What’s on your mind?

[LizKat]

Good luck "Selling the Manual" because they mostly want to sell new equipment products that can "Hopefully" last the warranty period and then the seller is is off the hook and both the retailer and manufacturer can hope that after the warranty most end users will "buy new" rather than fix old products especially when the end user has no "repair or parts information"

Yep, I'm getting a new furnace this summer... but from the same outfit I've dealt with for 40 years. I'll actually give the techs the old one's manual. They'll part the old box out as time goes on. A lot of people around here make do and make stuff out of practically nothing because they have almost nothing... the last time I had a radio antenna ripped off a VW bug parked on the street in the city, my bro-in-law made me one out of a piece of the brake line of a 1938 Dodge truck still parked outside one of his barns, think it belonged to his dad. When he finished the repair job on my car he said "this antenna here now has the additional advantage of looking so bad no one will steal it." Local mechanics and appliance techs are used to that whole backlot inventory mindset and so they do keep parts that are still good off old things.

Gas (propane) furnaces are pretty long lived past their warranty dates anyway. I just don't like thinking about having to wait on a repair of mine in winter again, since I no longer use backup woodstove heating. Thing is 17 years old on a 10 yr warranty so it's time to move it out. Looking forward to newer model with the more efficient combustion, not even needing to vent via chimney, just outside through a cellar window like a clothes dryer.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Yep, I'm getting a new furnace this summer... but from the same outfit I've dealt with for 40 years. I'll actually give the techs the old one's manual. They'll part the old box out as time goes on. A lot of people around here make do and make stuff out of practically nothing because they have almost nothing... the last time I had a radio antenna ripped off a VW bug parked on the street in the city, my bro-in-law made me one out of a piece of the brake line of a 1938 Dodge truck still parked outside one of his barns, think it belonged to his dad. When he finished the repair job on my car he said "this antenna here now has the additional advantage of looking so bad no one will steal it." Local mechanics and appliance techs are used to that whole backlot inventory mindset and so they do keep parts that are still good off old things.

Gas (propane) furnaces are pretty long lived past their warranty dates anyway. I just don't like thinking about having to wait on a repair of mine in winter again, since I no longer use backup woodstove heating. Thing is 17 years old on a 10 yr warranty so it's time to move it out. Looking forward to newer model with the more efficient combustion, not even needing to vent via chimney, just outside through a cellar window like a clothes dryer.

Surly if your going to make a car aerial it has to be an old fashioned coat hanger? Of course those really useful meter wire coat hangers are hard to come by these days. I’ve used one for years to fish wires through brickwork.

 

[Septembersrain]

Not much need of AC in these parts.
How you feeling today? Any better?

I have a follow up on my cyst with my obgyn Thursday. Still same. Unfortunately.

My thermostat does not switch automatically between A/C and heating; that's a manual process I engage in twice each year: once in the spring and once in the fall. I also a lot of times deliberately set the thermostat at say, 85 degrees during the spring, summer and fall when I've got the A/C set up, and that way I can open my windows and let in good fresh air without shutting my A/C off totally.

I am definitely one who prefers to read something, a manual, a tutorial, whatever, rather than watch a video! Sometimes if I'm still not sure about something, I'll read everything first and then watch a video if there is one available. Sometimes seeing something in action does help, but only if I have a pretty good idea of what to do in the first place.

Texas just hasn't been able to make up its mind lately on if it's going to be warm or cold. That's the weird part of Texas. I don't mind manual, it's just a few months of going from 50's to 80's within a week that drives me a little bit bananas.

I would open my windows but it's a bit difficult in an apartment. =/

 

[Septembersrain]

Are you saying that these thermostats won’t let you change their settings?

Yep! The new ones within city ordinances, if they turn on savings mode it can get up to 85° and you cannot turn it down until that mode turns off. It was a nightmare and due to rapid cooling when it was turned off, the electricity bills were higher.

 

[D.T.]

As technology and copyright laws gets more complicated, having access to these manuals is like gold for end users - sometimes you can figure out your washer / dryer is not working because of a special 6 amp slow-blo fuse for $5 - but - untill you know the part number "and specs" you are "out of commision" - as you point out to "have translations to compatible parts"

Good luck "Selling the Manual" because they mostly want to sell new equipment products that can "Hopefully" last the warranty period and then the seller is is off the hook and both the retailer and manufacturer can hope that after the warranty most end users will "buy new" rather than fix old products especially when the end user has no "repair or parts information"

At least there are some great online resources for documentation and parts. FWIW, I've used (in the US), AppliancePartsPros [.com] a few times, excellent service, prices, loaded with docs and diagnostic walkthroughs to isolate the offending part(s). They're also good about cross referencing parts to replacement part numbers, I've seen "No longer available" parts that actually are available, they're just being used on a newer model with a part number change.

We've got a few very nice appliances that are up and running perfectly well part their warranty and extended service plan, with just a couple of hours of isolating the issue, finding the part, ordering and simple swap of a $100 part

 

[kazmac]

So glad our heat finally works again. That was a month of unnecessary stress no one needed.

Hope everyone's thermostats behave.

At work, the early morning job was open.

Grateful the weather is cooperating as the subways are not (so walking each way, which is nice because I dislike the subways). Ironic that my roundtrip commute is longer than the work shift today.

I have pizza and a nice salad waiting at home, so I expect to tear into that after I get settled.

Pleased that I am pretty good drawing traditionally with marker pens. Am using part of the repeated techniques I picked up from the Natural Journaling class. I think I will start to use pencils with this technique and see how it goes. It is interesting that I cannot erase or undo with these markers (that was my "need" when drawing digitally).

Mom sounds good.

Hope everyone is doing well.

 

[Apple fanboy]

I have a follow up on my cyst with my obgyn Thursday. Still same. Unfortunately.



Texas just hasn't been able to make up its mind lately on if it's going to be warm or cold. That's the weird part of Texas. I don't mind manual, it's just a few months of going from 50's to 80's within a week that drives me a little bit bananas.

I would open my windows but it's a bit difficult in an apartment. =/

Sorry to hear that.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I have a follow up on my cyst with my obgyn Thursday. Still same. Unfortunately.

The very best of luck wth it.

So glad our heat finally works again. That was a month of unnecessary stress no one needed.

Hope everyone's thermostats behave.

At work, the early morning job was open.

Grateful the weather is cooperating as the subways are not (so walking each way, which is nice because I dislike the subways). Ironic that my roundtrip commute is longer than the work shift today.

I have pizza and a nice salad waiting at home, so I expect to tear into that after I get settled.

Pleased that I am pretty good drawing traditionally with marker pens. Am using part of the repeated techniques I picked up from the Natural Journaling class. I think I will start to use pencils with this technique and see how it goes. It is interesting that I cannot erase or undo with these markers (that was my "need" when drawing digitally).

Mom sounds good.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Glad to learn that your heating issues have been sorted, and that your mother sounds good.

Enjoy the pizza and salad.

 

[Huntn]

Yep! The new ones within city ordinances, if they turn on savings mode it can get up to 85° and you cannot turn it down until that mode turns off. It was a nightmare and due to rapid cooling when it was turned off, the electricity bills were higher.

Can I ask which city?
[automerge]1581948237[/automerge]

As technology and copyright laws gets more complicated, having access to these manuals is like gold for end users - sometimes you can figure out your washer / dryer is not working because of a special 6 amp slow-blo fuse for $5 - but - untill you know the part number "and specs" you are "out of commision" - as you point out to "have translations to compatible parts"

Good luck "Selling the Manual" because they mostly want to sell new equipment products that can "Hopefully" last the warranty period and then the seller is is off the hook and both the retailer and manufacturer can hope that after the warranty most end users will "buy new" rather than fix old products especially when the end user has no "repair or parts information"

At least there are some great online resources for documentation and parts. FWIW, I've used (in the US), AppliancePartsPros [.com] a few times, excellent service, prices, loaded with docs and diagnostic walkthroughs to isolate the offending part(s). They're also good about cross referencing parts to replacement part numbers, I've seen "No longer available" parts that actually are available, they're just being used on a newer model with a part number change.

We've got a few very nice appliances that are up and running perfectly well part their warranty and extended service plan, with just a couple of hours of isolating the issue, finding the part, ordering and simple swap of a $100 part

I’ve had excellent luck finding manuals online for everything I’ve searched for, however I’m not implying a manual for every item is available online. But it seems like most manufacturers now post this info.

 

[decafjava]

I have a follow up on my cyst with my obgyn Thursday. Still same. Unfortunately.

I hope the best for you with this issue.
[automerge]1581950274[/automerge]
Speaking of "missing" members has anyone got any word from @Zenithal ? Hasn't posted since December apparently.

 

[Apple fanboy]

So glad our heat finally works again. That was a month of unnecessary stress no one needed.

Hope everyone's thermostats behave.

At work, the early morning job was open.

Grateful the weather is cooperating as the subways are not (so walking each way, which is nice because I dislike the subways). Ironic that my roundtrip commute is longer than the work shift today.

I have pizza and a nice salad waiting at home, so I expect to tear into that after I get settled.

Pleased that I am pretty good drawing traditionally with marker pens. Am using part of the repeated techniques I picked up from the Natural Journaling class. I think I will start to use pencils with this technique and see how it goes. It is interesting that I cannot erase or undo with these markers (that was my "need" when drawing digitally).

Mom sounds good.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Glad she’s on the mend. Heating is fine but will have to go off tomorrow as the floor tiling starts. About a week before it goes back on

 

[mikzn]

When he finished the repair job on my car he said "this antenna here now has the additional advantage of looking so bad no one will steal it." Local mechanics and appliance techs are used to that whole backlot inventory mindset and so they do keep parts that are still good off old things.

LOL - my main luggage bag is like that - it has dings and rips and duct tape holding it together - it is so ugly no one would ever "mistakenly take it" and I am pretty sure it would be the last piece of luggage a thief would select

Gas (propane) furnaces are pretty long lived past their warranty dates anyway. I just don't like thinking about having to wait on a repair of mine in winter again, since I no longer use backup woodstove heating. Thing is 17 years old on a 10 yr warranty so it's time to move it out. Looking forward to newer model with the more efficient combustion, not even needing to vent via chimney, just outside through a cellar window like a clothes dryer.

Yeah furnaces are quite a different issue in terms of warranties, repairs and parts - but I would still make sure to keep the repair and parts info for future use - cool points about the "more efficient combustion and need for a chimney - am willing to bet it will substantially save on heating costs over the long term too ?

 

[Scepticalscribe]

....
Speaking of "missing" members has anyone got any word from @Zenithal ? Hasn't posted since December apparently.

Er, no.

Having checked, it seems that he last posted in late December, and seemed to have been incubating a cold; and - moreover - I note that viewing of his profile is restricted.

 

[AngerDanger]

I was searching through CD backups of family photos for pictures of my cat when he was a kitten, and I finally hit pay dirt in a directory called misc > misc > misc > misc > misc photos > Ry stewie.

This was clearly taken during my blunder years (which I expect to end any decade now) and about five months after I made this MR account:

Spoiler: Blunderful

I was purposely ignoring any folders with my own name in them (for reasons you now know), but I guess it makes sense the mother lode of Stewie's kitten pictures also heavily featured me; he's always by my side.

Spoiler: 12 years layer, he's still in the same spot.

 

[jeyf]

"12 years layer..."

you got butterflyes in your keyboard.

 

[JamesMike]

I was searching through CD backups of family photos for pictures of my cat when he was a kitten, and I finally hit pay dirt in a directory called misc > misc > misc > misc > misc photos > Ry stewie.

This was clearly taken during my blunder years (which I expect to end any decade now) and about five months after I made this MR account:

Spoiler: Blunderful

View attachment 894832

I was purposely ignoring any folders with my own name in them (for reasons you now know), but I guess it makes sense the mother lode of Stewie's kitten pictures also heavily featured me; he's always by my side.

Spoiler: 12 years layer, he's still in the same spot.

View attachment 894833

Nice looking cat! But, I must inform you, my cat, her Royal Highness - a.k.a Millie - has been in communication with your cat through secret cat messages. She uses her iPad Mini for the messages concerning Cat World Domination - lol!

 

[Septembersrain]

Can I ask which city?
[automerge]1581948237[/automerge]




I’ve had excellent luck finding manuals online for everything I’ve searched for, however I’m not implying a manual for every item is available online. But it seems like most manufacturers now post this info.

San Antonio Texas. I'm still in the same county but not in the city.

 

[D.T.]

Nice looking cat! But, I must inform you, my cat, her Royal Highness - a.k.a Millie - has been in communication with your cat through secret cat messages. She uses her iPad Mini for the messages concerning Cat World Domination - lol!

I'm totally convinced cats are communicating and planning and waiting ... so patiently ...


There's this genius short story by Neil Gaiman, from his Sandman comic, it was during a run with self-contained stories (vs. the long multi-issue arcs he normally wrote). Anyway, it's called, A Dream of a Thousand Cats, where cats discover man dreamed away the old universe where cats ruled, and humans were their tiny little playthings. Usually "Dream", aka Morpheus appeared as a pale, tall goth human, but in this, he's a black siamese. Here's the cover, it's pretty outstanding:

 

[Scepticalscribe]

In that case, @JamesMike, @LizKat, and @AngerDanger, might I refer you to the charming and quite wonderful "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" by T. S. Eliot; once, having returned from a deployment abroad with a healthy bank balance, I treated myself not just to a seriously solid hard-back copy of this splendid work, but to an illustrated hard-back copy, a beautiful book.

A pure joy to read and an absolute pleasure to handle and peruse.

 

[Matz]

One of the many changes in my life that came with moving in with my SO is that she has two cats.

It’s interesting living with cats.

But I remind my SO that if they were much larger, they’d probably kill us and eat us.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

One of the many changes in my life that came with moving in with my SO is that she has two cats.

It’s interesting living with cats.

But I remind my SO that if they were much larger, they’d probably kill us and eat us.

But would they find you sufficiently tasty? Unlike dogs, cats are selective about what they eat, and can be fastidious when they choose to dine.

 

[Matz]

But would they find you sufficiently tasty? Unlike dogs, cats are selective about what they eat, and can be fastidious when they choose to dine.

It was said with tongue firmly in cheek.

That said, I don’t like to contemplate how I would taste to a predator 😬

 

[Scepticalscribe]

It was said with tongue firmly in cheek.

That said, I don’t like to contemplate how I would taste to a predator 😬

I gathered that, but still think that cats would disdain devouring a human. (An antelope or zebra, now...that is a different matter entirely. As are songbirds to your pet feline.)

However, a friend of mine with whom I worked abroad, has a large, pet pig, an exceptionally intelligent animal, but his wife is advised (strongly) to keep it in its commodious cage at night, lest anything go wrong.

This is because my friend remains convinced that were anything to happen to his wife, such as a fall, or a cardiac arrest, or something of the sort, he has little doubt that the pig would cheerfully tuck in, were it loose and in a position to do so.

 

[yaxomoxay]

I gathered that, but still think that cats would disdain devouring a human. (An antelope or zebra, now...that is a different matter entirely. As are songbirds to your pet feline.)

However, a friend of mine wth whom I worked abroad, has a large, pet pig, an exceptionally intelligent animal, but his wife is advised (strongly) to keep it in its commodious cage at night, lest anything go wrong.

This is because my friend remains convinced that were anything to happen to his wife, such as a fall, or a cardiac arrest, or something of the sort, he has little doubt that the pig would cheerfully tuck in, were it loose and in a position to do so.

It's the circle of life... I guess.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

It's the circle of life... I guess.

Psmith ("the 'p' is silent")- one my favourite characters, if not my absolute favourite character from Wodehouse - (when he attempted to pass himself off as a well known writer) used to refer to "the parabola of life".