What's made you not grumpy but not smile either today?

[Cheest]

Pretty sad really. Some of this corporare rubbish really used to p me off. My kids have lots of it in their work so it seems its universal. When its corporate takeover it seems that incumbent employees might as well just leave like your team have. The remainder will sink or swim. I cant ses its good business though.

This one was worse than many. I was forced out at my previous corporate gig and could see the same BS happening here once we entered the corporate matrix. At least the Overlords tried to hide their incompetence at the old place. This current crop of clowns have no clue, no shame, and worse, no integrity, which is something Jason and I hold in high regard. When a multi-million machine fails on delivery, the customer is beyond pissed, and the unit has to be shipped back across the country to be made right, I'd think that management would do everything in their power to make it right and make damn sure it never happens again. Not this place. It was standard operating procedure.
There was constant complaining from the money side that Field Service expenses were too much and needed to be reined in. The fact that we were chasing warranty issues from Maine to Hawaii to southern Mexico because the product was rushed out the door before it was ready to ship didn't seem to click with them. Throw in the fact that the Overlords are sitting in a French bistro, thinking that the US and Mexico are the size of Spain and can't understand why we can't drive or take a train. They seem to forget that Hawaii sits in the middle of the Pacific. They're idiots.

Hopefully, the owner of the company has finally realized that appointing his cousin CEO, was a huge mistake. He's removed her and put someone in the position that has 20 years of railroad experience and isn't family. I secretly hope he made her a hostess in one of his restaurants in Singapore and Hong Kong. I also wondered if she wasn't a robot because she was bereft of a personality. We tangled more than a few times in the past.

 

[The Panda Nut]

This one was worse than many. I was forced out at my previous corporate gig and could see the same BS happening here once we entered the corporate matrix. At least the Overlords tried to hide their incompetence at the old place. This current crop of clowns have no clue, no shame, and worse, no integrity, which is something Jason and I hold in high regard. When a multi-million machine fails on delivery, the customer is beyond pissed, and the unit has to be shipped back across the country to be made right, I'd think that management would do everything in their power to make it right and make damn sure it never happens again. Not this place. It was standard operating procedure.
There was constant complaining from the money side that Field Service expenses were too much and needed to be reined in. The fact that we were chasing warranty issues from Maine to Hawaii to southern Mexico because the product was rushed out the door before it was ready to ship didn't seem to click with them. Throw in the fact that the Overlords are sitting in a French bistro, thinking that the US and Mexico are the size of Spain and can't understand why we can't drive or take a train. They seem to forget that Hawaii sits in the middle of the Pacific. They're idiots.

Hopefully, the owner of the company has finally realized that appointing his cousin CEO, was a huge mistake. He's removed her and put someone in the position that has 20 years of railroad experience and isn't family. I secretly hope he made her a hostess in one of his restaurants in Singapore and Hong Kong. I also wondered if she wasn't a robot because she was bereft of a personality. We tangled more than a few times in the past.

One should say God bless this ship and all who sail in her. To the bottom of the deepest blue sea .....
I feel our generation is done in the work arena. I dont miss it even slightly.

 

[Cheest]

One should say God bless this ship and all who sail in her. To the bottom of the deepest blue sea .....
I feel our generation is done in the work arena. I dont miss it even slightly.

I agree. I do like to tell them, though, that every day is a Saturday for me now.

 

[Cheest]

I've been hobbling around this weekend with neither the boot nor the crutches. Yay? The sucky part is retraining myself to walk without a drunken gait. The PT plan is for me to be able to permanently ditch both the boot and the crutches by the end of the week. I'm kind of hurrying that bit along to make sure that happens.

 

[Barchetta Bloke 440]

Yay , a thing off Ebay arrived today .

Boo ,it's the wrong size because a moron sized it up ....that'll be me .

I have already ordered the next size up from the same seller .
It's something to fix on the Panda , not a FIAT part but a generic lump of metal to repair a hole .

10p says it will be too big .

 

[The Panda Nut]

Yay , a thing off Ebay arrived today .

Boo ,it's the wrong size because a moron sized it up ....that'll be me .

I have already ordered the next size up from the same seller .
It's something to fix on the Panda , not a FIAT part but a generic lump of metal to repair a hole .

10p says it will be too big .

You will have free entry to my Burks Brigade CLub... of which I am the prime member.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

For some time now the small TV sized "infotainment" screen in the Scala has been trying to temp me into downloading an update. I'm very nervous about doing updates on any electronic device because invariably they involve some alteration to configuration of something I've become used to and I end up wasting time trying to find out how to do things which up 'till then was easy.

Anyway, last night I summoned up some courage and touched the "update" just before going into the house for the evening. Nothing much seemed to happen but the screen blanked out so I turned the ignition off and went into the house. Apparently you can do the download at any time but must not drive the vehicle during installation so they advise doing it at the end of the day. Anyway, this morning I hoovered the interior and washed the car then went a wee drive to dry the brakes and check what the infotainment screen was saying. The good news is that the download reminder is no longer displayed but the bad news, to begin with, was that the wee screen between the speedo and rev counter seemed to be locked into displaying only the front collision warning screen. I like to display the digital real time speed here but it wouldn't allow anything other than the collision avoidance lines. I went down by the harbour, back up Newhaven road and returned to home - all the time trying to select driving info on that wee centre screen but all to no avail. I took the owner's manual into the house with me intending to read it but took a shower first. After getting dressed I thought I'd give the car one last try so went out and started the engine, letting it just tickover while I tried the steering wheel buttons that let you select what's displayed on the screen, and, wonder of wonders, it's all working again.

I'm wondering if it takes a wee while, after switching on following the update, for the system to initialize and start working normally again?

Anyway, now emboldened I'm going to have a go at altering the "main user" identification - It's driving me insane being greeted by "Hello Arnold" every time I start her up!

 

[The Panda Nut]

For some time now the small TV sized "infotainment" screen in the Scala has been trying to temp me into downloading an update. I'm very nervous about doing updates on any electronic device because invariably they involve some alteration to configuration of something I've become used to and I end up wasting time trying to find out how to do things which up 'till then was easy.

Anyway, last night I summoned up some courage and touched the "update" just before going into the house for the evening. Nothing much seemed to happen but the screen blanked out so I turned the ignition off and went into the house. Apparently you can do the download at any time but must not drive the vehicle during installation so they advise doing it at the end of the day. Anyway, this morning I hoovered the interior and washed the car then went a wee drive to dry the brakes and check what the infotainment screen was saying. The good news is that the download reminder is no longer displayed but the bad news, to begin with, was that the wee screen between the speedo and rev counter seemed to be locked into displaying only the front collision warning screen. I like to display the digital real time speed here but it wouldn't allow anything other than the collision avoidance lines. I went down by the harbour, back up Newhaven road and returned to home - all the time trying to select driving info on that wee centre screen but all to no avail. I took the owner's manual into the house with me intending to read it but took a shower first. After getting dressed I thought I'd give the car one last try so went out and started the engine, letting it just tickover while I tried the steering wheel buttons that let you select what's displayed on the screen, and, wonder of wonders, it's all working again.

I'm wondering if it takes a wee while, after switching on following the update, for the system to initialize and start working normally again?

Anyway, now emboldened I'm going to have a go at altering the "main user" identification - It's driving me insane being greeted by "Hello Arnold" every time I start her up!

Ha ha ha, beeg Arn. YOULL BE BACK

 

[StevenRB45]

As you may have figured out by now, I spend a decent amount of time outside.

Took a chance on a cheap new set of walking shoes start of last month from mountain warehouse. They weren't massively expensive but we're off on holiday shortly and planning to spend most of it on foot so a new set of shoes seemed an idea as I wore a pair out last year, switched to my boots in winter and have been wearing a "retired" set of trail running shoes to walk in warmer weather.

However and don't let my wife hear this...but the running shoes are well past their best, bottoms are worn smooth fit for the bin which was the plan hence their replacement.

Replacement unfortunately is terrible wore them a bit round the village and for a few days out and they are best described as paper thin. If you stood on a Lego brick you could tell if it was studs side up. Walking on gravel is torture...so useless unless they are to be worn on pavement.

So this morning I thought "stuff it we'll do it properly rather than buying 3 pairs of crap shoes" and ordered some Merrell Moab 3s. They've turned up and they are lovely, everything the mountain warehouse pair is not...except the right size, need a half size up apparently in Merrell. Oh well return them tomorrow hopefully before the upsized pair arrive.

 

[bugsymike]

Speaking of Lego, went to a boat jumble Saturday and managed to pick up two plastic crates of Lego bricks for £8, so grand daughter happy.

 

[Cheest]

Believe it or not, the is a Mountain Warehouse store near me on this side of the pond. I know it’s related because some of the tags have the retail price in £ where the $ sticker didn’t cover the original price. Visit it maybe once a year. I bought a couple of warm weather sleeping bags that have held up well over the years.

 

[StevenRB45]

Very much depends on what you're buying and how you're using it.

Most months I'll have walked about 30-40 miles and ran twice that.

I begrudge spending all the money on shoes (except runners as I like my knees not destroyed) as I'm not heading up into the mountains in them so it wasn't an expensive set but cheaper shoes these days seem to be made of cardboard. Not the first lower end set of shoes I've killed off pretty much immediately. Bought a similar pair from somewhere else last time we went away and they were nearly worn flat before we went.

Hopefully these will last some years...my winter boots I bought with a student loan over a decade ago at this point and they are absolutely fine.

 

[bugsymike]

Very much depends on what you're buying and how you're using it.

Most months I'll have walked about 30-40 miles and ran twice that.

I begrudge spending all the money on shoes (except runners as I like my knees not destroyed) as I'm not heading up into the mountains in them so it wasn't an expensive set but cheaper shoes these days seem to be made of cardboard. Not the first lower end set of shoes I've killed off pretty much immediately. Bought a similar pair from somewhere else last time we went away and they were nearly worn flat before we went.

Hopefully these will last some years...my winter boots I bought with a student loan over a decade ago at this point and they are absolutely fine.

I can see the logic these days in buying good quality running shoes, but the prices paid for them to me is incredible.
When I was around 19 I joined the local rowing club totally unfit, the main reason being to get fitter, the cheap bar and the girls was an added bonus.
However when we were not out at sea rowing we would do circuit training, weight lifting and a coastal run which involved mainly up and down the coast paths quite steep and with slopes and steps to give a good work out, this was six days a week, Sundays was just drinking. I did this for several years and whilst many had some form of early trainers, I did it bare foot, just shorts and a sweatshirt Summer and Winter, the skin on my feet became quite hard too the point I noticed a mild irritation that I ignored for a several days which turned out to be some glass I had trod on that hadn't even drawn blood. No one else was silly enough to run like this, but I haven't trained in any serious way in the last 40 years since and have not had any foot or leg issues, even now at 70.
I would say the competitive (only at Senior C level, so not quite Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race) rowing gave a good all round fitness and without the knee injuries you often see older football players prone with, due to the twisting and running at the same time.
At school I had no interest in football, my excuse was we were quite poor and trying to play on school sports days sliding around with a pair of worn plimsoles on a muddy field, whilst some of the others had the latest kit colours, complete with brand new soft leather well studded football boots completed the misery.

 

[StevenRB45]

To be fair I'm also not about to spend 200 quid on a set of shoes to run through anything up to ankle deep mud and water.

I do mixture of trail/fell/road running..just because that's the terrain within 10k of the house so there's again no point in getting a "nice" pair because they will not stay nice they will be mainly brown in winter.

However a good mid range pair, will be grippy, waterproof and breathable and last about a season before me knees tell me it's time for another set.

Although usually at that point as they are a dark coloured set of trainers I'll clean them up and wear for taking taking the lad to outdoorsy things.

Exercise wise...I have no interest in football either but trail running was where I went after downhill mountain biking. Which I loved but I also had "one more run" syndrome where I would always stack it at the end of day..I never got injured but it wasn't for lack of trying and once I had a mortgage to pay and no sick pay for 12 months from start of new job I decided to stop.

At various points I've snapped 3 back axles...2 derailleurs, and hit something hard enough to clean shear a crank off.

 

[Cheest]

At various points I've snapped 3 back axles...2 derailleurs, and hit something hard enough to clean shear a crank off.

And here I thought I was hard on a bike.

 

[AndyRKett]

At various points I've snapped 3 back axles...2 derailleurs, and hit something hard enough to clean shear a crank off.

when I was in my teens/early 20s I used to regularly wreck mountain bikes in much the same way, I still have a mountain bike but I think I would break before the bike did these days

 

[The Panda Nut]

Daffo. Water level holding, engine is REALLY sweet but EML was flashing and its saying misfire again in ECU. I have given it new plugs and run all the tests on MES all teh sparks look even. I had it running for an hour with no recurrence so maybe it was just a plug. I am not convinced by Fiats own fpt plugs they seem not to last very well. Thats my stock of fpt plugs gone now, so NGK next time. from here on So new air cleaner and plugs and I suppose might as well do the oil as that will be cooked too, then I think its day has come to move on. I hate this electronic stuff on engines. A small simple motor like this gains little and you get all this stuff to deal with. Oh well at least Euro testing is honest and well administered so you can believe the results that its worth the troubel. Not to mention the real world MGP etc. All this means the emissions equipment is worth having. lol Just spotted a Panda Easy 64 reg 31K for £4200. A trip up north may be called for tomorrow. Evenif it needs a cam belt and 4 tyres it still looks good.

 

[StevenRB45]

when I was in my teens/early 20s I used to regularly wreck mountain bikes in much the same way, I still have a mountain bike but I think I would break before the bike did these days

Sometimes you have to step back before you win yourself a Darwin award..