What's made you grumpy today?

[The Panda Nut]

I think my Chromebook may be dying. Sometimes the keyboard works, like now. Sometimes I have to use it as a tablet. Sometimes it just shuts down or freezes. I'd swap it out with the groj laptop, a Samsung Windows 11 workbook, except, the audio has gone south. I use the groj laptop for tunes 99% of the time. If I lived where I had FM/SW reception, I'd use a radio. I can get AM but there's nothing but talk radio or sports to listen to.
The Chromebook is from 2018 or 19, so maybe it's time to write it off.

Avoid Microsoft if you want sound.

 

[bugsymike]

Avoid Microsoft if you want sound.

I left them years ago for Linux with no regrets, it was only for Fiat diagnostic software that I was forced to have a version on a tablet.
XP Pro was the last stable version.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Been a grumpy couple of days.
Yesterday, heading towards the M4, joined the dual carriageway past Swindon, and immediately came to a stop. 7 miutes later, and 1 mile, we passed the problem.
An army Land Rover had broken down. But the vehicle was completely off the road, so shoudl not have been an issue, until a recovery vehicle arrived. But in lane 1, were a series of cones gently moving us all to lane 2, and a police car. The policeman was stood on the verge talking to the two army guys. If the policeman had packed up his stuff and f****d off, there would not have been a traffic problem. He could (should) have sat at the previous slip road, and followed the recovery vehicle, when it arrived, then blocked lane 1.

Got to Uncle's house, to find a gas bill. And a reminder, and a final demand. (Uncle died last year, we're still clearing the house, so no gas being used) Bill based on estimated readings. Eventually found the meter, took a reading. Actual reading is less than the previous bill's estimate, so they probably owe us money. Tried to submit reading online, their system failed. Tried again today, on home computer, "Date of reading cannot be before today, but can be after today." Isn't that upside down? Or are we spposed to estimate tomorrow's reading?

Earlier today, took partner for a hospital appointment. To try to reduce the backlog, they are running full clinics. But the car park is the same size as before. Joined queue at main road. 10 minutes to get to the fork where disabled can by-pass the rest to get to the disabled spaces closer to the building. Need this as pushing the wheelchair is not good for me, as currently blood pressure way too high. Disabled spaces full, 7 people waiting ahead of me, no movement. Circled around, main queue had reduced, joined that, into main car park. This is on a hill. Not a steep hill, but still a hill. Barriers count occupancy, and only allow one in for one out. Allowed in, so there must be a space somewhere, but some aisles do not connect to others, so choose one, may miss a space on adjacent lane. Found one, a bit narrow, and with 'extra' spaces painted opposite, aisle is narrow. Have to put the Doblo in forwards, to get wheelchair out the back. Then the long, slow push uphill to the hospital.
Once there, need to go up one floor, so to the lifts. If a passing lift is full, it needs to close and go, before can call again. 'Helpful' occupants insist we enter, despite insufficient spce for the chair. Am I supposed to push her in and race it up the stairs? That'd kill me. (That is not overestimating my condition). While trying to get the first lift ot go, both the others pass by, so a longer wait.
Eventually into the clinic, to find it busier than we've ever known it. Her name is called, I raise my hand, as we are sitting backs to the caller, and I stand up. Looking towards the clinic rooms, there's one woman, studying a file. I push the wheelchair towards her, as she turns and disappears up a corridor. Was that for us? Another staff member arrives, looks puzzled, and asks who we are. "Someone called us!" The prat who wandered off returns to claim us. Perhaps if after calling a name she'd looked across the waiting area, she'd have seen us, instead of going to check the inner waiing area, that she was now directing us to. 10 minutes there, and another nurse calls our name, and again, studies the file, instead of looking around. Then trips off down the corridor from whence we came 10 minutes ago. Eventually she returns and seems surprised to find us there. As if we were hiding.

This is one of a pair of appointments. Usually they are scheduled consecutively on the same visit, but not today. We have to go through this nonsense again in a fortnight.

On the upside, Panda passed its MOT. 19 years old and ready for more.

Your doing OK. In my case its been a grumpy 67 years LOL

On the side of the older laptops is a key, if you wind it up they keep going a bit longer, failing that they make a good doorstop.

This laptop is 6 or 8 or so now and the charging socket it loose adn the top is split. Its been good apart from updates!!! but time is near to have to replace it before it goes south.

Grumpy now if you really want grumpy ask me about our LG QNED TV. It is so awful, ijn every way, After just 3 months I am going to chuck it out. It has a fuzzy and dark picture, very poor sound and a menu that is so slow you think it just has forzen most of the time. It really is the most appalling piece of kit I have ever bought. Fortunately youngest has said she would like it rather than me chucking it in a skip. I shall now have to try again to get something thats livable. If buyingh a TV ask and I will give the exact model so you can all avoid it.

 

[bugsymike]

Your doing OK. In my case its been a grumpy 67 years LOL

This laptop is 6 or 8 or so now and the charging socket it loose adn the top is split. Its been good apart from updates!!! but time is near to have to replace it before it goes south.

Grumpy now if you really want grumpy ask me about our LG QNED TV. It is so awful, ijn every way, After just 3 months I am going to chuck it out. It has a fuzzy and dark picture, very poor sound and a menu that is so slow you think it just has forzen most of the time. It really is the most appalling piece of kit I have ever bought. Fortunately youngest has said she would like it rather than me chucking it in a skip. I shall now have to try again to get something thats livable. If buyingh a TV ask and I will give the exact model so you can all avoid it.

I use Samsung for TVs and find good enough for me.
Many years ago when starting to play around building computers LG was known as Lucky Goldstar and was fairly inferior to be polite.
Another brand I dropped very quickly was Tescos Technika.
Bush was another low grade in my eyes.

 

[The Panda Nut]

I use Samsung for TVs and find good enough for me.
Many years ago when starting to play around building computers LG was known as Lucky Goldstar and was fairly inferior to be polite.
Another brand I dropped very quickly was Tescos Technika.
Bush was another low grade in my eyes.

Our last was samsung and it was basically good. It was quick and easy, and to start with had a good picture and decent sound. We found out however there was a global known defect in the manufacture of the screen of model we chose. After just a couple of years it was really toast and it annoyed me. Compared to this awful LG however it was impeccable. This LG TV has mind of its own and also keeps flashing messages about stuff they are pedelling on the screen. This means you have to leave the program you are watching, on the TV you bought and paid for with your own ,money, to get rid of the message. Its unacceptable. It will be another samsung I expect but it had better do better than 2 years before the picture starts to deteriorate! LG's latest antic is it turned off the sound bar. This no longer works seamlessly and indeed at all until we had wasted two hours entirely resetting teh thing. If my youngest cant control it, it is uincontrollable. There are actually no redeeming features at all as far as I can see. Its either just about acceptable or worse than bad. I need to know more about interfaces it seems before buying again.

 

[Cheest]

I left them years ago for Linux with no regrets, it was only for Fiat diagnostic software that I was forced to have a version on a tablet.
XP Pro was the last stable version.

I told Mrs.Cheest IF I get a new Chromebook, it won't be any bigger than the one I already have, which is a 13" Acer and is the perfect size for me. She shows me one on sale at Costco that's 14" and I just rolled my eyes. Not a deal breaker, but after years of lugging my 15' Dell through every freakin' airport in the US, I don't need a larger one anymore.

I agree with XP, though I have a fully functional Vista laptop that, unfortunately, will only be useful as a wheel chock now.

 

[The Panda Nut]

I told Mrs.Cheest IF I get a new Chromebook, it won't be any bigger than the one I already have, which is a 13" Acer and is the perfect size for me. She shows me one on sale at Costco that's 14" and I just rolled my eyes. Not a deal breaker, but after years of lugging my 15' Dell through every freakin' airport in the US, I don't need a larger one anymore.

I agree with XP, though I have a fully functional Vista laptop that, unfortunately, will only be useful as a wheel chock now.

Just give it a few years and you'llbe wanting a 56" screen so you can see it!
My LG TV will be in the running for a garage wall screen for mes if Rachel doesnt take it away. If not the old Samsung with the stormy picure is in line for promotion to this job. My HP is a 14 and the picture size is actually not really smaller than a 15" for reasons I dont understand. Much handier. You could just get a new whopper phone. Take the middle ground. LOL

 

[The Panda Nut]

I use Samsung for TVs and find good enough for me.
Many years ago when starting to play around building computers LG was known as Lucky Goldstar and was fairly inferior to be polite.
Another brand I dropped very quickly was Tescos Technika.
Bush was another low grade in my eyes.

I shall avoid these brands then.

 

[portland_bill]

I recently got a new laptop. The old one, gave to my brother, after cleansing it. I did the factory reset, where it uses a hidden partition to store the original setup, so this removes everythign form the hard drive, and resets it back to the day it was new. After that, I allowed the Microsoft updates, just one! That's all it needed, the last one. I hadn't thought about it before, but each Microsoft update is labelled cumulative, and just the last one was all it wanted. So this means every month it installs all the crap from all previous months. I wonder how much space is wasted with stray files.
I have an HP convertible (folds onto itself and can be used as a big heavy tablet) from 2016, still working adequately, but obviously slower than when new. Sometime I might erase that and see if one update works better than now. Time to do that is probably just before they stop supporting Win10, so it'll never get another.
It is important to never allow the 'optional updates'. These relate to drivers for printers, motherboard, etc. Not safe from Microsoft, due to incompetence rather than deliberate.
For the Fiat diagnostics, I have a very old 10" netbook running Win7. A slow processor, to conserve battery life, so takes a bit of time to boot and load MES, but once up, works well. And, no updates!

 

[portland_bill]

Another mildly grumpy day.
Left home at 7:15, to Gloucester for 9am. Trainee had a broken van, and no spare available, so no training. I get paid, but then I'm stuck. Afternoon sessionis in Tewkesbury, 10 miles from Gloucester, but 50 from home. Day was supposed to be a round trip. Mileage allowance reflects that. So travelling home and then up to Tewkesbury later would just add 90 miles to my day, for no reason. So a boring morning, mostly sat in the car, with a bit of a wander around a garden centre, wasting time until my 1:30 start for the afternoon session. Couldn't bring afternoon session forward, as trainee was travelling from Doncaster, 150 miles. No idea why not trained at home.

 

[Cheest]

Well, Mrs.Cheest bought the Chromebook I mentioned earlier for my B'day. After reading the specs on it, I'll put up the bit larger size.

 

[bugsymike]

Well, Mrs.Cheest bought the Chromebook I mentioned earlier for my B'day. After reading the specs on it, I'll put up the bit larger size.

Handy as a cheese board or cutting vegetables in the kitchen.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Been trying to decide whether this really makes me grumpy or not - and decided it does. Our street comes off the main road and continues to a T junction which, if you follow either leg, ends in dead ends. However there is a pedestrian walk through to the main Ferry Road at the end of the right hand "T" so we get a number of folk walking through, probably to catch busses, every day. There are pavements on either side of the roadway past our house and both are in very good condition (despite the best efforts of the cabling and water authority to ruin them by digging them up at regular intervals) so pretty much everybody walks on the pavements, except for this one middle aged woman who walks down the centre of the road every morning, invariably having to dodge one or two residents on their way out in their cars. WHY? GRUMPH!

 

[The Panda Nut]

Another mildly grumpy day.
Left home at 7:15, to Gloucester for 9am. Trainee had a broken van, and no spare available, so no training. I get paid, but then I'm stuck. Afternoon sessionis in Tewkesbury, 10 miles from Gloucester, but 50 from home. Day was supposed to be a round trip. Mileage allowance reflects that. So travelling home and then up to Tewkesbury later would just add 90 miles to my day, for no reason. So a boring morning, mostly sat in the car, with a bit of a wander around a garden centre, wasting time until my 1:30 start for the afternoon session. Couldn't bring afternoon session forward, as trainee was travelling from Doncaster, 150 miles. No idea why not trained at home.

He must know you drive a Panda. That makes you one of the good guys!

 

[The Panda Nut]

Been trying to decide whether this really makes me grumpy or not - and decided it does. Our street comes off the main road and continues to a T junction which, if you follow either leg, ends in dead ends. However there is a pedestrian walk through to the main Ferry Road at the end of the right hand "T" so we get a number of folk walking through, probably to catch busses, every day. There are pavements on either side of the roadway past our house and both are in very good condition (despite the best efforts of the cabling and water authority to ruin them by digging them up at regular intervals) so pretty much everybody walks on the pavements, except for this one middle aged woman who walks down the centre of the road every morning, invariably having to dodge one or two residents on their way out in their cars. WHY? GRUMPH!

Maybe shes too big for the pavement.... or too heavy and worried about causig subsidence

 

[The Panda Nut]

Well, Mrs.Cheest bought the Chromebook I mentioned earlier for my B'day. After reading the specs on it, I'll put up the bit larger size.

What does that tell you about relationship status.
1. She likes you, she bought you a nice present.
2. She wants you out in the groj LOL
3.?? Answers on a post card please

 

[bugsymike]

Been trying to decide whether this really makes me grumpy or not - and decided it does. Our street comes off the main road and continues to a T junction which, if you follow either leg, ends in dead ends. However there is a pedestrian walk through to the main Ferry Road at the end of the right hand "T" so we get a number of folk walking through, probably to catch busses, every day. There are pavements on either side of the roadway past our house and both are in very good condition (despite the best efforts of the cabling and water authority to ruin them by digging them up at regular intervals) so pretty much everybody walks on the pavements, except for this one middle aged woman who walks down the centre of the road every morning, invariably having to dodge one or two residents on their way out in their cars. WHY? GRUMPH!

She wants to be a mascot on the front of a car.

 

[The Panda Nut]

She wants to be a mascot on the front of a car.

OR a truck! LOL

PC is non PC

 

[Cheest]

Handy as a cheese board or cutting vegetables in the kitchen.

I have an Apple IPad for that.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Maybe shes too big for the pavement.... or too heavy and worried about causig subsidence

Nope, just unremarkably average.