The grumpy thread

[myglaren]

20 hours ago, artdjones said:

Cadillacs offered auto dip in 1952, the Autronic Eye. You might expect that the modern day equivalents would work better after 70 years of development.

I had a 'senior moment' last week, driving along country lanes in the dark.  Had a job getting the main beams on - never used since I bought the car almost a year and a half ago, night driving always been on lit roads with lots of other traffic.

I could get the flash to work but not stay on, until I pushed the stalk down!

Then remembered that it was the same on the Accord, a couple of decades ago.

 

Late fifties~early sixties we used to pass an Oldsmobile, owned by an American Air Force officer based at Fylingdales.

On the dash was a little telescope like thing with red lenses.  Rumour had it that it was something to see in fog.  Unlikely as it would be practically impossible to look through it and drive.

I wonder if that was an early auto-dip sensor?

 

 

[Datsuncog]

The house directly opposite us put up all their decorations yesterday. That's two trees in both bay windows, plus a load of 'icicle effect' lights strung around the front.

While I think it's a smidge premature, to put it mildly, the real grump is that they insist on having the lights all set to 'fast flashing' mode, and all the strings slightly out of phase.

MrsDC is prone to bad migraines, so having our house basically panic-strobed after dark means that I'm worrying they'll trigger an attack for a good six weeks (and they have). If we need to go out in the evening, she often has to close her eyes while I lead her to the car.

I asked him nicely last year if he could maybe put the lights on a slower pulse, and he refused because "it's for the kids".

His kids are both under two. And since they're largely indoors, it doesn't quite explain why the whole street should be subjected to this all day every day, until well after midnight.

I think he's put them up even earlier this year than usual, possibly to annoy us. Still, if previous form's anything to go by, the absolute crumpet will be taking them all down again at 10am on Boxing Day. Because "that's when Christmas is over".

So basically he only celebrates Christmas while DFS and the supermarkets are running emotionally manipulative ads on TV.

I think that's what annoys me the most.

[Metal Guru]

12 hours ago, Wack said:

The truck is touring the UK , they've upped the game this year , I think Nick Cage is driving 

The holidays are coming, the holidays are coming

https://m.facebook.com/groups/1296461174044660/permalink/1547469915610450/

“The holidays”. Aaargh!

[grogee]

14 hours ago, robinmasters said:

Christmas adverts have started. 

Obviously there's the Facebook dickheads declaring Christmas has started because they've seen a Coke advert, but there's more. 

I've just seen a John Lewis advert with an alien in it. Probably meant to illustrate something about the real meaning of Christmas, but tells you fuck all about the shop.

All it says to me is that they've got far to much money to spend on adverts, so their prices are probably high. 

I'm not even sure this is actually a grump now. 

I'm with you on the adverts, it's a shite 'tradition' now that 'everyone looks forward to'... yeah fuck that.

But, as robbing bastards go, John Lewis is one of the better ones. It's a co-op (sort of) so the employees get to share in the company success, no fat cat shareholders. Also if you buy electronic stuff (eg phones, washing machines) you get a 2 year warranty instead of the usual 12-months-now-fuck-off from CurrysCometBoxStore.

But yeah, humbug, and the only good thing about Xmas is the food and booze.

[Supernaut]

1 hour ago, Datsuncog said:

The house directly opposite us put up all their decorations yesterday. That's two trees in both bay windows, plus a load of 'icicle effect' lights strung around the front.

While I think it's a smidge premature, to put it mildly, the real grump is that they insist on having the lights all set to 'fast flashing' mode, and all the strings slightly out of phase.

MrsDC is prone to bad migraines, so having our house basically panic-strobed after dark means that I'm worrying they'll trigger an attack for a good six weeks (and they have). If we need to go out in the evening, she often has to close her eyes while I lead her to the car.

I asked him nicely last year if he could maybe put the lights on a slower pulse, and he refused because "it's for the kids".

His kids are under two. And doesn't quite explain why the whole street should be subjected to this all day every day, until well after midnight.

I think he's put them up even earlier this year than usual, possibly to annoy us. Still, if previous form's anything to go by, the absolute crumpet will be taking them all down again at 10am on Boxing Day. Because "that's when Christmas is over".

So basically he only celebrates Christmas while DFS and the supermarkets are running emotionally manipulative ads on TV.

I think that's what annoys me the most.

I wonder if it's worth contacting the local council.

Probably not, though.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

42 minutes ago, grogee said:

.... the only good thing about Xmas is ...

...St. Stephen's Day

[cobblers]

Anyone who puts christmas lights on "fast flashing mode" 100% deserves their house burning down.

Doing so in early november adds a 4x multiplier. 400% burn

 

[Datsuncog]

5 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

I wonder if it's worth contacting the local council.

Probably not, though.

No, probably not. They wouldn't have a clue where to refer such a complaint. Previous contact over 'difficult' neighbour issues a few years back has led me to conclude they're completely fucking hopeless.

They also had their offices raided by the peelers the other week in an ongoing corruption investigation, so that may give an indication of general competence at a local level...

BBC News - Ballymena: Police search Mid and East Antrim council offices
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-58987397

Still. Only six weeks before he takes them all down again. That's what advent calendars and the like mean to me - "Only XX days until the fuckery fucks off!"

[Tadhg Tiogar]

25 minutes ago, cobblers said:

Anyone who puts christmas lights on "fast flashing mode" 100% deserves their house burning down.....

Is there not some way of introducing a power surge followed by failure?

[Talbot]

3 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

having our house basically panic-strobed after dark means that I'm worrying they'll trigger an attack for a good six weeks (and they have).

Air rifle, and a very good shot at the little box-o-electronics to kill it stone dead.

Jobbed.

[Supernaut]

Or just a hammer in the wee hours of the morning.

[somewhatfoolish]

VDE wire cutters and a balaclava.

[reb]

The demister on my car doesn't seem to work, I think there's something wrong with the valve thingy that directs air out the different vents. This is a problem because it's getting quite cold and often when I get in the car to drive somewhere it's fogged up. That's not the grump though.

I bought some of that Rain-x anti fog stuff to see if it would help. I don't know if it's helped or not as I've just put it on. This is where the grump comes in; in the process of cleaning the windscreen and applying the solution I had to contort to all sorts of unnatural angles, which has never been a problem for me in the past cleaning windscreens, for some reason now though it hurt like fuck! I had been going to apply the stuff to the side windows and put standard Rain-x on the outside but my right arm is in pain now and I really don't feel like making it worse. I just don't understand it, I'm only 25 so it can't be age catching up with me, can it? Is it 2 years of sitting on the sofa doing shit all? I've found similar pain when working on the 205, which I have to be honest has put me off it a little bit. Maybe it'll get better with actually doing stuff, I suppose we'll see.

[cobblers]

I tried that rain x anti fog stuff on my caddy, and found it  quite dangerous! It stops fogging up, to a point. But on a very cold morning you can get in to the car with a mostly clear windscreen, set off down the road and then all of a sudden the windscreen will fog up on it's own over the space of about 5 seconds.

It put me in the shit quite a few times, so I cleaned it all off with acetone.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

1 minute ago, cobblers said:

I tried that rain x anti fog stuff on my caddy, and found it  quite dangerous! It stops fogging up, to a point. ...

It worked really well in the dizzler Borat, but not very well in the CX. The CX needs it much more than the Borat, because CX ventilation is hilariously* shite

[reb]

If it can keep the windscreen clear long enough for the heater to warm up the interior enough to stop it fogging up I'll be happy. I would like to fix the demister but I wouldn't know where to begin, and I'll be selling the car soon anyway. I'd rather sell it with a known issue like that than sell it with a dismantled dash I can't get to go back in.

[myglaren]

I found the Rain-X stuff to be unsatisfactory too.  As said, the contortions required to prepare the screen and then apply it make gymnastics look easy.

Allegedly a tray of cat litter - the expensive rare-earth type - will help prevent it by absorbing moisture from the air.

I failed miserably with that too - put it in nylon tights and it all escaped through the weave and was everywhere in the car.

[chaseracer]

I hope you're still talking about the kitty litter...

[beko1987]

I hate the rain x product, I've never had it go on and not be streaky as fuck just when you don't want it to be. Stinks too, makes me gag

However their foaming aerosol glass cleaner works really well. @Six-cylinderspent an eye watering amount of money for his can (came with 7 shite Vauxhalls for free) and it worked really well! Bought the glass on the Vauxhalls up a treat

[reb]

I don't have much of a sense of smell so the smell isn't an issue for me! It seemed to go on ok without going streaky, I don't really know how to test if it works or not though as it's seemingly random as to when the window will fog up. I did also buy a demister pad for when it inevitably doesn't work. I'm hopeful though as I've had a lot of success when using standard Rain-x, to the point where I can drive along the motorway in the rain without wipers on!

[Jamie]

Gym again tonight, 5 empty rows of spaces and this Pcp white S3 hindering everyone parking normally. Should have left a note saying 'Park on the treadmill next time, cunt.' 

[cobblers]

What a fucking throbber. 

[adw1977]

14 hours ago, paulplom said:

BBc radio Newcastle played Stop the cavalry yesterday. 

 

Not strictly a Christmas song, although it seems to have ended up with that association.

[eddyramrod]

Wife update: she's home!  Minus gallbladder, but plus a big line of staples across her tum.  She hasn't enjoyed hospital but really, who does?  I'm just glad to have her back.

[New POD]

On 14/11/2021 at 22:13, MikeR said:

Xmas don't start till Dec as far as I am concerned ... 

Which is why my wife has bought and wrapped every present. Except yours. 

Because it's my job to choose you a present. Please tell me what you really want. Tell me now.  

[New POD]

3 hours ago, eddyramrod said:

Wife update: she's home!  Minus gallbladder, but plus a big line of staples across her tum.  She hasn't enjoyed hospital but really, who does?  I'm just glad to have her back.

These days you don't go into hospital unless your chance of survival without medical attention is less than 30%, so the enjoyment is to be grateful that you survived.  

Always look on the bright side. 

 

[New POD]

4 hours ago, New POD said:

Which is why my wife has bought and wrapped every present. Except yours. 

Because it's my job to choose you a present. Please tell me what you really want. Tell me now.  

Just remember the tool station catalogue number. 

[High Jetter]

8 hours ago, eddyramrod said:

Wife update: she's home!  Minus gallbladder, but plus a big line of staples across her tum.  She hasn't enjoyed hospital but really, who does?  I'm just glad to have her back.

Brilliant. Gall bladders are over-rated IMHO - my wife had hers removed years ago, and has been much better for it.

[dozeydustman]

Just been out for a ride on my new pushbike. During peak old biddy walking their Yorkie/chihuahua/westie/other pointless handbag-type dog on a shared cycleway and footpath. Path is even divided bikes one side pedestrians the other and is 10ft+ wide

They moan if you sound your bell as a warning of approach as it frightens their dog. They moan if you call “out coming through” as it frightens them. They moan if you do nothing and cycle at not much more than walking pace past them.

Hopefully there won’t be any old biddies walking handbag dogs at 3 tomorrow morning on my ride to work.

[Pieman]

14 hours ago, Jamie said:

Gym again tonight, 5 empty rows of spaces and this Pcp white S3 hindering everyone parking normally. Should have left a note saying 'Park on the treadmill next time, cunt.' 

Don't you know nuffink?  Audi S3s are exempt from all road rules everywhere, especially in Birmingham where they are all stolen and driven by wannabe drugged up gangstas innit?