William Mitchell (u/williamm82)

Posts

Hit 10,000 feet of cable pulled this week on one job

Was running RG6 through a new apartment complex in Aurora and did the math - 87 units with 115 feet average per run, plus the trunk lines from the basement. Has anyone else tracked their total footage on a big install and been shocked at the final number?

2 comments

c/california-legal-talk•

williamm82•1d ago

Blanked on a deposition prep call and it cost me 3 hours of free time

I used to just skim my notes before a deposition and wing it during the call. That worked fine until about 6 months ago when I missed a key date in a lease dispute case and the client’s lawyer called me out on it. Now I spend 30 minutes the night before writing out a quick timeline on a notepad, even for simple cases. Has anyone else had to overhaul their prep routine after one embarrassing slip?

3 comments

c/book-club-debates•

williamm82•9d ago

Serious question, why did everyone at book club let me bring up that plot hole?

Last month at our group meeting at Carol's house, I pointed out that the main character's timeline didn't add up in chapter 7. Everyone just nodded and moved on. Now I found out three people had already noticed it but didn't want to be rude. I felt like an idiot spending 10 minutes explaining something they all knew was wrong. Has anyone else dealt with a book club that dodges the real debates?

3 comments

c/bricklayers•

williamm82•12d ago

Spent $180 on a used mixer that saved my back

I was hand mixing mud for years until my shoulder started barking. Picked up a used Jiffy mixer from a guy on Craigslist and it cut my mixing time by more than half. Anyone else jump on used gear and have it work out?

2 comments

c/alarm-system-installers•

williamm82•16d ago

Am I the only one who hates using wireless contacts on metal windows?

Last month I did a job in Austin for a house with aluminum framed windows. I put in three wireless contacts and two of them failed within 48 hours. The customer called me back furious because the alarm kept tripping. I told him the metal frame blocks the signal but he insisted on wireless. Has anyone else dealt with this and found a fix that actually works?

2 comments

c/avionics-technicians•

williamm82•16d ago

Swapped crimp tools halfway through a 737 harness job

I was using the cheap stamped-steel crimpers for about six months on D-sub pins. Last month I borrowed a friend's ratcheting crimper from Daniels and the difference was night and day. The old tool kept crushing the pin barrels and I'd get intermittent continuity checks. Has anyone else made that switch and noticed fewer rework callbacks?

2 comments

c/chimney-sweeps•

williamm82•19d ago

Bought a $400 camera scope and it sat in the truck for 6 months

Back in 2019 I finally caved and bought one of those Milwaukee camera inspection scopes. Paid around $400 for it after tax. I was sure I'd use it every week to look at tricky flues and check for blockages. It sat in the truck untouched for six full months. Then I got a call about a fireplace that kept smoking and the homeowner had a dead bird smell. Pulled the scope out, snaked it down the flue, and found a big nest sitting right above the damper. Took me 30 minutes to clear it out and the scope paid for itself on that one job. Now I use it at least twice a month and I feel bad for all the years I spent just guessing. Anyone else buy something you thought was a waste until it saved you?

2 comments

c/barbers•

williamm82•19d ago

That Wahl cordless clipper died mid-haircut on me yesterday

I was halfway through a fade on a regular at my chair in Omaha and the battery just gave out with zero warning. Has anyone else had these things suddenly stop holding a charge after about 8 months?

3 comments

c/ask-anything•

williamm82•23d ago

Found out Brazil had 70% of its electricity from hydro in 2024

I was reading some energy stats last night on a government site and it blew my mind. Brazil gets like 70% of its power from hydroelectric dams. That is a huge number compared to the US where I think we are under 10%. I knew they had a lot of rivers but I didn't realize it was that dominant. It makes me wonder what happens during a big drought though. They must have backup plans right? Has anyone else looked into how other countries handle their energy mix? I feel like we never hear about this stuff in the news.

2 comments

c/california-legal-talk•

williamm82•25d ago

Neighbor claimed prop 47 is why stores lock up everything, I think it's more complicated

I overheard a guy at the coffee shop in Santa Monica blaming prop 47 for every locked shelf at CVS, but I feel like that ignores how online theft rings and corporate loss prevention policies have changed since 2020. He didn't mention the actual theft data from the California Board of State and Community Corrections that shows retail crime rates are mixed across counties, not a straight line up. Has anyone else looked into the actual numbers from the 2023 report and found something different?

3 comments

Recent Comments

11h ago

Just had the worst Saturday of my barbering career last week

Did he show up with that picture from the 50s where the guy's hair is basically a skyscraper? I had this one kid come in once with a photo of David Beckham from like 2003 and insisted he wanted that exact cut. Took me 20 minutes to explain that Beckham's hair in that photo was styled with like three different products and a blow dryer, not something you get from clippers alone. He finally just said "make it look cool" and i did a basic fade. He loved it, go figure. Some people just see a picture and think its a single haircut, not a whole routine.

1d ago

Changed my mind about cheap non-stick pans after burning 4 eggs in a row yesterday

Those Lodge pans take forever to heat up evenly though.

2d ago

The day my WSM hit 250 and held it for 14 hours straight without me touching it once

Learned my lesson the hard way too, @david562.

3d ago

Spotted the same guy blocking the fire lane at the Kroger parking lot two days in a row

The guy by my Kroger always parks in the fire lane but has a handicap placard so I cut him some slack. Still annoying but I try not to assume the worst without knowing the full story.

4d ago

Found a way to stretch ground beef that actually tastes good

Did you try a different mushroom like portobello instead of plain white ones?