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

Sam Riegel wrote this

Or Freddie Wong

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 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.

I know you’re joking, but

Natural regeneration, devoid of magic, requires more calories than the severed limb will provide. The ring of regeneration creates new flesh via magic, bypassing the rules of physics

Yeah i could see it by copying the comment. If the OP did use the delete button and the content isn’t truly deleted… that seems problematic.

Wait how does that work? Is that a glitch in Sync or something else?

Roosevelt ran for president on his own Progressive ticket, which became known as the Bull Moose Party after the former president joked that he felt “as strong as bull moose.” Democrat Woodrow Wilson won that November’s election, but Roosevelt came in second, winning 88 electoral votes compared to just 8 for Taft, the incumbent.

Ok, imagine being so unpopular that you not only lose the vote as an incumbent, but you also lost to a third party candidate, and only got 8 votes in the electoral college

The Babysitter’s Here - Dar Williams

Told from the perspective of a little kid, the emotions are just so immediate. I could go on about how nuanced the lyrics and emotion are but man, such a great song.

Runner up: Murder In the City - Avett Brothers

Man, that line: “Make sure my sister knows I loved her”, in the past tense, oof

100% agree about electric instruments. I would say guitar pickups and amplification ushered in a new generation of innovation in both music creation instrument usage. Several posters here have mentioned innovations like the Wall of Sound, or Hendrix, but those don’t happen without George Beauchamp creating the electric guitar pickup.

George Beauchamp is modern music’s Fosbury

The fact that i understood that word salad is a testament to the amazing abilities of the language center of our brains lol.

But yes, 100% agree. I loved on CR when Caleb would turn Frumpkin into a squid and use him as a face mask for dark vision. Best cat ever

Oh yeah?! Well i don’t need your company. I’ll make my own company. With blackjack. And hookers

Hello boss, thank you for bringing in boss’ boss as well, I appreciate it.

So, boss, I understand you wanted to talk to me about my attendance due to being sick for several days and taking an unpaid day off. Before we get started, I’d like you to think carefully if what you have in mind to say would be a good look for the company, should someone in the press publish our conversation. Not that I’m threatening to go to the press! Ha ha ha no, of course not! It’s just… well, what with COVID and all, I imagine people would wonder what could possess a person to penalize someone for taking a sick day. Why, they’d wonder about the competency of a manager that couldn’t adjust to an employee taking ill. They’d wonder what dangers the company would submit it’s customers to, seeing as they care so little about their employees.

But if course, that’s not why we’re here today, I’m sure! So what was it you wanted to discuss?

Maybe Ze Frank has a brother

So, all jokes aside, I’ll share some things with you that I’ve learned. Some from experience, most from Matt Colville’s Running the Game series.

Matt describes (here) two major archetypes, and then several variations on those:

The Player: they are excited to explore the world and engage with the GM, they want to do Stuff

The Audience: they are perfectly happy watching the story unfold. They’ll engage in combat or conversation when required, but really enjoy just…watching.

And here’s the key point. Both are okay. It is okay to engage with the game in a way that makes you happy. Provided you allow everyone else to engage in the way that makes them happy. But when you force others to play your way, you become another archetype: The Wang Rod

I think you’ll find the real key to enjoyable gameplay is to clearly and openly communicate what you enjoy about the game. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with liking character optimization, or wanting to jump straight to the action! Be open about what you enjoy, and find out what your fellow players enjoy. Learning to work to the strengths of your fellow players is super gratifying. And don’t forget your GM, they need to know what you enjoy so that they can balance gameplay for everyone.

My first time running a game i tried to be Matt Mercer, and i tried to get the party to engage like Critical Role. I didn’t understand, well, a lot of things. Once I realized I had a Power Gamer, a Comedian, a Taskmaster, and two Audience Members, the game got a LOT more enjoyable. For everyone. I dropped clues for the Taskmaster. I gave the Power Gamer opportunities to use their optimized build. I set up the Comedian with perfect opportunities to drop “that’s what she said” on the Boss. And most importantly, I dropped backstory on the Audience without forcing them to role play just to get the story. I told them how their character felt b/c that’s what they wanted!

Do yourself a favor. Go watch that Coleville video. It’s geared for GMs, but it has gems for everyone. And who knows? Maybe you’ll find you like being behind the screen as well.