Author Topic: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.  (Read 1576171 times)

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #12525 on: 11 September, 2020, 01:56:23 pm »
Nat West, on their "Contact NatWest" page (https://personal.natwest.com/personal/support-centre/contact-us.html for anyone playing along at home) have a picture of someone using a smart phone as an actual phone. However, NatWest fail to put a contact number on that page, or anywhere I can find that links from that page.
Quote from: Kim
Paging Diver300.  Diver300 to the GSM Trimphone, please...

Kim

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Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #12526 on: 11 September, 2020, 02:34:49 pm »
a picture of someone using a smart phone as an actual phone

Ha, he's holding it to his ear like an old person.  Everyone knows that you're supposed to hold phones outstretched horizontally, away from your mouth...

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #12527 on: 11 September, 2020, 02:50:33 pm »
That page has a whole load of numbers. And he is an old person. They're the ones with money, after all. Though apparently he isn't old enough to have a bluetooth headset.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #12528 on: 11 September, 2020, 02:51:03 pm »
a picture of someone using a smart phone as an actual phone

Ha, he's holding it to his ear like an old person.  Everyone knows that you're supposed to hold phones outstretched horizontally, away from your mouth...

Isn't that so that the deadly EM radiation doesn't fry your brain?  Judging by the kids shambling down to the bus-stop of a morning, it doesn't work.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

ian

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #12529 on: 11 September, 2020, 05:29:33 pm »
Sweeping up the crap from the kids, honestly, I didn't miss the daily tide. Do they eat some junk. Nice smashed bottle of strawberry milk at the end of the road.

I think this term I'm going to bag it up and return it to the school.

SoreTween

  • Most of me survived the Pennine Bridleway.
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #12530 on: 11 September, 2020, 07:42:11 pm »
Ha, he's holding it to his ear like an old person.  Everyone knows that you're supposed to hold phones outstretched horizontally, away from your mouth...
Other nonsensical ways to hold a phone are available
2023 targets: Survive. Maybe.
There is only one infinite resource in this universe; human stupidity.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #12531 on: 11 September, 2020, 08:11:35 pm »
Ha, he's holding it to his ear like an old person.  Everyone knows that you're supposed to hold phones outstretched horizontally, away from your mouth...
Other nonsensical ways to hold a phone are available
Amusing! And a Blondie video to finish, that's good. They could have followed it with the Undertones, 'Why don't you ring my number?' Because, as we know, Feargal Sharkey is 75 but Citoyen "still would". Or did I get that mixed up?  :D
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #12532 on: 11 September, 2020, 09:18:47 pm »
Thanks Phil O!

Beardy

  • Shedist
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #12533 on: 13 September, 2020, 05:56:52 pm »
It would seem that one of our neighbours is poisoning mice as we’ve found 4 unmolested dead mice at the bottom of our garden. I say we, but it was my boys dog that found the first two and unlike our cats, she’s too stupid to know that she can’t eat them.
For every complex problem in the world, there is a simple and easily understood solution that’s wrong.

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #12534 on: 13 September, 2020, 06:05:50 pm »
a picture of someone using a smart phone as an actual phone

Ha, he's holding it to his ear like an old person.  Everyone knows that you're supposed to hold phones outstretched horizontally, away from your mouth...
I have discovered the two reasons for this apparent idiocy
a) you don't accidentally disconnect your call with your cheek
b) you can select the appropriate key press when required to press one for sales, two for purchasing, three for customer service.

a is an actual thing I have done many many times. Presumably because I have hamster-esque fat cheeks?

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #12535 on: 13 September, 2020, 06:16:52 pm »
a picture of someone using a smart phone as an actual phone

Ha, he's holding it to his ear like an old person.  Everyone knows that you're supposed to hold phones outstretched horizontally, away from your mouth...
I have discovered the two reasons for this apparent idiocy
a) you don't accidentally disconnect your call with your cheek
b) you can select the appropriate key press when required to press one for sales, two for purchasing, three for customer service.

a is an actual thing I have done many many times. Presumably because I have hamster-esque fat cheeks?
Most half-decent phones have a detection method that disables the screen and keyboard when the phone is held to your ear.

The main reason for the 'talk into the phone' thing, with Apple phones, is that the top speaker is one of the first failures. So you either have to use headphones with mic or put phone on speaker.
<i>Marmite slave</i>

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #12536 on: 13 September, 2020, 09:21:49 pm »
a picture of someone using a smart phone as an actual phone

Ha, he's holding it to his ear like an old person.  Everyone knows that you're supposed to hold phones outstretched horizontally, away from your mouth...
I have discovered the two reasons for this apparent idiocy
a) you don't accidentally disconnect your call with your cheek
b) you can select the appropriate key press when required to press one for sales, two for purchasing, three for customer service.

a is an actual thing I have done many many times. Presumably because I have hamster-esque fat cheeks?
Most half-decent phones have a detection method that disables the screen and keyboard when the phone is held to your ear.

The main reason for the 'talk into the phone' thing, with Apple phones, is that the top speaker is one of the first failures. So you either have to use headphones with mic or put phone on speaker.

I always thought it was so people knew what phone you had, like how they don't seem to be able to put it in a pocket.
Somewhat of a professional tea drinker.


Mrs Pingu

  • Who ate all the pies? Me
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Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #12537 on: 19 September, 2020, 07:30:35 pm »
We got our new Caxton cards today (foreign currency cash & contactless), for all the use we're going to get out of them for the foreseeable.
Anyway, the actual grumble is that they are not embossed like normal credit/debit cards, they just have your name and number printed on the back.
Which is fine except Pingu's card (or is it somebody else's?) has been through the machine twice and has two names and numbers on it.
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

robgul

  • Cycle:End-to-End webmaster
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Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #12538 on: 19 September, 2020, 08:35:48 pm »
We got our new Caxton cards today (foreign currency cash & contactless), for all the use we're going to get out of them for the foreseeable.
Anyway, the actual grumble is that they are not embossed like normal credit/debit cards, they just have your name and number printed on the back.
Which is fine except Pingu's card (or is it somebody else's?) has been through the machine twice and has two names and numbers on it.

Notwithstanding the double printing issue I have to say I like the Caxton card as it's flat and doesn't take up so much wallet thickness - the WeSwap forex card is flat too (although I wouldn't recommend the product) - the Pingit debit card I have is flat too . . . although the small Pingit keyring dongle is easier to use.

Cards don't need the embossing nowadays as nobody uses the old carbon paper chits in the slider machine thing  (OK, I think some places in the US still take "imprints")

The more flat cards the better.

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #12539 on: 23 September, 2020, 04:09:40 pm »
Tomorrow looks like being the last good cycling day for at least a fortnight and I have to visit the cardiologist - who will doubtless fit me up with a holter and fuck up Friday as well.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Mrs Pingu

  • Who ate all the pies? Me
    • Twitter
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #12540 on: 01 October, 2020, 07:02:43 pm »
Faceache's snooze option doesn't seem to be working
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

TheLurker

  • Goes well with magnolia.
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #12541 on: 02 October, 2020, 08:10:03 am »
First break from work* since Xmas and what does the weather do for the first 3 or 4 days? 




*July doesn't count, cos that was a week of getting up early to grind through painting & decorating and P&D are in no wise a break from work in my book.
Τα πιο όμορφα ταξίδια γίνονται με τις δικές μας δυνάμεις - Φίλοι του Ποδήλατου

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #12542 on: 02 October, 2020, 08:47:00 am »
First break from work* since Xmas and what does the weather do for the first 3 or 4 days? 

All those people hollering "Alexia" at a gadget on top of the piano, it's not surprising.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Mrs Pingu

  • Who ate all the pies? Me
    • Twitter
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #12543 on: 06 October, 2020, 07:11:54 pm »
Facebook, (I know, I know) and how it renders on my android tablet.

On Chrome I can't use it and have the spell checker active. It just changes my typing into nonsense. After several years of never having spell checker on I got fed up with it and all the ads.
Adblock Browser: no ads, brilliant. Can have the spell checker active, great. But. Keeps showing friends on my feed that I'm no longer 'following' and also people that I've muted for 30 days. Que?
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Mrs Pingu

  • Who ate all the pies? Me
    • Twitter
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #12545 on: 06 October, 2020, 08:10:29 pm »
First break from work* since Xmas and what does the weather do for the first 3 or 4 days? 
All those people hollering "Alexia" at a gadget on top of the piano, it's not surprising.

Alexia = inability to read, in my book...

Guy

  • Retired
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #12546 on: 07 October, 2020, 09:14:39 am »
Facebook, (I know, I know) and how it renders on my android tablet.

On Chrome I can't use it and have the spell checker active. It just changes my typing into nonsense.


I was a victim of that this morning. On the way in to work I took a picture of the pre-sunrise glow spreading across the town, and posted it on the local faecesbook group with the caption "Another day dawns over Shefford". Bastard autocorrupt changed that to "Another day Dawn's over Shefford". Gaah.

I rarely post on faecesbook so wasn't expecting this to happen.

Though it does suggest that the residents of Shefford might not be a bunch of functionally-illiterate morons after all.
"The Opinion of 10,000 men is of no value if none of them know anything about the subject"  Marcus Aurelius

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #12547 on: 07 October, 2020, 11:11:39 am »
Grrr...

- running out of dark oak stain. Local DIY shop doesn't have any more of same brand, so took another. Doesn't match.  :-\

- need a wall socket, dark so as not to stick out like a bulldog's bollocks. Same DIY shop only has those ones where you buy a centre bit and a surround separately. Found an "anthracite" centre for ~7€, great. Dark brown surround: 19 €, for a titchy bit of plastic!  Greedy bastards can keep it.  >:(

- got the parrot his usual crackers.  Outer diameter is the same as ever, as is that of the bit of wood sticking up out of the top; but rest of the stick, underneath the seedy coating, is about twice as thick as it used to be. Bloody thieves.  :demon:
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

barakta

  • Bastard lovechild of Yomiko Readman and Johnny 5
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #12548 on: 07 October, 2020, 12:06:59 pm »
My friends got Alexas a while back, he's incredibly dyslexic and they have a deaf child with additional disabilities (now known to be autism and all sorts). The Alexas worked well for them cos they could say "Alexa tell me my schedule" or "Alexa play music" without having to fiddle. Their life is incredibly busy, both parents have full-time jobs and they really integrated the Alexas for stuff like "add x to shopping list" without losing paper and so on. Their use fit the design case.

The Alexas went down hill with upgrades so they got hacked off and switched them all for Google's equivalent which they say is much better and doesn't currently randomly refuse to open apps cos Amazon had a snit...

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #12549 on: 07 October, 2020, 12:49:50 pm »
For shopping lists, Mrs L and I use the AnyList app, which is fab.

My grumble is with local authority (East Staffs BC) who have upped the parking charge at Uttoxeter Leisure Centre from £1 to £1.40 for the express purpose of getting on my tits.  No-one in their right mind would pay for parking in Uttoxeter because there's loads of free parking elsewhere, and the Leisure Centre refunds users anyway.  But you still have to put £1.40 in the machine, and because of Covid, they're only refunding onto cards at the moment...