What Annoys You?

[Ian]

Just to clarify, I was kidding about the rectal surgery, you know.

[fish]

Yeah.


Sure Ian.

[Dahls]

Big storm here in mid Norway.
Roads were closed, power breakdowns and general damages, all public transportations canceled.
Had to wait 4-5 hours untill I could get home from the city.

Nothing compared to the extremes in east-Asia earlier of course, but this was quite...well, annoying.

[DMt.]

Yikes!! Poor old Dahls and Norway!

Hope you're all safe and warm at home with a stiff drink, now.

The storm must have just missed the UK...whew!

[fish]

Big storm here in mid Norway...

Sounds nasty.
Lucky you missed it in England Dave.

Yes Dahls. That typhoon in the Philippines was far enough away to be no threat to Australia, but near enough to be worrying for our region.

[Ian]

Glad you're alright, dahls.

[Ian]

Was going to watch one of my old mix dvds last night. It packed it in halfway through. Reburnt it this afternoon.
Wrong ratio on half of the vids.

I'll try again....

[Ian]

My digital recorder appears to have given up the ghost, after barely 16 months. I'll have to look to see if it's still under guarantee, but if it's not I have to confess I don't really fancy forking out nearly $200 for another one. Especially when there's less and less on I bother taping these days. I've still got my old top-set converter and a VHS, I may just stick with that. Nearly $200 for something that lasts less than 18 months does not strike me as a great investment, especially with the size of my DVD collection and that even when new things come on that look good, I tend to either wait for the DVD (Hannibal) or download them (The Returned, The Tunnel) and then buy the DVD.

[DMt.]

$200 for a set-top box, then it craps out in 16 months? - has to be at least worth giving the supplier some earache about it. If they won't play, declare your intention to immediately leave/not renew their 'service' [depending how stitched up contractually you are], and since their hardware can't be trusted the contract can probably be considered void.

Just got yet another evening call from the Filipino Virgin callcentre [despite many times telling them I don't watch TV, have no TV set etc etc] offering me 'great reductions on bundle' packages', which of course include TV and would make me liable for license fees. The sound of surprise in their voices [What? No TV? Huh? Does not compute] is uh almost entertaining.

I have felt much better ever since getting rid of TV, and now find its yaddering presence very hard to take. Same with commercial radio...I don't know how people can stand either...but then most people seem to equate silence with boredom. This puzzles me, because I think it's beautiful [and also rather rare].

[Ian]

I would not want to be without a TV (I do not like watching anything more than YT vids on computer) but I do not watch 99.9% of anything actually broadcast on it. Because 99.9% of it is screeching gibberish.

I love my DVD collection.

The DVD only has a 12 month guarantee normally. I cannot remember and am still looking for any documents to see whether or not I took out an extended warranty. If not, there would seem to be little I can do about it. But I am certainly not buying another for that price/lifespan. Computer, DVD players and the TV itself are essential. That thing is not (not when I still have a standard set-top box and a VCR and, like I said, hardly watch/tape anything much these days anyway).

[Dahls]

I've been considering canceling my tv as well.
I rearly watch any programs anyway.
What I do watch is films mostly, and some sports.
And the news.

But all that is easily accessible with streaming (and dvd's), which is way cheaper too.
Our national broadcasting corp. is even free for streaming (although baked into the license fee).

I can just connect my laptop to the tv, and I'll have all I need.


Might make the call any day now.

[sydney]

I've been considering canceling my tv as well.
I rearly watch any programs anyway.
I can just connect my laptop to the tv, and I'll have all I need.

I have the same situation. The only thing we nowadays need is freeking internet, a tablet and Netflix

[DMt.]

I like the way you guys are talking. Make the call, pull the plug!

After you get cured, though, I give you fair warning, it's very VERY bad being stuck in a room with a yaddering TV.

[Ian]

I can't stand it now. I never just have the TV on yaddering for the sake of it. Hell, even if something I actually want to watch is on live (i.e not DVD), which is rare enough in itself these days, unless it's ABC (no ads) I tape it to watch later so I can fast-forward through the crap.

[DMt.]

A wise strategy, I feel. Minimise the exposure...