Things that annoy you beyond reason...? [Vol 3]
Discussion
nicanary said:
I assumed that the criticism was exaggerated until I went there, admittedly many years ago. It's so dire it makes US telly almost bearable. Presumably everyone there has satellite now, so they can watch another country's stuff.
It really is bad. The adverts are as bad as US tv...Brigand said:
We move away to find a new spot, but no sooner had I found one some people appear from behind the grass and set down right where I was pointing to. So we carry on and find another spot, this one even more secluded, brilliant. Within ten minutes a family of loud, Eastern European-sounding people arrive and also decide they like this secluded, small area and set down a few meters from us.
The 'Greek' situation.
Can't decide whether it's overly dramatic BBC reporting, or empty threats from the Germans/EU (perhaps both), but last week the reporting was that a 'No' vote from the Greeks would mean a certain exit from the single currency, with all that entails.
Reporting this morning on R4 - 'Overwhelming 'No' vote, Greece may now be one step closer to a possible exit from the single currency'.
WTF?
Can't decide whether it's overly dramatic BBC reporting, or empty threats from the Germans/EU (perhaps both), but last week the reporting was that a 'No' vote from the Greeks would mean a certain exit from the single currency, with all that entails.
Reporting this morning on R4 - 'Overwhelming 'No' vote, Greece may now be one step closer to a possible exit from the single currency'.
WTF?
nicanary said:
It's all part of the American attempt at world domination. Sadly, most kids these days think proms have always been around. Halloween was almost unknown when I was a kid - what next, Thanksgiving in the UK?
Just wait until kids start 'graduating' from primary and secondary school.As for Halloween though, it originated in what is not the UK and was actually imported into the US during the late 19th century. Even aspects like the "jack-o-lantern" and "trick or treating" came from the UK. Lanterns being traditionally carved from turnips as opposed to pumpkins (which were presumably more readily available in the US when the tradition was taken over there) and trcik or treating was a derivation of wassailing.
It has become more commercialised in recent years - but so have most things.
yep, Hallowe'en isn't American
we used to carve turnips (you call them swedes in most of Englandshire)
'mischief night' was the night before, knocking doors and running away (or tying two doors together first), taking garden gates off that sort of thing
'trick or treat' wasn't part of it for us though, that really took off after ET came out (1982?)
we used to carve turnips (you call them swedes in most of Englandshire)
'mischief night' was the night before, knocking doors and running away (or tying two doors together first), taking garden gates off that sort of thing
'trick or treat' wasn't part of it for us though, that really took off after ET came out (1982?)
MartG said:
A magazine article which describes the New Horizons spacecraft as being 'piano-sized' - what kind of piano ? There's a big difference between a small electric piano, and upright, or a concert grand ! Why don't they just give its size in metres or feet ?
And is it an African or European piano?
ts as I like to call them 
Brigand said:
People. Just people.
At the beach for a couple of hours with the missus. We climb up into the dunes to find somewhere peaceful to sit and soak up some rays. Find somewhere nice and pitch camp. We were there an hour or so when a large family of middle class, middle aged people arrive with their multi-national brood of children and decide to set down right next to us in a small patch of sand amongst the grass. Kids then start digging holes and flinging sand around - peace destroyed.
We move away to find a new spot, but no sooner had I found one some people appear from behind the grass and set down right where I was pointing to. So we carry on and find another spot, this one even more secluded, brilliant. Within ten minutes a family of loud, Eastern European-sounding people arrive and also decide they like this secluded, small area and set down a few meters from us.
By now I'd had enough and opt to walk back to the car and have ice creams.
I know everyone has the right to be where they want on the beach, but the one weekend-day I have off this month I wanted to be a happy time that was just right, instead it was spoiled by people who were just desperate to be where I was, wherever I went.
I'm with you brother.At the beach for a couple of hours with the missus. We climb up into the dunes to find somewhere peaceful to sit and soak up some rays. Find somewhere nice and pitch camp. We were there an hour or so when a large family of middle class, middle aged people arrive with their multi-national brood of children and decide to set down right next to us in a small patch of sand amongst the grass. Kids then start digging holes and flinging sand around - peace destroyed.
We move away to find a new spot, but no sooner had I found one some people appear from behind the grass and set down right where I was pointing to. So we carry on and find another spot, this one even more secluded, brilliant. Within ten minutes a family of loud, Eastern European-sounding people arrive and also decide they like this secluded, small area and set down a few meters from us.
By now I'd had enough and opt to walk back to the car and have ice creams.
I know everyone has the right to be where they want on the beach, but the one weekend-day I have off this month I wanted to be a happy time that was just right, instead it was spoiled by people who were just desperate to be where I was, wherever I went.
However on the positive side, last Monday, wife, sprog and I did The Long Walk from Windsor Castle to Windsor Great Park. I live in Reading so it's hardly a million miles away, but one of those things I've been meaning to get round to for 20yrs but never quite done.
So off we toddle on the hottest day of the year with pushchair and picnic and do you know what ... we found our spot of grass under a tree and were undisturbed for five hours straight, apart from the occasional jogger running past and two elderly American ladies who were lost and thought Google Maps was some kind of weird space invention. Apart from that, no f*cker came anywhere near us, it was idyllic (save the odd plane coming over, but I don't mind that!)
Yeah, I know, the pushchair prolly did it ....
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