The grumpy thread

[M'coli]

I feelz Pog is somewhere in the "90 percentile" group where he can just buy stuff and it'll fit. I can't trust that - I've got short limbs and a big build for my height (18.5 inch collars FTW), but according to the body mass index equations if you just take my lean mass, I'd still be bordering on obese, a bit like some rugby players.The last time I had a 32" waist, I still had to buy 36" waist trousers as I was cycling about 6000 miles a year. Then I bought a car and the waistline's never been below 36"!!!

[Cavcraft]

TBH, your shopping regime still sounds a bit girly. What's wrong with either (a) shopping on the internets, thus allowing you to simultaneously drink beer / eat tuck/ download amputee pr0n or whatever... or (b)just telling the missus "Oh and if you are going near matalan, get me some jeans, 34/32 loose fit, but if they are more than a tenner forget it..."Works for me. Haven't been "shopping" in years.

Mostly because the silly bint doesn't drive and she has that womanly knack of catching me unawares and like a RIGHT DIVVY I agree to go.Trousers/shirts/etc a pain for me because I'm a fat lanky bastard and also have large feet.Anyway, here's another hate:Formula One.Sport? SPORT? Fucking knackers it is. I will never, ever, understand how people can get remotely interested in it.One overpaid boring bastard almost overtakes another overpaid boring bastard and people are almost jacking themselves off in the 'excitement'.

[pogweasel]

I feelz Pog is somewhere in the "90 percentile" group where he can just buy stuff and it'll fit.

I should be so lucky. lucky lucky luckyRidiculous genetic engineering on the part of my parents, a public school sports-oriented beasting + years of cycling everywhere through poverty + a decade in a job requiring endless walking has left me with thunderthighs and bad knees, then throw in a love of real ale/hatred of skinny pub drinks to create a bit of beer-rotundness about the belly and arse and it is impossible to find clothes that conform to anything resembling "fashion" without looking ridiculous/desperate, as these days you need to be a 6ft2in 8 stone waif to be cool. Ergo you will never see me in anything other than loose-fit jeans and black t-shirts/polo shirts & trainers, unless I have to attend a wedding/funeral/court appearance, when the sensible shoes and suit get (literally) dusted off. I have started exercising more than just walking a load for work now, plenty swimming, gym etc, so hopefully will start to look more like nature intended than a weeble soon....

[Guest]

Being fashionable is overrated anyway. Which reminds me, I left my corduroy jacket in the car.

[pogweasel]

I could make a corduoroy jacket look (even more) ridiculous.

[brammy777]

Hmmmm, well i have a pretty weird body shape to be fair, im a 30" waist which is really skinny but im not exactly tall, but i am taller than Ben Stiller.... But I have fairly broad shoulders and really large upper legs, which doesnt give me any help when buying clothes.My rant is Vodafone, seriously guys you say my contract has been changed because i wanted it to be, and you said ill be posted bills but you havent done either. Thanks a bunch for taking my money without even giving me the option of seeing it before you did, twats.I hate technology sometimes, give me a bloody letter as my bill! I dont even get one come to think of it, is that allowed?

[Guest]

I could make a corduoroy jacket look (even more) ridiculous.

Isn't looking absurd the whole point of fashion?

[Cavcraft]

All these eBayers for various reasons:0116.buy, 1111dudnyk, 123dragnea, 1948alpine, 19au72, 1ogreat12, 2462ashleyf, 425cc, 5212nick, 9241matthew, aaron84, adicted_to_bass, aks1009, alan968, andykaz49, any_dvd_you_want, arturasl, babymaker86, baskerville6333, bathspray1, bcharlton99, benc90, bighaulage, bluebuster1967, bobbydavies1, bobo_wale100, bryc2398, bulldog_recovery_motors, chelllee, cheshire-brothers, christill89, col-mck, coleamber, colletteblue, comeagain75, commercialservices, condor.0151, danrob1986, davejarman99, davey1067, dazer-2009, dazza2007-2008, debbie_peter, delboydave0_0, ducksrus69, dvjohndavies9eeo, ear794, enjoyingmecoffee, exmoorlimevanman, fastwheels02, footballdarren1290, freely2007, garage_clearout_4_u, garyedwards0, gazrob32, glenaofimaal, gloglo1945, gsxandy1402, gutsandgore, h13bek, hairyface1930, hancock406, heather792, hestir, hildens99, jacek25.0151, jagsnxter, janej6129, jazz_ee, jeffery597, jimleighton, jingofin, jollyjo31, jono114, jps1x1, kalule2005, katakrizma, kazi7860_1, kelly_smith001, kelsopnday, keygenie2007, kiesh81, kme1uk, kremmen001, le-brocante, lee25070935, leeboucher, li-loandy, lisasimpsonshere, lockcapso1, luke17788, madawaskadave, madtaff06, mailboxesetc, matthews5308, mcginn2005, meanwood0_0, melissaedwards_123, mickeymousetradingltd, mike10091982, mike4270_1, mikelauratristan, mking5919, moejavier, mommieandnurse, morrismuthanna, mrsola4, n-jones-2, n.lewis.2007, newyorklisajane1230, nicanddave2, northside-autos, oldschoolscrams, one2track, pacarooso, paulcelia, paulm7611, petmobilelondon, pikeyontour, poppysayspink, qh100cricket, r3737t.2009, rally, rallyian67rally, rickster0030, robert-the-rabbit, robvander, rosh8181, rotaxmax91, rubberman20, sajda6565, scobby0141, scott76wend72, sellndive, shotta0121, silentghost7, sltipp, smi277, snico78, sonukanugrashutina, spencerkami, stut1964, superlowrider, surferboy69style, t9ppy, tanyaclegg, tez23pc, tezz1152, tinamini1, tony9818, towneleyy, usetheforce9, vxbits, wiseman142, xxnottsxx, yummymummyfive70, zyzy10, 6678446@deleted

[pogweasel]

I could make a corduoroy jacket look (even more) ridiculous.

Isn't looking absurd the whole point of fashion?

Probably. But absurd in a good way. I would just look like a proper tramp. But one who has obtained a clubcard for all-you-can-eat at subway.

.My rant is Vodafone, seriously guys you say my contract has been changed because i wanted it to be, and you said ill be posted bills but you havent done either. Thanks a bunch for taking my money without even giving me the option of seeing it before you did, twats.I hate technology sometimes, give me a bloody letter as my bill! I dont even get one come to think of it, is that allowed?

Hey, I find all this mobile phone guff very irritating, but after a few years Vodafone twigged that I was a luddite and stopped offering me upgrades and extras. I just pay my bill, and they leave me alone. Costs me about £20 a month and I make quite alot of calls. I get no free texts, no free internets and no free iPhone. Suits me fine.

[brammy777]

I hate iphones, hey check out my app filled phone with its shitty small touch keys for children and tendency to break, arent I cooooooooool.

[Guest]

I like when I do a topup and it fires a message onto my Nokia 3210 saying that I've been given 5 days free "Web 'n' Walk". Yeah, thanks for that.

[Volksy]

I hate iphones too, more for the fact that the generally twatish owners of them always refer to them as 'my iphone', and not just 'my phone'

[M'coli]

There's a new Sony Ericsson out that apes the iPhone and the Google Android platform, but is utter, utter shit. I think it's been recalled for a software fix already, but a colleague has one as an upgrade from a Sony Ericsson K850i and after a week of footering with it she's still having problems accessing her contacts, not to mention how it stores SMS and other stuff.Nokia 1100 or similar FTW...

[pogweasel]

Resist. Resist. !!!Even the current Sony phone I have is too smart for it's own good. I don't even know what it is. The last one I had was good though. I think it was a K750i. Sadly, I broked it and they didnt do them anymore. That seems to be the theme with phones, I get one I like, use it until it is totally kippered then have to "upgrade" to something less useful. I liked the old Nokia ones too, the original 5110 was class because it was pretty waterproof (would survive frequent trips into pints) and whatever that silver one was that all business folk had circa 2000, that was good cos it fitted all the in-car kits...

[Tayne]

.

[brammy777]

I have a C905, it isnt too bad, but i only wanted it for the camera ( too stingy for real camera) and texts. The K850i I had before it is brilliant, nearly 2 years old and still works fine. Most reliable phone I have ever had. Everyone I know is obsessed with blackberrys.

[M'coli]

I hate iphones too, more for the fact that the generally twatish owners of them always refer to them as 'my iphone', and not just 'my phone'

I'm typing this post on my iPhone.

And I've taken lots of autoshite photos with my iPhone.

[Wiggles fingers under chin while going "Ooooh-oooh" in a Chewin' The Fat style!!!]

[Rusty Pelican]

Cant even make my " normal " mobile work , How the hell id manage on an I Phone is anyones guess , cant deal with predictive texting , just give me phone that makes phone calls FFS ,

[pogweasel]

Ridiculous demands from potential clients.

Today's theme du rant.

 

IF your heating breaks down, you generally get some oaf who pisses in your sink to fix it. At a rate of £40+ per hour.

 

IF your car needs a service, you take it to the garage, where the kid who got 1 GCSE "mends" it, and the dealer stings you £100 per hour for the privilidge.

 

 

HOWEVER, if you need a survey of your building or land, it's OK to expect someone with a proper education, years of experience and thousands of pounds invested in hardware & software to work for nothing??

 

I just don't get it.

I really made a wrong-turn somewhere along the way I think. Pretty much every job of my "own" these days, I am getting haggled TO THE MAX on, and it is really gripping my balls.

If it's 1 day on site (for me and a spotty herbert to press the buttons on the play telescope) and 1 day of office-work, drawing, plotting etc. what is a reasonable rate???? Because what I consider a reasonable rate is seemingly extortion.

FFS.

£450 for effectively 3 days of work, how is that "too much"???

And how the f*ck are there people doing the job for HALF that???

 

They simply CANNOT be breaking even, let alone making money.

 

There's the capital investment, the vehicle costs, the travel costs, the insurance costs (which is NOT cheap), the labour costs for spotty-herberts...

 

To put into perspective, IF I try to compete with these undercutting mongs (who incidentally seem to f*ck up with alarming regularity and I then get called back to sort it at short notice as everything is in planning or worse construction stage) I would be maybe getting £30 a day after all costs in my pocket. Compare to short-term contract-working where the day-rate is typically £200-£300 a day (and does not carry any insurance risk, capital cost, spotty-herbert cost etc), it's very frustrating. But there's not enough contracty stuff to survive on alone.

 

That is all.

[Father Ted]

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT, Deep Breath.... FFS. Toilet leaking like a sieve- no amount of new fittings and boss white seems to be having any effect. Cant find the leak. Now having to shut the bloody service valve off between shits otherwise leaks all over the floor - whats the betting I cant get a plumber this side of next year? Ive tried to fix it and PHAILED :-(Tumble dryer borked. Its about 18 months old therefore out of ny guarantee. Winter means lots of washing needing to be dried - radiators now covered in damp knickers. Windows running with condensation.Fucking awful condensation in the roof (cant get a roofer) due to non breathable "felt" and lack of ventilation. Gas pipe leaking ( not that thats a problem as the gas fire is forked due to small child putting plastic firean down the back of the said rire and this then turning nto very smoky molten woad when gas fire lit last week during power outage incident. Melted childs toy totally inaccessible and gas fire currently in bits iin the shed and laege piece of cardboard plced over hole in wall incident.) United Utilities (formerly the Norweb Federation) continue to rely on 50 year old cabling to connect my house to a 1950's substation that is heavily overloaded with the result that every year the power crapps out - last year it was 3 days, this year they managed to patch the shoe laces covered in tin foil they use in just 16 hours. However my leisure battery was fucked and powered the central heating for exactly 5 minutes. I went to the local autofactors asking for their cheapest 12V battery to be greeted with much confusion when I told him it was to power a gas boiler....Ebayers who for one reason or another have made it onto my blocked bidder list:-1967grahami, 28841496@deleted, 37120746@deleted, 5cafdb15323ece9c724509e978f119e607707f0b5959388994, 6bf06ebf340edd52563c4fe93aa11915438973972, ajnash66, alex_ruranski, andybo123, annes_kitchen, batsonstoys-dvd-games2008, betty15travel22, bigears4, biggwestham, brandhall17, bubber192, buckleycp1, camelspank, cat1779, cody-black01, flossy221185, godigiprint, hadenuffopaypal, jazzyboyrebel, john4582002, jojop124, k20fishin, marie.t798, middleoftheroad4, miscatty, mobile-coms, mydysonshop, niraj764, nowdeleted, okcmom5, osiris4180, paulandsharonfishing, rob28121978, roberts4290, sakinabi, sanjosar, sea_gypsy, selfflaggelationsociety, shelfy200, southwestcarbuyer, tomkatshell, wise-world, yuceeI mean what is the problem - see something you like, bid a sensible price, pay, take it away / get it posted. Simples. Some have been added through the "asking a really stupid question and using text talk" reason too. Others because deals have gone sour and I dont want any retaliation bidding.Today i am waiting on Laskys to deliver a freezer - whats the betting it either a) doesnt arriveb) arrives right at the very end of the delivery slot window.And breathe again....

[Cavcraft]

Pog, at a guess they probably got a weeks work experience at school and thought they knew it all. They then decided it looked easy, that they could bluff most of it and knocked up some bogus 'qualifications' on their printer.They probably don't have insurance for their work or proper business insurance on the motors either. Then when they are desperately skint they will take any work at any price to earn a couple of measly quid.Unfortunately pretty much all trades have their undercutters, most of whom are dangerous, unqualified, uninsured tosspots. I used to quote people for recovery works (mostly local) and there was always someone who'd do a twenty mile round trip for a tenner, or something fucking stupid. I also suspect people automatically assume because times are tight they can haggle with you because you'll be desperate for work, that sort of mentality seems to prevail amongst the thickos in life.Good luck anyhow, I hope things turn round.

[Tayne]

.

[retrogeezer]

Had a hairline crack in the toilet cistern at our old house....didn't notice until fungus strated to grow up out of the hole in the floor where the pipes came up!Drained out the water and sealed it up with clear silicone and no problems for at least 2 years (sold house then!)Oh, and I didn't change it as the colour was no longer available and I didn't want to change the whole bathroom. Yes, I could have claimed on insurance but that would have been a ball ache as well..

[Cavcraft]

That bastard MP who donated money to the soldiers then 'accidentally' claimed for it on his expenses.

[Rusty Pelican]

Day 5 of not smoking , AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH !!!!!!!!!

[Father Ted]

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT, Deep Breath.... FFS. Toilet leaking like a sieve- no amount of new fittings and boss white seems to be having any effect. Cant find the leak. Now having to shut the bloody service valve off between shits otherwise leaks all over the floor - whats the betting I cant get a plumber this side of next year? Ive tried to fix it and PHAILED .

New WC?If so, and you can't find the leak, its possible that either pan or cistern is porus.Is it leaking from the cistern or pan? Is it an internal or external overflow model?What fittings have you changed so far?

This indoor plumbing is overated,

Indeed it is - both household and adies indoor plumbing causes more problems than its worth.Appears to be leaking from bottom entry point - new flex pipe, service valve, flush mechanism and bottom entry spiggot fitted, water still leaking like mad from around here. Its about 12 months old, but was only fitted in Feb (having stood in the garage since Sept 08). Lots of boss white used on all joints.Freezer arrived but thats another rant entirly and I need a little rest now...

[seth]

Appears to be leaking from bottom entry point

[whitevanman]

I feelz Pog is somewhere in the "90 percentile" group where he can just buy stuff and it'll fit.

I should be so lucky. lucky lucky luckya decade in a job requiring endless walking has left me with thunderthighs and bad knees, then throw in a love of real ale/hatred of skinny pub drinks to create a bit of beer-rotundness about the belly and arse, you will never see me in anything other than loose-fit jeans and black t-shirts....

OOOyou sound like my twin Brother............

[Tayne]

,

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

The last two episodes of The Thick of It were a two-parter, so I recorded both to watch in one go. Today I sat down to watch them, and ten minutes in the picture starts freezing.

 

I rebooted the Sky+ box and now it won't access any of the recordings.

 

We've had it for years... why couldn't it wait one more hour before breaking?