Today I'll mainly be moaning about ...

[Mincey]

May I moan about Sainsburys?

For reasons far too complicated to go into, I received some moisturiser (male orientated of course) for Christmas but had to give this up to my second step son. My dear current wife suggested that I bought myself some more, as moisturiser is good for the skin at this time of year.

Whilst in Sainsburys yesterday, I noticed L'Oreal Moisturiser for Men which was on offer. Usual price £8.99, on offer for £5. I'll have some, I thought.

When I returned home, I was slightly miffed to find that when opening the box, the jar of product inside was about 2/3rds the height of the box. Oh well, I've saved nearly £4 I thought so never mind.

I showed the moisturiser to my current wife, who immediately snapped "why have you bought moisturiser?" in an "are you trying to make yourself look more presentable for some floozy at work?" manner. "No, " I replied, "I bought it because you told me to". She then shut up.

It seems that I have digressed slightly - something I try desperately not to do - so I shall return to the point. I thought I would check how much the moisturiser was on amazon. Imagine my disappointment when I saw that it was £4.50 on there. And on Prime too! 

The moral of the story is clear. When coming across a "bargain" in Sainsburys, or any other supermarket or store in fact, check for it on amazon on your phone. If it's cheaper, consider whether you can wait until the following day for the product. In this case, I certainly could, but I do have a nice smooth face now. I trust this has been a useful post.

[royoftherovers]

2 minutes ago, Mincey said:

May I moan about Sainsburys?

For reasons far too complicated to go into, I received some moisturiser (male orientated of course) for Christmas but had to give this up to my second step son. My dear current wife suggested that I bought myself some more, as moisturiser is good for the skin at this time of year.

Whilst in Sainsburys yesterday, I noticed L'Oreal Moisturiser for Men which was on offer. Usual price £8.99, on offer for £5. I'll have some, I thought.

When I returned home, I was slightly miffed to find that when opening the box, the jar of product inside was about 2/3rds the height of the box. Oh well, I've saved nearly £4 I thought so never mind.

I showed the moisturiser to my current wife, who immediately snapped "why have you bought moisturiser?" in an "are you trying to make yourself look more presentable for some floozy at work?" manner. "No, " I replied, "I bought it because you told me to". She then shut up.

It seems that I have digressed slightly - something I try desperately not to do - so I shall return to the point. I thought I would check how much the moisturiser was on Amazon. Imagine my disappointment when I saw that it was £4.50 on there. And on Prime too! 

The moral of the story is clear. When coming across a "bargain" in Sainsburys, or any other supermarket or store in fact, check for it on Amazon on your phone. If it's cheaper, consider whether you can wait until the following day for the product. In this case, I certainly could, but I do have a nice smooth face now. I trust this has been a useful post.

Welcome to the World sunshine !

[PeteTP]

Today I’m moaning about being sick’n’tired of being sick’n’tired.

 

Thats it🤬

PeteTP

[First_Lexus]

8 minutes ago, Mincey said:

The moral of the story is clear. When coming across a "bargain" in Sainsburys, or any other supermarket or store in fact, check for it on Amazon on your phone. If it's cheaper, consider whether you can wait until the following day for the product. In this case, I certainly could, but I do have a nice smooth face now. I trust this has been a useful post.

The problem is that amazon don’t have the same fixed costs as ‘bricks & mortar’ retailers. Yes, they can offer cheaper prices but at what cost to their employees, tax revenue etc.

I won’t use amazon. I do shop online, but only with retailers that I consider to operate (at least to some extent) ethically. 

[Malc]

29 minutes ago, Mincey said:

I trust this has been a useful post.

for someone I'm sure 

Malc

[LenT]

12 minutes ago, Mincey said:

The moral of the story is clear. When coming across a "bargain" in Sainsburys, or any other supermarket or store in fact, check for it on Amazon on your phone. If it's cheaper, consider whether you can wait until the following day for the product. In this case, I certainly could, but I do have a nice smooth face now. I trust this has been a useful post.

In such circumstances James, you can console yourself by considering the possibility that the cheaper version may in fact be being knocked up in old oil drums in some obscure Chinese village.

Or is that eBay?

To avoid such disappointments I follow a basic rule, rather like Wilkins Micawber.  
 

Having found the product you want, buy it and stop looking.  Result: happiness.

Continue looking to see if you could have bought it cheaper.  Result: misery.

[Mincey]

23 minutes ago, First_Lexus said:

The problem is that Amazon don’t have the same fixed costs as ‘bricks & mortar’ retailers. Yes, they can offer cheaper prices but at what cost to their employees, tax revenue etc.

I won’t use Amazon. I do shop online, but only with retailers that I consider to operate (at least to some extent) ethically. 

It's difficult to argue with any of those points. 

[royoftherovers]

2 minutes ago, LenT said:

In such circumstances James, you can console yourself by considering the possibility that the cheaper version may in fact be being knocked up in old oil drums in some obscure Chinese village.

Or is that eBay?

To avoid such disappointments I follow a basic rule, rather like Wilkins Micawber.  
 

Having found the product you want, buy it and stop looking.  Result: happiness.

Continue looking to see if you could have bought it cheaper.  Result: misery.

I follow the same Rule too Len.

In fact, I do not go shopping, shopping comes to me and I`m offering to buy at a competitive price, having completed whatever research I chose to do.

Under no circumstances, do I shop with Mrs Roy !

[Phil xxkr]

1 hour ago, First_Lexus said:

Moving the moan needle slightly - and I do feel increasingly like a grumpy old man (stop sniggering at the back!) - I’d like to submit ‘tribalism.’

I’m not sure exactly when this happened, but so many people seem to want to identify with a particular group and defend the views and actions of that group sometimes without reason. I was always taught that, in any debate, the real solution was often somewhere in the middle of the two opposing views. These days, I fear too many people simply believe their view is ‘right’ and every other view is ‘wrong.’ Thus, almost everything becomes tribal.

Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I enjoy tribalism as much as the next man. I’m a football fan - but when tribalism becomes violent or unpleasant it has gone too far. A good example in recent years are Parliamentary Select Committees. They used to be excellent forums for cross-party understanding and debate for the public good but - and I think this started with the Public Accounts Committee - these days they are more of an opportunity for reinforcing the various political tribes. Those called to answer questions are now often criticised that their views are ‘wrong’ in some way with the result that they simply stop telling their version of the truth and accept the consensus. That’s just madness.

Another example. I was always taught that ‘nationalism’ for its own sake was dangerous. Perhaps not surprising given the events of the C20th, but when did ‘some nationalism’ become acceptable? Step forward Nicola Sturgeon…

Nicely put Ed. What of course is happening is the "intellectual elite 🤔" has adroitly moved the conversation from truth, logic and evidence to emotions and feelings. Full in the knowledge that if you can control the person's words you can control the person. 

Not sure where nationalism starts/begins and patriotism starts /begins so I shall defer to Flanders & Swann and their Song of Patriotic Predujdice especially the lines

"And all the world over, each nation's the same
They've simply no notion of playing the game
They argue with umpires, they cheer when they've won
And they practice beforehand which ruins the fun!" 🤣

[malcolmw]

9 hours ago, Phil xxkr said:

...the "intellectual elite 🤔" has adroitly moved the conversation from truth, logic and evidence to emotions and feelings.

You only have to listen to the BBC news interviewers. They all ask people "How do you feel..." rather than trying to elicit facts.

[Phil xxkr]

25 minutes ago, malcolmw said:

You only have to listen to the BBC news interviewers. They all ask people "How do you feel..." rather than trying to elicit facts.

Exactly 👍

[Mincey]

Good lord! Is this down to our vegan friends? Animals eating wire coatings because they're plant based? https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=23&t=1971169

[PCM]

Buzz words - hate them.

"Carbon Neutral", "Sustainability", "Zero Emissions" etc.

When I see these statements on social media I often politely ask, "What do you mean when you say...".

I NEVER get a reply.

Perhaps they don't know?

 

[Phil xxkr]

15 minutes ago, PCM said:

Buzz words - hate them.

"Carbon Neutral", "Sustainability", "Zero Emissions" etc.

When I see these statements on social media I often politely ask, "What do you mean when you say...".

I NEVER get a reply.

Perhaps they don't know?

 

Of course they don't Piers. But by being deliberately vague it allows all sorts of "experts" to offer their opinions which they know they will never ever be held accountable for, just look at the Sage predictions - absolute charlatans 

[LenT]

4 hours ago, PCM said:

Buzz words - hate them.

"Carbon Neutral", "Sustainability", "Zero Emissions" etc.

When I see these statements on social media I often politely ask, "What do you mean when you say...".

I NEVER get a reply.

Perhaps they don't know?

 

This took me back several decades to when I was a young writer at a large American advertising agency.  I was invited to attend meetings, but rarely to venture an opinion.

So on those occasions on which I was, I amused myself by making use of a Buss Word Generator.  This consisted of three columns of words.  Any word from the first column could be followed by any word from the second and the phrase completed with any word from the last column.

Thus it might create such as:  

Socially Integrated Dynamic

Multiple Rated Approach

Organically Targeted Format

I would then introduce the phrase a few times into my comment.   Naturally my elders and betters were not inclined to admit that they had no idea what I was talking about.

On more occasions than I could have reasonable hoped for, my invented phrase would later turn up in other documents or meetings, giving me the glorious opportunity to admit my ignorance and enquire as to what it actually meant.

But the true Advertising Account Executive is never lost for words and  I was always impressed at how what had left me as a meaningless phrase had now acquired a meaning which they could now patiently explain to me.

Oh, such fun!

 

[LenT]

6 hours ago, LenT said:

a Buss Word Generator. 

No - it was a BUZZ Word Generator!!!  
Apologies for poor tipping.

[First_Lexus]

It’s Monday morning and I feel like a good moan is in order.

First, I’d like to moan about the internet. Bear with me here. It strikes me that pre-internet, ‘crackpot’ views were far harder to promulgate. Media (generally) wouldn’t entertain them, and in order to reach a wider audience they’d need funding to publish a book that few others would read. Outside of that, Speaker's Corner was about as good as it got. These days, the internet enables anybody with an opinion to present it as a fact. It’s not, in my opinion, helpful. Witness anti-vax propaganda, and various conspiracy theories. 

“But…” I hear them cry, “…all we’re doing is challenging the status quo/elites/Lizard people/Government falsehoods” (insert your own tinfoil hat conspiracy theory here). Not really. An echo chamber is an echo chamber however we dress it up. The internet feeds the view with other views that reinforce the first view (are you keeping up at the back?), and there is less and less real academic challenge. It worries me. 

Worth adding that being able to use Google search to find articles that reinforce an existing opinion is no substitute for an education that encourages debate and critical thinking. Context is important. Always.

Next, those who use the word ‘like’ after seemingly every word. Like, that drives me crackers…

Two more.

People who overuse the word ‘literally’ in order to (in their eyes) add weight to their opinion. Actually, used incorrectly, it diminishes the validity of their statements.

Finally, shaving. I can’t get on without shaving as I find stubble all itchy. However, actually having to shave every morning is a real bind. Happy Monday!

[PeteTP]

‘Gotten’ 

🤢

[Mincey]

3 hours ago, PeteTP said:

‘Gotten’ 

🤢

Oh amen to that!

[Mincey]

3 hours ago, First_Lexus said:

It’s Monday morning and I feel like a good moan is in order.

First, I’d like to moan about the internet. Bear with me here. It strikes me that pre-internet, ‘crackpot’ views were far harder to promulgate. Media (generally) wouldn’t entertain them, and in order to reach a wider audience they’d need funding to publish a book that few others would read. Outside of that, Speaker's Corner was about as good as it got. These days, the internet enables anybody with an opinion to present it as a fact. It’s not, in my opinion, helpful. Witness anti-vax propaganda, and various conspiracy theories. 

“But…” I hear them cry, “…all we’re doing is challenging the status quo/elites/Lizard people/Government falsehoods” (insert your own tinfoil hat conspiracy theory here). Not really. An echo chamber is an echo chamber however we dress it up. The internet feeds the view with other views that reinforce the first view (are you keeping up at the back?), and there is less and less real academic challenge. It worries me. 

Worth adding that being able to use Google search to find articles that reinforce an existing opinion is no substitute for an education that encourages debate and critical thinking. Context is important. Always.

Next, those who use the word ‘like’ after seemingly every word. Like, that drives me crackers…

Two more.

People who overuse the word ‘literally’ in order to (in their eyes) add weight to their opinion. Actually, used incorrectly, it diminishes the validity of their statements.

Finally, shaving. I can’t get on without shaving as I find stubble all itchy. However, actually having to shave every morning is a real bind. Happy Monday!

You are leaning against an open door! How much damage has social media done? It has given a plethora of nutters an audience they would otherwise never have had. Bullying at school is no longer confined to school hours. 

And yes, the days of going to a library (that's a building with lots of books in it kids) to do some research for a school project or some homework, hoping that some classmate or other hadn't like, beaten you to it. 

Shaving: I struggled for years to get a decent shave. Each time Wilkinson Sword or Gillette brought out a new razor with an extra blade, I fell for the hype and bought on. My father didn't help - his only advice was to "go carefully and don't cut yourself". It was only when I stumbled across this chap on YouTube that everything clicked into place. I'm now a confirmed safety razor user and my chops are as smooth as a baby's bum every morning. 
 

 

[Malc]

On 1/31/2022 at 11:13 AM, Mincey said:

And yes, the days of going to a library (that's a building with lots of books in it kids) to do some research for a school project or some homework, hoping that some classmate or other hadn't like, beaten you to it. 

maybe this is one of the strategic reasons why the Libraries are being left to simply close down .....  gone are the days, long long back, when I visited to read there the daily newspapers .....  Times, Guardian, Telegraph and heaven forbid, the Financial Times too ............ that was pre-covid times of course

Malc

[Moleman]

So I have a moan for today, let me set the scene. Last year while staying in North Norfolk an fella proudly told me that whatever the speed limit he drives at least 10mph slower, taking this in, I asked him if when he was driving he often saw a long line of traffic behind him and guess what, he did. Now getting to the moan, North Norfolk is single carriageway land and you often get a combination of the fella above and the nervous overtaker. Thus while the roads are relatively quiet you often find yourself stuck in a long slow tailback.

So the moan; drivers who blindly drive along without taking any notice of the road conditions, volume of traffic or their impact upon other road users.

[Moleman]

5 minutes ago, Moleman said:

So I have a moan for today, let me set the scene. Last year while staying in North Norfolk an fella proudly told me that whatever the speed limit he drives at least 10mph slower, taking this in, I asked him if when he was driving he often saw a long line of traffic behind him and guess what, he did. Now getting to the moan, North Norfolk is single carriageway land and you often get a combination of the fella above and the nervous overtaker. Thus while the roads are relatively quiet you often find yourself stuck in a long slow tailback.

So the moan; drivers who blindly drive along without taking any notice of the road conditions, volume of traffic or their impact upon other road users.

To add to this, the numpties who when you are the only people on the road and you come along the empty road  they reduce speed until you are close enough to overtake and as you indicate and start to pull out, they speed up. You get pass them and they then slow down, waiting for the next car to come along, sad people, sad little life.

[Phil xxkr]

1 hour ago, Moleman said:

To add to this, the numpties who when you are the only people on the road and you come along the empty road  they reduce speed until you are close enough to overtake and as you indicate and start to pull out, they speed up. You get pass them and they then slow down, waiting for the next car to come along, sad people, sad little life.

Maurice, you need to get out - less 😂

[Las Palmas]

On 1/31/2022 at 7:47 AM, First_Lexus said:

I can’t get on without shaving as I find stubble all itchy. However, actually having to shave every morning is a real bind. Happy Monday!

Grow a beard. It gets soft when long.