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So that Watch Dogs 2 end phone call led to nothing has it? : watch_dogs
Main Post: So that Watch Dogs 2 end phone call led to nothing has it? : watch_dogs
Where can I watch ‘Becoming Led Zeppelin’? : ledzeppelin
Main Post: Where can I watch ‘Becoming Led Zeppelin’? : ledzeppelin
What led me to watch Killjoys and why it stopped me from hating myself.
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So after rewatching Firefly for the umpteenth time, I was looking for something new. Something I hadn't seen before.
I don't watch everything that's on TV, so luckily, I have a few gaping holes that should be able to provide me with new shows pretty much all the time.
I like clever, interesting TV shows that don't take themselves too seriously and that don't derive their drama from characters lying, cheating, plotting, or scheming. Seriously. I hate lying, cheating, plotting and scheming.
I've never seen Mad Men, but it's usually listed as one of the best shows ever, so I figured let's give it a go.
I struggled through it for a while, watching terrible people lie, cheat, scheme, plot, keep silly secrets, make stupid decisions until I asked myself why do I hate myself so much?
It's simply unwatchable, unless you have a masochistic side that needs constant tickling.
Then I thought I like scifi. I liked Star Trek, except Voyager and Enterprise. So I watched Discovery. Everybody was lying, cheating, plotting and scheming... I don't hate myself, but I might start to if I watch more of this.
Then I thought, *I've never seen Battlestar Galactica, that's a big hole in my scifi viewing and it's got great reviews, let's go!*I loved BSG's premise. And I skipped over the weird sex robot hallucination flashback scenes, thinking *this can't be important to the story and that Baltar guy will surely be killed of soon, he's so bad!*Um... yeah. Couple that with the lying, cheating, plotting and scheming... I started to hate myself a little bit.
I started to watch Farscape, which has less lcps, but it's so 90s that you really can't watch it for more than an episode a week.
I've seen Babylon 5, I've seen pretty much all the other sci fi shows... I've seen enough of Stargate to know that it would only make me hate myself even more... I really didn't want any more lying, cheating, scheming and plotting... so what to do?
Then I stumbled across this thing called Killjoys. Just because Netflix told me I might like it and because the poster looked like a fun Star Wars rip off. The premise seemed like a standard action series, but what the heck. After the first half of the pilot I was waiting for all the lying, cheating, plotting and scheming to start, so that I could hate myself again. But... what happened?
They didn't lie to each other. They didn't plot against one another. They didn't keep secrets and derive drama from it. D'avin didn't know what had happened to him and he told Dutch. Yes, he actually told her that he was looking for that doctor to make him better. And then he told Johnny. And Dutch and Johnny didn't have secrets from one another. They told each other everything. The characters communicated with one another. They trusted each other. They understood that a great big action hero is only so, if he/she has someone who has their backs. The only people to behave like bad guys are, surprisingly, the bad guys. And their behaviour is explained when, in the end, they come clean about their motives.
It's such an amazing breath of fresh air. I just finished with season 4, which had a few episodes that could have been condensed, but generally... it's cool, it's funny, it has actual, working communication between people and most importantly it doesn't derive its drama from characters being assholes.
So... no real point to this post except that I wanted to share this.
I don't hate myself anymore.
Top Comment: Fellow Mad-Men-Disliker! There are dozens of us, dozens! If you're through Killjoys and need something new, I can definitely recommend Stargate! Okay, especially the early seasons are also very 90s, but there's so few interpersonal, ridiculous drama. And its spin-off, Stargate Atlantis, is even better and not nearly as much 90s.
Star Wars Fans watch out - don't buy Calimotion LED sabers if you live in Austria!
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In cooperation with r/tifu, I prodly present: Why you shouldn't buy Lightsabers from Calimacil
Settle in, this is a big one. This FU took place in June, when a friend of mine and me decided it would be a great idea to buy two Lightsabers from Calimacil, and use them in a fightshow in Comic Con in September. Loads of time for them to ship and for us to get ready. The company is based in Quebec, and we live in Austria. No biggie, should be doable. Right? Wrong. Way wrong.
Soon enough, the package arrived and we were on our way to try them out. We had to pay customs when they were handed over, but that was expected. Needless to say, the fun didn't last. Here's what we found out: the handle feels wrong, it tends to slip out of your grasp. The "blade" is covered with a LED-foam sleeve, and we had to adjust it after 3 or 4 swings because it keeps slipping off. Imagine a condom that keeps slipping over the tip. We later got the suggestion from customer support to use doible sided tape. The marking of a really reliable product. The app you use to change the color of the blade or the sounds it makes didn't connect as well - and lacking a user manual, I couldn't find out why. And here comes the kicker: while sparring with them, they kept failing. After every 5th swing they turned themselves off. Only removing and replacing the battery helped. Later that day they refused to work at all - except for the vibrations. Those went on, and again, only removing the bateries stopped them. Basically, we were stuck with a pair of overpriced and oversized vibrators. With one setting. Just what we ordered.
And here the real FU started. I contacted Customer Service.
Let me sum the experience up - talking to them is like pulling nails. Get ready for a waiting time for about 1 week or more for a simple reply. What fun. Time marched on, and they finally gave the go ahead to send them back for repair - but WITHOUT the batteries, for safety reasons. Remember this, for it will become really important later on.
Trying to send them back led me to the discovery that Austrian mail doesn't send oversive packages to Canada, and sending it via UPS or FedEx costs about 300€ (350$). More mails to customer service, more pulling nails. It is the end of August by now.
A few more rather direct mails later, they agree to send me a return ticket. Finally. What I wasn't told, was that I had to supply paperwork I didn't even knew existed, so I had no idea how to do it, and the time limit before the return ticket expired didn ́t help either.
More mailing customer service, more pulling nails.
September rolls along, and the show me and my crew were booked to do got a lot more difficult. Not only did it take them forever to get the repairs done, I never was told what was wrong with them in the first place.
I would love to tell you, that I got them back in working order and everything went well, but sadly, I found out a lot more about Calimacil and especially the CEO.
When they finally were on their way back, I was contacted by customs that I would have to pay taxes AGAIN. And that was when I flipped my lid. I mailed customer service - what joy - and asked them what the hell was wrong with them. I got the answer, that this would be taken care of immediatly. I started to be cautioulsy optimistic - my mistake. They were delivered to me soon after, along with a bill for taxes & customs for 200€ (230$). I told the delivery driver that I wouldn ́t be paying that, and that he could send them back to Quebec for all I care.
The next mail to Calimacil included posting this story here, and involving my lawyer.
The sabers arrived again a few days later, with no bill attatched. Finally, a small victory,
The CEO of Calimacil wrote me a mail a few days later, and this is where it gets hilarious: Not only didn ́t he mention that he was the CEO, i took him for yet another service technician. All he referred to from my mail (which was about the length of this post) was, that he heard that I wanted to use the sabers at a show on a convention, and I had trouble connecting them to the app. He graciously offered a conference to show me how it ́s done. Wow.
The Status so far: It is November, and here I am. Stuck with two sabers THAT STILL DON ́T WORK. I have no idea why, but my best guess after some research is, that the batteries have completely discharged by now. And I ́d rather have "MORON" tattoed on my forehead than ordering 2 extra batteries.
The last thing I heard, was that they have some troubles over there, and that they will get back to me. No apology, no trying to fix this. By now my team had to adapt two shows we were booked for. And of course, no mention of the conference he so graciously offered. All in all, this is the absolute worst in terms of customer service and / or attitude I have ever seen. I never felt so disposable and being sh*t on ever before. Since this isn ́t over, I can update as this shitsow progresses if you are intersted. For the record - I have no issue with the rest of their products, they are really good. What pisses me off is: The quality of the LED sabers, the quality of their customer support, and the attitude of the CEO towards customers.
tl, dr - ordered two Lightsabers from canada got royally fucked by a company that doesn ́t seem to give a sh*t about customers.
Top Comment:
First let me preface by saying that I'm not the an expert nor the most informed person on the matter.
But I've heard/read that its better not to buy directly on the Calimacil website if you're in Europe. They have an agreement with a european company (the name escape me at this moment). The company sell Calimacil product in Europe and and Calimacil sell the company's product in the Americas.
Now on my end I've never had a problem with them, probably a perks of living literally 2 hours from their store. I've also met the CEO at different larp event, he's probably the most passionate guy I'll ever meet in my life.
Sucks you had bad experience with them.
[Elektronika] Elektronika-1, first LED Watch of USSR. Circa 1990.
Main Post: [Elektronika] Elektronika-1, first LED Watch of USSR. Circa 1990.
Top Comment: I received today this retro-friendly Elektronika 1 from Russia, first LED watch of USSR. It was made in Moscow approx. from 1974 to 1991. At the end, it was incredibly cheap and only cost 6.5 roubles, which is equivalent to 0.10 USD (without inflation). It displays hour and date when you press a button, otherwise it remains unlit. The wristband is an original one, of the last models. The first Elektronika-1 had a slightly different bracelet. The quartz is very small and the watch gain approx. 1 minute every week. It may be because of the coeval battery put inside.
[Elektronika Pulsar] LED Soviet vintage watch from 1983 taken apart
Main Post: [Elektronika Pulsar] LED Soviet vintage watch from 1983 taken apart
Top Comment:
Something quite unique: a LED-display (not LCD) quartz watch made in the Soviet Union that I got from the Bay. Some history: the first electronic digital watch seen in the USSR was probably one of the original Hamilton-Pulsars pre-ordered by Leonid Brezhnev.
These models were produced from 1978-1990 till the end of the SU with at least 3 different cases as far as I can tell, some were made as ‘Buletronic’ in Bulgaria.
The 4-digit LED shows red glowing hours and minutes with a short push of the button, and seconds with a long push, with day and date available at the push of another button. No always-on display to conserve battery life just like a modern smart watch. It does require dual batteries though, hungry LEDS!
Video shows the inside as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNjQyUQiHD0
Flickr album (with more watches): https://flic.kr/s/aHsm9oZSVs
[Recommendations?] Retro Style LED watch
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Not sure what the popularity of this style of watch is on the subreddit, but I just find them to be very fascinating. The 70 style retrofuturistic look just appeals to me, with the historical context of LEDs being this crazy new technology in which a computer was in a watch.
Course I absolutely love the Hamilton pulsar re-release, that aesthetic is exactly what I'm looking for, with the individual Dot oleds. Unfortunately $800 is pushing what I'm willing to spend on what it would essentially just be a novelty. I did actually pick up the Yema digital re-release of their '70s model, and I actually really like it. Not to mention the price is much more tolerable. I have considered the Bulova computron, but when I look at that watch I can't help but feel that it looks entirely cheap. Whatever type of casing they have on the steel just makes it look like it's made out of plastic. Even if that's not the case I don't want to wear something that looks like I saved up a hundred tickets at a Chuck e cheese and want it. It's already a digital watch which is cheap enough to get anyway, if I am going to spend some money on something that's essentially for branding, and aesthetics, then it better hold up aesthetically.
With all of that said I find myself looking at one more to my collection, and I was wondering if anyone out there had some recommendations. From what I said before I am looking for something that fits that '70s retrofuturistic aesthetic, without being too pricey.
Top Comment: Yema, Bulova Computron
smart, subtle modern looking LCD watch?
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I've been looking for a long time for a good looking digital/LCD watch but there seem to be very few smart or good looking digital watches. im currently using a 15-20 year old Quartz analogue Tissot which i love very much and keeps fantastic time, but I've always felt that a digital watch fits my persona more than an analog watch.
Im not interested in a ruggedised (g-shock), retro (, or gimmicky digital watch, im just after a good looking, easy to read LCD digital watch. ive looked at these http://www.amazon.co.uk/Casio-A168Wa-1YES-Digital-Bracelet-Watch/dp/B002JM1UTW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1336357264&sr=8-2 but they look old fashioned and dated.
ive also seen watches which use LED's to display the time in a different way and its not my sort of thing.
i just want an LCD display that has a bit of class, something which people might spot and say "nice watch" rather than think of me as an idiot who cant tell the time or cant be trusted with nice things.
Budget is under £200 which i hope should open up at least a few options, would prefer a metal bracelet but would consider any/all types. It needs to be smart enough for me to wear with a suit but not look too out of place when im in casual clothes.
anybody know of one or a few? maybe a brand to look for?
many thanks
Top Comment:
I have no idea what the price of this model is but I saw it in the new Hamilton catalog sent to me.
http://www.be-mine.info/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Hamilton-Pulsonic-watch.jpg