The Vent and Rant Thread

[DNSB]

Want a HP Itanium 2 server to go with the power supply? Though it probably wouldn't work with the server.

If only AMD hadn't stuffed 64 bits into a x86 architecture compatible CPU...

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Want a HP Itanium 2 server to go with the power supply? Though it probably wouldn't work with the server.

If only AMD hadn't stuffed 64 bits into a x86 architecture compatible CPU...

ROFLU! Yup, just what I need. And thank goodness AMD forced Intel to do the right thing! I've dealt with Itanium servers. And am just as glad I'll never have to again.

[Rumpelteazer]

Yesterday was both a good day and a bad day.

Since the weather was nice and not too warm I decided to cycle to a nearby wooded area for a walk. When I was almost there a weird noise came from the back of my bike and the back wheel started rubbing against something. When I arrived at my destination I took a look and it looked like one of the coat protectors on the back wheel (both have been in need of replacement for a while now) had shifted a bit. I adjusted it and it seemed fine. However, on the way back something was still intermittently rubbing against the wheel, just not as bad as before. But more worrying the back wheel had developed a wobble. I thought I'd drop my bike of at the repair shop on the way back, but it is closed on Monday, so I'll have to go this morning. It can be various things, I hope it doesn't turn out to be too expensive. I will also ask if they can replace the coat protectors while they are at it.

The walk itself was lovely. Except when taking some pictures I got stung by, I think, a wasp. I first thought it was a stinging nettle, but when I checked a stinger was sticking out of the side of my hand. I hurt quite a bit for a while and is still sore to the touch now.

After the walk I treated myself to lunch at the pancake restaurant, which is called Theehuis (tea house) Rhijnauwen, where I usually get a salad.

The walk and lunch were great, as was most of the cycle trip to the woods. The braking of my bike and the sting were definitely less fun.

[Martinoptic]

Originally Posted by CRussel

ROFLU

What does this stand for please - can’t find it on a search.
Thanks.

I’ve been reading a Police procedural which is full of acronyms and it really spoils the flow when I have to go and look them up. Why do authors do it without a glossary or something?! And that should have been an interrobang but there ain’t one on my keyboard. Gosh I am grumpy today.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Martinoptic

What does this stand for please - can’t find it on a search.
Thanks.

Rolls On Floor Laughing Uncontrollably, I expect.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Rolls On Floor Laughing Uncontrollably, I expect.

Yes. Though I've seen several alternatives for the last letter.

[Gardenman]

Originally Posted by Rumpelteazer

Yesterday was both a good day and a bad day.

Since the weather was nice and not too warm I decided to cycle to a nearby wooded area for a walk. When I was almost there a weird noise came from the back of my bike and the back wheel started rubbing against something. When I arrived at my destination I took a look and it looked like one of the coat protectors on the back wheel (both have been in need of replacement for a while now) had shifted a bit. I adjusted it and it seemed fine. However, on the way back something was still intermittently rubbing against the wheel, just not as bad as before. But more worrying the back wheel had developed a wobble. I thought I'd drop my bike of at the repair shop on the way back, but it is closed on Monday, so I'll have to go this morning. It can be various things, I hope it doesn't turn out to be too expensive. I will also ask if they can replace the coat protectors while they are at it.

The walk itself was lovely. Except when taking some pictures I got stung by, I think, a wasp. I first thought it was a stinging nettle, but when I checked a stinger was sticking out of the side of my hand. I hurt quite a bit for a while and is still sore to the touch now.

After the walk I treated myself to lunch at the pancake restaurant, which is called Theehuis (tea house) Rhijnauwen, where I usually get a salad.

The walk and lunch were great, as was most of the cycle trip to the woods. The braking of my bike and the sting were definitely less fun.

What are coat protectors on a bike. I have never heard of them before.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Gardenman

What are coat protectors on a bike. I have never heard of them before.

Me neither. Looks like maybe it's a Dutch thing....
https://www.dutchbikebits.com/coat-p...as-beschermers

[Rumpelteazer]

Originally Posted by Gardenman

What are coat protectors on a bike. I have never heard of them before.

It's basically a plastic shield you attach to the fender of the back wheel (on both sides) it mostly covers the area underneath and behind the saddle from you coat, or other clothes, getting in between the spokes when you cycle.

After a while the plastic ages and becomes brittle which means pieces break of and tears develop. It's a fiddly job to replace it, but since they had to work on that wheel anyway and they probably replace the protectors on a daily basis I was more than willing to pay to have the repair person replace them.

Two spokes had snapped and needed replacing, plus the wheel had deformed a bit and had to be straightened. I ended up paying €37.50, €1.50 for two new spokes, €6.95 for the protector and the rest was labour. Not too expensive luckily.

[ownedbycats]

So Canada's federal gov't is finally getting on with banning single-use plastics. Including straws.

Which is nice and all, except I depend on plastic straws to safely drink. I've tried alternatives and none of them work as well (paper disintegrates and is a choking hazard, silicone doesn't have bendy, glass and metal are hard...if anyone does know of a good reusable that's soft and bendy, feel free to send though)

They claim that there'll be exceptions for accessibility purposes, but gave absolutely no details on that. A prescription for a box of 6 straws that costs $25? That would be just as useless due to the cost. Either that or they don't plan on it and just said it to shut us up.

[CRussel]

In my youth, we had bendy paper straws that worked well. Probably no longer available with plastic so ubiquitous.

I'd suggest if you're going to need a plastic straw that you grab some now and keep re-using them. By the time they finally wear out/break down there are likely to be other options. But I'm surprised that one of the bent metal ones aren't an option for you.

ETA: There _are_ bendy silicon ones -- https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08GCY5YY1.

[ownedbycats]

Do they actually bend? The 'bendy' silicon straws I've seen aren't actually positionable, just... crooked.

[Gardenman]

Originally Posted by Rumpelteazer

It's basically a plastic shield you attach to the fender of the back wheel (on both sides) it mostly covers the area underneath and behind the saddle from you coat, or other clothes, getting in between the spokes when you cycle.

After a while the plastic ages and becomes brittle which means pieces break of and tears develop. It's a fiddly job to replace it, but since they had to work on that wheel anyway and they probably replace the protectors on a daily basis I was more than willing to pay to have the repair person replace them.

Two spokes had snapped and needed replacing, plus the wheel had deformed a bit and had to be straightened. I ended up paying €37.50, €1.50 for two new spokes, €6.95 for the protector and the rest was labour. Not too expensive luckily.

coat protectors sound very useful.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Gardenman

coat protectors sound very useful.

They're also known as 'skirt guards', and they're not peculiar to The Netherlands. Etsy has squillions of them - especially crocheted ones.

@owb - some stainless steel straws have a flexible silicon tube at one end, a friend in a nursing home uses them - but only for cold drinks.

BR

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by DNSB

I remember that time well. We had ~1000 IBM devices where IBM replaced the motherboard at their expense. I hate to think of the total cost to the big computer manufacturers when they ate the cost of replacing those mobos.

It was probably the reason why my dual-Xeon Asus PC-DL mainboard died after just 3 years and one month of use (2004-2007.) Most expensive computer I've ever owned, and used the shortest time of all, because there wasn't a mainboard available (for a normal price) to put those two Xeon's and the memory on in 2007. €500-600 to repair a 3-year old dual-Xeon computer when quadcores where already on the market just wasn't economical.