First-World Problems.

[T42]

Come back Ted Kaczynski, we need you.

[Regulator]

I have no clothes pegs and I swear I'm middle class. I sneer at chavs and the only reason I go to Lidl is for cheap gin, so I must be.

If you drink Lidl gin you *are* a chav...


(the original Hortus gin was OKish but they've gone a bit downhill since that).

[arabella]

I upgraded to a new mattress.
It is (much) thicker than the old mattress so some of my sheets no longer tuck in (tuck in! I hear you cry.  Well yes, flat sheets can be sides-to-middled when the middle wears out, thus getting more wear/less waste)
It is alas also a lot heavier than my old mattress so no idea how I will turn it when required.  Presumably with much difficulty as opposed to merely some difficulty.

[Giraffe]

Pub's kitchen was closed, had a couple of pints then went to Greggs, Greggs was closed, had to go to M&S - at this rate I'll have to get extra from Waitrose. What is the world coming to?

[Giraffe]

I upgraded to a new mattress.
It is (much) thicker than the old mattress so some of my sheets no longer tuck in (tuck in! I hear you cry.  Well yes, flat sheets can be sides-to-middled when the middle wears out, thus getting more wear/less waste)
It is alas also a lot heavier than my old mattress so no idea how I will turn it when required.  Presumably with much difficulty as opposed to merely some difficulty.

Flat sheets are getting smaller. How can a 150 cm-wide sheet be a "single": 90 cm for the bed+2x25 cm for the sides leaves 10 cm to tuck in to accommodate me. Need to buy a double now.
I like a flat sheet on top*, then I can have multiple layers for adjustment without any of them touching me.

* After the disastrous mistake of using a fitted sheet on top!

[Beardy]

I upgraded to a new mattress.
It is (much) thicker than the old mattress so some of my sheets no longer tuck in (tuck in! I hear you cry.  Well yes, flat sheets can be sides-to-middled when the middle wears out, thus getting more wear/less waste)
It is alas also a lot heavier than my old mattress so no idea how I will turn it when required.  Presumably with much difficulty as opposed to merely some difficulty.

Flat sheets are getting smaller. How can a 150 cm-wide sheet be a "single": 90 cm for the bed+2x25 cm for the sides leaves 10 cm to tuck in to accommodate me. Need to buy a double now.
I like a flat sheet on top*, then I can have multiple layers for adjustment without any of them touching me.

* After the disastrous mistake of using a fitted sheet on top!

We’ve given up trying to accommodate both of us in bed with respect to duvet tog value and extra blankets. I am currently sleeping on top of the duvet Dr Beardy (Mrs) is sleeping under and I have a single fleece blanket if i get a bit cool in the night. My night sweats have all but disappeared since we took this approach.

[Auntie Helen]

 You should do as the Germans do - they always have 2 single duvets on a double bed.

My GerMan has a super-light tog duvet upon which he sleeps, I sleep under a thick and heavy one. Works well!

[chrisbainbridge]

Ocado cannot deliver frozen foods due to national CO2 shortage!!  How will I survive without my Nuii ice creams?

[Cudzoziemiec]

Supply crisis gets serious

[The Family Cyclist]

I picked up prawn cocktail crisps instead of ready salted

[Mr Larrington]

No “Indian Sides” of any type, shape or description in Mr Sainsbury’s House of Toothy Comestibles today.  Not even the pukey ones with spinach.  In them.

Bah!

[Beardy]

I’ve just received an email from Amazon saying that they will no longer accept Visa CC from mid January because the fees are too high and to change my payment details now.

It feels like a phish, not least because I would have thought a firm the size of Amazon would be in a position to ‘negotiate’ with Visa over fees, and it seems like a massive own goal for them if they really are stopping to accept Visa CC.

If it is phish though, it seems to be a very well constructed one.

I won’t be changing my payment method though, not least because I don’t anything other than Visa that I’m prepared to use on Amazon. At least the change will force me to look for the cheapest supplier rather than using Amazon because it’s simpler as I’ve got a prime account.

ETA: a quick Google and it would seem to be true because VISA are increasing their fees in the UK now that the EU cap no longer applies. Ya, another Brexit winning. Some are saying that this is possibly a negotiation tactic by Amazon.

[andrewc]

Yes , I've had the same email & have seen commentary saying it's due to the UK no longer being in the EU.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I had an email from my bank a while back saying that they would be moving from Visa to Mastercard but that was for debit not credit cards. They didn't mention Brexit, of course. And equally obviously, real events are the best disguise for a phish.

[phantasmagoriana]

Yep, the Visa thing seems to be legit:

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-59306200

Haven't had the email, but I only have Mastercard...

[citoyen]

I had the email this morning, and it's just been on the news on the radio as well.

I would have thought a firm the size of Amazon would be in a position to ‘negotiate’ with Visa over fees, and it seems like a massive own goal for them if they really are stopping to accept Visa CC.

I would have thought that there has been an awful lot of negotiation between the two parties before they've reached this point. And I suspect it's a bit of bluff-calling from Amazon - one side or the other will climb down before the change is due to come into effect in January. Amazon clearly think they are in a position to outmuscle Visa.

I won’t be changing my payment method though, not least because I don’t anything other than Visa that I’m prepared to use on Amazon. At least the change will force me to look for the cheapest supplier rather than using Amazon because it’s simpler as I’ve got a prime account.

I wonder how many people would actually ditch Amazon because of this. Some might say they will but then decide they like the convenience of Amazon too much. I'm sure Amazon have factored this into their calculations.

Worth noting that they're waiting until after Christmas to bring this into effect. Cynical.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I'm surprised Amazon don't have their own payment system, like Ali do, or at least haven't bought up an existing one like PayPal. Or maybe they have and I missed it?

[ian]

Sounds like negotiation, I've not had the email, but it seems to be an actual thing. I checked and each of my four CCs is, of course, Visa. I don't want another CC, it's not like I need the ones I have. I think you can use Apple Pay, not sure how that works if it's still tied to a Visa card. A bit of a stupid move if Amazon stick to their guns and Visa don't budge.

I hate Amazon, but it's perilously convenient. Though I'm, in general, trying to buy less stuff.

ETA: you have mail. Oh well, I'm not about to get another CC unless my wife has a MasterCard.

[citoyen]

To be honest, if Amazon do go through with this, it will probably be a good thing for me - it might make me think twice about buying more shit if I have to actually pay for it with ready cash up front.

I've got my Visa card set up as the default for buying Kindle books and paying the Prime sub, so it's a good excuse to swap those, which I probably should do anyway. Not entirely sure why those are on the CC.

[citoyen]

I'm surprised Amazon don't have their own payment system

It did cross my mind that this could be a precursory move towards that.

[ian]

To be honest, if Amazon do go through with this, it will probably be a good thing for me - it might make me think twice about buying more shit if I have to actually pay for it with ready cash up front.

I've got my Visa card set up as the default for buying Kindle books and paying the Prime sub, so it's a good excuse to swap those, which I probably should do anyway. Not entirely sure why those are on the CC.

I'd forgotten about my Kindle addiction and Prime Video. That will be a grand pain in the dangleberries if they don't sort it out. I really don't want another card.

[Beardy]

I’ve started reading up on 2mm finescale, please send help.

[Jaded]

I'm surprised Amazon don't have their own payment system

It did cross my mind that this could be a precursory move towards that.

They have an Amazon credit card, which is Mastercard?

[hellymedic]

I just want to know what makes a clothes peg "middle-class"!

Where you buy them from probably.

My stock of wooden clothes pegs was bought at Woolworths, probably around the year 2000.

Suspect their vintage make me middle class, even if Woolworths might be infra dig...

[orienteer]

I’ve started reading up on 2mm finescale, please send help.

I visited the Model Railway Club's Copenhagen Fields layout at their HQ near Kings Cross a few months ago.

There's a new YouTube feature about it, Google youtube copenhagen fields model