"There, I Fixed It"

"Forget a firm grasp of physics, better have a firm grasp on that paintbrush for when the ladder falls." —Daniel

"That's an old painters' joke, or rather a joke between painters. 'Hold on tight to your brush, I need your ladder.' I didn't say it was funny." —Kar98

"Having worked in the trade I can tell you this is actually common practice for painting windows on upper floors. The set up is two hooks behind the window frame, with the ladder resting on the sill and leaning against the bottom of the frame. It's actually stable and safe." —archonix