Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[mnementh]

Saskatchewan Screwdriver...?    

mnem
Thanks for the belly laugh... I needed it.

That could be a regional (probably mostly just Alberta) thing. 

We tend to have quite the (mostly friendly) rivalry with Saskatchewan. 

Especially when the Roughriders are in town playing the Stampeders (CFL football) and vice-versa.  The stands at McMahon Stadium are often half green instead of red on those days as half of Saskatchewan drives here, often like 1000km just to see their team try to take on the Stamps.   

At least there's only one Roughriders in the CFL now.  For years, out of nine teams two of them were named Roughriders.   
It's like... come on Canada, we're generally reasonably well educated, we know enough vocabulary to come up with nine different team names.   

(Of course, all Ottawa came up with was the RedBlacks, but that is Ontario, after all...  But I digress...) 

Oh, also... As an aside...
When I was a kid, I didn't realize it was called crescent because they were often made by the Crescent Tool company, rather just that the end was shaped somewhat like a crescent, like the moon.  Made perfect sense to me.

You're making me miss playing football.  The semi-pro season in Ontario is cancelled this year.   

Ummm... football      or feetsball      ?

Same here on the Crescent wrench thing, until grand-dad showed me.

Not getting involved in the provincial rivalry thing... at least not until I can honestly claim to be a citizen. 

mnem
But lay offa muh pig chips, ehh...?

[mnementh]

Hey Med, how's the post storm situation? All OK?

All OK with me. As of this morning still approx 12K still without power.

https://www.cenhud.com/news/2020/central-hudson-restores-power-to-nearly-90-of-impacted-customers/

Good to hear you're okay, old friend.

mnem
 

[bd139]

Quick question for the UK guys, I'm trying to find out if UPS deliver on Saturdays or not. Does anyone know?

Nope not a chance. They barely deliver on Fridays these days as well.

[tggzzz]

Too damn accurate... (Modern software development)

https://twitter.com/i/status/1291608921279328261

[mnementh]

...HOWEVER,Seller claims the 212 is used.      Understatement.   Picture confirms this.   Assemble yourself project.
Frans

Ahh that 212 “used” is as in “used as a fleshlight by a whale”

Somehow I suspect most cetaceans would be considerably more discerning than that.

mnem
Except maybe Tursiops... they'll fuck anything they can catch.

[Neomys Sapiens]

Now that's a good idea. Was going to ask about that. Assuming it won't melt out of the gaps when it gets warm though. A thing I used to do at school was melt the things on a radiator 

The best thing to there is to get a small tin of modellers black paint, Humbrol or similar and fine artists paint brush and paint in the engraving, polishing off any paint that comes over the side, carefully. No worry about that melting in the heat etc. Works perfectly if you take your time.

Yeah they was plan A. Was looking for an easier plan B first. Will need to have a couple of days off the coffee and get some abbots in for that 

Please elucidate us about the connection between the gathering of high-ranking clerics at your house and the planned restorative action on that HP frontplate!

[Cerebus]

However, only the ones made with a hammer portion on purpose are properly called a Thumb-Detecting Nut-fucker.

Don't you think that being overly precise in "comedy names for tools" is perhaps a tad pedantic? (Rhetorical question)

Yup. Sure do. This is just the place for that.

Evidently this (and many other such special "terms of endearment" for certain tools) was a "thing" among old-timers like him. Who am I to judge...? But I do feel somewhat honor-bound to pass on that "knowledge". 

The thing about a comedy name is that it has to be merely funny, even if only in a "dad joke" kind of way. Arguing over whether a comedy name is the "right" name is rather, well actually I don't know what to compare it to without unintentionally sounding insulting, but it's sorely missing the point of a comedy name which, if anything, has to be technically wrong to be funny in the first place. Being pedantic about comedy names kind of sucks all the joy out of them.

Uh-huh... Well, this is the second time you've quoted me while conveniently discarding the included clear explanation for said pedantry. At this point I can only guess this isn't entirely about pedantry, which the Cerebus we all know and love has never shied away from... so what is it?



Something along these lines perhaps...? 

mnem
 

Give it a rest, please.

(For other's reference, Mnem and I had a bit of spat in PMs recently - details of which are both irrelevant and private. I think this is him just trying to needle me. Please ignore, I'm certainly going to.)

[bd139]

Too damn accurate... (Modern software development)

https://twitter.com/i/status/1291608921279328261

I rather like that.

I have this one saved:

[Cerebus]

Too damn accurate... (Modern software development)

https://twitter.com/i/status/1291608921279328261

I rather like that.

I have this one saved:

I still stand by the old tyre swing one as being truly representative of software development "at the blunt end".

[mnementh]

Too damn accurate... (Modern software development)https://twitter.com/i/status/1291608921279328261

There's a xkcd for that...

mnem
Actually, more than one...   

[Kosmic]

*stirs the pot*

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Keithley-2000-Bench-Digital-Multimeter/114341795244


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Oscilloscope-Tektronix-Set-Model-212/184391950920


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TEKTRONIX-468-DIGITAL-STORAGE-OSCILLOSCOPE-PP3/224107574495


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KEEP-CALM-and-Feck-off-Coffee-Cup-Gift-Idea-funny-present-rude/221629855296?var=520487396029

You'll need to do better than that. 

Keithley 2002 8.5 digits multimeter ?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Keithley-2002-8-5-digit-Multimeter-GPIB-Used/353129519600

[0culus]

I will just say that "Argument Clinic" is Monty Python at their best. I laugh uncontrollably every time they get to John Cleese saying "I could be arguing in my spare time". 

[mnementh]

Yeah; I tried to defuse the situation with humor. In deference to our friendship, I've deleted other words spoken in anger.

mnem
 

[med6753]

Gee....I go off and watch a movie and missed the opportunity to share popcorn. 

Watched "Greyhound". Good movie. From what I've read the vast majority of it is historically accurate. 

[Saskia]

who is getting the sarcasm ?

https://youtu.be/VGCQZtbtN2Q

[Robert763]

A "good condition, tested and working" Fluke 8050A to go with that skanky 34401A
/www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fluke-8050A-Digital-Multimeter-Tested-and-Working-ABR315-686/174354148621?
 

[duckduck]

Too damn accurate... (Modern software development)

https://twitter.com/i/status/1291608921279328261

 

[mnementh]

On the Bench Tonight...



Yesterday, I picked up a used BB PlayBook at the Thrift because it was only CAD$20 and I wanted something to leave by the bedside for my evening ritual of a little dark chocolate treat while reading a few webcomics. In my defense, the thing was in like new condition, and the build quality was VERY satisfying with decent heft and feel. I REALLY thought it was only a few years old.  For those who care: https://youtu.be/58XI03Wnjo8

If I'd taken the time to research on the web before buying I might have realized that it is in fact not a tablet PC but some misbegotten child of a marketing wanker's closed-ecosystem wet dream, which can't even be used or wiped without being connected to their server umbilical cord. Oh, and the damned thing is like 7-8 years old.

Nonetheless... after finding all this out, I decided to try and get my $20 worth of satisfaction from the little bastard thing; I deleted a bunch of unnecessary crap and got the included web browser working okay (between having to stop & click CANCEL every 15 minutes as it demanded that I sign into the previous owner's BB account) and with about 7 tabs loaded with some of my favorite webcomics (those that hadn't already updated to current SSL standards), it still seemed reasonably responsive, if a complete PITA to get even those few pages "started".

So this afternoon I grab it to waste a few minutes on a long drive to look at a house; got talking with my wife between pages. It worked okay for a few pages while tethered to my phone, then I clicked on another tab and the browser crashed. When I restarted it, all my tabs were gone, as was my history; doubtless because I wasn't signed into the BB servers. 

I thought about what a PITA it was to get those few pages tabbed, and the fact that half the webcomics I wanted to use it for wouldn't even load; and I seriously thought about just beating it to death with a TDFN or scrapping it out for... What...? Some ancient LiPo flat cells, a touchscreen useless for pretty much any other application, and maybe a couple tiny speakers...?

That was when I threw the damned thing out the window.

So... now you know why I have THIS [ ? ] "On The Bench" tonight instead of something useful, interesting or amusing like my own "retro" adventures with getting some use out of an old tablet, which I'd planned to do. Because there really was no adventure; just a cautionary tale without any pictures to prove it.

mnem
 

[Mr. Scram]

Give it a rest, please.

(For other's reference, Mnem and I had a bit of spat in PMs recently - details of which are both irrelevant and private. I think this is him just trying to needle me. Please ignore, I'm certainly going to.)

We're well aware of mnem's tendencies and antics.

[Mr. Scram]

Keithley 2002 8.5 digits multimeter ?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Keithley-2002-8-5-digit-Multimeter-GPIB-Used/353129519600

Getting warmer.  Though I really like the DMM7510, it's pretty neat that the 2002 and its 2001 and 2000 brethren are scan card compatible. They essentially become a DAQ with one of those cards. It's a shame they didn't bring that feature to the DMM7510 as it's was retained in the DMM6500.

[Cerebus]

who is getting the sarcasm ?

https://youtu.be/VGCQZtbtN2Q

My German is bad enough at the best of times, there's no way that I'm gonna be able to follow that. I could just about get the joke in "De Kuh Elsa*" in German, no way am I going to manage to follow satire.

* Just found a version of "De Kuh Elsa" with English subtitles while I was checking the spelling of Elsa - here - https://youtu.be/TRZefNEfMgI - missed that the last time it came up and had to struggle my way though the native version.

[bd139]

FML. Hottest day of the year, some cunt is having a fire in their garden down the road so all the windows are shut and my youngest drops her unobtainium jellycat toy on top of a giant steamer in the toilet ffs. 

[BU508A]

who is getting the sarcasm ?

https://youtu.be/VGCQZtbtN2Q

My German is bad enough at the best of times, there's no way that I'm gonna be able to follow that. I could just about get the joke in "De Kuh Elsa*" in German, no way am I going to manage to follow satire.

* Just found a version of "De Kuh Elsa" with English subtitles while I was checking the spelling of Elsa - here - https://youtu.be/TRZefNEfMgI - missed that the last time it came up and had to struggle my way though the native version.

@Cerebus:
That's what Sakia means:

"Die Kuh Elsa" is a comedy sketch from Dieter Hallervorden (comedian in the 70's in Germany).
The joke lies in the conversation which becomes more and more surreal. Some elements in this sketch
may remind to some sketches from Monty Python.

[0culus]

FML. Hottest day of the year, some cunt is having a fire in their garden down the road so all the windows are shut and my youngest drops her unobtainium jellycat toy on top of a giant steamer in the toilet ffs. 

Kids, man. 

[Cerebus]

@Cerebus:
That's what Sakia means:

Ta, I'll  have a watch later.

"Die Kuh Elsa" is a comedy sketch from Dieter Hallervorden (comedian in the 70's in Germany).
The joke lies in the conversation which becomes more and more surreal. Some elements in this sketch
may remind to some sketches from Monty Python.

I think it was you that originally brought it up last time by saying something along the lines of "One of my staff came in and told me XYZ was broken. Turned out he was doing a 'The Cow Elsa' on me. ...".