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Chat about stuff other than Transformers.
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Denyer
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Post by Denyer »

The only OS feature (guts aside) since XP that's really been worthwhile, to my mind, is aero snap. That it took that long for an OS called Windows to get some basic window management features for dealing with ubiquitous large widescreen monitors isn't surprising but it's a rare example of an interface improvement that shows MS aren't just throwing shit against the wall to distinguish from previous versions.

Everything else, Windows hasn't moved much on since killing off the non-NT branch. It's been good enough. Xbox is the other relative success whilst the Zunes of the world and now Windows Phone have withered. Where we're at is that Windows as a tablet OS (and touchscreen monitors, like 3D TVs) either offers very little or if people want those features they'll buy a competing brand/tech.
I just don't get the business model.
Windows on home PCs and the "threat" of piracy hasn't been about money for a long time, it's about having it everywhere. Same with office. Lose the momentum and allow credible alternatives to become established and both are less valuable to businesses.

Android is likely to gradually converge further -- first add desktop OS features, get apps more feature rich, then really get onboard with tablets, phones and headless sticks you can plug into a monitor for real work. Except the headless sticks will probably stay in a monitor at home; people won't carry something they have to find another monitor to use, and big storage will be drives and NAS for a while yet. But the tipping point is likely to be that having a device with a screen that can do it will make people more open to tiny and cheap Windows-free devices.

Microsoft is betting the farm on trying to grab back or keep non-PC users by trying to be all things. There's sense to it, but it's desperate. Windows won't shrink fast enough to get onto those convergence devices, but I think Android's capable of growing up to pass them in the other direction.
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inflatable dalek
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Post by inflatable dalek »

**** me, Slartibartfast is online! I loved that guy! Hello Slarti! Please come back!
REVIISITATION: THE HOLE TRUTH
STARSCREAM GOES TO PIECES IN MY LOOK AT INFILTRATION #6!
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Brendocon 2.0
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Post by Brendocon 2.0 »

He's "creating thread" in GD. I wasn't sure we even could create threads anymore...
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inflatable dalek
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Post by inflatable dalek »

Brendocon 2.0 wrote:He's "creating thread" in GD. I wasn't sure we even could create threads anymore...
It's his French super powers.


No one tell him I missed him when I act all indifferent in this new thread of his.
REVIISITATION: THE HOLE TRUTH
STARSCREAM GOES TO PIECES IN MY LOOK AT INFILTRATION #6!
PLUS: BUY THE BOOKS!
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slartibartfast
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Post by slartibartfast »

oh shit !
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slartibartfast
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Post by slartibartfast »

There I was debating to myself about treading on thin ice and opening with a Synder blast.


edit : Snydre
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slartibartfast
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Post by slartibartfast »

ah f*ck it, I hope no one notices it's a thinly veiled disguise that I missed you guys / gals and didn't quite know how to re-engage.
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inflatable dalek
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Post by inflatable dalek »

*French kisses Slarti*
REVIISITATION: THE HOLE TRUTH
STARSCREAM GOES TO PIECES IN MY LOOK AT INFILTRATION #6!
PLUS: BUY THE BOOKS!
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slartibartfast
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Post by slartibartfast »

Image

WTF, slaveleia.wikia.com ?
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Sades
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Post by Sades »

Hm, I've just learned more about that particular movie moment now than I'd ever cared to.

Hi Slarti. I think Dalek might have missed you... he's subtle, so it's difficult to say.
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Brendocon 2.0
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Post by Brendocon 2.0 »

So is it just common practice on eBay now to try and negotiate backdoor purchases?

Listed some stuff yesterday and I've already had two completely different people message me asking if there's a Buy It Now price / how much I'd take to close the auction early.

I mean 1) there's no Buy It Now on the auctions, so no. And 2) there's already bids on the stuff, so how do people think that's fair?

Obviously I've told em no, but it's just weird that I've had two in less than 24 hours. Did I miss a memo or something?
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Skyquake87
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Post by Skyquake87 »

Same memo I missed, as I sold a bunch of TFs over the last week and had a parade of people going 'whats the BIN?' THERE IS NO BIN IT IS AN AUCTION, SPOONFACE! GRR.

And because my settings are all messed up, I can't do overseas shipping if I wanted. Despite stating this in the listing, I still get randoms from far away places asking if I'll ship abroad... sigh.

I fill out as many of the item specifics as I can, and still get people asking the size of things as well...pfft.






In the last two years, I have had people buy stuff from me and then email asking if I've anything else they might be interested in too. But I don't mind that. That's quite nice, I think :)
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inflatable dalek
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Post by inflatable dalek »

Not recently but I've had BIN offers on auctions in the past as well. For things that always wind up selling for more than the price offered by these kind people.

My weekend plans have been ****ed by the Never Say Never Again screening I was supposed to be going to on Sunday being cancelled just five days beforehand (because of having too many movies to show apparently. Someone should have noticed that. Is Toxic Avenger IV a bigger draw for da kids?). They've said they'll try to reschedule but I'm now desperately hoping the Octopussy and View to a Kill screenings don't go the same way and am rationalising it as "It's not an EON film, it doesn't count".

All this effort and travelling and cost over the last year will look pretty pointless if I don't actually see every Bond film on the big screen.

What do you mean it looked pretty pointless anyway?
REVIISITATION: THE HOLE TRUTH
STARSCREAM GOES TO PIECES IN MY LOOK AT INFILTRATION #6!
PLUS: BUY THE BOOKS!
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Sades
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Post by Sades »

So for the past... Two weeks, I think?... We've been under siege by an army of variously sized spiders. Spiders on the ceiling, spiders on the bed... At the height of it Hound killed 10 spiders in a day. The next morning we woke up and there were 4 squashed spiders in bed with us. Then later I was sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee and a spider fell out of my hair.

The siege seems to be almost through, but I've pretty much had enough of waking up to spiders everywhere. Don't suppose anyone knows if the citrus oil/water "repellent" I've found online will work to keep the little shits out of my hair (literally)?

(sorry, forgot to add the "recipe". I was on my NEW CHEAPISH SMARTPHONE, I'M LESS BRAGGING THAN CELEBRATING I THINK). http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Spider-Repellent-at-Home
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Skyquake87
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Post by Skyquake87 »

In WHSmug and spotted the cover of SFX which has ... only details on the new flipping Preacher (off of Vertigo /DC Comics) TV show. I am quite excited. Its an AMC thing, so should be decent.c
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Sades
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Post by Sades »

Why am I not finding people who can tell me whether or not home-made spider repellent works? Even the internet has failed me, noooooo.

Everyone I ask has said "I heard that...". Do a search, a lot of suggestions, very few "I've used this, it works"s.

I decided to take the lady at the Health Food stores' word for it and switched to peppermint oil. Also found this (and OF COURSE the comments are disabled):



Here's hoping I didn't just buy Spider Bait, or [some other creepy crawly I'm likely to also hate] Bait.

EDIT: One of the little shits started skittering across the floor, then paused, so I got up really quick and dropped some peppermint oil right in front of him. Little ****er didn't move for about thirty seconds. I was about to snap a picture and call ****ery when he took off running, so I dipped a finger in the oil and drew an oily/minty circle around him.

He sorta bounced around in it for awhile, though I think that was because he didn't like the feel of it on his little hairy legs... eventually it dried (or whatever, I know if it's proper oil it shouldn't dry but it looked like drying to me) and he made a mad dash for freedom. That particular mad dash ended suddenly on the bottom of a box of Mountain Dew, courtesy of my husband, the Spider Killer. Now our bedroom smells like a candy cane.

tl;dr THIS TELLS ME NOTHING

Edit2: Those jerks apparently taste with their feet, so I guess he didn't like the taste. Maybe. Hopefully that's a win.

Also should probably note that the lady in the video said that she hasn't seen any spiders since she started spraying... so maybe it works, mayyyybe she's just not noticing them. I'm frustrating myself by being skeptical but I CAAAN'T STOP. Anyway, gonna make spider crap now and maybe do a bit of spraying before bed, if I wake up with cockroaches or something I probably won't post again as I'd have shuffled the family out and burned the house down (or gone to sleep. One of those).
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Sades
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Post by Sades »

Double postingness

WE'RE HOMELESS NOW. Just kidding. The spray... seems to have worked, actually. Could be coincidence but for now I'm going to give it a cautious thumbs-up.

We only sprayed half the room, because we were mostly concerned about avoiding dropspiders and bedmates. The spider count for on the bed was 1 (0 for overnight squashed bastards). the wall behind the bed was 1. The ceiling above the bed was 0. No spiders have fallen out of my hair today. THIS PLEASES ME GREATLY. To provide some contrast, the spider count for the half of the room we didn't spray has remained fairly steady. Spiders for days on that end of the room. 1-2 max on the side near the bed.

The peppermint smell is fairly strong. You definitely notice it when you walk into the room. Strong scents tend to give me headaches, this peppermint smell doesn't however. I found that interesting.

So, yes. Cautiously optimistic that the little shits aren't just rallying the troops somewhere in some dark corner.
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Sades
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Post by Sades »

So far so good. Sprayed the small ones' room as well, as the spiders started showing up in there once we sprayed in here. It does seem to genuinely be working.
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slartibartfast
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Post by slartibartfast »

Dual-wielding sprays with the Starship Troopers soundtrack in the background ?
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Tetsuro
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Post by Tetsuro »

If I caught you killing spiders in my home, I'd just get really mad at you. Unless your particular brand of spiders are venomous or f***huge or something. In which case I'd still probably be kinda mad.

Now, silverfish? Those little shits are gonna meet the heel of my shoe when I see 'em.
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