Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Hey compy geeks, assistance por favor


So new lappy is fine, but I am working on someone else's dead computer and while I have some skills in the dead desktop arena, I have come to the end of that skills set. If I get this thing fixed, i get a new winter coat out of the deal. So yay.

Here's the history.

Compy was having some power button issues. Button would stick and wouldn't let the thing be turned off sometimes. Compy got turned off. Several hours later an attempt to turn it back on failed. Nothing, no juice, no start. Just dead.

It's decided that the power supply is the most likely culprit. New(ish) said to be working one is procured. Correct attachments to make the 20 pin into a 20/24 pin are purchased. I go through and disconnect and reconnect each connection one at a time from the old power supply to the new.

Nothing happens.

Talked to guys who built the compy originally and they recommend hot shorting the jumpers. Find the jumpers from the power button, disconnect, stick a screwdriver in to complete the circuit and turn on power. The fan gives half a lazy spin, but the compy does not start (btw, everytime the compy is on the green motherboard light is lit, so some kind of juice is getting to it.

FTR, I did change the power cord and where the cord was plugged into first.

I'm heading out to radioshack to buy a multimeter so I can test both the old and new power supplies. But if they are both working then I have no idea what to do next. Compy seller says he doubts it's the cmoss battery (and I think I remember the cmoss battery doing the turn on/ turns off right away thing when it dies, not the no power at all thing).

So geeks, what do you think I should do next?

Monday, October 25, 2010

How come?

So lemme get this straight.

We've got a dem house, senate and president. They are the majority. And for the last two years they have failed to give the people of the country what they want/need.

But if we don't vote to keep them in power, then another group will take over and not give us what we want/need on a much grander scale.

And no one has even noticed the most obvious problem with that logic. If the only way to govern according to the will of the people in this country is through one-party rule, then how are we still a democracy?

Question for the peanut gallery

Ever since I stopped believing in Democracy Theater, I no longer have any interest in discussing the minutia of politics with the so called "high information" voters. You know who they are.

I can't stand to have the talking heads on the teevee screaming in the background. I don't care what new scandal has happened. I really don't have the patience to listen to the new latest evil thing the republicans have done now.

But the party loyalists, the high information voters (really, cable news =/= actual news) get livid when, in an attempt to get out away from whatever current hard sell spiel their delivering, I tell them I don't believe in voting anymore. And if they don't get livid, then they get this look on their face like I just kicked their dog and told them Santa isn't real.

I guess I should do a whole post on Democracy Theater. But in the mean time, have any of you all experienced the kicked puppy/ santa is dead reaction? It makes me really unwilling to discuss politics anywhere outside the safe places of bloglandia, not so much because of the screamers, but because I don't think people should be forced to see this until they are ready to see this. When they are ready they go seeking it out all on their own, no indoctrination required. And no kicked puppy faces.

It's the Lizzie Space-Time Vortex Of Awesomeness

Or what a difference a day makes.

So after a year of anti-social exile it's amazing how fast things go back to not horrid. As soon as the plane landed my phone was full of "where are you, are you here yet" text messages. I didn't even leave the airport before I saw the first of many long lost friends (Hi C! You are my cat-loving freaking hero!)

So today it was brunch and drinks and crafty art projects and dinner and movies and wine and fun and laughing and people who I love and like and OMG I used to be a super social fucking party girl. And I'm still charming and fun, even if I'm a wee bit older.

It is rad and the title of this post comes from what was supposed to be an hour long brunch turned into 3 and half hours plus a waitress demonstrating bad ballet moves.

It is good to be home, and urban, and social and safe. Most importantly, safe.

Thank you bloglandia. You did this.