ddrueding
Fixture
My dad gets a call, and if he is too busy to answer, a text. I think that is all he wants, I certainly hope that is all he wants.
Something Random
- Thread starter ddrueding
- Start date
sedrosken
Florida Man
Yeah, my dad's a difficult man to shop for. I don't do much gift-giving either purely because I'm not great at figuring out what someone would want. And what's more is his birthday isn't long after father's day.
Chewy509
Wotty wot wot.
Nvidia just displaced Apple as the 2nd most valuable company (based on Mkt Cap).
- Microsoft - 3.151T
- Nvidia - 3.012T
- Apple - 3.003T
It was never a holiday, but always a "thing." Mostly people would give some combination of cards, small gifts, or take the father to brunch or dinner, etc.
Is the AI hoopla really sustainable?
jtr1962
Storage? I am Storage!
Ironically their CDs are starting to become collector's items:
I actually find this disturbing on a number of levels. People used to throw these things in the microwave for fun. If they're starting to get rare enough to be worth anything, then that means literally many billions of them ended up in landfills. CDs don't degrade on any kind of human time scale. Then I'm thinking of some future archaeologist unearthing them about 2,000 years from now, while muttering about how they found an artifact which signaled the start of the dumbing down of the human race.
Vintage AOL CDs, 17 different types including some rare ones, free shipping! :D | eBay
For sale are 17 vintage AOL, Earthlink, Netscape, PeoplePC, and Wal*Mart collectible CD-ROMs from the mid-1990s, including a handful of uncommon discs. Pricing these lower per disc than most listings - Check my other listings, as I have several similar lots for sale .. Free shipping! :D
www.ebay.com
I actually find this disturbing on a number of levels. People used to throw these things in the microwave for fun. If they're starting to get rare enough to be worth anything, then that means literally many billions of them ended up in landfills. CDs don't degrade on any kind of human time scale. Then I'm thinking of some future archaeologist unearthing them about 2,000 years from now, while muttering about how they found an artifact which signaled the start of the dumbing down of the human race.
Some of my old CDs are totally useless now. It probably matters what materials they were using, but I doubt any but M-Disc would be usable in 2000 years. I read that the CRT television was the beginning of the end of humanity in the 1950s.
jtr1962
Storage? I am Storage!
I wouldn't expect it to be readable in 2,000 years. It would simply be an artifact of the times, like a spear tip is.
In other news from 4,000 AD, Elon Musk is sending probes into intergalactic space. Yes, the research he funded in the 21st century to extend life was successful, and he's still around. Space X, Tesla, and all his other companies eventually merged into "The Company", like the one in the Alien movies, which makes virtually everything. In an accident in one of his biolabs while experimenting with Trump's genes, a malevolent xenomorph was created which now threatens mankind.
In other news from 4,000 AD, Elon Musk is sending probes into intergalactic space. Yes, the research he funded in the 21st century to extend life was successful, and he's still around. Space X, Tesla, and all his other companies eventually merged into "The Company", like the one in the Alien movies, which makes virtually everything. In an accident in one of his biolabs while experimenting with Trump's genes, a malevolent xenomorph was created which now threatens mankind.
Last edited:
Chewy509
Wotty wot wot.
For a few companies, yes, the majority, no.
Santilli
Hairy Aussie
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2002
- Messages
- 5,285
Monitor speakers have a weird sound. It's like someone is tapping on a morse code key when I try and use the speakers on the monitor.
Only reason I want to use them, is with old hearing, I need to direct the sound at me, close.
I have my Klipsch, but they are on the floor. Can't put them up on the table. block the monitor.
Thinking of a low sound bar type setup.
Any ideas?
Doesn't have to be great sound. The Klipsch, and the headphones do that..
Value is good...
I'm using HDMI. Wonder if DisplayPort would solve it?
Only reason I want to use them, is with old hearing, I need to direct the sound at me, close.
I have my Klipsch, but they are on the floor. Can't put them up on the table. block the monitor.
Thinking of a low sound bar type setup.
Any ideas?
Doesn't have to be great sound. The Klipsch, and the headphones do that..
Value is good...
I'm using HDMI. Wonder if DisplayPort would solve it?
Maybe it is like this?
www.storageforum.net
Weird speaker problem (possible virus?)
I've had an intermittent problem for months, possibly longer, which has been driving me crazy. At random times I get chatter on my speakers (cheap, generic external speakers I've had for years). It sounds like the kind of chatter you might hear on emergency frequencies like police, fire...
www.storageforum.net
Santilli
Hairy Aussie
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2002
- Messages
- 5,285
Not really. It's like someone is either connected by Bluetooth, or they are connected and sending morse code..Beep, Beep, etc. No wordsMaybe it is like this?
Weird speaker problem (possible virus?)
I've had an intermittent problem for months, possibly longer, which has been driving me crazy. At random times I get chatter on my speakers (cheap, generic external speakers I've had for years). It sounds like the kind of chatter you might hear on emergency frequencies like police, fire...
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
Fun true fact: The Weyland-Yutani corporation, which owned the Narcissus and the Sulaco, the space ships in the first two Aliens movies, is name checked in Blade Runner as well and there's nothing in either series to make them incompatible with one another. This can further be extended to Predator movies and Ridley Scott's Alien prequels as well.
I find your theory regarding Xenomorphs better written and more plausible than Prometheus as well.
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
Their life cycle incorporates the DNA of the parasite that incubates from a facehugger. In Alien3 and the Aliens v Predator films and games, Xenomorphs that come from non-human hosts (a dog and the Youtja aliens, respectively) have clear signifiers of their parasitic parent's species. Prometheus suggests this was done to exterminate the precursor "Space Engineer" species, which are connected to "Alien" as the calcified creature in the crashed space ship at the beginning of the movie. This also explains the acidic blood and ability to survive in unbelievably intense conditions.
That still creates many biological issues. How does the Alien remain a viable species if it keeps adding random DNA? How is the alien species (supposedly an invertebrate, arthropod) so similar to mammal DNA that it is even possible when it's difficult to interbreed very similar species on earth. I'm just not buying it.
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
Cue Mystery Science Theater 3000 theme song.
In this case, a super-intelligent robot made it, which is just a variation on the classic "A wizard did it" that a lot of speculative fiction uses.
I've seen most of those movies several times. I don't remember them being described as either invertebrate or arthropodal. Mostly, though, they were just made to be terrifying killing machines. And they do a great job of that.
Chewy509
Wotty wot wot.
Nvidia just displaced Microsoft as the 1st most valuable company (based on Mkt Cap).
As they say, when there's a gold rush, be the one selling the shovels, not the one digging for gold.
- Nvidia - 3.335T
- Microsoft - 3.317T
- Apple - 3.286T
As they say, when there's a gold rush, be the one selling the shovels, not the one digging for gold.
ddrueding
Fixture
I still refuse to buy Apple stock because I just don't understand the value, but a fair bit of the bitcoin money went into Nvidia, and that hasn't been bad at all.
That's great you got in on nvidia, hopefully before their large increases. I don't risk gambling on single stocks anymore (with a small exception of my company's compensation stock that vests monthly). I'm more of a boring investor so I focus on low-cost index funds like Vanguard's VTI as my "risky" investment.
I agree I don't see the value in Apple either. It reminds me a bit of the hype from Tesla stock from years prior. Granted, between those two, I'd pick Apple over Tesla any day but I still don't believe they're worth their Mkt cap.
Nvidia is definitely skewing the charts on a 12-month view. I hope all that invested there is making bank, that's an incredible gain.
I agree I don't see the value in Apple either. It reminds me a bit of the hype from Tesla stock from years prior. Granted, between those two, I'd pick Apple over Tesla any day but I still don't believe they're worth their Mkt cap.
Nvidia is definitely skewing the charts on a 12-month view. I hope all that invested there is making bank, that's an incredible gain.
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
A customer's wife asked me to look at their home computers. I told them that as long as she brough them to me and understood I'd charge for my time, no big deal. The computers were described as "brand new."
The newest actual PC is a Surface 3, but there are also two Chromebooks old enough to be out of software updates. She wanted "the newest version of Windows" and Microsoft Office installed.
The newest actual PC is a Surface 3, but there are also two Chromebooks old enough to be out of software updates. She wanted "the newest version of Windows" and Microsoft Office installed.
sedrosken
Florida Man
You can't run desktop MS Office on a ChromeBook, like, at all. You might be able to run the android versions, you will definitely be able to run the web versions, but the desktop version of MS Office is a Windows/Mac only proposition.
Merc, I'm painfully used to people thinking their 5 year old craptop that they got on sale from walmart is the height of technology. I've gone from being exasperated and sorry to tell them that they're looking down the barrel of a new one to just telling them point-blank. Sometimes they got it from some computer shop in the area only a year or so before, and I have to be the one to tell them they bought a refurb and likely didn't know it.
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
Everything they brought me was either an expired Chromebook or had Windows 8 (no, not 8.1) on it. When I was finally given a password to get on one of them, it had Internet Explorer tabs still open from 2016.
Nobody looks at the System to see what hardware they are getting?
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
sedrosken
Florida Man
You are also technologically inclined. Most mere mortals see a laptop that isn't a veritable brick and think "ok does it run chrome? good that means it's brand new and will be good for fifteen years since that's what I got out of my old dell that I had to keep conning my nephew into fixing for me."
I received a new "company" laptop in 2023 but it was about a year old and had an 11th generator CPU. It's like I have a 2021 laptop really. 
I always seem to get old stuff, but it's really just luck. The last two were recycled laptops. The problem is that there is so much software running it takes forever to get going in the morning. So instead of 4.5 min. it takes 2.5 min. to get into a TEAMS meeting.
I always seem to get old stuff, but it's really just luck. The last two were recycled laptops. The problem is that there is so much software running it takes forever to get going in the morning. So instead of 4.5 min. it takes 2.5 min. to get into a TEAMS meeting.
ddrueding
Fixture
I got into Tesla stock when I bought one of their cars around 2019, and got out when they committed to opening Superchargers to other manufacturers in late 2021. That was like 15x and I'm happy I got out.
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
My boss's brother is a senior person for the Chicago office of the IRS. He's a GS13 or 14, don't remember which.
Anyway, I saw him a couple weeks ago (late May, 2024) and his government issued laptop was a consumer model HP that had a Windows 7 sticker on it. He referred to it as his NEW laptop.
jtr1962
Storage? I am Storage!
For a lot of people who started out in the 386/486 days, even a Pentium with Windows 98 is a "new" computer.
Thankfully before the pandemic the idiot who kept bothering me about upgrading his 386 finally gave up. He used to get hand-me down video cards, RAM, and other stuff, and asked me if I could put them in his machine to "bring it up to date". Sorry, but PCI cards just won't work in a 386. Neither will EDO RAM, or even worse some flavor of DDR. He seemed so happy once when he scored 256 GB of "free" RAM from a friend who upgraded. "Can you put it in my machine so I can at least run XP?" Sorry, won't work, and the problem isn't just that you're lacking RAM. If you could even load XP, it would be slower than a 110 year old in a marathon trying to run XP. Most likely it would crash before it even booted. To this day I don't know why he was so obsessed with keeping a 30+ year old machine in service. Granted, he probably paid $4K for it when he bought it, but he more than got his money's worth. I've played with really old machines myself, but I realize it's a hobby. They're totally unsuitable for even basic stuff these days. A $3 microcontroller development board could run rings around his 386:
Thankfully before the pandemic the idiot who kept bothering me about upgrading his 386 finally gave up. He used to get hand-me down video cards, RAM, and other stuff, and asked me if I could put them in his machine to "bring it up to date". Sorry, but PCI cards just won't work in a 386. Neither will EDO RAM, or even worse some flavor of DDR. He seemed so happy once when he scored 256 GB of "free" RAM from a friend who upgraded. "Can you put it in my machine so I can at least run XP?" Sorry, won't work, and the problem isn't just that you're lacking RAM. If you could even load XP, it would be slower than a 110 year old in a marathon trying to run XP. Most likely it would crash before it even booted. To this day I don't know why he was so obsessed with keeping a 30+ year old machine in service. Granted, he probably paid $4K for it when he bought it, but he more than got his money's worth. I've played with really old machines myself, but I realize it's a hobby. They're totally unsuitable for even basic stuff these days. A $3 microcontroller development board could run rings around his 386:
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
I have a cousin whose personality is "I have a Tesla" in the same way that some middle aged guys are all about their beard or beer snobs who are really, really serious about hops and whatever the fuck else goes in beer. He started on a Roadster and I'll admit they seemed cool. He's on his third one now and unfortunately, he still lives and breathes everything his racism messiah says, because the moron who overpaid for Twitter by tens of billions of dollars and won't stop promoting christian nationalists online is clearly still playing 5-D Chess with the world economy. I only mention this because I can't believe there are people on board the Elon train.
Sentiment against Tesla at this point is actually holding back adoption of EVs. I'm not sure I can recall public sentiment turning against a business figure as quickly as Twitler's has.
One of my partner's former customers outright bought her last Xmas. He was entirely willing to get her a Tesla; she had been completely obsessed with them for a while. She chose a Mini Cooper instead.