Author Topic: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant. (Read 1627322 times)

andrewc · « **Reply #8800 on:** 18 April, 2017, 09:19:00 pm »

Quote from: andrewc on 28 March, 2017, 09:25:07 pm

Quote from: andrewc on 03 March, 2017, 11:49:19 pm
Quote from: andrewc on 23 February, 2017, 03:59:04 pm
A valve on my amp has died, so I'm having to listen to music on the Mac, until I can get around to buying & fitting a spare :-(

Ah, that's better..... Mr Cohen sounding like he's in my living room.

Only problem is, Google searches for "Svetlana, best price" seem to have resulted in some extremely odd emails......

Sadly after a week of listening something went flash/bang and there was a nasty smell. Taking the bottom off revealed a small, dented cylindrical metal object rattling around inside. I took it into work today for a courier to take back to the manufacturer in St Neots for some TLC.

Carrying a very large box which must weigh 25kg down 8 flights of stairs was not fun...

They replaced a couple of resistors & the 2 blown valves & shipped it back to me for £168 last week. It's just gone bang again! This time even the power light won't come one

Kim · « **Reply #8801 on:** 18 April, 2017, 11:21:53 pm »

£168! You could grow your own JFETs for that!

http://srjcstaff.santarosa.edu/~yataiiya/E45/PROJECTS/Homemade%20Field%20Effect%20Transistor.pdf

andrewc · « **Reply #8802 on:** 18 April, 2017, 11:44:20 pm »

Quote from: Kim on 18 April, 2017, 11:21:53 pm

£168! You could grow your own JFETs for that!

http://srjcstaff.santarosa.edu/~yataiiya/E45/PROJECTS/Homemade%20Field%20Effect%20Transistor.pdf

£55 for 1 hours labour, 2 EL34's at £27 each, shipping for a large 25kg package & VAT on top. Perhaps I should buy the used one on Ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/122409378738?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

(about twice what I paid for mine 5 years ago!)

Torslanda · « **Reply #8803 on:** 21 April, 2017, 12:45:05 am »

When did the facebook thread stop being a sticky?

It was a really handy marker cos after starting at the bottom of the 'new' stack it was clear when you'd read them all . . .

T42 · « **Reply #8804 on:** 21 April, 2017, 10:37:07 am »

In France, VAT is payable on every invoice you issue, but in the case of certain professions, whereof ours, it must only be paid when you receive payment. However, when a company closes, whatever VAT is still outstanding on turnover must be paid, whether payment has been received or not.

I have just sent the tax office a cheque for 2,643 € to cover payments we will now never receive.

Pickled Onion · « **Reply #8805 on:** 21 April, 2017, 09:44:17 pm »

That sucks big time.

In the U.K. you pay over the VAT based on the invoice date whether you've received the money or not (unless you run a cash accounting scheme). But at least when you write off a non-payment you can claim it back, and if necessary HMRC send you a cheque.

Gattopardo · « **Reply #8806 on:** 21 April, 2017, 10:23:24 pm »

Quote from: T42 on 21 April, 2017, 10:37:07 am

In France, VAT is payable on every invoice you issue, but in the case of certain professions, whereof ours, it must only be paid when you receive payment. However, when a company closes, whatever VAT is still outstanding on turnover must be paid, whether payment has been received or not.

I have just sent the tax office a cheque for 2,643 € to cover payments we will now never receive.

May I ask the proffession?

T42 · « **Reply #8807 on:** 22 April, 2017, 10:57:28 am »

I was an IT consultant, wife a translator.

The amount due was partly my own fault: I could have gone through the invoicing and produced credits notes before the accountants got their hands on it. OTOH they could have warned me. Trouble was, last year we were too snowed under between the Inlaw Paw and my doddering heart to do more than the minimum.

Anway, we're due over 3600 € back from the Social Security, so it's covered. Theoretically.

cameronp · « **Reply #8808 on:** 22 April, 2017, 11:27:59 am »

Quote from: Pickled Onion on 17 April, 2017, 04:22:35 pm

Australians are happy with beer in litres.

Goodness gracious no! Beer and height of humans are about the only thing we don't use metric for here in Oz. To make it more confusing, names for beer glasses vary from state to state...

Pints are your standard British pint, except in South Australia where they're only 3/4 of a pint. I'm not sure how you order a proper pint in South Australia.
It's common in some states to drink beer from 3/4 pint glasses, usually called schooners, except in South Australia where call it a pint for some reason.
Half pints have a number of different names, depending on where you are. Either a pot, a middy or a half.

Riggers · « **Reply #8809 on:** 27 April, 2017, 11:54:14 am »

Having repaired the same puncture, on the same wheel, four times in as many days, I thought: "Enough's enough." And bought a new innertube. Cost me nearly £7.00, but at least I'm back on the bike!!!!

Each time, I'd repaired the puncture (successfully I thought) in the evening, pumped the tyre up. Bingo! Worked! Only to come down in the morning and see it flat. Walk to work.

benborp · « **Reply #8810 on:** 01 May, 2017, 11:54:54 pm »

If you wait until everyone is in bed before you call me and I'm five thousand kilometres away, pretty much due east, it shouldn't come as a surprise that I'm immoderately grumpy.

There's every chance that if you hadn't called I would have managed to sleep through the travails of the man in the room next door. What sounded like copious vomiting has now subsided to occasional wretching and phlegm clearance.

I. Am. Awake.

arabella · « **Reply #8811 on:** 02 May, 2017, 07:43:03 pm »

Dear Screwfix peoples
when I type 'adze' into the search box, I do not mean 'mdpe'
when I type 'hatchet' into the search box, I do not mean 'ratchet'
inventing entirely spurious search terms is not helpful.

Ashaman42 · « **Reply #8812 on:** 03 May, 2017, 11:00:30 am »

B&Q, Screwfix and Halfords all have inexplicably terrible search facilities.

tiermat · « **Reply #8813 on:** 03 May, 2017, 11:07:37 am »

Quote from: Ashaman42 on 03 May, 2017, 11:00:30 am

B&Q, Screwfix and Halfords all have inexplicably terrible search facilities.

It wouldn't surprise me if the first two use the same DB and engine, as the former owns the latter.

T42 · « **Reply #8814 on:** 03 May, 2017, 01:11:16 pm »

Ditto Castorama and Leroy Merlin. The other day I went looking for a roll of sandpaper and was offered a selection of shower cabinets.

Torslanda · « **Reply #8815 on:** 03 May, 2017, 11:56:58 pm »

Impressed. With my poor knowledge of the French language - demonstrated by occasional forays into Norauto amongst others - I wouldn't be surprised for a random search to produce anything from a bag'o'shite to a reconditioned jock strap!

Torslanda · « **Reply #8816 on:** 04 May, 2017, 12:25:37 am »

Telemarketing scammers: Wouldn't it be a GRATE IDEA if your droids could , you know, actually, like... speak something that approximates to ENGLEESH?

That way, when you call me to tell me you've 'identified a problem with my Google maps listing', I might:

A. Give a shit.*

2. Listen a bit.ⁱⁱ

iii. Actually fecking UNDERSTAND WTF you're gabbling on about.^z

*WTF is this to do with me anyway? I am not Google maps . . .

ⁱⁱIf you can't speak a language I understand, don't call a harassed, working class, Manchester bloke. I was raised to speak English. I fix bikes. If you're calling me and it isn't to do with bikes why do I need to speak to you?

^z Ergo, if I can't understand WTF you are gabbling about and it isn't to do with a bike, don't be the tiniest bit surprised when I hang up. Simple innit . . .

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #8817 on:** 04 May, 2017, 04:06:45 am »

Yesterday I had the third call from the cheerful Geordies of EDF to arrange for the fitting of smart meters to Larrington Towers. "Before you launch into the whole spiel, can I just make sure you've actually got any slots available?" asks the twice-bitten Mr Larrington. "Why-aye, loads, bugger man!" replied Cheerful Geordie III. Five minutes later it transpired that CG3's assurances were once again rooted in a thick mulch of Lie.

I'm getting rather bored with this.

Guy · « **Reply #8818 on:** 05 May, 2017, 08:48:07 am »

Mr Google's daily doodle is quite good today, marred only by having what appears to be Death Valley* in the background.

*I don't think the Giro has ever got quite that far

andrewc · « **Reply #8819 on:** 05 May, 2017, 09:41:38 am »

Bloody rubbish Tesco Finest sossidges! 2 of them burst under the grill, sheets of flame. I was standing right next to it & nearly got my pelt singed!

Legs · « **Reply #8820 on:** 05 May, 2017, 12:55:19 pm »

Quote from: Guy on 05 May, 2017, 08:48:07 am

Mr Google's daily doodle is quite good today, marred only by having what appears to be Death Valley* in the background.

*I don't think the Giro has ever got quite that far

Couldn't they be peaks in the Dolomites?

ian · « **Reply #8821 on:** 09 May, 2017, 09:50:45 am »

Days that start with the shower going cold half-way through soaping your nethers can only getter better/worse [delete as appropriate].

(boiler seemed to have switched off, I reset it and it seems to making hot water now, leastways the green light came back on and it's making boilery noises)

Salvatore · « **Reply #8822 on:** 09 May, 2017, 10:03:09 am »

Quote from: Torslanda on 03 May, 2017, 11:56:58 pm

Impressed. With my poor knowledge of the French language - demonstrated by occasional forays into Norauto amongst others - I wouldn't be surprised for a random search to produce anything from a bag'o'shite to a reconditioned jock strap!

My brand-new local Decathlon seems to have a number of French staff. They might be able to help you with the latter (or even a new one).

Ham · « **Reply #8823 on:** 09 May, 2017, 02:41:33 pm »

Quote from: Salvatore on 09 May, 2017, 10:03:09 am

Quote from: Torslanda on 03 May, 2017, 11:56:58 pm
Impressed. With my poor knowledge of the French language - demonstrated by occasional forays into Norauto amongst others - I wouldn't be surprised for a random search to produce anything from a bag'o'shite to a reconditioned jock strap!

My brand-new local Decathlon seems to have a number of French staff. They might be able to help you with the latter (or even a new one).

Most UK stores seem to have a good smattering of french staff. Apparently they can't be bothered to go to Portugal, though, which meant that when I had need to communicate last week, knowing the terms for spanner, hex key, screwdriver etc in French was spectacularly useless.

Jakob W · « **Reply #8824 on:** 10 May, 2017, 10:25:27 am »

Somehow slipped and banged my chin on the stairpost; instant headache, ow.