The totally off-topic thread

[Simo]

I love LEGO but I also used to program LOGO at school. This was back in the day where the school had 5 computers for student use and we got to use them for one class per week. Each maths class had over 30 students so it took ages to get a turn at the computer.

Different for kids to today...

Miss 8 has had a Ipad for school usage since prep and now how has her own MBP for school usage.

Yes it is a private school

 

[drron]

And sometimes when in the AFF playground I feel like this animals hit-
[video=youtube_share;HHjKzr6tLz0]https://youtu.be/HHjKzr6tLz0[/video]

 

[Bindibuys]

The Brickman Lego exhibition was great.
Love that even he calls Jetstar - Deathstar.

 

[penegal]

I also have some very bad news from the penegal clan.

My grandmother and the matriarch of our family passed away yesterday, aged 97.

Thank you to my many AFF friends for your messages of support over the past month.

We had the funeral this week. A longer wait than normal, but it did allow numerous family members to continue their existing commitments (travel, theatre prductions, etc) which is what she would have wanted. Another surprising byproduct was the number of extended family members who were able to fly in from various locations. A true testament to the respect and high esteem with which she was held.

A very sad day, but it was a lovely service. Her commitment to family over so many years was especially apparent in the personal tributes.

It is funny that these sad times are often the excuse we need to catch up with many relations. I have enjoyed reconnecting with many family members I should really make the effort to see more frequently, especially given the luxury of "mobility" I enjoy.

 

[blackcat20]

My laptop has chosen the worst possible weekend to go on the fritz. Not sure what to do as I purchased from DJs but they no longer have an electronics department.

 

[anat0l]

My laptop has chosen the worst possible weekend to go on the fritz. Not sure what to do as I purchased from DJs but they no longer have an electronics department.

What's happening with the laptop? Is it inoperable?

Contact DJ and tell them anyway.

If it's under manufacturer's warranty, they will either have to arrange for its repair or they may direct you to the manufacturer. What brand is the laptop?

If it's under their extended store warranty (i.e. after the first 12 months), these are usually a separate company with a hotline number which you can call and arrange for repair / assessment, or you may need to go online and fill out an inquiry form.

My current laptop was purchased from Dick Smith; I had to get it serviced under the extended warranty. DSE may have gone belly up but the extended warranty company was still active, so I filled in an online form then the company liaised with the authorised repairer with all the procedures (e.g. I had to pack it up and send it to NSW by post).

 

[blackcat20]

What's happening with the laptop? Is it inoperable?

Contact DJ and tell them anyway.

If it's under manufacturer's warranty, they will either have to arrange for its repair or they may direct you to the manufacturer. What brand is the laptop?

If it's under their extended store warranty (i.e. after the first 12 months), these are usually a separate company with a hotline number which you can call and arrange for repair / assessment, or you may need to go online and fill out an inquiry form.

My current laptop was purchased from Dick Smith; I had to get it serviced under the extended warranty. DSE may have gone belly up but the extended warranty company was still active, so I filled in an online form then the company liaised with the authorised repairer with all the procedures (e.g. I had to pack it up and send it to NSW by post).

The connection to the screen seems to be failing; it flickers white if you open the screen more than a few cm. Laptop is coming up to two years old in June buy Id expect a decent product (Toshiba) to last much longer than that. Will contact Toshiba on Tuesday to see what they say and take it from there. It went from working perfectly to not working between putting it down and picking it back up again.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Just reading Scientific American article on the 5 second rule and there is this paragraph,

At this point, I'm reminded of the famous story of the old Jewish man perturbed by the fact that when he dropped a piece of buttered bread, it landed with the buttered side up. Now, the sticky butter avoiding the floor might seem like good luck. But as life is a vale of tears, the man was troubled that the universe did not appear to be functioning in accordance with the Creator's vast, eternal plan. So he consulted his rabbi. And the rabbi, after days of study and reflection, arrived at a scientific explanation: the bread was buttered on the wrong side.​

Made me smile.

 

[whatmeworry]

What's happening with the laptop? Is it inoperable?

Contact DJ and tell them anyway.

If it's under manufacturer's warranty, they will either have to arrange for its repair or they may direct you to the manufacturer. What brand is the laptop?

If it's under their extended store warranty (i.e. after the first 12 months), these are usually a separate company with a hotline number which you can call and arrange for repair / assessment, or you may need to go online and fill out an inquiry form.

My current laptop was purchased from Dick Smith; I had to get it serviced under the extended warranty. DSE may have gone belly up but the extended warranty company was still active, so I filled in an online form then the company liaised with the authorised repairer with all the procedures (e.g. I had to pack it up and send it to NSW by post).

The connection to the screen seems to be failing; it flickers white if you open the screen more than a few cm. Laptop is coming up to two years old in June buy Id expect a decent product (Toshiba) to last much longer than that. Will contact Toshiba on Tuesday to see what they say and take it from there. It went from working perfectly to not working between putting it down and picking it back up again.

Australian Consumer Law and Consumer Guarantee.

[video=youtube;OCW6NuLEMNA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCW6NuLEMNA[/video]

 

[anat0l]

Australian Consumer Law and Consumer Guarantee.

...

One of the issues with ACL is that it always talks about "reasonable time" that a product should expect to work. What is a reasonable time for a laptop? 3 years? Can you separate the laptop parts from the rest of it, e.g. it is reasonable for the laptop to last 3 years but the battery may only work 18 months? What about a smartphone, considering that a lot of Joe Bloggs change their phone easily between 18-24 months at a time?

As much as I am right, I wouldn't want to get into a shouting match with a retailer over what constitutes a reasonable amount of time, plus then having to follow up with legal letters, going to tribunals, etc.... it may not be a case of losing any money but it is the time burned up. If we could assume that retailers and their staff were reasonable enough people (large assumption), there would not be a real problem.

In any case, the advice in the first hand here is the same: back to base contact, and preferably not through the manufacturer first hand.

 

[JessicaTam]

...
It went from working perfectly to not working between putting it down and picking it back up again.

From what height did you 'put it down'?

 

[blackcat20]

From what height did you 'put it down'?

I shut the lid and put it carefully on the coffee table and when I picked it up a few hours later it was busted.

 

[TomVexille]

What's happening with the laptop? Is it inoperable?

Contact DJ and tell them anyway.

If it's under manufacturer's warranty, they will either have to arrange for its repair or they may direct you to the manufacturer. What brand is the laptop?

If it's under their extended store warranty (i.e. after the first 12 months), these are usually a separate company with a hotline number which you can call and arrange for repair / assessment, or you may need to go online and fill out an inquiry form.

My current laptop was purchased from Dick Smith; I had to get it serviced under the extended warranty. DSE may have gone belly up but the extended warranty company was still active, so I filled in an online form then the company liaised with the authorised repairer with all the procedures (e.g. I had to pack it up and send it to NSW by post).

There's also the credit card extended warranty potentially in play

 

[MEL_Traveller]

One of the issues with ACL is that it always talks about "reasonable time" that a product should expect to work. What is a reasonable time for a laptop? 3 years? Can you separate the laptop parts from the rest of it, e.g. it is reasonable for the laptop to last 3 years but the battery may only work 18 months? What about a smartphone, considering that a lot of Joe Bloggs change their phone easily between 18-24 months at a time?

As much as I am right, I wouldn't want to get into a shouting match with a retailer over what constitutes a reasonable amount of time, plus then having to follow up with legal letters, going to tribunals, etc.... it may not be a case of losing any money but it is the time burned up. If we could assume that retailers and their staff were reasonable enough people (large assumption), there would not be a real problem.

In any case, the advice in the first hand here is the same: back to base contact, and preferably not through the manufacturer first hand.

Your local consumer affairs office in each state is a good starting point to answer some of these questions.

I never buy extended warranties - not usually necessary as consumer protection law will cover or exceed the extended warranty period. For free.

As an example, we got a dishwasher 7 years out of warranty repaired free of charge by the manufacturer on the basis of 'reasonable time'. While customer service is a good entry point for logging your claim they will often prefer to stick to stated warranty periods. You may have to ask them to refer the matter to their legal department to get the right outcome.

 

[RooFlyer]

The connection to the screen seems to be failing; it flickers white if you open the screen more than a few cm. Laptop is coming up to two years old in June buy Id expect a decent product (Toshiba) to last much longer than that. Will contact Toshiba on Tuesday to see what they say and take it from there. It went from working perfectly to not working between putting it down and picking it back up again.

No help, sorry, but that was one of the things that started going wrong on my Toshiba Portege last year, after about three years of hard use (travel). I got my local computer shop to fix that, along with keys that had started flicking off and it was fine.

However within 6 months it was obvious that poor old dear was on the way out, so I replaced it with a Lenono, which I regret. Two computer shops strongly recommended Lenono, even the Toshiba dealer . New Lenovo not a patch on the old Toshiba, although specced very similarly.

 

[Quickstatus]

Apple laptops have a 1 year warranty plus 1 year implied statutory warranty.
When I put one in for repairs I thought it was out of warranty but Apple Store said yep there is 1+1
Very good service:
Booked a time to bring it in to Apple Store
They tested it in front of me, diagnosed the problem - logic board needed replacing
Turnarond time: 3pm drop off 9am pickup the next day.
No shipping unit to St Elsewhere, repairs done in store

 

[VPS]

I quite like broccoli and Brussel sprouts.
But don't give me chokos.

Chokos - I'm with you - disgusting

I just have to say it.....I won't eat brocolli no matter how it is cooked!! The only other vege I hate more is brussel sprouts.

I can send you my recipe for brussel sprouts with bacon, pine nuts and parmesan - beautiful

I like broccoli too, one of the better vegetables.

Brussel sprouts are good if cooked properly - but don't ever serve me squash!

Squash is a no no for me plus swedes and turnips - eek

 

[TheRealTMA]

I can send you my recipe for brussel sprouts with bacon, pine nuts and parmesan - beautiful

Try this one. Have made it many times.

How to Make Heston’s Perfect Brussels Sprouts recipe for Christmas : In Search Of Heston

Yum.

 

[Quickstatus]

Brussels sprouts are often sold in the US still attached to the stalk

 

[Flashback]

At least NAS is a short flight to MIA.

If only that was the flight we were able to take! NAS-YYZ wasn't great being downgraded and stuffed way up the back, but at least we got out. As a plus we got to try AC J on their 77L YYZ-YVR (that continues onto SYD) and it's a very nice product. AA could learn a thing or two from their onboard service and meals, too..!

Good Luck!

We've got a 35min BJX-MEX-VSA coming up .... right on the MCT however, same PNR/airline.

We recently had a 37 minute connection in SEA, which also required terminal change and somehow made it easily even with a late arrival. Sometimes you can be amazed!