The grumpy thread

[vulgalour]

Unfortunately it's becoming increasingly common for there to be no journalist involved at all with the rise of AI generated content taking their place.  It's all part of the enshittification of the internet, you see.

[goosey]

16 hours ago, New POD said:

Do you not have  Random sized O rings some of which are used that you've taken off other jobs loose at the bottom of your tool box.  What sort of maintenance tech are you ?  

Cental aisle of Aldi usually has a box. 

I just transferred the clear bowl part onto the customers old water separator in the end so there was no need to dismantle anything

[High Jetter]

53 minutes ago, vulgalour said:

Unfortunately it's becoming increasingly common for there to be no journalist involved at all with the rise of AI generated content taking their place.  It's all part of the enshittification of the internet, you see.

Yea, ok. You AI'd that post, shirley?

[vulgalour]

I know, it sounds like proper conspiracy theorist stuff, but it's true.  Generative text programmes are being used to manufacture articles that seems legitimate but are in fact created using things like Chat GPT.  I suppose saying no journalist is involved is slightly misleading since these programmes rely on consuming vast quantities of content originally created by journalist, who are never credited, so that then an article can be generated.  People already use these programmes to create perfectly convincing job application letters and even essays with bogus content.

Content online is becoming more automated than ever as the tools to do so make it easier.  Rules against plagiarism are difficult to enforce, and the willingness to do so seems to be in short supply.  Everything from news articles that seem as though they're copy-pasted, to clip compilations on Youtube, and even deepfake videos on Tiktok... the examples are endless.  AI is being used primarily, it seems, for disinformation and a way to plagiarise and avoid paying actual journalists.

This comes from a place of experience too.  The rise of AI has directly impacted my own artwork.  I've seen fellow artists whose style is closer to the popular AI generated styles have to find alternative work.  Writers I know aren't getting commissions and in general the creative industries are struggling to find a way to compete with these level of plagiarism and lazy content creation.  Hopefully this craze will go the way of NFTs, hopefully it proves very difficult to make any money from and the people pushing it get bored of it so the real people doing the real work can get back on with earning a wage again.

Might be worth doing a little hunt for articles about how Google is altering search terms so whenever you put anything in on Google you get a lot of adverts instead of the thing you're looking for too, that's been something that's been getting reported on in the last week or so.  My work is based almost exclusively online, I have to keep as much of an eye as I can on these things to figure out why sales and interest are dropping, and they have been since the rise in the AI trend.  However, I've found that places like Autoshite, Mastodon, and other 'indie' sites haven't suffered the same as, say, Google, anything related to Chrome, or the bigger social media platforms.

I've never knowingly used an AI generator for content and that's a trend I intend to continue with until I can feel comfortable that it's an ethically sound option.

[AnnoyingPentium]

21 hours ago, davehedgehog31 said:

Last Monday morning the woman next door reversed into the Fabia with her Audi Qsomething. She came to the door to let me know and was very apologetic. No ill feeling and I had a look at options for getting it fixed. Local body shops were only interested in insurance work. I couldn't really be bothered going to the insurance and declaring it for the next five years.

 

 

A painted wing was £177 from eBay. I bought this and will fit it myself. Let her know this and gave her the receipt with my bank details written on it. Have saved her a pretty penny and potentially a lot of hassle. You guessed it, the bint still hasn't paid me, they're not short a bob or two either. 

 

The moral of this story, fuck people. Just get things done properly. As it stands I'm £180 out of pocket, have a bashed car which will shortly have a poorly colour matched wing and I'll have to spend my own time fitting it. I bet the liberty taking bastard sends me the exact amount when I eventually get it too. 

 

I'll be asking for insurance details after work, I'm sure this will hasten the transfer of funds. 

That's a bummer.

Happy to help with replacing the wing if you need a hand. It's not too bad to do, but there's a few bits where they're glued on too. 

[barefoot]

I used it to write an article about a heavily modified VW. As you can imagine, the info sheets sent in by the owners of such vehicles are just soulless lists of what they've upgraded so I asked ai to condense it from 8000 words to 2000. Then I did my usual editing / formatting with the much reduced piece. 

[artdjones]

23 hours ago, davehedgehog31 said:

Last Monday morning the woman next door reversed into the Fabia with her Audi Qsomething. She came to the door to let me know and was very apologetic. No ill feeling and I had a look at options for getting it fixed. Local body shops were only interested in insurance work. I couldn't really be bothered going to the insurance and declaring it for the next five years.

 

 

A painted wing was £177 from eBay. I bought this and will fit it myself. Let her know this and gave her the receipt with my bank details written on it. Have saved her a pretty penny and potentially a lot of hassle. You guessed it, the bint still hasn't paid me, they're not short a bob or two either. 

 

The moral of this story, fuck people. Just get things done properly. As it stands I'm £180 out of pocket, have a bashed car which will shortly have a poorly colour matched wing and I'll have to spend my own time fitting it. I bet the liberty taking bastard sends me the exact amount when I eventually get it too. 

 

I'll be asking for insurance details after work, I'm sure this will hasten the transfer of funds. 

When she talked to her old man:-

"He wants £180 for a scratch on that old banger?"

"That's a cheek, it's only worth £450 and he wants nearly half of that for tiny damage!"

"Stuff him".

[myglaren]

18 hours ago, reb said:

I have to get the bus into town for an appointment, I usually get one at quarter past the hour on the main road outside the farm. I waited and waited and it didn't turn up. It got to 20 to and I decided to walk down to the village to get the one at 10 to. As soon as I've crossed the road to walk across the field what turns up but the bus I was waiting for in the first place. What an utter bastard the universe is.

Around here at least there are QR codes at all the bus stops.  Use your phone to read it and it will give you live info on busses due in the next half hour or so.

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, myglaren said:

Around here at least there are QR codes at all the bus stops.  Use your phone to read it and it will give you live info on busses due in the next half hour or so.

IIRC reb's phone is from the last century so that wouldn't help him. We have the QR codes round here, seem to work well.

[warch]

On 10/5/2023 at 10:14 AM, davehedgehog31 said:

Last Monday morning the woman next door reversed into the Fabia with her Audi Qsomething. She came to the door to let me know and was very apologetic. No ill feeling and I had a look at options for getting it fixed. Local body shops were only interested in insurance work. I couldn't really be bothered going to the insurance and declaring it for the next five years.

A painted wing was £177 from eBay. I bought this and will fit it myself. Let her know this and gave her the receipt with my bank details written on it. Have saved her a pretty penny and potentially a lot of hassle. You guessed it, the bint still hasn't paid me, they're not short a bob or two either. 

The moral of this story, fuck people. Just get things done properly. As it stands I'm £180 out of pocket, have a bashed car which will shortly have a poorly colour matched wing and I'll have to spend my own time fitting it. I bet the liberty taking bastard sends me the exact amount when I eventually get it too. 

I'll be asking for insurance details after work, I'm sure this will hasten the transfer of funds. 

This was the same sort of thing as that woman who stuffed her RAV4 into the front of my Landrover. She started off talking about avoiding using insurance, so I suggested about 800 quid to repair it myself (an insurance repair would have been several thousand at least). She then said she probably will go through insurance, then decided that she wasn't at fault and dragged the whole issue on for two years until her insurance finally agreed she was at fault and found in my favour. 

There is no sense of decency or honour with some people. I can remember backing my old Omega into the passenger side door of a Transit van in Wales once. I exchanged details, then the bloke rang up and said he could a secondhand door from a breakers for 80 quid. I presented him with the money the next day and we were all good. 

[High Jetter]

Just received my first ever NIP, for 38 in a 30 on the way back from Stansted on Monday.

[goosey]

20mins late this morning as I had to follow this big oversized heavy yellow thing 

[Talbot]

On 10/5/2023 at 10:14 AM, davehedgehog31 said:

A painted wing was £177 from eBay. I bought this and will fit it myself. Let her know this and gave her the receipt with my bank details written on it. Have saved her a pretty penny and potentially a lot of hassle. You guessed it, the bint still hasn't paid me, they're not short a bob or two either. 

Now present them with a bill that includes the damage to the bumper, at £500, with a comment that they either pay up, or you'll be following up with insurers.

The only bump I have ever had that was my fault, I sorted the damage to the other person's car myself.  Scrapyard bumper, and I fitted it that weekend for her.

[reb]

5 hours ago, myglaren said:

Around here at least there are QR codes at all the bus stops.  Use your phone to read it and it will give you live info on busses due in the next half hour or so.

We don't have that around here alas! The capability must exist because at bus stations there's screens with the info, but no way to see it yourself. 

[EyesWeldedShut]

Sprog reduced to commuting in the Bini this morning as the FreeLoader FTP. Apparently it's been a bit hesitant of late?
It's pissing down all day and I cannot be arsed looking to see if it's just needing a clean up or a new sensor so I've stung her for one (sale or return) so I can look at the blighter tomorrow, or Sunday, or Monday - whenever the rain stops....

[MikeR]

Post office letter tracking ... the one time I use it , it's not working , and now I have notification the parcel has arrived off the receiver , as for the PO , still tits up ... 

[myglaren]

17 hours ago, reb said:

We don't have that around here alas! The capability must exist because at bus stations there's screens with the info, but no way to see it yourself. 

Have a look and see if there is an 'app' for your phone.  They have that option here that shows live data on the busses.

I haven't purely as I dislike the term 'app'.

[barefoot]

5 hours ago, myglaren said:

I haven't purely as I dislike the term 'app'.

Similarly, I have never eaten yoghurt because I don't like the way it's spelled.

[DavieW]

Went for a night with my my wife. 

We went to new pub in town - £8.50 for a pint and a glass of wine. Had a couple there then went back to our village and had the same round  - £13.80. Guess we won't be frequenting our local very much. 

 

[New POD]

6 hours ago, DavieW said:

Went for a night with my my wife. 

We went to new pub in town - £8.50 for a pint and a glass of wine. Had a couple there then went back to our village and had the same round  - £13.80. Guess we won't be frequenting our local very much. 

 

Did you mention it to the landlord ?  

Is the place empty ? No understanding of schoolboy price vs demand curves? 

Or is the place full, and he's put the price up, because it doesn't impact the sales much. 

[Floatylight]

Not really a grump more of a bemusement. ..

FIL's 70th Birthday today, MIL has booked a table for 12 at a local pub 8pm.

Turn up at 7 45 and the place is packed, outside on the car park a bloke is trying to stop three screaming women from clawing each other, we're pointed to a selection of tables close to the busy bar which had been put into a line, surrounded by burley blokes shouting at one another, we sat down and were looking at the menu when a full band started sound checking for a gig with what must have been at least a 10 piece drum kit, pa speakers, stage monitors, etc about 6ft from us.  The drummer doing full rounds on the drums, the guitarist doing his best Jimi Hendrix and male & female vocalists going 1-2, 1-2 for about 5 minutes as the guy on the sound desk tried to stop the feedback screeching...

Got up and went to the local Toby Carvery instead, you would think they would mention when taking a phone booking they would mention  they've got a live band on...

[brownnova]

This is why travelling on a motorway is shit these days. Ignorant fucking twats who don’t realise the inside lane is default lane and the other two are for overtaking only. On the M6 yesterday there were queues in lanes 3 and 4 whilst lanes one and two were moving perfectly! So many middle lane hogging bastards it’s unbelievable! 

[Floatylight]

38 minutes ago, brownnova said:

This is why travelling on a motorway is shit these days. Ignorant fucking twats who don’t realise the inside lane is default lane and the other two are for overtaking only. On the M6 yesterday there were queues in lanes 3 and 4 whilst lanes one and two were moving perfectly! So many middle lane hogging bastards it’s unbelievable! 

Yeah, I now tend to sit in Lane one undertaking them all, occasional out to overtake a truck then back to lane one and carry on, that way you avoid all the knobs two foot off each others bumpers on the brakes every 5 seconds. 

[sheffcortinacentre]

49 minutes ago, brownnova said:

This is why travelling on a motorway is shit these days. Ignorant fucking twats who don’t realise the inside lane is default lane and the other two are for overtaking only. On the M6 yesterday there were queues in lanes 3 and 4 whilst lanes one and two were moving perfectly! So many middle lane hogging bastards it’s unbelievable! 

Now days they've been redesignated  as follows

Lane 1 peasants/ lorry lane .

Lane2  lorry/giffer lane 

Lane3 van/self entitled lane

Lane 4 as lane 3

[hairnet]

lump

bastard

had a sore leg (being on the bike even tho not a 4 hour at a time jobbie) it was 50 miles stop 50 miles stop leg wouldnt complain doing that

hip/joints get sore so ok itll go away only this time its sore when pressed

not a spot or obv blemish not discoloured

spoke to special people they said speak to doc or haemo tomorrow to see who can see it quicker

fuck (work are gonna love me)

edit since the weekend the lump is bigger - good job i have an appointment tomrrow (their ask not mine)

fuck this week already

Edited October 10, 2023 by hairnet

[Metal Guru]

7 hours ago, sheffcortinacentre said:

Now days they've been redesignated  as follows

Lane 1 peasants/ lorry lane .

Lane2  lorry/giffer lane 

Lane3 van/self entitled lane

Lane 4 as lane 3

Lane one is the loser lane.

Lane 2 belongs to the middle lane owners club

lane 3 is the Audi / BMW lane.

Lane  4 is “oh shit there’s my exit lane. Looks like I’m going to be on You Tube!”

[GrumpiusMaximus]

13 hours ago, brownnova said:

This is why travelling on a motorway is shit these days. Ignorant fucking twats who don’t realise the inside lane is default lane and the other two are for overtaking only. On the M6 yesterday there were queues in lanes 3 and 4 whilst lanes one and two were moving perfectly! So many middle lane hogging bastards it’s unbelievable! 

I drove from Cheltenham-Kent via the A40, M40, M25, M2, yesterday and I had a situation like this almost all of the way back.  I'm very happy to sit in the inside lane doing 60 on longer journeys, especially in the BINI.

I don't know if this has always been a problem but many, many drivers just do not seem to understand that the inside lane is the lane that you are, by default, meant to be in and that the other two are for overtaking.  If you're doing 70, I can understand being in the middle lane if there's a train of lorries.  Because you're overtaking them.  Otherwise, get the fuck to the inside lane and use the motorway properly.

See also, people overtaking you when other cars are merging from the left at junctions (despite there being signs of an impending junction for at least a mile) and cars getting arsey and flashing you from 150 Yards back when you safely accelerate, indicate and pull over to let traffic in prior to a junction.

Case in point, there's a very marginal junction on the A2 just before you get into Canterbury whereby the traffic entering the A2 from the left gets a very short slip road and it's very hard to actually see the A2 until you're on the slip itself trying to merge:

So, as a courtesy I always try and pull over to the right-hand lane (of two) about 400 yards beforehand as I've seen so many near-misses there.  Did that yesterday and a van that was in the right-hand lane suddenly decides to do 85, catch up with me and start flashing their lights.  They only realised what I was doing when they saw two merging cars nearly have an accident with two cars on the inside lane at the junction and backed off.

The lack of situational awareness on our motorways an A-roads is staggering.

[robinmasters]

9 hours ago, GrumpiusMaximus said:

I drove from Cheltenham-Kent via the A40, M40, M25, M2, yesterday and I had a situation like this almost all of the way back.  I'm very happy to sit in the inside lane doing 60 on longer journeys, especially in the BINI.

I don't know if this has always been a problem but many, many drivers just do not seem to understand that the inside lane is the lane that you are, by default, meant to be in and that the other two are for overtaking.  If you're doing 70, I can understand being in the middle lane if there's a train of lorries.  Because you're overtaking them.  Otherwise, get the fuck to the inside lane and use the motorway properly.

See also, people overtaking you when other cars are merging from the left at junctions (despite there being signs of an impending junction for at least a mile) and cars getting arsey and flashing you from 150 Yards back when you safely accelerate, indicate and pull over to let traffic in prior to a junction.

Case in point, there's a very marginal junction on the A2 just before you get into Canterbury whereby the traffic entering the A2 from the left gets a very short slip road and it's very hard to actually see the A2 until you're on the slip itself trying to merge:

So, as a courtesy I always try and pull over to the right-hand lane (of two) about 400 yards beforehand as I've seen so many near-misses there.  Did that yesterday and a van that was in the right-hand lane suddenly decides to do 85, catch up with me and start flashing their lights.  They only realised what I was doing when they saw two merging cars nearly have an accident with two cars on the inside lane at the junction and backed off.

The lack of situational awareness on our motorways an A-roads is staggering.

I was on the A2 a while ago, in lane two, overtaking. A grey van closed very quickly on me, really aggressively tailgating. When I was past the traffic I had been overtaking I moved back into lane one, and gave the van driver the Gareth Hunt hand gesture. Only then did the (unmarked) van put their blue lights on. There's a police vehicle compound at Nackington. 

[GrumpiusMaximus]

23 minutes ago, robinmasters said:

I was on the A2 a while ago, in lane two, overtaking. A grey van closed very quickly on me, really aggressively tailgating. When I was past the traffic I had been overtaking I moved back into lane one, and gave the van driver the Gareth Hunt hand gesture. Only then did the (unmarked) van put their blue lights on. There's a police vehicle compound at Nackington. 

It was a grey van!  Police driver or otherwise, the occupant was indeed a bit of a Gareth.

[purplebargeken]

Agreed. In the early 00's in the Wood Lane area of West London, just further on from the BBC HQ, a metallic blue Rover 100, slightly jazzed up boy racer style used to hook around locally. The only issue being that it was an unmarked plod wagon. I was on my slightly loud TRX riding home from a shitty shift at Charing X hospital. I had stopped at the light on Wood Lane, pizza moped next to me. Next thing much horn blowing and this car forces its way through, thought it was going to hit the pizza guy. A few seconds later the lights changed and I rode off the same way as the dickhead in the car. I put my full beams on as I caught up with him, pulled alongside as the road was chocker and berated him verbally and loudly as his window was open. He shouted back that he was a police officer and waved his warrant card at me whilst shouting. I plucked it out of his hand, told him I didn't give a fuck, informed him that he drove like a fucking wanker and flung his card onto the pavement somewhere. I then fucked off by filtering through the traffic. I regret nothing.