The Vent and Rant Thread

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Gawd what a Monday! It actually started last night, around 10PM when my own router lost it's little mind. I'm betting someone tried to get in and failed, but the router was overdue for a firmware upgrade anyway.

Reset back to factory defaults, remove from any network, log in, update firmware, reboot, log in, restore settings file. FAIL!

The idiots don't support settings files across firmware versions. WTF?! Hello, idiots, that's the single most common scenario for restoring settings! Sigh.

What router do you have? All of the ones I've used have preserved settings across a firmware upgrade, and (IIRC,) let you create a backup settings file to import from.

I'm going to have to do some settings backup soonish. My ISP did an upgrade. The good part is a 5X bandwidth boost, from 20mbit down/2mbit up to 100mbit down/10mbit up, and no increase in my costs. (My ISP is my cable company, and they are trying to fend off Verizon and FIOS.) The bad part is it required a new cable modem (which they supplied), and the new one is both cable modem and wireless router. The old router is still in the loop. connected to a port on the new one, for the benefit of the SO's tablet, because I didn't have a chance to change the SSID on the new one to match what the tablet was looking for.

Oh, except that IE 11 (and IE10) REFUSE to connect to it, since the cert isn't for the internal IP address my LAN uses. What WERE the idiots at MS thinking? Yes, I know, my router's web page doesn't have a valid cert. It's INSIDE MY NETWORK, let me connect to it you morons! Fortunately, both Chrome and Firefox work just fine. Both warn me of dire consequences should I choose to connect to this web site, but then let me do it.

I don't use IE, reason why number I've lost count. I use Firefox nightly as my default browser, but have current Chrome, Opera, Safari, and several other things as well.

I actually haven't had the "IE won't connect" issue on my desktop, but that's in the same room as the router and connects via cat5 cable to a router port. (The desktop does not have wifi, and does not need it.)

In the middle of all this, three different users managed to lock themselves out of their machines. ALL claim they got no warning that their passwords were about to expire (Phhhtt!). (ever tried to reset a password on a remote domain from the RDP client on your iPhone? Since that was the only thing that had internet connectivity until I got the router back up.)

Been there. Done that. Shot users...

Now, one of the support guys has decided that he needs his desktop restored, since something he did totally wonked everything. Sigh. I wasn't even supposed to be working today!

ETA: I logged in to his machine, and his desktop had 68 GB of files on his desktop, including RUNNING VIRTUAL MACHINES for goodness sake. On his desktop! And he wonders why he was having problems? Really. There ought to be a LAW.

And this is a support guy? I don't want to think about how he managed to do that.

My desktop booted into Win7 has <1MB on the desktop, and that's all folders with collections of shortcuts. Files live elsewhere.

Booted into Ubuntu, there's a lot less on the desktop.

Talisker. Lots and lots of Talisker.

I just got back after a long weekend at an SF convention. One of the events was a scotch party. Kilchoman Loch Gorm (a peated dram with a sherry finish. Three people I introduced to it said "Where can I get some?"), Ardmore Traditional (Ardmore's output is mostly bespoke production for blenders. What I had is one of two bottlings of their single malt under their own name), Angel's Envy (a port finished Kentucky bourbon from the former master distiller for Woodfords), Botanist Gin (produced by Islay scotch distiller Bruichladdich, and a gin scotch drinkers actually like), Caol Ila Organic, Speyburn 10, Mortlach 12, 15, 18, and 23, Ardbeg Uigeadail, Talisker Dark Storm, and a few others I'm forgetting. We also found a volunteer to taste the Loch Dhu. (Which is generally considered the worst single malt ever distilled and bottled, for very good reason. Reactions to it tend to be hilarious.)

A very good time was had by all.
______
Dennis

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

Your photos of Zep made me think of my mothers wee doggie. An elderly poodle who is still full of vim and vinegar.
My mother is by choice, in a home and the people who sort of adopted her wee doggie, were going to put him down because they were taking a vacation.
This is just the nicest dog imaginable, who hasn't had an easy life and while he may pop off any minute does not need putting down for pain or misery.

Tried to get them to ship the dog out at my expense, but for some reason they would rather have him killed. Eventually convinced them to put him in a kennel which cost me $971. Obviously they don't hate the dog, but what are these people thinking.
The Maritimes.

Helen

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

Arggghhh. Time to rehome that dog!!!

to what Deb said.

It's one thing to end the suffering of a beloved pet by euthanasia, but for someone to kill a dog simply because he interferes with their vacation plans is unconscionable.

[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

Your photos of Zep made me think of my mothers wee doggie. An elderly poodle who is still full of vim and vinegar.
My mother is by choice, in a home and the people who sort of adopted her wee doggie, were going to put him down because they were taking a vacation.
This is just the nicest dog imaginable, who hasn't had an easy life and while he may pop off any minute does not need putting down for pain or misery.

Tried to get them to ship the dog out at my expense, but for some reason they would rather have him killed. Eventually convinced them to put him in a kennel which cost me $971. Obviously they don't hate the dog, but what are these people thinking.
The Maritimes.

Helen

*FUME *

[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by wodin

Well, I finally have a bona fide rant; when flying home from the SF Bay area out of Oakland Sunday the plane took off and proceeded to 34,000 feet and suddenly began turning around. The pilot announced that there was a problem and we were returning to Oakland, except Oakland was socked in so we went to San Jose instead.

After we finally landed in SJ, they told us that the co-pilot's windshield had shattered and that they would either replace it or send another plane. They ended up sending another plane, 14 hours later.

They didn't keep you on the plane the whole time, did they?

[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by Hitch

OMG! It's a cat thing. We have mousies on a string (and ratties), feathers on strings of all shapes and sizes, we are definitely "dancing red dot of death" fans (Zepper goes nuts for it), and we have a love of foil balls. Yes, I know, but aluminum foil BALLS. I haven't ever tried ice chip hockey pucks...hmmm. I never want to look under my stove, either. With or without cats, as if that latter state would ever exist.

Helen said:


Indeed. I mean, it's almost laughably bad logic--the dog will be deader than Julius Caesar if the dog-sitter neglects him, so...hey, let's make SURE! Duh.

From Wodin, on the west coast....


OK, that definitely wins in the ranty front, and deservedly so. But 14 hours? Yikes. Did anyone else here see the TV news that covered the Chinese Air Rage pandemic? Yowza.

Hitch

Uh, yeah. And in theory I'm going to Taiwan in April. Yes, I know it's a different country, but there were more than a few references to Taiwan

[wodin]

Originally Posted by Hitch

From Wodin, on the west coast....


OK, that definitely wins in the ranty front, and deservedly so. But 14 hours? Yikes. Did anyone else here see the TV news that covered the Chinese Air Rage pandemic? Yowza.

Hitch

That's Wodin in the beautiful Sandwich Isles (Hawaii), and replacing a many multi million dollar 767 aircraft can't be trivial, after all it's not like they have any sitting around just waiting for one to blow out it's windshield.

[kindlekitten]

About to go by a friend/clients house . I haven't heard from her since Thursday. She's going through a horrible divorce and I'm worried

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by wodin

Well, I finally have a bona fide rant; when flying home from the SF Bay area out of Oakland Sunday the plane took off and proceeded to 34,000 feet and suddenly began turning around. The pilot announced that there was a problem and we were returning to Oakland, except Oakland was socked in so we went to San Jose instead.

After we finally landed in SJ, they told us that the co-pilot's windshield had shattered and that they would either replace it or send another plane. They ended up sending another plane, 14 hours later.

This happened routinely in 2007-2008 IIRC in Canada. Up to 40 hour waits in major airports and longer ones in smaller ones. Air Canada was not so fondly referred to as scare Canada.

Helen

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

About to go by a friend/clients house . I haven't heard from her since Thursday. She's going through a horrible divorce and I'm worried

Speaking of going around armed.....

Hitch

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

to what Deb said.

It's one thing to end the suffering of a beloved pet by euthanasia, but for someone to kill a dog simply because he interferes with their vacation plans is unconscionable.

Ditto. Ditto KK, Ditto WT, Ditto badgoodDeb (sorry if I've missed anyone). I'd now be obsessing about the poor doggie's care.

Hitch

[poohbear_nc]

I too can never believe how heartless certain people can be when it comes to pets ... completely indifferent as to their life or death ... or the fact that pet animals are not toys.

Many years ago, I was told of a 'friend of a friend' who had decided she wanted to practice witchcraft - so did she study? mingle with others of a like mind? Anything even semi-rational?

Nope! She bought some black dresses and adopted a black kitten. When the witchcraft thing didn't work out, she decided to leave town and abandon the cat on the beach to fend for itself. When I heard this plan, I jumped in the car and drove from Raleigh to Myrtle Beach during peak tourist season -- which meant 4 hours of bumper to bumper crawling traffic. Fortunately I was in time to rescue the cat (she was hiding behind the suitcases - that's how close it was) and we drove back the same day. Guinevere shared my life and heart for 20 years - and shared the house with Buster cat. They were my first 'cat family' members.

[cromag]

Just spent too much time dealing with technology. Won't know if it worked until tomorrow, at the earliest.

[Bilbo1967]

Never mind.

[wodin]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

It's one thing to end the suffering of a beloved pet by euthanasia, but for someone to kill a dog simply because he interferes with their vacation plans is unconscionable.
[/IMG]

During our recent trip to the SF Bay area, it cost nearly as much to board the critters as it did for two first class round trip air fare.

To be fair, about half of that was physicals, vaccinations, and medicine for everyone, but the boarding fee alone came to $1003 USD. Total was nearly two grand!

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Ditto. Ditto KK, Ditto WT, Ditto badgoodDeb (sorry if I've missed anyone). I'd now be obsessing about the poor doggie's care.

Hitch

The poor doggie will be just fine I think. I spoke to the kennel people and they seem like normal folks who like dogs. He will be living in the house with one other dog because of his age, although he is still as frisky as he ever was. Plus I have told my mother that my subsidising of her living arrangements will end abruptly with the dog being put down unnecessarily. Should have done that earlier. Oh well.

Helen