Humor Random Comments Thread

Just emerged from two days of marathon computer surgery, that was supposed to be a routine wipe-and-reinstall of no more than a few hours.

See, my friend gave me an old computer whose motherboard was shot, so I figured I would just break it up for spare parts. Turned out the only usable thing in it was a 500 GB hard drive--a considerable improvement over my 80 GB:) There's a high-end Radion graphics card with a DVI hookup--that thought nearly induced some watching-Scarlett Johansen-strip-and-dance-around-a-pole-class drool. But my computer had no proper slot on the motherboard for it:(

So anyway, I back up everything to a flash drive, and after a fierce battle with screws and cables, manage to get the new-old drive hooked up. I boot up my trusty Kubuntu 12.04 live CD, and clicked install, only to find that at every attempt, the installer would crash.

Now I'm :@. That disk worked perfectly before. What the heck could wrong with it now? Meh, no matter. I have the Kubuntu ISO, so I'll just temporarily install Linux Mint 12, and then burn the ISO to a fresh CD.

About 45 minutes and another blank CD later, I click Install...and still no dice.

Now I'm REALLY pissed. Is it the file? It must have been, because this morning, after spending another hour and a half downloading a fresh ISO via Bit Torrent (still stuck in Mint 12, and fearing that I may forever be bound to a nice but out-of-date OS:shifty:), and breaking out a fresh DVD (the 707 MB ISO is just barely too big for a CD), I hit Install...fingers crossed...come on, baby...and it worked!:woohoo:

Well, that battle is over, and I now have 6.something times the storage I had before. I've restored my backed up data, got all my favorite widgets installed, etc, and now I'm re-downloading my favorite programs.

The lesson? After you d/l a Linux ISO, burn it to a CD, and manage to get it installed, I recommend you immediately throw that disk way and delete the ISO. In my experience, when reimaging your computer, a fresh image and disk are the best hope for success.

It is good, however, to keep an old disk or two laying around, in case you need one for legacy purposes. I was mighty glad I had that Mint 12 disk to get me though!:)
 
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I know, flash drives are bigger and faster, but CDs/DVDs just seem more solid to me...like the equivalent of hard copy. Sure, they can get scratched and stuff, but the disposable aspect works better for me when it comes to things like ISOs.

I do, however, use a 16 GB flash drive for my backups;)
 
MattBaker said:
People still use actual CDs/DVDs for their .iso's?

Doesn't Windows 8 even have the function to run a .iso without other programs on a virtual drive?
Click to expand...

Yeah. Not just Windows 8, you can just get a program like PowerISO for that and it is totally reliable.

TMac3000 said:
I know, flash drives are bigger and faster, but CDs/DVDs just seem more solid to me...like the equivalent of hard copy. Sure, they can get scratched and stuff, but the disposable aspect works better for me when it comes to things like ISOs.

I do, however, use a 16 GB flash drive for my backups;)
Click to expand...

I'd make a physical copy of the ISO on a disk just for safe keeping, but not necessary at all. I've been wiping computers lately and fixing them up for clients most times just having to use an ISO of the disk due to <reasons>

Pipcard said:
TIL that a geosynchronous polar orbit has an hourglass-shaped groundtrack.
Click to expand...

Ohh, I'll have to play with that.
 
What the :censored:?

So some of my classmates are scared of me because of my "intelligence", they think i'm a :censored:ing alien? seriously? :dry:
 
Athena said:
What the :censored:?

So some of my classmates are scared of me because of my "intelligence", they think i'm a :censored:ing alien? seriously? :dry:
Click to expand...

Well, you do seem like you don't ever look at things from other people's perspective, and mentally isolate yourself.
I mean that critically, not offensively, from all of your posts.
Things aren't always due to others' actions; when something happens, it could be you, and it's important to consider that.
 
Quick_Nick said:
Well, you do seem like you don't ever look at things from other people's perspective, and mentally isolate yourself.
I mean that critically, not offensively, from all of your posts.
Things aren't always due to others' actions; when something happens, it could be you, and it's important to consider that.
Click to expand...

Trust me, when you step foot on this country, if you're intelligent.. (or maybe i'm just using the Vulcan salute from star trek too much and most of the people in the country hardly know anything about sci-fi movies)

Well, let's just say people will most likely harass you for being *that* smart, it's so common here in our country. But again, that is from my perspective...
 
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My machine turns off when it overheats, I ay done nothing for a week on it. The flat is VERY hot and the fans just recycle the heat from outside with no relief.
Click to expand...

This summer I anticipated. We have more than 30°C since the beginning of July and it seems to be a very stable anticyclonic situation.

So I invested into a 1300W portable climatizer unit. As my flat is small, it works well. I just had to open and tape the window with aluminium sheet so that the hot air exhaust pipe don't ruin the compressor efforts. That's the key, as those things heat a lot. Works pretty well, I now have an inside temperature of 27°C, which is perfect for me, and the computer doesn't complain either, for sure. Very noisy though (65db), I feel like I'm living in Mir. :lol: But still, much better than sweating without doing any effort.

Also it showed me how the cooling problem is serious on spacecrafts. In space, that climatizer unit would need serious radiators and a liquid coolant loop to evacuate the heat it generates. And by the way, any electrical device reduces the efficiency of the system by injecting heat : computer, fridge, hot water tank, cooking plates, etc... Humidity is also a factor not to be neglected. Very interesting actually.
 
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Good to see your ECLSS get an upgrade!
Click to expand...

Next step would be to "redecorate" the flat with MLI. The thermal isolation is a nightmare. :facepalm:
 
Really. MLI works by reducing the radiation that gets through. It relies on a vacuum to completely isolate the layers from conduction. If it starts conducting between layers, it is worthless, as it really doesn't isolate against conduction (no better than any other kind of metal foil).
 
Well, a serious layer of glasswool and insulation foam, then. I doubt there is any of it. In winter you can feel cold air getting out of power plugs :facepalm:
 
After spending the afternoon with the now museum-exhibit Space Shuttle Atlantis, I had one single quote go through my mind.

Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were, but without it we go nowhere.
1074936_3299447822970_1001370423_o.jpg
 
Introduced our *new* (yes, new) physics teacher to Orbiter, and he got addicted to it.

Now to get the entire class play orbiter....damn. :hmm:
 
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