Random Thoughts That Don't Deserve Their Own Thread Go Here

[Easy Mac]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

$67! Gotta round up! (lol good deal)

If I do the math:

Retiring a 19" LCD I purchased in 2006 for $340.
Traded in an original Kindle Fire I purchased for $80.
Traded in a tablet my mom gave me.

So if I'm doing real math, I spent 340+80+67 ($487) over the past decade to upgrade to products with retail values of $119 and $169 ($288).

I'm just shocked looking at my past receipts that a 19" TV cost me $340 8 years ago. I would literally not pay that for a brand new TV now, regardless of the size.

[PilotMan]

Dirty little secret: I still use CRT's for my desktop and server. I think I've had 2 die on me in 20 years.

[NobodyHere]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

Dirty little secret: I still use CRT's for my desktop and server. I think I've had 2 die on me in 20 years.

I used to have great respect for you

[Suicane75]

So I look up at HSN2 in the background and they're selling a dermabrush. This girl is using it on her face, just rubbing it all over her face with the biggest smile while soap shoots out of it all over her face. It certainly makes something look like something else.

[Draft Dodger]

Originally Posted by Suicane75

So I look up at HSN2 in the background and they're selling a dermabrush. This girl is using it on her face, just rubbing it all over her face with the biggest smile while soap shoots out of it all over her face. It certainly makes something look like something else.

a friend posted the other day that her daughter was getting her first facial. really hard to read something like that with a straight face

[Easy Mac]

And to finish the TV story, It got lost in my spam, but I tried to order 3 times online previously, changing my e-mail address slightly each time using the gmail trick.

Saw last night that Best Buy sent me a $10 promo code for one of my orders being canceled. Searched my e-mail, and found another $10 promo code they sent me. Waiting to see if maybe I got another one. So final cost for the new TV may be $50.83-$30 in gift cards.

Awesomsauce.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by NobodyHere

I used to have great respect for you

SI

[stevew]

I bet 80% of the hits in the Baseball Sims forum are by my finger accidentally hitting that link instead of Off Topic. It shrinks!

[Shkspr]

So I just got off the phone with my 68 year old parents, who had some probing questions about the Terrigen Mist and the Inhumans (thanks to the Agents of SHIELD ep this week). After hanging up, my father apparently went back to playing Shadowrun: Dragonfall, if my Steam friends list is any indication.

My 15 year old self would probably not be able to process this information.

[CU Tiger]

Originally Posted by Easy Mac

changing my e-mail address slightly each time using the gmail trick.

Easy Mac, Can you share said trick? I feel like I am missing something here.

[DaddyTorgo]

I've been busting my ass to clear my work-plate for the week because I was supposed to have a meeting in NYC this afternoon.

Lo and behold as I'm literally standing on the platform as the train is pulling in I get an email from the lady canceling the meeting.

Am I wrong in feeling like I should just stay home and relax? Feel like I've earned it through all the stuff I crammed in earlier in the week.

[cartman]

Originally Posted by CU Tiger

Easy Mac, Can you share said trick? I feel like I am missing something here.

I you have a gmail address, you can add '+whatever' to the part before the @ to make unique addresses that go to your mail account. Example:

[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

All would go to your inbox.

[Easy Mac]

Originally Posted by Easy Mac

Awesomsauce....

Or not. So I tried to use the 3 $10 promo codes on an instore pickup for a soundbar for my dad. Of course, because my store sucks, it was canceled.

So be it. Tried to just order something to ship to me, and I enter the codes and it tells me they are invalid because they have already been used.

Called Best Buy and after 20 minutes, I'm told they can only apply the codes to the item I already ordered if I want to re-order it. The item is no longer available, so I just lose the codes they sent me.

What the hell is that?

[cartman]

I'm surprised that I'm not in more pain from my knee surgery. The happy pills seem to be doing their job. The worst pain is from my gut, due to the, um, 'constipative' effects of oxycodone.

[CU Tiger]

Originally Posted by cartman

I you have a gmail address, you can add '+whatever' to the part before the @ to make unique addresses that go to your mail account. Example:

[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

All would go to your inbox.

Wow...really.
So you have to use the '+' though, right?


So if myname is john brown
And my email is [email protected]
It would be [email protected]
Not [email protected]

[cartman]

Yeah, you have to put the + sign. Nice and easy!

[PilotMan]

after last year's shitty winter (and full garage) I'm happy to report that a successful garage cleaning has taken place and my car once again has a warm home for the winter. WOOT!

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by CU Tiger

Wow...really.
So you have to use the '+' though, right?


So if myname is john brown
And my email is [email protected]
It would be [email protected]
Not [email protected]

Also if you ever run into anything that doesn't accept something with + in it as a valid email address you can also use periods. Some sites will view addresses with periods as different, so both [email protected] is different from [email protected], but Google ignores periods in email addresses so they're both sent to the same account.

[PilotMan]

Seriously frustrated tonight as I was getting ready to hang our new tv in our bedroom and I found out that the mount I got won't work, because the wall we are hanging it on has 24in studs not 16in. Grrr. Now I've had to order a new one, wait for it to be here next week and drive 30 miles to return the one I got this week.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

Seriously frustrated tonight as I was getting ready to hang our new tv in our bedroom and I found out that the mount I got won't work, because the wall we are hanging it on has 24in studs not 16in. Grrr. Now I've had to order a new one, wait for it to be here next week and drive 30 miles to return the one I got this week.

Get a 1" thick 3'x2' board and sink that into the studs, paint it, then mount into that with toggle bolts.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

Seriously frustrated tonight as I was getting ready to hang our new tv in our bedroom and I found out that the mount I got won't work, because the wall we are hanging it on has 24in studs not 16in. Grrr. Now I've had to order a new one, wait for it to be here next week and drive 30 miles to return the one I got this week.

Or pick up one stud and toggle the other side.

[PilotMan]

Yeah, I don't feel confident given the weight of the mount plus the television and the expense of the tv.

[CU Tiger]

Originally Posted by cartman

Yeah, you have to put the + sign. Nice and easy!

Originally Posted by mckerney

Also if you ever run into anything that doesn't accept something with + in it as a valid email address you can also use periods. Some sites will view addresses with periods as different, so both [email protected] is different from [email protected], but Google ignores periods in email addresses so they're both sent to the same account.

thanks guys!
Good info I never knew.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

Yeah, I don't feel confident given the weight of the mount plus the television and the expense of the tv.

I think you're maybe overthinking it, I had a 2000(at the time) LCD that weighed about 80lbs toggle mounted on a fascade fireplace to a 1" ply for like 5 years and it didn't budge at all.

But obviously your call.

[Dutch]

The ability to selectively mute internet sound while listening to music and surfing the web is a godsend.

[PilotMan]

Originally Posted by stevew

I think you're maybe overthinking it, I had a 2000(at the time) LCD that weighed about 80lbs toggle mounted on a fascade fireplace to a 1" ply for like 5 years and it didn't budge at all.

But obviously your call.

Yeah, I'm putting a full motion mount up so it's going to see a lot of movement. The tv is 49" and isn't super heavy but you have to figure extended out and all the swivel I just want to see it mounted into the stud.

[cartman]

If ignorance of the the law isn't a valid defense, and ignorance is bliss, does that mean that there are a bunch of extremely happy people sitting around in jail with no idea why they're there?

[CU Tiger]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

Yeah, I'm putting a full motion mount up so it's going to see a lot of movement. The tv is 49" and isn't super heavy but you have to figure extended out and all the swivel I just want to see it mounted into the stud.

There is a whole lot of physics calculations to all this, but Steve's way is actually stronger than mounting to a stud.

If you screw a lag bolt through the mount into the stud the gravitational forces are limited to the contact bolt contact surface area. All of the weight is distributed along the screw face of those 4 points.

If however you screw a "backer board" to the studs and then toggle to the backer board. The same pull weight plus the weight of the board (negligible) is distributed along the same 4 lag bolt surfaces PLUS the much larger surface area the the four toggle heads across the back of the backer.

When I did home tech and we first started hanging TVs, the industry standard was cutting a notch in the sheet rock and recessing a piece of mrine grade ply direct to the studs.

Just an FYI, certainly do what you feel comfortable with, but from a pure Physics stand point Steve's suggestion is not only adequate its actually superior.

[Suicane75]

In my 11 years of owning this computer, I just authored my first DVD. I'm learning!!

[sabotai]

They really need to standardize the way the tops of spice bottles work. Either make them all tops that unscrew or all with tops that flip open. Seriously...

[DaddyTorgo]

I just paid off the last couple payments (4 months) of my car loan today as a lump-sum "Merry Christmas" to myself (since family isn't really doing Christmas this year we've decided).

Had 0% APR on it, but it was also linked to auto-pay from a bank-account that I'm phasing out/closing down, so rather than take the time to link it to the new one for all of 4 payments I figured I'd just dip into the savings and wipe it out.

So that'll be a few more $$ staying in ye olde bank account each month moving forward.

[sabotai]

Every car I've had was a used car that I just paid in full ($2k-$5k range), until this last one. I wanted a newer car and severely underestimated how much of a weight around my neck a car loan would be. I have just under $8k left on it (I'm way ahead of schedule for paying it off) and can't wait to be rid of it. I have thought about just paying it off completely, but if I did that and then something major came up, I'd be in a serious financial shit hole. Once it's down to $4k-5k I'll be able to pull the trigger and be car loan free again.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by sabotai

Every car I've had was a used car that I just paid in full ($2k-$5k range), until this last one. I wanted a newer car and severely underestimated how much of a weight around my neck a car loan would be. I have just under $8k left on it (I'm way ahead of schedule for paying it off) and can't wait to be rid of it. I have thought about just paying it off completely, but if I did that and then something major came up, I'd be in a serious financial shit hole. Once it's down to $4k-5k I'll be able to pull the trigger and be car loan free again.

I knew going into it I shouldn't have bought a new car, but I wanted a particular set of options and I also figured that I'm the type of person to drive it into the ground and given how much I drive it should easily last me essentially forever (until it's technologically obsolete), so I went ahead and did it.

Nice to be done with paying it every month though!

[stevew]

So I had DirecTV installed(again) the other day and the guys took forever and I eventually conked out on the couch(I work late nights). Anyways, I have no idea why it took them so long as I could have done it in like 15 minutes or less. Well, a few days later I turn over the remote in the living room, and it's labeled "Master Bedroom" instead of "Living Room". Well played.

[stevew]

Pretty bad when you buy a ton of stuff from Pizza Hut and the worst thing you get is the actual pizza. Pan crust so soggy it's gross. Maybe it will be good on the reheat.

[cuervo72]

Just watched Home Alone again. Thoughts I had during the movie:

1. Catherine O'Hara was probably better looking than I gave her credit for.

2. I miss John Candy.

[cuervo72]

Dola -

Thoughts watching Polar Express: this movie and its uncanny valley still freak me the hell out.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

Dola -

Thoughts watching Polar Express: this movie and its uncanny valley still freak me the hell out.

That whole movie has a strange vibe

[korme]

Came home from my Mom's to find this card in my door.. this smells like my friend's work.

[Lathum]

seems legit

[PilotMan]

2 legit?

[Suicane75]

The heart smiley face is creeping me out. I don't think it's the work of a lady.

[Dutch]

The distance from Santa Monica, CA to Laguna Beach, CA is the same distance as from sea level to outer space. (~62 miles)

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Dutch

The distance from Santa Monica, CA to Laguna Beach, CA is the same distance as from sea level to outer space. (~62 miles)

I would like to go to Santa Monica, Laguna Beach and outer space.

[Easy Mac]

Facebook sent me a notification asking me if I wanted to be friends with the guy who my sister left my brother-in-law for.

If by friend you mean "punch him in his fat face repeatedly," then yes, I would like to be friends with him.

[Dutch]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

I would like to go to Santa Monica, Laguna Beach and outer space.

Ha!

BTW, I think I should have said, "Santa Monica to Laguna Beach and Santa Monica to outerspace are the same distance."

[OldGiants]

Originally Posted by Dutch

Ha!

BTW, I think I should have said, "Santa Monica to Laguna Beach and Santa Monica to outerspace are the same distance."

Most of us consider anywhere in California as outer space.

[NobodyHere]

I don't care what anyone says. The best Batman has been and always will be Adam West.

[cuervo72]

Sam Ponder looks a little like Eliza Coupe.

[rowech]

My baseball cards might be worth less than what they are stored in. Curse the people who got kids thinking the way they did in the late 80s and then took advantage.