What's made you grumpy today?

[bugsymike]

Neither a borrower nor a lender be. A maxim I've tried, reasonably successfully, all my life.

Good advice Mum. I've only ever taken a loan for two things. My mortgage, thankfully now fully paid off, and when I had double glazing fitted to the first house we bought as it had single gazed and very draughty wooden framed windows. I do use my credit card a lot - don't we all now a days - but both Mrs J and I keep a close eye on our bank account and don't buy something if funds aren't sufficient to cover it. The card is, as Martin Lewis is always advising us, Paid off in full every months. I suspect my credit rating is probably not as good as it could be due to this but It doesn't worry me - I think you have to borrow money without having problems paying it off to get a good score?

As you know I don't use a mobile phone but I was told that I probably couldn't even take a contract out for one due to my credit rating as like you I don't borrow and even more I don't use a credit card.
I have had literally several hundred cars, commercials and motorbikes over the years, mostly cheap bangers, but apart from that Ford Zephyr V6 I paid outright for them.
My theory is with a few exceptions, the value of cars all go in one direction, so the less you pay then the less you lose.

 

[SB1500]

Back in the 1970s I bought a Ford Zephyr V6 on finance, half way through I got a snotty letter from them saying I wasn't keeping up the payments, I went steaming down to my bank who verified they had paid it from my banked wages regularly.
The fault was with the finance companies bank, I paid off the total in full, got a letter from the finance company saying thank you for doing business with! It was the last time I have ever got finance on anything apart from a house mortgage.
I should have listened to my mum "if you can't afford it , you can't have it!"

Believe it or not, these same screw ups still happen from what I hear, phone companies not able to set up direct debits correctly and when the Fisherprice system that the advisors are trained to use doesn't work... they are seemingly at a loss on how to fix it, and will let the problem drag on at your expense, hitting your credit score because they fail to do their side. Crazy in the age of technology we're currently in.

Your mum was right, and my dad used to say the same - was a big hater of all things finance.

Neither a borrower nor a lender be. A maxim I've tried, reasonably successfully, all my life.

Good advice Mum. I've only ever taken a loan for two things. My mortgage, thankfully now fully paid off, and when I had double glazing fitted to the first house we bought as it had single gazed and very draughty wooden framed windows. I do use my credit card a lot - don't we all now a days - but both Mrs J and I keep a close eye on our bank account and don't buy something if funds aren't sufficient to cover it. The card is, as Martin Lewis is always advising us, Paid off in full every months. I suspect my credit rating is probably not as good as it could be due to this but It doesn't worry me - I think you have to borrow money without having problems paying it off to get a good score?

Another good saying. Lending is just as costly to be honest. I made that mistake with family before. Now I say to people "if the finance industry which is set up TO lend to you, won't lend to you, why would I?". Often their problems are such that giving them the cash just digs them deeper and doesn't fix it, so me not lending isn't exactly the cause or the cause of making it worse either. If someone wants to do that, get an overdraft and do it at their own expense really, you know, the 'lend me it until I'm paid' requests. That way, they can gradually rise out of it each month.

Martin Lewis is a national treasure. Funny guy, but everything he says is worth its weight in gold. Went right to his site to find the best credit card yesterday and as always, never lets me down. Another guy I watch, based in the US so only half of what he says applies to us (they have a very different meaning to the term 'IRA' than here for example, a useful / constructive one...). He always says re: 'not using credit so my score suffers', that the score only matters if you care about appealing to said credit agencies. Therefore, once mine is done and dusted, they can email me and tell me it's falling all they want, I won't care.

I had a 20-off-full credit score with Experian in 2019 as I was shopping for my next Panda, first 'finance' I ever had. No idea how, my uncle who has also never missed a payment in life and paid off multiple cars / phones for the family and nearing the end of his mortgage at that point had one a couple hundred lower. Did my 'near perfect' one get me a better rate? Nope. Entertaining watching it go up and down - as I said, never missed a payment, why isn't it 100%? I don't care if my patterns are 'that of someone making a bad choice' etc, unless I don't pay, I shouldn't be penalised, period. Car insurance is the same. They make the rules and we become the fools that follow.

 

[PuntoHowTo]

I suspect from the type of car that this was the days when everyonewas paid in cash, you had to put the money in the bank, someone in the bank took that money, physically out of your money and sent it to the other bank, and someone at the other bank had to check it in and apply it manually to the finance account. And this was all done with physical cash and pen and paper to record it all.


Thankfully things have moved on a bit since then.

The thing with most modern finance deals is are set from the beginning and while there are options to pay things off early or in some cases walk away from the deal at the half way point, but ultimately if you just pay what you agree too the banking side of things is never a problem and you get your car at the end of it.

 

[portland_bill]

Sat at traffic lights in Ledbury yesterday. Car at the front was a driving school car. As teh lights turned green, their left signal came on, which caused a delay in moving off. We were turnign left also, so followed, about 30 yeards back so as not to intimidate the poor creature.
Next roundabout, they moved right, then just as they arrived, a right turn signal was applied. Despite the view beign wide, early and clear, they stopped. Then off they went. We could now go left. As we turned, I saw them change their signal to a left, and exit at the 12 O'clock exit. (Simple crossroads roundabout)
When roundabouts were introduced, the ruel was signal right on approach if passing the first exit, then left as you pass your penultimate exit. The signal right, for a straight ahead exit was dropped sometime late sixties, or very early seventies, as it is confusing. Sad to see an instructor still teaching this nonsense. Also appalling that all signals were very late. Instructor needs to pay attention. Student not getting value for money. Creating more poor standard drivers.

 

[SB1500]

My mums speech has been getting worse and worse since 2021. Found out last week it's progressive aphasia. Never heard of it, nor has anyone else I've mentioned to but apparently is related to Alzheimer's? Not good. 10 years apparently but no doubt things to go downhill. Devastating but not surprising over the last few years. On another note, we all got our vaccines / definitely not 'science deniers', but this began kicking in in the following months she had her vaccines, as a key worker as well, she got them quite early and had three doses. I can't help but wonder if this is a mad coincidence or if there is a link. I know I won't be getting any more regardless. Nearly seems safer to just contend with Covid really. At least if you are luckily, otherwise healthy. Maybe I'm clutching at straws with that connection. S*** times though.

 

[irc]

Finding myself in the unusual position of agreeing with some unnamed Chinese official who suggested that it was a bad idea to be making an undignified scramble to beg Washington for a trade deal - this got me a bit miffed as it seems so obviously the wrong thing for historically "friendly" countries to have to do, but I didn't expect that we would need the Chinese to point it out to us.

And then seeing some orange git crowing about all of the countries which were "coming here to kiss my ass to make a trade deal".
This took me way past miffed. (Even without the thought of a saggy orange ass, which also made me queezy.)

Realising that as a country we have lost all dignity by pushing to be at the head of the orange-ass-kissing queue in an effort to appease someone to overcome a problem that they created, like making friends with the bully who stole your lunch money in the hope that they only steal half of it tomorrow...
That made me grumpy.

And I don't "do" politics.

 

[SB1500]

Finding myself in the unusual position of agreeing with some unnamed Chinese official who suggested that it was a bad idea to be making an undignified scramble to beg Washington for a trade deal - this got me a bit miffed as it seems so obviously the wrong thing for historically "friendly" countries to have to do, but I didn't expect that we would need the Chinese to point it out to us.

And then seeing some orange git crowing about all of the countries which were "coming here to kiss my ass to make a trade deal".
This took me way past miffed. (Even without the thought of a saggy orange ass, which also made me queezy.)

Realising that as a country we have lost all dignity by pushing to be at the head of the orange-ass-kissing queue in an effort to appease someone to overcome a problem that they created, like making friends with the bully who stole your lunch money in the hope that they only steal half of it tomorrow...
That made me grumpy.

And I don't "do" politics.

I reckon we lost our dignity when we started handing over our money and morals to leaning to heavily on the CCP / slave labour / all the tricks of the trade that allowed us to benefit from such cheap goods. Nothing to do with Trump in what I'm saying either. I think 'us' (the economy, companies, our wallets) are paying a long, long overdue price in the coming years for what we've until now, blindly overlooked in morals just to get things on the cheap. I think whether it was Trump or not, this bold move or not, it was going to happen someday and we sort of deserve it.

(again, just want to clarify, not arguing over Trump specifically, but in my view, our dependence on China was the problem and at some point in the future was going to burst)

 

[bugsymike]

I reckon we lost our dignity when we started handing over our money and morals to leaning to heavily on the CCP / slave labour / all the tricks of the trade that allowed us to benefit from such cheap goods. Nothing to do with Trump in what I'm saying either. I think 'us' (the economy, companies, our wallets) are paying a long, long overdue price in the coming years for what we've until now, blindly overlooked in morals just to get things on the cheap. I think whether it was Trump or not, this bold move or not, it was going to happen someday and we sort of deserve it.

(again, just want to clarify, not arguing over Trump specifically, but in my view, our dependence on China was the problem and at some point in the future was going to burst)

Closing our production in this Country in favour of cheap labour abroad by manufacturers has always seemed short sighted to me, as if you sack all your staff , how are they going to buy all the products you want to sell to them.
I was disgusted when Dyson got the Queens Award for Industry and then promptly move production offshore, not that I would have bought what I considered over priced plastic flimsy sh*t

 

[SB1500]

Closing our production in this Country in favour of cheap labour abroad by manufacturers has always seemed short sighted to me, as if you sack all your staff , how are they going to buy all the products you want to sell to them.
I was disgusted when Dyson got the Queens Award for Industry and then promptly move production offshore, not that I would have bought what I considered over priced plastic flimsy sh*t

The same politicians who push for globalisation are the same ones who point the finger at us for not being environmentally friendly enough. Even though the modern world of manufacturing and logistics which THEY shaped (globalisation) has materials shipped around the world .. made into parts .. shipped around the world again .. assembled and then shipped around the world to be sold. Sometimes back and forth.

Not saying globalisation hasn’t made a lot of nice and important things possible - it has. But definitely some silly choices made by forgetting that there are sinister forces in the world such as the CCP and Russia etc.

 

[irc]

I think the rights and wrongs of Globalisation are a separate debate, though.
Picking up the game ball, changing the rules and then demanding that the opposition AND YOUR OWN TEAM come and kiss your ass in order to be allowed to play on doesn't seem like a great strategy to foster friendly and trusting relationships.
Any self-respecting team-mates would probably tell you to shove the ball up your orange receptacle and then go and play a pick-up game with everyone else.
Just wasn't expecting the best advice to come from the opposition captain.

 

[Cheest]

My typical morning lately.

Get up. Let the dog out. Fill the kettle and get it going. Prep our cups(can't have coffee anymore). Fill the dogs' bowl then let him in. Grab my cuppa and park in my chair. Open my Chromebook and my homepage. The Guardian...JHC. WTF did that Orange Fcuking Moron do now? Fcukin' stupid SOB. And the Republicans are kissing his ass and agreeing to it!? JHTFC.

Close Chromebook and go for a walk while questioning the intelligence of the people that voted for the A-Hole while also slamming the apathy of the electorate that couldn't be bothered to get off their collective asses to vote.

 

[irc]

That Chromebook probably just got 84% more expensive.... ouch.
Strangely, I've not spoken to a single American who likes what is going on at the moment. Mostly they seem annoyed at the "ruling by decree" stuff, and lack of action from the legislative and judicial branches of government.
Even the ones who voted Orange last time!
On the other hand, most of them that I speak to are ex-pats, so may not be representative.
We're definitely living in interesting times.

 

[PuntoHowTo]

First rule of a dictatorship, destabilise the system making people feel unsafe.

Promise stability and safety off the back of giving up some element of Liberty, repeat until all notion of freedom is gone.

There is nothing more unstable and unsafe than the orangutang king.

 

[SB1500]

I'm only 29 but one thing I've learned growing up with the financial crisis on the news, Scottish independence voce, Brexit, Trump first term and then the pandemic... one thing I've learnt sometime around 2016 was to not take the news overly personally or seriously. It's seriously no good for mental health to get angry, upset or wound up at politicians and people around you too much.

World affairs will never be perfect. Wars will never all be over everywhere. Prices will never go down. Justice won't always be served. Sadly.

All we can really do is vote and discuss it but in any case, much of what direction the world goes in is beyond our personal control so other than the odd rant or expression of our own ideas on the topic, at some point you need to put your own wellbeing and peace of mind first.

Pretty much everyone my age believes the polar opposite of what I do politically, be it when I was in uni, now in the workplace and/or on all the 'Northern Irish' specific stuff. But regardless of the differences I've never found it too healthy or nice to start writing them off as people or cursing them down - that would only make my everyday life a living hell. In reality I'm reminded these are still people, 'my' people even if we disagree on politics. To me, this is the only way.

Forget the news and the media. Online. Legacy. For 'your side', for 'my side'. I have absolutely zero interest in some journalists biased viewpoint meticulously crafting arguments and soundbites in favour of their view. That does nothing for me. If I want to see what Trump, Starmer or whoever is doing...saying... I'll go watch the full unabridged press release or whatever - if I even can justify investing that much time of my life into it. Usually just when YouTube suggests it and I'm eating and looking for something to watch. But never, ever making the mistake of caring too much.

Whatever the latest attempt to divide us is, it'll never work on me. I'm your friend whether you voted Trump... Starmer... hell, I even make an exception for anyone who wanted to vote Corbyn not long ago. Never worth letting the blood pressure rise over. Especially for people I never have or will lay my actual eyes on and aren't my small circle of friends / family / colleagues / people in my proximity. Our brains / minds didn't evolve to cope with much more beyond that really.

I laugh at all the memes and jokes no matter which side they're targeting, I just laugh a bit harder at the ones that are against the one I like less.

My two cents on these matters, hate to see peoples lives turn dark over them.

 

[Cheest]

That Chromebook probably just got 84% more expensive.... ouch.
Strangely, I've not spoken to a single American who likes what is going on at the moment. Mostly they seem annoyed at the "ruling by decree" stuff, and lack of action from the legislative and judicial branches of government.
Even the ones who voted Orange last time!
On the other hand, most of them that I speak to are ex-pats, so may not be representative.
We're definitely living in interesting times.

There are some of those in the US that are loving the 'SHOW' that the Orange Shitgibbon is putting on because it hurts the people they don't like. Some who worship him are not smart enough to realize that his actions are coming back to bite them in the ass. Many more are appalled at what has been happening and are pissed at their representatives in congress for doing nothing. I fear it will get worse before it gets better and maybe violent. The J6 crowd may have bit off more than they can chew.

 

[PuntoHowTo]

There would be a certain irony to an up rising lead by the people against a republican/pro gun government.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

I'm only 29 but one thing I've learned growing up with the financial crisis on the news, Scottish independence voce, Brexit, Trump first term and then the pandemic... one thing I've learnt sometime around 2016 was to not take the news overly personally or seriously. It's seriously no good for mental health to get angry, upset or wound up at politicians and people around you too much.

World affairs will never be perfect. Wars will never all be over everywhere. Prices will never go down. Justice won't always be served. Sadly.

All we can really do is vote and discuss it but in any case, much of what direction the world goes in is beyond our personal control so other than the odd rant or expression of our own ideas on the topic, at some point you need to put your own wellbeing and peace of mind first.

Pretty much everyone my age believes the polar opposite of what I do politically, be it when I was in uni, now in the workplace and/or on all the 'Northern Irish' specific stuff. But regardless of the differences I've never found it too healthy or nice to start writing them off as people or cursing them down - that would only make my everyday life a living hell. In reality I'm reminded these are still people, 'my' people even if we disagree on politics. To me, this is the only way.

Forget the news and the media. Online. Legacy. For 'your side', for 'my side'. I have absolutely zero interest in some journalists biased viewpoint meticulously crafting arguments and soundbites in favour of their view. That does nothing for me. If I want to see what Trump, Starmer or whoever is doing...saying... I'll go watch the full unabridged press release or whatever - if I even can justify investing that much time of my life into it. Usually just when YouTube suggests it and I'm eating and looking for something to watch. But never, ever making the mistake of caring too much.

Whatever the latest attempt to divide us is, it'll never work on me. I'm your friend whether you voted Trump... Starmer... hell, I even make an exception for anyone who wanted to vote Corbyn not long ago. Never worth letting the blood pressure rise over. Especially for people I never have or will lay my actual eyes on and aren't my small circle of friends / family / colleagues / people in my proximity. Our brains / minds didn't evolve to cope with much more beyond that really.

I laugh at all the memes and jokes no matter which side they're targeting, I just laugh a bit harder at the ones that are against the one I like less.

My two cents on these matters, hate to see peoples lives turn dark over them.

Moderation in all things. I'm not religious or have strong political views, I hate confrontation so I just try to live my life tolerating everyone and trying to help those less fortunate than myself - but family comes first every time. I'm not far off 80 years old (another couple of years to go) and, for a while, I got very worried about the possibility of nuclear armageddon and global warming but recently came to the conclusion that there was nothing I could do to substantially influence it so now live life day by day. The time I've got left needs to be spent with grandchildren and other family and friends so, every morning I wake up is a gift to be treasured and spent well - which doesn't include worrying about things I can't influence.

 

[PuntoHowTo]

I'm only 29 but one thing I've learned growing up with the financial crisis on the news, Scottish independence voce, Brexit, Trump first term and then the pandemic... one thing I've learnt sometime around 2016 was to not take the news overly personally or seriously. It's seriously no good for mental health to get angry, upset or wound up at politicians and people around you too much.

World affairs will never be perfect. Wars will never all be over everywhere. Prices will never go down. Justice won't always be served. Sadly.

All we can really do is vote and discuss it but in any case, much of what direction the world goes in is beyond our personal control so other than the odd rant or expression of our own ideas on the topic, at some point you need to put your own wellbeing and peace of mind first.

Pretty much everyone my age believes the polar opposite of what I do politically, be it when I was in uni, now in the workplace and/or on all the 'Northern Irish' specific stuff. But regardless of the differences I've never found it too healthy or nice to start writing them off as people or cursing them down - that would only make my everyday life a living hell. In reality I'm reminded these are still people, 'my' people even if we disagree on politics. To me, this is the only way.

Forget the news and the media. Online. Legacy. For 'your side', for 'my side'. I have absolutely zero interest in some journalists biased viewpoint meticulously crafting arguments and soundbites in favour of their view. That does nothing for me. If I want to see what Trump, Starmer or whoever is doing...saying... I'll go watch the full unabridged press release or whatever - if I even can justify investing that much time of my life into it. Usually just when YouTube suggests it and I'm eating and looking for something to watch. But never, ever making the mistake of caring too much.

Whatever the latest attempt to divide us is, it'll never work on me. I'm your friend whether you voted Trump... Starmer... hell, I even make an exception for anyone who wanted to vote Corbyn not long ago. Never worth letting the blood pressure rise over. Especially for people I never have or will lay my actual eyes on and aren't my small circle of friends / family / colleagues / people in my proximity. Our brains / minds didn't evolve to cope with much more beyond that really.

I laugh at all the memes and jokes no matter which side they're targeting, I just laugh a bit harder at the ones that are against the one I like less.

My two cents on these matters, hate to see peoples lives turn dark over them.

Lmao at this…..


All from the guy who had a mental breakdown over people criticising Trump, quit the forum for 18 months then came crawling back pretending it never happened. Oh and blocked the people who didn’t agree with him



the most ridiculous part of this whole tariff saga is the $1tn that they’re supposed to raise, while wiping $6tn off the value of the S&P500 (top 500 companies in the USA) before a single cent has been raised.

Which has destroyed millions of peoples retirement funds/pensions and investments buy hey you can’t argue with the “business genius”

 

[SB1500]

I got very worried about the possibility of nuclear armageddon and global warming but recently came to the conclusion that there was nothing I could do to substantially influence it so now live life day by day.

This! It's easy for all of us to worry. What helped me on that particular one was when I seen anything (documentary, TV show reference etc) to my parents generation growing up in the 70s/80s they talk about how back then, there was a constant threat of a nuclear war which thankfully never happened. I completely believe that the media today, to get your attention and support its 24/7/365 news cycle, will keep you thinking this. Just like they want everybody right now to think that the stock market will never bounce back... just like they wanted us to think that Brexit would stop the sun coming up tomorrow... and whatnot. Whichever political side you're on, they have some kind of fear mongering - for one side it's "Oh my god, this will NEVER happen" and for the other side it's "Oh my god, this is ABOUT to happen!". Pretty sick.

I think you've cracked it, by centring yourself inside your world. I strongly believe that's all any of us are really mentally designed to cope with. And if we're going to lose sleep might as well channel that into only being over people and things worthy of said stress. Things and people we can actually do something about. Life's too short, right?

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

This! It's easy for all of us to worry. What helped me on that particular one was when I seen anything (documentary, TV show reference etc) to my parents generation growing up in the 70s/80s they talk about how back then, there was a constant threat of a nuclear war which thankfully never happened. I completely believe that the media today, to get your attention and support its 24/7/365 news cycle, will keep you thinking this. Just like they want everybody right now to think that the stock market will never bounce back... just like they wanted us to think that Brexit would stop the sun coming up tomorrow... and whatnot. Whichever political side you're on, they have some kind of fear mongering - for one side it's "Oh my god, this will NEVER happen" and for the other side it's "Oh my god, this is ABOUT to happen!". Pretty sick.

I think you've cracked it, by centring yourself inside your world. I strongly believe that's all any of us are really mentally designed to cope with. And if we're going to lose sleep might as well channel that into only being over people and things worthy of said stress. Things and people we can actually do something about. Life's too short, right?

Yes, I remember being absolutely terrified when the Cuban Missile Crisis was playing out - I'd have been about 16/17 years old then and away from home in boarding school (my dad was in the forces and mum packed us all off to boarding schools with military leanings - didn't work on me though, all I wanted to do was be a hippy in San Francisco, Fancied myself as a Dennis Hopper type character, but that didn't happen either! Actually, now I think about it I had a bit of a personal identity crisis as I also thought I could be a Steve McQueen - the one from "The Great Escape"/"Le Mans" not the film director)



or how about The Byrds "Wasn't born to follow" or almost anything by the "Mamas and the Papas"

Oh dear, C'mon Jock, snap out of it my boy!