a workday because my VPN is keeping her from logging into PBS so that she can watch Grantchester. Imagine the headaches if I installed a new OS.

    Much like improving my physical fitness, I have the desire, but not the will





  • 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









  • 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


  • 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.