@ElectricKeet every single day... and when I finish with these devices I may do just that with them and hang them on a chain from the door of my lab
@Fuego @ElectricKeet There's an old legend -- it went around the AHWW circle ages back -- of somebody who shot a misbehaving VCR as a warning to the microwave to make it stop acting up.
Now, of course, my first reaction is "this is how you breed resentful gremlins that secretly want to destroy everything. Iron punishment may for Diane Duane, but not for me, not for me."
@literorrery @Fuego I literally have had a dream where I shot a malfunctioning VCR because it wouldn't stop grinding and flashing nonsensical stuff on its display even after I unplugged it.
In reality, however, I did once resuscitate a failing VCR by chanting nonsense at it for ten seconds and then giving it one good, sharp palm strike. Freaked Mom out somethin' fierce. I cherish that moment.
@ElectricKeet @literorrery as long as you totally understand the problem, literally anything can be the solution <3
@Fuego @literorrery Problem was that the thing was on its last legs after a decade of faithful service in an environment of extremely frequent use and abuse by a Disney-film-loving housewife and her two weird-film-loving kids. I gambled that I would either fix it or leave it inoperable, but either way it would stop trying to eat her favourite VHS tapes.
That was actually a good lesson. Save ultimatums for when one is ready to dispense with the target regardless, and be occasionally rewarded!