SIN BIN

[jacqui]

Clinical system suppliers, in particular the company we use as they have just announced they are pulling out of primary care as of October 2013.

What this means is that having only just starting to swim again after our last "enforced" data/system migration; we now have to do it all over again

Bring on the cadburys and vino tonight - sod the diet!

[dit]

Oh, that is grim, Jacqui. I remember the hassle you went through last time. Don't blame you for diet-breaking; I'm surprised that it isn't someone's skull being broken!

[slfriend79]

I was watching a 'Best Of Top Gear' episode on BBC America last night, and I LOST IT!

They showed the episode where the guys tried the Amphibious Cars challenge again, and they pixelated out James's face and put a 'Censored' sign up because he was smoking a pipe!

I understand how some people feel about celebrities smoking on TV and in the movies, and their fear that it might influence kids to smoke.

But I this is taking the 'We Don't Want To Glamorize Smoking' thing too far.

And I am saying this as a person who use to smoke a pack of cigarettes a day and have now been 'Smoke Free' going on 2 years.

[Vivienne]

Our censors have a tendency to censor the wrong things, cut the programs in half, etc.

[amie8]

I can't remember if the BBC censored the repeat broadcasts of that show, but the cable/satellite channels certainly did. They tend to be prudish about all sorts of things, though, blanking out certain words and cutting scenes which seem pretty innocuous to most people.

[FizzyLogician]

Oct 5, 2012 11:57:32 GMT slfriend79 said:

I was watching a 'Best Of Top Gear' episode on BBC America last night, and I LOST IT!

They showed the episode where the guys tried the Amphibious Cars challenge again, and they pixelated out James's face and put a 'Censored' sign up because he was smoking a pipe!
I understand how some people feel about celebrities smoking on TV and in the movies, and their fear that it might influence kids to smoke.

But I this is taking the 'We Don't Want To Glamorize Smoking' thing too far.

I saw that too, and I thought Top Gear had done the editing as a joke, because they clearly showed all 3 of them smoking after the "Censor" part.

[dit]

I'd just like to have a little whinge about delivery drivers.

I've finally decided to upgrade my mobile phone and spent ages talking to a very pleasant bloke at Orange (sorry, EE!) who said my new phone would arrive today. He assured me that the driver would text me no less than an hour before delivery, so I thought it would be safe to go to my Aqua Zumba class, which takes me out of the house for precisely one hour.

When I was in the changing room after the class I checked my phone to see there was a missed call. When I rang the number it was the driver who said he'd missed me ten minutes previously. I asked if he could still deliver, as I was only five minutes from home but he said no, it would have to be tomorrow. When I asked where he was he said he was 'On his way to Fleetwood' so couldn't come to me.

Fleetwood is only five minutes from me. And there's only one way in and out, so he would have to pass the bottom of my road on the way back. But no, it's got to be tomorrow now, as I've 'missed my slot'. Grrr!

[TheDaisy]

Delivery drivers, ay.

When we were having the baby car seat delivered, I stayed in all day waiting for it. When the knock at the door came, I only had to put Beth into her seat and do up the buckle, but in that time, the driver had buggered off and left the box on the doorstep. It was a big heavy box, and it was raining. Thanks, mate.

What was more amusing was that, as he didn't get my signature on delivery, we had an email from the delivery company stating that as we hadn't been in, they would like to rearrange the delivery and what time would we like it? I'm an evil moo, so I asked for it to be done the next day at 10am. Oddly, there was no delivery, and no further contact from the delivery company. Shame! I'm sure a refund on a lost, non delivered baby seat would have been worth a few quid ;D

[amie8]

For a refinement of torture, combine delivery companies with health and safety policy. I ordered a cast iron stove (actually an electric fire disguised as a stove) for my living room a few years ago. I live in a terraced house where the front door opens directly onto the pavement, via a couple of low steps. The driver turned up with the stove on a pallet and the pallet on a hydraulic hand truck. The truck wouldn't pump up high enough to reach the top of the steps, so the driver left stove and pallet on the pavement and left me to struggle in with it. Elf and safety policy didn't allow him to do any actual lifting.

I've also had to unload 36 20 kilo packs of ceramic floor tiles off a pallet and carry them round to the back of the house while the driver looked on with his arms folded, for the same reason. And both of them refused to take away the empty pallets.

[dit]

I'm starting to think this is a Man versus Woman thing. In recent years, women have taken the upper hand in so many areas from finance and work to the domestic Superwoman role. I'm guessing some men get their own back/get their rocks off by humiliating random women they meet in these little ways. Guys, we would like you so much better if you were being helpful and co-operative. You might even get a smile and the offer of a cup of tea!

[melly]

I must say,i am a controle-freak. I don't like it when my man does a lot of things at home. I have no problem with the real men stuff but that's it

[toystoriesfan]

I finally saw something that qualifies as a Sin Bin rant!

Yesterday, heading home, four deer crossed the road in front of me. Frightening, but yet more proof that my car's brakes are good. And deer don't know traffic laws, so I forgive them.

But this morning, at the bottom of a hill on my way to work, is a T-junction. All three directions are supposed to stop, and obviously it's harder for the downhill folks. I'm following a cute little Toyota Matrix, which suddenly slams on its brakes a second time at the junction, because a FULLY LOADED WITH GRAVEL dump truck is RUNNING THE STOP SIGN!

Gah! I know it's hard to change gears in those things, but really, that's no excuse. It's not a blind stop at all. If the Toyota hadn't been able to get stopped in time, they would've been squished.

Okay, I feel better now. I think. Grrrrr....

[adrianmay]

Over the last year I’ve shared (mostly in the sin bin) the difficulties I’ve had with my mother’s death, horrid money grubbing relatives, lawyers, tax attorneys etc. What I didn’t say was 6 months after my mother died, my father died too. Being an only child with no close relations… it was bad.

Here is the good news! I’m inches from being done settling both estates! It’s a miracle and I’m really proud of myself! And…I might actually get some financial benefit from it rather than it sinking me like I thought it would. I am truly a happy person at the moment!

I thought since I shared all the downers, I should pop back in here and share the upside too. Thank you JMB board for giving me a forum to vent and being so supportive!

Damn, it was hard finding my Avatar again after all this time.

[jmsquared]

Welcome back Adrianmay! ;D You have been missed. While I'm so sorry to hear about your Dad, I'm very happy that you have managed to sort everything out. And all on your own too. Don't know how you've done that.....such a lot to deal with. Anyway, hope you're gonna hang out with us again!

[amie8]

Nice to see you AM. Sorry to hear of all your troubles. Life sucks sometimes, doesn't it?

Holy Americanisms Batman! I just used the word "sucks" in a sentence....anyway, do pop back from time to time, won't you.

[Vivienne]

I'm glad you're back. Hopefully things will work out fine for you. Missed your wit! Take care.

[dit]

Good to see you back, AM. I'm pleased that you've managed to make your way through what must have clearly been a difficult time. Hope you stay!

[devil-may-care]

I'm glad you've joined us again, AM. You are very strong to be able to get through everything. Like dit said, I hope you decide to stay!

[louize]

I'm glad you're back AM. Glad that you've been able to work things out. It couldn't been easy for you.

[FizzyLogician]

AM, I'm glad to see you back and that you've worked your way through all your troubles. You are such a strong person. Now brace yourself for the fact that your post count is back to 1.

[adrianmay]

Jmsquared, Amie8, Viv., Dit, DMC, Louize and Fizzy: Thank you all for such a warm welcome back.

Amie8: Yes, very good use of the verb form of the colloquialism “to suck”. Try using it in the adjective form next, for example, “This is a suck life” alternatively “Life is sucky”. ;D





Jmsquared: I didn't completely do it on my own. I had help from a few great friends here.

[meimichan]

My turn.

Binning anyone and everyone who has 1) tried giving me financial advise and/or 2) been telling me to be appreciative whenever something goes wrong at my new job or reminding me of the last four years.

Okay. I get that these people most likely mean well.

However...why am I getting financial advice now that I'm making enough money to not seriously have to worry about it(or at least in six months, I sure won't have to worry about it) and telling me to make sure I save it and don't spend it all on all kinds of fancy new electronic stuff cause I want something there in case this all goes up in smoke........and I seriously am thinking my friends and family don't know me at all. And why the bleep is everyone so bleeping interested in giving me advice on money NOW rather than when we were so broke we nearly qualified for benefits? NOW they're worried? I mean, one reason we SURVIVED the past four years is because I crammed a five-digit amount of money into savings from my last good job. And now I'm getting told to remember to save some of my money? Shut up and leave me alone, ok?

The reminders about how at least my job's not retail or hey, at least I have a job have gotten beyond old too. I like my job and am very happy to have it. Do I have to remember to preface every complaint I'm about to make about work like this because people are worried I'll forget the past four long miserable years I just had looking for decent work? Because you know what, when other groups take all day to get the samples we need to run and we waste the morning in the office because we CAN'T do any work, it's boring and annoying, ok? Plus we then spent the afternoon rushed and while I as the newbie trainee was not affected, the other guys had to stay late doing work we could have done when cooling our heels this morning. What kills me is that after I send some tweet or make some comment out of the office about this, someone who has not been even remotely close to being in my shoes and who is also known for bitching and moaning about their job quite often comes on and reminds me to be glad I even have this job? AGGRAVATING AS BLEEEEEEEEEEP. If they're allowed to complain about their job, so am I. Are they implying I didn't deserve this job, that I can't do it? Because only two people in my training group passed every single lab training module and one of them was me, darn it(the other was the new assistant director for the cell lab, with a ton of degrees and experience). I am awesome okay?

I am just so angry and upset by all of this.

Like I said, I think the people telling me this mean well but I don't think they realize that what they're saying is that I'm too stupid to manage my money and that I should be grateful to have this job because maybe I don't deserve it. I have enough self-doubts after the past four years okay? And for anyone who's worried I might forget just what my life the last four years was like....you know what? No worries there.

Nobody from the board has done this, and for this I give my eternal thanks. But a lot of people over the past couple weeks have been doing this, here and there, and I have just snapped from it today.

And I'd really had a good day too, until I got home and read my Twitter feed. Now I kind of want a drink.

Or maybe just a hot bath. And a drink.

[devil-may-care]

*sends case of wine, box of chocolates & huge-ass bottle of bubble bath*

I'm sure you're right about these people meaning well, but they must realize that you can handle your life just fine. If you were that stupid, you'd never have got the degree that qualified you for the job in the first place. And everyone, absolutely everyone complains about their job.

Buy what you want! Save what you want! And complain all you want!

[adrianmay]

Oct 26, 2012 2:55:00 GMT devil-may-care said:

Buy what you want! Save what you want! And complain all you want!

You always know the right things to say.

[jmsquared]

*sends more wine and large spa bath for huge-ass bubble bath, plus more wine......and some wine*

Try not to let them get to you Meim. You know what you are doing, and you know you know what you are doing. As you say, they do probably mean well, but tis no excuse to lecture. Bloody twitter.....it's a real Jeckyll and Hyde thing isn't it? Quite fun on one hand, and very destructive on the other. It's a shame.

[dit]

Agreed about Twitter. Take everything on there with a pinch of salt - even the good stuff.

In positions like yours, Meim, I tend to develop a bright little artificial smile (real or virtual) and a stock phrase to repeat to people. Such as, "Thank you for your concern. I shall bear it in mind." Or, "I'll remember that, thanks." I then give the same response every time. It drives people mad!

[meimichan]

It's not Twitter in and of itself.

It's friends and family who have been doing it.

Twitter was just the tool used for it last night by yet another friend.

I know followers aren't necessarily friends and all that, but the people doing this are family and friends who I've known for a long time.

Thanks everyone. Now....I need coffee. LOTS of coffee.

[Vivienne]

Unfortunately everybody has an opinion of life and how you live it. I don't tweet much but I retweet the Dali Lama. He advice is plain common sense. I don't do it out of religious tendencies.
Well wishes are fine but it is your life. As you said if you hadn't had the sense to put away money from your last job you wouldn't have made it thru the last 4 years. You finally have the job you want, you're happy. Enjoy with that case of wine that was sent to you! Take care!

[FizzyLogician]

Ignore the twitters.

*sends large sign saying "Illegitimi non carborundum"*

[melly]

I came here for a quicky because my computer does his own thing and shuts down whenever he doesn't have too :-( I hate it !!!