Random Rants 76: Argh! Augh! Ahhh!

[tjs282]

One of my three monitors just gave up the ghost, and I find out that the warranty was up two days ago.

Wow, pretty impresssive prediction of MTBF by the manufacturer there (of course, it would be better for everyone if stuff wasn't deliberately designed to fail after X years of use).

In the last 3 months, both my wireless mice (one for the desktop, one for the laptop) have started crapping out as well, frequently registering double-clicks when I single-click (makes playing Civ tricky; and has forced more than one mis-move/reload from auto-save). They were bought at the same time, and now they're failing at the same time. I've had them maybe 3 years.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Dog decided to start barking at 3:30 am and then spend the rest of the pre-dawn hours growling at nothing. But at least I can get some quality crap-posting in before work.

 

[Thorgalaeg]

Maybe you have a ghost infestation at home. I would recommend setting up a few ghost traps.

 

[EgonSpengler]

Maybe you have a ghost infestation at home. I would recommend setting up a few ghost traps.

I could help with that.

 

[Kyriakos]

I could help with that.

Maybe also make the gb reboot vanish.

 

[The_J]

gave up the ghost

Is that an actual English idiom?
(just asking; because this is also how we say it in German, but totally doesn't sound like something I'd try to translate)

 

[Manfred Belheim]

In the last 3 months, both my wireless mice (one for the desktop, one for the laptop) have started crapping out as well, frequently registering double-clicks when I single-click (makes playing Civ tricky; and has forced more than one mis-move/reload from auto-save). They were bought at the same time, and now they're failing at the same time. I've had them maybe 3 years.

Have you tried just opening them up and cleaning fluff/gunk out of them? Stuff likes to get in via the mouse wheel and can get in the way of the sensors. Admittedly that's more likely to affect the wheel movement rather than button clicks, but worth a shot.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Is that an actual English idiom?
(just asking; because this is also how we say it in German, but totally doesn't sound like something I'd try to translate)

Yes, it is. Pretty common usage, in my experience.

 

[Gori the Grey]

As Tim says, yes. I would confirm, fairly common, but possibly falling out of use a little.

 

[Arakhor]

Like kicked the bucket or is pushing up daisies or even is sleeping with the fishes.

 

[shadowplay]

My illness has transitioned into a standard-fare cold. I'm fortunate that if I prop up my head while laying down it's not so bad, but the second I'm upright it feels like I've set off a time bomb inside my sinuses. I can remedy a sore throat with hot chocolate and Fisherman's Friend, nausea with a more grazing-style diet, and the headaches with Alka Seltzer and lemonade, but I've yet to encounter a remedy (that works) for this.

Have you ever tried taking something with pseudoephedrine, like Advil cold & sinus? It will lessen the pressure on your sinuses and head.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Like kicked the bucket or is pushing up daisies or even is sleeping with the fishes.

Well, those are usually assigned to people. Gave up the ghost is usually said in reference to a machine of some sort, at least in my experience.

 

[Gori the Grey]

No! N. O. "Give up the ghost" is for people. You're thinking of "ghost in the machine."

 

[Snerk]

Hello only social network that isn't horrible. Did you miss me and/or notice I was gone?

Anyway I came here to rant and masticate on flavoured synthetic rubber and I'm all out of flavoured synthetic rubber.

Since november-ish everything has been down right awful awful awful. Health woes really giving me the business lately, stomach pains alone has got me caressing my 12 gauge at night. Also bad withdrawals and side-effects from trying to come off one antidepressant and going onto another. At it worst I was a complete bedridden nauseous mess. Gotta taper down/up a lot slower than planned. So I'm losing weight again, really don't want to go back to being a stick figure, here's hoping it's temporary. And then I threw my back out, twice. Really have to be careful now about that now. Gonna be a long time before I dear push myself when in comes to deadlifts and other back heavy lifts. Oh and add to that I'm trying to get off nicotine.

 

[shadowplay]

Snerk!! Yes we certainly did notice your absence!

Welcome back!

(Villagers of CFC do an ethnic dance for you)

 

[Snerk]

Thank god you're still here shadowplay.

 

[tjs282]

Have you tried just opening them up and cleaning fluff/gunk out of them? Stuff likes to get in via the mouse wheel and can get in the way of the sensors. Admittedly that's more likely to affect the wheel movement rather than button clicks, but worth a shot.

Nice idea, but there are no obvious screw-holes on the underside. So either any screws have been covered up by the anti-friction pads (which would then have to be peeled/torn off to get to the screw-heads), or the top/bottom halves of the shell have been clicked/glued together (and prising them apart will likely result in a 100% non-working mouse, as opposed to a 25% non-working mouse).

And the cursor-tracking and mousewheels are still working just fine, anyway. It's just the doubled clicking that's problematic (one hard slow click still registers reliably as a single -- but that just ain't how I roll, man). And the fact that I've started having the same problem with both, even though the desktop-mouse tends to see much more use than the laptop, suggests that the problem is age-related, rather than wear-related, i.e. likely electronic rather than mechanical. (Either that, or -- with no disrespect intended to @aimeeandbeatles -- I'm starting to develop some kind of neuro/muscular problem myself)

There is one lovely irony though: the manufacturer/brand is called 'Trust', but I'm not particularly inclined to buy my next pair of mice from them...

Hello only social network that isn't horrible. Did you miss me and/or notice I was gone?

Oh, hey, Snerk's finally back! Welcome, and yes we did!



Oh bum, this is the Rants thread... (sorry...)

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Get over to Mary's cookie thread. You'll gain weight just from looking at the pictures.

I keep trying to steal the finished cookies, but they won't come through the computer screen.

 

[Snerk]

I do love me some cookies.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

No! N. O. "Give up the ghost" is for people. You're thinking of "ghost in the machine."

The usage here that started the conversation was in reference to a monitor. An old car will eventually give up the ghost. Old appliances, not so old computers and peripherals; even a tired argument might give up the ghost. I don't think I've ever heard of a person dying being referred to as 'gave up the ghost.' Maybe if it comes after a long battle with cancer or something.

But I'm sure that no one, anywhere, is going to say that LM's old monitor is pushing up daisies or swimming with the fishes, though kicked the bucket is a possibility.