Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[ManuelsMum]

Yesterday was my maiden visit to an Argos store. I will not be tempted to trouble them with my custom again in a hurry.

Such a peculiar customer-experience, though it had promised so much.

I reserved the camera (and a Memory Card) via their website, & arranged, via a series of mouse clicks, to collect it from their Staines store. They even sent me a text with a reservation number - fantastic.

I got to the store, which was full of kids grizzling. Not crying, grizzling, "I want my daddyyyyyyyyy" type of thing. Ugh.

I get to the front of the queue, & it's all easy, but then I happen to see some 4-packs of AA batteries on the counter, in a display, so I pick one off & place it on the counter. The girl then scrolled through 30+ pages of her internet screen to check the reference number, & price. Then she tells me to replace the pack on the rack, as the merchandise will be bought up from the warehouse shortly. What?

Anyway, it all gets sorted, & she says the lot comes to £145 or whatever - I had declined the extended warranty, which was priced at £45 on a camera costing £129.99. Then she says "you do realise you do not get the 30 day guarantee on this camera, don't you?". So, no 30 day guarantee, but I can have an extended guarantee for £45.  I felt like arguing that the lack of guarantee made no odds in common law, as I understand it, but I could not be arsed.

Then they give me a receipt, & a customer number, with the promise of "delivery within 4 minutes", & I'm directed to some naff chaiirs, upon which I am required to wait. I sit down, & the grizzling kid & his Mum come & sit smack next to me. "I want my daddyyyyyyyy".

Never again, I swear. I shall go to a proper shop next time.

AFAIK the goods must be 'durable', if they break after 3 months I guess they weren't. If the 'warranty' ran out after 30 days how could you have confirmed the durability?

As for Argos...

[cambridgealex]

Tikay, have you seen this?

EDIT - Potentially toxic link removed

it's the most bizarre thing I think I've ever seen....

what a strange article. no idea what's going on!

[Claw75]

Tikay, have you seen this?

EDIT - Potentially toxic link removed

it's the most bizarre thing I think I've ever seen....

what a strange article. no idea what's going on!

it looks like it's been translated back and forth in babelfish a few times

[skolsuper]

Tikay, have you seen this?

EDIT - Toxic Link removed

it's the most bizarre thing I think I've ever seen....

what a strange article. no idea what's going on!

Most likely their blog has been inactive for so long that some spammer has hacked into it and posted this automatically generated guff as an SEO thing (the actual blog is probably hosted on another site with pay-per-click ads all over it and badbeat just import the feed onto their website). Rutter does just want to make his supporters happy though, I can confirm that.

[JaffaCake]

Just been watching some of 865 and I have to say teeks you're a comedy genius. When u were trying to explain to Richard Orford that one case time you don't mind limping is sb v bb to an aggro bb with the intention of limp reraising, telling him you'd limp then when he raises, you'd raise again, or "flick it back as the kid's like to say" was comedy gold. Dno why he corrected u, quite obvious you were joshing

I will deal with this later, the dog needs walking right now.

No Lin update today?

You can't have a Lin update every day, they play about 3 or 4 times a week....but alas it is bad news, well of sorts.

The Knicks lost after their seven straight wins, and at home, and against a pretty rubbishy team. Lin had 26 points, still a joint team high, but he committed nine turnovers, joint highest in one game this season. He only had five assists. As a point guard, his main job is to facilitate others (assists) not score, and a premier point guard will have three assists to every turnover, so he's losing the ball too much.

Instead of talking about how he's scored more points than any other player in his first seven starts, analysts are now talking about how he's had more turnovers in his first seven than any other player.

Shouldn't be overlooked that there was a lockout in the NBA this season, and games didn't start til Xmas instead of the usual Halloween time. Because of the lockout, teams weren't allowed to work out while the executives were negotiating, and now there's a compressed schedule to get as many games as they could to make a decent season, most teams are not really practising on off days, generally travelling and resting.

All that means a young guy who is just starting his career is learning on the job, and Lin needs to learn to look after the ball better and make better decisions. Also the team he came into had its two best players out, now one is back and the other is about to return (and they've signed a third decent player) so Lin doesn't need to score so much, just set others up.

Sadly someone at ESPN.com got a bit over-excited with all the puns flying around. They have been forced to issue a grovelling apology after they ran the story that Lin is fallible after all under the headline 'Chink In The Armor'. Oh dear

[SuuPRlim]

Tikay, have you seen this?

EDIT - TOXIC LINK removed

it's the most bizarre thing I think I've ever seen....

what a strange article. no idea what's going on!

Most likely their blog has been inactive for so long that some spammer has hacked into it and posted this automatically generated guff as an SEO thing (the actual blog is probably hosted on another site with pay-per-click ads all over it and badbeat just import the feed onto their website). Rutter does just want to make his supporters happy though, I can confirm that.

here here

[Machka]

Tikay, have you seen this?

EDIT - Toxic link removed

it's the most bizarre thing I think I've ever seen....

I'd avoid clicking that link, it sent my anti virus into overdrive finding at least 3 scrips that try and compromise the viewers computer.

[tikay]

Afternoon.

Aaron (Machka) has noted that the link to the gobbledygook blog might be toxic, so I have Edited it out of each Post.

As to the article, the original Press Release, which I think I wrote, was the basis of it, but that was where the similarity ended.

It's standard technique, though, to SEO-ise articles like that. The Affiliate Sites get hold of these articles, & personalise them, repeatedly using SEO keywords, "Sky Poker", "Stu Rutter", "Poker", "Online Poker", "TV", etc.

I hope nobody suffers any computer issues as a result of clicking the link. Yoof Corry will be sent a first warning.

PS - I'm offline today, day off, so you ain't seen me, right?

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[Machka]

Unnofficial TV Correspondent here.

I know you're not a great TV watcher but a couple of shows caught my attention that you may be interested in.

BBC HD on Mon 20th at 21:00 The Tube - A documentary about the London Underground.

also after the Battle at Kruger video this seemed interesting:

Nat Geo on Wed 22nd at 21:00 Lion Vs Cheetah Investigating 2 lions' attack on a group of cheetahs!

[tikay]

Unnofficial TV Correspondent here.

I know you're not a great TV watcher but a couple of shows caught my attention that you may be interested in.

BBC HD on Mon 20th at 21:00 The Tube - A documentary about the London Underground.

also after the Battle at Kruger video this seemed interesting:

Nat Geo on Wed 22nd at 21:00 Lion Vs Cheetah Investigating 2 lions' attack on a group of cheetahs!

Thanks Aaron, they both look excellent.

You know me very well indeed, & my refined tastes, so yup, please be my TV corry.

Do NOT recommend any of the following, please....

Soaps

Reality TV shows

Sitcoms

Religion

Politics (unless Paxman is doing an Interview)

History

Art

Cooking

Quizzes

Light Entertainment.

"Saturday night TV" whatsoever, such as BGT, X Factor etc. If it is on TV on a Saturday evening, assume it is utter shite.

No music channels except "Kerrang!"

All sport is permissable, except boxing, cage fighting, & swimming. 

[tikay]

The "Tight Lines" TV Show is a tremendous watch, & Keith Arthur gets the mood spot on, & the production of the show gets it just right. I know Keith vaguely, his Studio used to be next to ours, we are not friends, but we are on speaking terms, & I've been trying to get him on 865 as a Guest, but he is always too busy.

I was quite surprised, however, to hear him dissing otters on Friday's Show, he described them as "rats" & "vermin", because they do a lot damage to fisheries & fish. I thought we all liked otters - they are in the same bracket as dolphins, whales, squirrels, & moles, we all love them.

He seemed to be suggesting a cull, or "controlling" their spread, but I'm not sure I like the notion of man interfering with the balance of nature.   

Anyway, otters are nice.

Even so, I think Keith is a cut above, a great guy. He's been presenting "Tight Lines" since it began in 1995, & he has been writing for the Angling Times since 1980. Tight Lines, in case you are not aware, is in Barry Hearn's "Matchroom TV" stable. Barry's portfolio of Poker shows are dead in the water these days, but he has plenty of other strings to his bow.

Anyway, back to Keith. Given he has been so prominent in fishing & angling (I get confused at which is which) for so long, which is/are the UK's biggest participation sport by a long way, he seems to have a very low profile, I cannot even find a Wikipidea page for him. Anyone know why?

PS - Fishing is on my bucket list, for when I retire.

[tikay]

Wildlife that we ALL like. How very odd that we all seem to love certain species?

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[Geo the Sarge]

I mentioned a while back that, even though I have no interest in fishing and have never tried it, Keith Arthur has the sort of talking presence that I can listen to for hours.

Quite often, if there is no decent sport on the TV I will be working away with Tight Lines on in the background, not even taking note of what is being said.

Bit dissappointed that he feels the need to want to change the natural way of things with the otters. After all the otters were there long before man decided that fishing for sport as opposed to feeding the family was the norm.

Geo

[tikay]

I mentioned a while back that, even though I have no interest in fishing and have never tried it, Keith Arthur has the sort of talking presence that I can listen to for hours.

Quite often, if there is no decent sport on the TV I will be working away with Tight Lines on in the background, not even taking note of what is being said.

Bit dissappointed that he feels the need to want to change the natural way of things with the otters. After all the otters were there long before man decided that fishing for sport as opposed to feeding the family was the norm.

Geo

This, you sum it up perfectly. Keith is so relaxed front of camera, it seems like he is talking to us one on one, & he seems a decent chap, so I was quite surprised at his otter stance.

I won't become a Keith hater just because of a difference of opinion, but I felt sort of betrayed.

[Geo the Sarge]

I mentioned a while back that, even though I have no interest in fishing and have never tried it, Keith Arthur has the sort of talking presence that I can listen to for hours.

Quite often, if there is no decent sport on the TV I will be working away with Tight Lines on in the background, not even taking note of what is being said.

Bit dissappointed that he feels the need to want to change the natural way of things with the otters. After all the otters were there long before man decided that fishing for sport as opposed to feeding the family was the norm.

Geo

This, you sum it up perfectly. Keith is so relaxed front of camera, it seems like he is talking to us one on one, & he seems a decent chap, so I was quite surprised at his otter stance.

I won't become a Keith hater just because of a difference of opinion, but I felt sort of betrayed.

I do this with some fella on that 865 channel at times too, even though I haven't a clue on the subject matter 

Was going through Stu Rutters well again and was surprised that I had actually posted in the thread. Whilst I do read them all I feel unqualified to question these guys. I know that something in his responses to others must have made me want to pass on some sort of praise for his work

Tks for doing this again Stu, really enjoy your writing and some top com answers too.

Apart from the obvious WSOP ME, which tourney/event would you most like to win and why?

Geo

I then tuned in to listen to him on 865 and found it compelling listening, hence the reason I responded here previously.

Geo