Useless Conversation

[JWIV]

Chopping wood is not just about heating the house. It is one of the prime zen components to a full life, keeping one in touch with our ancestors and nature. Bringing something that lived and flourished an collected the sunlight for decades and utilizing our body's energy to deliver the stored power of the sun into a combustion chamber to keep the family cozy during frigid months. Letting go of all the racing thoughts of the world of technology and just enjoying a cool spring morning or crisp fall afternoon in the woods.

I read a book once by Larry McMurtry called "Duane's Depressed." It was how a 62 year old rancher rethinks his life after spending years in a pickup, and starts walking everywhere, mostly to a shack he likes where he can get back to nature. You'd like it.

I suspect Sky would like any of Larry McMurtry's books. (Thanks for mentioning this one; I haven't read it but now will).

And Sky, that is probably the best description of chopping wood I've ever seen. You're a poet and don't know it.

He's a romantic at least.  I spent 10+ years growing up and splitting lumber for the wood stove and I'm pretty sure I never once viewed it as Sky described.    

But I get the head clearing thing and being outside - without exaggeration, taking up running probably saved my marriage since I got a lot easier to live with and able to deal with daily stress once I started pounding the pavement for a few hours a week.

[Selby]

My builds always inevitably go to shit in some weird way a couple years later.  At least right now it's doing it in an only mildly inconvenient way.  It's just hard freezing every few days with no warning and no error messages to work off (even in the event viewer, nothing).  I'm guessing I jacked up something on the motherboard dealing with my video card issues.

I had the same problem on the last computer I built.  It killed my video game playing for like 8 months trying to figure it out.  No messages, no nothing.  Just running along and the computer either freezes hard or just shuts off.  No errors, no BIOS notifications, no BSOD.  I tweaked and adjusted settings for months until I got to the point where it wasn't doing it every day, but every 3 or 4.  Apparently the RAM wasn't 100% compatible with the motherboard setting for speed, so I had to downgrade it to the absolute slowest setting it had and that fixed it.  It was enough to make me stop building computers for almost 5 years.  And of course everywhere I went everyone gave me all sorts of test programs to run and none of them could duplicate it, making the helpers just throw up their hands and say "bad hardware, start replacing stuff!" which is not what I wanted to do because it doesn't actually FIX the problem.

That computer finally died the other day... all the electrolytic caps on the motherboard leaked out and failed.  I'm convinced it was defective hardware from 2006, despite being quality and recommended by many people.

[murdoc]

Goddammit, I hate selling vehicles. Either being nickel and dimed, wasting my time for someone who never shows or being asked if I'll accept a trade.

This is the car, this is the price. Not interested? ok good bye.

[Selby]

Goddammit, I hate selling vehicles. Either being nickel and dimed, wasting my time for someone who never shows or being asked if I'll accept a trade.

This is the car, this is the price. Not interested? ok good bye.

I usually end up giving my vehicles away to friends just because of the whole annoying situation that is selling a used car.  I think out of all the cars I've ever sold, only ONE ever had a guy give me my asking price with zero haggling.  And he never even showed up to look at it, bought it sight unseen and had it delivered (he was actually happy and I still talk to him about it after all these years).

And don't get me started on the asinine "trades" people want to throw your way... no, I'm not interested in your shitty dirt bike or crappy 3 year old laptop for my muscle car.  And no I'm not going to take 1/3 cash and then take over truck payments that you're underwater in over either.

I'm a real bitch when it comes to selling.  If someone wants to meet, I tell them where I'll be and they can call me when they are 5 minutes away.  I'll hang up on anyone who starts being a dick or offering some deal.

[Engels]

I should get back to nature, too.  You know, like going to a shop for groceries instead of the computer.  Maybe a condo in the woods that doesn't even have a health club or restaurant attached.  Buy a car with only two cup holders or something.

New sig. This made me giggle cuz my GF and you seem on exactly the same page. When I go skiing she's like, "Have fun in a natural environment meant to cull the herd"

[Ingmar]

I built my last 2 computers.  They took me about an hour each. 

This is not just a build; this is also diagnosing possible parts that failed one by one, then re-putting everything back together, testing, trying again, etc. So I could waste a couple hours and some money doing that, like I already did when I got it wrong and thought the power supply was the issue, and importantly stress myself out a little and get annoyed, or I could pay $30 for someone else to diagnose it and read a book or play something on the xBox with the time I save.

I mean, you presumably don't vaccuum the floors in your dental practice, even though you *could* and it wouldn't take you that long and it certainly isn't hard.

[Sky]

I only stopped because I got sick of being tech support for people who could not resist clicking every spam link and virus.

No shit. O had a nice side business going until I hit a couple serious dimbulbs. Guy still asks me all the time and I just give him the look (I did tell him exactly why I stopped supporting him and running the side biz because of him).

[Xanthippe]

I only stopped because I got sick of being tech support for people who could not resist clicking every spam link and virus.

No shit. O had a nice side business going until I hit a couple serious dimbulbs. Guy still asks me all the time and I just give him the look (I did tell him exactly why I stopped supporting him and running the side biz because of him).

Why don't you just charge them by the hour to fix it? Seems like having steady customers like these would be a gold mine.

[Draegan]

I need an animated gif of the Gladiator Emporer going thumbs up or down where he's undecided.  I can't find it.

[Hammond]

I need an animated gif of the Gladiator Emporer going thumbs up or down where he's undecided.  I can't find it.

Here you go

[MisterNoisy]

I need an animated gif of the Gladiator Emporer going thumbs up or down where he's undecided.  I can't find it.

Here you go

Alternately:



though that one is more 'reluctant' than 'undecided', I guess.  I'd fiddle with it instead of C&P, but I'm on the work box.

[Draegan]

Oh looks like windows decided to stop using wallpaper that I assigned.

NEVERMIND NVIDIAS DUMB FAULT.

[Lantyssa]

Why don't you just charge them by the hour to fix it? Seems like having steady customers like these would be a gold mine.

Sometimes it's just really not worth it.  Their stuff is so old and broken that no amount of payment makes me want to mess with it.  (If tasked with fixing a computer, I'll actually do so instead of just wiping it and telling them they're out of luck.)

The last few I've told them to take it to a computer place as they can't afford my rate.  If they press they might haggle me down to $100 an hour, "probably a minimum of three from what you're describing," ...

[Cyrrex]

I have been building all of my (and my kids) PCs for the sole reason that you get a SHIT LOAD more for your money that way.  Even more so whenever you can re-use parts.  It isn't even close, really. 

[Pennilenko]

I have been building all of my (and my kids) PCs for the sole reason that you get a SHIT LOAD more for your money that way.  Even more so whenever you can re-use parts.  It isn't even close, really. 

This is the same reason I build my own. $1200 dollars buys an amazing self builder that is damn near guaranteed to be good for three to four years or that same $1200 gets you a giant steaming pile of shit pre-built.

[ghost]

You're also much more likely to get a computer that actually works and won't blue screen all the time.  I have a horrible time with HP and Dell computers because they seem to use shite parts that have crappy drivers. 

[ghost]

Ferk, the new iTunes iteration is an irritating piece of shit. 

[Trippy]

They've all been annoying pieces of shit. You just got used to the last iteration.

[Draegan]

I just spent the day doing home improvements:

1) Installed dimmers in the sun room.
2) Uncovered an old HVAC register via cutting through drywall.  Reconnected the ductwork to the main trunk.
3) Weatherstripped two windows.
4) Reworked downspouts.
5) Weatherstripped the front door better.

2 Trips to home depot.
7 Hours give or take

Result: Happy pregnant wife and my downstairs is actually warm again.

[JWIV]

Ferk, the new iTunes iteration is an irritating piece of shit. 

Drives me nuts because there are some songs that are iTunes only, but 99% of the time, I never regret ditching it for Amazon/Google Play + Winamp/Google Music

[Sky]

I like iTunes, but the last interface is pretty bad.

[ghost]

The old interfaces was very good.  You could drag and drop whatever you wanted and it all made sense.  The new version is completely fucked up.  It's like they tried to decide what features were actually useful and took them all out.

[MisterNoisy]

Ferk, the new iTunes iteration is an irritating piece of shit. 

iTunes has been terrible forever.

[Sky]

I know everyone loves to beat up on itunes for whatever reason, but I'm with ghost on this one. It was easy to use, had a good ui and was very good for ipod/mac/pc setup. Winamp? 1997 called and wanted its software back.

[Ingmar]

You can turn pretty much everything about the old interface back on I think.

[ghost]

I'm primarily a Mac user.  I've been running my music through a Mac for years and it has always worked just fine.  I really hope I can get iTunes back to normal, but I really don't want to go futzing with it.  I use the radio stations to pipe music through my office.  The new layout is going to confuse my staff. 

[Engels]

You can turn pretty much everything about the old interface back on I think.

Nearly everything. The only thing missing is the download section which lists the various items you're downloading, like your app updates or podcasts, etc.

[Viin]

Random question for the evening: has anyone switched from using an iPhone on ATT to an iPhone on Verizon? Worth the hassle?

[Trippy]

Random question for the evening: has anyone switched from using an iPhone on ATT to an iPhone on Verizon? Worth the hassle?

Yes. Depends on the coverage in the areas you'll be using the phone.

[Rasix]

Random question for the evening: has anyone switched from using an iPhone on ATT to an iPhone on Verizon? Worth the hassle?

You'll lose whatever grandfathered plan you have, but switching for me was worth it.  There's a lot of dead spots where I live for AT&T.  The reception with Verizon has been much better, and I hardly use any data, so the change in plan didn't hit me very hard.

[Chimpy]

Random question for the evening: has anyone switched from using an iPhone on ATT to an iPhone on Verizon? Worth the hassle?

If Sprint coverage is good in your area and getting the best deal is your concern you should consider them. They buy iPhones from other carriers (they are going to give my mom $130 for her Verizon 4) and unless you are on a family plan they are less expensive service wise.

[Paelos]

I've been on Sprint forever and I'm getting a $79 plan for unlimited data, text, etc. in my City.

Downside, their 4G isn't there yet in terms of coverage.

[Merusk]

If you're going Sprint Network, just go Virgin Mobile.  No contract and better per month rates for unlimited talk and text.  They do iPhones now, too.

[Selby]

I've been on Sprint forever and I'm getting a $79 plan for unlimited data, text, etc. in my City.

Downside, their 4G isn't there yet in terms of coverage.

Same here, they also share with Verizon for roaming when I go into the mountains so sending\receiving text messages is painless.  I told their salespeople 2 years ago their 4G service was a joke and they agreed.  It hasn't gotten any better so don't let anyone try and convince you otherwise.

[Chimpy]

For what I use my phone for, their 3G is fine (quick wikipedia/google searches, f13, email) and I pay $72 a month with the University employee discount.  And I figure that by the time I upgrade to an LTE handset they will have rolled it out to most everywhere I would be going. Plus, they unlocked my iPhone no questions asked so I could use it in Ireland with a pre-paid SIM.