Bits and Bobs 34

MaliA · **Posted:** Tue Apr 24, 2012 11:26

Craster wrote:

Fucking hell. It's us 3 and myp, then the next closest at 7000 posts behind (!!!) is Mali.

That's alarming, as I've never been a mod.

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49244

You've got your cause and effect the wrong way around, Mali - I'm a mod because I'm a gobshite, not vice-versa.

Zardoz · **Posted:** Tue Apr 24, 2012 11:28

Welcome, Craster.

Grim, do you want 'heads' or 'tails'?

MaliA · **Posted:** Tue Apr 24, 2012 11:46

Heh.

Quote:

"Nowadays for my first drink, I'll get half a mild and a whisky, and then after that I'll have just whisky, they're only wee things so I'll have about eight."

Zardoz · **Posted:** Tue Apr 24, 2012 11:52

Wonder where he went when it was closed for years then? Great pub now, The Strawberry Gardens. It got bought by a local brewery and now serves excellent ales and ciders.

I want to go now.

ApplePieOfDestiny · **Joined:** 17th Dec, 2008 **Posts:** 8293

Curiosity wrote:

I have am still failing to come to terms with the fact that unless my circumstances change dramatically, I will never own a house, and this flat will be hanging round my neck until I'm dead, and that if I hadn't bought it, I'd at least be able to rent a fucking house.

Bamba · **Joined:** 25th Jul, 2010 **Posts:** 11128

ApplePieOfDestiny wrote:

Curiosity wrote:

I have am still failing to come to terms with the fact that unless my circumstances change dramatically, I will never own a house, and this flat will be hanging round my neck until I'm dead, and that if I hadn't bought it, I'd at least be able to rent a fucking house.

Well, mostly. I'm actually living in the (much bigger and nicer) flat my girlfriend bought while renting mine out (for a shitload less than the mortgage payments are natch) and we're relatively happy there but it would be lovely to be able to get shot of the stupid crappy flat I bought and plough all our money into a house deposit. Stupid housing markets.

Bobbyaro · **Joined:** 18th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 11897

Quote:

Remembering his first pint in 1936, Mr Dell said: "You could get half a mild, five Woodbines and a box of matches and a penny change for half a sixpence for two pence

Also, a half is not a pint.

Trooper · **Joined:** 4th Mar, 2010 **Posts:** 22392

Bamba wrote:

ApplePieOfDestiny wrote:

Curiosity wrote:

I have am still failing to come to terms with the fact that unless my circumstances change dramatically, I will never own a house, and this flat will be hanging round my neck until I'm dead, and that if I hadn't bought it, I'd at least be able to rent a fucking house.

Well, mostly. I'm actually living in the (much bigger and nicer) flat my girlfriend bought while renting mine out (for a shitload less than the mortgage payments are natch) and we're relatively happy there but it would be lovely to be able to get shot of the stupid crappy flat I bought and plough all our money into a house deposit. Stupid housing markets.

Same story here, a house up north that I cant sell, that rents out for less then the mortgage (still no sign of tenants this time though), and a flat down south which is very nice, but i'd like a house with a garage. No chance of that while I have the house up north.

I could rent out the flat and rent a house, but it's just more and more and more expense...

metalangel · **Posted:** Tue Apr 24, 2012 12:18

Speaking of post counts, I just realized I've passed 10,000. Only other place I've had that many was the old PC Gamer forums, which closed almost a decade ago.

MaliA · **Posted:** Tue Apr 24, 2012 12:20

Renting a house up here whilst the mortgage payments are stupid low on MaliTowers (South). Got to pay council tax on it agin now, which is making me want to get rid of it, as I doubt it is aprpeciating by the £50 a week it is costing. If interest rates increase, then I'll deffo get shot of it. Problem is having a garage full of stuff, although something like this would do.

KovacsC · **Posted:** Tue Apr 24, 2012 12:24

MaliA wrote:

Renting a house up here whilst the mortgage payments are stupid low on MaliTowers (South). Got to pay council tax on it agin now, which is making me want to get rid of it, as I doubt it is aprpeciating by the £50 a week it is costing. If interest rates increase, then I'll deffo get shot of it. Problem is having a garage full of stuff, although something like this would do.

Could you not rent out Mali Towers (South)?

Trooper · **Joined:** 4th Mar, 2010 **Posts:** 22392

Is the house down south empty and unfurnished? If so you should be able to get a 6 months exemption from council tax.

MaliA · **Posted:** Tue Apr 24, 2012 12:29

KovacsC wrote:

MaliA wrote:

Renting a house up here whilst the mortgage payments are stupid low on MaliTowers (South). Got to pay council tax on it agin now, which is making me want to get rid of it, as I doubt it is aprpeciating by the £50 a week it is costing. If interest rates increase, then I'll deffo get shot of it. Problem is having a garage full of stuff, although something like this would do.

Could you not rent out Mali Towers (South)?

We could do, but we'd need to remortgage, then get all the testing done for gas and electric, have a big slush fund of ready cash for when stuff breaks that tenants complain about, have tenants in for 6 months and that messes up a quick and easy sale, and I think I'd end up cash neutral after it all. Which is a lot of effort for me to end up where I started.

Trooper wrote:

Is the house down south empty and unfurnished? If so you should be able to get a 6 months exemption from council tax.

Done that already, sadly.

Having had a brief look about, around us, one can get a 3 bed semi with a garage for less than £200k, so that's pleasing. Less pleasing is the interior decoration in most, if not all of them. Christ knows what the long months of darkness do to northern types' eyesight, but most house decorations are fucking gopping.

Trooper · **Joined:** 4th Mar, 2010 **Posts:** 22392

Me: "What shall we have for lunch?"
Mrs T: "Soup?"
Me: "That's a bit boring, I'll go out and get something, what shall I get?"
Mrs T: "Hmmm... dunno"
Me: "If you could have any lunch in the world right now, what would you have?"
<thinking time>
Mrs T: "Ummmm... soup?"

:facepalm:

Zardoz · **Posted:** Tue Apr 24, 2012 13:22

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49244

Trooper wrote:

Me: "What shall we have for lunch?"
Mrs T: "Soup?"
Me: "That's a bit boring, I'll go out and get something, what shall I get?"
Mrs T: "Hmmm... dunno"
Me: "If you could have any lunch in the world right now, what would you have?"
<thinking time>
Mrs T: "Ummmm... soup?"

:facepalm:

Make Tom Yam soup. It's the greatest thing in the world ever. In 14 days in Thailand, I must have had 20 bowls. Then I came home and made it for tea.

Doctor Glyndwr · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 32624

I love Tom Yam, but every time I've made it it's been too hot for Danielle to eat.

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49244

I'm gonna go outfield here, and suggest you make it less hot.

Zardoz · **Posted:** Tue Apr 24, 2012 13:32

Eat it all yourself.

Tom Yum soup is the king of soups.

Zardoz · **Posted:** Tue Apr 24, 2012 13:34

Wouldn't your version be Tom Thum soup, Doc?

MaliA · **Posted:** Tue Apr 24, 2012 13:35

What is this soup of kings you speak of? Is it same as Tom Yum soup? What is fish sauce?

Zardoz · **Posted:** Tue Apr 24, 2012 13:36

Yeah. Tom Yum soup. Hot and sour heaven in a bowl.

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49244

Tom Yam and Tom Yum are the same, yes. Regional variations in naming, like poppadum/poopadum. Accidently wrote poop, left it deliberately.

Fish sauce is what it sounds like, pretty much. A salty, fishy ingredient made from fermenting fish (usually anchovies).

Zardoz · **Posted:** Tue Apr 24, 2012 13:38

I need a Thai banquet right now.

Doctor Glyndwr · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 32624

Craster wrote:

I'm gonna go outfield here, and suggest you make it less hot.

If I do that, the terrorists have already won.

metalangel · **Posted:** Tue Apr 24, 2012 13:44

MaliA wrote:

KovacsC wrote:

Could you not rent out Mali Towers (South)?

We could do, but we'd need to remortgage, then get all the testing done for gas and electric, have a big slush fund of ready cash for when stuff breaks that tenants complain about, have tenants in for 6 months and that messes up a quick and easy sale, and I think I'd end up cash neutral after it all. Which is a lot of effort for me to end up where I started.

Interesting. Have I already mentioned we considered this for if/when we move? Doesn't spud worth it.

ApplePieOfDestiny · **Joined:** 17th Dec, 2008 **Posts:** 8293

MaliA wrote:

We could do, but we'd need to remortgage, then get all the testing done for gas and electric, have a big slush fund of ready cash for when stuff breaks that tenants complain about, have tenants in for 6 months and that messes up a quick and easy sale, and I think I'd end up cash neutral after it all. Which is a lot of effort for me to end up where I started.

If I'm forced down the rental route for the current flat (prospective net cash outflow per month - £400, although at least I'd get 40% of that back in tax), then it wouldn't be in anticipation of sale, and before letting it out, I'd strip out the bathroom and kitchen and fit with absolute basic but destruction proof fixtures.

The gas and electric works to make it good to let would probably costs a couple of grand to put right too - christ knows how big a backhander the previous owners gave the people who gave the certification on this place.

MaliA · **Posted:** Tue Apr 24, 2012 13:53

Doctor Glyndwr wrote:

Craster wrote:

I'm gonna go outfield here, and suggest you make it less hot.

If I do that, the terrorists have already won.

Dude, we haven't called them that since 1815!

MaliA · **Posted:** Tue Apr 24, 2012 14:59

Asteroid mining discussed. Space pirates sharpen blasters and two point scramblers in gleeful anticipation.

MaliA · **Posted:** Tue Apr 24, 2012 15:15

MaliA wrote:

On the odd occasion that MrsA goes away and leaves me to my own devices for the weekend, I sometimes struggle to think what to do with ymself, that isn't "beer and Skyrim". So, in anticipation of this ahppening in a couple of weekends time, I went on to the internet to see what I could do. "I like football" I thought to myself, "I like watching football, too". So, I went on to the website of Bradford City Football club. They currently reside in the fourth tier of English Football, only nine points from dropping into the fifth. And they want me to pay £20 to go and watch them play. An almost fifth tier team wanting £20 of my money. Fuck it, for £20 I might as well fucking play for them (after I'd registered and shit like that, of course. I'd possibly pay £20 tos ee Wednesday, but I'd balk at it somewhat and wouldn't take MrsA, but Bradford City? Anyway, top tier northern Rugby is £16, which seems to be a much better deal at £16, so I might go and see that.

On top of this, the average attendance at Valley Parade doens't even half fill it.

WTB · **Joined:** 27th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 14497

Similar situation at Middlesbrough. It was the last home game of the season on Saturday and they had around 19,000 there in a 35,000 capacity stadium. They're still charging Premier League ticket prices. Absolute cheapest is about £25 and it goes up from there. In a working class town, that's asking a hell of a lot. Why not fill the damn place for £10 a ticket? Sure, they'd have to put more stewards on I guess, but come on! With 35,000 people shouting, I think we'd have a better chance of not catastrophically fucking up another promotion effort.

Doctor Glyndwr · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 32624

WTB wrote:

Similar situation at Middlesbrough. It was the last home game of the season on Saturday and they had around 19,000 there in a 35,000 capacity stadium. They're still charging Premier League ticket prices. Absolute cheapest is about £25 and it goes up from there. In a working class town, that's asking a hell of a lot. Why not fill the damn place for £10 a ticket?

Because (25*19000) > (10*35000)?

WTB · **Joined:** 27th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 14497

Smart arse!

£13.57, then.

But also, 19,000 was a bit of an anomaly any way because it was the final home game of the season and a damn important one at that. Plus, Southampton brought an incredible 4,000 fans. Away teams usually bring around 500. Average attendance is probably nearer 15,000 or lower this season.

Squirt · **Joined:** 31st Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 6608

Ahh, but with a higher attendance, wouldn't you also get more spent at gift shops and food & drink concessions? It might be worth taking less money at the gate to make more sales of £45 replica shirts and £5 pints of beer.

Doctor Glyndwr · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 32624

WTB wrote:

Smart arse!

Yeah, sure

But more generally, I suspect the guys in the ticket office a) don't want to lose money and b) have more data than we are. There's probably some good reason they don't cut prices, such as a second order effect we're not seeing.

WTB · **Joined:** 27th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 14497

You'd certainly think so, Squirt. You'd certainly think so.

Plus, at £5 a pop for the beer, which I'm pretty sure they get for free via the urinals, they must be raking it in!

MaliA · **Posted:** Tue Apr 24, 2012 15:38

Wednesday are between £22 and £28 a ticket, average attendance of 20,500 which is about half full, again. Season ticket prices aren't being publicised until season end as being in the Championship will up that by 15%, IWHT.

MaliA · **Posted:** Tue Apr 24, 2012 15:40

Doctor Glyndwr wrote:

WTB wrote:

Smart arse!

Yeah, sure

But more generally, I suspect the guys in the ticket office a) don't want to lose money and b) have more data than we are. There's probably some good reason they don't cut prices, such as a second order effect we're not seeing.

I'm 99% sure that football club owners aren't great business people, so I'm going with "We charged then that when we were in the top tier, so why don't we charge them the same now we're 20 places from not being in the league? We're still paying for Benito Carbone".

DavPaz · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 38656

According to ESPN Boro's average home attendance for this season is 17557

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49244

I now have the rankings from the office of "Sweets brought back from Thailand"

Mixed Thai Biscuits - 4/10, dull.
Crispy Fish - 3/10. Little fried fish with sugar and chilli on. About what you'd expect.
Tamarind Toffees - 1/10. Including 3 immediate spit-outs.

That's good scores, I'm happy with that.

Zardoz · **Posted:** Tue Apr 24, 2012 15:48

Craster wrote:

Tamarind Toffees - 1/10. Including 3 immediate spit-outs.

Yeah, had those.

The worst 'sweets' anyone palmed off on me where Chili lollypops from Mexico. They were fairly hot but the strangest thing about them was the sour layers and the outer coating like sweet sawdust.

I finished mine out of pure stubborness.

BikNorton · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 10173

When I was making my green tomato pickle (or was it green chilli chutney? Probably that) I got some tamarind pulp from the Chinese supermarket. I'd no idea what it was like so I tried a bit.

Ew.

The result wouldn't be so fantastic without it though.

Zardoz · **Posted:** Tue Apr 24, 2012 15:51

Yeah, it's one of those tastes, like celery for me. Awful on it's own but great in recipes.

Doctor Glyndwr · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 32624

Zardoz wrote:

The worst 'sweets' anyone palmed off on me where Chili lollypops from Mexico. They were fairly hot but the strangest thing about them was the sour layers and the outer coating like sweet sawdust.

Grim... had some foul stuff I tried at the Firefly meet. What was that?

ElephantBanjoGnome · **Joined:** 22nd Dec, 2010 **Posts:** 8175

Years ago someone brought in something called 'Mastic candy' from abroad. It looked like wax and tasted like furniture polish. They did all eventually get eated because everyone was still a fat greedy shit for free stuff.

Edit; Pretty sure these are them. Bleurgh. http://www.e-anemos.gr/contents/en-us/d ... n_bon.html

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49244

Doctor Glyndwr wrote:

Grim... had some foul stuff I tried at the Firefly meet. What was that?

That was his penis.

BikNorton · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 10173

Craster wrote:

Doctor Glyndwr wrote:

Grim... had some foul stuff I tried at the Firefly meet. What was that?

That was his penis.

How do I POTW nom on the full site? There's no POTW on the "report" form reason dropdown.

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49244

Hit the PM button on the post, change the recipient to the BeeX Weeker group, and change the subject to POTW.

BikNorton · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 10173

I see. Mebbe I should get my phone out.

Be Excellent To Each Other

Bits and Bobs 34
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Be Excellent To Each Other

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Bits and Bobs 34
page 50 is 1/2 way to 69