Worrying times.

[DCLane]

I am fond of pointing out to my work colleagues that I own a carbon-neutral all terrain vehicle which has organic matter in it's propulsion system.

Ah! You use a horse for the commute?

 

[Arrowfoot]

I saw a film from the states where cashiers at filling stations were recording punters filling up plastic bags, in their 'trunks' with petrol..

I'd like to think people in this country aren't quite that dumb yet .

I'd like to...

For once though I've got ahead of the game and got my years consignment of red diesel delivered a couple of my weeks back

Just as well, my regular supplier phoned me up yesterday, to say there was a longer lead in time for deliveries

Oh well, let's hope it makes the roads a bit quieter.

I can't believe it was 2000, the last 'fuel crisis'

It was a joy to be able to idle along such quiet roads on a bike..

Bit like covid times.

But I'll feel less bad about this being the reason.

I met a Chinese lady that moved to the US for her eduction and remained there for good. She told me that most people from her country assumed that anyone who speaks English is well educated. She told me after coming to the US, she found that the dumbest people ever and they incidentally spoke English. I told her yes but only in America. Petrol in plastic bags ????

 

[swee'pea99]

I met a Chinese lady that moved to the US for her eduction and remained there for good. She told me that most people from her country assumed that anyone who speaks English is well educated. She told me after coming to the US, she found that the dumbest people ever and they incidentally spoke English. I told her yes but only in America. Petrol in plastic bags ????

I once heard - probably apochryphal, but you never know - that telesales trainees in India dealing with the American market are told the '30/10 rule': the average caller's age is 30; assume the intelligence you'd expect from a 10 year old in India.

 

[mudsticks]

I met a Chinese lady that moved to the US for her eduction and remained there for good. She told me that most people from her country assumed that anyone who speaks English is well educated. She told me after coming to the US, she found that the dumbest people ever and they incidentally spoke English. I told her yes but only in America. Petrol in plastic bags ????

I worked and travelled in the States for a few months many years back.

OK it was mostly in country districts, but it really was the most insular, inward looking, and quite frankly ignorant country that I've ever visited.

I often felt like I was in a Hicksville film.

Perfectly nice people (in the main if you ignored the blatant sexism, and racism ) but I think having been raised in a place that tells you from birth that your country is the biggest, bestest, and most importantest in THE WORLD !!

Is inevitably going to end up with a large slew of the population that actually uncritically believes this to be the case.

Trump of course caught that mood.

East and West coast are slightly different again.

We've seen worrying parallels of such 'thinking' in this country of late.

 

[Arrowfoot]

I once heard - probably apochryphal, but you never know - that telesales trainees in India dealing with the American market are told the '30/10 rule': the average caller's age is 30; assume the intelligence you'd expect from a 10 year old in India.

I believe that. Had to deal with them for work. There a lot of bright ones but a whole lot of not so bright ones. But nearly all of them like to pepper any and every argument with the "constitutional right", "Freedom" "this or that amendment". But the terms "welfare", "safety net" "living wage" etc are taboo. Clearly King George III had a massive impact and they still living with it.

I found that they are taught in schools about King George and how they got their independence. But the school literature does not mention which King George and they all assumed that there is only one King named George. They also call it the King George War.

 

[Arrowfoot]

I worked and travelled in the States for a few months many years back.

OK it was mostly in country districts, but it really was the most insular, inward looking, and quite frankly ignorant country that I've ever visited.

I often felt like I was in a Hicksville film.

Perfectly nice people (in the main if you ignored the blatant sexism, and racism ) but I think having been raised in a place that tells you from birth that your country is the biggest, bestest, and most importantest in THE WORLD !!

Is inevitably going to end up with a large slew of the population that actually uncritically believes this to be the case.

Trump of course caught that mood.

East and West coast are slightly different again.

We've seen worrying parallels of such 'thinking' in this country of late.

I share your sentiments in every regard. I was once asked when picking a rental car at their airport with my the driving license if English is used in all official documentation. The person who is a white Caucasian did not connect England with the UK as no part of the licence mentions England, just UK.

 

[mudsticks]

I share your sentiments in every regard. I was once asked when picking a rental car at their airport with my the driving license if English is used in all official documentation. The person who is a white Caucasian did not connect England with the UK as no part of the licence mentions England, just UK.

Someone asked me where I was from.

What with my 'cute' accent n.all.

I told them 'England'

Oh ok, is that somewhere near New York?"

 

[swee'pea99]

Someone asked me where I was from.

What with my 'cute' accent n.all.

I told them 'England'

Oh ok, is that somewhere near New York?"

As so often, Bill Bryson has it nailed:

Oh, and when they made Alan Bennet's The Madness of George lll into a film, they renamed it 'The Madness of King George', research having suggested that many potential viewers, assuming they'd missed the earlier movies - The Madness of George & The Madness of George 2 - wouldn't want to go.

 

[mudsticks]

As so often, Bill Bryson has it nailed:

View attachment 610661

Oh, and when they made Alan Bennet's The Madness of George lll into a film, they renamed it 'The Madness of King George', research having suggested that many potential viewers, assuming they'd missed the earlier movies - The Madness of George & The Madness of George 2 - wouldn't want to go.

It's really not fair poking fun at muricans like this.

It's a bit like shootin fish in a barrel.


Bill is allowed cos he's a Yank.
But let's not pretend that everyone here has such a firm grip of geography.

For instance, one of my sons friends is off to work in Turkmenistan this week.

I did have to ask her where that is in relation to all the other 'Stans..

I'm everso slightly the wiser now , but it's still all a tad hazy

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

There were big queues for petrol that were snarling up the roads around a local supermarket at midday. Someone must have said ''Don't panic.''

 

[Moon bunny]

A sign outside the local Shell service station reads, “Temporarily no diesel”.

 

[BoldonLad]

That's what a "pay per mile" system should compensate for, because your payments per mile to go shopping and visit the doctor would be lower than those for someone helping to congest/pollute central Birmingham when they have a choice of train/tram/bus/bike instead.

Wouldn't this mean that the reason for every journey has to be declared? No-one is going to cheat or fib of course.

 

[BoldonLad]

It does often seem to be that in country areas there's less of this artificial social divide.

Everyone knows that we're all a bit more interdependant, practically and socially speaking.

There is sometimes friction with new and flash money coming in, thinking they know better.

But once you've hauled their shiny new four wheeled drive out of a ditch with your slightly beat up tractor, things get levelled up fairly swiftly

Yes, us in "trade" need to know our place

 

[BoldonLad]

Oh no..

But pub will help.

I'm amazed no one's started up about generating our own leccy, with a stationary bicycle.
What happens when your energy comp goes tits up btw??

I'm with this lot who've been around for a while.

Obv, they don't rely on gas for generating , but the whole market is interrelated..

I guess I'd hear if there was a problem ??

Well, your electricity and gas (as applicable) continue to flow.

Ofgem will organise to place you with another Supplier (not necessarily on the same terms you were on)

Any credit you have with the original (bust) supplier is carried over to the new supplier, guaranteed.

 

[mudsticks]

Well, your electricity and gas (as applicable) continue to flow.

Ofgem will organise to place you with another Supplier (not necessarily on the same terms you were on)

Any credit you have with the original (bust) supplier is carried over to the new supplier, guaranteed.

OK thanks


My only worry is that currently I'm with
Good Energy ..

Have been for decades now.

If they go bust, and I have to go with another supplier will their electrickery suffuse my kitchen, with the same cumin aroma that I get at the moment??

We cook with bottled gas mainly
Which has also gone up a lot too.

Heat with home grown wood.

I guess I'd better mount an armed guard on the log piles right??