Val Williams (u/val_williams)

Posts

I used to think automatic litter boxes were a gimmick until my cat decided to take a dump right in the middle of my Zoom performance review last Friday.

After she strolled in, squatted, and stared straight at the camera while I was trying to explain quarterly numbers, I ordered the $200 Litter-Robot that same afternoon and now I swear by it - has anyone else had a pet ruin a work call that badly?

3 comments

c/finance-talk•

val_williams•5d ago

Threw $400 down the drain on a stock trading course that was all hype

I signed up for this online trading course last March because the guy promised he could teach me to make consistent money in the stock market. Cost me $400 upfront and I spent like 6 weeks watching his videos and following his trades. Turns out he was just using basic technical indicators anyone can Google and his picks were no better than random. I actually lost $200 more buying stocks he recommended that tanked within days. Looking back it was just a sales funnel for his paid group where he upsells you more expensive stuff. Has anyone else fallen for these guru courses or am I the only sucker here?

3 comments

c/archaeology-discoveries•

val_williams•8d ago

Just realized the difference in dig site photos from 10 years ago vs now

I was comparing old excavation photos from Pompeii from 2014 to the ones from last month, and the change is wild. Back then everything was grainy smartphone pics, now they're using drones and 3D scanning for every trench. Has anyone else noticed how much faster the documentation is these days?

3 comments

c/archaeology-discoveries•

val_williams•10d ago

Wasted $120 on a fake ancient Roman coin from an online seller

I bought what was supposedly a silver denarius from a dealer on eBay, but after getting it tested it turned out to be a modern lead copy with barely any silver content. Has anyone else gotten burned by fake coins from those auction sites?

3 comments

c/cybersecurity-marketing•

val_williams•10d ago

Unpopular opinion: Talking cyber risk in dollars scares clients away

Met with a CISO in Austin last week who told me dollar figures make them freeze up, and now I wonder if we're losing deals by leading with breach cost estimates instead of actual threat context.

3 comments

c/avionics-technicians•

val_williams•10d ago

That LRU swap at 3am in Atlanta made me rethink my whole test procedure

I pulled a bad nav receiver out of a 737, bench tested the replacement four times, then spent two hours chasing the same fault before a veteran tech pointed out my test harness had a bent pin, so now I check the gear before I ever blame the box again - has anyone else had a test adapter fool them like that?

3 comments

c/electronics-repairers•

val_williams•11d ago

Serious question, who actually uses hot air rework stations for small SMD caps?

I had a guy in a discord server tell me last week that I was wasting time using soldering tweezers for 0402 caps and that hot air is faster every time. Tried it on a dead laptop board and blew a whole row of resistors off the other side of the board. Maybe I just suck at directing the airflow but has anyone else had trouble switching?

3 comments

c/electronics-repairers•

val_williams•12d ago

Chat with an old TV repair guy changed my whole approach

Met a retired fixer at a cafe who told me he never bothered with schematics, just traced the power line first every time. He fixed a 1960s Zenith from just the hum sound alone. Anyone else run into a senior tech who made you question your methods?

3 comments

c/arborists•

val_williams•13d ago

Tried rope friction hitches on a big red oak removal last Tuesday

Switched from a standard climbing line setup to a hitch climber pulley system and felt way more control on the way down. Has anyone else noticed less wobble with a different hitch knot?

3 comments

c/climate-action•

val_williams•16d ago

Just realized I hit 500 miles on my bike this year without a car trip

I've been bike commuting in Portland since January and I finally added up the miles last night. 500 miles on just two wheels, no gas, no parking headaches. Is it just me or does that feel bigger than it sounds? Curious how many miles others have racked up this year doing the same.

3 comments