@Celt & all the others north of the 49th parallel

Just make sure you don't sell it all, you might just suck in some polluted air from the south.

Canadians are selling cans of fresh air to China

Years ago we used to hold a Fog Festival, complete with Carnival and Cans of Valley Fog. I still have a few on a shelf somewhere....

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Donald
Infernal Optimist / Submariner, retired

RANT & RAVE

1st the RANT
Amazon,
Last Friday I ordered 20 items worth about £300 (~ US $450). None of these items are urgent, they are just replacements for old items that have long since had their best days or things like more rechargeable batteries and a better faster charger.
Four items were/are to be filled by 3rd parties. The remaining items I asked to be delivered together.
The confirmation looked like my wishes for delivery were to be met. Expected delivery between Thurs and Sat this week. Oh Silly me.

By Friday evening, but not seen by me till early Saturday, one item had been split off with the Amazon wording

We thought you'd like to know that we've dispatched this portion of your order separately to give you a quicker service, at no additional cost to you. The remainder of your order will follow as soon as those items become available.

Go to Parcel tracker - The bar is filled in over 3/4 of length and msg It's on its way. Knowing there is a Amazon Depot within 40 miles and that it also does deliveries Sunday, thought better make sure self or eldest better be here just in case.
Nothing seen all w/end, but delivery date is now Friday.
How's that quicker?

Monday, 1st thing, Mr.Postie delivers two of the 3rd party Items. (Note - other 3rd party items are from Far East - that was why Amazon got order for them)

Also see that 3 more items (2 parcels) have been split for quicker delivery, this time, one parcel Thursday the other Saturday ?????
Sent email to Amazon asking about the split Items, because by then this "quicker delivery service had suddenly become Friday and Saturday delivery date, because that's last day of expected slow delivery.
And where is the 1st split item. Sorry they say, It's coming from Spain, bar indicates it's at international departures. And they would check why parcel is split and what is delivery date of "Slow items". They can do nothing about delivery dates of "Quick" parcels.

Requested they phone me.
Nice person, sympathised with me and though Amazon had made bo-bo, but not in power to do anything.
Demanded someone higher up the chain speak to me. Promised it would be in next 15 minutes. Ha! b____y ha!.

3½ hours later, Manager phones, immediately apologies for Amazon and says he has put next day delivery on remaining Items. "STOP right there" I say "That will mean I have to be in for 4 of the next 5 days. I want you to delay delivery until all items can be delivered together"
He cannot do this, but would email me with better plan.

Better Plan. 1st seen Tuesday morning
Remaining items minus 2 will be delivered Wednesday (today) the other "In Stock" but cannot be found items will be delivered next week.

This is getting Very Stupid Obviously managers are also very far down the food chain and cannot really do anything constructive, except make situation worse.

As I type this at 11:40ish door bell rings - Amazon delivery, 3 boxes, in one as you may have guessed are the two "cannot be found, deliver next week" items.

[Rant- suspended for now, may re-start if and when...

RAVE

Scan Computers UK

Sunday morning whilst drinking 1st cup of tea. Eldest informs me his computer BSOD'd late last night. A little later diagnose graphics card faulty, a 670 over 3 years old. Look at favourite sites, decide on 960 from Scan, delivered next day (that will be Tuesday) anytime.

Monday ask to add some memory to order, no problem say Scan.

Tuesday 13:00ish delivered, GPU unpacked, fitted, booted it's crunching Seti.
14:00ish, let him get back to gaming.

Later fit 2x8Gb to my computer, will fit removed 2x4Gb into sons.
Now done before he woke.

That's the way to do it

Amazon are great when they get it right, which in my experience is more often than not on "simple" (one or two item) orders, but less so on more complex orders. I've got quite proficient at bundling complex orders to get them into the free delivery band.
Scan are very capable, the only order they've screwed up on recently was as much my fault as theirs, but it landed in my hands on the second attempt. Most times I don't bother with "next day", or timed delivery, but go for their normal 3-5, and get a message from the carrier asking when I'd like it delivered....

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

From what I've seen of Amazon, when they fulfill an item themselves there aren't issues. Third parties, aren't Amazon!

As a general issue anything that crosses an international border can go wonky PDQ. Inbound and outbound customs can F with anything for no reason and they PMS and do so on a regular basis.

As to tracking, find the number on the Amazon track page and drop it into the carrier's track system for much better tracking!

On 3rd parties, they create the label and tell Amazon. Amazon releases the funds to them. Some time later they will order the item from their supplier and eventually they will ship it to you!

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UPS and FEDERAL EXPRESS are silent service where I live. They are like the mailman. You only know they have been around is when you notice the delivery van or find it on the front step. I can't tell you the last time I signed for delivery. Even when they hand me the package. Also I'm happy that none of the drop and run packages has been stolen.

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On a brighter note, ignoring Amazon even if I am stuck here waiting for one parcel today, got copies of a book from the publisher, ordered Tuesday, as gift for some relatives, who have never been here, in New Zealand, North Island and in Canada, Saskatchewan, about my area.
The Forest of Bowland a quick look inside is here

One of the effects of chemo for me is not getting
the common cold. I now have a common cold, the
first one I have had in over five years!

Arrrruuugggghhhhhh!

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You think SETI@home Database software is old and cranky at times... check this out:

A 23-year-old Windows 3.1 system failure crashed Paris airport
Some of the most important networks and systems today are woefully outdated. And that isn't always a bad thing.

A Paris airport was forced to shut down earlier this month after a computer running Windows 3.1, a prehistoric operating system from 23 years ago, crashed in bad weather.

Planes were grounded on November 7 for several hours at Paris' Orly airport, one of the busiest in the region, after un ancien ordinateur known as DECOR, which links air traffic control systems with France's main weather bureau, stopped working.

Put it this way: there are kids in college today who are younger than this system.

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Not quite as important a service, but I'm still running AppleWorks 4 on my 1980s-vintage Apple IIGS to maintain my Library files. I am slowly migrating the data to Excel spreadsheets, but the IIGS is the main right now. I also still play some games on it.

ISTR Dr. K also has a working Apple IIGS in his home office.

You think SETI@home Database software is old and cranky at times... check this out:

A 23-year-old Windows 3.1 system failure crashed Paris airport
Some of the most important networks and systems today are woefully outdated. And that isn't always a bad thing.

A Paris airport was forced to shut down earlier this month after a computer running Windows 3.1, a prehistoric operating system from 23 years ago, crashed in bad weather.

Planes were grounded on November 7 for several hours at Paris' Orly airport, one of the busiest in the region, after un ancien ordinateur known as DECOR, which links air traffic control systems with France's main weather bureau, stopped working.

Put it this way: there are kids in college today who are younger than this system.

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Donald
Infernal Optimist / Submariner, retired

Now let me see, watch IIHF junior hockey or
professional foot ball from England.....


Haw haw haw haw haw haw haw haw haw haw haw !

:):)

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I've discovered that toothpaste helps get scuff marks off painted baseboards!

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

I've discovered that toothpaste helps get scuff marks off painted baseboards!

Toothpaste doesn't wash off very well though. My red pants still had white marks after washing it @ 40°C.

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Music
Pictures

I've discovered that toothpaste helps get scuff marks off painted baseboards!

Toothpaste doesn't wash off very well though. My red pants still had white marks after washing it @ 40°C.

That is very true. Toothpaste stains fabric. I only use it on glossy enamel paint and my teeth. :~)

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

FAA Small Unmanned Aircraft Registration Begins Dec. 21
The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Small Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) registry is expected to go live during the day on December 21. Please check the agency’s home page at www.faa.gov for updates.

In preparation for registering online, each owner must provide his or her name, home address and e-mail address. Upon completion of registration, the web application will generate a Certificate of Aircraft Registration/Proof of Ownership that will include a unique identification number for the UAS owner, which must be marked on the aircraft.

Owners using the model aircraft for hobby or recreation will only have to register once and may use the same identification number for all of their model UAS. The registration is valid for three years.

Registration is free for the first 30 days, then $5 after that.

By statute, all aircraft weighing more than 0.55 pounds (250 grams) and less than 55 pounds (approx. 25 kilograms), including payloads such as on-board cameras, must be registered.

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Just a quick question: How do english speaking ppl vocalize "www"? Is it "double u double u double u", is it "triple double u" or just simply "world wide web"?

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I say:

"double u double u double u"

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

Yes!

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ˈdəbəlˌyo͞o ˈdəbəlˌyo͞o ˈdəbəlˌyo͞o

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FAA Small Unmanned Aircraft Registration Begins Dec. 21
The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Small Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) registry is expected to go live during the day on December 21. Please check the agency’s home page at www.faa.gov for updates.

In preparation for registering online, each owner must provide his or her name, home address and e-mail address. Upon completion of registration, the web application will generate a Certificate of Aircraft Registration/Proof of Ownership that will include a unique identification number for the UAS owner, which must be marked on the aircraft.

Owners using the model aircraft for hobby or recreation will only have to register once and may use the same identification number for all of their model UAS. The registration is valid for three years.

Registration is free for the first 30 days, then $5 after that.

By statute, all aircraft weighing more than 0.55 pounds (250 grams) and less than 55 pounds (approx. 25 kilograms), including payloads such as on-board cameras, must be registered.

I've been trying the site all day and now it is finally working. 'Scuse me while I go do that.

[update]
It took nearly 10 minutes for the email to arrive so I could finish the registration process, but it's done now. I'm legal to fly for 3 years.

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David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.