Jump to content

And today's grump is....


Bullbasket

Recommended Posts

1 hour ago, bigbadbadge said:

This is making me grumpy, just seen one of those adverts for people who bought or leased Diesel cars and them nor being as clean as they thought, why would buy a Diesel car for it's cleanliness??? 

They are and always have been dirty horrible things ?

Why should they get money back off the manufacturers and line their own and the claims companies pockets, when it affected everyone and should be going to some green projects. 

Sorry but this is really making me angry.

Although I feel better now

Chris

Nothing to do with that. The manufactures put software/devices in the car to cheat on tests. They have had to pay massive fines over this. You may not like diesels, but modern diesals are actually quite clean, and extremely fuel efficient compared to petrol. They claims are due to the owners being lied to about the actual emissions produced by the cars, due to the "cheat" devices/software car producers installed. I had a VW Passat estate.during the period of time this is covered by, but have NOT taken part in any claim, but would qualify. I don't agree wit the claims, but diesals, especially car engines, are not as polluting as you think. We currently pay £30 per year on our car tax for our Hyundai I40 DIESAL estate, but something in the region of £140 for our supposedly cleaner and greener HYBRID  Toyota Auris. Car tax is based on emissions, so which is cleaner?

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, treker_ed said:

Car tax is based on emissions, so which is cleaner?

The Gubment is looking for the biggest income. nothing to do with cleaner.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/16/2021 at 9:16 PM, treker_ed said:

And for the moment it's sadly only going to get worse.

 

Container and shipping prices are literally through the roof at the moment. From what I have been reading, they seem to have increased, in some cases, almost 300% since last year. In one case I read, last year a company was paying around £3-£5000 per container, this year they expect to pay a minimum of £15000 per container. Those costs have to be passed on. Some imports may not even be worth stocking due to the costs of shipping let alone any other costs involved. Cost of crude oil per barrel is at an 8 year high. A report on the BBC was quoting the AA and RAC, both organisations are stating that the current cost of fuel in the UK is at the highest seen since 2013. The cost of crude oil at the moment is at $70 per barrel. As the plastic modellers use is a hydrocarbon based product, we are at the mercy of the base cost of the raw materials - they go up, the cost of our hobby goes up. Add into the mix the shipping costs and sadly you have a perfect storm! Companies cannot continue to absorb the significant increases in costs of all these items, they must pass on the costs to stay afloat.

This is probably one of the best explanations of the shipping situation and rise of costs from a trader I've seen:

Along with this earlier post:

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, treker_ed said:

This is probably one of the best explanations of the shipping situation and rise of costs from a trader I've seen:

Along with this earlier post:

 

Using more packaging than necessary is unforgivable, IMO. Have they not been watching the news?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Eschew the larger scales and stick to 1/72 and small box kits. 
That way, more boxes per shipment fit and the extra cost can be shared over more kits per shipment. 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Somebody sends you a work-related email and you respond to them - only to get an automated response back stating that they are on annual leave and can't respond to emails until...

You're either on leave or you're at work - any other option suggests you don't have a healthy work/life balance sorted out.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, John Tapsell said:

automated response back stating that they are on annual leave and can't respond to emails until

Prefer the way I've seen some Germans use.. "all e-mails received during this time will be deleted/ignored"

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, Circloy said:

or use the correct metric units i.e. 2.02 meters

It still would've got a grump but makes it a lot easier to convert,only a matter of time before some genius decides to use mm's.....

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've heard a radio advert for Skoda cars recently in which they've added an H. So it's now apparently pronounced Shkoda. (Probably as in the original Czech).

I've yet to see it spelt that way on the back of a car...

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, Pete in Lincs said:

I've heard a radio advert for Skoda cars recently in which they've added an H. So it's now apparently pronounced Shkoda. (Probably as in the original Czech).

I've yet to see it spelt that way on the back of a car...

That has been getting on my nerves for ages. It probably is the correct Czech pronunciation but I doubt they are that fussed how we say it.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, Pete in Lincs said:

I've heard a radio advert for Skoda cars recently in which they've added an H. So it's now apparently pronounced Shkoda. (Probably as in the original Czech).

I've yet to see it spelt that way on the back of a car...

Probably just trying to be clever because they can't pronounce it properly,Porsche is another one that annoys me in German it's pronounced Porsch(a) the same as Charlotte sounds as though it ends with an a....

Edited by Vince1159
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

24 minutes ago, Pete in Lincs said:

I've yet to see it spelt that way on the back of a car...


All the new models have Škoda on them. The accent on the S is what we hear in the correct pronunciation.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 20/07/2021 at 22:32, bigbadbadge said:

Why should they get money back off the manufacturers and line their own and the claims companies pockets, when it affected everyone and should be going to some green projects. 

 

Although I own a qualifying vehicle I agree entirely with the sentiment. The damage is not to the owners but the enviroment & government coffers, owners have probably benefitted by paying less on the road licence fee.

Hope that the judges see through the scam and the no win-no fee merchants get clobbered heavily for costs.

 

On 21/07/2021 at 00:38, treker_ed said:

I had a VW Passat estate.during the period of time this is covered by, but have NOT taken part in any claim, but would qualify. I don't agree wit the claims, but diesals, especially car engines, are not as polluting as you think.

The dirty reputation comes from the badly maintained busses & HGV's of the 70's & 80's. As a driver of a diesel passat estate myself I can regularly acheive over 55 mpg and up to 65 mpg over the hilly pennine roads which I'd struggle to get with petrol. I cringe every time I see a diesel vehicle leaving a trail of black eshaust behind it - usually means one of two things bad/no maintenance or the DPF has been removed and the driver doesn't give a ...

Edited by Circloy
spelling
  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used to have a Volvo with a VAG diesel lump with a rotary pump. Floor it and I could put a black stripe on the road. Conversely, it would and did run on cooking oil, until the shops got wise and upped it from 55p per litre to £1.50. No hydorcarbon pollution. Modern common rail engines can't take bio diesel as it ruins the seals.

I now have a Volvo with a Euro 5 diesel with a particulate filter. You would be amazed at the economy and lack of particulates in the exhaust. You could eat your dinner from the tailpipes. The new Euro 6 is the same engine with an Ad Blue dispenser to tick the relevant boxes.

 

If you want to reminisce about dirty diesels, try following a loaded KAMAZ truck uphill in central Asia.

 

Skoda have always correctly been pronounced with the emphasis on the 'fishy bit' in the middle. That came from a Czech national back in the days when she said they were 💩.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, bentwaters81tfw said:

Conversely, it would and did run on cooking oil, until the shops got wise and upped it from 55p per litre to £1.50.

 

 

A long time ago I worked in a car accessory shop. A posh Mercedes pulled up, the driver came in and asked for the cheapest oil we'd got. "We can give you the correct oil for your car, the cheap stuff isn't good for it" He then admitted that it was for the fuel tank. Paraffin (Kerosene) plus 10% engine oil.... He'd driven it all over Europe on that mix. Not eco friendly, but very cheap!

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rudolf Diesel designed his engine to be multi fuel.

He originally powered it with vegetable oil, specifically Hemp oil. At one time, American farmers were required by law to grow hemp on 10% of their land.

Then certain vested interests had it made illegal, so they could sell their product.

Hemp is an interesting plant from it's makeup and uses, not to mention it's yield per acre.  Worth reading up on...

 

Now, back to grumping.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some pot-head has just driven in to the back of my wife's car. She got his details and has informed the police, who are currently attempting to catch him drug-driving. According to the Mrs, he's off his noggin.

She's fine and apparently his car came off much worse.

  • Sad 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good news - they are doing a remake of "Rumpole of the Bailey".  A much loved comedy series with the late Leo McKern in the title role.  Last produced some thirty years ago a great characterisation of a well written story by a very decent author and man - John Mortimer.  Leo McKern epitomised the "Old Bailey Hack" barrister.  Wiley and street wise but enjoyed his cigars and port in the local pub and always in escapades with the judges not to mention his wife Hilda - "She who must be obeyed"..

 

Good news then.  But wait a minute - this is the  today's grump topic so where is the grump then?

 

 

Well you have probably guessed it.  Take a tv series or book the core essence of which is the title character who conforms to a particular type and I would argue is essential to the genre and "update" it.  I use the word "update" loosely.  Or at least that's how the new program makers describe it.

 

Yes the principal character may be changed from that so wonderfully described by John Mortimer in his books and portrayed on the small screen by Leo McKern into Ms Rumploe acted by Lily James (32) or Keeley Hawes (45).  Wholly different ages and while much more pleasing on the eye than the late Mr McKern as he would no doubt have conceded himself just  "Gonnae no dae that" as they say in Glasgow.  Just "Gonnae no"

 

Both ladies are admirable actresses.  Both deserve great scripts to act and yes there are not enough of them but I find this constant playing around with characters just horrid.  There are some roles that might enjoy a gender change but some are just not suited to that experiment IMHO.  Rumpole will always be an elderly gent with a very lived in face, cigar ash on his jacket, a healthy enjoyment of good drink in Pomeroys Bar and a gruff voice that falls foul of the judges that are irritated by him yet over whom he always prevails.  

 

I am pleased to say both ladies fail notably on all the immediately above qualifications to be a "Rumpole"  bar their acting ability and I hope they have the good sense to say the role is not for them.  Now Ian McKellen would do admirably if he is "resting"

 

 

 

 

 

  • Like 5
  • Sad 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another day, same old grump.....the BBC!! I thought that it was bad enough with their coverage of Wimbledon, but the Olympics is really taking the pi mickey. It's almost wall to wall coverage. When I looked at the TV schedules this morning, the BBC has got Olympic coverage for 21 and a half out of 24 hours today. Really? Do they not comprehend that there just might be a few million viewers who have absolutely zero interest in what's going on in Japan right now. Even the Breakfast News has disappeared. I ended up watching Euro24 and discovered that there are actually things going on in the rest of the world that never usually see the light of day. Roll on three weeks time.

 

John.

  • Like 4
  • Haha 1
  • Confused 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My son is one of them.  Complaining to me about it, anyway.  Not getting too much sympathy, but I agree with him that it was better last time around because of the multiple red button choices meant that I could usually find something interesting, when I was bothered to watch.  However the rights were sold off en masse to Discovery (i.e. Eurosport) with the restriction that free-to-air could only use two streams.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...