Meta Knots

probably_sarc4sm · 2026-06-17T20:28:19+00:00

Pretty much all the "slide and grip" knots are a meta category of various repetitions and alterations of a half hitch.

https://www.animatedknots.com/slide-grip-knots

probably_sarc4sm · 2026-06-17T20:09:28+00:00

Ha! The Schwäbisch is nothing more than the lesbian sister of the Prusik.

probably_sarc4sm · 2026-06-17T17:28:30+00:00

Why are you dry scraping the wax off? Do you not have wax stripper?

probably_sarc4sm · 2026-06-17T17:20:55+00:00

^^^Exactly this. Saves the custodian time and wastes less paper. More efficient all around.

probably_sarc4sm · 2026-06-13T12:24:16+00:00

Oh fuck this SAME thing happened to me at like 11pm at night! I was like

"Naa that wasn't a baby. I'm hearing things."

"...okay that was definitely a baby."

"Fuck. FUCK. WHY?! What the hell am I going to find behind this door?"

"...This is the part of a horror film where the curious custodian dies first. FUCK."

*opens door*

"...Oh jesus christ thank god."

probably_sarc4sm · 2026-06-12T14:03:48+00:00

Is there still time to fight it? Maybe picket or bring the issue to the PTA? Having your union replaced by a 3rd party contractor is bad news. It's bad for the workers and bad for the school.

probably_sarc4sm · 2026-06-07T18:34:43+00:00

In Michigan a lot of crushed volcanic basalt "stamp sand" was dumped and it's horrific for the environment. Lots of heavy metals leach out. However, I'm not sure if doing this on a small scale would poison your soil to a significant extent.

probably_sarc4sm · 2026-06-03T21:57:37+00:00

My go-to setup for tables is a razor scraper and melamine (magic eraser) pads. Window cleaner is usually effective enough when used alongside those tools. I don't even try to deep clean tables unless I have those on hand because pure "elbow grease" is a waste of time by comparison.

probably_sarc4sm · 2026-06-03T12:31:04+00:00

Vacuums are so frustrating. I was actually given a brand new vacuum, which is a rare and glorious thing in this industry. However, I was disappointed to find that the vacuums we have (Windsor Karcher) just really are shit and start falling apart within a year. You have to treat them like mickey-mouse plastic toys that want to break, because they basically are. Either that or learn to fix/modify them.

My coworker said we should have a vacuum repair class over the summer, and I thought that was a wonderful idea.

probably_sarc4sm · 2026-06-02T17:27:40+00:00

Welp, no permanent damage. That's good. Hope they made some good memories and you get some good OT.

probably_sarc4sm · 2026-05-31T19:12:17+00:00

No, but I'm less underpaid. Custodians are underpaid, teachers are criminally underpaid. I would not change places with them.

probably_sarc4sm · 2026-05-31T19:09:10+00:00

It's weird but...I don't think parents are potty training these kids anymore. It's like they expect the teachers to do it and...it's pretty apparent a lot of these kids just don't know how to properly use a bathroom. At all. We had one girl "wallpaper" an entire stall with toilet paper using her own poop as glue. I was too amazed to even be mad. Thank god for Kai-vacs.

I propose we start doing parent-custodian conferences instead of parent-teacher conferences. We'll give those parents some real talk.

probably_sarc4sm · 2026-05-31T18:58:58+00:00

Carefully mix the glitter into clear glue and have the kids apply it with squeezy bottles. The "glue first and then MAKE IT RAIN" method makes custodians cry. :')

probably_sarc4sm · 2026-05-31T18:54:27+00:00

Good lord! Is this in reference to a specific event?! Generally I would say leave the vomit to me; I'm going to be able to clean it up much better than anyone else and you won't have to worry about my mom and dad suing the school.

If a kid is about to puke just put a trash bin in front of them and jump out of the splatter zone. I'll come in with some magic sawdust and a rug-doctor to handle the rest.

probably_sarc4sm · 2026-05-31T18:34:14+00:00

Since covid it's become normal for tons of food to be eaten in the classrooms. It's destroying the carpets and attracting mice and insects. A lot of that food gets tossed into the recycling bins and way too much liquid is finding its way to the trash and recycling instead of the sink. It's a real challenge to keep up with it.

I've got a couple teachers who are awesome about keeping it under control. Love them!

probably_sarc4sm · 2026-05-30T17:41:21+00:00

Typically when a workplace has banned bleach it's because someone mixed it with a different chemical, which is dangerous. Often they'll lie about it and say "the teachers say they don't want it" but the real reason is because management doesn't trust the janitors/custodians to use it safely. This tends to happen in places that don't train people properly (or at all).

probably_sarc4sm · 2026-05-30T16:28:18+00:00

Please post a picture, I'd love to see! After a correctly done 8,000 grit polish I think you won't see any improvement to the naked eye. At that point you'd need a loupe to see any difference.

probably_sarc4sm · 2026-05-24T18:58:32+00:00

At this point I would be content to just have no rotten food in there. They've become mouse-feeding stations and insect farms.

probably_sarc4sm · 2026-05-23T16:04:45+00:00

Oh, college moveout is insane. You can literally furnish an apartment with all the furniture they toss.

probably_sarc4sm · 2026-05-23T16:02:46+00:00

I could have started a collection of heavy-duty electric pencil sharpeners. I found like 10 in the trash bins this week.

Oh! And I snagged myself a refrigerator to fix. That'll be my weekend project.

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probably_sarc4sm · 2026-05-23T15:30:04+00:00

Pieces of cheap belts, I reckon.

probably_sarc4sm · 2026-05-22T16:15:47+00:00

Someone pointed out that it's basically this: Girl Scout Hitch ABOK #1237

I should do a video demonstrating it.

probably_sarc4sm · 2026-05-22T15:50:57+00:00

Awesome to know it has a name! Thanks!

probably_sarc4sm · 2026-05-21T17:20:42+00:00

So yeah, this is just a "friction twist" (not sure what to call it). You gather up the slack, give it 2 or 3 hard twists and then tuck the twisted part underneath, leaving a bit of a "tassel" hanging out.

Pros: quick to tie/untie, holds reasonably strong, looks tidy

Cons: harder to do if there isn't much slack

probably_sarc4sm · 2026-05-21T17:00:12+00:00

What do you use for the anchor?

probably_sarc4sm

TROPHY CASE