#unobtainium — Public Fediverse posts

Oh, ALSO...

One of the things brought to me was a toaster that wouldn't stay "down", but otherwise worked fine. This is a semi-common problem - I had another #toaster with the same problem at the last Repair Cafe.

And this one... the manufacturer secured the bottom base to the chassis with Torx screws (fine) ... but SECURITY Torx screws. If you're not familiar with these, they're regular Torx screws but there's a pin that sticks up in the middle of the fastener head, so regular #Torx drivers won't go into the head. You need special #drivers with a hollow bit to go over that pin.

Now, I have "security" Torx drivers because fuck you, you don't get to lock me out of something that belongs to me [1], but this is ridiculous. It's a CDN$40 two-slot toaster, not some #unobtainium magic technological wonder. It's one great "Up yours!" from the #manufacturer to the #consumer and the #environment.

Name-and-shame time: it was a Black and Decker (they can pay me if they want me to use their vanity typography to refer to them). This is another of those brand names that maybe used to mean something, but now is just marketing. There are a *lot* fewer #factories making toasters than there are brands selling toasters. They just tick boxes on an #OEM's feature list to get "their" product.

[1] It's easy to get the drivers these days, so they don't have much effect, but when they first came about almost no one had them, so it was a major pain in the ass.

#BlackAndDecker #VanityTypography

Oh, ALSO...

One of the things brought to me was a toaster that wouldn't stay "down", but otherwise worked fine. This is a semi-common problem - I had another #toaster with the same problem at the last Repair Cafe.

And this one... the manufacturer secured the bottom base to the chassis with Torx screws (fine) ... but SECURITY Torx screws. If you're not familiar with these, they're regular Torx screws but there's a pin that sticks up in the middle of the fastener head, so regular #Torx drivers won't go into the head. You need special #drivers with a hollow bit to go over that pin.

Now, I have "security" Torx drivers because fuck you, you don't get to lock me out of something that belongs to me [1], but this is ridiculous. It's a CDN$40 two-slot toaster, not some #unobtainium magic technological wonder. It's one great "Up yours!" from the #manufacturer to the #consumer and the #environment.

Name-and-shame time: it was a Black and Decker (they can pay me if they want me to use their vanity typography to refer to them). This is another of those brand names that maybe used to mean something, but now is just marketing. There are a *lot* fewer #factories making toasters than there are brands selling toasters. They just tick boxes on an #OEM's feature list to get "their" product.

[1] It's easy to get the drivers these days, so they don't have much effect, but when they first came about almost no one had them, so it was a major pain in the ass.

#BlackAndDecker #VanityTypography

Oh, ALSO...

One of the things brought to me was a toaster that wouldn't stay "down", but otherwise worked fine. This is a semi-common problem - I had another #toaster with the same problem at the last Repair Cafe.

And this one... the manufacturer secured the bottom base to the chassis with Torx screws (fine) ... but SECURITY Torx screws. If you're not familiar with these, they're regular Torx screws but there's a pin that sticks up in the middle of the fastener head, so regular #Torx drivers won't go into the head. You need special #drivers with a hollow bit to go over that pin.

Now, I have "security" Torx drivers because fuck you, you don't get to lock me out of something that belongs to me [1], but this is ridiculous. It's a CDN$40 two-slot toaster, not some #unobtainium magic technological wonder. It's one great "Up yours!" from the #manufacturer to the #consumer and the #environment.

Name-and-shame time: it was a Black and Decker (they can pay me if they want me to use their vanity typography to refer to them). This is another of those brand names that maybe used to mean something, but now is just marketing. There are a *lot* fewer #factories making toasters than there are brands selling toasters. They just tick boxes on an #OEM's feature list to get "their" product.

[1] It's easy to get the drivers these days, so they don't have much effect, but when they first came about almost no one had them, so it was a major pain in the ass.

#BlackAndDecker #VanityTypography

Oh, ALSO...

One of the things brought to me was a toaster that wouldn't stay "down", but otherwise worked fine. This is a semi-common problem - I had another #toaster with the same problem at the last Repair Cafe.

And this one... the manufacturer secured the bottom base to the chassis with Torx screws (fine) ... but SECURITY Torx screws. If you're not familiar with these, they're regular Torx screws but there's a pin that sticks up in the middle of the fastener head, so regular #Torx drivers won't go into the head. You need special #drivers with a hollow bit to go over that pin.

Now, I have "security" Torx drivers because fuck you, you don't get to lock me out of something that belongs to me [1], but this is ridiculous. It's a CDN$40 two-slot toaster, not some #unobtainium magic technological wonder. It's one great "Up yours!" from the #manufacturer to the #consumer and the #environment.

Name-and-shame time: it was a Black and Decker (they can pay me if they want me to use their vanity typography to refer to them). This is another of those brand names that maybe used to mean something, but now is just marketing. There are a *lot* fewer #factories making toasters than there are brands selling toasters. They just tick boxes on an #OEM's feature list to get "their" product.

[1] It's easy to get the drivers these days, so they don't have much effect, but when they first came about almost no one had them, so it was a major pain in the ass.

#BlackAndDecker #VanityTypography

Oh, ALSO...

One of the things brought to me was a toaster that wouldn't stay "down", but otherwise worked fine. This is a semi-common problem - I had another #toaster with the same problem at the last Repair Cafe.

And this one... the manufacturer secured the bottom base to the chassis with Torx screws (fine) ... but SECURITY Torx screws. If you're not familiar with these, they're regular Torx screws but there's a pin that sticks up in the middle of the fastener head, so regular #Torx drivers won't go into the head. You need special #drivers with a hollow bit to go over that pin.

Now, I have "security" Torx drivers because fuck you, you don't get to lock me out of something that belongs to me [1], but this is ridiculous. It's a CDN$40 two-slot toaster, not some #unobtainium magic technological wonder. It's one great "Up yours!" from the #manufacturer to the #consumer and the #environment.

Name-and-shame time: it was a Black and Decker (they can pay me if they want me to use their vanity typography to refer to them). This is another of those brand names that maybe used to mean something, but now is just marketing. There are a *lot* fewer #factories making toasters than there are brands selling toasters. They just tick boxes on an #OEM's feature list to get "their" product.

[1] It's easy to get the drivers these days, so they don't have much effect, but when they first came about almost no one had them, so it was a major pain in the ass.

#BlackAndDecker #VanityTypography

#Unobtainium *coff coff*

#HarryHarrison #DeathWorld

Wikipedia, Deathworld

"There have been numerous supernovae in the region, meaning that planets in the area are rich in valuable radioactive ores, but Pyrrus is the only even marginally habitable one, and thus the only one that can support sustained mining operations. Pyrrus is no paradise. It has a gravity of 2 g; its 42° axial tilt creates severe weather; it has frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions; two large moons generate tides of up to 30 meters; and finally, there are high levels of radiation."

Ok, #language question: How would one translate #unobtainium to #German? 🤣

Nichtbekommium?
Schwerzukriegium?
Kaumzuhabium?
Unverfuegium?

#EnjoyYourLanguage

@ernie

That's good!

Now, if only every time I saw a #ChevyBolt I didn't get mad because they're out of production and will be replaced by something larger, I'd be even happier.

From "you can buy this now" back to "wait for vaporware, and you'd better be happy with too large."

Would it really have been impossible to focus on making the battery less lossy to sell? Given the current hosing of money into over-sized imaginary vehicles made of #Unobtainium, I wonder.

Which team are you?

💬 🔄 🙏

#mastodon #poll #marvel #dc #comics #vibranium #eternium #unobtainium

#science #fiction #ScienceFiction #SciFi #FTW #film #movie #blue #ResourceCurse #colonialism #military #spies #robots #pandora #unobtainium #McMovie

Retro SciFi Film of the Week…

Avatar (2009)

It’s hard to believe that it’s been over a decade since Avatar was released. Chances are you’ve probably already seen this one because it was the highest-grossing film of all time when it came out.

Avatar was able to achieve two things that few other films before it did:

1. It featured an interracial romantic relationship without anyone noticing.

2. It showed topless women in a PG-13 rated film.

Even with all of the hype and the obvious preplanned blockbuster feel, it’s still a nice film and worth watching. The film is about American colonialism and serves as a surrogate for commentary about oil wars.

Depending on your perspective, the film delivers one of either two messages:

1. The US is wrong to use its military might to subjugate other less powerful countries.

- - or - -

2. We’re Americans, we’re coming to take your stuff, so bend over.

Yeah, they’re doing another one of these – it releases next month.

(fair use image from the film)