The grumpy thread

[AlabamaShrimp]

It's the same here just gone up another penny. Strange as a Canadian on the news told us all the other day that everything, including oil, was getting cheaper. What a load of old bollocks

[vulgalour]

I caught something on the radio about the oil price not having risen, just the providers deciding they can so they have.  It's to be expected really, I doubt people will kick up much of a fuss about it until we get over £1.20 a litre for petrol.

[fairkens]

Never went under 1.05 here, needs a decent supermarket price war to get things moving again

[Cavcraft]

You know you get some buyers who are a nightmare? Well this month, it's sellers: I've been chasing four or five cars these last few days and had a bloody nightmare of 'In all day/out all day/can meet at dinnertime/can't meet at dinnertime/come tomorrow/make it Saturday' etc.

Their motor, their choice, but they can find some f*cker else to buy them.

[cort16]

I've spent the evening finishing the welding on my mates camper van . Well I say finish I spend 3 hours making up 3 small bits and tacking in 2 of them as it's such an awkward bastarding shape . I'll have to go back for the final leg tomorrow .

My welds look like shit too, really pigeon shit stuff. I dunno if it's the weird angle ( upside down ) , my psychotic welder or I'm just shit at welding but it's NOT a satisfying experience .

[Craig the Princess]

Used the ex-moog Saab to get to work today (roof down FTW) but the radio forgot its code and I couldn't find it in the spare 5 minutes before work. I had it when u collected the car because I put it in the radio then.

No tunes

Got home, took about 30 seconds to find the code

[MrDuke]

OK this is when I don't like the Internet... I don't use Facebook very often but i check it every now and then. In the big list of "people you may know" is trigger from here. We don't have any mutual friends, I don't have anyone from autoshite on my Facebook and I don't have any accounts linked. So what exactly is it tracking and why and how intrusive is this that it can pice all these things together?

 

It's not Facebook, it's Google (who own Facebook along with roughly half of the internet, by usage). Every single piece of data that they can collect about you is stored indefinitely on giant servers and can be used by any part of their behemoth organisation. It's incredibly easy for them to track your activity, and use that information, unless you go out of your way to stop them.

 

EDIT: I noticed from the 'current users' section that you're using Android. Which is developed by Google, therefore anything you do on your phone or tablet will most likely be tracked and recorded by them. Welcome to the information age

[fairkens]

it is pretty terrifying tbf.

 

I had an email exchange with a chap that runs a florist about some flowers I had ordered to be delivered. When I logged in to facebook about 20 mins later there was a big fat ad for his florist. I have never seen this ad before and have never visited the florist website from my home computer. Only conclusion is dey tuk mi personal information from my emails.

 

what a wonderful world we live in

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

FUCKING BIN MEN

 

Lazy, disinterested Veolia arseholes.

 

Put my bin out last night and a sack of rubbish to go with it. Of course they didn't take the sack of rubbish, meaning I now have to take it to a fucking recycling place where some surly jobs worth Veolia arsehole asks 'WHATS IN IT PAL?"

 

So I drive down after the bin lorry where these cheerful, hardworking £30'000 a year operatives are busy not picking up black bags of rubbish.

 

Berfore I can even open my gob..........."Can't take it Pal"

 

 

"Why, too heavy for you is it?" I retort. 

 

Starts getting chippy with me....

 

 

"You're fucking useless" I say 

 

"No we're not"

 

I just laugh at the sorry twat.

 

I'll make a point of ripping open the bin bags before I take them to the recycling place so shit goes everywhere and some Veolia mong has to clean it up.

 

There's just no fucking need for it. A simple 'Go on, chuck it in there Pal' would have been the correct answer.

[Inspector Morose]

You know that graunching wet pinging ligament sound you sometimes get? I raised my head from my bed earlier, heard that sound closely followed by excrusiating pain in the left side of my neck and now I can't move my head or neck without a serious case of the AAAAARGHs!

Filled up on pain killers and anti inflammatories so at least I can get out of sodding bed.

Got a prop shaft on a Fleetline to re fit and finish the body on one of the Lothian Tridents today. (I know this will only mean something to bus people but, hey, I'm not in the mood to hunt for pics)

[Mr_Bo11ox]

He'll just be following orders given to him by some half arsed 'manager' who is having to ensure they do exactly what is written in their contract to the council, and not a single extra bag of rubbish. Privatisation!

[inconsistant]

It's incredibly easy for them to track your activity, and use that information, unless you go out of your way to stop them.

I'm sure I'm not the only one reading this who would like to know how to go out of my way to stop them.

I hate the feeling that someone is snooping on my comms, even if it's technology rather than a actual person. It feels like the first sinister step towards a future i don't want and didnt ask for.

 

Anyone got any tips?

[The Moog]

Was hoping to run a new feed for the washer pump on the AMM today but it is now pissing it down. Bollocks.

 

In for an mot tomorrow, so might just accept it will fail on that. Need to sort out insurance today for it

[oldcars]

We have a hire car just now, both the Shuma and the Santa Fe are acting up and we needed transport. 

 

It is a Toyota, Citroen, Peugeot C1, Aygo thing. Utter misery on wheels. 

 

When i get in the Reliant i smile, i think of all the folk working in Tamworth that hand built its body and all the assembly folk that built it up. When i get in the Kia i think of my Gran & Grandad that owned it and it makes me smile. It may be a bit plasticy and the seats are a bit of a funny colour but it makes me happy.

 

When i get in the hire misery mobile i think of the bridge and self harm, why are new cars so dull and boring.

[cort16]

I put 5 quids worth of petrol in my car this morning. Not big news other than it's a fucking DIESEL. The tank was nearly empty so I just brimmed it with diesel . Done 30 miles seems okay so far. Also last night I hit my thumb really hard with a hammer and it hurts.

[dave21478]

I'm sure I'm not the only one reading this who would like to know how to go out of my way to stop them.

I hate the feeling that someone is snooping on my comms, even if it's technology rather than a actual person. It feels like the first sinister step towards a future i don't want and didnt ask for.

 

Anyone got any tips?

 

Sign out of your google account - yes, you probably have one even though you dont remember signin up to it, including your youtube account.

Disactivate/delete your facebook account, and use private browsing all the time. Only sign up for stuff you want to participate with - ie forums, and if you are really worried, use a different username for everything.

[cort16]

I think the law that forces you to agree to accept cookies has brought in a whole new level of how they exploit them. it's definitely got worse since they brought in that legislation.

Have you noticed popups are now dead other than on a few "choice" websites. This is because people hated them so they switched to a more subversive way of targeting you through cookies.

 

My friend went onto trip advisor the other day. He wasn't logged into it, he didn't have an account but he had been on facebook (now logged out) a few hours before. When he went onto tripadvisor it said "Hi Neil did you enjoy your holiday". WTF, how did it know his name and how did it know he'd just been on holiday. They have to be careful though as that stuff gives you the heebiejeebies and would stop me from going back to the site.

[Lankytim]

But I'll die if I delete facebook!

[cort16]

They're all at it. The fact gmail reads your emails  then recommends you suggestions  based on email conversations you've been having is staggering.  We recommend "anti-depressants, whisky, calenders containing birds with big tits and the inlet manifold for a mercedes CL500". That is a massive invasion of privacy but most folk kind of accept it for the fact they provide a service they want for free*.

 

The thing that's really annoying me just now is SKY. I pay 30+ quid a month for SKY TV but if you attempt to watch it there are adverts every fucking 10 minutes. It suddenly occurred to me the other day I was paying them to watch adverts. What a joke. I purposefully now put a cushion in front of my face or put my head the oven when any adverts come on SKY.

[Pillock]

I just hit pause for ten minutes while I have a shit and make a cuppa, then cheerfully fast forward through the ads.

 

I've also found that if you watch on catchup (not recorded), you don't get adverts. But yeah, it is frustrating that they're getting paid both ends.

 

Today it was found that Lenovo PCs have been leaving the production line with spyware on! Lenovo have apologised for the mistake*.

[MrDuke]

I'm sure I'm not the only one reading this who would like to know how to go out of my way to stop them.

I hate the feeling that someone is snooping on my comms, even if it's technology rather than a actual person. It feels like the first sinister step towards a future i don't want and didnt ask for.

Anyone got any tips?

It really depends on how much time and effort you want to spend on it, but Dave2473692749125's suggestions are a good place to start.

On your PC/laptop, don't use Chrome for web-surfing, and don't use Google's search engine. There are plenty of alternatives to both - I use a search engine that doesn't track any of my search data at all. Stop using Gmail.

 

If you're really serious about avoiding the Evil Eye, there's no limit to the steps you can take, and a techie forum would give you better advice than me. Most of those steps will make your browsing slower and more awkward, but that might be a price you're willing to pay.

 

Personally, I only ever use open-source software and operating systems, which is a far easier place to start in terms of security for a variety of reasons, but again many people seemingly can't do without Windows, so it's not for everyone.

[skattrd]

Arse, I've just accidentally marked all posts read in this forum. Now I've got no idea what I've read or jot.

[cort16]

It doesn't bother me too much tbh it's just a bit uncanny sometimes. Desktops are a drop in the ocean compared to mobiles. They know where you are and how long you spent there and the speed you where doing as you headed to it. Combine this with a social media platform where people will will fully check in and post picture (facebook) and a hardware setup that will time and gps stamp your pictures that's a lot of info about your personal movements out there.

I find this spookier than google and facebook tracking my cookies.

 

Also notice a lot of apps ask for access to the GPS setup on the phone even when it's game. I always check that stuff carefully before agreeing it.

[dollywobbler]

I find Ad Blocker makes my life online far more bearable. I use a lot of Google products though, so I imagine they'll start cloning me soon. They'll know more about me than I do.

[skattrd]

Try removing apps from your phone that can be used through a browser, Facebook is a good start. I stopped using their app when it asked for access to contacts, calendar, telephone and just about everything else.

[dave21478]

Yeah, smartphones are mental for this. I got my first ever smartphone last year and sacked it off pretty much immediately. Partly due to it needing charged every 18 hours, but mainly because every single bloody thing on it kept asking for permission to do this and access that.  Screw that I never used its "smart" features anyway. Its in the drawer and instead I bought a basic phone for pensioners that has big buttons for £15 from a supermarket.

 

I forgot to mention Gmail earlier too - bin that off if you can. Hotmail seems to be much less intrusive although I stand to be corrected there if anyone knows better? I have had a hotmail account for decades and its no hassle at all.

[cros]

I want a grumpy old man pendant for my old chap's birthday.

[nacho man]

You want to put a pendant on your todger!!!!!

[DVee8]

I now have to wear glasses,my eyesight has been getting worse for a while.I am short sighted.Im finding thing a little strange at the moment.

[HH-R]

I'm sure I'm not the only one reading this who would like to know how to go out of my way to stop them.

I hate the feeling that someone is snooping on my comms, even if it's technology rather than a actual person. It feels like the first sinister step towards a future i don't want and didnt ask for.

 

Anyone got any tips?

First thing to do is scrap Chrome if you have it.

 

Install Firefox and then the Ghostery addon. When it runs through the setup wizard, use it to block everything but don't switch on GhostRank (think it's disabled by default).

 

Next install Adblock plus and on the first setup page,switch on the Social Media plugins blocker (basically stops Farcebook from spying on you on unrelated pages), switch on the malware protection. Then go into Tools > Addons, go into the options of Adblock plus and switch off the "allow some non intrusive advertising" option.

 

That will block most nasties, I use some extras like RequestPolicy, BetterPrivacy, NoScript and Cookie Monster but RP, NS and CM aren't for the feint hearted, most websites will load as a white page with some times new roman text.

 

I don't have anything to hide, but wasted so much of my life cleaning so many PCs that have been hosed through infected Flash adverts/Java running willy nilly that all the ad companies can do one, they must owe me hundreds of thousands of pounds for my unpaid time cleaning their shit off by now.