Author Topic: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.  (Read 1627513 times)

Mrs Pingu

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Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13575 on: 15 August, 2021, 10:39:42 pm »
Also, while I'm here in the salle de grognement, WTF do people keep getting their CH thermostats installed in their halls?
It's a fucking stupid place to put it.

It makes a sort of sense if you don't have a rad in the hall or keep it turned down low, and want the stat to be in the coldest place in three house so it only closes off the heating when it's up to temperature from heat leaking from the warmer rooms.

But, I'm not sitting or spending any time in the hall, I don't care how cold it is in there.
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Kim

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Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13576 on: 15 August, 2021, 10:43:06 pm »
Also, while I'm here in the salle de grognement, WTF do people keep getting their CH thermostats installed in their halls?
It's a fucking stupid place to put it.

It makes a sort of sense if you don't have a rad in the hall or keep it turned down low, and want the stat to be in the coldest place in three house so it only closes off the heating when it's up to temperature from heat leaking from the warmer rooms.

But, I'm not sitting or spending any time in the hall, I don't care how cold it is in there.

That's because your telephone is installed in the wrong room :)

Mrs Pingu

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Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13577 on: 15 August, 2021, 11:17:55 pm »
Lol. It's been over 16 years since we had a phone in a hall. Plus people still speak on these things? ;)
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Pingu

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Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13578 on: 15 August, 2021, 11:25:43 pm »
Lol. It's been over 16 years since we had a phone in a hall. Plus people still speak on these things? ;)

 O:-)

Mr Larrington

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Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13579 on: 16 August, 2021, 12:12:46 am »
Any spare warm air that creeps into my hall – where the thermostat lives – immediately shoots off up the stairwell and gathers in a corner two floors up.  For this reason the thermostat is only ever used as an on/off switch.
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13580 on: 16 August, 2021, 09:06:47 am »
No, because in a 2 story house it just means you get hot bedrooms when the hottest place you want is the lounge (or whatever you call the room where you do most of your slobbing but not sleeping).

Ultimately, we use our houses upside-down.
https://youtu.be/im3saZsxvqY
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Basil

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Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13581 on: 16 August, 2021, 09:20:21 am »
Many USAian houses are bedrooms down, living up.  Probably the warmer zones.
Admission.  I'm actually not that fussed about cake.

ian

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13582 on: 16 August, 2021, 09:43:33 am »
Our hall is the central point of the house, so not too bad to have the main thermostat there, some set to 20.5 degrees, so with some jiggerpokery with thermostatic valves – basically turn everything other than my wife's office rad off – it seems to work (it's wireless, so I could put it anywhere) fine enough. We can't actually close any doors because cats. I've never bothered to make it more complicated, our last place had zones and stuff (it was three storeys), took a degree in computer science to operate.

Mr Larrington

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Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13583 on: 16 August, 2021, 01:09:47 pm »
Minimum quantity of non-poncy milk: six pints.  Nice one, Mr Sainsbury’s House of Toothy Comestibles.  At this rate I may have to revert my shopping habits to pre-Tour de France practices i.e. not Mondays.
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13584 on: 16 August, 2021, 07:08:32 pm »
I phoned ice trikes this to order a full fat trice to discover that they are unavailable till next year sometime hopefully maybe  searching the interwebs for another option I discovered azub.eu have a UK dealer which I phoned and they are on holiday. And my back gone ping as well. UK dealer back on the 26th so hopefully I'll see what is possible then ( and my back should be better)
the slower you go the more you see

Kim

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Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13585 on: 16 August, 2021, 08:50:35 pm »
I phoned ice trikes this to order a full fat trice to discover that they are unavailable till next year sometime

n+1 for sensible off-roading?

Hope the back un-pings itself in a timely manner.

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13586 on: 17 August, 2021, 09:50:43 am »
That's the plan. I am looking at azub-tricon-gr-off-road-trike as alternative but the UK dealer is on holiday at present so Time will tell if its available.
The back is a little better this morning but I am still stuck here for a few days  :(
the slower you go the more you see

Mrs Pingu

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Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13587 on: 17 August, 2021, 07:30:05 pm »
Goes on internet banking to see about changing one's address:
Quote
No, you can't do that here, you can either:
  • Phone us
  • Send a message by carrier pigeon
  • Do it via mobile banking

Seriously, is mobile banking not just a wanky version of online banking? WtF do I have to install that as well? Gaaah.
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13588 on: 17 August, 2021, 07:36:41 pm »
With my bank, RBS, the app is actually a bit more reliable than the website. I have been known to sit at the computer, but use the phone.
"No matter how slow you go, you're still lapping everybody on the couch."

cygnet

  • I'm part of the association
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13589 on: 17 August, 2021, 08:35:25 pm »
Goes on internet banking to see about changing one's address:
Quote
No, you can't do that here, you can either:
  • Phone us
  • Send a message by carrier pigeon
  • Do it via mobile banking

Seriously, is mobile banking not just a wanky version of online banking? WtF do I have to install that as well? Gaaah.

Nationwide? I had to change my address during Lockdown, the only option was to go into a branch.  :facepalm:
I Said, I've Got A Big Stick

Mrs Pingu

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Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13590 on: 17 August, 2021, 08:51:41 pm »
I was referring to Bank Of Scotland, but I've got Nationwide and Santander to look forward to.
Speaking of grumbles Santander said I needed to use mobile banking to pay their credit card rather than doing it from a Santander current account via online banking. Why is this stuff so shit?
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

cygnet

  • I'm part of the association
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13591 on: 17 August, 2021, 08:58:32 pm »
I could have done Nationwide by post with a downloaded form, but I didn't have a printer.
I Said, I've Got A Big Stick

Mrs Pingu

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Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13592 on: 17 August, 2021, 09:21:40 pm »
They do claim on their website you can do it online but I'd have to login to find out and Pingu's hogging the lapdog.
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Feanor

  • It's mostly downhill from here.
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13593 on: 17 August, 2021, 09:32:22 pm »
[...] Pingu's hogging the lapdog.

Goodness me! A single-lapdog household?
That must be a rarity.

I'm quite sure I have no idea how many PC type things there are here, but as best I can come up with:

Mrs F: Old lapdog, new lapdog, work lapdog.
Me: My lapdog, Work lapdog. Desktop PC.
PSOs: one desktop machine in each of their rooms.
Other: A several of servers: 2 windows and 2 linux.
And that's what is currently active. There will be other retired machines lying around if I look.

I think I might be a bit odd, thobut :-)

Kim

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Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13594 on: 17 August, 2021, 09:39:19 pm »
Barakta's got two ork lapdogs, which would be fine machines without the security bloatware.  I've got an EeePC that's just about usable for configuring routers and such, and currently have custody of the BHPC's jam-filled Babbage engine.

There are also a couple of ancient (XP era) lapdogs awaiting collection by someone who needs a 32-bit machine to run some expensive proprietary software.

But other than that, a decent desktop each, an older desktop in the dining room, and a server.  Rasperry Pis in each room for beepy flashy stuff, of which two have a screen and keyboard attached for IRC duty.  Phones and fondleslabs to taste.  Assorted smart things running Tasmota.

I'm extremely disinclined to go anywhere near online banking from anything other than a Linux machine.

Mrs Pingu

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Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13595 on: 17 August, 2021, 09:56:50 pm »
Well yeah there's my work lapdog, but that's not for doing personal banking on. Plus having a lapdog on your lap is not very conducive to having a lapkitty curled up purring on your lap, so I have a tablet instead, that I've never got round to logging into all these things with.
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Pingu

  • Put away those fiery biscuits!
  • Mrs Pingu's domestique
    • the Igloo
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13596 on: 17 August, 2021, 10:19:36 pm »
I'm supposed to be getting a work lapdog which I expect will either turn up here after we've moved or the new place before.

ian

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13597 on: 18 August, 2021, 10:07:55 am »
Similarly, I find most banking apps better website 'experience' and avoid that horrible input the third, fifteen, and 829th letter of your password, and then the word that you've forgotten authentication mechanism (face recognition is a lot easier). But banking is always one letter away from anything that might be classified as pleasurable.

I have a pile of superannuated laptops that are still functional, I can't think of a reason to buy a new one though. I wonder if the mothership will want my old Macbook Pro back when I leave, they can have it, it needs a new battery and it looks, how can I put it, well-travelled. It's also a bit sticky from my habit of eating fruit for lunch and probably a certifiable biohazard. That said, my ex-colleague Em once let me use her laptop at a meeting. I've never seen anything so disgusting. I recoiled. People in the next building recoiled. I have a child, she bleated. I think she gave birth on the bloody thing while eating cake.

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13598 on: 18 August, 2021, 10:15:21 am »
This might not be correct, however it came from a usanian person regarding their own border enforcement.

If your device (laptop, phone, tablet) is locked with a code or password, they cannot compel you to tell them the code so they can examine the device (unless they have a warrant). Said code or password is deemed to be private information.

However, if it is locked with fingerprint or facial recognition, they can compel you to unlock using that (since your face and fingerprints are deemed to be public data).

My usanian employers do not permit their employees to travel to/from the USA with their normal laptop. Instead, a special stripped-down version is issued, cleansed of all company data.

Insane paranoia or informed business decision? Crazy that, in their country, companies have to be wary of their own government.
<i>Marmite slave</i>

ian

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13599 on: 18 August, 2021, 10:45:49 am »
That's a fifth amendment issue – you cannot be compelled to incriminate yourself by producing information that you know (i.e. a password). However, fingerprints and other biometrics reveal nothing about what's in your mind, so this isn't information that you know, so isn't covered by the self-incrimination clause.

They still need a warrant mind, but unless it's changed, you can't use a fifth amendment defence to overturn the warrant (plus a judge is less likely to grant a warrant they know will be overturned).