Other What Makes Your Life, Meh?

That's Easter 2029

 

The enshittification of Twitter continues:-

I logged in to find multiple posts in my feed from some pepe-themed crypto crew that I was apparently following (I hadn't followed them, because I hate both pepe & crypto!)

Many blocks were handed out to them and the other crypto scams they'd linked.

The sooner I can delete that account, the better. (waiting for some friends to leave there)

 

Took my car to the garage this morning to get the driver’s side window checked out. Window is fine, touch of rust on the motor but nothing that needs to be replaced. So that’s all good…

The bad part is that it took me nearly an hour to do a trip that should only take 20-30 minutes even on a bad day…

This stretch is a major thoroughfare for HGVs in and out of Cardiff; it slows down at the best of times, but this morning it was utter chaos, with tailbacks all the way out to the M4 and major dual carriageways…

First problem was a car broken down that had to be navigated around by all the slow moving HGVs that have the turning circle of a barge. Further on, the police had closed one lane for what I thought was a crash, but the guys in the garage filled me in on the details. Just outside the nearby traveller site, a stolen van had been stripped for parts & body panels and then dumped on the main road.

My thanks, and the thanks of everyone for miles around who also got stuck in it, to the bunch of scummy bellends responsible.

 

Partners constant inability to understand the limitations of speakerphone.

If she's not banging and crashing pots and pans on the counter directly next to the phone, she's 30 feet away and getting frustrated why I can't hear her!?

PICK IT UP!!

 

Back from a painful garage visit. Car was in for 3 days and the bill was double what I had budgeted...
First big bill in a long time thankfully, it now runs like it should/used to.

*EDIT*

 

Feeling your pain, bud, having suffered through a similar experience recently.

 

Renewal quote for my car insurance is up by ~40% on last year. Fuq orf.

 

Just re-did my house insurance. Like-for-like, I managed to half the bill. Insurance companies don't appear to understand that there are comparison sites out there that highlight just how crap their renewal price is

 

Rental Housing Market / saynomore

 

Did a balance transfer from my Tesco Bank Credit card to my new one a few weeks back, I occasionally check unused credit cards for any unexplained transactions.

Original balance on it, for whatever reason the transfer was reversed back and I'm left with a twenty quid transfer fee for my troubles on the new card.

Lovely...

 

HUMBLING MOMENT OF THE DAY

During my line of work, I deal with lasers, which need checking to ensure they remain in calibration. To verify power, the traditional power meter has a black disk (material is carbon or something proprietary) which has its rise in temperature measured.

We've been trying a new meter this week. After not managing to get anywhere and also making two or three holes in the top, we asked the supplier if they could come in and help. Their first comment?

"Helps if you take the lid off".

At least we're not the first to do this.

 

That's a classic.
Does make you wonder if the instructions are suitable, or the lid clearly marked as such...

Not meh to me as such, but a something that made me stop and think this week.

Feeling saddened and sorry for the families who have lost relatives in the Laos methanol poisoning incident.

My son was there with friends 6 months ago, staying in that very hostel and enjoying their free 'vodka' shots....

He said a couple of days ago that he and one friend were both sick after a night out in town.

It sounds a sketchy place. I wasn't aware that there are warnings about this in Asia and to avoid local hooch and non branded spirits.
A journalist on the radio yesterday suggested sticking to beer and wine to be safe.

 

I literally only use Amazon for trusted companies or stuff thats so cheap I just soak up the loss if its duff. It is a marketplace of forgeries and ewaste, their 'offers' and 'sales' are barely anything of the kind and there's better places to get stuff from now!. Its literally like Uber, Deliveroo, AirB&B and the like, use investor money to decimate their chose market, gain dominance, and then oh wait it was as stated that they'll massively raise prices now! I basically don't use any unless I reeeeeally have to!

 

That's the thing: the lid annoyingly looked exactly like a typical absorption target - even had concentric circles around the top! The fact that not only myself but the technician didn't pick up on it speaks volumes - and it did already have a little mark where someone else had done similar.

The company chap said that it had been raised several times, and a lid redesign is on the cards.

 

The X-Trail was cranking over very slowly, I've replaced the battery (it has been drained twice by the interior light) and still the same. The weather is a bit bad to be under a car with a wire brush checking ground straps so I guess it'll have to wait.

 

Does make you think that they could have designed it better if it looks too much like what it's covering...

Not a great day to be out doing that, I did something similar a couple of weekends ago on my daughter's car having waited for a suitable day to be out and tinkering.

It's indoor DIY today plus rounding up stuff to sell online and document it, a perfect job for a wet day!

I do wish it was more conducive for going out kayaking as I really need to go for a paddle

 

Bought some Creative Aurvana Ace 2 from Amazon for a bargain price. Dead on arrival. Can't get them swapped as they're not sold by Amazon - only fulfilled. Can't rebuy them as the promotional discount is no more.

 

See, f*** amazon!

 

The Super Happy Fun Time light popped up on the dashboard earlier. Quick trip to Euro Car Parts for an OBDII reader which reported:



General consensus seems to be that the lambda sensors are the most common culprit, but it can also be caused by a faulty fuel system... and it could genuinely be an issue with the catalytic converter itself. Which is not a cheap part.

I've cleared the code for now, but if it comes back then it's going in to the garage.

If it is the catalytic converter... that's probably the end of the road for this car as far as I'm concerned. It really isn't worth that cost on top of all the other work it needs.