Stu's random musings

I like working from home

Stuart — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 20:37:18 +0000

Working from home has good points and bad points.

I sometimes think it’s a bad point that I can wander downstairs, and even before the kettle’s boiled I can be ‘at work’. Also I can still be at work at nearly midnight – it’s sometimes just too easy to be tempted to finish that little thing off, and the computer’s so close and besides the boss is watching Sex and the City – again, etc. You can see where I’m going.

But today, there is a layer of snow about 6 inches deep (don’t know what that is in metric, and don’t care) and all around me people are moaning about the state of the trains and buses. And I don’t have to worry about any of that.

Whee……

I love automated announcements

Stuart — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 13:48:35 +0000

Yesterday, I went to Sittingbourne – gosh, I know how to live! And even better than that, I spent the whole day in front of a microfilm reader trying to find some of my wife’s ancestors. They were supposed to have done their collective things in a little place called Milton, which is a pimple on the face of Sittingbourne. Actually, that’s probably unfair on Milton. It’s probably a very nice place, and one day I’ll take myself down there for a look around. So I was in Sittingbourne to see if I could find any of them.

Anyway, the train. Just as we pulled out of Bromley South station, the nice computerised lady came on the tannoy to tell us that this train would divide at Faversham, and if we knew what was good for us, we’d make damned sure we were in the right part of the train. Well, she didn’t use those words, but that’s what she meant.

The best bit was when she told us we were in coach 9 of 8. My fellow passengers and I exchanged quizzical looks, and then she repeated “9 of 8″.

I have to say that the rest of the trip was quite a let-down after that.

World Cup Football

Stuart — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 22:23:24 +0000

I don’t like football, but the England-Germany match was on in the lounge, and I was in the lounge, so……

At the 70 minute mark, Germany were ahead, and they scored again (I think that was the time, I’m a bit vague about it). England were 3-1 down. The thing that really got to me was the way the commentators promptly gave up. It’s all over for England etc etc.

There were 20 more minutes of the game and the TV commentators were packing up their kit and getting ready to catch the plane home. Whatever happened to the fighting spirit? If the players had that attitude, they wouldn’t even bother turning up for the match.

Brainless announcements

Stuart — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:54:49 +0000

I rode the Docklands Light Railway the other day. As we pulled into the station the lady member of staff made an announcement.
“At the next station the first and last sets of doors will not enable.”
I’m sorry, but what the hell does that mean? I’m guessing there’s something in the software that will not enable the doors to open but as far as I and all the other passengers are concerned – we don’t care. All we worry about is whether or not the doors will OPEN for us at the station.
What a perfect example of a brainless announcement.

Two-wheeled terrorists

Stuart — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:00:49 +0000

Last night, I walked from near Old Street to Cannon Street, along Moorgate. On this route there are 5 sets of traffic lights. At each and every one, a cyclist (a different one) jumped a red light and had a pretty good attempt at running me over. When I remonstrated with them “Surely the red traffic light applies to you?” I was sworn at.

Boris – it’s all very well doing traffic things to protect them against the nasty buses and lorries. But what about the pedestrians? It’s time these two wheeled terrorists were stamped on – and hard. They seem to think they own the road, and can ride where and when they like, ignoring all traffic rules. If that blond idiot allows them to turn left on a red, then there’ll be nowhere safe for us pedestrian types to cross the road.

I emailed my GLA member and was assured that Boris would sort it all out in a document. Ass! Paper won’t stop these maniacs terrorising pedestrians. Only dropping the law on them like a ton of bricks will do any good.

Boris – when are you going to clamp down on these maniacs?

Lego

Stuart — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:55:00 +0000

Apparently (and I say that because I have no way of checking it out) there are 62 lego bricks for every single human being on this planet.

Gosh!

Sainsbury’s ridiculous alcohol policy

Stuart — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:34:11 +0000

I have been made to feel a criminal by Sainsburys.

I’ve just been to my local store, where I’ve been shopping for years with my 23 year old son. I bought some beer for me. At the checkout my son was asked for ID – not me – him. They would not sell me my beer unless HE produced ID. My neighbour was working at the next checkout and vouched for my son, but that was not good enough. My neighbour is obviously a liar.

At the next checkout, someone with a child was buying wine, but THEY weren’t asked for the child’s ID. Apparently it’s ok to buy alcohol with a 12 year old in tow but not a 23 year old.

This is fucking stupid! And it’s discriminatory.

The law states that you have to be over 18 to buy alcohol – not 21 or 25. It’s 18.

I am so cross that Sainsburys turned a quiet shopping trip into a nightmare. And thanks to the officious bitch of a checkout person who just bleated on and on about Company policy, and would obviously never let common sense get a look in.

Nowhere in the store does it tell you that this will happen. It’s just left as a pleasant surprise for you when you get to the checkout.

The next thing that will happen is you’ll have to produce a driving licence before you can buy a car magazine.

Next time I will take a note from my mother confirming that I’m old enough to be let out on my own, and I can spend my money as I see fit.

Postman Pat commits suicide

Stuart — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 21:54:24 +0000

Well, the postal unions have announced a series of strikes on the run up to Christmas. What a brilliant move, calculated to undermine confidence in the postal service at the time of year when most post is sent. Presumably it’s also when the postal service makes a reasonable amount of money under normal circumstances. So if there’s no service, there’ll be less money and more chance of Pat losing his job. Sometimes the mind boggling stupidity of unions staggers me. Don’t these morons realise that there has to be a business for there to be jobs?
Over the past few weeks, London has had a shit postal service. Right now it’s just not worth taking the risk of putting something in the post. It’s unlikely to arrive. So people are doing other things – like abandoning the Royal Mail and using courier companies, and email wherever possible.
I’m going through my Christmas list, and preparing to do as much as possible by email, or failing that, giving my friends a call to wish them Happy Christmas.
I’d put money on most of London doing the same.
Well done guys

Postman Pat is an idle git

Stuart — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 17:37:02 +0000

I used to like postmen. Now I feel differently. Firstly they’re on strike half the time in London so sending a letter is like entering a lottery. When will it arrive? Will it arrive at all? Enter the Royal Mail lottery. Your prize is – your letter gets delvered within the month.
Secondly, we had a mail delivery today. It was an ocassion of some celebration (see above). And in with the letters was a card telling me that one item was too big for my letterbox, so could I please go to the sorting office to collect it. The bugger didn’t TRY to deliver it. There was no doorbell sound, or knocking. He just couldn’t be arsed to do his job so he’s going to make me go to the sorting office to collect it. What an idle git. I feel that Royal Mail should give me a discount on the stamp since they didn’t fulfil their side of the bargain.

Ig Nobel prizes

Stuart — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 08:03:56 +0000

I love the Ig Nobel prizes. They represent the very best of human achievement and always make me smile.
This year the Irish police won the prize for literature, for writing and presenting more than 50 traffic tickets to the most frequent driving offender in the country – Prawo Jazdy – whose name in Polish means “Driving Licence”.

Here’s the link to the BBC news site with more details

Enjoy