Something Random

Stereodude

Not really a
Joined
Jan 22, 2002
Messages
10,865
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Michigan
He knows where we are. If he wanted to interact with us he could. I guess he's moved on. I know I've disappeared from a forum or two in my life for years, or permanently. Those forums weren't this small though.
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
Joined
Feb 1, 2003
Messages
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USA
Apparently there is an ATM CARD of $4.8Million waiting for me in the Benin Republic. :rofl:
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
Joined
Feb 1, 2003
Messages
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USA
He knows where we are. If he wanted to interact with us he could. I guess he's moved on. I know I've disappeared from a forum or two in my life for years, or permanently. Those forums weren't this small though.

Something is not quite right. I'm concerned about the mental conditions.
If it had been 15 years ago I would have tried to track him down in Illinois if that would have helped.
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
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USA
I hope not and don't see how we could find that without a bit of prying.

I know nobody technically owes anyone anything, but an explanation would mean a lot.
I would not leave permanently without a goodbye.
 

Handruin

Administrator
Joined
Jan 13, 2002
Messages
13,737
Location
USA
I don't recall something happening in the forum that may have driven him away but it's possible I was oblivious to something offending him. I did write him a PM a while ago but never got a response.
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
Joined
Feb 1, 2003
Messages
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Location
USA
I don't recall something happening in the forum that may have driven him away but it's possible I was oblivious to something offending him. I did write him a PM a while ago but never got a response.

Sometimes it just takes the last straw to break the camel's hump.
 

Newtun

Storage is nice, especially if it doesn't rotate
Joined
Nov 21, 2002
Messages
465
Location
Virginia
Sometimes it just takes the last straw to break the camel's hump.
We could also hope that Merc has found true love, or another passion, and is otherwise occupied. (Other than this forum, that is.)
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
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USA
Do you ever feel that people are after you, perhaps the Koreans or Chinese?;)
 

Stereodude

Not really a
Joined
Jan 22, 2002
Messages
10,865
Location
Michigan
I don't want to Shanghai.
I've been a few times. It's very pretty at night in some parts of the city. Especially if it's very hazy. The buildings just glow from the LED lighting in the haze. The area around the financial district and the Bund along the river are spectacular at night.
 

sedrosken

Florida Man
Joined
Nov 20, 2013
Messages
1,590
Location
Eglin AFB Area
Just to let you all know I'll be dropping off the face of the earth for the next month or so. I've moved into a place with no internet in or nearby it and I need to conserve my 4G data where I can.

In other news I don't think I'll be finishing my desktop until the end of the summer or thereabouts.
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
Joined
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Messages
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USA
Just to let you all know I'll be dropping off the face of the earth for the next month or so. I've moved into a place with no internet in or nearby it and I need to conserve my 4G data where I can.

In other news I don't think I'll be finishing my desktop until the end of the summer or thereabouts.

I hope it is just the lack of internet and not anything else. You are still in school?
 

sedrosken

Florida Man
Joined
Nov 20, 2013
Messages
1,590
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Eglin AFB Area
I hope it is just the lack of internet and not anything else. You are still in school?

Not for the summer. I'll be picking back up in the fall.

And if I've got to wait to put the last pieces of the puzzle together in regards to my build, I might as well up my specs a bit. I'll probably pick up another 16GB of RAM just because, and go up from an i5-7500 to i7-7700 and GTX1060 6GB to GTX1070 8GB. Might pick up an NVME SSD to speed things up a bit further and toss the 120GB SSD in some project machine or another too.

Priced out the upgrades and it's about $925 vs just $455 or thereabouts. I don't think the performance boost is worth twice the cost, especially when as I've said before I'm not planning on 4K gaming.
 
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LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
Joined
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USA
Not for the summer. I'll be picking back up in the fall.

And if I've got to wait to put the last pieces of the puzzle together in regards to my build, I might as well up my specs a bit. I'll probably pick up another 16GB of RAM just because, and go up from an i5-7500 to i7-7700 and GTX1060 6GB to GTX1070 8GB. Might pick up an NVME SSD to speed things up a bit further and toss the 120GB SSD in some project machine or another too.

Priced out the upgrades and it's about $925 vs just $455 or thereabouts. I don't think the performance boost is worth twice the cost, especially when as I've said before I'm not planning on 4K gaming.

No, you don't need an incremental upgrade. Concentrate on your education. ;)
 

Stereodude

Not really a
Joined
Jan 22, 2002
Messages
10,865
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Michigan
So I'm in the midst of my first really bad buying experience on eBay. The seller listed the item as "New other" with the claim that the box had been opened buy the item was unused. I get it and it's clearly been taken out of the packaging and has been used and just sort of stuffed back in the box. There are signs of wear on it. The seller is trying to claim that because he wasn't able to get it to work in its intended function in his playing with it that it's not used. This is despite it having been out of the box and having sat on his desk for some time before he decided to sell it.

I want to return it for a refund (at his expense), but he's not playing ball. He offered me $20 (1/8th the cost) to keep it or wants me to pay return shipping. I guess I will find out exactly how good the eBay/PayPal buyer protections are.
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
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USA
Coug, are you OK up there with all the flooding we see on the news? It does not look good. :(
 

CougTek

Serial computer killer
Joined
Jan 21, 2002
Messages
8,724
Location
Québec, Québec
Coug, are you OK up there with all the flooding we see on the news? It does not look good. :(

Thanks for the concern. I'm not in an affected area. I live ~78m above the water line, so even if Greenland's icecap completly melts all of a sudden, I think I'm ok.
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
Joined
Feb 1, 2003
Messages
16,625
Location
USA
Thanks for the concern. I'm not in an affected area. I live ~78m above the water line, so even if Greenland's icecap completly melts all of a sudden, I think I'm ok.

I doubt it will be all of a sudden, and if it is the water level would be the least of your problems. :D
 

snowhiker

Storage Freak Apprentice
Joined
Jul 5, 2007
Messages
1,668
After bike repair woes, this day gets better and better.

Brakes and A/C in my car are completely shot. I need new "everything." Just under $1900. The A/C seems to work fine but sometimes it would just not turn on. The next day it was fine. I thought it was an electrical issue but I guess not. I could tell brakes were getting weaker but the cylinders are shot, rotors shot, pads shot, brake lines leaking. Wow.

I don't know enough about these things to know if I'm being scammed or not. All indications from my past dealings with the shop I go to seem to indicate they are "mostly honest" but I always feel like my bill is being padded out a bit.

Just not a great day.
 

jtr1962

Storage? I am Storage!
Joined
Jan 25, 2002
Messages
4,168
Location
Flushing, New York
After bike repair woes, this day gets better and better.

Brakes and A/C in my car are completely shot. I need new "everything." Just under $1900. The A/C seems to work fine but sometimes it would just not turn on. The next day it was fine. I thought it was an electrical issue but I guess not. I could tell brakes were getting weaker but the cylinders are shot, rotors shot, pads shot, brake lines leaking. Wow.

I don't know enough about these things to know if I'm being scammed or not. All indications from my past dealings with the shop I go to seem to indicate they are "mostly honest" but I always feel like my bill is being padded out a bit.

Just not a great day.
This might be telling you to ditch the car for a bike. Never had a car myself. The bike worked just fine in cases where public transit or walking weren't viable. Cars have been money pits for everyone I know who owns one.
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
Joined
Feb 1, 2003
Messages
16,625
Location
USA
After bike repair woes, this day gets better and better.

Brakes and A/C in my car are completely shot. I need new "everything." Just under $1900. The A/C seems to work fine but sometimes it would just not turn on. The next day it was fine. I thought it was an electrical issue but I guess not. I could tell brakes were getting weaker but the cylinders are shot, rotors shot, pads shot, brake lines leaking. Wow.

I don't know enough about these things to know if I'm being scammed or not. All indications from my past dealings with the shop I go to seem to indicate they are "mostly honest" but I always feel like my bill is being padded out a bit.

Just not a great day.

Brakes and rotors are wear parts, but I would be a bit suspicious of the need to replace other parts of the brake system. How old is the vehicle and is it possible there was water ingress?
 

Stereodude

Not really a
Joined
Jan 22, 2002
Messages
10,865
Location
Michigan
Brakes and A/C in my car are completely shot. I need new "everything." Just under $1900. The A/C seems to work fine but sometimes it would just not turn on. The next day it was fine. I thought it was an electrical issue but I guess not. I could tell brakes were getting weaker but the cylinders are shot, rotors shot, pads shot, brake lines leaking. Wow.

I don't know enough about these things to know if I'm being scammed or not. All indications from my past dealings with the shop I go to seem to indicate they are "mostly honest" but I always feel like my bill is being padded out a bit.
Are there signs that you're losing fluid? Like juicy components? Brake fluid on the wheels? Replacing rotors and pads is a pretty easy DIY fix, but I don't know how mechanically inclined you are.
 

Howell

Storage? I am Storage!
Joined
Feb 24, 2003
Messages
4,740
Location
Chattanooga, TN
I would check with an internet forum specific to your make and ask how prone your model is to X. They should be able to hold your hand pretty well.
Personally I would expect brake lines and fuel lines to last the life of the car but I only buy imports. I assume you are talking about the brake master and slave cylinders and not the calipers. Rotors and pads are wear items and wear worse the more hilly your area.
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
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USA
This might be telling you to ditch the car for a bike. Never had a car myself. The bike worked just fine in cases where public transit or walking weren't viable. Cars have been money pits for everyone I know who owns one.

You know he is also not having much luck with a bike. :lol:
I have not been on a bike bike since the early 70s and am somehow surviving.
Commuting to/from work or running necessary errands in traffic or with bad weather, etc. is often unpleasant.
Aside from that, some people like to drive and see the scenery, etc. You can drag, oval, or road course race with appropriate vehicles.
You can have a camper or motor home and engage all sorts of great outdoor activities.
 
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LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
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Feb 1, 2003
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USA
We could also hope that Merc has found true love, or another passion, and is otherwise occupied. (Other than this forum, that is.)

I hope he is still out there somewhere, watching the Guardashians of the Galaxies or one like that.
 

jtr1962

Storage? I am Storage!
Joined
Jan 25, 2002
Messages
4,168
Location
Flushing, New York
You know he is also not having much luck with a bike. :lol:
True but bikes are a lot less costly to keep running, especially if you learn to do all your own repairs.

I have not been on a bike bike since the early 70s and am somehow surviving.
Commuting to/from work i
I've read the average trip length by car is something like 4 miles. That's easily done on a bike, even for someone in average shape. Don't know how long a commute snowhiker has. It might not be feasible by bike but if it is it's worth considering.

And then you have velomobiles which enable car-like speeds:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CmByXl_rHw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IHIdGVGKdI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jePRQoWyMz4

I'll probably get one once I have time to use it regularly. A person can easily commute 20 or 30 miles each way on one of these.
 
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LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
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USA
True but bikes are a lot less costly to keep running, especially if you learn to do all your own repairs.

My point is that it can be nice to drive sometimes and it's not a bad use of money to have a better or particular use vehicle. :)
 

jtr1962

Storage? I am Storage!
Joined
Jan 25, 2002
Messages
4,168
Location
Flushing, New York
My point is that it can be nice to drive sometimes and it's not a bad use of money to have a better or particular use vehicle. :)
It's not nice to drive anywhere in the NYC metro area unless traffic jams are your thing. And cars cost a hideous amount of money for what they are. If you're rich and have clear roads to drive them on I guess they're an OK toy. If you work for a living you can probably retire a decade earlier if you never own a car.
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
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USA
It's not nice to drive anywhere in the NYC metro area unless traffic jams are your thing. And cars cost a hideous amount of money for what they are. If you're rich and have clear roads to drive them on I guess they're an OK toy. If you work for a living you can probably retire a decade earlier if you never own a car.

Even if I lived there I'd still rent cars and trucks wherever I traveled.

Anyway, Snowhiker doesn't live in NYC. I remember many times as a child being crammed in the back of a 1962 Corvair with no A/C driving around the Phoenix area. It was horrible in the summer after the car had been parked. After even a short bike ride I'd be sweaty mess at the least or dead from the heat stroke.
 

jtr1962

Storage? I am Storage!
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Flushing, New York
Even if I lived there I'd still rent cars and trucks wherever I traveled.
Or you could take Amtrak or fly as close to your destination as they can you, then rent a car the rest of the way. To me taking a long trip in a car would be torture. No bathroom, can't get up to walk around, with the bonus of being rattled to death on our bumpy roads.

Anyway, Snowhiker doesn't live in NYC. I remember many times as a child being crammed in the back of a 1962 Corvair with no A/C driving around the Phoenix area. It was horrible in the summer after the car had been parked. After even a short bike ride I'd be sweaty mess at the least or dead from the heat stroke.
Well, I don't think I would live in Phoenix, period. If it's too hot to ride a bike most of the time, that's not a place I would really enjoy living in. I hate hot weather with a passion.
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
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USA
Or you could take Amtrak or fly as close to your destination as they can you, then rent a car the rest of the way. To me taking a long trip in a car would be torture. No bathroom, can't get up to walk around, with the bonus of being rattled to death on our bumpy roads.

Of course I mean fly and then drive, or you could use the Armtracks and then drive.
 

Chewy509

Wotty wot wot.
Joined
Nov 8, 2006
Messages
3,327
Location
Gold Coast Hinterland, Australia
After bike repair woes, this day gets better and better.

Brakes and A/C in my car are completely shot. I need new "everything." Just under $1900. The A/C seems to work fine but sometimes it would just not turn on. The next day it was fine. I thought it was an electrical issue but I guess not. I could tell brakes were getting weaker but the cylinders are shot, rotors shot, pads shot, brake lines leaking. Wow.

I don't know enough about these things to know if I'm being scammed or not. All indications from my past dealings with the shop I go to seem to indicate they are "mostly honest" but I always feel like my bill is being padded out a bit.

Just not a great day.

All I can suggest is a second opinion from a mechanic that specialises in brakes. (I don't know what you have around, but we have places around us that specialise in brakes, another in radiators/AC, another that specialises in suspension, etc).

The other option is a new car, or if possibly a bike as jtr suggests.
 

Stereodude

Not really a
Joined
Jan 22, 2002
Messages
10,865
Location
Michigan
Anyway, Snowhiker doesn't live in NYC. I remember many times as a child being crammed in the back of a 1962 Corvair with no A/C driving around the Phoenix area. It was horrible in the summer after the car had been parked. After even a short bike ride I'd be sweaty mess at the least or dead from the heat stroke.
I think he probably needs a horse instead of a bike. More environmentally friendly and carbon neutral.
 
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