Off-Topic / Dumping Thread

[Omega-TI]

Google knows!

CALLER: Is this Gordon's Pizza?
GOOGLE: No sir, it's Google Pizza.
CALLER: I must have dialed a wrong number. Sorry.
GOOGLE: No sir, Google bought Gordon’s Pizza last month.
CALLER: OK. I would like to order a pizza.
GOOGLE: Do you want your usual, sir?
CALLER: My usual? You know me?
GOOGLE: According to our caller ID data sheet, the last 12 times you called you ordered an extra-large pizza with three cheeses, sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms and meatballs on a thick crust.
CALLER: OK! That’s what I want ...
GOOGLE: May I suggest that this time you order a pizza with ricotta, arugula, sun-dried tomatoes and olives on a whole wheat gluten-free thin crust?
CALLER: What? I detest vegetable!
GOOGLE: Your cholesterol is not good, sir.
CALLER: How the hell do you know!
GOOGLE: Well, we cross-referenced your home phone number with your medical records. We have the result of your blood tests for the last 7 years.
CALLER: Okay, but I do not want your rotten vegetable pizza! I already take medication for my cholesterol.
GOOGLE: Excuse me sir, but you have not taken your medication regularly. According to our database, you purchased only a box of 30 cholesterol tablets once, at Drug RX Network, 4 months ago.
CALLER: I bought more from another drugstore.
GOOGLE: That doesn’t show on your credit card statement.
CALLER: I paid in cash.
GOOGLE: But you did not withdraw enough cash according to your bank statement.

CALLER: I have other sources of cash.
GOOGLE: That doesn’t show on your last tax return unless you bought them using an undeclared income source, which is against the law.
CALLER: WHAT THE HELL!
GOOGLE: I'm sorry, sir, we use such information only with the sole intention of helping you.
CALLER: Enough already! I'm sick to death of Google, Facebook, Twitter, Whats App and all the others. I'm going to an island without internet, cable TV, where there is no cell phone service and no one to watch me or spy on me.
GOOGLE: I understand sir, but you need to renew your passport first. It expired 6 weeks ago...

[+mizapf]

"I've nothing to hide."

   Heard far too many times.

[HOME AUTOMATION]

                                  How not to use checks!

 

 

https://www.nwcu.com/learn/how-to-use-checks

 

 This almost got me into trouble today... It's been a while.

[HOME AUTOMATION]

I found this one somewhat entertaining to watch...

 

  

 

[GDMike]

Should we worry

https://www.cyberciti.biz/linux-news/heads-up-microsoft-repo-secretly-installed-on-all-raspberry-pis-linux-os/

[+mizapf]

Remove the repo if you don't feel comfortable with it. This is just a repository and not a backdoor.

[+mizapf]

As for the concern that a rogue repository could compromise a system, the usual Linux installers give a warning when you switch a provider. For instance, in openSUSE that I am using, if there is a newer release of a package in another repository that I registered, you get some options during installation like "keep the older version" or "change provider and install newer version". Hence, if Microsoft intended to replace vital components, you would definitely get a warning, and you would have to confirm the change.

 

However, I believe that during the last two decades, Microsoft has "learned to live" with the few percents of non-Windows users and are even providing software. I'm regularly using the Linux client of MS Teams, for instance. This is not like 20 years ago when they called Linux "a cancer". Focus has shifted more to online services in recent times.

[Tursi]

It also tells you every time you update that it's fetching from those servers, so it's not exactly like it was a secret.  

[Tursi]

2 hours ago, mizapf said:

However, I believe that during the last two decades, Microsoft has "learned to live" with the few percents of non-Windows users and are even providing software. I'm regularly using the Linux client of MS Teams, for instance. This is not like 20 years ago when they called Linux "a cancer". Focus has shifted more to online services in recent times.

In November they released dotnet 5.0, which is now a fully open-source, cross-platform, community supported project. They are fully involved these days.

 

[wierd_w]

I just clicked the 'buy now' button on a unique bit of kit.

 

Specifically, a unique floppy drive.

(More information, for those needing more than just the product manual.)

 

(I happen to have a Brother electronic knitting machine that uses them, that is lacking the drive. I decided to finally get one.)

 

It is a (potentially, it also can use a wall-wart power plug) battery operated FM encoding 3.5" diskette drive, that communicates on a modified RS232C interface.  It is one of the short list of devices I have considered suggesting in the various CC-40 accessories threads in the new subforum, (and as the topic has come up).  Given that its communication system is so simple, a micro controller could easily sit between it and a CC-40, turning it into a swanky hexbus compliant disk system. Since such projects have recently come to exist (with FOSS code for microcontrollers to communicate with hexbus master controllers in the wild now), and since I just ordered one, I thought I would bring this up again. (Granted, it only holds 100kb/disk, and likely uses 720kb diskette media, but it isn't like the CC-40 is a powerhouse of spacious RAM to put data into to begin with.)

 

Now, I have no intention of using it in that capacity, since I DO happen to have a perfectly good knitting machine in need of the drive. I do not have a CC-40, nor a hexbus interface

for my 99/4A-- But this is the OT thread, and the OT is that I purchased one of these drives.

Edited February 7, 2021 by wierd_w

[+arcadeshopper]

I just clicked the 'buy now' button on a unique bit of kit.
 
Specifically, a unique floppy drive.
(More information, for those needing more than just the product manual.)
 
(I happen to have a Brother electronic knitting machine that uses them, that is lacking the drive. I decided to finally get one.)
 
It is a (potentially, it also can use a wall-wart power plug) battery operated FM encoding 3.5" diskette drive, that communicates on a modified RS232C interface.  It is one of the short list of devices I have considered suggesting in the various CC-40 accessories threads in the new subforum, (and as the topic has come up).  Given that its communication system is so simple, a micro controller could easily sit between it and a CC-40, turning it into a swanky hexbus compliant disk system. Since such projects have recently come to exist (with FOSS code for microcontrollers to communicate with hexbus master controllers in the wild now), and since I just ordered one, I thought I would bring this up again. (Granted, it only holds 100kb/disk, and likely uses 720kb diskette media, but it isn't like the CC-40 is a powerhouse of spacious RAM to put data into to begin with.)
 
Now, I have no intention of using it in that capacity, since I DO happen to have a perfectly good knitting machine in need of the drive. [emoji4] I do not have a CC-40, nor a hexbus interface
for my 99/4A-- But this is the OT thread, and the OT is that I purchased one of these drives.

I have belts and cables and disks to use that with a trs80 model 100-200 in my store

Sent from my LM-V600 using Tapatalk

[wierd_w]

If I find I need replacement parts, I will certainly look them up.

[Omega-TI]

Taken from my front door this morning...

 

 

[+mizapf]

I actually can't remember when we had such cold weather last time here in Germany. Temperatures below 0 for a week, -20°C at some locations (-4°F), ground frost up to 50cm deep.

[GDMike]

Were expecting some crappy weather also in my neck of the woods..s. ark

[Omega-TI]

You all saw yesterday's picture... today we have twice as much...

 

 

[wierd_w]

Not as much snow here. Just cold. Blistering cold.

 

It is supposed to have a high of 2F on monday with a low of -16. 

[Omega-TI]

33 minutes ago, wierd_w said:

Not as much snow here. Just cold. Blistering cold.

 

It is supposed to have a high of 2F on monday with a low of -16. 

 

If it was just cold, I'd have no issues, but work is 30 miles away and I cannot even get out of my lengthy driveway to the steep unplowed road.  If I could somehow make it down the hill, I'd never make it back up.  So I'm trapped at home today.

[Omega-TI]

Well I've lost power now too.  So, with only 90 minutes left on the UPS, I'm gonna go now.

 

[+InsaneMultitasker]

In my neck of the woods in TX they are calling for 7F sunday into monday, with a layer of ice topped with snow.  There isn't much in the way of snow and ice removal for the roads down here.   Not to mention many houses including mine have water pipes in the unheated attic.  I am mapping out the water pipes today to determine if I can insulate/protect the exterior faucets or if I need to let them drip the next 3-4 days.  Most of the plumbing is inside the exterior-facing walls, so I also need to account for things like the washing machine where the water won't move unless I'm doing laundry.  The next few days will be most interesting and hopefully the ice and snow won't cause a loss of power to add to the challenges.

[GDMike]

2 minutes ago, InsaneMultitasker said:

In my neck of the woods in TX they are calling for 7F sunday into monday, with a layer of ice topped with snow.  There isn't much in the way of snow and ice removal for the roads down here.   Not to mention many houses including mine have water pipes in the unheated attic.  I am mapping out the water pipes today to determine if I can insulate/protect the exterior faucets or if I need to let them drip the next 3-4 days.  Most of the plumbing is inside the exterior-facing walls, so I also need to account for things like the washing machine where the water won't move unless I'm doing laundry.  The next few days will be most interesting and hopefully the ice and snow won't cause a loss of power to add to the challenges.

I read that water pipes freeze at 6th hour of 20 degrees.

I'm not going to touch mine except the usual, laundry, showers ect.. just keep water moving..I'll try.. hoping for the best!

[+9640News]

About 40 years ago, my Aunt and Uncle went to Texas to visit my cousin.  My father and I went over to their place to check on it during a significant freeze.  Their water meter had burst on their side of the meter and was overflowing water downhill to the street.  My dad shut the water off.  When my aunt and uncle got back, they had all kinds of burst lines in the crawl space under the house.

 

M 16 year old cousin was the only one small enough in their family to crawl under the house.  She learned sweating pipies and plumbing pretty quickly.

 

Beery

 

[RickyDean]

1 hour ago, InsaneMultitasker said:

In my neck of the woods in TX they are calling for 7F sunday into monday, with a layer of ice topped with snow.  There isn't much in the way of snow and ice removal for the roads down here.   Not to mention many houses including mine have water pipes in the unheated attic.  I am mapping out the water pipes today to determine if I can insulate/protect the exterior faucets or if I need to let them drip the next 3-4 days.  Most of the plumbing is inside the exterior-facing walls, so I also need to account for things like the washing machine where the water won't move unless I'm doing laundry.  The next few days will be most interesting and hopefully the ice and snow won't cause a loss of power to add to the challenges.

We drip our pipes here in Georgia, moving water doesn't freeze near as fast as stationary does. We also leave cabinet doors open so what few pipes run into the house get the inside heat to help keep them ice free.

[+InsaneMultitasker]

tried to find a faucet cover past 2 days - none within 100 miles so I did the next best thing: improvised with 6" flower pot, insulation, gasket foam, and tie wraps.  Looped one end around the pipe and cinched it tight to the wall through a small hole.  

 

 

 

[HOME AUTOMATION]

Once upon a time...

...In the back parking lot of a liquor store...

 

I came upon a tiny little, ity-bity ...water heater...
...with the top bulging out somewhat.

 

Of course I thought...

I'll bring you back to my car, take you home ...warm you up, and nurse you back to health!

I discovered a pin hole breach at the apex of the outcrop.

 

Did I mention... there was a plug installed in the orifice normally reserved for a thermal/overpressure device.

 

These valves also release gases that build up from diffusion when the water temperature is far below the inner surface temperature of the pressure vessel.

...I deduced that the plug had been added during the original installation...

 

Given the ...at the time, recent weather conditions, and in due consideration of my inspection of the unit...

 

I surmised that the owner probably closed the valve under the toilet, in order to avoid flooding, should a pipe burst!

However they probably did not take diffusion gas into account when doing so...

 

...The float valve in the toilet tank had been doing the work of releasing the back pressure from the otherwise closed water heater.

When the tank is solid, I'd guess about a quart of air would raise the pressure beyond 300 lbs., a common test pressure(twice the rated operating pressure).

I've done it! No bulging though! I'd bet that little tank, saw better than 1000 lbs. The bulge alone would have held a quart!

When I relieved the pressure from the >300lb. air-overpressure test... About a mouthful of pressure gas/water/vapor was released.

 

  The moral to this story:

Always know the water temperature vs. pressure in a vessel. That way, you will know whether to release the pressure, or run for your life!

 

    P.S. Feets ...do your stuff!!!