So trivial, yet it really ticks you off.

[The one from the North]

The classic east-german brand.
I prefer it to Caro Kaffee, because the taste is much more near to real coffee.

"Im Nu" means "in a wink".

- 57,5% barley
- 35% rye
- 7,5% barley malt

Finally I get it! I really didn't understand what cereal coffee is until now. Wondered if it is something special variant or granulation of instant coffwe or what... You see, I've never seen anything like that here. Learn something every day! Reminds me of the stories my parents and grandparents told about coffee substitutes during war years, usually made from rye or dandelion roots... Thank you for putting my mind finally at ease!

 

[Trenchfriend]

Finally I get it! I really didn't understand what cereal coffee is until now. Wondered if it is something special variant or granulation of instant coffwe or what... You see, I've never seen anything like that here. Learn something every day! Reminds me of the stories my parents and grandparents told about coffee substitutes during war years, usually made from rye or dandelion roots... Thank you for putting my mind finally at ease!

Try it:
A mug of (instant) cereal coffee and a decent Salami Knäckebrot.

 

[KILO NOVEMBER]

"Myself" when used as if it were an objective case pronoun. I cringe every time I hear it. Just now in an on-line meeting one co-worker suggested that if we had question we could "reach out" to so-and-so "or myself".

If you are inviting me to contact you, then say so, as in "contact me". Only you can contact yourself.

 

[tonyb]

Don’t you just love that personal attention?

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

People have become so squeamish nowadays. I enjoy watching True Crime stories, or at least I used to. Now they can't show a lot of things on youTube and other platforms anymore. Whatever happened to "Viewer Discretion is Advised"? But the worst part is that they have to also use stupid euphemisms such as "unalive."

Here's a few examples that I've encountered:

"The attack was so brutal that their hearts stopped beating."

"He was charged with first degree."(the word murder is omitted)

"She was a victim of child hurt" at an early age."

Either that or all the "ugly words" are muted. I can't even watch anymore.

 

[Edward]

People have become so squeamish nowadays. I enjoy watching True Crime stories, or at least I used to. Now they can't show a lot of things on youTube and other platforms anymore. Whatever happened to "Viewer Discretion is Advised"? But the worst part is that they have to also use stupid euphemisms such as "unalive."

Here's a few examples that I've encountered:

"The attack was so brutal that their hearts stopped beating."

"He was charged with first degree."(the word murder is omitted)

"She was a victim of child hurt" at an early age."

Either that or all the "ugly words" are muted. I can't even watch anymore.

The vast majority of this sort of thing is a result of "think of the children" initiatives. Sometimes child protection is the intended aim, other times it's a trojan horse. Nothing new; there are records of Socrates giving off about the dramatic poets' corrupting effect on the young...

 

[tonyb]

Speakerphones

I have Bluetooth-enabled “sound system” in the car paired with my iPhone (who doesn’t these days?, besides Lizzie, I mean) on which I can take calls hands free. The sound quality is pretty good on both ends.

But it annoys me, and always has, when a person talks with me over a speakerphone at his or her desk. It distorts and muffles and just makes it harder to hear. Get a headset or AirPods or whatever if you must have your hands free to do whatever it is you’re doing while talking to me.

 

[tonyb]

Another phone etiquette peeve …

Phone rings. I answer.

Me: Hello
Caller: Who’s this?
Me: click

 

[Zombie_61]

Another phone etiquette peeve …

Phone rings. I answer.

Me: Hello
Caller: Who’s this?
Me: click

I've minimized the number of times this happens to me by not answering any incoming calls when I don't recognize the number or name. If it's important, they'll leave a message. If not, I'm better off.

 

[tonyb]

I've minimized the number of times this happens to me by not answering any incoming calls when I don't recognize the number or name. If it's important, they'll leave a message. If not, I'm better off.

That’s increasingly becoming my habit as well. Indeed, my outgoing voicemail message says just that.

Our resorting to this, in our response to junk calls, inconveniences both ourselves and the “legitimate” callers — we, by having to listen to their messages and calling them back; and they, by having to leave the messages and taking the return calls.

 

[Edward]

I think it was Hitler who once said that people will willingly give up their freedom if you (the powers that be) are perceived as acting solely in the interest of the children

Quite probably; it's an approach as old as time, though.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

The vast majority of this sort of thing is a result of "think of the children" initiatives. Sometimes child protection is the intended aim, other times it's a trojan horse. Nothing new; there are records of Socrates giving off about the dramatic poets' corrupting effect on the young...

I think that unfortunately many parents would love to see the State and other authorities raise their children through overreach because they can't be bothered to do it themselves. Just park 'em in front of a screen.

 

[HudsonHawk]

Another phone etiquette peeve …

Phone rings. I answer.

Me: Hello
Caller: Who’s this?
Me: click

My reply to these is always "I give up...who?"

And I've gotten to where most of the time if I don't know the number, I don't answer. Most calls are from retirement seminars and funeral homes nowadays. And since we know longer have phones at the office, I don't have to worry about that now.

 

[tonyb]

^^^^^^
I’ve still getting slammed with voicemails from outfits telling me I’m leaving employee retention funds on the table (I’m not) and that I likely qualify for “free” rooftop solar (I don’t, and neither does anyone else).

As to the retirement seminars and funeral home solicitations …

I get those in the mail. A couple times a month on average I receive full-color cards inviting me and my lovely missus to a fancy dinner (food porn on one side of the card, a steak, generally) at the sort of restaurant I avoid anyway. I can think of few ways I would rather not spend a couple hours than in a pretentious steakhouse listening to some oily pitchman in the company of woefully unsophisticated folks who might fall for such a transparent hustle.

The funeral services solicitations don’t really bother me much. I haven’t yet “pre-planned,” although I see the sense in it. Just a couple days ago I got mail from the Neptune Society. I glanced at it for a few seconds before tossing it in the recycling bin.

 

[HudsonHawk]

^^^^^^
I’ve still getting slammed with voicemails from outfits telling me I’m leaving employee retention funds on the table (I’m not) and that I likely qualify for “free” rooftop solar (I don’t, and neither does anyone else).

As to the retirement seminars and funeral home solicitations …

I get those in the mail. A couple times a month on average I receive full-color cards inviting me and my lovely missus to a fancy dinner (food porn on one side of the card, a steak, generally) at the sort of restaurant I avoid anyway. I can think of few ways I would rather not spend a couple hours than in a pretentious steakhouse listening to some oily pitchman in the company of woefully unsophisticated folks who might fall for such a transparent hustle.

The funeral services solicitations don’t really bother me much. I haven’t yet “pre-planned,” although I see the sense in it. Just a couple days ago I got mail from the Neptune Society. I glanced at it for a few seconds before tossing it in the recycling bin.

I get those solicitations in the mail too. I enjoy a good steak as much as the next guy, but yeah, if it means sitting through that nonsense, I'd rather eat dirt.

I haven't "pre-planned" my final preparations either, and frankly neither me or my wife care much about how it gets done. My wife says if she goes first, and I waste money on a funeral for her, she'll come back and haunt me. If it's me, I don't really care. Just find a sandlot ballpark somewhere and spread my ashes at home plate. It'll help fill in the holes.

 

[LizzieMaine]

It's been my observation that many of these "PROTECT THE CHIILDREN" types are the same people who make the worst noise when families with actual children move into their neighborhoods.

 

[Edward]

^^^^^^
I’ve still getting slammed with voicemails from outfits telling me I’m leaving employee retention funds on the table (I’m not) and that I likely qualify for “free” rooftop solar (I don’t, and neither does anyone else).

As to the retirement seminars and funeral home solicitations …

I get those in the mail. A couple times a month on average I receive full-color cards inviting me and my lovely missus to a fancy dinner (food porn on one side of the card, a steak, generally) at the sort of restaurant I avoid anyway. I can think of few ways I would rather not spend a couple hours than in a pretentious steakhouse listening to some oily pitchman in the company of woefully unsophisticated folks who might fall for such a transparent hustle.

The funeral services solicitations don’t really bother me much. I haven’t yet “pre-planned,” although I see the sense in it. Just a couple days ago I got mail from the Neptune Society. I glanced at it for a few seconds before tossing it in the recycling bin.

The wife and I went to a sales pitch from a holiday club place a few years ago. It wasn't for us in the end, but it was actually quite pleasant - they didn't go for the aggressive hard-sell, and while we never used the 'free taster' stay voucher they gave us because of covid, we did get something like a GBP75 Amazon gift card as part of the package which we used very quickly. That itself was worth the hour or so we spent with them. I know that's likely an exception rather than a rule, though!

 

[BobHufford]

I ran across a billboard in Springfield, Missouri advertising a business called "Hot Tub Mafia". Curious, I looked up businesses in Missouri with "mafia" in their name. I had 93 hits. What the heck is that about?

 

[Edward]

I ran across a billboard in Springfield, Missouri advertising a business called "Hot Tub Mafia". Curious, I looked up businesses in Missouri with "mafia" in their name. I had 93 hits. What the heck is that about?

View attachment 516422

'Mafia' seems to be a term that has evolved to mean 'elite', 'hardcore', 'gatekeepers' in a particular corner / interest / business. I suspect the original connotations have long gone given how readily so many self-label that way. I can appreciate to some it still sounds as odd as something like 'Provo Powertools' might where I'm from!

 

[tonyb]

I get those solicitations in the mail too. I enjoy a good steak as much as the next guy, but yeah, if it means sitting through that nonsense, I'd rather eat dirt.

I haven't "pre-planned" my final preparations either, and frankly neither me or my wife care much about how it gets done. My wife says if she goes first, and I waste money on a funeral for her, she'll come back and haunt me. If it's me, I don't really care. Just find a sandlot ballpark somewhere and spread my ashes at home plate. It'll help fill in the holes.

I can go for a nice slab of bovine flesh every now and then myself. Whenever I find myself near Ellensburg I make a point of stopping in to the Palace, a steakhouse with a decor that leans heavily on antique farm implements.

The steakhouses hosting those financial planning pitches around here are of the white linen and moody ambience type, which carry the names of former star football figures — Elway’s, for instance, and Shanahan’s.

Not for me.