Pet Peeves

Post by **peter** » Wed Dec 14, 2016 2:14 pm

The current trend for producing household items (shampoo, sauces and the like) in containers with unstable points of equilibrium (ie containers where a small push or tip will cause the item to fall over). Do my job for an hour and I promise you'll be with me on this!

Post by **Sorus** » Wed Dec 14, 2016 10:34 pm

peter wrote:The current trend for producing household items (shampoo, sauces and the like) in containers with unstable points of equilibrium (ie containers where a small push or tip will cause the item to fall over). Do my job for an hour and I promise you'll be with me on this!

I feel your pain. Where I work, it's mice. (The computer sort, not the squeaky four-legged ones.) The manufacturers design the packaging to ideally be hung from a peghook. The company decided at some point that they'd be better off sitting on a shelf. Look at one the wrong way and the whole display goes over like dominoes.

My current pet peeve is really just a minor annoyance, but no matter how many times I remind friends that I don't have a smartphone and that my phone can't display most of the popular emoticons, I still get texts that consist solely of anonymous little squares.

And I'm having a computer problem that I can't figure out. My computer is fine when I turn it on. After 10 minutes or less, all the colors are a mess. Blue turns orange. Dark blue turns light blue. Teal turns green. Everything else is just a bit off. I'm guessing it's either my monitor or my graphics card, but I can't figure out which. I'm guessing it's something more serious than a setting that got accidentally changed, since it's fine at first. Anyone have a guess?

Post by **Savor Dam** » Wed Dec 14, 2016 10:46 pm

Going for the simplest solutions first: Make sure the cables are firmly attached at both ends and use a can of compressed air to blow any dust accumulation out of computer and monitor vents.

Post by **Sorus** » Thu Dec 15, 2016 12:44 am

Already tried that, unfortunately. My first thought was that Hurricane Phedre might have knocked something loose when she was barging about in her cone. Guessing it's probably the monitor, since it's over 7 years old with a lot of gaming mileage. That sucks, because they don't make monitors like this anymore - it's a dinosaur that weighs over 20lbs. (Most people are probably grateful for that, but the new ones just feel so flimsy.)

Which brings me to another pet peeve that I've brought up before - how disposable all this shiny new technology is, and how terrible that is for the world. (Every aspect, from environmental to mental.) I still have the first TV I ever bought. It was made in 1978. It's 12 inches and B&W and you can scoff at that, but it still works. Show me any TV on the market today that will still work 38 years from now.

Post by **Avatar** » Thu Dec 15, 2016 4:31 am

Did you check that your graphics card is still firmly seated in the motherboard slot? Card creep happens.

Do you have another monitor you can test with? Definitely either the card or the monitor though.

--A

Post by **Sorus** » Sat Dec 17, 2016 8:10 pm

The card looks okay - one perk of having a clear tower case. I'm pretty sure it's the monitor at this point.

Post by **Avatar** » Wed Dec 21, 2016 4:37 am

Were you implying up there that it's a CRT monitor?

I promise you won't regret a nice new flimsy one.

--A

Post by **Sorus** » Wed Dec 21, 2016 10:36 pm

Nah, it's not that old. It's a flat LCD, but a flat LCD from 2008 is quite a bit clunkier than the current models.

Post by **Avatar** » Fri Dec 23, 2016 7:25 am

Get a new one Sorus...you know you have to...

--A

Post by **Sorus** » Fri Dec 30, 2016 3:31 am

I know I have to, but it's not in my budget right now, so I'm getting used to orange landscapes and blue people and hoping it doesn't totally die.

Post by **Avatar** » Sat Dec 31, 2016 12:13 pm

Ah, that sucks.

--A

Post by **Sorus** » Sat Dec 31, 2016 5:33 pm

2016 sucked. I had over 15K in vet bills that I'm still paying off. Plus I had to replace my computer and I compromised on that, but I'm trying to avoid compromising again and being stuck with a second-rate monitor for another 5+ years.

This year has actually been an interesting study in terms of financial whatnot - I was able to pay the first half off faster than I had budgeted, and I'm ahead again on the second half. If I can keep this up (which mainly involves not being blindsided by yet another disaster), I should be able to get out of debt, get the monitor I want, and after that, I really need to start squirreling more funds away, because life sometimes just likes to kick you when you're down.

Post by **Avatar** » Sat Dec 31, 2016 5:39 pm

All I can say is good luck with that.

--A

Post by **Sorus** » Fri Jan 06, 2017 3:40 am

It is what it is. I don't really believe in luck - though that's probably not fair; there are times when it's as good an explanation as any.

Post by **Avatar** » Fri Jan 06, 2017 4:23 am

Oh, I believe in luck, in the sense that sometimes the random turning of the universe works out in your favour. It's not something one should ever count on though.

--A

Post by **Sorus** » Sat Jan 14, 2017 4:30 am

I may have jinxed myself already. I'll find out on Monday. Not cat-related this time, anyway.

Post by **Avatar** » Mon Jan 16, 2017 4:31 am

I'm sure they're pleased about that anyway..

--A

Post by **Sorus** » Tue Jan 17, 2017 1:55 am

I'm pleased about that too. They aren't allowed to get sick this year. I had a stern discussion with them about it.

I, on the other hand, need yet another round of major dental surgery, so I will be spending 2017 up to my eyeballs in debt.

Post by **Linna Heartbooger** » Tue Jan 17, 2017 2:01 am

Sorus wrote:I, on the other hand, need yet another round of major dental surgery, so I will be spending 2017 up to my eyeballs in debt.

Oh, crud.

Post by **Avatar** » Tue Jan 17, 2017 4:34 am

Urg, that sucks. Also reminds me I have a dentist appointment at the end of the month.

--A

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Pet Peeves