Info and forum posts by 'xfg'

RE: Police on streets after rioting

The furniture shop fire is horrifying.

RE: E-Petitions - Democracy In Action Or Cranks` Forum?

In 2008 when the people of California voted in the presidental election they also voted for propsition 8: whether to change the law to take away the right to same sex marriage. Over 50% of the votes were to do so (which was the requirement, in some other states the requirement is 2/3 majority to change a law). Other states also voted to "save marriage" by defining it as man+woman only.

More direct control is something I would want us to have: if there were fewer bigoted/selfish/stupid people.

I want MPs who will do the right thing <pause for laughter>, not necessarily the popular thing.

RE: Dear Ed: how come it says "Newbie" under my little picture?!

Yep.

RE: The worse week of my life.....

So sorry to what has been happening, Pat.

My thoughts are with you and yours.

RE: IE IQ QED

Snaps, there`s a freeware program that allows you to unlock/take ownership of files when Windows is being a pain: Unlocker.

I tried it because a folder wouldn`t let me delete it, Unlocker didn`t actually help in that case but it was straightforward to use (ended up deleting the file OK in Safe Mode).

This item was edited on Wednesday, 3rd August 2011, 23:25

RE: Content ripping `to be legalised`

Quote:
However, the law change WON`T allow you to make several physical copies of a CD and give them to your relatives (even your grandmother). It`ll still be `one purchase, one owner`,
It says here that it will mean you can share with immediate family members (but doesn`t specify about if they have to live in the same home like the BBC report didn`t).

RE: Content ripping `to be legalised`

Am I right in thinking that when a retailer sells a 2nd hand CD or DVD, the copyright owner gets no royalties? Doesn`t 2nd hand prevent a sale as much as a person ripping a CD for their own use? (Or copying a CD/MP3 folder for a friend for that matter) Maybe we`re just lucky they`ve not decided to crack down on 2nd hand during the time that copying for personal use has been illegal!

The most interesting part of this law change to me is that it`ll be legal to copy/rip CDs and give them to family members (unsure if this actually means within the same household. I bet they`ll make sure not everyone you share a 25th-great-grandmother with counts as "family" ;) ).

This item was edited on Wednesday, 3rd August 2011, 19:16

RE: Bomb strapped to woman.

I hope it`s an attention-seeking hoax. :(

It reminds me of that pizza delivery man from about 8 or 9 years ago who was "forced" to hold up a bank with a bomb round his neck (the bomb exploded). It turned out afterwards that he was in on the robbery.

RE: Breaking Bad Season 4

I absolutely love it, I`m glad I finally bought s1 on DVD and then actually got round to watching it. :) Saul is my favourite character, then Jesse.

I was reading today that there`s renewal hassles atm with the network. I was sure I`d already read that s5 was a done deal, but maybe that was actually saying that the cast are contracted for s5.

RE: IE IQ QED

Every time I apply Windows updates I have to untick IE9. Do. Not. Want.

RE: Missing in Action since Login Change

Nevermind. :)

This item was edited on Tuesday, 2nd August 2011, 18:17

RE: First go at Tiltshift

Looks good. Next do Tiltshift animation! :)

RE: Blank Media

I`ve bought the 100 gold Maxell ones in the funny stick case for the last couple of years and have never had any issues (apart from when my burner was failing). I always have Nero verify the burn and then check the data myself before I delete the files off my hard drive (check usually consisting of opening/playing a few random files).

Previous to that I always used Datawrite ones, my favs being the pastel ones without any writing on them. I`ve never been too picky (or knowledgable) about brands and dyes - I hope I don`t discover that the data has died off the older ones!

This item was edited on Tuesday, 2nd August 2011, 18:10

RE: DVD reviewer 6 Monthly Roll call & name change update

Me:
Quote:

Joined on: Tuesday, 4th December 2001, 13:04, which was 9 years, 7 months 2 days ago
You Have: Posted a total of 8030 messages. On average, since joining, this user has posted 2.28 messages a day, or 15.93 messages a week. In the last 30 days, this user has posted 7 messages, which is on average 0.23 messages a day.

Ouch: I used to like to have it at about 1,000 posts per year. I wonder if I can make it up to that average by next year... :)

I can`t believe it`s been nearly 10 years. I do have accounts older than this one though (IMDb is one).

RE: VirginMedia contract - what would you do?

Salesman said the contract is wrong and then rang customer services himself to query it, they verified that the original agreememt was what`s showing on the account, and the store manager then said he`d vouch for us if there was a billing issue (I added all this to the letter). But he wasn`t allowed to put it in writing. :(

So I`ll just have to keep my fingers crossed that it`s all OK when the bill comes in the next week or so. It`s spoiling the excitement of getting Tivo!

It does look really good, and it was easy to use when I had a play in the shop. The only thing that I`m not happy about in the spec is that you can`t set reminders on it, only recordings. It outputs in 14:9, I think the TV (CRT) can manage that, apparently the picture through Scart isn`t fantastic, but it`s not like we`ll have this TV forever.

RE: VirginMedia contract - what would you do?

Thanks, have written them a letter. Hopefully I get a response.

I`m going to take a copy to town and see if the VM shop will add a note to it or something.

RE: Missing in Action since Login Change

I`m here, I remembered reading about the login change after only 2 tries logging in in the old way. :)

VirginMedia contract - what would you do?

Last month my mum and I decided to get Tivo so she could keep the existing box for her bedroom (Freeview reception is dire and this is a cheaper option than a new aerial).

The man in the shop said it would be just an extra £3 per month as it`s free to keep the original box.

The contract arrived and the price is £12 extra instead (£3 of which is Tivo, £9 is incorrectly billing for the additional box). The contract doesn`t have to be returned, but it does have to be signed and kept.

I rang up to challenge it last Tuesday, and the customer service agent said that on his screen it definitely showed the correct price (+£3). I asked for this in writing and he said he`d send a printout of his billing screen (still waiting). I rang again on Thursday and asked for an actual revised contract instead (not arrived either), and again an advisor said he`d do this and that the bill was correct on his screen. He said the reason for the error is that the system shows we don`t currently have a TV service, even though it states we do on the contract and lists "additional box discount" (without taking any money off the total).

So now the contract started from today, installation is Thursday.

I want to go back to the shop to ask for something in writing, but is that worth it (ie worth it to go ahead and let them install it) or should the whole agreement just be cancelled and then try again?

RE: Mum & Dad

I thought it was quite good, but was miles out of my comfort zone (as it was intended of course, whereas I barely flinched at all at Martyrs). I agree that the escape is too easy and quick, but I probably couldn`t have taken it if it had been less so! In comparison: Funny Games (both versions) is probably closest feelings-wise for me, but I thought the ending to that was just right.

RE: did you miss me?

Quote:
Someone tell xfilesgurly we miss her.
I`ve missed you all too. :)  I never meant to be away, but various dramas intervened and I just used FB a bit, but wasn`t really up to joining in on my sites, even my online home. :(  (Short version: lengthy bad patches with my ME, and also took a burglary v badly last summer)

Snaps pointed me to this post and hopefully I`ll be around, I certainly intend to be and never intended to be away. :):)

This item was edited on Friday, 15th July 2011, 20:36

RE: Would you pay £600 for a toy car you had to make yourself, but actually can`t for another 9 year

It`s less than 20cm wide!

Regardless of size I was looking at how it could be separated out (ie regardless of size the outer part of a door, minus handle or window, is 1 piece) and was struggling to get to into the 50s. Every miniscule bit of the engine and interior is going to come separately.

RE: Would you pay £600 for a toy car you had to make yourself, but actually can`t for another 9 year

Surely there aren`t enough bits involved in that model to spread over 85 issues. Even if some weeks you just get one tiny little "light" it`s not enough.

RE: eBay user ID issue

Didn`t expect eBay to be helpful and/or able to contact a human... :) I used Live Chat about an hour ago, the man/robot confirmed that the account name is valid and said to try clearing the cache/cookies and it didn`t help. He said he`s forwarded my problem on to the next level of techs and to try to reset the password again tonight.

eBay user ID issue

I haven`t used eBay in a really long time, and have no idea of my password. I filled in the password recovery form, including my user ID, and it sent me a recovery link to my email; but when I click on it it asks for the ID again as the first step and then refuses to believe my ID exists!

I`ve clicked "I`ve forgotten my user ID" and it sends me that ID in an email. I`ve checked my feedback URL and the account does still exist.

WTF, etc.

This is the exact error:
"The User ID you entered is invalid. If you have forgotten your User ID, look it up here"

It does the same thing in FF, IE, and Opera.

Going by Google it seems only 2 people have had this problem, but the answers they were given didn`t apply.

Any ideas?

If I have to sign up for a new account, can I use the same Paypal account?

RE: Am I the only person to find Avatar....

It was pretty, but that`s it. I *hated* the arsehole blue cat people and was cheering on the "bad guys". I`ve got some strange looks for admitting that.

RE: Christmas TV Opinions

I barely stayed awake for any telly.

Doctor Who didn`t hold my attention at all. I watched it on iPlayer and was mostly surfing in other tabs the whole way through. I`m really looking forward to the new season though.

Peep Show was great, I`ve really enjoyed this season.

The Royle Family was good but not as good as last year. (I think last year was round at Dave and Denise`s with the turkey in the bath, not the camping, unless it was both?)

Was anyone else disappointed that Wallace and Grommit were on the front of the Radio Times but there wasn`t a new one?

This item was edited on Tuesday, 28th December 2010, 20:38

RE: Merry Christmas To You All......

Merry Christmas everyone. :):)

RE: Radio 4 Comedy Series

I really recommend Laura Solon`s "Talking and Not Talking" which is a sketch show.

Quote:
I rather like Bleak Expectations. I think it`s another one that`s soon to be ported over to telly.

I don`t like that idea. :(

RE: AntiVirus test reports 2010/Q3

God that sucks. I have MSE and Avast running and I`ve been happy with both.

On the Win 7 table MSE gets 4/6 for protection and 4.5 for repair. Avast gets 3.5 and 4. The best on 7 is Panda which is 5.5 and 5.5.

Has anyone here had problems while running MSE?

RE: UK Autumn shows

Quote:


In the UK?? i cant remember watching less tv ever, and i am a tv junkie....seriously bad

Same here. Right now I`m down to QI, Inbetweeners, Mock The Week, Channel 4 News and Question Time.