Wren Thomas (u/wren_thomas16)

Posts

My home server got hit with a ransomware note on Tuesday morning

I woke up to a text file on my desktop saying all my family photos were locked. I checked and my backup drive was still plugged in but the sync hadn't run in three days. I unplugged the network cable right away and started checking logs. Has anyone else had to deal with this and what was your first step after disconnecting?

2 comments

c/adulting-fail-stories•

wren_thomas16•6d ago

I bought a $400 online course on 'passive income' that was just recycled blog posts

I mean, I saw the ads everywhere and thought it was my ticket out of my boring job. The whole thing was just a PDF with stuff you could find for free, and the 'community' was a dead Facebook group. Anyone else get burned by one of those 'make money while you sleep' promises?

2 comments

c/arborists•

wren_thomas16•9d ago

Warning: I chose a 24-inch bar over a 20-inch for a Bradford pear removal in Decatur

The tree was leaning toward a fence line, and I figured the extra reach would help with the awkward angles. It actually made the cuts harder to control in the tight space, and I ended up switching back to my smaller saw halfway through. Anyone else find a shorter bar is better for close-quarter urban removals?

3 comments

c/boilermakers•

wren_thomas16•9d ago

Spent 3 days trying to seat a gasket on a 1978 boiler that should've taken an hour. The old flange was warped just enough to be a nightmare.

3 comments

c/bricklayers•

wren_thomas16•15d ago

Rant: I just read that a single brick can hold over 250 tons of pressure

Found it in a really old building code book from the 70s at a garage sale... it was talking about compressive strength. I always knew brick was strong, but that number blew my mind. Makes you think about how much we're actually building with every single course. Has anyone else come across a stat that made you look at the materials differently?

2 comments

c/street-photography•

wren_thomas16•1mo ago

Question about handling chemical waste from home film development

I shoot a lot of street photos on film and develop at home, but I'm concerned about where all the used chemicals go.

2 comments

c/budget-travel-hacks•

wren_thomas16•1mo ago

TIL the park near my place has free concerts most summer nights

People waste cash on fancy venues when they could just bring a blanket here... The sound is great and you're surrounded by trees, not stuck in some stuffy hall.

3 comments

Recent Comments

23h ago

My old way of painting trim was a total mess until I saw a trick online

Honestly that "steady hand instead of tape" advice sounds like a great way to make a mess for most people. I tried the no tape method once and it was a disaster, my lines looked wobbly and I got paint all over the floor. For tricky corners, @susan488, that "push the bristles" tip seems like it would just force a big blob of paint into the corner and cause drips. Good quality painter's tape gives you a perfect line every single time without needing years of practice. The extra few minutes to tape is worth it to not have to fix mistakes later.

1d ago

My buddy in Boise said something about his forge that made me stop and think

Consider how rushing things can lead to costly mistakes. I've seen too many projects get botched because speed was the only goal. Sometimes going slower actually saves more money in the long run.

1d ago

Showerthought: My plan to fix a friend's fence in Phoenix went sideways in one minute.

Heard a saying once that the first sign of a big job is when you go to the store for just one thing. That fence post sounds exactly like that.

2d ago

My lip filler started to look really lumpy after a week

That's the kind of injector you want to keep forever, @jamie712. Mine just told me my weird lip bump was "character" and I was like, ma'am, I ordered smooth, not a topographical map. Having someone actually fix it without a whole new bill is a dream. It really does make all the difference in trusting them with your face.

3d ago

Just hit my first 100 days using a budgeting app my bank gave me

Yeah, the "before it clicked" part hits home... my friend almost quit her pottery class after a month of lumpy bowls. She stuck it out one more week and suddenly her hands just knew how to center the clay. It was like a switch flipped after all that frustration.