The Vent and Rant Thread

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I'm fairly tolerant of formatting variations in commercial ebooks. I've never been one who requires all of the ebooks I read to be presented in an exacting, totally homogenous way. I actually like variety. Having said that, however; nothing makes me want to punch people more than hardcoded, way-too-narrow line-heights. It's OK if YOU want to see fifty-bajillion lines of text on one screen, but why on earth would you force that preference on everyone?

OMG, yes. That is absolutely one of my major peeves. I'll report it to the Zon, when it happens, because it's NOT changeable. The thing that's odd is, it shouldn't work. The PW (Publishing Workflow) overrides it, when a book is uploaded, so--are those older books, D? (Wondering if they are possibly Kindle Create versions?, if not?)

Hitch

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Hitch

OMG, yes. That is absolutely one of my major peeves. I'll report it to the Zon, when it happens, because it's NOT changeable. The thing that's odd is, it shouldn't work. The PW (Publishing Workflow) overrides it, when a book is uploaded, so--are those older books, D? (Wondering if they are possibly Kindle Create versions?, if not?)

Hitch

The most recent one I've run into was released in April of this year by Orbit (Hachette): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078W5M7DB/

The line height attribute was hard-coded via the body tag, AND via the galley-rw div. Which I've started calling the "2nd body" tag, by the way (a separate pet peeve whenever I'm forced to pop the hood on one of these things).

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

The most recent one I've run into was released in April of this year by Orbit (Hachette): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078W5M7DB/

The line height attribute was hard-coded via the body tag, AND via the galley-rw div. Which I've started calling the "2nd body" tag, by the way (a separate pet peeve whenever I'm forced to pop the hood on one of these things).

WHICH, as it happens, is something that Amazon expressly tells you not to do (use the body tag as the override ! tag...). Hell, report it, D. I suspect that Hachette and the others, being able to upload Via FTP, get away with stuff that nobody else does, because the files don't get the PW overrides that self-pubs do.

Hitch

[cromag]

We just got back from a week's vacation last night. Today, on the first load of laundry, the washing machine broke. It's the timer mechanism, which should be an easy fix and we have a maintenance contract, but the machine is about 27 years old. If they can't find a new timer we're out of luck. And everyone is short-handed this week because of the July 4th holiday.

I'll be leaving for a 24 hour laundromat in a little while.

[4691mls]

Originally Posted by cromag

We just got back from a week's vacation last night. Today, on the first load of laundry, the washing machine broke. It's the timer mechanism, which should be an easy fix and we have a maintenance contract, but the machine is about 27 years old. If they can't find a new timer we're out of luck. And everyone is short-handed this week because of the July 4th holiday.

I'll be leaving for a 24 hour laundromat in a little while.

Aughhh. Hope you can get the part.
A few years ago I paid for installation of a new lid switch (the thing that tells the machine that the lid is closed so it will start) - cheap part but a not-so-cheap labor fee. The repairman told me it was worth fixing as there was nothing else wrong and he didn't think newer machines hold up as well. He said he'd been called out for motor repairs on washing machines less than a year old.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

The repairman told me it was worth fixing as there was nothing else wrong and he didn't think newer machines hold up as well.

He might be right, but repairmen have been telling me that for 20 years.

[Bilbo1967]

9 hour power cut on Saturday means that we've had to throw away some stuff from the freezer

Slight upside though, tonight we're having roast beef because it defrosted and we really don't want to throw that away

[4691mls]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

He might be right, but repairmen have been telling me that for 20 years.

Do you still have your 20 year old equipment?

In my case since it was a minor part I figured it was better to keep the old machine going. If something bigger went wrong (like if the motor died) I might make a different decision.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by cromag

We just got back from a week's vacation last night. Today, on the first load of laundry, the washing machine broke. It's the timer mechanism, which should be an easy fix and we have a maintenance contract, but the machine is about 27 years old. If they can't find a new timer we're out of luck. And everyone is short-handed this week because of the July 4th holiday.

I'll be leaving for a 24 hour laundromat in a little while.

Your washing machine is nearly 30? Jeeze, brother, you've gotten some real service from it, haven't you?

I keep mine a long time too, but I replaced our 18y.o. set with a "new" HEPA set 10-ish years ago (front loaders) and I don't regret that at all. The difference in water consumption alone has been significant and as we live on a well, in the desert, that matters! :-)

Hitch

[silverraven]

Our last set was 35 (inherited from in-laws). It was still working when we gave it to someone to put in their rental house. I think it ran for another 5 years or so for him. The set we have now is 18. My husband does all the repairs on it. Both sets have been Kenmore top loaders. We will keep them going as long as we are able to find parts. I'd have to ask my husband where we order from now, but if you total up all the parts we have put into the washers/dryers over the years is way less than the cost of a new washer/dryer. I'll cry when my set finally dies. In my opinion, nothing is build to last like the old appliance.
S

[4691mls]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Your washing machine is nearly 30? Jeeze, brother, you've gotten some real service from it, haven't you?

I keep mine a long time too, but I replaced our 18y.o. set with a "new" HEPA set 10-ish years ago (front loaders) and I don't regret that at all. The difference in water consumption alone has been significant and as we live on a well, in the desert, that matters! :-)

Hitch

I think it was around 2005 when I originally bought my washer. Front loaders were available, but at that time they were a lot more expensive than top loaders and I didn't have the funds to buy one. I did at least manage to get a top loader with variable water settings the washer doesn't have to be filled all the way. I'm sure it still uses a lot more water than a front loader though. Someday when I am ready to replace this one I will get a front loader.

[wodin]

My son works for Lowes, and he came to me a few weeks ago saying they had a really great sale on a matching washer dryer set. (Things matching matter to him for some unfathomable reason???).

Our washer came with the house when we bought it ten years ago (I have no idea how long before that it's been there), and the dryer is about 5 years old as it was cheaper to replace than repair, both work fine.

Why in the world would I want to spend a grand and a half for a matching set?

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

I think it was around 2005 when I originally bought my washer. Front loaders were available, but at that time they were a lot more expensive than top loaders and I didn't have the funds to buy one. I did at least manage to get a top loader with variable water settings the washer doesn't have to be filled all the way. I'm sure it still uses a lot more water than a front loader though. Someday when I am ready to replace this one I will get a front loader.

I admit, I thought that it was going to turn out to be all hat and no cattle--and I was dead wrong. It's a fantastic washer and given how precious water is, here in the Desert SW, I'm sorry I didn't get one sooner. I'm loath to say more, not because I'm stooperstitious or anythin'....

Originally Posted by wodin

My son works for Lowes, and he came to me a few weeks ago saying they had a really great sale on a matching washer dryer set. (Things matching matter to him for some unfathomable reason???).

Our washer came with the house when we bought it ten years ago (I have no idea how long before that it's been there), and the dryer is about 5 years old as it was cheaper to replace than repair, both work fine.

Why in the world would I want to spend a grand and a half for a matching set?

Agreed. That's a lotta dough. I forget what we paid for ours, but we shopped and waited until we got a year-old-ish set for a lot less and they've worked a treat. In our case, our washer bit the (unfixable) dust, and the dryer had been held together with string and bailing wire for a while. :-)

Hitch

[4691mls]

Originally Posted by wodin

My son works for Lowes, and he came to me a few weeks ago saying they had a really great sale on a matching washer dryer set. (Things matching matter to him for some unfathomable reason???).

Our washer came with the house when we bought it ten years ago (I have no idea how long before that it's been there), and the dryer is about 5 years old as it was cheaper to replace than repair, both work fine.

Why in the world would I want to spend a grand and a half for a matching set?

Does he get some kind of bonus if he refers family and friends?
It seems like as your son he would know you well enough to know you wouldn't spend all that money to replace perfectly good equipment!

[wodin]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

Does he get some kind of bonus if he refers family and friends?

No, but he gets employee discount that extends to family. It's a moot point though, as I get a veteran's discount. They are the same but not combinable.

Originally Posted by 4691mls

It seems like as your son he would know you well enough to know you wouldn't spend all that money to replace perfectly good equipment!

He doesn't understand that his values re: matching sets are not the same as my values re: if it works don't fix it.