I'll start this one off: This morning I got on my scale only to find that I weigh 133.7 lbs WIN

Preparing for MGC.

I think you better get another monitor

I just wasted three weeks puting together and tearing apart a harness+pcb because I did not notice that the 'battery' indicator on my cable tester was coming on intermittently.

I took my lawnmower's engine completely apart looking for problems because I thought there was something wrong with it only to find out that apparently the gas was at too low of a level for it to work properly... Does that count?

Is there somhing wrong with it now?

Yeah, it works... when it has gas... LOL

rebuilding a G4:
put it all together only to realise it wouldn't turn on,
turned out it wasn't plugged into the wall socket...

Can't tell ya how many times I've done that.

Sorry John, I gotta try to outdo ya here...


Yep, that's a 24" iMac with 2 external monitors (one via a USB video card, which is surprisingly decent). Yeah, it's running Windows, but I was looking for a Windows box and that iMac was $65 at a university surplus sale (graphics issues, easily cured by increasing the fan speed).



There's a KVM switch in there as well that lets me switch the monitors, keyboard, and mouse to the laptop on the right. There's a little remote trigger button taped to the bottom of the keyboard tray so I can make the switch.

BTW, bonus points to anyone that can figure out what program I have on the left. Seriously, I'd be pretty impressed.

...$65?!!!?! HOLY! want want want

Apparently I should be making lingere instead of electonics.

Due to time constraints I spun my own loom using silk thread, during the demo the client could not stop fondling the wiring harness- disconnecting the sensor multiple times...

Lingerie, electronics, silk, fondling and sensors. I don't really fully understand what was going on, but it sure does sound interesting!

After shooing the client away from it after the sensor bricked I threw a bit of a tantrum, and ended up pulling the harness out and handing it to the client, who then spent the rest of the time alternating between stroking it like it were a pet and cussing their lack of self control.

I don't think it went well. The product failed to meet spec, and the rep was more embarassed than we were.
^, , >

Next time I will put the harness in a bag instead of handing it over strait away; and use connectors with some sort of retention mechanism, or substitute dental floss since the wax has a less than attractive sticky feel--no wait, mint scent.
^. . ^ I'll need to give this some thought, since fetish friendly wiring could be just the hook to hold on to an audience at tradeshows.

interesting discovery about cynao-acetate2 (liquid bandage):
Evidentally even if an hour has passed since application and the affected skin is nolonger sticky to the touch (of skin) the adhesive is still very adhesive to smooth surfaces including plastics, glass, iron and silkscreening...

2011.04.09:
Recently replaced my defective dealextreme.com Knife Sharpener with a stone far beyond "bottom of the range" that the distributor, NortonStones.com, does not acknowedge its existence.

Between this "new" 300/800 grit stone and a very badly clogged 16000 grit I've had since gradeschool I figured that I would atleast have a knife that won't snag too badly what with all the chips and curls from steady abuse.

It surprised me (in a safe controlled manner) when I went to score a template onto my work piece and the knife slipped through 2mm PET cleanly.

Hurah for regular (half assed) maintance!

2011.05.01:
Perhaps I've been overdoing it by quickly wiping the blade on the stone when I am done for the night;

While using my knife to shim open a ratchet (my tool for this is missing) I had another muscle spasm and and the knife slipped into my index finger (of the hand that was holding it) and I winced as the wound was stretched open by the back edge of the knife.

After extracting it and I inspected the work piece quickly and confirmed that there was no blood on it. I then looked at my index and noticed that there was blood dripping from my thumb. The knife spit my thumb through the nail and was sharp enough that I didn't even feel it, until I started dressing it.

Oddly enough I am making far fewer typos with an injured hand than without-- possibly because this is how I learned to type.

2011.05.13:
Just got a nasty shock from a PSU I was repairing, fortunately I had my other hand and each foot chambered over an insulated cutoff switch.

I had to open the cover to access the v-sense adjustment that I brushed against while cleaning up the flux off of the PCB.

Evidently return has a potential >> GND. There are now white spots on my left hand, which is has yet to regain feeling.

I also now understand why the factory wrapped the razor thin heat sinks under layers of electrical tape. Though I don't understand why they used so much heatsink gel that I initially mistook it for potting material.

2011.05.28
Accidentally CTRL+clicked a link in office and it locked up. Rather than lose my work, I used Cheat Engine to locate my document in memory and AXE editor to open the dead process tp save my work.

After having saved my work I tried speed hacking office it for the hell of it and it unlocked itself...