Anna C Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 People who say Andy Murray has "no personality" and shouldn't have won BBC Sports Personality of the year. Have they never seen him speak after a Grand Slam match? Did they not see how emotional he was after that amazing Davis Cup win? Not only is he a fantastic team player but he is very funny in a dry sort of way, and isn't afraid to show his emotions when upset. Yet so many people complain about him and still hark back years to a comment he made which was 1. in jest and 2. taken out of context. He's a very well deserved winner IMO. Ok, rant over. :-) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiz Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 Absolutely, Anna! He completely won me over with reaction after he did not win at Wimbledon in 2012. It was so obvious how much he had wanted the title and how cut up he was. I wish people would leave him alone! I saw that he has said that he would leave the Australian Open if Kim went into labour. I am now waiting to see accusations of him deliberately losing if she does! The poor guy can't catch an even break with the media and some sections of the public. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 OTOH, the guy *can* catch so many breaks with other sections of the media that it's just ridiculous, even nauseating. It's not his fault, of course, but the way they gush over him, and the bias they show, is unbelievable - forget any sense of balance whatsoever. That in turn is enough to put some people off him. Even I have to admit that there have been times when I've half wished he'd get knocked out of a tournament early just so we could get some less biased coverage for a change. (Sorry, I've recently been deleting ITV's coverage of the French Open from my hard drive, and that's a prime example. As was Andrew Castle implying that Andy was heroically tanking the World Tour Finals to be fresh for the Davis Cup, when my take on it was that he simply got beaten by the better player in Stan Wawrinka on the day. Or ... no, I won't go into the "Andy ought to be allowed to skip the Finals altogether" debate ) (You'll gather that I could go on with instances like this all day ) In fact ... that's it! I'd like to put all the biased coverage of Andy in Room 101, and see some quality, informed coverage replace it!!! What I really *did* like last night was the fact that he had the decency to be greatly embarrassed and uncomfortable that he'd been singled out for what was, after all, a team achievement, even if he did play the major part in it. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legseleven Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 People who are apparently world-renowned authorities on subjects about which they actually know very little. It's very difficult to have a polite conversation with one of my colleagues, whose insistence that he is correct - when I know that he is not - knows no bounds or doubts. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacqueline Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 (edited) The Miss Universe fiasco! I was surprised that this still even exists in an age of equality and women's rights etc. Then again, they have the right to parade up and down in their underwear. Never mind the I.Q., what they look like is what counts. The expression on Miss Colombia's face was priceless. I almost felt sorry for her when the tacky tiara was removed from her head, but one can't help wondering if it was a put up job. For what purpose I can't imagine, but so many of these things are not what they seem. Anyway, the presenter did take some responsibility for the shambles, without actually saying sorry, from what I heard on the news report. I had to laugh when he said it was still a great night. It certainly got lots of publicity . Is there still a Mr Universe? And how can it be universal when all the competitors, as far as we know, are Earthlings? Edited December 22, 2015 by Jacqueline 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted December 22, 2015 Author Share Posted December 22, 2015 People who are apparently world-renowned authorities on subjects about which they actually know very little. It's very difficult to have a polite conversation with one of my colleagues, whose insistence that he is correct - when I know that he is not - knows no bounds or doubts. I used to have a little plaque on the wall behind my desk which read: "People Who Think They Know It All Really Annoy Those Of Us Who Do" 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthE Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 I used to have a little plaque on the wall behind my desk which read: "People Who Think They Know It All Really Annoy Those Of Us Who Do" I had a very satisfying experience on the audience coach to Glyndebourne once when an older, upper-class gentleman sat next to me, took me to be a newcomer, and decided (uninvited) to regale me with his opera knowledge. A few tentative enquiries from me about favourite productions etc. soon proved that he was in fact a once-a-year operagoer, and only to Glyndebourne (when his friends organised the tickets and asked him along) and couldn't name a single singer or director of anything he'd been to. Now obviously there's no shame in not having much knowledge or experience, nor, arguably, with not taking the initiative to increase those things, but if you're going to use it as the starting point to patronise somebody, you'd better choose your target pretty carefully! Needless to say I spent the rest of the journey recommending productions and singers and interesting repertoire and not letting him get a word in edgeways There was also the occasion when I had treated myself to a front row seat for a matinee during the last run of Swan Lake at the ROH, and the gentleman sitting directly behind me (also, like the one I described above, an older chap with an upper-class accent - funny how that's so often the case!) was loudly explaining things to his two female companions, at a volume clearly calculated so that everybody around him would hear how "knowledgeable" he was. This was only mildly annoying until just before Act 3, when he started proclaiming that the next scene was The Dying Swan He repeated himself several times as well, to be heard (I think the two companions were by now bored with him and chatting amongst themselves!), and I and I imagine several others in the vicinity were itching to turn round and say to them "Actually, he has no idea what he's talking about, and the Dying Swan has nothing whatsoever to do with Swan Lake!" But we didn't... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacqueline Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 I've had a couple of experiences with 'know it all' types at the ROH. A few years ago, I was at a matinee of Cinderella and sitting in the front row of the balcony. During the first interval, some people behind me were having a very loud conversation in 'fraightfully' upper class style voices, about Tamara Rojo and what a wonderful, strong dancer she is and so on. As the conductor appeared to begin the second act, I leaned forward to get a quick sighting of the orchestra. I was only intending to lean for a couple of seconds and admittedly, the woman behind me couldn't have known that, but she didn't give me the benefit of the doubt. She prodded me none too gently on my shoulder and said, loudly, that she hoped I wasn't going to sit like that for long. I was momentarily stunned by her rudeness. Anyway, things moved along and during the second interval, the same conversation cropped up about Tamara Rojo. I went out to the loo and when I came back, the woman who had prodded me was giving me a dirty look. I summoned up my best county voice and asked her, sarcastically, if she liked Tamara Rojo. The answer was along the lines of course, she's marvelous. I then said, "You do realise that's not her dancing Cinderella today, don't you?" This was the performance where Tamara was replaced by Roberta Marquez - who was also a wonderful Cinderella. She didn't reply but there was much shuffling of cast sheets and muttering, after which not another word was uttered. The second time was at the October triple bill matinee, where the woman sitting next to me was 'absolutely certain' that was Natalia Osipova in the back row of Viscera. Then again, the same woman 'loved' Carmen so least said the better. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiz Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 Apparently some twit told a man on a train last week to give him his seat as he was far better paid than him! It's almost unbelievable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTL Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 One of my favourites was some years ago at the Royal Opera House ("Lucia di Lammermoor" to be specific). A very socially assured voice reduced the rest of her box to a stunned silence in the interval conversation by joining in the praise of the lead soprano with, "And to think she has to do it eight shows a week!". One of her companions eventually overcame his embarrassment and enlightened her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 COMMUNAL CHANGING ROOMS in clothes shops and anywhere else you can have a changing room. I well remember the horrors of trying to try something on, assess what it looked like on me, keep an eye on my bag, coat, shoes and hoping no-one else was looking at me and laughing at my poor taste in clothes or my non-matching underwear! Peanut68, in a thread in Doing Dance has reminded me of these horrors! Apparently her local Primark has them! I no longer try clothes on in the shops, I just buy and hope for the best! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melody Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 I don't know why shops think customers are more likely to buy clothes after they've been humiliated like that. I mean, let's face it, communal changing rooms are basically a way of saying that we don't trust our customers and we don't care about making them feel uncomfortable. I'm just glad I'm a fairly standard size for basic clothes so I can buy online from Lands End and LL Bean and whatnot. I can't remember the last time I bought clothes in a shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 As I said in the other thread, people - in my opinion - are far more likely to buy if they've had the leisure to try things on properly, look at things from all angles and so on, rather than being self-conscious and having to worry about bags and suchlike rather than concentrating on the clothes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 On the subject of shopping, I am totally in agreement with the 5p payment for plastic carriers. I am someone who has always taken her own bags with her when doing my grocery shopping. On the other hand, I saw a dress I had been eyeing for ages had one of those flash "every item 40% off" sales when I was out recently, so I bought it. It would not fit into a normal carrier, but the assistant said she would have to charge me for a bigger bag. Given that their bags advertise their brand, I was not too happy about it. I know it is only 5p, but even so. In the end, I crushed it up into a normal bag, and arrived home with a dress wrinkled like an old dishcloth. I have now made a mental note to carry one extra large bag everywhere with me. A friend of mine bought a new winter coat, but was amazed to be told that she would be charged for the extra large bag it required. She flatly refused to pay, but it was too mild to wear it, so she left the shop with the item dangling over her arm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huddsballetmum Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 The 5p bag payment is a real issue for me. I totally agree with charging for plastic bags - particularly in supermarkets - I have had bags for life for many years. However I don't agree that they should be branded. Why should I pay to advertise a retailer? I am happy to pay for the plastic bag (never remember to take them when I go clothes shopping!) but I want a plain one. Many shops are now starting to provide paper bags like Primark do which is much better as I am happy to advertise if it's not cost me anything. In fact shopping on Saturday I bought a number of products from MAC and she gave me an extremely large paper carrier which I happily carried around Meadowhall all day. My DD gets so embarrassed by my refusal to purchase bags she no longer wants to go shopping with me - it's saving me a fortune!!!! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 I'm astounded by the number of retailers who are still refusing to switch to paper carriers. (Yes, Marks & Spencer, I'm looking at YOU ...) The point of the legislation is to cut down the use of plastic bags, not to penalise us for using them. Sure, I'm going round taking my Bags for Life with me as I usually do, but they're not big enough for everything. If M&S, say, because of course they are the ones who are famous for their refund policy, want their things returned in pristine condition, they'd better start doing something about providing carriers. After all, who knows where all those second-hand shopping bags have been? At the moment, if I were wanting to buy something in the sales which is too big to fit into a BfL, I could seriously see myself buying from a store which does paper carriers rather than one which doesn't. And just think of all the free advertising these retailers aren't getting if we're all putting our shopping into Tesco/Sainsbury/Waitrose/ASDA shopping bags ... I mean, how do you know that chain ABC is having a sale if you don't see all those people walking by carrying plastic carriers with "SALE" emblazoned on them in huge red letters? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 Alison, I've got a feeling that the 5p charge for plastic bags will be like the congestion charge in London. When the latter was brought it, the amount of traffic on the road was significantly reduced for a while in the central areas. Then I think car drivers began to think that the convenience and comfort of travelling in their own vehicle outweighed any charges they had to pay, and gradually the cars came back again. I think the big stores don't want the expense of changing their bags, because they are expecting people to say after a while, "What the heck, it is only 5p", and start paying for plastic ones again. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 New rant... I'm finding the BBC news website increasingly frustrating. An incarnation or two ago, it had a lot of content, presented mostly as text. Now, even in dense mode, there is a lot of white space on the page, the articles are very superficial, and there is heavy use both of video and of embedded links to Tweets. Now that might be fine and dandy if you are either at home or working in a media business. For 99% of people at work however, it is not possible to access Twitter because of security blocks, and it is not practical to sit and watch a video; you get sacked... Can the wannabe luvvies in the BBC IT department please take a step outside into the real world, and can the journalists please get back to writing detailed and insightful text! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAB Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 Their web page has lessened in quality over the years too and what passes as arts coverage there is a joke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted January 18, 2016 Author Share Posted January 18, 2016 (edited) I agree, it's become an idiot's guide to the news. You're lucky to get more than a paragraph about anything, and much of the website seems to be taken up with short video clips, many of which just repeat what they have already said on the text (and some of which have no voice-over at all). ...decided to add something and then changed my mind! Edited January 18, 2016 by taxi4ballet 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melody Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 (edited) It isn't that I don't like snow or anything - but 12 to 20 inches (or more, depending on the final storm track)? along with high winds and blizzard conditions (meaning power outages across the region)? and a strong onshore flow during an astronomical high tide meaning flooding and erosion problems for the coast too? "Potential life-threatening conditions" says the National Weather Service. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2016/01/20/blizzard-watch-severe-snowstorm-likely-friday-through-sunday/ Looks like quite a weekend coming up. Hopefully our new solar panels will keep our backup power system online as long as they aren't totally buried by snow. It was sort of funny in the supermarket this afternoon watching people buying bottled water as though there was no tomorrow. We're expecting up to two feet of snow on Friday and Saturday, and people are buying water... Edited January 21, 2016 by Melody Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 It sounds horrendous Melody. Stay safe. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 It isn't that I don't like snow or anything - but 12 to 20 inches (or more, depending on the final storm track)? along with high winds and blizzard conditions (meaning power outages across the region)? and a strong onshore flow during an astronomical high tide meaning flooding and erosion problems for the coast too? "Potential life-threatening conditions" says the National Weather Service. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2016/01/20/blizzard-watch-severe-snowstorm-likely-friday-through-sunday/ Looks like quite a weekend coming up. Hopefully our new solar panels will keep our backup power system online as long as they aren't totally buried by snow. It was sort of funny in the supermarket this afternoon watching people buying bottled water as though there was no tomorrow. We're expecting up to two feet of snow on Friday and Saturday, and people are buying water... I was looking at Ballet Alert this morning and it looks as though National Ballet of Canada's performances of Winter's Tale in Washington may be cancelled on Saturday unless the weather is less severe than predicted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melody Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 (edited) At this point it's more severe than predicted, the prediction is now 2 feet of snow and a blizzard warning from Friday evening till Sunday afternoon. This is supposed to be the most severe winter storm in recorded history in this area, with the combination of snow, wind, and coastal flooding. I've just read that the Metro (that's our version of the Underground) will be shut from Friday evening till Monday morning. The airports are also closing from Friday afternoon until at least Sunday morning and maybe later. People are being warned to be prepared to spend most of the weekend wherever they happen to be on Friday evening. So I think it's pretty much given that that performance isn't going to happen. Edited January 21, 2016 by Melody Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anon2 Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 Hope you are warm and safe Melody. Our relatives have resigned themselves to a weekend of snow clearing from the drive in the hope life is back to normal for Monday. This panda is obviously enjoying the weather. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-35392623 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melody Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 Doing OK so far, thanks. The most exciting thing that's happened is that a bunch of snow came off the new solar panels while my husband was outside taking photos and nearly buried him. We had around 2 feet of snow, but with the wind it's piled up in drifts in some places. The porch roof has so much snow on it that we're just hoping the whole thing doesn't collapse. At least this amount of snow was forecast. I gather New York City got a lot more than they were expecting, which must have caught a lot of people off guard. Hopefully my husband will get a YouTube video together soon, assuming he doesn't have any more close encounters with avalanches out there. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anon2 Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 At least your solar panels are clean now Melody! We were told the best and safest way to keep them clean was a good snow fall on them that will slide off with dust and debris, rain just doesn't do it. Ours have been up for 4 years and we haven't had a decent snow fall in that time so might have to pay to have them cleaned this spring. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus Posted January 26, 2016 Share Posted January 26, 2016 'Be like Bill' memes on Facebook. Self-congratulatory, auto-generated, unoriginal bilge. Followed by a tide of derivative memes attacking those along the lines of 'Kill Bill', but which are also unoriginal and mass copied. Just stop! Put your own thoughts on your social media and don't try to outsource wit! If you don't know what I'm ranting about, then be happy and don't go trying to find out... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted January 26, 2016 Author Share Posted January 26, 2016 I can just about cope with 'Be like Bill' - it's the Minions ones that give me the rage! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiz Posted January 26, 2016 Share Posted January 26, 2016 Quintus and Taxi, sometimes I find something funny the first time but by the time it has been repeated by a dozen other people I find it utterly annoying, I must admit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 People who use "reach out" when they really mean "approach/contact". It's so inappropriate, seems to have been happening a lot in recent months, and drives me nuts every time I hear it. You know, along the lines of "We reached out to the IAAF to see if they wanted to comment" ... No, you didn't. "Reach out" connotes a degree of empathy, sympathy, concern, giving a helping hand or the like, whereas all you wanted was to get some information you could use in your newspaper or whatever. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted January 29, 2016 Author Share Posted January 29, 2016 Not sure if there is enough room in Room 101 for the ego (or whether the current residents will enjoy the company) but in you go Donald Trump. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAB Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 He may be naff Taxi, but I find him a scream. I think Hilary Clinton should sneak up on him from behind and pull his wig off, guaranteed to win her the presidency. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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