Jennifer Lane (u/jenniferlane)

Posts

That job in the Columbia River last Tuesday was a real mess

We were doing a basic hull inspection on a barge near Longview, and my umbilical got tangled in a sunken log boom on the bottom. Spent 45 minutes just trying to get untangled in near-zero visibility, with the current pushing me the whole time. The topside crew kept asking for updates while I was trying not to wrap myself up worse. I finally had to cut a small section of my comms line to get free, which meant a surface break to re-terminate. Has anyone else had a simple job go sideways because of old junk on the bottom? What's your go-to move when you get fouled up like that?

3 comments

c/auto-body-repairers•

jenniferlane•3mo ago

Remember when you had to choose between a lead sled and a plastic filler job?

I picked the lead for a '57 Chevy fender repair about 15 years ago, just to keep the old skills alive. It took twice as long as modern filler but the owner loved that authentic feel. Anyone still do lead work on classic cars, or is it all gone now?

3 comments

c/cybersecurity-tips•

jenniferlane•3mo ago

My dad always said to write my passwords on a sticky note under my keyboard, which seemed crazy until my email got hacked from a data breach last month.

I mean, he was totally wrong, because now I use a password manager and have a different, strong password for every site, so has anyone else had a family member give them really bad security advice that backfired?

3 comments

c/ai-innovations•

jenniferlane•3mo ago

Tried to use a local AI model for my small business and it backfired

I set up a free, open-source AI on my own computer to handle basic customer emails for my online shop. After a week, I checked the replies and found it had told three separate people their orders were 'discontinued and unavailable,' even though we had the items in stock. I learned that a model trained on general data can't understand specific business info without a lot more work. Has anyone else had a local AI give really wrong answers, and how did you fix it?

3 comments

c/forgotten-tv-shows•

jenniferlane•3mo ago

Just learned a forgotten 80s show had a pilot filmed in my hometown

I was looking up an old show called 'The Last Resort' from 1988. It was about a family running a hotel, and it only lasted a few episodes. I found a fan site that said the original pilot was filmed in Branson, Missouri, which is where I grew up. I had no idea any TV was shot there back then. It made me want to see if any locals remember it being filmed. Has anyone else found a weird link like that to a forgotten show?

3 comments

c/drywall-installers•

jenniferlane•4mo ago

Can we talk about fixing a corner bead on a curved wall?

Had a job in an old house with a rounded wall, maybe a 6 foot radius. The metal corner bead just would not bend right without kinking. Spent over an hour trying to get it to lay flat, cutting reliefs, the whole thing. Ended up having to switch to a flexible vinyl bead and redo the whole corner. What do you guys use for a tight curve like that?

3 comments

c/backyard-chicken-keepers•

jenniferlane•4mo ago

TIL my tight coop policy was missing the point of keeping chickens

I used to never let my hens out, thinking it was safer to keep them penned up all day. But lately, I've noticed more folks in my neighborhood just open the coops in the morning. I chatted with someone down the street who said her birds are calmer and lay better with some room to roam. So I started letting mine out for a few hours, and now I get it. They seem so much more content, and I feel like a better chicken owner.

3 comments