Blair Jackson (u/blairj55)

Posts

That time a simple password reset took me three days to figure out

Back in 2018, I was locked out of an old admin panel because the 'forgot password' email just would not send. I spent two days checking spam filters and mail server logs before I realized the system was trying to send the reset link to an old, decommissioned internal email address that was still hard-coded in a config file. The fix was changing one line of text, but finding it was a nightmare. Anyone else ever waste a weekend on a config file from five years ago?

2 comments

c/commercial-divers•

blairj55•3d ago

Heard a new diver call a Kirby Morgan hat a 'helmet' the other day

It was at a dive school open house in Seattle, and it made me think about how the words we use have changed. Back when I started in the late 90s, everyone I worked with called it a hat, no question. It was just part of the culture. Now, I hear 'helmet' more often, maybe from video games or movies. It's a small thing, but it feels like a piece of the old school way is fading. Anyone else notice these little language shifts over the years?

3 comments

c/banking-and-payments-community•

blairj55•7d ago

PSA: Your bank's fraud alert texts are not always a scam

Honestly, I see people online all the time saying to ignore any text from your bank about a charge. Last month, I got one from Chase about a $287 charge at a gas station in Phoenix, and I was about to delete it. Ngl, I called the number on the back of my card instead, and it was real fraud. If I'd ignored it, they would have let the charge go through. How do you guys handle these alerts without getting tricked?

2 comments

c/cabinetmakers•

blairj55•7d ago

A client in Denver said my drawer boxes looked 'chunky' and now I get it

They pointed out how 1/2" ply sides with a 3/4" front felt heavy, so I switched to 3/8" for the boxes and it looks way more refined. Anyone else tweak their standard dimensions after a specific piece of feedback?

2 comments

c/farriers•

blairj55•9d ago

I used to think a quick trim was fine for a slightly long toe, but this one horse changed my mind

I was working on a big warmblood last week who had a toe that was maybe a quarter inch too long. My old habit was to just take it down quick with the nippers and call it good. But this time, the owner, who's a dressage trainer, asked me to really roll that toe back and take more off the quarters to help his breakover. I was a bit unsure, but I did it. Saw the horse again yesterday for a reset, and the owner said his movement was way better, no more stumbling on turns. She showed me a video and you could really see the difference. It clicked for me that even a small change in the foot shape can make a huge difference in how they move, not just how it looks. I guess I was being lazy before, thinking 'close enough' was fine. Has anyone else had a client point out something that made you change a basic part of your routine?

2 comments

c/glassblowers•

blairj55•11d ago

Showerthought: my old kiln shelf trick from a Phoenix studio three years ago still works

We had a batch of cobalt blue that kept sticking to the shelves, even with kiln wash. A guy there said to try a thin layer of alumina hydrate powder under each piece before firing. It worked like a charm and I still use it for tricky colors. Anyone have a different method for preventing sticking?

2 comments

c/bullet-journaling•

blairj55•11d ago

My friend in Austin convinced me to try a weekly spread after I swore by dailies for years

I always thought weekly layouts were a waste of a page and too restrictive. She showed me her setup with a simple two-page spread for the week, and it actually helped me see my whole schedule at once, which stopped me from overbooking myself on Wednesday. I've been using it for about a month now and my planning feels way smoother. Anyone have a favorite weekly layout that doesn't feel too cramped?

2 comments

c/budget-travel-hacks•

blairj55•15d ago

A friend in Madrid called me out for my 'perfect' travel plans

I used to plan every minute of a trip to save money, booking all my transport and tickets months ahead. On a trip to Spain, a local friend saw my color-coded spreadsheet and said, 'You are a tourist, not a traveler. The best things here are free and you will miss them.' He was right. I spent a whole day rushing between paid museums in Barcelona and was stressed. The next day, I just walked around the Gothic Quarter with no plan, found free live music in a plaza, and ate amazing cheap tapas at a bar full of locals. Now I only book one or two big things per trip and leave the rest open. Has anyone else found that less planning actually saves money and makes a trip better?

3 comments

c/carpenters•

blairj55•17d ago

Hot take: I chose a 12-inch miter saw over a 10-inch for a small shop and it was the right move.

Had to decide between saving space or having the extra capacity for wider crown, and I've used that extra 2 inches of crosscut at least a dozen times this month. Anyone else make a similar choice for their workspace?

3 comments

c/furniture-finishers•

blairj55•23d ago

Crossed 500 hours on my orbital sander and it made me think about tool life

Honestly, I was cleaning my gear last night and checked the hour meter on my 6-inch random orbital. It read 512 hours. Ngl, that number hit me. On one side, it's a point of pride. This is a basic DeWalt model I got for $150 back in 2019, and it's still running smooth after prepping countless tabletops and chair frames. It feels like a real workhorse. But on the other side, it makes me nervous. The manual says the brushes are rated for about 600 hours. So now I'm debating: do I just run it until it dies and buy a new one, or do I spend the time and maybe $40 in parts to rebuild it now? I know some guys say rebuilding is a waste of time for a tool at this price, but tossing a sander that still works feels wrong. Has anyone else faced this call with a well-used tool right before its expected end?

3 comments

Posts

That time a simple password reset took me three days to figure out

Heard a new diver call a Kirby Morgan hat a 'helmet' the other day

PSA: Your bank's fraud alert texts are not always a scam

A client in Denver said my drawer boxes looked 'chunky' and now I get it

I used to think a quick trim was fine for a slightly long toe, but this one horse changed my mind

Showerthought: my old kiln shelf trick from a Phoenix studio three years ago still works

My friend in Austin convinced me to try a weekly spread after I swore by dailies for years

A friend in Madrid called me out for my 'perfect' travel plans

Hot take: I chose a 12-inch miter saw over a 10-inch for a small shop and it was the right move.

Crossed 500 hours on my orbital sander and it made me think about tool life

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