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  • Double Edge
    replied
    Originally posted by Oracle View Post
    I can't find more information about the display, if it is TN or IPS. Anyway, my basic purpose is solved. My cousin downloaded Infinity War from somewhere and wanted to see it my my Macbook. Shouted him out of the house. :D
    https://www.notebookcheck.net/Apple-....230010.0.html


    Seems what you are saying is true, although I read sometime earlier that Karnataka's grid wasn't connected to the Surplus Central grid. Piyal Goyal (as Power Minister) did say that Karnataka can buy more coal and speed up power generation, Shivakumar didn't follow it through. Congress is all talk, no action. Does it take 5 years to make the grid capable of being connected to the Central grid and draw power?
    Same article with Piyush says transmission capacity isn't sufficient. The electricity company is a cash cow and the profits are skimmed off for other purposes. Thing is BJP isn't any better, they had a term but that ended in acrimony


    Not digging up of late. It's almost a decade old observation. And it's corruption. I can't believe the Engineers in various departments don't talk to each other, if they don't, they should. It's taxpayers money after all. Corruption rules India.
    Oh! you mean building a road that isn't to spec and having to rebuild it again in a couple of years if not later because they got the job by under bidding. They don't talk to each other because they don't know when the funds will be available and when they are they rush to finish the job. There is no coordination.

    With the Tender SURE project the corporators howled because specs had to be followed and the bidding process was transparent. The roads built under this project are good they just take close to a year to complete
    Last edited by Double Edge; 18 May 18,, 12:40.

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  • Oracle
    replied
    Originally posted by Double Edge View Post
    Yes, its a type of LCD screen tech. The other is IPS and variants thereof. Primary difference is TN can't get as bright and has poorer viewing angles. If you use you screen head on as usual there won't be much of an issue. It's when viewing from an angle that colour shifts and brightness varies unlike with IPS. So if there were people sitting either side of you the colour and brightness will vary than if viewing head on.

    The slam is Apple hasn't replaced the TN panel with IPS but till charges or did charge a grand for the Air when it came out last year
    I can't find more information about the display, if it is TN or IPS. Anyway, my basic purpose is solved. My cousin downloaded Infinity War from somewhere and wanted to see it my my Macbook. Shouted him out of the house. :D

    Originally posted by Double Edge View Post
    We are connected to the grid bur apparently we don't have the transmission capacity to utilise central power which means the end result is its as if we weren't connected to the central grid.
    Seems what you are saying is true, although I read sometime earlier that Karnataka's grid wasn't connected to the Surplus Central grid. Piyal Goyal (as Power Minister) did say that Karnataka can buy more coal and speed up power generation, Shivakumar didn't follow it through. Congress is all talk, no action. Does it take 5 years to make the grid capable of being connected to the Central grid and draw power?

    Originally posted by Double Edge View Post
    Boiling is fine or even if it went through an Aquaguard. Nobody boils, Aquaguard is about it if there is one. Viruses cannot survive for long outside a living organism. Bacteria however are capable of surviving quite well. Boiling will get rid of most of them i'm not sure about ice though.
    Ice probably won't kill all. Still it's better if ice is not mixed, specially for western tourists. Normal mango milk shake should be fine.

    Originally posted by Double Edge View Post
    He's a provisional CM for the next couple of weeks unless he can pass the floor test

    The digging up of late is because they are laying gas lines. So after that is finished some one else shows up to lay electric lines. The result is some areas are difficult to cross for many weeks on end.
    Not digging up of late. It's almost a decade old observation. And it's corruption. I can't believe the Engineers in various departments don't talk to each other, if they don't, they should. It's taxpayers money after all. Corruption rules India.

    Originally posted by Double Edge View Post
    The part about it raining for days on end is the surprise.
    Yeah. Morning 4:40 AM, there was a loud noise and off went electricity, I thought the transformer got kaput. Found out just now, that a pigeon got fried, and electricity came after like 2 hours. Not so backward as I thought. :D
    Last edited by Oracle; 18 May 18,, 05:39.

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  • Double Edge
    replied
    Originally posted by Oracle View Post
    TN?
    Yes, its a type of LCD screen tech. The other is IPS and variants thereof. Primary difference is TN can't get as bright and has poorer viewing angles. If you use you screen head on as usual there won't be much of an issue. It's when viewing from an angle that colour shifts and brightness varies unlike with IPS. So if there were people sitting either side of you the colour and brightness will vary than if viewing head on.

    The slam is Apple hasn't replaced the TN panel with IPS but till charges or did charge a grand for the Air when it came out last year

    Karnataka's main problem is the corrupt Congress government under Sidda. Karnataka is not connected to the Central grid, hence the power shortage, plus as you mentioned no private players.
    We are connected to the grid bur apparently we don't have the transmission capacity to utilise central power which means the end result is its as if we weren't connected to the central grid.

    Germs don't survive below 0 & above 100 degrees. So, either boil water or freeze it. Not sure for the below zero thing. Read an article or watched a video where the argument was that ice was melting in the Antarctic and hence pre-historic bacteria/viruses which were once dormant and kinda buried, are coming back to life. Zombies might be there in the future afterall.
    Boiling is fine or even if it went through an Aquaguard. Nobody boils, Aquaguard is about it if there is one. Viruses cannot survive for long outside a living organism. Bacteria however are capable of surviving quite well. Boiling will get rid of most of them i'm not sure about ice though.


    Every summer maintenance work happens in Bangalore. It never finishes. How will it? Every year, with every government contract those assholes grease their palms. If you look closely, you'd notice. For e.g., after people scream and shout, a tar road would be built in a locality, after some weeks some government agency will dig it up and put wires in, another contract to repair the road, then sewage department will dig it up, and bleh and bleh. It's a continuing circle of corruption.

    I take the Central government seriously (not all), but Yeddy is corrupt. But do expect some changes in the infrastructure front, if he can be the CM and keep it together.
    He's a provisional CM for the next couple of weeks unless he can pass the floor test

    The digging up of late is because they are laying gas lines. So after that is finished some one else shows up to lay electric lines. The result is some areas are difficult to cross for many weeks on end.


    Internet is very slow, so will watch the video later. But, only in Cherrapunji and Mawsynram, there is like 24*365 rains, not every place. Monsoon is shit, this I have to say. I don't know, why NE tourism doesn't get promoted as "Come and enjoy disaster floods, hurricanes and landslides", or in a more serious note "Monsoon Tourism". Will be great for writers, novelists and such getting trapped in a resort/hotel and doing his work amid all the rains and zero noise. Food is good too depending upon tastebuds. Dog, barking deer, soft-shell tortoise, ghost pepper and the likes. For vegetarians there are some good options too like broiler chicken, eggs and fish.
    The part about it raining for days on end is the surprise.
    Last edited by Double Edge; 17 May 18,, 23:08.

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  • Oracle
    replied
    Originally posted by Ironduke View Post
    Firang, perhaps, in Indian English. I've seen it spelt farang, fereng, ferengi, faranj, etc. The pronunciations changed as the word was brought eastward by Arab travelers to lands further east.

    Of course, it is common knowledge that the term derives from the Franks and the country of Francia (aka Frankland, Frankreich, Regnum Francorum, etc.)

    Depending on the place, anywhere from a few hundred years to over a thousand years later, one day these savage people the Arab merchants and missionaries warned them about, showed up in their tall ships.

    And we're still dealing with a lot of the repercussions across the world that goes back to when the Farangs discovered oceanic travel via tall ship, and started showing up places they weren't welcome. :-)
    Thanks, didn't know about these connect. I don't get the humour though. Where did they start showing up?

    Leave a comment:


  • Oracle
    replied
    Originally posted by Double Edge View Post
    Ok so this is a Mac book Air from 2017 but with older specs. The screen gets a lot of criticism from reviewers but if you're coming from a TN screen then it won't be as bad.

    The battery life, extra ports, keyboard and price for you are pro's. This Air has a normal keyboard so you should be fine. I was referring to the 2016 Pro's onwards that leave you feeling as if you're tapping on a flat surface with no give.
    TN?

    Originally posted by Double Edge View Post
    One change that would help matters is extra competition. Bombay has private players and they never have power cuts. Nobody has a UPS there, it isn't required. Karnataka has just the state company and it overcharges compared to cost of power generated or so AAP claims. Buggers just increased tariffs retroactive from April. Where the extra goes is anybody's guess but it isn't being used to add capacity. Similar with Delhi and water as well.
    Karnataka's main problem is the corrupt Congress government under Sidda. Karnataka is not connected to the Central grid, hence the power shortage, plus as you mentioned no private players.

    Originally posted by Double Edge View Post
    I'm always uncertain about the water used to make ice so i tend to have it mixed with milk or ice cream instead. Fruit juices are the best thing to have in hot weather.
    Germs don't survive below 0 & above 100 degrees. So, either boil water or freeze it. Not sure for the below zero thing. Read an article or watched a video where the argument was that ice was melting in the Antarctic and hence pre-historic bacteria/viruses which were once dormant and kinda buried, are coming back to life. Zombies might be there in the future afterall.

    Originally posted by Double Edge View Post
    Will be getting one soon, 2kVA, 24V, two tall 180AH C10 tubulars of the heaviest dry weight i can find. All i need to find now is a lab water supplier for distilled water. I don't trust the stuff sold in petrol bunks.

    The power went out for over 4h the other day, this is a rare once or twice a year thing when they have some unplanned outage but it can happen at any time. This will be the first time i have a UPS, i've usually managed with rechargeable emergency lights before. Don't know if i take BJP's promise for 24h electricity seriously or not
    Every summer maintenance work happens in Bangalore. It never finishes. How will it? Every year, with every government contract those assholes grease their palms. If you look closely, you'd notice. For e.g., after people scream and shout, a tar road would be built in a locality, after some weeks some government agency will dig it up and put wires in, another contract to repair the road, then sewage department will dig it up, and bleh and bleh. It's a continuing circle of corruption.

    I take the Central government seriously (not all), but Yeddy is corrupt. But do expect some changes in the infrastructure front, if he can be the CM and keep it together.

    Internet is very slow, so will watch the video later. But, only in Cherrapunji and Mawsynram, there is like 24*365 rains, not every place. Monsoon is shit, this I have to say. I don't know, why NE tourism doesn't get promoted as "Come and enjoy disaster floods, hurricanes and landslides", or in a more serious note "Monsoon Tourism". Will be great for writers, novelists and such getting trapped in a resort/hotel and doing his work amid all the rains and zero noise. Food is good too depending upon tastebuds. Dog, barking deer, soft-shell tortoise, ghost pepper and the likes. For vegetarians there are some good options too like broiler chicken, eggs and fish.

    Leave a comment:


  • Ironduke
    replied
    Originally posted by Oracle View Post
    It's firang. And I totally understand being from the hills myself, how you might have felt Indian summer. Summer would be 25 degrees with cool winds all day, and nights would be a little chilly. Winter was chilly, no snowfall, but cold. During monsoons it would rain non-stop for like 3-4 days, and when respite from the rains came, people would flock to the market to get their supplies. I like cold weather, not frozen. Pullovers, sweaters, are my thing. Winter was also the time to eat a lot of tribal pork curry (pig head), goat head, with lots of very hot chillies, ginger, garlic and gin.
    Firang, perhaps, in Indian English. I've seen it spelt farang, fereng, ferengi, faranj, etc. The pronunciations changed as the word was brought eastward by Arab travelers to lands further east.

    Of course, it is common knowledge that the term derives from the Franks and the country of Francia (aka Frankland, Frankreich, Regnum Francorum, etc.)

    Depending on the place, anywhere from a few hundred years to over a thousand years later, one day these savage barbarian people the Arab merchants and missionaries warned them about, showed up in their tall ships.

    And we're still dealing with a lot of the repercussions across the world that goes back to when the Farangs discovered oceanic travel via tall ship, and started showing up places they weren't welcome. :-)
    Last edited by Ironduke; 17 May 18,, 19:49.

    Leave a comment:


  • Double Edge
    replied
    Originally posted by Oracle View Post
    High Sierra. This is a 2017 model, which I got for a 21% discount. Priced INR 77,200, got it at INR 61,000. With the JBL ear-phone and the Sony 32GB USB, it cost me 64K. Steal, as I see it.

    Good point about travel, I like it coz it's 1.3 kgs. Don't even feel the weight. Good for mobility. 13.3 inches HD screen.

    Don't understand why I am unable to see the pics I just attached. Will look into it later.
    Ok so this is a Mac book Air from 2017 but with older specs. The screen gets a lot of criticism from reviewers but if you're coming from a TN screen then it won't be as bad.

    The battery life, extra ports, keyboard and price for you are pro's. This Air has a normal keyboard so you should be fine. I was referring to the 2016 Pro's onwards that leave you feeling as if you're tapping on a flat surface with no give.

    Originally posted by Oracle View Post
    What DE and ID have already said, I will add some points. The power infrastructure is a British legacy. It runs on maintenance courtesy Chinese equipments. Very inferior products. So there are distribution losses. Not enough electricity generation, though the current BJP government is trying to address this issue. Solar getting big is due to environmental issues, plus the additional MWs of power generated. Electricity theft, mainly in North India, but happens everywhere. During rains/storm/monsoon, the outage is due to tress falling into live wires and people getting electrocuted. Though so far, the outages I have experienced is nothing compared to what was 2 decades back - for every 1 hr or power, the next hr would be an unplanned outage. I faced the same in NCR back in the summer of 2006/07. Beers in the fridge made life less miserable. Keeping oneself hydrated is very important, so that people don't have sunstroke.
    One change that would help matters is extra competition. Bombay has private players and they never have power cuts. Nobody has a UPS there, it isn't required. Karnataka has just the state company and it overcharges compared to cost of power generated or so AAP claims. Buggers just increased tariffs retroactive from April. Where the extra goes is anybody's guess but it isn't being used to add capacity. Similar with Delhi and water as well.

    Originally posted by Oracle View Post
    Good and an important point. Small 'fruit juice' stalls (freshly made mango/watermelon/lemon/apple etc) can be found all over India. During summer, people should have 1 glass of juice every 2 hrs if they are outside. Summer in India is treacherous, and the maximum street prices of the juices are 30 cents and less. And, they mix crushed ice too, if people so desire.
    I'm always uncertain about the water used to make ice so i tend to have it mixed with milk or ice cream instead. Fruit juices are the best thing to have in hot weather.

    Originally posted by Oracle View Post
    We have an inverter. Lights and fans are on during outages. But can't connect Laptop, those points aren't connected to the inverted connection. This is where battery backup comes handy.

    Bangalore is hot during Mar-May, then monsoon showers cool it down. A fan is okay.
    Will be getting one soon, 2kVA, 24V, two tall 180AH C10 tubulars of the heaviest dry weight i can find. All i need to find now is a lab water supplier for distilled water. I don't trust the stuff sold in petrol bunks.

    The power went out for over 4h the other day, this is a rare once or twice a year thing when they have some unplanned outage but it can happen at any time. This will be the first time i have a UPS, i've usually managed with rechargeable emergency lights before. Don't know if i take BJP's promise for 24h electricity seriously or not

    Originally posted by Oracle View Post
    Come visit NE. It rained for 4 days continously. Lucky me, I stacked up on smoke and booze. :D
    Yesterday was sunny, humid and hot, but it rained again in the evening. I'd say for a tropical country, heavy downpours are a blessing in disguise. I like my weather cool. Today all I see is overcast sky. Not much heat.
    Never stops raining in the NE, heaviest in the world

    https://youtu.be/gWZuj-W62gc
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOH_kO4DGtI
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoNShvRPj5U
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2EmO691nY8
    Last edited by Double Edge; 15 May 18,, 23:38.

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  • Oracle
    replied
    Originally posted by Ironduke View Post
    They're even more atrocious for a gora/farang like me. When it is 45-50 degrees Fahrenheit out, I sleep with both windows open covered only by a bedsheet. I prefer late fall and cold winter weather, dressed in wool and fur, even though it looks ridiculous to the macaroni fancy dandy types dressed only in light coats because of fashion. I have no problem being out in temperatures of -50F.

    Anything over 80F, I go into torpor and drink beverages idly, or pursue hobbies that can be done idly or semi-idly.
    It's firang. And I totally understand being from the hills myself, how you might have felt Indian summer. Summer would be 25 degrees with cool winds all day, and nights would be a little chilly. Winter was chilly, no snowfall, but cold. During monsoons it would rain non-stop for like 3-4 days, and when respite from the rains came, people would flock to the market to get their supplies. I like cold weather, not frozen. Pullovers, sweaters, are my thing. Winter was also the time to eat a lot of tribal pork curry (pig head), goat head, with lots of very hot chillies, ginger, garlic and gin.

    Leave a comment:


  • Ironduke
    replied
    Originally posted by Oracle View Post
    Good and an important point. Small 'fruit juice' stalls (freshly made mango/watermelon/lemon/apple etc) can be found all over India. During summer, people should have 1 glass of juice every 2 hrs if they are outside. Summer in India is treacherous, and the maximum street prices of the juices are 30 cents and less. And, they mix crushed ice too, if people so desire.
    They're even more atrocious for a gora/farang like me. When it is 45-50 degrees Fahrenheit out, I sleep with both windows open covered only by a bedsheet. I prefer late fall and cold winter weather, dressed in wool and fur, even though it looks ridiculous to the macaroni fancy dandy types dressed only in light coats because of fashion. I have no problem being out in temperatures of -50F.

    Anything over 80F, I go into torpor and drink beverages idly, or pursue hobbies that can be done idly or semi-idly.

    Leave a comment:


  • Oracle
    replied
    Originally posted by Ironduke View Post
    I thought it important to point out for any future tropical travelers - that sugar in the soft drinks, pressed sugar cane, juices made on the street - an absolute vital necessity.

    Sugary drinks makes Westerners living in cold climates/in AC indoor environments slow, fat, and diabetic. Whereas in tropical climes one might need 2000 cals of sugary drink a day.
    Good and an important point. Small 'fruit juice' stalls (freshly made mango/watermelon/lemon/apple etc) can be found all over India. During summer, people should have 1 glass of juice every 2 hrs if they are outside. Summer in India is treacherous, and the maximum street prices of the juices are 30 cents and less. And, they mix crushed ice too, if people so desire.
    Last edited by Oracle; 15 May 18,, 12:07.

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  • Ironduke
    replied
    Originally posted by Oracle View Post
    Keeping oneself hydrated is very important, so that people don't have sunstroke.
    I thought it important to point out for any future tropical travelers - that sugar in the soft drinks, pressed sugar cane, juices made on the street - an absolute vital necessity.

    Sugary drinks makes Westerners living in cold climates/in AC indoor environments slow, fat, and diabetic. Whereas in tropical climes one might need 2000 cals of sugary drink a day.

    Leave a comment:


  • Oracle
    replied
    Originally posted by Double Edge View Post
    So you know the deal, this is where a UPS comes in, hooked up to batteries. Though the kind of humidity you get there isn't easily handled with a fan , but can be in Bangalore which is a mile up in the sky. I rarely need an AC here. A fast moving fan is usually enough. Other parts of the state where altitude is closer to sea level and its different.

    Wading in water is due to urban sprawl often times illegal in low lying areas, that used to be tanks, lakes or ponds once upon a time.

    Coconut fronds take out wires frequently

    Anyway none of this compares to what those poor people in Puerto Rico are putting up with. Six months without electricity is crazy, could be upto a year after they get back
    We have an inverter. Lights and fans are on during outages. But can't connect Laptop, those points aren't connected to the inverted connection. This is where battery backup comes handy.

    Bangalore is hot during Mar-May, then monsoon showers cool it down. A fan is okay.

    Leave a comment:


  • Oracle
    replied
    Originally posted by SteveDaPirate View Post
    What's the deal with the power instability? Is solar getting big as a result?
    What DE and ID have already said, I will add some points. The power infrastructure is a British legacy. It runs on maintenance courtesy Chinese equipments. Very inferior products. So there are distribution losses. Not enough electricity generation, though the current BJP government is trying to address this issue. Solar getting big is due to environmental issues, plus the additional MWs of power generated. Electricity theft, mainly in North India, but happens everywhere. During rains/storm/monsoon, the outage is due to tress falling into live wires and people getting electrocuted. Though so far, the outages I have experienced is nothing compared to what was 2 decades back - for every 1 hr or power, the next hr would be an unplanned outage. I faced the same in NCR back in the summer of 2006/07. Beers in the fridge made life less miserable. Keeping oneself hydrated is very important, so that people don't have sunstroke.

    Leave a comment:


  • Oracle
    replied
    Originally posted by Ironduke View Post
    One of the nice things I like about not having AC, is that I'm forced to go outside in the summer.

    My previous residence had a front yard with a patio area of sorts, a couple nice chairs, where I could sit back, relax, and drink and vape/smoke when it was too hot to stay inside. I'd spend all day out there, alternating between 15 minutes of yard and grounds work and 30 minutes of relaxing.

    Since my current residence doesn't have that, and I'm no longer doing pro bono handyman/groundskeeping work, I'm going to spend my off-days, and probably spend an arm and a leg, on the many rooftop bars we have in Minneapolis this summer.

    I like how down South, people just sit out on that front porch all day, drinking lemonade, iced tea, and mint julips all day.

    I do wish I had a ceiling fan though.
    One of the things that tier II towns in India have are Bungalows. Not cramped for space. 2/3 storied, and that has a verandah in the front to keep one from the heat, provide shade and air. It's a relief. When it's not raining, plains in NE are very warm. It's impossible to make do without a ceiling fan. I wanted to get an AC, but then rains arrived.

    No rooftop bars here. People are nosy, bothersome and don't mind their own business. The only bars we have here are some not so nice licensed ones, where people get violent and start fighting if they had a little too much, and some shady unlicensed bars where Police can raid any moment as call-girls throng the area. I avoid both. Buy the booze, and have it in the rooftop. It's much cooler in the rooftop after sundown. I was born in the hills, and now have to make do in the plains. Life!

    Got some thick raw mango pulp, some local company makes it. Not a fan of juices or cola, but I want to try it this summer.

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  • Oracle
    replied
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