Rant of the day.

[JRH]

On 26/06/2024 at 07:17, Mississippi Bullfrog said:

Too true. When I'm not messing about in my Streaker dinghy I sail a radio controlled yacht. Last year our club decided to try a one class series using the Dragonforce 65. As the name sugests it's just 65cm long - there are bigger boats but the deciding factors were the price - the full thing is on the water for under £300 which is cheap for rc sailing. And the fact that you can fit a fully rigged boat on the back seat of most cars. 

 

We get a lot of people scoff at our 'toy' boats, until they have a go and realise how much focus is needed to sail them well. Once they've had a go they end up joining us.

Good morning sailing at our club this morning.

[Tinkicker]

Appropos the post about magnetic fields caused by houshold objects.

 

I restore mechanical vintage watches and the missus has two tissots bought as non runners.  

 

The white strapped one modelled in a tasteful manner on my hairy arm was stripped, cleaned, serviced and regulated abot 2 years ago.

 

The second, even smaller blue strapped one was restored about two months ago.

 

I spend about a week regulating them on the timegrapher after a service to get them to within a couple of seconds a day or better and once reassembled, they are always wound daily.  I do not believe in allowing mechanical watches to rest.  Both watches have stayed absolutely synched with my master watch for the last two months, requiring only very minor adjustment, maybe 30 seconds at most every couple of months.

They live on the missuses side bedside cabinet so I do not forget to wind them each morning.

 

I am one of the few that specialise in restoring ladies watches, most won't get involved with them because they are too small and fiddly.  A service at a service centre often involved just removing and scrapping the old movement and fitting a new one as the most cost and time efficient way.  I do ladies watches because non runners are 25% the cost of mens size watches and it is not a disaster if it all goes horribly wrong..

Tiny movements.

 

 

Cannot get any better than those readings.  You expect those in a very high end chronometer...

 

Earlier in the week, I noticed the white one suddenly losing 10 minutes a day and the blue gaining 15 minutes.  On enquiring what had been going on at the bedside cabinet yesterday, I was given a puzzled look.  Nothing, all I did was charge my tablet...

 

Upstairs?

 

Yes.

 

You normally charge stuff in the kitchen...

 

I was charging my phone on the downstairs charger so charged the tablet upstairs..

 

On the bedside cabinet?

 

Yes.

 

On top of the watches?

 

Yes..oh!  Suddenly moist eyes.  She loves those watches.

 

Mystery solved.  I am going to have to degauss them and regulate again, not something I do lightly.  Degaussing can in rare cases go horribly wrong.

 

 

Edited June 28, 2024 by Tinkicker

[Simon Davey]

1 hour ago, Tinkicker said:

Appropos the post about magnetic fields caused by houshold objects.

 

I restore mechanical vintage watches and the missus has two tissots bought as non runners.  

 

The white strapped one modelled in a tasteful manner on my hairy arm was stripped, cleaned, serviced and regulated abot 2 years ago.

 

The second, even smaller blue strapped one was restored about two months ago.

 

I spend about a week regulating them on the timegrapher after a service to get them to within a couple of seconds a day or better and once reassembled, they are always wound daily.  I do not believe in allowing mechanical watches to rest.  Both watches have stayed absolutely synched with my master watch for the last two months, requiring only very minor adjustment, maybe 30 seconds at most every couple of months.

They live on the missuses side bedside cabinet so I do not forget to wind them each morning.

 

I am one of the few that specialise in restoring ladies watches, most won't get involved with them because they are too small and fiddly.  A service at a service centre often involved just removing and scrapping the old movement and fitting a new one as the most cost and time efficient way.  I do ladies watches because non runners are 25% the cost of mens size watches and it is not a disaster if it all goes horribly wrong..

Tiny movements.

 

 

Cannot get any better than those readings.  You expect those in a very high end chronometer...

 

Earlier in the week, I noticed the white one suddenly losing 10 minutes a day and the blue gaining 15 minutes.  On enquiring what had been going on at the bedside cabinet yesterday, I was given a puzzled look.  Nothing, all I did was charge my tablet...

 

Upstairs?

 

Yes.

 

You normally charge stuff in the kitchen...

 

I was charging my phone on the downstairs charger so charged the tablet upstairs..

 

On the bedside cabinet?

 

Yes.

 

On top of the watches?

 

Yes..oh!  Suddenly moist eyes.  She loves those watches.

 

Mystery solved.  I am going to have to degauss them and regulate again, not something I do lightly.  Degaussing can in rare cases go horribly wrong.

 

 

 

Fascinating, and much respect to you for your skill and caring. 

Edited June 28, 2024 by Simon Davey

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

2 hours ago, Tinkicker said:

Appropos the post about magnetic fields caused by houshold objects.

 

I restore mechanical vintage watches and the missus has two tissots bought as non runners.  

 

The white strapped one modelled in a tasteful manner on my hairy arm was stripped, cleaned, serviced and regulated abot 2 years ago.

 

The second, even smaller blue strapped one was restored about two months ago.

 

I spend about a week regulating them on the timegrapher after a service to get them to within a couple of seconds a day or better and once reassembled, they are always wound daily.  I do not believe in allowing mechanical watches to rest.  Both watches have stayed absolutely synched with my master watch for the last two months, requiring only very minor adjustment, maybe 30 seconds at most every couple of months.

They live on the missuses side bedside cabinet so I do not forget to wind them each morning.

 

I am one of the few that specialise in restoring ladies watches, most won't get involved with them because they are too small and fiddly.  A service at a service centre often involved just removing and scrapping the old movement and fitting a new one as the most cost and time efficient way.  I do ladies watches because non runners are 25% the cost of mens size watches and it is not a disaster if it all goes horribly wrong..

Tiny movements.

 

 

Cannot get any better than those readings.  You expect those in a very high end chronometer...

 

Earlier in the week, I noticed the white one suddenly losing 10 minutes a day and the blue gaining 15 minutes.  On enquiring what had been going on at the bedside cabinet yesterday, I was given a puzzled look.  Nothing, all I did was charge my tablet...

 

Upstairs?

 

Yes.

 

You normally charge stuff in the kitchen...

 

I was charging my phone on the downstairs charger so charged the tablet upstairs..

 

On the bedside cabinet?

 

Yes.

 

On top of the watches?

 

Yes..oh!  Suddenly moist eyes.  She loves those watches.

 

Mystery solved.  I am going to have to degauss them and regulate again, not something I do lightly.  Degaussing can in rare cases go horribly wrong.

 

 

Wow. That's all I can say. Wow. 

 

That's an amazing skill to have.

 

Back on rant mode. It gets worse. My new pressure washer arrived today.  I got very excited. Plugged it in and ....... nothing.

 

The trip blew again. 

 

Turns out we had a new electricity panel installed about a month ago and the trip for the garage is faulty. So I just threw away a perfectly good pressure washer.

 

Edited June 28, 2024 by Mississippi Bullfrog

[Gerontious]

The Bloody passport office.

 

why is renewing a passport so complicated?

 

Looking at the website they make it seem so easy. 2 options. either go to a post office or do it online. So, I chose to do it online, thinking it would be quick and simple. its turned out to be neither.

Of course it meant having to go to the post office anyway to get the photos done, I should have done the whole thing there and then. but I had left my old passport at home.. and have you seen the queue?

So... photo done and back home and it all went smoothly. though imagine my shock to discover that Ive got to go back to the bloody post office again to return the old passport!! something they do not mention until you are well into the process!! the application cannot be completed until they receive the old passport. Bugger.

Get to the payment and as per usual it transferred me to my bank where as usual I confirmed that it was me and transferred back.

And the website stuck. would not progress past the 'confirm with your bank' page.

So, phoned them up and they told me that my application was not on their system because it did not finalise. meanwhile I have this payment stuck in 'pending' until it times out.. and that can take up to 7 days. They warned me not to do it again or pay again until the pending payment times out.

 

A complete waste of time. so all I can do is be patient and wait for the payment to vanish and then go back to the post office and do the whole thing there.

[Tinkicker]

Certainly the parts are a bit 

2 hours ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said:

Wow. That's all I can say. Wow. 

 

That's an amazing skill to have.

 

Back on rant mode. It gets worse. My new pressure washer arrived today.  I got very excited. Plugged it in and ....... nothing.

 

The trip blew again. 

 

Turns out we had a new electricity panel installed about a month ago and the trip for the garage is faulty. So I just threw away a perfectly good pressure washer.

 

 

 

The parts are certainly easier to see in my day job. 

The pic below is titled "this is what happens when a 900hp diesel engine is driving a transmission with no lubrication".  The gears melt.

Transmission oil distribution pump failed.  Customer ended up with a £50,000 bill after the repair.  Big toys come with big ticket repairs.

 

 

 

 

 

[Fiddlesticks]

34 minutes ago, Tinkicker said:

Certainly the parts are a bit 

 

 

The parts are certainly easier to see in my day job. 

The pic below is titled "this is what happens when a 900hp diesel engine is driving a transmission with no lubrication".  The gears melt.

Transmission oil distribution pump failed.  Customer ended up with a £50,000 bill after the repair.  Big toys come with big ticket repairs.

 

 

 

 

 

This is fascinating stuff @Tinkicker

Have an old pocket watch with a broken hand that's also been over wound. Your post is niggling at me to get it fixed

Edited June 28, 2024 by Fiddlesticks

[onesea]

On 23/06/2024 at 22:07, onesea said:

I am going for my rant of the day a £12.00 cheese sandwich.it was a nice sandwich but really £12.00.

 

The pint was only £5.05 the cheapest yet in a pub.

 

Atleast the Anchourage is free, 3 weeks of northerlies stopped my hopes of Scotland.

Not certain how Cornish shops price. 

Yesterday it was 1 Litre of milk and a Loaf of frozen bread -  £5.05

 

I should not be surprised, the other week it was SPAR milk 1ltr - £3.00.  

 

Today it was supermarket delivery, the dog was delighted when he brought the food to the boat and made a fuss of her. 

 

They seem embarrassed when I comment I know the story your more pleased to see the dog than the customer . My colleagues are waiting for a complaint that I am more interested in the pets than the job

Edited June 28, 2024 by onesea

[Pie man]

F@@kin Public Transport. 

Arranged to meet up in Madchester with a couple of old friends. We have a nice afternoon, only £27.40 for 4 pints of Madri .

 

Train cancelled last minute for the return journey. 

[AstronautNinja]

On 26/06/2024 at 07:17, Mississippi Bullfrog said:

Too true. When I'm not messing about in my Streaker dinghy I sail a radio controlled yacht. Last year our club decided to try a one class series using the Dragonforce 65. As the name sugests it's just 65cm long - there are bigger boats but the deciding factors were the price - the full thing is on the water for under £300 which is cheap for rc sailing. And the fact that you can fit a fully rigged boat on the back seat of most cars. 

 

We get a lot of people scoff at our 'toy' boats, until they have a go and realise how much focus is needed to sail them well. Once they've had a go they end up joining us.

I bought my 3 year old a £30 one off amazon. I immediatley went home and started shopping for RC speed boats. So much fun I never knew existed.

[Bender]

Royal fail the useless gimps.

 

Delivered my new passport soaking wet with water damage, didn't even shove it through the door, left it sticking half out anyone could have been off with it, now the leaving it sticking out wasn't the cause of it getting wet I think that was an attempt at covering themselves, the wife pulled it out within a min, thanks to door cam.

 

But as it's now classed as damaged I have to fill in a paper form send off actual photos which I've taken from a machine that I'm sure are going to be rejected grrrrrrr

 

As I've had to send it back damaged they also want parents passport details, marriage dates bla bla bla FFS, you would think they would have a procedure for a simple return and re issue, no.

 

Twats

[AstronautNinja]

2 minutes ago, Bender said:

Royal fail the useless gimps.

 

Delivered my new passport soaking wet with water damage, didn't even shove it through the door, left it sticking half out anyone could have been off with it, now the leaving it sticking out wasn't the cause of it getting wet I think that was an attempt at covering themselves, the wife pulled it out within a min, thanks to door cam.

 

But as it's now classed as damaged I have to fill in a paper form send off actual photos which I've taken from a machine that I'm sure are going to be rejected grrrrrrr

 

As I've had to send it back damaged they also want parents passport details, marriage dates bla bla bla FFS, you would think they would have a procedure for a simple return and re issue, no.

 

Twats

Strange, they asked close to no questions when I reported a 3 day old one "missing" whilst also requesting a name change.

[Bender]

2 hours ago, AstronautNinja said:

Strange, they asked close to no questions when I reported a 3 day old one "missing" whilst also requesting a name change.

Strange as the form clearly has a large section to fill in if you tick lost, stolen damaged.

[AstronautNinja]

14 minutes ago, Bender said:

Strange as the form clearly has a large section to fill in if you tick lost, stolen damaged.

Ye I put that it was lost, they rang me, a 30 second phone call and a deed poll in the post. Got sorted very quickly

 

I get that its rare any UK governing body works efficiently.

 

They didn't even ask questions as to why I applied for a replacement then reported it stolen whilst changing my name on the new application. I had nothing to hide depsite it all sounding rather dodgy

Edited July 10, 2024 by AstronautNinja

[Bender]

4 minutes ago, AstronautNinja said:

Ye I put that it was lost, they rang me, a 30 second phone call and a deed poll in the post. Got sorted very quickly

 

I get that its rare any UK governing body works efficiently.

 

They didn't even ask questions as to why I applied for a replacement then reported it stolen whilst changing my name on the new application. I had nothing to hide depsite it all sounding rather dodgy

Lost or stolen you would need someone to verify your identity regardless of deed poll and still enter rents details 

 

As mine was a straight renewal non of this was required until Mr postman decided I lived with Kevin Costner in waterworld 

[AstronautNinja]

3 minutes ago, Bender said:

Lost or stolen you would need someone to verify your identity regardless of deed poll and still enter rents details 

 

As mine was a straight renewal non of this was required until Mr postman decided I lived with Kevin Costner in waterworld 

Yes they verified them via the online link.

 

My only point was it was immediate and very straight forward.

 

This isn't a hill I'm interested in dying on

[bonio]

Huge faff when I had to replace the passport I lost in my helmet in France. Had to make an appointment in London, had to change the appointment because it clashed with the Queen's funeral, had to go to London with a completed form + mug shots, had to answer questions and try not to look guilty, had to surrender emergency travel documents, etc. etc. 

[S-Westerly]

Obviously things have changed. I had a passport stolen in Singapore in 2001, got a police report and flew home on my seaman's book. Once home I went to the then newly opened Passport Office in Durham. I applied over the counter and got my passport later the same day. Things definitely don't always improve with time!

[Bender]

46 minutes ago, S-Westerly said:

Obviously things have changed. I had a passport stolen in Singapore in 2001, got a police report and flew home on my seaman's book. Once home I went to the then newly opened Passport Office in Durham. I applied over the counter and got my passport later the same day. Things definitely don't always improve with time!

You can still do it at a passport office as long as they believe you are who you are , but unlike some lucky folk, if it's lost obviously they need to make sure you are who you are hence signed photos by someone else to verify that it's you and there is a nice list of professional to pick from.

 

Luckily I'm not in a position where time is critical, yet the reviews for the photo booth I used are however grim so I'm fully expecting it to get worse  

 

 

[Bender]

A new one, apparently taxi drivers think it's ok to use phone whilst driving because it's work, got stuck behind a Noddy dog this morning, spending more time looking and tapping on phone than driving, got along his passenger side and pointed out reasonably politely (in my head) that phone use isn't a good idea let alone in rush hour traffic on roundabouts, it quickly descended into a more vocal frank slightly loud slanging match, what an absolute twat.

[RideWithStyles]

Yep that person was.

One thing that often re occurs. they thought they were smart and sly enough but got caught out.

they think you shouldn’t be challenging what is as they consider their personal space, doesn’t matter if that small space (head or body wise) is in a public area, even if that requires them to actually be responsible for their actions and be respectful to others.

[S-Westerly]

Be interesting to see what effect these new cameras will have. Supposed to be able to pick up on that kind of thing. 

Edited July 11, 2024 by S-Westerly

[RideWithStyles]

DPD.

wife has ordered a new set of wheels, dont get excited it’s got four of them. Pictures to follow..

anyway, they wasted a day to eventually collect the item from the WH.

then through the 20plus booking and logging its steps while it’s at Hinckley depot, can’t be hard just send to to their Preston depot and deliver it to us from there?? 

nope some noob decided to send it to the other far side of Britain called Newcastle instead???
Wasted another day (after we brought to their attention they screwed up) deliver from Newcastle to us then instead? Hell even just send it to Preston branch from there? 

Nope they decided to waste more time send it back to Hinckley, then only for them to do what they originally were meant to do and send to Preston branch, at least the Preston branch delivered it in a early timely fashion and not at 5-7pm.

Anyway the driver nice enough young chat but definitely needs to go to the gym, very much struggled with the 14-17kg box.

Edited July 11, 2024 by RideWithStyles

[husoi]

I had them delivering twice the same order from mytyres first 2 tyres, then the following day the same guy come with 1 tyres and the 4th delivered the next day

 

And that's the German efficiency for you

[bonio]

I ordered a spin dryer from Germany.

After about a week, we tracked it finally leaving the seller, off to the hub in Germany, slowly over the Channel, now another week has gone by and it makes its way to the local hub then back to another hub in UK before hopping back over the Channel where, after three weeks of suspense, we finally lost trace of it.

Got in touch with the company - they'll send another. The second one arrived a week later, and a few weeks after that, the first one turned up at the front door.

I guess that's German efficiency too...

Edited July 11, 2024 by bonio