Today I'm angry about.....

[Verbal]

Myself. F*cking exam.

[Dujon]

Mockrosoft, in particular XP Pro - which until two days ago I (sort of) admired. Perhaps I'm pointing my angst in the wrong direction, but I doubt it. I type this post using a version of Linux which I had fortunately already installed on a partition of my main hard drive. It works, as you can see.

All I have done is install a new motherboard and CPU. The computer quite obviously recognises the drive otherwise I wouldn't be here. It does though refuse to boot into Windows. What little I had of my hair is thinning. Rapidly.

[finlayson]

People who know football.

Don't use that term. It makes you sound like our good friend Garry.

[TANGODANCER]

This thread was started as a jokey rant thread about trivial matter that get your goat. That t*sser needs a brand new 'Today I'm abso-fecking-lutely lived about....' thread. In it can go the spineless bastards at the FA. Of course they can do something about it. If Wiley had given a freekick and either booked, or not carded Gallas at all they couldnt (for some mental made up reason), but he clearly didn't see it properly, and if he did, and still thinks it was a 'coming together of two players' then he wants sacking as a referee. People who know football no if that had been a player from any club outside the top 4 it would have been a red, if only retrospectively. B*llocks to 'em. And god help the next Arsenal fan who mentions 'dirty Bolton', it's a man's game, and we play strong, but we don't resort to malice.

Not only did he see it from about ten/fifteen yards at most, but waved it away and carried on. A classic example of "There are none so blind"..etc .

[Worthy4England]

Tax Forms. Even when I'm due a rebate.

Why can't they just ask "Did you work for anyone we don't know about, so might not have payed the correct amount of tax?"

[Hoboh]

today I am angry about people who - when they stand up to speak - INSIST on whacking the microphone with their hand and saying - is it on - and laughing as if to say - "oh, modern technology, you can never really trust it, can you?" - when I have taken care to set up the microphones and twiddled all the appropriate fecking knobs on the mixer long before you deigned to turn up...

and - then - when you return to the mic - you do it a-fecking-gain

enough already!

Ah! but like at the bin protest meeting someone should try sitting at the back of the theatre and actually listen if they can hear anything!!!!!! otherwise you might as well whack the mike with a sledgehammer for what use it is!!!!!

[jimbo]

Shitty little takeaways. Ok, I know it's my own fault for going but it seemed like the best option after a 12 hour day in hospital. Spending the night and most of this morning in the bathroom says otherwise. Bastards bastards bastards.

[InsaneApache]

I bet you ate some of that there mechanically recovered meat. Trust me, it's better out than in.

[jimbo]

I bet you ate some of that there mechanically recovered meat. Trust me, it's better out than in.

Don't worry, it is well and truely out.

[General Mannerheim]

it really bugs me when fans sing about empty seats, 'ere, there, every f'kin where - shit ground no fans' etc, even us to away fans occasionally - 'is that all you bring away', must av come in a taxi' etc

Fulham bring about 150 fans, good on them 150 for making the effort as football fans i say, dont mock them. its not their fault more folk from Fulham cant be arsed.
same as i dont appreciate being mocked at home when the stadium is half empty, because i still made the effort - whats the point in singing 'your support is f'kin shit' we know it is, but were here. call us wankers, shit, & chant 'who are ya' by all means, but leave it out on the numbers front - because the people were having a go at are not even there.

i know its just the way it is & will never change, but still bugs me.

[thebish]

it really bugs me when fans sing about empty seats, 'ere, there, every f'kin where - shit ground no fans' etc, even us to away fans occasionally - 'is that all you bring away', must av come in a taxi' etc

Fulham bring about 150 fans, good on them 150 for making the effort as football fans i say, dont mock them. its not their fault more folk from Fulham cant be arsed.
same as i dont appreciate being mocked at home when the stadium is half empty, because i still made the effort - whats the point in singing 'your support is f'kin shit' we know it is, but were here. call us wankers, shit, & chant 'who are ya' by all means, but leave it out on the numbers front - because the people were having a go at are not even there.

i know its just the way it is & will never change, but still bugs me.

you shouldn't take it all so personally General!

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

Well, hobo - that's what happens when you decide to deregulate capitalism... An appalling decision by first Thatcher - and her ilk world wide - and carried on shamefully by New Labour.

Capitalism is a system of crisis, it's built in, systemic - the evidence spreads, in britain, as the first capitalist nation, over more than three centuries. And an unstable global system of this order, if it is to be controlled, needs a global response. it isn't going to be easy to achieve.

Brown's response imo was right. We might avoid melt down and unemployment approaching 6-7 million because of it. If the tories get in unemployment will increase savagely, i suspect. it's hard to know for sure because they haven't yet told us of any economic policies, apart from stopping millionaires getting taxed on houses when they, sadly, die. like that's the priority...

I despise new labour. I'll vote for them because the alternative is vile.

Ok, I'm a bit late to the party, but I did read some of this last week.


Firstly, I am going to lend my support to what I think it the basic premise of Hobo's comments, which is that it is not obvious that British taxes should be spent on improving people's lives abroad. It's not fashionable to say so, but I do think, by and large, that the duty of the government of the United Kingdom is to be as selfish as possible in looking after the interests of its people. How do we justify telling somebody who has paid taxes all their life in Britain that we can't afford the operation that could save their life or improve its quality, when we feel we are rich enough to dispense charity around the world? How can we make the argument for shutting down a school, when we are giving aid abroad?

I am definitely NOT against charitable giving. I promise you I am as moved as anybody by scenes of injured orphans in Port au Prince, or indeed by the countless examples of disaster and poverty all over the world. I just don't think that it is legitimate for a nation state to spend its citizens taxes on anything other than national self interest. Does the argument that the amounts involved are relatively small cut it? I'm not sure it does, especially if made in juxtaposition with the argument that helping the foreign poor or distressed is our moral duty -either we argue that we should give lots and lots because it's incredibly important and it's right, or we don't. Why are we satisfied by putting our consciences at ease with a futile gesture of an amount of money that doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of the world's human suffering?

It's even possible that much more charitable giving would take place if people weren't allowed to rest with the comforting notion that their government is acting on their behalf, thus absolving them of any responsibility. The total amount contributed by British citizens might well be greater, if people were told that contributions were to be decided on an entirely individual level.

I am not completely naive, and I do appreciate that we derive some benefit from being a big player in the international community. Sometimes I have argued that we should not engage in any military spending that is not in our own self interest (be it security, or resources, or whatever...) - that the British taxpayer should not foot the bill of the generous gift to the world of an international police force overthrowing unpleasant regimes, keeping order, upholding human rights, when the interest of British people are not affected. In those discussions, I am receptive to the argument that some of these things are necessary to earn us the global prestige and influence that works to the advantage of British people - all I ask is that argument always keeps in sight how and why we intend to benefit from every penny we spend, even if long term calculations are involved that are difficult to quantify.

Anyway, the question of community solidarity is a fascinating one with no easy answers. I'm not saying I've got any of them, but how and why we share out our scarce resources amongst other people is an interesting question. With whom do we show solidarity and why? Family members? Friends? The English? Brits? Europeans? The global human race?



As for the 'political' discussion... William, forgive me, but anybody who can describe the current Conservative Party as being 'vile' sincerely and with a straight face is scarcely worth engaging in political conversation with. Superficial, lacking in substance, unprincipled and opportunist... those arguments can be made. But 'vile'... please.

I'm sure you know it is a misrepresentation of current Conservative policy to describe inheritance tax reform as a priority. You also suggest a dichotomy between the Conservative and Labour responses to the crisis that wasn't really there... so the Tories were highly doubtful about the nationalisation of Northern Rock and favoured a Bank of England-led restructuring... it was a reasonable position to take. They supported the action to recapitalise the banks subsequently. Are they wrong to insist on the importance of tackling the deficit now? Do you seriously think it's a position based on some dogma or profound uncaring for people, or is it possible that that is the most responsible thing to do for the good of the economy? We can't take it for granted that we won't have the same kind of debt crisis that has crippled Greece with high interest rates etc. and we are already borrowing far more than them. We have seen in the financial world that AAA ratings do not last forever.

And as for the broader swipe at capitalism... who knows where to start there. Chaotic, prone to crisis...? Sounds like a fair description of human existence to me. What's the alternative, based on what you know about people and their motivations? Perhaps the only fundamental difference between our political compasses is that I do not share your optimism in the human capacity to do things in a more ordered, caring and sharing fashion.

Just one last note... I know Marxists all over the place have been hardly able to restrain their glee at the chance to put the boot in on capitalism these last couple of years, but it should at least be pointed out that 'capitalism' and 'the financial system' do not mean the same thing. Sensible regulation of the financial system is not at at odds with the pursuit of a capitalist system. The fact is, financial regulation (and knowledge and understanding of risks) did not keep pace with innovation in financial instruments, and it is something that needs to be addressed, in the light of what we now know, on a global scale, as you say. This is not the same as a departure from a belief in capitalism.

[Lord Kangana]

Capitalism is only able to deal with people's wants, not people's needs. If you think thats Marxism, you need to give your head a shake.

[superjohnmcginlay]

People's needs? That's a bit vague. I need a beer, does that count?

[Lord Kangana]

I need a lie down.

[bobo the clown]

Well, to bring this back to some basics .... today, I'm angry about people leaving "just a little" at the bottom of their cup.

In fact, it's not just today, it's been something I've been angry about for years.

In its origins this was an understandable thing to do. If you've ever drunk leaf tea, without a strainer, then the last gulp would be like swallowing a privet hedge. Greek/Turkish style coffee looks like the Avon at low tide when you get to the bottom.

However, tea-bags, intant coffee, cafetiere coffee, perc'd coffee all mean this isn't necessary. So will someone tell the world full of people who still do this. It'll save me having to buy a machette. I'm sick of picking up cups & getting a spill on me, on the floor or wherever.

I blame Capitalism myself. I'm sure those people who buy ethically produced coffee & organic tea wouldn't be so wasteful.

Grrrrr.

[superjohnmcginlay]

What if it goes cold?

[General Mannerheim]

Well, to bring this back to some basics .... today, I'm angry about people leaving "just a little" at the bottom of their cup.

In fact, it's not just today, it's been something I've been angry about for years.

In its origins this was an understandable thing to do. If you've ever drunk leaf tea, without a strainer, then the last gulp would be like swallowing a privet hedge. Greek/Turkish style coffee looks like the Avon at low tide when you get to the bottom.

However, tea-bags, intant coffee, cafetiere coffee, perc'd coffee all mean this isn't necessary. So will someone tell the world full of people who still do this. It'll save me having to buy a machette. I'm sick of picking up cups & getting a spill on me, on the floor or wherever.

I blame Capitalism myself. I'm sure those people who buy ethically produced coffee & organic tea wouldn't be so wasteful.

Grrrrr.

are you the tea lady?

[Zulus Thousand of em]

Well, to bring this back to some basics .... today, I'm angry about people leaving "just a little" at the bottom of their cup.

In fact, it's not just today, it's been something I've been angry about for years.

In its origins this was an understandable thing to do. If you've ever drunk leaf tea, without a strainer, then the last gulp would be like swallowing a privet hedge. Greek/Turkish style coffee looks like the Avon at low tide when you get to the bottom.

However, tea-bags, intant coffee, cafetiere coffee, perc'd coffee all mean this isn't necessary. So will someone tell the world full of people who still do this. It'll save me having to buy a machette. I'm sick of picking up cups & getting a spill on me, on the floor or wherever.

I blame Capitalism myself. I'm sure those people who buy ethically produced coffee & organic tea wouldn't be so wasteful.

Grrrrr.

That's what happens when you are working at the coalface in McDonalds. How many stars have you got now?

[thebish]

I need a lie down.

I'll sell you a bed then - and deal with your need...