Past rants...

Spam - and not the kind you eat!

Why is it an e-mail address I have not used for anyone other than family gets spam?  I hate spam - both kinds!  I absolutely hate getting something in my in box I didn't ask for, am not interested in, will never buy, but somehow this bright spark thinks I'm going to fall for it?

I read the other day that AOL is going to charge companies who send spam a penny for each one.  Leave it to AOL to figure out a way of not only exploiting their user base but make a nice profit from the spammers as well.  Their well known acronym says it all and if you are on AOL well sorry but that's how I feel.  My best friend uses them and honestly I don't know why.  I would live without the Internet if my only choice was AOL as an ISP. 

I suppose on the surface of it this sounds like a sensible idea to charge the spammers a cost for accepting their e-mail rather than having to fight it not to get past their gateways.  But will the users have any say?  I mean at the end of the day they pay AOL for a service and I'm not sure sure they'd like to know that because someone was willing to pony up a penny for some spam that they have to accept it in their in box and know they paid for that privilege?!?

'Ummm, Excuse me?'

For my secondment I've had to take the train to Chelmsford.  It isn't a long journey - a bit over an hour depending on how and when I catch the connecting train at Shenfield.  But what irks me so early in the morning is that to get out of the train at Shenfield I have to literally fight my way off the train.  Sort of like when you are getting into or out of the elevator.  Someone is always wanting to get on when you are getting of - as if the elevator was their own and gosh you are just in the way!

I mean I have to get off before you can get on - I'm going to be like that.  Firstly, I was there first and secondly it's cOuRtEsY!  Yeah, that little word that means so much!  NOT!  It's common courtesy to allow those alighting the train to get off first.  I cannot believe how many mornings I have to squeeze pass people who want to get on the train and hope perhaps they'll find a seat.  Good luck - you have only two stops before Liverpool Street and the train filled up back in Wickford!  So where is the rush to stand?  I think you can clear a path and allow those of us departing to exit first before you get on.  Besides my seat which I did have has now been taken over by Mr. Speedy Gonzalez who would never dream of giving up his seat to an elderly person or someone pregnant or God forbid a woman!  I bet he doesn't move that fast for anything - not even sex!  But leave a seat empty and he's all over it.  Mind you I can't blame him - at great expense he buys a ticket and for that luxury the train companies 'might' provide a seat but one is not 'guaranteed'.  So thanks for paying and off you go says the train company.  

I suppose my point is to be courteous on the train.  Don't talk loudly on the phone (another pet hate!), don't block the doors so that no one can get off, allow people to alight without invading their personal space, etc.  It would make the journey a bit less hassle free, what joy!

'Beep, Beep'

I think it is great that we now have the technology to allow people who can't walk the ability to become mobile.  But what I have a problem with is when they feel they can be just as inconsiderate as drivers on the road.  I walk to work and pretty much do most of my walking around the town (only put 750 miles on the car last year!) and it seems these scooters are everywhere I am.  

The other day I'm in a car park (on the sidewalk - not in a space!) fixing my nanny cart and all of a sudden I'm blasted by the 'Beep, Beep' sound.  It's some lady who when I look up asks if I can get out of her way.  Now I wasn't loafing there for my health, I was trying to fix my nanny cart so it wouldn't topple over and I'm wondering what the heck?!?  So what did I do?  I went on fixing my cart and said I'd move when I can get the cart to move.  It also seems I'm always just one hair away from being mowed down by these speedy riders because I think they believe they can flee the scene faster than one can walk.

It seems that people have become more anonymous to others while on the sidewalk.  They feel that they can do anything so long as they aren't caught or taken to task for their in indiscretion.  Perhaps it is just me but the niceties of the sidewalk can come back any day!  The days when men were always on the side of the road when walking with a lady or passing one on the street, the smiling to the stranger, the dismounting of bikes and such to avoid running into people (and don't get me started on that one!).  Something's change for the better and others don't.  You guess which is which!

'Living it large on the reduced aisle'

I am often surprised when I find people who say 'I can't afford that'.  I can't afford everything either (shocker eh?) but I try to have what I want in a reasonable way.  I was watching a program a while ago about this lady who was trying to feed an army of kids and who said she couldn't do it for under £30.00 a meal.  

So my first thought was 'I guess you don't buy reduced goods then do you??'  It's no secret I buy reduced goods.  If I see chocolate (and I'm not talking crap chocolate but 70% cocoa solids kind!) reduced and know I'm going to be melting it down in a cake or something else then I scoop.  That then gets made into a cake or brownies.  

I could feed that army for £30.00 for a week the way I shop!  The other day I got ricotta cheese reduced (£0.50p a carton).  Already had eggs (again reduced) at home so bought some spinach.  I then proceeded to make homemade pasta, and made a ricotta/spinach filling.  I also was fortunate to find a packet of fresh mozzarella (reduced at £0.45p) and that went on top.  So how much did this lavish feast cost me?  Well even if I didn't have the eggs and had to buy new those are only £0.15 each and I used 4.  I got two cartons of ricotta, that's £1.00.  The mozzarella cost £0.45.  The flour for the pasta was 400 grams - about £0.50 (it's organic and type 'OO').  The pasta sauce small jar was £0.79.  So grand total £3.34 and that meal was enough for four portions so that's £0.835 pence a portion.  Now fair enough not everyone is going to make their own pasta.  I find it isn't that hard and most of the time is spent waiting for the gluten to develop.  The food processor does the hard work.  All I have to do is push it through the pasta roller.  

Now to prove my point to feed an army (this family was about 12 I'd say) it would cost me just a tenner for all that lot.  So perhaps I better get that job because for 1.5 hours of work (this includes cleaning up and preparing the dinner!) I'd pocket £20.00 and be whistling Dixie all the way home.  I might even feel generous enough to throw in a salad and perhaps a loaf of homemade bread.  Hmmm...new direction for me or what? =)

OK, rant over - I feel better do you? Let me know (e-mail address on index page)  if you have a different view.

'Hey can you make the net go faster?'

This is a common complaint I get at work.  No surprise really, we've only got a 100 meg connection for each computer yet it still isn't fast enough.  So when I'm up and around the library and at the desk and someone comes over and asks me can I make it go faster my usual response is that I can't do much about it, sorry.  

But what I'd really like to do is install a big wheel of some kind that I can crank so that when they ask this I can quietly walk up to it and give it a few twirls and say 'There - is that any better?!'  Or how about a buzzer type thing that makes a loud racket and push that a few times (perhaps a few people groaning and whips snapping in the air - or on someone might enhance the effect!) and see if that helps some.  

Honestly, what do they expect me to do?  I don't own the Internet no one does.  It grew out of a government experiment and it just caught on.  There are lots of links and lots of people now on-line all at their computer wondering what the problem is.  Fact is it illustrates just how anyone who knows how to work a mouse can find themselves on-line.  Instead of knowing how it works which is where the beauty lays they think it's a service like McDummy's and it comes out in 60 second bursts!

They call the M-25 the great circular car park for London, I'm beginning to wonder what the web is now like?  I can remember the days when it was down like a shot and it didn't take long to get a web page to display.  Now I spend ages downloading a bunch of rubbish that some 'web-designer' thought was cool and really he/she (won't be sexist on this one!) needs a new pair of glasses because all I want to say is 'What were you thinking?'  In fact now if I can't get the page to load in a decent amount of time I click off and find what I want elsewhere.  

Now I leave the flashing logos, the 5 minute flash intro you had planned for me that downloads in 10 minutes, etc.  I don't have that kind of time - if you do great but I'm out here to find something of interest for school, home, etc.  But think about this - what in essence you have done is scare away a customer.  Hmmm..this has gotten off topic but you get my point. =)

Anyway, to answer your question no I can't make it go faster but I sure wish I could get that wheel - I think it would be a hoot.  Don't you? =)

OK, rant over - I feel better do you? Let me know (e-mail address on index page)  if you have a different view.

Passing the Buck

I often wonder why people work.  I mean I know I work to make some money to pay for things that I like, say a roof over my head, food on the table, etc.  This then brings me back to why do you work?  When all evidence shows me you don't want to work.  

Why ask this you wonder?  Well it comes back to an earlier rant of customer service to a certain extent.  When working I give it my all, if I don't know how to do something I find someone who does.  But again that brings me back to why do you work?  I know I'm getting pedantic now but bear with me.  It seems everyone that I come into contact with lately passes the buck.  If I for instance, call someone about a problem that I know I can't fix (and this is not because I haven't given it a shot or many shots!!) they then say something like 'Oh do this and this' when I know that won't work.  Simply because you weren't listening to me when describing my problem in the first place - I've already tried that!  Then the story comes out that I know more than you and well you have to 'work' on that problem and will get back to me. 

So I wonder why do you show up only to pass the buck and still keep your job?  I know if I did that I wouldn't be so lucky - yet others all around me do this and they keep their jobs and even get promoted!  

I suppose I want to know how you live with yourself knowing you went to work but didn't really work?  I must admit it baffles me and if anyone has an answer I'd really like to know (e-mail address on index page).  

I suppose I have always had a 'work hard' ethic and I probably can be faulted for over-communication but in this day in age when people can't pick up the phone to say they are going to be late, my over-communication of something you already knew about pales in comparison.  In every job I've ever worked at I've endeavoured to do the best I can.  If there's something I can't fix I say so, I then give alternatives to how it can be fixed, repaired, whatever the case may be.  

I guess I just get frustrated by the others who say 'Whoa, that was hard work' and I'm thinking you don't even have a clue!  

OK, rant over - I feel better do you? Let me know (e-mail address on index page) if you have a different view.

Retaliation

Why must people be nasty and retaliate when they feel slighted?  What brings this about you ask?  Well it's no secret I do occasionally shop on eBay to get things that I want, need, or as presents when they are something special and cheap.  

So to my surprise after leaving neutral feedback on a seller I got a negative retaliatory feedback left for me.  No, I don't care so much but why do sellers feel justified in holding this over your head?  I mean are you that upset that I gave you a neutral for not getting what I paid for?  I kept my end of the bargain.  I contacted them in the appropriate time, paid and dutifully waited for my goods to arrive - 2 months.  No goods, so I left neutral feedback for what I felt was justified.  

I mean I can't praise them for taking my money can I?  I suppose I could have said "Praise: Thank you for taking my money, oops no goods but hey thanks!"  At the end of the day posting a negative was just being pure mean and spiteful.  I didn't think that their feedback rating should go up and I felt it was my duty to say, hey paid but item never showed.  I also mentioned they were disorganised, which wasn't a lie.  After a month with no contact I asked about my item.  Only to be told they hadn't received payment for it.  Only to reply back with proof that the cheque had cleared my account.  To me that is disorganised to not know who has paid you and who hasn't.  Airmail no matter where you live doesn't take two  months to arrive (well if you are in the outer reaches of Mongolia it might!).  

I use feedback extensively when purchasing items.  It tells me a lot and if you can read between the lines (since 80 characters isn't a lot to vent your frustrations)  you can be quite imaginative.  I've only left a handful of negative feedbacks for my time on eBay.  This is because they had to be super bad to garner that sort of posting.  But to just go around giving it because you felt slighted when I told the truth, well that says it all doesn't it?  To add insult to injury to give a negative when I kept my end of the agreement as well!  Enough said.

OK, rant over - I feel better do you? Let me know (e-mail address on index page) if you have a different view.

Stop Littering

I was walking to work today and saw someone just be a litterbug - looking straight at me as they threw down their garbage.  It made me wonder 'Why did you do that?'  

What I really want to know is the why of it all.  From a simple cigarette butt to food wrappers and beyond.  Firstly, the cigarette butts are not bio-degradable.  So throwing these down means you are polluting the local environment.   Imagine all those butts piled up - I wonder how many miles they would be?  I don't care if you want to smoke - just don't leave your butts about.  

As for food wrappers and the like - you've obviously made a decision to buy take away.  But when you're done make sure you've thrown it away correctly and not down on the ground (or the floor as the Brits say).  This doesn't (contrary to popular opinion) keep the street sweeper in business.  You just make more work for him and I can guarantee someday there won't be a person doing that job - what then?  

I'm not perfect - no one is but can't you please keep your garbage to yourself until you've reached a proper receptacle?  I know I'd appreciate your thoughtfulness and I'm sure the Earth would too. =)

OK, rant over - I feel better do you? Let me know (e-mail address on index page) if you have a different view. 

Remove that sticker - or my pet peeve of the day!

Oh why must people be thoughtless and rude on-line?

Why is customer service so bad at times?

UPDATE: Well it seems not much has changed since I wrote this rant.  People constantly are using the holiday period to either get out of work or as an excuse as to why they haven't gotten around to doing something.  Let me clue you in here - it COMES EVERY YEAR!  Yes, I'm shouting for those deaf people who seem to think a three day actual holiday is their personal month for no work.  I work hard, I expect the same from those I pay - yes shocker isn't it?  I pay you, you work.  I am not asking for anything unreasonable here.  You provide a service (or at least you say you do!) you then come to my home and are then expected to provide it.  I pay you, simple as that.  But it seems things rarely change and I'm thinking of going into business myself.  I'll call it 'Pissing People Off' - well at least I'm honest in what I'm providing.  I could call myself a plumber, electrician, store clerk, and countless other things, but you get my point.  

OK rant over. I feel better do you? Let me know (e-mail address on index page) if you have a different view. 

Why is the mail so slow around here?

24/7 Shopping?

Rude People

Bait 'n Switch

Americanism Everywhere

Different Views

Revised: 23 April 2006.