the best part

[davemerrill]

The best part about ordering something from the Firesign Theater site is that you get a confirmation email from "A Chinese Surplus Music Deal", and for a second you think it's some kind of crazy spam, and then you realize that for the first time in your life you've seen Firesign Theater dropping a Firesign Theater reference, like so many of their fans have done.

My old Ryobi 12v cordless drill - well, okay, the battery packs for the 12v Ryobi stuff - they both have lost the ability to hold charges. Which is OK, they lasted a good long time. Anyways I had to get replacements, and yesterday Canadian Tire had a swell deal on a 18v set of drill, light, circular saw, reciprocating saw, 2 battery packs, and a charger. Look out Canada's Worst Handyman!!

Comments

[tochiro998.livejournal.com]

Suggestion?

Buy extra battery packs now.

Because even if they don't change the voltage, I can say with strong assurance they'll change the connection method and the new battery won't fit the tool.

And I say this with the assumption that the reason for this deal is because there's a style change coming and they want to clear out old inventory.

Of course 10 years from now we may all be living a 'hand to mouth' 18th Century existence with electric stuff reserved for the elites in their special compounds, so maybe it won't matter. :)

[davemerrill.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's an assumption that has been borne out by harsh reality; they don't even make batteries that fit my Ryobis any more. It's actually cheaper to just buy these 'starter' sets as they go on sale than it is to buy replacement batteries.

That's really the only complaint I have about the Ryobis - I have done SO MUCH with that drill, it's helped me put up about a thousand shelves and fix a zillion things. And the light comes in handy, lemme tell ya. If this new set lasts as long as the Ryobis do, all will be groovy.

I would hope in 10 years that most everything we use will take a lot less juice, but electricity can't "go away" any more than fire can quit getting hot. As long as water flows downhill or the wind blows or the sun shines, we'll still have electricity. Hell, when things were at their worst in Sarajevo -snipers, artillery rounds hitting at random, you name it - people had their own paddle-wheel hydroelectric generators in the river, so's they could cook and watch TV.

[tochiro998.livejournal.com]

actually...

Is the 'Batteries Plus' chain up your way,or something similar, a store (usually in a strip mall or cheap standalone space near a mall) that sells nothing except batteries?

There are companies that make replacement batteries for all manner of discontinued stuff, and I think they have stuff to test a cell and maybe even refurbish it, take it out of that 'short cycle' that keeps it from holding a charge.

wish they could reset me. :)

anyway, look into that. It's always good to have a backup, and hey, there may be that ONE time you need two drills going at once...

[mr-sadhead.livejournal.com]

Another thing about Firesigns is that they make real radio sound surreal. We were listening to the classical station and the guy announced that he was going to play "The Stolen Bucket Overture" by Salieri. What, really? Later he played something that sounded like the Bumblebee Tuna jingle* as orchestrated by Purcell.
_________
* Oh, you know. "Yum, yum, Bumblebee, Bumblebee Tuna .. "

[efathefinger.livejournal.com]

I do love my corded screwdriver, at least 10 years old, maybe 15, and never had to wait on the battery once. I guess I could have sped up my projects over the years without running power cables to my work area, but its nice to be able to drive 3 inch screws directly into heavy wood without worrying about the battery. I hate to think of the number of good things that I own that like an older friend, you know you're probably going to outlive.