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  1. #1
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Grand Champion Andre Asagi's Avatar
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    DDIY - Todays Vexation

    Just wanting to get this off my chest. I may rant. I may even use profanity. So please, if you are easily offended stop reading now.

    DDIY

    DON'T do it yourself.

    Today i attempted to buy some stainless steel screws, like those that screw the face plate to the skimmer body.

    Inevitably, i came home with the wrong ones.

    Now, i'm not suggesting i am a genius but neither am i thick. I am educated to degree standard. I know the difference between "advice" and "advise". I know when to use to, too and two, there, their and they're, where, were and we're.

    I don't know when to use effect and affect. Nor the difference between toward and towards.

    I have written 2.5 websites using HTML and basic Javascript. I taught myself everything i know, IT-wise.

    So that's where i am on the intelligence scale.


    So why the f**k is it so hard to get the right screws ?

    Screwfix have the screws listed as M6, M8 etc No. Thank you. I am not looking for travel instructions, i want some screws. There is no explanation or descroption of what the M is for, nor what the numbers after the M stand for.

    Then they throw in A2 !

    What? Isn't that a paper size? WTF is A2 ? No. I REALLY do not need a road atlas THANK YOU.

    Eventually i think i found the right screws. But the minimum amount was 100 ! 100 screws !!!! I only needed 12. Who in their right mind, needs 100 stainless steel screws ? What are they making? Noah's Ark?

    So i thought i'd try Toolstation. Toolstation have the stainless steel screws listed with imperial sizes. Not only that but i think the person that listed them knows even less about screws than me. Look....

    Screenshot_2017-09-23-15-10-35.jpg

    An inch in diameter ! Those are some pretty hefty screws ! Again, who needs screws that big? Do the people that build motorways get their screws from Toolstation?

    Now the glorious thing about Toolstation, B&Q, Wicked and Screwfix is that the staff in there make no attempt to sneer at or belittle you. It's not like going to Travis Perkins, a Jewsons or a Bradfords, where they look at you as if you are mental if you enquire if they stock grey pvc pipe or 50mm pipe in black.

    Steve - Oi Pete....
    Pete - What. I'm busy trying to confuse someone.
    Steve - Leave that....come here.
    Pete - What is it?.
    Steve - There's a bloke here that wants 50mm pipe in black.
    Pete - BLACK ?
    Reg - BLACK ? Is he havin a laugh?
    Pete - Yeah black. Are you havin a laugh?
    Me - No. Do you have any in black?
    Pete - BLACK?
    Reg - BLACK?
    Ted - *chuckling* It's ok lads. I know what he means, he means white.
    Me - No. Black.
    Pete - Nope. They dont make it in black. Never have.
    Reg - Health & Safety you see.
    Steve - It's the EU ennit.
    Me - But i got some in black the other week from the koi shop.
    Ted - No. Musta been white. Just dirty. That's what it was.
    Reg - We got some in white.
    Me - I need black. So i'll leave it.
    Steve - You won't get black.
    Pete - Nope. No black.
    Ted - Black? That's witchcraft.

    A few mins after i leave....

    Pete - Steve, WILL YOU MOVE THOSE BLOODY BLACK 50mm PIPES. I'm sick of trippin over them.


    Or, God forbid, if you ask how much the bricks are.



    Ok. So....i understand why they brought out Phillips screws. So why didn't they then phase out slotted screws?

    Do not even get me started on Alan Keys and those things you have to turn with a bike spanner !

    Why do they even exist?
    Right then chaps, why don't we...take a device (screw) and instead of being able to turn it with a screwdriver, why don't we change the end, so you can't screw it but instead you have to use a different tool. One that a) you will have to hunt about for and b) is more fiddly to use than a screwdriver.

    Then, the really nasty one on the design team. The one they try to avoid inviting on staff nights out but he turns up first, yeah HIM. He takes it a step further. He suggests....Hey, lets make the hex shaped hole various different sizes, so they need more than one Alan-key....AND we'll make the sizes so that they can't tell just by looking, which Alan-key they need. So, not only do they have to hunt around for an Alan-key, the chances are, the first one they find won't fit, so then they'll have to hunt around for another one and maybe even another one after that !

    Bravo ! Said the rest of them.


    WHERE WAS THE BLOKE SAYING "WHY DONT WE JUST STICK TO THE PHILLIPS DESIGN"?


    So, there you are. They have the cheek to call them things like EZ screw. No it isn't. Try hunting round for a screwdriver with a star on the end of it.


    Also, why do i need a password to order a pizza online? Why? Who is going to log in as me and order me a pizza? Why would they? I wish they had because I couldn't remember my password, so i gave up and had cod and chips in the end.

    That annoys me too. The "N" in Fish N Chips. Whats that all about? Is it really that much effort to use an a and a d?

    Let me try.....

    A N D

    There. That wasn't so tough. Fish n chips. Who even says that? Another irritation is people that say "fish and chip". I wanna say "s". "Ooooh can you get me a fish and chip". Now, if i recieved that request they would get 1 chip, until they learned to speak properly.


    So yeah. That was my day.

    I went to the cemetry to visit Mum. I was alarmed to see they are building houses within the cemetry grounds. They've almost run out of space for graves, so i dunno why they're putting up houses there. Unless not that many people are going to be dying round here in future. I don't think i would want to live in a cemetry though.

    The highlight of my day was finding out that Screwfix sell sediment cartridges for less than £4.00

    In fact, that's possibly the best thing that's happened in 2017



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  3. #2
    Senior Member Rank = Grand Champion andikoi's Avatar
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    ive got one more to add to that,the guy who made the torx screws heads,the star shaped things,i have a complete set of those screwdrivers and the bits you can use in your drill driver,yes you do get a better grip and can tighten things up better,so why then go and put a stupid pin sticking out in the middle of the screw head and call it a security screw,no i havent got any of those screwdrivers and bits that have a hole in them so i can take the shiny metal plate under my back bumper on my car and knock the dent out where some person kicked it for fun,also on cemetarys,when my mum died last year we couldnt have her ashes interred in our local one as there was no room left to bury ashes,but we could for £1200 put her in a 18" square marble tomb thing on a concrete council paving slab for 10 years,at which point we either pay again or they scattter her ashes somewhere and let us know where,WTF,theyve opened up a load of new ground for coffin burials but have a 30ft square patch for interments and these new marble things,,andi
    Attached Images Attached Images

  4. #3
    Just google 'screw sizes charts' .... All explained on Internet .

    Ian

  5. #4
    Do you mean Phillips, or pozidrive...?

  6. #5
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Adult Champion anne's Avatar
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    Sounds like your having a bad day Justin, just ....and it will get better.....at least you got it off your chest .

  7. #6
    Moderator Rank = Supreme Champion Feline's Avatar
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    Hilarious, Justin

    I think you find the same things irritating as me with bad grammar and spelling!

    There is a good reason for the different size heads in the allen nuts though- its all about torque. Its supposed to stop you over-tightening the smaller bolts because youre supposed to stop when the allen key starts to bend slightly. Or preferably use a torque wrench. I like star drive bolts because the local scrotes dont have the right tool to remove your bike accessories when its locked up outside the pub

  8. #7
    Moderator Rank = Supreme Champion Feline's Avatar
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    Oh yeah, and I can give you a link to one of my favourite stores where I stock up on my nuts and bolts- but warning.... it might blow your mind
    Pozidrive Stainless Steel Self Tappers

  9. #8
    Senior Member Rank = Mature Champion Ant62's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Andre Asagi View Post
    Just wanting to get this off my chest. I may rant. I may even use profanity. So please, if you are easily offended stop reading now.

    DDIY

    DON'T do it yourself.

    Today i attempted to buy some stainless steel screws, like those that screw the face plate to the skimmer body.

    Inevitably, i came home with the wrong ones.

    Now, i'm not suggesting i am a genius but neither am i thick. I am educated to degree standard. I know the difference between "advice" and "advise". I know when to use to, too and two, there, their and they're, where, were and we're.

    I don't know when to use effect and affect. Nor the difference between toward and towards.

    I have written 2.5 websites using HTML and basic Javascript. I taught myself everything i know, IT-wise.

    So that's where i am on the intelligence scale.


    So why the f**k is it so hard to get the right screws ?

    Screwfix have the screws listed as M6, M8 etc No. Thank you. I am not looking for travel instructions, i want some screws. There is no explanation or descroption of what the M is for, nor what the numbers after the M stand for.

    Then they throw in A2 !

    What? Isn't that a paper size? WTF is A2 ? No. I REALLY do not need a road atlas THANK YOU.

    Eventually i think i found the right screws. But the minimum amount was 100 ! 100 screws !!!! I only needed 12. Who in their right mind, needs 100 stainless steel screws ? What are they making? Noah's Ark?

    So i thought i'd try Toolstation. Toolstation have the stainless steel screws listed with imperial sizes. Not only that but i think the person that listed them knows even less about screws than me. Look....

    Screenshot_2017-09-23-15-10-35.jpg

    An inch in diameter ! Those are some pretty hefty screws ! Again, who needs screws that big? Do the people that build motorways get their screws from Toolstation?

    Now the glorious thing about Toolstation, B&Q, Wicked and Screwfix is that the staff in there make no attempt to sneer at or belittle you. It's not like going to Travis Perkins, a Jewsons or a Bradfords, where they look at you as if you are mental if you enquire if they stock grey pvc pipe or 50mm pipe in black.

    Steve - Oi Pete....
    Pete - What. I'm busy trying to confuse someone.
    Steve - Leave that....come here.
    Pete - What is it?.
    Steve - There's a bloke here that wants 50mm pipe in black.
    Pete - BLACK ?
    Reg - BLACK ? Is he havin a laugh?
    Pete - Yeah black. Are you havin a laugh?
    Me - No. Do you have any in black?
    Pete - BLACK?
    Reg - BLACK?
    Ted - *chuckling* It's ok lads. I know what he means, he means white.
    Me - No. Black.
    Pete - Nope. They dont make it in black. Never have.
    Reg - Health & Safety you see.
    Steve - It's the EU ennit.
    Me - But i got some in black the other week from the koi shop.
    Ted - No. Musta been white. Just dirty. That's what it was.
    Reg - We got some in white.
    Me - I need black. So i'll leave it.
    Steve - You won't get black.
    Pete - Nope. No black.
    Ted - Black? That's witchcraft.

    A few mins after i leave....

    Pete - Steve, WILL YOU MOVE THOSE BLOODY BLACK 50mm PIPES. I'm sick of trippin over them.


    Or, God forbid, if you ask how much the bricks are.



    Ok. So....i understand why they brought out Phillips screws. So why didn't they then phase out slotted screws?

    Do not even get me started on Alan Keys and those things you have to turn with a bike spanner !

    Why do they even exist?
    Right then chaps, why don't we...take a device (screw) and instead of being able to turn it with a screwdriver, why don't we change the end, so you can't screw it but instead you have to use a different tool. One that a) you will have to hunt about for and b) is more fiddly to use than a screwdriver.

    Then, the really nasty one on the design team. The one they try to avoid inviting on staff nights out but he turns up first, yeah HIM. He takes it a step further. He suggests....Hey, lets make the hex shaped hole various different sizes, so they need more than one Alan-key....AND we'll make the sizes so that they can't tell just by looking, which Alan-key they need. So, not only do they have to hunt around for an Alan-key, the chances are, the first one they find won't fit, so then they'll have to hunt around for another one and maybe even another one after that !

    Bravo ! Said the rest of them.


    WHERE WAS THE BLOKE SAYING "WHY DONT WE JUST STICK TO THE PHILLIPS DESIGN"?


    So, there you are. They have the cheek to call them things like EZ screw. No it isn't. Try hunting round for a screwdriver with a star on the end of it.


    Also, why do i need a password to order a pizza online? Why? Who is going to log in as me and order me a pizza? Why would they? I wish they had because I couldn't remember my password, so i gave up and had cod and chips in the end.

    That annoys me too. The "N" in Fish N Chips. Whats that all about? Is it really that much effort to use an a and a d?

    Let me try.....

    A N D

    There. That wasn't so tough. Fish n chips. Who even says that? Another irritation is people that say "fish and chip". I wanna say "s". "Ooooh can you get me a fish and chip". Now, if i recieved that request they would get 1 chip, until they learned to speak properly.


    So yeah. That was my day.

    I went to the cemetry to visit Mum. I was alarmed to see they are building houses within the cemetry grounds. They've almost run out of space for graves, so i dunno why they're putting up houses there. Unless not that many people are going to be dying round here in future. I don't think i would want to live in a cemetry though.

    The highlight of my day was finding out that Screwfix sell sediment cartridges for less than £4.00

    In fact, that's possibly the best thing that's happened in 2017

    Andre mate..

    Should have bought the M6 A2 screwz off ebay like i did in my filter build....
    And you could have bought them 5s 10s or even 100 if you wanted that amount....hehehehe.....

  10. #9
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Grand Champion Andre Asagi's Avatar
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    I write this alone in my bed. I've poisoned every room in our house

    I didn't really. It's a song lyric. Can anyone get it, without googling.

    Clue - The band began as a 4 piece. Releasing their debut album in 1991/92. One of the members suggested they would eventually be the biggest band in the world. At one point in the 1990s, they nearly were (certainly in the top 5 UK bands at that time....arguably top 2 or 3) but the member that made the suggestion was no longer in the band when they became huge.

    Anyway, digression over. What i meant to say was i wrote this yesterday but didn't post it. Just a few more vexations......



    OK. Todays irritations. I can't find a "clamping ring" or "hose clip" that will fit onto a 110mm rubber connector. I have several of them but no sign of them anywhere. I have found loads of 70mm to 100mm though.

    I thought "i expect i'll have to buy a new rubber connector. Nobody will sell just the tightening rings"

    But lo and behold Screwfix sell them !





    Only in packs of 10 though !!!!!


    WHO needs 10 of these?

    You'd have to have 5 rubber connectors and have lost all of the rings to all of them ! Even i'm not that disorganised.

    Of course the cruel irony being that there are probably loads of people nearby with 9 of these in their shed because they only needed 1 and had to buy 10

    I'm not buying 10 though. I'd rather sit and hold the connector by hand than buy 10.

    So i'll have to buy a new rubber connector too.

    Hey ! I can exchange it for the 20,000 incorrectly sized screws i bought on Saturday.


    Andy, it was only when i lost my mum that i realised the cost of all things death. My dad payed for most of it but i was going to get Mum a bench to go in the garden of remembrance. I can't remember the figure but it was over £1000 and renewable costs on top of that ! Outrageous.

    Feline - That's actually a good idea about the star things being used for security purposes. As for torque though, i thought that was something to do with turntables. Unfortunately i have snapped a few wrenches in my time by being over-heavy with them.

    I will have a glance at the site but i get payed in cash so i have to buy things locally or face the ordeal of visiting a bank. Why is it that the people in front of me in a bank take forever and always want to fiddle and faff about changing direct debits etc I want to shout out DO IT ONLINE YOU STUPID OLD BAG !

    On one occasion i was waitibg so long, i shouted to the bloke who had just walked into the bank and joined the queue "I HOPE YOU'RE NOT IN A HURRY MATE".

    Then when i eventually get to the counter it's over in seconds.

    Can i just pay this in please?
    Ok.....There you go all done.
    Thanks. I shall now depart.

    Under a minute usually.


    I realise i may be in a minority here but the worst people in the world are those that get receipts printed while they are at the cash point.

    WHY?.

    What for?

    You know how much you have withdrawn because you've literally just withdrawn it !

    If you need to know how much you have remaining in your account, there is an option on the screen for "balance". Balance means "the money in your account". It doesn't mean how easy you find it to fall over.


    Or be pushed....if you don't get a move on.


    Even worse is when they print the receipt and then remain at the cashpoint staring gormlessly at it, oblivious to the fury radiating from within me, holding up the queue even longer.


    Right. While i'm at it....


    People in shops who wait till the cashier has finished putting the hundreds of items through the till, before they begin rummaging through their bags and pockets looking for their purse. Get it ready while you're in the queue and the world will be a nicer place because i won't be glaring at you.


    OH NOOOOOOOO. THESE are the worst examples of humanity you could ever find....

    I loathe these people equally alongside child abusers and rapists.....




    Parents who let their kids scan the items at the self service checkout.

    No. NO ! NO !

    Then they look round at you with a "Isn't this cute" expression. Which is met with a glare that says "Get a f**king move on. It isn't cute. Or funny. Or anything. Everyone else hates you and hates your horrible child. Ok. Don't ever think it's cute"

    It isn't cute. Ever.



    ===========================================

    There you go. Its now Tuesday night and the kitchen has flooded. More on that later.

  11. #10
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Grand Champion Andre Asagi's Avatar
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    Oh and Ant....

    I can't use Ebay because i am banned. Likewise Betfair.

  12. #11
    Moderator Rank = Supreme Champion Feline's Avatar
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    I have a spare 4" jubilee clip thingy for a 4" rubber boot connector if you want one- PM me your address and I will send it to you

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  14. #12
    Senior Member Rank = Mature Champion Ant62's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Andre Asagi View Post
    Oh and Ant....

    I can't use Ebay because i am banned. Likewise Betfair.
    Been a naughty boy then.....

  15. #13
    Senior Member Rank = Mature Champion Ant62's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Andre Asagi View Post
    I write this alone in my bed. I've poisoned every room in our house

    I didn't really. It's a song lyric. Can anyone get it, without googling.

    Clue - The band began as a 4 piece. Releasing their debut album in 1991/92. One of the members suggested they would eventually be the biggest band in the world. At one point in the 1990s, they nearly were (certainly in the top 5 UK bands at that time....arguably top 2 or 3) but the member that made the suggestion was no longer in the band when they became huge.

    Anyway, digression over. What i meant to say was i wrote this yesterday but didn't post it. Just a few more vexations......



    OK. Todays irritations. I can't find a "clamping ring" or "hose clip" that will fit onto a 110mm rubber connector. I have several of them but no sign of them anywhere. I have found loads of 70mm to 100mm though.

    I thought "i expect i'll have to buy a new rubber connector. Nobody will sell just the tightening rings"

    But lo and behold Screwfix sell them !





    Only in packs of 10 though !!!!!


    WHO needs 10 of these?

    You'd have to have 5 rubber connectors and have lost all of the rings to all of them ! Even i'm not that disorganised.

    Of course the cruel irony being that there are probably loads of people nearby with 9 of these in their shed because they only needed 1 and had to buy 10

    I'm not buying 10 though. I'd rather sit and hold the connector by hand than buy 10.

    So i'll have to buy a new rubber connector too.

    Hey ! I can exchange it for the 20,000 incorrectly sized screws i bought on Saturday.


    Andy, it was only when i lost my mum that i realised the cost of all things death. My dad payed for most of it but i was going to get Mum a bench to go in the garden of remembrance. I can't remember the figure but it was over £1000 and renewable costs on top of that ! Outrageous.

    Feline - That's actually a good idea about the star things being used for security purposes. As for torque though, i thought that was something to do with turntables. Unfortunately i have snapped a few wrenches in my time by being over-heavy with them.

    I will have a glance at the site but i get payed in cash so i have to buy things locally or face the ordeal of visiting a bank. Why is it that the people in front of me in a bank take forever and always want to fiddle and faff about changing direct debits etc I want to shout out DO IT ONLINE YOU STUPID OLD BAG !

    On one occasion i was waitibg so long, i shouted to the bloke who had just walked into the bank and joined the queue "I HOPE YOU'RE NOT IN A HURRY MATE".

    Then when i eventually get to the counter it's over in seconds.

    Can i just pay this in please?
    Ok.....There you go all done.
    Thanks. I shall now depart.

    Under a minute usually.


    I realise i may be in a minority here but the worst people in the world are those that get receipts printed while they are at the cash point.

    WHY?.

    What for?

    You know how much you have withdrawn because you've literally just withdrawn it !

    If you need to know how much you have remaining in your account, there is an option on the screen for "balance". Balance means "the money in your account". It doesn't mean how easy you find it to fall over.


    Or be pushed....if you don't get a move on.


    Even worse is when they print the receipt and then remain at the cashpoint staring gormlessly at it, oblivious to the fury radiating from within me, holding up the queue even longer.


    Right. While i'm at it....


    People in shops who wait till the cashier has finished putting the hundreds of items through the till, before they begin rummaging through their bags and pockets looking for their purse. Get it ready while you're in the queue and the world will be a nicer place because i won't be glaring at you.


    OH NOOOOOOOO. THESE are the worst examples of humanity you could ever find....

    I loathe these people equally alongside child abusers and rapists.....




    Parents who let their kids scan the items at the self service checkout.

    No. NO ! NO !

    Then they look round at you with a "Isn't this cute" expression. Which is met with a glare that says "Get a f**king move on. It isn't cute. Or funny. Or anything. Everyone else hates you and hates your horrible child. Ok. Don't ever think it's cute"

    It isn't cute. Ever.



    ===========================================

    There you go. Its now Tuesday night and the kitchen has flooded. More on that later.
    I bought 2 spare 110mm jubilee clips from ebay a while back.......

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  17. #14
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Grand Champion Andre Asagi's Avatar
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    Thank you Feline. Much appreciated. I have resolved it now by removimg a rubber end cap and replacing it with a plastic one. Then using the clip off the rubber cap. Cheers though.

    Ebay & Betfair - In both cases i was actually the victim but because i didn't just roll over and endure the issue i got banned.

    Long stories short....

    Ebay - I was given a non-compatible game as a gift. I didn't and couldn't play the game. I sold the game as new. I then lost the game. I think someone nicked it knowing i couldnt play it. Rather than mess the buyer about (i had 100% feedback of around 350) i went out and bought a replacement game and sent them that. It cost me about £10 more than i had sold the game for. But i thought losing £10 was worth keeping my perfect feedback.

    Then i went on holiday.

    Upon my return i was shocked to discover that the buyer was claiming thaf the game wasn't new ! I couldn't produce a receipt. So Paypal refunded the buyer. My Paypal account only had a few quid in it. So then Paypal started chasing me for the money.

    I told them to get stuffed.

    They suspended my Paypal account.

    So while i am not strictly banned from Ebay, i cannot use Paypal. This has inconvenienced me hugely over the years but i just keep on digging those heels in. I will never pay them.

    Total Loss = £10
    Potential Loss = £50
    Inconvenience = Huge


    Betfair - I started analysing previous blackjack results and discovered that there was a very big possibility that they were cheating. I went through 36 months of data. I confronted them with this. They blamed the random number generator.

    Then their blackjack dealer drew 7 blackjacks in 18 hands. I reported everything to the gambling commission. Betfair disabled my account. That was 2 weeks ago. The gambling commission haven't even replied. Betfair have breached a condition of their licence since i cannot now access my account to see my past results or profit/loss. They have to provide this info for at least 3 months. The gambling commission are terrified to take them on. On one occasion i played down from £100 to £30 just so i could show the gambling commission the unlikely sequences of cards. So i am very disappointed with them. They are funded mostly by the gaming operators licence fees so it's not in their interests to regulate them properly or they would cease to exist. The gaming operators are not obliged to submit the scripts for the games. So how can they know for sure they are random?

    I still have some screenshots of the results but not all of them. I have attached a small sample of 14 hands from 9th September. As you can see, dealer gets 4 blackjacks, 21 and 2 x 20s while my hands are shocking. If you are familiar with "basic strategy" you will see that i have played the best i could given what i had. The images may not come out in order due to the weird way this forum arranges them but there are dates and times on them.

    Edit - It wont let me upload 14 images. Here are some. I cant be bothered going through them to see which are uploaded because its not something many (if any) of you are going to be interested in. If anyone REALLY wants to see the samples then i will post them up.

    Total Loss = £6600
    Potential Loss = £ unlimited
    Inconvenience = Moderate*

    *I REALLY miss The Exchange. I can play blackjack anywhere but not The Exchange. My habit was to win a few quid on The Exchange then become bored and blow it on blackjack. While i thought the game was fair i accepted the losses. It wasn't until i made a month by month spreadsheet that i saw the big picture. By the way i'm not just a bad blackjack player. I played "basic strategy". The RTP should have been 99.53% (ie house edge is 0.47%) In some months the RTP was as low as 75% !

    My second best month was November 2014 when i refrained from playing and made a 0% profit 0% loss.

    I only made a monthly profit on blackjack once and that was something like 1.7%

    Am i an addict? Well since being banned i haven't played blackjack or gambled elsewhere. So i don't think i am. Strangely i haven't noticed being better off financially either.


    Anyway. I have a kitchen carpet to dry out.




    So there you go.

  18. #15
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Grand Champion Andre Asagi's Avatar
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    OH ! I just remembered 2 things from lasts nights visit to Sainsburys. Not irritations as such. The first is just an observation of a peculiar (to me) thing. The second, left me gobsmacked.

    Ok....

    1 At the checkout....if you have some fresh meat....why do the ladies* on the till, take the meat and put it into a little bag? Then they give you a look that says "Now you are safe from doom". What's wrong with the packaging it came in? Do they know something we don't? I find this quite touching but un-nerving at the same time.

    *Dont mean to be sexist. Just i've never noticed a male checkout operator do this.


    2 I wanted some fresh green tripe for Ellie (our dog). I couldn't see any on the shelves and i dont know what it looks like or where or whether they would have it.

    Next to the fresh meat is the Deli counter. I asked the young man "Do you know if you sell green tripe"?

    Guess what he said?

    He gave that look that only the ignorant can perfect....a look that suggests that "because I haven't heard of it, YOU are stupid or mad or both"

    What he actually said was....

    "Green tripe ????? The fish section is over there. If it isn't in there, then we don't sell it".

  19. #16
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Adult Champion bowsaw's Avatar
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    only chain shop i have seen tripe is morrisons, you need a real butchers that know how to use a block and use every thing from snout to feet, same for fish, no point buying it from a supermarket, its more likely you will find a pig flying than find a counter worker that can even id whats in front of them let alone know the signs for when it on the turn with out thinking thats what a best before mark is for

    its incredibly hard to get random numbers, there will almost always unless into the reals of quantum computing some biases, even asking a person to at random pick numbers there is always a trend. - we had many lectures on this and having to prove when setting up experiments we had done every thing we could to be unbiased, even though running double blind, there is always some bias, to take into account when coming to a conclusion. of course if your so inclined and can easily see pattern you can pick up on the bias in a game of cards and remove a little of the chance as you count the cards
    the slow pond build thread

  20. #17
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Grand Champion Andre Asagi's Avatar
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    You can't count cards when they shuffle after each hand though.

    Anyway. The grief continues....

    Well, today hasn't gone well. I noticed that there was a fair bit of debris around the retro drain again. I poked it and swirled it but it just settled comfortably on the pond floor around the retro drain, with no sign of moving toward it.

    I decided to attempt to reach the threaded connector which the retro drain flows through and lift it out. The connector is somewhere between 2.5ft and 3.5ft under the water level.

    I tried to reach it but couldn't without my head being submerged.

    I drained down about a foot of water and supported myself on the pond wall with my legs, i found that i could just reach it if i turned my head the other way. If i looked at the connector, then my mouth and nose were under the water surface.

    I managed to undo it and removed the retro. To my annoyance their was nothing caught in it.

    Then i realised that i have massively messed my back up.

    I had a prolapsed disk in 2002 and it took 8 years of treatment to get my back "right" again. I am just hoping it isn't that again. I haven't had chance to have a proper look yet. You can see a prolapsed disk by looking. It does feel like it but it might be something else....hopefully.

    Plus i've gotta get the blimmin retro back in ! For all the use it is though i may as well not bother and just have two side drains instead. I think i will deffo run it like that for the rest of today.

    Why always me?

    Anyway, here's something that really irritates me and it happened today.

    Shops that shut when they are supposed to be open. This is usually small businesses. They have a quiet afternoon so they shut early thinking that nobody will come in. What they don't consider is that people are at work and make a mad dash to get there just before they shut only to find that they are already shut.

    If the opening times sign says 9.00 - 5.00 then I expect to be able to visit that shop at 4.50pm and it to be open for business.

    That's TWICE i've gone to this shop this week and it has been shut. The first time was Monday at around 2.00pm. The sign said closed all day Monday. So i noted when they were open and re-visited today. Once again, they were closed.

    I've made a little guide to help small businesses compete with the supermarket giants. I hope to win some type of enterprise award with it.

    I have attached a link here.....

    https://youtu.be/BCQQMlR-kjQ




    UPDATE - I wrote that yesterday and Yeah i have a prolapsed disc.

    https://youtu.be/yJxCdh1Ps48

  21. #18
    Senior Member Rank = Mature Champion Ant62's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Andre Asagi View Post
    OH ! I just remembered 2 things from lasts nights visit to Sainsburys. Not irritations as such. The first is just an observation of a peculiar (to me) thing. The second, left me gobsmacked.

    Ok....

    1 At the checkout....if you have some fresh meat....why do the ladies* on the till, take the meat and put it into a little bag? Then they give you a look that says "Now you are safe from doom". What's wrong with the packaging it came in? Do they know something we don't? I find this quite touching but un-nerving at the same time.

    *Dont mean to be sexist. Just i've never noticed a male checkout operator do this.


    2 I wanted some fresh green tripe for Ellie (our dog). I couldn't see any on the shelves and i dont know what it looks like or where or whether they would have it.

    Next to the fresh meat is the Deli counter. I asked the young man "Do you know if you sell green tripe"?

    Guess what he said?

    He gave that look that only the ignorant can perfect....a look that suggests that "because I haven't heard of it, YOU are stupid or mad or both"

    What he actually said was....

    "Green tripe ????? The fish section is over there. If it isn't in there, then we don't sell it".
    Green tripe koi.........
    Very fishy..
    Sorry..
    No excuse for ill mannered or staff who cannot tell the difference between meat and fish unless they are eating it......

  22. #19
    Moderator Rank = Supreme Champion Feline's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Andre Asagi View Post
    OH ! I just remembered 2 things from lasts nights visit to Sainsburys. Not irritations as such. The first is just an observation of a peculiar (to me) thing. The second, left me gobsmacked.

    Ok....

    1 At the checkout....if you have some fresh meat....why do the ladies* on the till, take the meat and put it into a little bag? Then they give you a look that says "Now you are safe from doom". What's wrong with the packaging it came in? Do they know something we don't? I find this quite touching but un-nerving at the same time.

    *Dont mean to be sexist. Just i've never noticed a male checkout operator do this.
    I can answer this one since I used to work on the checkouts at Tesco a very long time ago (as in more than 30 years ago while I was still at school LOL). In our training they told us we must put certain things in extra bags- usually meat and fish and other raw things that might be dodgy if they leaked out onto other food. Obviously the little bags we put them in would not have contained the juice anyway, so was pretty pointless. But if it was in our training manual then we had to do it regardless of if it was stupid

    At around the time I was there they also introduced a new rule for carrier bags that we were not allowed to put a pile of them on the back of the checkout any more. Customers had to ask for a bag, and until they did we could not give them one. People used to stand there pulling all kinds of faces and making gestures until they eventually asked. Then they would blame us for not giving them one sooner. Or they would just shout 'bag' and I would reply 'who are you calling a bag?'

    It was one of those stupid things aimed at reducing the 3 million or whatever it was back then the company was spending on carrier bags, by pissing off the customers and making them shop somewhere else and costing even more haha.

  23. #20
    It was Manic Street Preachers - From Despair To Where

 

 

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