Yep. Ghosts in Machines are real.

I have witnessed it first hand multiple times.

At university there was an old 1st gen Makerbot 3D printer and if you took away one of it’s prints that were displayed around it, all of your prints would fail, even if you replaced it the printer held a grudge. And never EVER say a 100% certainty statement that the print would succeed like “it is printing ok, it will be finished in an hour”. Only say things like “the print is doing ok so far”.

The electronics lab was throwing out five old Cathode Ray Oscilloscopes so our little maker group took them in and two were working fine. The other three weren’t displaying the trace on the screen. One of our members, a chap from Romania who in his youth spent his time fixing old TVs in his home country, said to let him have a look. I swear down he plugged them in, leant his ear against it, said to the scopes “shh it’s ok, we’ll look after you”, and gave them gentle taps on top just behind the screen, and all three jumped back into life in perfect calibration.

And finally, my girlfriend at the time had a 1st gen iPod that would, at the most inopportune moments randomly wake itself up, play a few seconds of a random song, then shut itself down.

My new recipe book:

A Taste of Fire and Ice.

Just don’t expect the sequel to be released anytime soon.

Spoken like someone who hasn’t had a good roast dinner or cottage pie.

Liberals

All authoritarians left AND right. Please learn your political compass so you can have grown up conversations.

The slightly misshapen head and facial features from fetal alcohol syndrome.

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but:

It’s ok.

You took action to remedy the immediate problem. That’s a huge step.

Now you’re grieving for the current state and how it could have gotten this bad. It’s ok to cry and accept that your past self made mistakes, when you’re able to you should forgive your past self. Take as long as you need to do that.

What comes next is getting to your feet and just fix it up a little. Doesn’t have to be a lot and it won’t all get done overnight. All that’s needed is just 1% everyday. It’s ok to take a break, it’s ok to go slower, but a little progress everyday and you’ll get there.

You Linux users sure are a contentious people.

Depends if the current british owners are emotionally abusing their nephew by keeping him there.

The Akira Slide.

(Chef’s kiss)

I like to think that he forgets, keeps trying and then makes a new post about it

And the Americans give us shit for our food, the fuck is this? America, explain!

This quote has got to be up there with

“The secret ingredient is crime.”

And

“That crack is very moreish.”

I’d also like an explanation.

How the fuck are you spending 10 quid on spices?! You can get a good few for 5 at Lidl or Aldi.

Also, having been someone that poor, people in that position should understand spices and at least have a few of them because it was one of the few things that kept me going that at least my toast and tinned veg & hotdog pasta both had some flavour.

(looks at arms)

Now listen here you little shit!

Ok fair but of the choices to have buzzing near me, I’m still picking the bee every time.

John’s done being sorry.

Snape, Snape, Severus Snape.

Oh yeah pointers to pointers to pointers to pointers to pointers to pointers to pointers to pointers to pointers to pointers to pointers to pointers to pointers to pointers to pointers to pointers to a null.

Fig. 1 - Meanwhile your C programming lecturer.

McGonagall spots him, confiscates it, goes back to her office, sparks it back up and gets to ripping phat drags.