h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I did have one during the week but forgot when I had opportunity to post - & I've had that PH already!

W**k related, I'm afraid.

In my team there is one part-timer who leaves between 12:30 and 13:00. No probs with that. They are a control freak, however, and insist that they finish all their work before they go. No probs until... some of it is related to my (and other team members') work. And I don't always want to do that in the morning, or don't have time, or have other things to wait for to be finished.

so this person spends their time chivvying people and basically telling us all when we have to do certain things. It's bad enough if you have a boss doing that.

But related: I use my lunchbreak to do OU studying. at the moment I'm particularly busy writing a big essay. So I don't find it at all amusing when this person bursts into the room where I'm doing this and insists on asking me questions that don't need answering for at least a week, or to tell me they put something on my desk. As if I won't see it when I get back (on account of 42 flourescent post-it-notes attached to the flaming thing)

*and breathe*

Oh, I have a proper one to make up for last time.

I came across a website recently that has a bunch of really old computer games for sale (for really cheap), most of them pre-adapted to work with modern PCs.

http://www.old-games.com/


Which is great!

But my computer is a bazillion times more powerful than anything on the market when these games were made. Which is also great!

Except this means that (in Warcraft at least) the background animation is going insanely fast and there's nothing I can do to fix it. Which is maddening!

That reminds me - why hasn't anyone brought out a 5 1/4" disc drive you can plug in with a USB? I've loads of text files stored on 5 1/4" discs.

<BB<

I have a 3.5 drive for USB, but yes, you're right, I've never seen a 5.25 version. Weird.

They have.

http://bfy.tw/5fUF

Yes, but Googling's cheating.

I did have a PH last week that would have been the 16,000th post, but it seemed a bit too petty. However, something else has happened to increase my irritation, so here it is.

Pick, previously Sky 3, were showing Sanctuary in the morning. Part way through Season 2 they switched to showing two episodes per day of Stargate Universe, a program I've never liked. When that finished they went back to showing Sanctuary. That made me happier. Then last week, with half of Season 3 unscreened, they started to show Season 4. A couple of days ago someone realised their mistake. They are now showing the rest of Season 3. Aargh!

Another PH: the person who writes the synopses for the EPG. The central character in Sanctuary is Dr Helen Magnus, often just referred to as Magnus. Every time she's mentioned in a synopsis, it says 'he' or 'his', not 'she' or 'her'. The synopses for other programs often fail to give adequate information, or give inaccurate information. It's almost enough to make me buy a TV guide!

Final PH for this post: predictive text. If I hadn't checked before posting, something would have 'happened to increase my *irrigation*'! Close, but not quite what I had in mind.

I can relate to that.

A Petty Hate is when they broadcast a television episode a day. They showed the new series of 'X Files' a while ago, one a week, and that was fine. My wife refused to watch it, but I was able to watch one episode a week when she was busy doing something else. Then they started showing all the old episodes, but one a day and I just can't make that sort of commitment, especially as I'd have to watch them when my wife's around. So I had to stop watching. Just broadcast one a week! Much easier.

Another Petty Hate is the back of DVDs when they try to summarise an actor's career in one film. Often it is a film they have won an award for, which is fair enough, but occasionally whoever goes out of the way to choose the most bizarre film they can, or they take the lazy approach and choose the most recent. So they'd write, say:
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger (Expendables 3) and Dame Helen Mirren (Caligula)
Really? Are those the films you think people most associate with those actors?

<BB<

I was blanking on Dame Helen Mirren's name for the last couple of weeks. Every time I tried to remember her name, Maggie Smith's name jumped the line in my memory and I knew that was wrong, but my brain just couldn't ignore the flashing "Maggie Smith" sign when I tried to recall her name. Other flashing signs were "Glenn Close", "Judy Dench", and "Meryl Streep".

PH Sinks that are push-button controlled. Taps offer infinite control, but the button is either on or off, all or nothing.

"Style over substance" is the mantra of the contemporary bathroom designer.

Button? Luxury! Many have sensors that you have to wave your hands in front of in the hope of something actually happening, only to end up dripped on, then your hands are splodged with a huge dollop of soap which is then hardened when you are blasted with hot air.

<BB<

At least the hands-free sinks are hygienic, the button-ones need to be pressed again to stop the flow.

Ugh... I think I know the ones you mean. Some of them remain on just barely long enough to get your hands under it.


The taps in the cafeteria at work are the worst. They're motion activated, which combines the frustration of the limited time window that those push button ones do with the aggravation of finding the correct magic hand gesture. But more annoying than that is these taps are designed to minimize water usage by producing approximately 10 needle like streams which have high velocities thus creating a very wide splash radius. I suspect more water splashes from your hands than remains on them. Trousers beware!

...and automated commodes, which are downright unspeakable, but apparently need to be described graphically, loudly and often to their designers and promoters with a view to stimulating whatever faint shreds of decency they may have, if any...

Why not either a good, old fashioned foot pedal operated system, or a system operated by the door of the stall?

RE: Post 16010

You shouldn't use predictive text. It's stupid.

"At least the hands-free sinks are hygienic, the button-ones need to be pressed again to stop the flow."


*sigh*... Guys, you don't understand how germs work....

Just push the button again, you'll be fine.

I was in a Japanese toilet once, saw what I thought was the auto flush wave your hand over the sensor type control. It was actually the one that makes a water noise to conceal what you're doing….

I hate the ones that auto flush when you lift your bum off the seat. It doesn't mean I've finished, thank you.