Author Topic: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant. (Read 1627211 times)

Polar Bear · « **Reply #6900 on:** 21 September, 2015, 03:06:42 pm »

Quote from: ian on 21 September, 2015, 03:02:20 pm

... It's binary. They press everything they're not supposed to press and nothing they're supposed to press. ...

I know 'apparently' computer literate folk who resort to this, often whilst impatiently waiting for the computer to do something!

Karla · « **Reply #6901 on:** 21 September, 2015, 03:54:43 pm »

Quote from: Cudzoziemiec on 21 September, 2015, 03:00:32 pm

Quote from: Tim Hall on 21 September, 2015, 01:25:54 pm
Quote from: Phartiphuckborlz on 21 September, 2015, 10:54:00 am
My mother has just bought a Mac, on the recommendation of a friend who used to run a computer company. Urgh.

She's spent years on Windows, learning how to use it at the pace of a lobotomised snail - a pace that has been greatly slowed, mind you, by her prioritising of her desire to get her sons' attention with cringeing "Wahwahmycomputersbrokencanyoufixit" requests, rather than her desire to either a) use her computer or b) think for herself. Now she's got a different system and is going to start learning all over again. Dad - a formerly competent user (also formerly married to my mum), got a Mac on the same friend's recommendation and the pathetically needy requests for help with simple things have quadrupled since he did.

Friend: what were you thinking? Not everyone is a computing whizz, some people need to stick with what they know.

Parents: I'm not a Mac user, you now both are. That makes you the experts. If you think you're getting any help with your stupid new toys you don't know how to use, you can fuck right off.

Send them a useful fault finding flowchart. My Dad (88), has this, that my son sent him:
[XKCD]
Yeah. Of course "google the name of the program" assumes you know what the program is and "a few words related to what you want to do" assumes you know how to express that, while "ask someone for help" leads right back to...

If you think you don't know the name of the program, go bck and study the flowchart some more. Then try looking in the suggestibly-named places ('Help' is one) and/or else google-fishing for an answer.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #6902 on:** 21 September, 2015, 04:37:41 pm »

So your mum's already the local computer expert!

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #6903 on:** 21 September, 2015, 05:11:46 pm »

Quote from: ian on 21 September, 2015, 03:02:20 pm

I use a Mac and PC back-to-back, tbh, if you can use one you can use the other, there's not a huge difference in everyday operation, and most issues can be solved this new thing called Google.

Although there are certain models of Mac out there which have the power switch so artfully hidden that I had to resort to Google (on a Windows laptop I happened to have about my person) to find out how to switch the fucking thing on. That, Steve-o, is taking your slick appearance and no user serviceable parts inside approach a bit far.

Also it had a single-button mouse. In the 21st century

ian · « **Reply #6904 on:** 21 September, 2015, 05:34:17 pm »

To be fair, whatever the pros and cons of mouse button vs. buttons, I don't think any Mac has been shipped with a single-button mouse since 2005.

Legs · « **Reply #6905 on:** 22 September, 2015, 11:53:56 am »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-34323136

I know that part of the fun of going to hospital is in watching your bank account haemorrhaging by the second for their exorbitant parking (the amount you have to pay being inversely proportional to the rapidity of your treatment), but who were the cretins buying the 750ml bottles of water?

ian · « **Reply #6906 on:** 28 September, 2015, 10:25:18 am »

Seems like one of the bigger concrete bollards on the verge at the bottom of my front garden snagged a car at the weekend, given one seems to be listing. C'est la vie. I hope it hurt the car (probably a Saturday night drunk driver special). I've given in being surprised that drivers can't negotiate a big white lump of concrete or that they're too impatient to give way to one another on a narrow road (if they didn't insist on driving behemoths they might be able to squeeze past one another, but hey, it's about 50 metres of road and they could just wait the entire seconds it would take to give way). Given the angle of the bollard I presume someone tried to reverse up the hill. It would help if the idiots wouldn't park on the t-junction too, since it reduces visibility to zero. Yes, that's you Little Princess wagon parked entirely on the pavement on the junction at the top of a very steep hill, so neither pedestrians or cars can see around the corner. Be a bonus laugh if she forgets her handbrake.

hellymedic · « **Reply #6907 on:** 28 September, 2015, 02:06:36 pm »

Quote from: Legs on 22 September, 2015, 11:53:56 am

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-34323136

I know that part of the fun of going to hospital is in watching your bank account haemorrhaging by the second for their exorbitant parking (the amount you have to pay being inversely proportional to the rapidity of your treatment), but who were the cretins buying the 750ml bottles of water?

Visitors, who want to give friends something 'nicer' than TAP water that's been stagnating in a jug all day and staff who are on the move and thirsty.

Addenbrookes tried to stop making ice for their patients to save money but reinstated this after an outcry.

Legs · « **Reply #6908 on:** 28 September, 2015, 02:51:17 pm »

Quote from: hellymedic on 28 September, 2015, 02:06:36 pm

Quote from: Legs on 22 September, 2015, 11:53:56 am
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-34323136

I know that part of the fun of going to hospital is in watching your bank account haemorrhaging by the second for their exorbitant parking (the amount you have to pay being inversely proportional to the rapidity of your treatment), but who were the cretins buying the 750ml bottles of water?

Visitors, who want to give friends something 'nicer' than TAP water that's been stagnating in a jug all day and staff who are on the move and thirsty.

Addenbrookes tried to stop making ice for their patients to save money but reinstated this after an outcry.

Ah, I see that Auntie has replaced the nice straightforward table with an obfuscating graphic. The table showed that Smugs were charging 79p for a 500ml bottle of water, but £1.89 for a 750ml bottle. At which rate, even two of the smaller bottles would come in 21p under the price of the 750ml bottle. THAT was my point.

Having spent a fair amount of time in Addenbrookes both as a broken-wristed cyclist and as part of my MEng project, I can well believe about tight-fistedness...

T42 · « **Reply #6909 on:** 29 September, 2015, 02:48:19 pm »

Ah, peace, perfect peace. Our guest of the last week has departed. No longer obliged to dance attendance, pass this, pass that, no more numbing prattle about unknown folk over breakfast, no more having to share my precious coffee. We can do our own things in our own corners and fart when we please.

It's nice to have friends and nice to see them, but it was well worth the 4€ for 15 minutes' parking at the airport to wave a fond farewell.

hellymedic · « **Reply #6910 on:** 29 September, 2015, 04:57:01 pm »

Quote from: T42 on 29 September, 2015, 02:48:19 pm

Ah, peace, perfect peace. Our guest of the last week has departed. No longer obliged to dance attendance, pass this, pass that, no more numbing prattle about unknown folk over breakfast, no more having to share my precious coffee. We can do our own things in our own corners and fart when we please.

It's nice to have friends and nice to see them, but it was well worth the 4€ for 15 minutes' parking at the airport to wave a fond farewell.

'And blessed are you when you leave' was the Hebrew wall plaque in my brother's room for years...

T42 · « **Reply #6911 on:** 29 September, 2015, 05:00:43 pm »

"There'll be many a dry eye when you leave" was Brian Aldiss's version.

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #6912 on:** 29 September, 2015, 05:42:52 pm »

While I have every sympathy with the Redcar steel workers and the families, the wifey interviewed by the BBC yesterday should note that it is September.

It. Is. Not. Fucking. Christmas

Andrij · « **Reply #6913 on:** 30 September, 2015, 07:25:38 pm »

Tonight is the final webinar of an online photography course I've been doing. Well, theoretically speaking. It should have started 25 minutes ago but they're still having technical difficulties (perhaps an issue with Citrix).

Polar Bear · « **Reply #6914 on:** 30 September, 2015, 07:32:20 pm »

Quote from: Mr Larrington on 29 September, 2015, 05:42:52 pm

While I have every sympathy with the Redcar steel workers and the families, the wifey interviewed by the BBC yesterday should note that it is September.

It. Is. Not. Fucking. Christmas

And it won't be for them for quite a while given the dire jobs situation that they face.

Canardly · « **Reply #6915 on:** 30 September, 2015, 07:36:57 pm »

Just a thought. When a Government gives a bankrupt bank a few hundred billion to continue operating, is that not the same as giving a mothballed steelworks a few quid to keep going?

Polar Bear · « **Reply #6916 on:** 30 September, 2015, 07:49:55 pm »

Do their skool chums and fellow animal abusers work in steelworks?

Torslanda · « **Reply #6917 on:** 30 September, 2015, 09:17:05 pm »

Anyway, that's all 'up North' - so it doesn't qualify . . .

Torslanda · « **Reply #6918 on:** 30 September, 2015, 09:17:49 pm »

WHAT!!!!

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #6919 on:** 01 October, 2015, 11:57:53 pm »

I have a cold and cannot even drink whisky to not cure it

Kim · « **Reply #6920 on:** 02 October, 2015, 12:08:59 am »

Quote from: Mr Larrington on 01 October, 2015, 11:57:53 pm

I have a cold and cannot even drink whisky to not cure it

Chocolate and tactical nuclear curry. Possibly not in that order.

(Mine appears to be responding to this treatment.)

Canardly · « **Reply #6921 on:** 04 October, 2015, 09:14:52 pm »

£7 for a Jagwire Mickey barrell adjuster - strewth!.

barakta · « **Reply #6922 on:** 07 October, 2015, 09:09:10 pm »

Sudden onset sinus pain after being asleep for 3 hours. Thanks face! *eats all the drugs*

I'm sick of cyclic low level lurgy, few days feeling crap, few days feeling OK, back to crap etc. Colleague at next desk has had epic cold proper nose-blowing and everything so if I've got that I'm going to be UNamused. Open fucking plan. Germy studes.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #6923 on:** 09 October, 2015, 08:05:46 pm »

I almost always enjoy translating. I sometimes enjoy poetry. But translating poetry is a horrendous task.

T42 · « **Reply #6924 on:** 10 October, 2015, 08:21:15 am »

Bastard varmers three doors up put down rat poison, and vermin are now crawling into their neighbours' gardens and cellars to die, rot and stink. A friend's small dog is very sick, and part of this weekend's entertainment for us will be heaving Mt. Boxmore out of the cellar to get at the animal that is decomposing under it somewhere and rendering the air unbreathable.

When I was a kid in Norn Iron our houses backed onto a disused railway cutting, and we used to see the occasional rat in the garden. A peeler who lived next door but one put down poison and killed our dog.

Not feeling very charitable this morning.