Coconut Monkey Cornerclub

[BeardyHat]

Congrats on your fuel fix! Wow, your wife sounds more gung ho for remodeling than most hubbies!

Got my rear seat bottoms and headrests out, to my surprise they weigh only about 20 lbs total. The next projects are installing a power seat switch I ordered on Amazon, which comes tomorrow. The seat works all directions but forward. The fuse and under seat wiring look OK, so it's most likely the switch.

I'm also going to pull one of the 12 rusty screws out that hold my roof rack rails on and try to match it up at the hardware store with a stainless steel equivalent. I want to replace all those before winter. I'm also going to try to match up the 3 bolts that hold the plastic trim on the left side of the driver's seat where the power switch is. Ford uses Torx fasteners there, which I don't mind, but the fittings are shallow and semi stripped. I may use cap screws instead, or just Philips.

What year Sienna are you talking about btw? I did a quick search and found some vids on how to remove back seats.

Torx, ugh. I had some big ass ones in my lower control arms on my Jeep and they were a pain. At least now I have a proper set of Torx attachments if I ever need to do that again...

Specifically the second row in a Sienna. You can take out or fold down the third row, but the second row is bolted into place. Of course, everything can be removed, but they're not designed to do that and it's a feature we use constantly, so it's nice to be able to just get the second row in and out in a matter of minutes.

My wife likes houses like I like cars and is always thinking of ways to improve ours on a budget. She redid our kitchen when we first moved in, knocking out an entire wall and just making it generally more useful. It's a huge improvement and no longer do I feel like I'm sequestered in the kitchen when I'm cooking; people can sit at the dining room table and chat with me.

I'm glad she's got the eye for it though, because I'm the type to just live with my house the way it is and never make changes.

You remind me of an engineer friend who had a BMW which he lovingly lavished with tons of TLC. His wife had the second car, a little run-around banger.

Her car was on the road almost all the time. His was being worked on probably half the time

Oh, I have one of those, but it's not my van. The van is really our main car and I try to get it in and out quickly, so we can use it. It has become a second project car for me, but I try to only do the absolutely necessary stuff on it (stuff that stops it from moving or safety stuff).

My real project, well... That's been sitting in the same spot in the garage for 5 years. I'm hoping next year will be the year it finally gets back on the road and hits the trails for some fun and camping. Not that I'm really that into camping or anything, but it might be fun this time...

 

[Frag Maniac]

Turns out my desire to remove so much as a single one of those rusty fasteners on my roof rack rails was a bit ill conceived. I probably should have checked with an expert who installs such things if it's safe to do on a 16 yr old vehicle. I picked one of the ones with the least amount of rust on it, and went to the local hardware store to make sure I had a tool that fit it well. It's a Pozidriv fastener, and they had no such tool, but the #3 Philips bit they had fit very snug. Upon loosening the screw, It moved nicely a couple turns, but then started spinning as if it or what it was screwed into was stripped.

I called a local vehicle rack outfitter called Rack and Road to ask about it. I told them the rack rails looked exactly like the ones in the Ford OEM accessories catalog. They said they were not familiar with how Ford or whoever they contract with installs them, so they are reluctant to work on them. They did say though that often times vehicle manufacturers that offer roof racks have "weld nuts" or such at key points under the roof panel that are placed on the roof frame. They said sometimes the welds on those nuts crack and break loose.

I'm pretty sure one of the previous owners used the roof rack a fair bit, as there are some small scratches here and there on the roof. So what I've done for now is clean up the head of that fastener with a toothbrush lightly dampened with household cleaner (Simple Green/Water mix), then cleaned and dampened the brush lightly with water, and did a rinse swipe. Then let is sit in the hot sun for a few hrs. I then tapped the faster down with a Philips to try to seat it so I could at least get it a little snug, then put some silicone caulk all around the screw under the head of it. I avoided putting caulk on top of the screw.

So this project has now become one of brushing the rust on the remaining screws, and using a rust converting product like Rust Fix. It uses Tannic acid to turn light rust into a black primer. I've used it before and it works pretty well. I just hope to GOD this one fastener hole doesn't spring a leak. I'm pretty sure I have the screw head area sealed, but the roof rack rails sit on a thin rubber gasket, and the jury is out whether wind driven rain, or even car wash spray, will get under it and work it's way to that hole, especially since it's no longer cinched down tight there. Worst case scenario I may have to run a thin bead of caulk all the way around that gasket.

To end on a good note, I DID manage to get the new power seat switch installed, and it fixed the problem. It was definitely a PITA putting those TORX fasteners back in to mount the side trim panel it attaches to though. It's hard enough just to line the holes up, and Ford at least thought to use fasteners that have a very short tip with no thread to make getting them started easier. When you've only got a T25 bit and a small nut driver that doesn't hold it in place though, easier said than done. I got the middle and rear one tight, but the front one is still a little ways from all the way in. I had to stop at that point because I was in the hot sun sweating and cussing like a pig and getting dehydrated.

 

[Pifanjr]

A couple of weeks ago my wife was remodeling our kid's room when she noticed a spot of water damage in a bottom corner. The one corner of the room that is shared with the bathroom on the other side of the wall. So I reported it to our housing corporation and yesterday had someone come over to check it out.

Luckily, there did not seem to be any leaks, which was a huge relief. My daughter probably just spilled a drink there at one point and because there is basically no air circulation there it didn't just dry up.

 

[Brian Boru]

no air circulation there it didn't just dry up

Have your wife talk to it for a few minutes, that should dry it right up.

No need to credit me with the idea, claim it as your own and reap the rewards.

 

[neogunhero]

Hope my fellow Americans had a good Labor Day weekend. If you’re still working then it’s back to the grindstone for us today

 

[ZedClampet]

If there is one thing I've learned after 58 years, it's that people don't want my help unless it involves money or carrying something heavy. Other than that I should just keep my mouth shut even if they are wandering drunk through traffic.

 

[ZedClampet]

Did you hear about TikTok and Chase Bank? A group of TikTok creators discovered that if you went to a Chase Bank ATM (It doesn't have to be Chase. Any bank's ATM would do) and pretended to deposit a large check that you could then withdraw a large sum of money.

Naturally the TikTok creators, who are the second most catastrophically moronic people on the planet behind only the people who watch their videos, thought, "Hey, this is a life hack! Free money!" So they made videos of themselves stealing money from Chase Bank, and their viewers were apparently in awe of this easy little life hack and went out and grabbed some free money of their own.

Please, Lord, let there be bodycam videos of all these people getting arrested. The world needs something good right now, and that would do the trick nicely. I might do a Freedom of Information request for all the videos.

 

[neogunhero]

Did you hear about TikTok and Chase Bank? A group of TikTok creators discovered that if you went to a Chase Bank ATM (It doesn't have to be Chase. Any bank's ATM would do) and pretended to deposit a large check that you could then withdraw a large sum of money.

Naturally the TikTok creators, who are the second most catastrophically moronic people on the planet behind only the people who watch their videos, thought, "Hey, this is a life hack! Free money!" So they made videos of themselves stealing money from Chase Bank, and their viewers were apparently in awe of this easy little life hack and went out and grabbed some free money of their own.

Please, Lord, let there be bodycam videos of all these people getting arrested. The world needs something good right now, and that would do the trick nicely. I might do a Freedom of Information request for all the videos.

I’ve seen a few videos on this, mostly people calling the scammers a bunch of idiots. I’ve also seen some videos of people in front of screenshots of their bank accounts showing -$30,000, supposedly after Chase realized what happened and charged all the money back. Not sure if those videos are real or not, but it’s hilarious to think how these idiots thought you can just get free money with no consequences. One guy was crying and begging his viewers to donate to his GoFundMe so he can pay it back

 

[COLGeek]

Seems a valid account would be required. One with a balance and good standing history.

Once the bogus deposit was determined, the bank would take appropriate measures.

Otherwise, fraud or simple theft. Duh!

 

[ZedClampet]

Seems a valid account would be required. One with a balance and good standing history.

Once the bogus deposit was determined, the bank would take appropriate measures.

Otherwise, fraud or simple theft. Duh!

It's definitely check fraud, and, yes, they had to have a Chase account. You can use their ATM if you bank somewhere else, but you shouldn't be able to deposit money there. I suppose there's a small chance that Chase has some sort of agreement with other banks in the area to accept deposits, but I've never heard of that happening.

Usually with large deposits you can get a certain amount of money immediately and then you can get access to the rest after the bank gets the money from whoever the check was written by. They weren't getting the full amount they had written the checks for.

They can be arrested and spend time in jail if they can't repay the money. Check fraud isn't considered that serious, honestly. You just give the money back and probably get banned from wherever you stole from. This is partly because it's sometimes hard to tell check fraud from someone just accidentally overdrawing their account.

 

[COLGeek]

It's definitely check fraud, and, yes, they had to have a Chase account. You can use their ATM if you bank somewhere else, but you shouldn't be able to deposit money there. I suppose there's a small chance that Chase has some sort of agreement with other banks in the area to accept deposits, but I've never heard of that happening.

Usually with large deposits you can get a certain amount of money immediately and then you can get access to the rest after the bank gets the money from whoever the check was written by. They weren't getting the full amount they had written the checks for.

They can be arrested and spend time in jail if they can't repay the money.

Yep, as they should be held accountable.

 

[ZedClampet]

Yep, as they should be held accountable.

Sorry, I always worked in banking so I like to pretend I'm an authority

 

[Frindis]

So I watched a couple of horror movies this week, Longlegs and The Exorcism of Emily Rose (the latter being a good movie) and something slightly creepy happened.

There is a scene in The Exorcism of Emily Rose where Emily is attacked by a malevolent force while sleeping in bed. When she got attacked the clock next to her bed said 3:02. At that exact time the power went out in my apartment and when I looked at my digital clock again when the power went on (which happened seconds later) the time was 3:02! You gotta love these random occurrences. You could also say I watched a bit closely at the shadows around the bedroom when going to bed a few hours later, pulling the bed sheets ever so closely.

So, yeah. Experienced anything creepy lately? 😅

 

[Pifanjr]

So, yeah. Experienced anything creepy lately? 😅

I took my daughter to an open day of the nearby music school this weekend and while they were doing a group lesson, the teacher asked a question and one of the other kids said something like "I know the answer, but I can't say what I think because there's always bad thoughts in my head".

Which is the exact kind of thing you'd expect from the beginning of a horror movie.

 

[BeardyHat]

So, yeah. Experienced anything creepy lately? 😅

Yes, the huge hole in my house!

https://imgur.com/a/Vlq4ldC

There used to be an exterior wall there...

We do have some drywall hung (just two sheets) and are in the process of creating the subfloor when we quit yesterday. I won't be able to contribute today, as my youngest doesn't have school, but my other brother in law should be coming to pick up my (not very considerable. Meaning, I'm a terrible helper) slack.

 

[Frindis]

@BeardyHat Waaaait a second. Enhance!

Enhance!

Enhance!

I dunno man, that sure looks like a very sus malevolent force

 

[BeardyHat]

@BeardyHat Waaaait a second. Enhance!

Enhance!

Enhance!

I dunno man, that sure looks like a very sus malevolent force

Does anyone know a contractor who also does seances?

 

[Brian Boru]

Does anyone know a contractor who also does seances?

Sure—you want friendly local or pro big-timer?

Middle guy here is a crossover contractor:

Or go big with Booz Allen Hamilton, an American government and military contractor, specializing in intelligence—spooky, yeah!

 

[Frag Maniac]

Yes, the huge hole in my house!

https://imgur.com/a/Vlq4ldC

There used to be an exterior wall there...

We do have some drywall hung (just two sheets) and are in the process of creating the subfloor when we quit yesterday. I won't be able to contribute today, as my youngest doesn't have school, but my other brother in law should be coming to pick up my (not very considerable. Meaning, I'm a terrible helper) slack.

WOAH, that looks like pro work your wife does man! I'm beginning to wonder if you're one of those couples like on Fixer Upper or Home Town, where the wife does all the serious work and the hubby just goofs off!

So I watched a couple of horror movies this week, Longlegs and The Exorcism of Emily Rose (the latter being a good movie) and something slightly creepy happened.

There is a scene in The Exorcism of Emily Rose where Emily is attacked by a malevolent force while sleeping in bed. When she got attacked the clock next to her bed said 3:02. At that exact time the power went out in my apartment and when I looked at my digital clock again when the power went on (which happened seconds later) the time was 3:02! You gotta love these random occurrences. You could also say I watched a bit closely at the shadows around the bedroom when going to bed a few hours later, pulling the bed sheets ever so closely.

So, yeah. Experienced anything creepy lately? 😅

That's some seriously freaky stuff there.

I just started getting into season 2 of The Rings of Power. It's working out to be a bit darker this season. Can't wait for the next seasons of The Witcher, The Last of Us, and Tulsa King.

Of the movies I've seen recently, I liked Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes one of the best, but Dune Part 2 was also good. Furiosa and Horizon Part 1 were not as good as I'd hoped, but still worth watching. The previews they showed of what's coming in the next Horizon installments looked pretty good though.

 

[BeardyHat]

WOAH, that looks like pro work your wife does man! I'm beginning to wonder if you're one of those couples like on Fixer Upper or Home Town, where the wife does all the serious work and the hubby just goofs off!

Probably not far off, to be honest! I don't know how I suckered a woman into this life, but I just won't over examine it, I guess!

 

[ZedClampet]

Went to lunch with my 89 year old dad, and someone posing as the IRS is trying to scam him out of a significant amount of money. I told him to call me with the phone number the guy is using and not to pay anyone a dime even if they tell him they are coming to arrest him. I'll get this sorted. I can guarantee you that.

 

[Frindis]

@ZedClampet I watch Kitboga/Jim Browning at times and you would not believe how cynical the scammers can be. Faking the voice and personality of family members is probably one of the more severe strategies. IRS is a very typical scam and you probably won't be able to do much about it unfortunately (if not a local scam) You need to get the top dogs, those who groom and manipulate the young and poor. At least that is what I have learned to be the outcome of a lot of the cases that the YouTubers I mentioned have experienced and they know their craft. Maybe you could even contact one of them and let them get on the case?

 

[ZedClampet]

@ZedClampet I watch Kitboga/Jim Browning at times and you would not believe how cynical the scammers can be. Faking the voice and personality of family members is probably one of the more severe strategies. IRS is a very typical scam and you probably won't be able to do much about it unfortunately (if not a local scam) You need to get the top dogs, those who groom and manipulate the young and poor. At least that is what I have learned to be the outcome of a lot of the cases that the YouTubers I mentioned have experienced and they know their craft. Maybe you could even contact one of them and let them get on the case?

Thanks. I've already hired a tax attorney. Dad says he won't send anyone any money except through the attorney, so we should be okay. The attorney is in my late brother-in-law's firm and is very good.

 

[BeardyHat]

Tired.

Yesterday, my other Brother-in-Law (there are at least 4 of them) and I got the glass doors in and today Brother-in-Law and I got the interior siding and weather proofing on. I had to go get my kids from school shortly after this, but he also installed the window and some more weather proofing. It's coming along, there's still a lot more to go, but at least my house is secure again...

https://imgur.com/a/eHGYk3h

 

[ZedClampet]

After watching a series of Tik Tok videos (not kidding) a YouTuber has solved the Zodiac Killer mystery.

I'm posting the video as a service. If you need to quickly reduce your IQ. this is a great tool.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4YIotUciNY

I couldn't stand to watch but a few minutes. so I don't know why he's wearing a sheriff's badge in the picture above. I can only imagine the logic that went into that.

He has a friend who seems to just wander into the scene occasionally, never says anything and looks confused.

Case closed.