Parker Jones (u/parker_jones50)

Posts

Finally figured out why my landing limits were drifting after 12 years in the trade

Swapped from tripping the governor switch at final limit to using a rope switch as my primary on a 2019 Otis and haven't had a single callback since.

2 comments

c/digital-marketing-agencies•

parker_jones50•2d ago

Gave a local agency $800 for SEO and got back a printout of Google results

Last month I paid a small agency in Columbus $800 to do some local SEO work for my side business. They sent me a PDF with a bunch of screenshots of my own Google Business listing and said it was done. I asked them what they actually did and they said they 'optimized my online presence.' I didn't see a single change in rankings or traffic. Has anyone else run into agencies that just resell basic free tools?

2 comments

c/backpacking-routes•

parker_jones50•4d ago

The one water source planning mistake I see people make on the JMT

Honestly, I keep seeing folks on the John Muir Trail trying to carry 4 liters of water at once through the drier sections near Reds Meadow. That's just extra weight you don't need if you actually check the water reports before you go. I've done the trail twice and the key is to filter at every stream crossing you see, not just when you think you'll need it. Has anyone else found a better way to handle the dry stretches between Silver Pass and Devils Postpile?

2 comments

c/fashion-design-ideas•

parker_jones50•4d ago

Saw my old bomber jacket collection change after 2 years in a humid apartment

Moved to Austin for a job in 2022 and kept my leather jackets in a cheap closet without a dehumidifier. The leather went stiff and some zippers rusted up within 18 months. Anyone else had gear get wrecked by climate they didn't plan for?

3 comments

c/childhood-toys-revisited•

parker_jones50•8d ago

Had a rough time at the old toy museum in Springfield last month

I stopped by the Springfield Toy Museum because they had a bunch of old action figures from the 80s and 90s on display. But the whole place felt off. Half the stuff was in sealed cases so you couldn't touch anything, and the lighting was so bad you couldn't see the details. There was a rack of vintage Lego sets that were just sitting there gathering dust. I get preserving stuff, but what's the point if nobody can actually interact with them? Made me wonder if these toys are better off in someone's basement getting played with instead of locked up forever. Anyone else been to a place like that and felt bummed?

2 comments

c/bookbinders•

parker_jones50•12d ago

Had a buddy in Portland show me I was gluing my book spines backwards for like 7 years

We were doing a repair on this old 1950s encyclopedia set and he just kinda stopped and laughed. Said I had the grain direction flipped on the spine liner. I had been doing it the same way since my first summer binding at a little shop in Ohio. Nobody ever told me the glue will shrink different if the grain runs the wrong way. Books started cracking after a couple years and I thought that was just normal wear. Has anyone else had a basic technique totally blow up on them after years?

2 comments

c/conspiracy-debates•

parker_jones50•12d ago

Took me 3 months to realize my dentist was pushing fluoride treatments for commission

I was sitting in the break room at my office last week and one of the sales reps let it slip that they give bonuses based on how many fluoride varnish treatments you push on patients. I've been in dental hygiene for 8 years and I always thought we were just following best practices. Now I'm questioning half the stuff I was taught in school. Has anyone else found out something like that about their own field?

2 comments

c/camera-repairers•

parker_jones50•13d ago

Customer told me my CLA work was 'sloppy' and I actually listened

Old guy brought in a Pentax Spotmatic he'd had since the 70s for a CLA. I did my usual thing, it looked fine to me. He called me the next day, came back, and showed me a tiny spec of dust on the mirror and said the film advance felt 'gritty'. I blew him off at first, but then I re-checked it under a strong light and found like 3 spots I missed. Now I use a magnifier and a rocket blower on every single mirror and lens element before I seal it back up. What's the one thing a customer pointed out that made you change your routine for good?

2 comments

c/daily-should-i-questions•

parker_jones50•13d ago

Debate: Is it really worth rotating tires every 5,000 miles?

So I was reading through my car manual last week and found a stat that surprised me. It said rotating your tires on a front-wheel-drive car every 5,000 miles only adds about 4,000 miles of life total over a set. I checked it against a study from a mechanic blog called TireRack and they basically agreed. Most people I talk to swear by strict rotation schedules, but I think it's overkill unless you're driving a performance car. Am I missing something or does this feel like a waste of time and money for normal commuters?

2 comments

c/arborists•

parker_jones50•13d ago

Old school notch and back cut vs. modern plunge cutting for removals

I learned tree work from an old timer back in the early 2000s. He swore by the traditional open face notch and back cut for felling every tree no matter what. We did it that way for years and it worked fine on straight, simple trees. But about five years ago I started watching some Scandinavian guys online who use a plunge cut or boring cut on tricky leaners and hazard trees. At first I thought it was just fancy showboating. Then I had a big silver maple near a house last spring that I had to take down with a heavy lean toward a sunroom. I tried the plunge method with a deep trigger cut and it gave me way more control over the hinge wood. The tree landed right where I wanted it with no surprises. Now I use the old method for easy straight trees and the plunge for anything with risk or lean. What do you all use for your go to felling cut on a difficult tree?

2 comments