Grumble Thread

[french frank]

which is why it became an anthem for socialism .

and the suffragettes (and later the WI). It's about striving to build a better world than the one suggested by the 'clouded hills' and 'dark Satanic mills' of the Industrial Revolution.

[LMcD]

Surely the whole first verse of 'Jerusalem' is intended as one rhetorical question to which the answer is indeed 'no; therefore we must build it ourselves.' which is why it became an anthem for socialism .

Or, as they say across the Channel, 'Il faut cultiver notre jardin'.

[french frank]

Just read the article in The Guardian about the academy chain going 'phone-free' and its reasons:

"“The school environment is very much about focus, motivation and thinking hard about things. Mobile phones promote the opposite: grazing, superficial thinking and novelty and entertainment, which is why we now know the negative effect that mobile phones can have.”

What did that remind me of?

[Serial_Apologist]

Just read the article in The Guardian about the academy chain going 'phone-free' and its reasons:

"“The school environment is very much about focus, motivation and thinking hard about things. Mobile phones promote the opposite: grazing, superficial thinking and novelty and entertainment, which is why we now know the negative effect that mobile phones can have.”

What did that remind me of?

I can't for a moment imagine what!

[oddoneout]

A letter from the energy company on Friday telling me that my energy prices would go up. No surprise there - the energy cap is a target to achieve not a limit to avoid these days. What I take strong exception to is the accompanying increase in standing charges, which are just blatant profiteering as far as I'm concerned - the purpose to ensure dividends and CEO bonuses are maintained regardless of energy price or customer usage, since they can't be avoided by altering behaviour.

[DracoM]

[antongould]

A letter from the energy company on Friday telling me that my energy prices would go up. No surprise there - the energy cap is a target to achieve not a limit to avoid these days. What I take strong exception to is the accompanying increase in standing charges, which are just blatant profiteering as far as I'm concerned - the purpose to ensure dividends and CEO bonuses are maintained regardless of energy price or customer usage, since they can't be avoided by altering behaviour.

sadly how true …….

[Petrushka]

How does one open a bag of ground coffee without it then spilling everywhere?

Once opened, I transfer the contents to another container but no matter how deftly I cut with the scissors I always get the same result. It spills all over the place.

What's the secret?

[Dave2002]

Looks like the "scam" re vehicle tax is very much in place. In the past it was only possible to get paper tax discs, and there was an assumption that those would work in complete months.
However that effectively meant that if someone wanted to tax a car at the end of a month, although they could get a refund for unused months, they would effectively lose most of the first month's tax if they decided to cancel the tax after the first month. On the other hand they would get the benefit of the first month if they took out the tax on the 1st of that month.

Now that everything of this nature is done digitally, by using computers, why is it not now possible to simply give users a refund for all the days they don't "use" once they have notified the authorities that they want to cancel the vehicle tax.- either by selling the vehicle to someone else, or by declaring it with a SORN declaration?

Seems that HMG wants the benefits of doing things digitally, but is not prepared to give anything back to users.

[oddoneout]

How does one open a bag of ground coffee without it then spilling everywhere?

Once opened, I transfer the contents to another container but no matter how deftly I cut with the scissors I always get the same result. It spills all over the place.

What's the secret?

Stand it on or in something adequately sized(clean dinner plate, or sandwich box) to catch the outfall which can then can then be transferred?

[french frank]

How does one open a bag of ground coffee without it then spilling everywhere?

Once opened, I transfer the contents to another container but no matter how deftly I cut with the scissors I always get the same result. It spills all over the place.

Et tu, Petrushka? Before you start, say to yourself: "This time I'm going to be very, very careful." (No, doesn't work for me either )

[Quarky]

A very large clip to seal the open top of the bag works well for me::

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bulldog-Coideal-Silver-Stainless-Supplies/dp/B075YQ93CC/ref=asc_df_B075YQ93CC/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=696285193871&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13545499081385755292&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9046035&hvtargid=pla-2281435178578&psc=1&mcid=50791c9ee3ed3963b234b5c863d18b1a&hvocijid=13545499081385755292-B075YQ93CC-&hvexpln=74&gad_source=1

[eighthobstruction]

....or even sealing the bag just below where you are going to cut...and then cutting....then shaking any bits into sink.... Of course I'm a proper human being and can do the job without any such problems....but I do continually slop tea on the way to my desk....and get paint on my best jumpers....

[muzzer]

Looks like the "scam" re vehicle tax is very much in place. In the past it was only possible to get paper tax discs, and there was an assumption that those would work in complete months.
However that effectively meant that if someone wanted to tax a car at the end of a month, although they could get a refund for unused months, they would effectively lose most of the first month's tax if they decided to cancel the tax after the first month. On the other hand they would get the benefit of the first month if they took out the tax on the 1st of that month.

Now that everything of this nature is done digitally, by using computers, why is it not now possible to simply give users a refund for all the days they don't "use" once they have notified the authorities that they want to cancel the vehicle tax.- either by selling the vehicle to someone else, or by declaring it with a SORN declaration?

Seems that HMG wants the benefits of doing things digitally, but is not prepared to give anything back to users.

Oh, absolutely. We the people have no power or agency in this sort of situation, if indeed we ever did. I can only observe that the government agency platforms I encounter, such as HMRC and .gov.uk are pretty robust and, dare I say it, efficient. Ymmv of course. My current bugbear are ‘supplier onboarding platforms” with which those of you who work for themselves or contract services to large companies will I bet be familiar. I have never in nearly 30 years of practice as a solicitor encountered something quite so unfit for purpose. And yet corporates spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on procurement. The gig economy is ruining a hundred years or so of relatively stable labour markets.

And breathe. Now then, where can I post about the three magical LSO concerts I’ve been to in the last week?

[vinteuil]

How does one open a bag of ground coffee without it then spilling everywhere?

for this, you will require -
a) bag of ground coffee (250g)
b) pair of scissors
c) clip
d) tin/container, internal dimensions approx. 60mm x 105mm x 160mm
e) freezer

1. carefully open top of bag with scissors
2. close top of bag with clip
3. insert clipped bag into tin
4. close lid of tin
5. insert tin into freezer

when coffee required -
6. remove tin from freezer
7. open lid
8. remove bag from tin
9. remove clip
10. carefully spoon coffee into coffee-making pot / machine
finally -
repeat operations 2, 3, 4, 5.

Barring occasional accidents, this method has served me pretty well over the last fifty years...

.