In the last year, I’ve wanted to leave the house, travel, and do stuff from other locations, occasionally. Fight the cabin fever, or something. My main computer at home is a sexy iMac, and while it runs perfectly, it’s not really what you would call portable, as it’s a desktop computer with a glass-fronted screen and requires a mains power socket. I do have a laptop, but it’s very old, very slow, quite heavy, and has a battery that lasts 80mins. Crucially, NOT 1.5 hours – as I’ve reminded myself several times, while shouting “NO! DON’T HIBERNATE NOW, YOU BASTARD!” Continue reading The laptop replacement?
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“No DSS”
(I meant to write this post months ago, but I was busy, then I forgot all about it. Recently, I overheard a few people discussing some articles they had read in some piss-poor excuse for a newspaper, about benefit claimants, as if the story was factually accurate. While I held back from shouting “ABSOLUTE BOLLOCKS!” and/or laughing in their faces at the time, I’d like to use this opportunity to vent.)
A few months ago, I was looking for a new place to live. I was also unemployed.
Gumtree is always awash with people renting rooms. Hundreds and hundreds of them. And despite me seeing the same properties listed, and relisted, and relisted again – because the owners or occupants clearly can’t find anyone to move in, when I emailed asking politely if they would consider someone on benefits, and “either way could you let me know” – most of them completely ignored me. Which is rude, whichever way you look at it.
And that’s just the private ads. There was (and is) agencies listing and relisting and relisting (on Gumtree, Easyroommate, and other sites), like some form of house-based spam. Some of them pretend to be private landlords, for some reason. I was onto you “Lauren” and “Riccardo”. I’ve even seen “Lauren” advertising multiple properties in different locations with the same internal pictures. I emailed you twice and you couldn’t be bothered to reply to either. Well fuck you, fake “Lauren”. Continue reading “No DSS”
Pasta and shouting
Sometimes it amazes me how quickly my mood can change. An hour ago, I was fine. Continue reading Pasta and shouting
Oh ffs iTunes!
I’m a Mac user, but I know we’re still in the minority. Consequently, I hear (Windows-using) people bang on about how much they hate iTunes on a daily basis. It’s never been a problem for me on a Mac. Not that is, until now.
When trying to download a (free) bit of software from the App store this morning, after entering my password, I was asked to enter it again and then complete three security questions. Seems a bit overkill from the start – even my bank don’t need this many separate levels of security. Then I got to the questions. Oh dear. It’s my least favourite type of security questions. That’s right – it’s the ones where an American has decided what questions you can pick from. Continue reading Oh ffs iTunes!
Inadequate toasters
I’ve recently moved into a new houseshare. Not just new to me – new to all the people I’m living with. It was let as semi-furnished, so had a couple of fridges and a cooker, but no kettle or toaster. For a few days I made do with using the grill to make toast, but after several very-nearly-burnt-despite-standing-in-the-kitchen-with-it scenarios, a toaster was in order. As I bought the kettle, one of my housemates was going to buy the toaster. But being French, he was unaware of a major problem which must surely be causing distress right across the UK. Continue reading Inadequate toasters
The discothèque?
This week I’ve moved into a new house-share. I imagine I might write a few posts about that (*looks at the two draft ones he’s already started*).
I’m sharing currently with two Hungarian guys, and one Frenchman. There’s another room just been agreed by a girl (British, white), and when she moves in – that will be the house full. The Hungarian guys have been here a week, enjoyed a few days of unseasonably-glorious sunshine, and are now a bit bored/freezing as the cold weather has returned, and their National Insurance numbers haven’t turned up yet, to allow them to try and find work.
The Hungarians have hit upon the idea of going to a “discothèque” this weekend, and as the only ‘local’ in the house, they’ve asked me where a good one is. They also want me to go with them. I’ve told them immediately I hate clubs, dancing, and don’t drink. I couldn’t be less interested if they’d invited me to a live assassination, or a vegan restaurant (come on – there is NOTHING that doesn’t taste better with a bit of butter or honey rubbed all over it). Continue reading The discothèque?
I did something, and it worked!
On Sunday, I got a puncture. Or maybe I didn’t. I was driving along, could smell rubber, stopped and the tyre looked flat. I moved about 20 metres to somewhere sensible, and it no longer looked flat. I searched through my car to find the details for my breakdown cover, and discovered that it ran out the day before. What a bit of bad luck (is NOT what I said at the time).
After I’d spent a couple of minutes swearing, I decided that this gave me two basic options:
- Admit defeat, and admit that I’d never before changed a wheel, and phone a breakdown company without being a member, and incur their charge to help me; or
- Maybe I should just change it myself?
Open with Internet Explorer?
Scam/virus failure.
Just received this. Picked up by Gmail as obvious spam/non-wanted-mail and filed thusly.
An email like this, “from” a domain name that I own? How odd is that of the spammer/virus, to spoof my own domain? Pretty much guarantees that no matter how stupid I am, I would know the sender isn’t real.
And “open with Internet Explorer”? Is this what viruses have come to these days? Obviously doesn’t work on a Mac (as I don’t have Internet Explorer) but a browser-based exploit (presumably) which is advertised in such a way that it needs to tell you to open it with a specific affected browser? I can’t decide if – for the average user – that’s a massive clue that it’s not legit (and so would put people off opening it), or really does work to increase the uptake of people opening it, by asking them not to open it in Firefox/Chrome (which presumably it wouldn’t work on).
20mph speed limits?
So according to the Bristol Evening Post, the council are considering a 20mph speed limit on the entire city.
Why don’t you just ban drivers entirely? If you want to encourage cycling and walking that much, just ban all the cars. But you can’t, obviously. How would people get things from one place to another? Have you ever tried getting a wardrobe on a bicycle? Or 8 bags of shopping? Or a desktop computer? (No, I haven’t either.)
“The ruling Liberal Democrats are committed to a citywide 20mph speed limit and set aside £150,000 towards the project in this year’s budget, despite the worst cuts in the council’s history.”
Does this sound like the maddest thing in the world to anyone else? Continue reading 20mph speed limits?
How to advertise a room/property/flatshare
I’ve recently been looking for a room to rent. This is made more complicated because I’m unemployed and need to find someone who accepts that. However, some people seem so clueless when placing adverts, and I’d have some of the same issues if I was an employed person. I’ve actually advertised several rooms before – on behalf of a very hands-off landlord – back when I lived in a shared house a few years ago, so I feel I can safely judge you all for your bad adverts. Ha.
Here’s a list of 15 common mistakes I’ve noticed over and over again (in no particular order): Continue reading How to advertise a room/property/flatshare