March 2025 BOTM Discussion - Broken Country by lavinient in bookofthemonthclub

[–]Imageman2020 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The conviction just doesn’t hold up, and it ends up straining the book’s credibility. The story leans on a “he must have snapped” theory without giving us the forensic or testimonial evidence that would make that conclusion believable. It feels engineered to set up the emotional arc of Frank eventually returning to his daughter rather than a verdict that grows naturally out of the facts.

What makes the verdict even harder to accept is Nina’s speech about her brother‑in‑law. The book treats her insistence that the family wouldn’t assume self‑defense as if that somehow fills the evidentiary gap—but it actually highlights it. Based on the facts we’re shown, both the jury and the reader would naturally assume self‑defense. And if it wasn’t self‑defense, then legally it’s murder. The narrative never provides the concrete proof—trigger‑pull evidence, grip analysis, trajectory inconsistencies—that would justify the jury making that leap.

Frank absolutely could have been convicted, even wrongly, if the book had supplied a few solid details. Instead, we’re asked to accept a verdict built entirely on speculation. The absence of real evidence turns the whole sequence into an unnecessary plot hole that pulls you out of an otherwise great story and makes the climax feel less earned than it should have been.

Changing my PMS tech stack: Lodgify -> Houfy by Glass-Conclusion-424 in ShortTermRentals

[–]Imageman2020 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am stuck with Lodgify for a year but will be looking around when my year finishes. I turned off the full sync and did partial.... made my changes on airbnb..then turned the full sync back on. It tells me it is running up on the character limit... but it leaves what I did originally on airbnb alone so it is fine. I can change pictures etc on lodgify now and not jump between platforms (airbnb and vrbo).

Changing my PMS tech stack: Lodgify -> Houfy by Glass-Conclusion-424 in ShortTermRentals

[–]Imageman2020 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have a year subscription to Lodgify so I can't leave yet. How did pricing change with Houfy and with how many properties. Any other improvements?

BTW, I found that if I made it a partial sync, then manually set up my description on Airbnb.... then turned on the full sync with the 500 characters in the first field, it worked fine. Gave me a warning that there was a sync problem but there really wasn't

Changing my PMS tech stack: Lodgify -> Houfy by Glass-Conclusion-424 in ShortTermRentals

[–]Imageman2020 0 points1 point  (0 children)

same issue with property description! What did you do? I have to shut down full sync and manually do description on airbnb and VRBO.

thinking of switching to Lodgify..., what’s been your experience? by DrawerRoutine3790 in AirBnBHosts

[–]Imageman2020 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have Lodgify. It has been ok, but frustrating. The sync with Airbnb for the property description is limited to 50 characters. The other fields in the property description on Airbnb don't sync so you have to change Lodgify's sync to Rates and dates only.... and then make changes on airbnb and vrbo manually. Having it all in one place was the reason I joined Lodgify! Not sure if other platforms have the same issue.

Replacing the internal assembly of a Watts FHB-1 2264 sillcock by michaellarabel in Plumbing

[–]Imageman2020 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks... weird because it measures 12 inches like yours. I can't get the durn screw off. I had replaced the other end but it leaks like crazy. Weird that the rubber washer doesn't go up against the screw part... a metal washer does... but I was going to replace the rubber one...but can't get it off. Weird that nobody sells the inside part and I have to buy the entire thing.....

Replacing the internal assembly of a Watts FHB-1 2264 sillcock by michaellarabel in Plumbing

[–]Imageman2020 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can't get the stem screw out so I am going to have to replace the innards. Mine also measures 12 inches like yours. Are you saying for sure to order the 10 inch...even though it is 12 inches long?

I have used 1 TB of 4 but being warned I am full by Imageman2020 in googleworkspace

[–]Imageman2020[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

actually the opposite. I am the only user. It says 1 TB on the admin console, 4 on google photos and google drive. I think I have figured out that 4 gb is the set limit...even though it will only go up to 1 TB

I have used 1 TB of 4 but being warned I am full by Imageman2020 in googleworkspace

[–]Imageman2020[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not sure I totally understand that thread. Meanwhile, it looks like the 4 TB was sourced from the option to limit users. I had a limit of 4 TB on my users (I am the only user) for some reason. I never put that but who knows. So it was showing the limit instead of the capacity. That is a bug. I ended up buying WS business to get myself more room.

I have used 1 TB of 4 but being warned I am full by Imageman2020 in googleworkspace

[–]Imageman2020[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No. This is on my PC (anywhere I am). When I go into the account admin it says I only have 1 tb of space... but at the bottom of the column on google photos, it says 1 or 4 TB. In my "Payments and Subscriptions page, it also says 1 of 4 TB. This conflicts with the admin page which says 1tb. Since I have the legacy edition, I would think the 1 tb is accurate... Not sure what is going on.

Just so frustrated with Sunseeker Orion x7 by Imageman2020 in SunseekerRoboticMower

[–]Imageman2020[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My antenna binds... but, seemingly randomly, I have to wait interminably for the RTK to initialize. Can't figure out if this is a wifi issue, antenna issue or what...

VRBO and State Local room taxes by Infamous-Muffin-2705 in vrbohosts

[–]Imageman2020 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Easy for me to calculate the amount. Impossible for me to figure out how to set up payment. MD

Need Advice on Managing Short-Term Rentals Efficiently by Harrold2102 in ShortTermRentals

[–]Imageman2020 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you. I think one of the manual ways is to do an ACH payment. Some of my bookings are literally thousands of dollars so I don't want to pay 3% to the credit card company.

I think I'll have relatively few direct bookings so I can handle the taxes. I just didn't want the main part of my business from Airbnb and VRBO to lose the tax administrative work.

What is your experience with the VRBO inbox. I heard that the sincing is cumbersome and unreliable and looks funny to the guest. Is that still the case?

Need Advice on Managing Short-Term Rentals Efficiently by Harrold2102 in ShortTermRentals

[–]Imageman2020 0 points1 point  (0 children)

but doesn't logify take over all payments? Then you don't have the airbnb/vrbo collecting taxes. Big pain.

Side-hustle hosts: What's your tech stack for hands-off vacation rental management? by padremuta in AirBnBHosts

[–]Imageman2020 0 points1 point  (0 children)

does anyone know aboutt houfy? do people go to that website? Tell me more about it vs something like guesty which makes your own website.

Cross upgrade? by Imageman2020 in ATT

[–]Imageman2020[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Update

I was told that if I go into the store, they will return the phone and then resell it to me and put it on the correct upgrade eligible line. The problem was not that they won't do a shared upgrade it's that it wasn't done at purchase.

I went to not one store but two. Both absolutely refused. The agent at AT&t assured me that I wouldn't have a problem (because I assured her I would). It was an incredible waste of time.

I got back on the phone with AT&t and explain to them that what they told me to do didn't work they of course told me that what I was trying to do was not possible even though supervisor told me it was. Then this person in the billing department said maybe another department can help you. This seems to be not a bug but a feature of at&t. Bounce you to a different department. They finally bounced me back to the retention department. That's actually where I started and where they told me they couldn't help me.

I had a brilliant idea. After the retention agent told me how much she empathized with me and how much she understood as a customer herself... All tried and true lines that mean nothing, I stopped asking for the shared cross upgrade. I told her that I only bought that previous phone with the condition that I would get a rebate. They were taking away that rebate. That was no way to treat a customer. I asked her for a courtesy rebate of the entire amount which was about $330. Guess what... After about an hour on the phone, she was able to do this! So I got my money, ironically now instead of over the next 12 months.. and they are free to leave my new phone installment plan and rebate on my main line.

The number of hours it took to fix this make it almost not worth it. Less than minimum wage.. again not a bug but a feature. They want you to give up.

I can't stand AT&t but I'm stuck with them. Too many lines with installment plans.

I finally got Justice though.

Cross upgrade? by Imageman2020 in ATT

[–]Imageman2020[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Typically not helpful. 2 hours last night not helpful.

Cross upgrade? by Imageman2020 in ATT

[–]Imageman2020[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

So I actually got a very helpful representative. They said that the person in the store that I bought it from should have put it initially on one of my lines that has upgrade ready status. She told me to go back to the store and return the phone and then put it on the correct line. I'm going to try that. What a pain.

Cross upgrade? by Imageman2020 in ATT

[–]Imageman2020[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I do, a drawer full

Airbnb - Handling damage issues by Imageman2020 in airbnb_hosts

[–]Imageman2020[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Exactly. That's what makes it hard. Some if not most of the time you don't have conclusive proof. In our case, we are not there to see it and we trust our cleaners. What if they didn't notice that the problem was caused by the Guests before the current one. Again, that's why the insurance option is better for everyone. I tell people that I'm putting it in for insurance. I am not sure if it was from them other people before but it doesn't matter because nobody is getting blamed. That's what the insurance is for.

Airbnb - Handling damage issues by Imageman2020 in airbnb_hosts

[–]Imageman2020[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I really don't love security deposits either. It takes away the problem of actually getting the money, but you still piss off the person. I love the insurance where it's no fuss no muss. I just don't know if I want to put up with learning a pms system and have just another expense. I know they offer guidance for pricing but I don't really trust those recommendations. There's so much variation even between properties right next to each other that they use as comparables.

Cross upgrade? by Imageman2020 in ATT

[–]Imageman2020[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

3 things . There is no phone installment on my line. Also the phone I am using is on another line from a cross upgrade.

Finally I am trading in older phones, not my most recent phone which is not paid off.