USMB Coffee Shop IV

[Dajjal]

Was bad today...... made a pot roast....... with lots of gravy.......

My idea of cooking a meal is a tin of spaghetti and a tin of stewed steak. Mostly I eat chicken salads.

 

[Montrovant]

I have made a decision. I am not going to upgrade my computer until next spring, when doom 4 is released.
By that time intel i7 processors might have come down in price. In any case I have other games to play.
So I will have to put 'wolfenstein the old blood' on one side until next year.

Save up your money and for around $600 (just under 400 GBP) you can have an awesome AMD gaming machine.

With the decline of games for personal computers I am wondering if it is worth the money. I might take a look at playstation and xbox games to see if the games I want are on them. If I got one of those consoles I could connect it to my 32 inch 3D TV and play the games in 3D.
Of course I could connect my computer to the TV but it would be awkward to operate from a chair using a keyboard and mouse. I have a 19 inch LCD monitor, and I sit at a desk to use my computer.

You could always get a controller for your PC. I would imagine you can get a wireless controller that is very similar to either an XBox or Playstation controller for many PC games, then play on the TV.

I consider the PC purchase well worth it, but I spend an inordinate amount of time on the PC.

 

[Montrovant]

My old duo-core would play that with no problem.
I keep tellin' ya, you need a new computer.........
Or add a 1 gig (minimum) graphics card.

I had my computer built to my specs one year ago and it has 8megs ram and a 1 gig video gforce card.
But the processor is only 3.2 gig intel and it is clearly the problem. What is worse I just checked the system requirements and I will not be able to play doom 4 either. CURSES, CURSES.

Clearly you meant 8 gigs of RAM.

You should check what kind of chip your motherboard can handle. It might not cost that much to upgrade if it will help and you don't want to put together a whole new machine.

Depends on how old his mobo is, the way he was talking before it's really old original DDR 1 technology, no hyper-threading or crossfire. If the case is fine, his PS is 450Watts and above, his optical player is good and his HHD is good he can upgrade with a $50 mobo, a $100 AMD quad core, a 2GB graphics card for around $60 and 8GBs ddr3 RAM for around $80, under $300 max.

I got an FX6300 6-core for $100 when I put my PC together. I think it is still around that price on amazon or newegg. My video card is only a 1GB but it uses DDR5, which I had read might be more important for performance than extra RAM. It was around $60. I got an 8G stick of DDR3 for about $45 I think.

I've always gotten AMD. There isn't enough difference between AMD and Intel to spend the extra IMO.

People try to compare AMD to Intel based on how Intel processors work, AMD works differently but even so Intel currently has the speed advantage but not by much.

I like to find more general testing if I'm looking at a comparison. Give me a couple of games, show the framerate, let me know if there is any noticeable degradation in performance between whatever the latest chip for each company is, things of that nature. Like anything PC, there will be vocal purists for each side.

 

[blackhawk]

 

[Ringel05]

I have made a decision. I am not going to upgrade my computer until next spring, when doom 4 is released.
By that time intel i7 processors might have come down in price. In any case I have other games to play.
So I will have to put 'wolfenstein the old blood' on one side until next year.

Save up your money and for around $600 (just under 400 GBP) you can have an awesome AMD gaming machine.

With the decline of games for personal computers I am wondering if it is worth the money. I might take a look at playstation and xbox games to see if the games I want are on them. If I got one of those consoles I could connect it to my 32 inch 3D TV and play the games in 3D.
Of course I could connect my computer to the TV but it would be awkward to operate from a chair using a keyboard and mouse. I have a 19 inch LCD monitor, and I sit at a desk to use my computer.

You could always get a controller for your PC. I would imagine you can get a wireless controller that is very similar to either an XBox or Playstation controller for many PC games, then play on the TV.

I consider the PC purchase well worth it, but I spend an inordinate amount of time on the PC.

The Xbox controller is considered one of the best for PC use.

 

[Ringel05]

Was bad today...... made a pot roast....... with lots of gravy.......

My idea of cooking a meal is a tin of spaghetti and a tin of stewed steak. Mostly I eat chicken salads.

I often do quick meals, fry up some chicken breasts or thighs and heat up some frozen veggies in the microwave. Another easy one is a cook up a tube of breakfast sausage, add frozen green beans and whatever seasoning you like. Quick and easy.
Then there's always cheap hotdogs cut up into a can of pork and beans with diced onions and hot sauce.
(I add a little molasses, brown sugar and ketchup).

 

[blackhawk]

 

[blackhawk]

 

[Dajjal]

Well, its 5.40 in the morning and I could not sleep for thinking about how it would cost me about £500 to upgrade my computer just to play a couple of games. Then it occurred to me to try tweaking the settings of the video card. So I got up and reduced the definition of the screen and blow me, it works. I now seem to be able to play 'Wolfenstein the old blood' I hope the same trick works on Doom 4 when it comes out, if so I will not have to upgrade for some time.
I was also considering trying to overclock my processor, but that's a little scary.

 

[Dajjal]

Was bad today...... made a pot roast....... with lots of gravy.......

My idea of cooking a meal is a tin of spaghetti and a tin of stewed steak. Mostly I eat chicken salads.

I often do quick meals, fry up some chicken breasts or thighs and heat up some frozen veggies in the microwave. Another easy one is a cook up a tube of breakfast sausage, add frozen green beans and whatever seasoning you like. Quick and easy.
Then there's always cheap hotdogs cut up into a can of pork and beans with diced onions and hot sauce.
(I add a little molasses, brown sugar and ketchup).

Before I switched to heating tinned food I used to make omelettes, but I have gone off them lately.

 

[gallantwarrior]

Back in March I mentioned resigning from our local airport advisory committee. I cited several reason in my letter of resignation, most of them pointing to an uncooperative airport manger. I happened to read a local newspaper the other day and found an article talking about the airport manager's firing and what the reasons for his dismal were. No one would give a reason, but apparently reference was given to my letter and all of what I had stated has been revealed to be factual. On the one hand I feel vindicated about my decision to leave the board and write the resignation letter. I feel some good can come out of my frustration. On the other hand I am saddened the manager could not change for his own benefit.

We all have a voice. Not many use that voice. Thank you for making a difference!

 

[gallantwarrior]

I've been watching the weather news down Ringel's way. Hope it isn't too torrential. Since our close call earlier this year, and seeing all the devastation in other parts of the country, I'm watching weather in other places lots more closely.
I'm planning on ordering a pair of draw knives. I want to build a pole barn next summer to house my goats when I move to my "country" place permanently. The price of lumber the size I need it is outrageous. BINGO! I have 200 acres of birch and spruce trees. There's almost an acre's worth of birch stacked and seasoned. So I figure, pole barn needs poles, I'll skin and trim the requisite trees into poles and use those. Cheap if one discounts the sweat equity in such a project. And, if I get this University job, I'll have a couple of months to work on this project (among others). So, I meet my partner for breakfast this morning and start to tell him my plan. Well, first, that's too much work. So I offer to find someone who will mill the lumber...what am I, made of money?!! So one plan is too much work (work I will be doing, mind you) and the other plan costs too much. And this from a guy who just blew a couple thousand dollars buying a snow machine neither of us will use! Oh, F**k him! I've ordered the draw knives and will be working as often as possible on my barn. I'm also smart enough to rent a post hole digger for the poles, unlike ass-man, who would rather dig them by hand.
Shit, I wish I could marry this ass so I could file for divorce the very next week! Getting rid of business partners seems a tad more problematic than "firing" domestic partners.
Thanks for letting me vent. You guys are gems.

I just got rid of someone who was both. Thankfully I only had t buy her out of Doc's.

I've offered to both buy out the partner or let him buy me out. Unfortunately, he is smart enough to realize how much of a good thing he has...
On the plus side, he stormed off in a snit this evening instead of inflicting his oh-so-charming (NOT!!) self on me at my place. He makes it sound like I never care for one animal. I have to LMAO, though. He was bitching about one of his useless shit-makers having a swollen jaw. Well, until I showed him that his wunnerful pet only had a cheek full of "chaw". (Goats will keep a cud in their cheek.)

 

[gallantwarrior]

I got the cherry. What I got, was 30 planks 7.5 feet long, 6" wide and about 1 1/4 inch thick plus 2 7.5' x 14 wide x 1.25 thick pieces or about 125 board feet when jointed and planed.
It's worth at least 4 times what I paid for it.
I also got another 20 BF of 6 and 8 quarter white oak. Damn! it's some good looking wood I think the oak will become rails for a dining room table and chairs that I will make out of the cherry.

SCORE!!!

 

[gallantwarrior]

The wife goes in Wednesday for a possible full knee replacement. They were thinking it would only be a partial but after the CT Scan they're not so sure, the Doc will make an inter-operative decision once he's able to see it with his own eyes.

OMG! That sounds complicated...and painful!

 

[gallantwarrior]

I finally completed and submitted my application for the full professorship open at the University. While changing jobs, schedules and all things related will be stressful, I'm still crossing my hooks. Since I've been doing the job as an adjunct for 15 years and meet all but two of the qualifications, I'd like to think I have this pretty much sown up. With luck, I'll be hired and assigned my classes for next semester with enough time to develop my courses. I'm so nervous!!

 

[Ringel05]

The wife goes in Wednesday for a possible full knee replacement. They were thinking it would only be a partial but after the CT Scan they're not so sure, the Doc will make an inter-operative decision once he's able to see it with his own eyes.

OMG! That sounds complicated...and painful!

Not really complicated these days, actually quite routine but yes it's painful. They've come a long way with it, in the "old days" they would literally replace the knee with a whole new section, now it's much less drastic. Here's what a full replacement looks like;

The parts are rated for 28 years with average usage, obviously less with heavy usage like serious sports competition, running, etc.
A partial would be only one side which is what they (and we) are hoping for but if the medial (inside) is also bad enough they'll do the whole thing because she's young enough that they don't want to have to go back in a couple of years down the road and redo it all.
It's what I need for both knees........ Mine are in much worse shape than hers but I have to wait for the VA to finally approve it........ They'll try everything else first including waiting for me to die before they have to do it........

 

[ChrisL]

The wife goes in Wednesday for a possible full knee replacement. They were thinking it would only be a partial but after the CT Scan they're not so sure, the Doc will make an inter-operative decision once he's able to see it with his own eyes.

OMG! That sounds complicated...and painful!

Not really complicated these days, actually quite routine but yes it's painful. They've come a long way with it, in the "old days" they would literally replace the knee with a whole new section, now it's much less drastic. Here's what a full replacement looks like;

The parts are rated for 28 years with average usage, obviously less with heavy usage like serious sports competition, running, etc.
A partial would be only one side which is what they (and we) are hoping for but if the medial (inside) is also bad enough they'll do the whole thing because she's young enough that they don't want to have to go back in a couple of years down the road and redo it all.
It's what I need for both knees........ Mine are in much worse shape than hers but I have to wait for the VA to finally approve it........ They'll try everything else first including waiting for me to die before they have to do it........

Are they going to wait until you're in a wheelchair and have lost mobility? WTH is wrong with them? I find this kind of thing to be very aggravating, and there are no excuses.

 

[ChrisL]

Was bad today...... made a pot roast....... with lots of gravy.......

My idea of cooking a meal is a tin of spaghetti and a tin of stewed steak. Mostly I eat chicken salads.

I often do quick meals, fry up some chicken breasts or thighs and heat up some frozen veggies in the microwave. Another easy one is a cook up a tube of breakfast sausage, add frozen green beans and whatever seasoning you like. Quick and easy.
Then there's always cheap hotdogs cut up into a can of pork and beans with diced onions and hot sauce.
(I add a little molasses, brown sugar and ketchup).

A regular gourmet chef, you are! You guys and your microwave cooking!

 

[ChrisL]

Oh, I almost forgot to say Happy Tuesday, coffee shop friends!

 

[Ernie S.]

Tuesday, huh? That means 2nd shift for me today. I may or may not head in to open, but if I do, I'll be back here by 3 and as usual, unsuccessfully try to take a nap before heading back for 8PM to 4 AM.