Author Topic: The Good News / Bad News Thread (Read 393183 times)

Beardy · « **Reply #2425 on:** 03 July, 2018, 04:28:25 pm »

which reminds me, I'd better have a look at mine

Torslanda · « **Reply #2426 on:** 03 July, 2018, 05:21:21 pm »

You'll get a reminder from the DVLA giving about 8 weeks notice and threatening dire consequences if your card expires whilst you're still entitled to drive.

'The bullshit piled up so fast you needed wings to stay above it...'

Beardy · « **Reply #2427 on:** 03 July, 2018, 09:12:53 pm »

I’ve got two more years so I’m alright. The reason I was concerned is that I took my Motorcycle test in 2008, but I obviously waited for two years before I gave up my paper licence.

rafletcher · « **Reply #2428 on:** 04 July, 2018, 12:03:12 pm »

GN - Last November I resigned from my job, as it was taking too much of a toll on my health, and importantly I was in a position financially so to do, at least for a while.

BN - When you’re 61 opportunities are limited, but I was determined not to be a “stay away” contractor.

GN - I did get some interviews, one in Feb and two in May.

BN - I didn’t get the jobs, and the second was only 7 miles from home.

GN - A week ago I had an interview for a temp to perm job, and today I heard I’d got it

MGN - It’s just what I wanted, a bit of project work, a bit of engineering, and no customer facing

EMGN - It’s 2 1/2 miles from home

BN (sort of) - I can’t start until August 6th because building works mean no office.

GN - I’ll see the heatwave out before I start

I is a happy bunny.

I is a happy bunny

Basil · « **Reply #2429 on:** 04 July, 2018, 12:30:52 pm »

That's great.

Also, I had to read back through your post to check if there was actually any bad news, and what it was.

rafletcher · « **Reply #2430 on:** 04 July, 2018, 12:53:44 pm »

Lol it’s relative isn’t it

. And the weather forecast is suggesting all of July will be fine for us next southerners. I suppose the bad news is also that I’ll not be able to cycle quite so much, though cycle commuting is obviously on the cards.

Andrij · « **Reply #2431 on:** 09 August, 2018, 09:27:13 pm »

GN: Booked flights with FinnAir. Never flown with them before, so a new airline to add to my list.

BN: "Operated by American Airlines". Bugger.¹

¹ Stronger language may have actually been used.

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #2432 on:** 10 August, 2018, 10:52:19 am »

Bah: The recent mild spell warped the outer front door of Larrington Towers to such an extent that it became almost impossible to shut property. It blew open.

Hurrah: This allowed the postie to pop my delivery of Avon Skin-So-Soft in the porch while I was still hunting for my glasses two floors up. Also the door has unwarped and now shuts nicely again.

CAMRAMan · « **Reply #2433 on:** 10 August, 2018, 03:31:26 pm »

GN: I managed to access details of my Teachers' Pension pot
BN: My part-time service wan't much
GN: My transferred pension pot made it up to a half-decent sum
GN?: My lump sum will only allow me to buy a property outright in northern Sweden* (a distinct possibility) or darkest Hungary (not such an attractive proposition).

*Northern Sweden is being depopulated so rapidly that property prices are ridiculously low. A 100+M2 house in decent nick and a large plot of land for £16K!

mrcharly-YHT · « **Reply #2434 on:** 10 August, 2018, 04:39:54 pm »

Quote from: CAMRAMan on 10 August, 2018, 03:31:26 pm

*Northern Sweden is being depopulated so rapidly that property prices are ridiculously low. A 100+M2 house in decent nick and a large plot of land for £16K!

So what is the downside? High property taxes? Risk of being an extra in real-life scandi noir? Or worse, no broadband?

CAMRAMan · « **Reply #2435 on:** 10 August, 2018, 05:22:14 pm »

20-hour nights in December. If it's overcast then, you don't even get proper daylight either. -30C is not uncommon. In '94, it was -30C for over 3 weeks when I lived there & dipped down to -36C one day. Sweden is one of the most connected places in the world, so broadband is an absolute given.

robgul · « **Reply #2436 on:** 10 August, 2018, 08:39:11 pm »

Quote from: mrcharly-YHT on 10 August, 2018, 04:39:54 pm

Quote from: CAMRAMan on 10 August, 2018, 03:31:26 pm
*Northern Sweden is being depopulated so rapidly that property prices are ridiculously low. A 100+M2 house in decent nick and a large plot of land for £16K!
So what is the downside? High property taxes? Risk of being an extra in real-life scandi noir? Or worse, no broadband?

Those jumpers they wear would annoy me . . . . (and the price of alcohol)

Rob

Torslanda · « **Reply #2437 on:** 10 August, 2018, 09:24:23 pm »

Brew your own. Nobody will be round to check...

ElyDave · « **Reply #2438 on:** 10 August, 2018, 10:49:04 pm »

the Swedish and Norwegian homebrew scene is thriving

I imagine there may be a few sneaky acquavit stills in operation as well.

hellymedic · « **Reply #2439 on:** 10 August, 2018, 11:40:08 pm »

Quote from: Torslanda on 10 August, 2018, 09:24:23 pm

Brew your own. Nobody will be round to check...

I think eyebrows get raised if you buy lots of sugar...

Torslanda · « **Reply #2440 on:** 11 August, 2018, 12:06:58 am »

Especially if they are buying potassium chlorate as well!

hellymedic · « **Reply #2441 on:** 11 August, 2018, 02:13:58 am »

That might raise the roof as well as eyebrows...

CAMRAMan · « **Reply #2442 on:** 11 August, 2018, 01:38:48 pm »

Alcohol is VERY expensive in Sweden in pubs & restaurants. However, Sysytembolaget - the national alcohol monopoly - has a good range of beers at not-too-expensive prices. They are, I believe, the world's largest wine buyer and their wines are also pretty reasonably priced. Their shops are like old-fashioned chemists (or used to be) with the workers in white coats, as if they are handing over prescriptions. They deliver to shops in more remote settlements for sinners to then collect from there. Lowish -alcohol beer is available from supermarkets and that is cheap.
Fullers Porter, about £2/can: https://www.systembolaget.se/dryck/ol/fullers-163412

Portuguese plonk for about a fiver: https://www.systembolaget.se/dryck/roda-viner/dao-1252001
3.5% Europiss @ <£1/can: https://www.ica.se/handla/produkt/ol-3-5-50cl-pripps-bla--id_p_7310070766052/#s=ica-supermarket-vannas-id_02986

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #2443 on:** 05 September, 2018, 10:27:40 am »

GN: School has started again.
BN: School has started again.
GN: School has finally started again.

SoreTween · « **Reply #2444 on:** 08 September, 2018, 11:40:27 am »

GN: For the first time since the hot weather broke I have time to mow the lawn today, it's almost a silage crop.
BN: it's raining.

BN: My endowment had it's 2nd worst year of the 21 its been running (by one method of measure)
GN: If it performs that badly the remaining 4 years it will still hit the target

GN: Blood letting time in Chepstow next week, I had a feeling it was about due.
BN: I'll be in Italy

BN: I was overcharged by Southern Fail when I went to the GBBF, the cheapest price shown online wasn't available at the machine.
GN: I complained and the cheque for a refund of the difference turned up yesterday

GN: The kids aren't screaming and screeching round their gardens all damn day any more
BN: Their parents are trying to kill me on the roads again

Redjeep! · « **Reply #2445 on:** 10 September, 2018, 05:50:44 pm »

Quote from: CAMRAMan on 10 August, 2018, 05:22:14 pm

20-hour nights in December. If it's overcast then, you don't even get proper daylight either. -30C is not uncommon. In '94, it was -30C for over 3 weeks when I lived there & dipped down to -36C one day. Sweden is one of the most connected places in the world, so broadband is an absolute given.

I worked for a company that had a facility in Sweden that was 700 km north of Stockholm. I believe at one stage they were literally giving houses away to people to go and live there.

It was nice but very, very desolate (and cold). Very high suicide rate. We had a phenomenon where people would drive to work and couldn't get out of their car. It was most common at the end of the summer as people got depressed with the coming winter.

On the plus side, all the houses I saw had extensive finished basements and a mate of mine (non-Swede) was convinced that it was because the locals were into exotic swinger parties. I never found out if this was true and it probably said more about him than the locals.

I did find alcohol in the state ran shops wasn't too expensive.

Pickled Onion · « **Reply #2446 on:** 07 October, 2018, 03:02:15 pm »

GN: I have found the Raspberry Pi and hard drive! Finally I can have some decent music!

BN: Where the fuck are the leads?

Pickled Onion · « **Reply #2447 on:** 07 October, 2018, 04:05:50 pm »

BN: My last trip has worn out: one chain (new); one pair of brake blocks (Estonian); one tyre (also new).

GN: I discovered this today, five days before the next trip, rather than like last time when I discovered a sheared chainring bolt while packing at the airport

Kim · « **Reply #2448 on:** 07 October, 2018, 10:39:03 pm »

BN: I've just discovered that they've made another Sharknado film. I suppose that means I'll have to watch it.
GN: Blow-by-blow IRC review coming to the film thread in due course, so you don't have to.

CAMRAMan · « **Reply #2449 on:** 17 October, 2018, 04:49:06 pm »

Quote from: Redjeep! on 10 September, 2018, 05:50:44 pm

Quote from: CAMRAMan on 10 August, 2018, 05:22:14 pm
20-hour nights in December. If it's overcast then, you don't even get proper daylight either. -30C is not uncommon. In '94, it was -30C for over 3 weeks when I lived there & dipped down to -36C one day. Sweden is one of the most connected places in the world, so broadband is an absolute given.
It was nice but very, very desolate (and cold). Very high suicide rate. We had a phenomenon where people would drive to work and couldn't get out of their car. It was most common at the end of the summer as people got depressed with the coming winter.

The thing with suicide is that the Swedes are very open about it. A suicide is unfortunate & regrettable, of course, but nothing that society finds shameful. So, the suicide rate appears high, as coroners have no qualms about declaring it as such. Other societies, ours included, go to great lengths to label a suicide as misadventure, an accident or anything that removes some of the stigma. I studied the subject once, a long time ago, and Catholic countries, in particular, were prone to covering up suicides, because of the sin aspect.