Alan Gandy

Archive for the ‘Rants’ Category

I’ve been waiting anxiously for my new boots to arrive. I know to many this wouldn’t be that exciting, but it is to me…

These are the boots that I’m planning to carry me across the Siete Islas in spring!

Having looked around the island to buy a pair, I really couldn’t find anything I felt was right for the task, so nervously ordered them from Berghaus.com after checking their international delivery arrangements. I had really wanted to feel the boots on given their purpose, but also couldn’t afford to take any chances with those I could find on the island – I really needed something well made by a reputable brand.

Beghaus have a good replacement policy, which gave me some peace of mind had the size not been quite right. Having tried them on now, thankfully (I could do without the hassle of getting replacements) the sizing is perfect. They are well made, very light, ideal for the climate here, and look more than up to the task, and at around the hundred pound mark I think good value.

However, here’s the rub – Berghaus, you really need to get your customer service department sorted out! Living in a not VAT zone I checked by email before ordering that a VAT refund would not be a problem. I was assured not. After placing the order I have sent several emails without response to request the refund – no replies. I’ve phoned, and a very nice girl assured me it would be resolved. A couple of emails later and after hassling them on Twitter – still no refund.

Great boots, good value, but sub-standard service! Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve gone and done it again! Another doggy sob story, and after being plied (strategically) with wine by Elle I uttered those fatal words – “Tell me about this puppy”…?

Of course, by yesterday afternoon we were on our way to collect him. Here’s the latest addition to our COMPLETED family – Billy the Boxer. No more – three is more than enough! If I ever think of using the phrase again will someone please shoot me!

One of the appalling things about living on this island is that there are so many dogs mistreated and abandoned. Often by expats who arrive with their rose tinted glasses still on, who just rush into getting a puppy or kitten long before they have created any personal stability. Some, on failing to settle themselves, just abandon or dump their animals on the already over-stretched shelters.

We were horrified when we heard about this little chap – only twelve weeks or so old the people who had him can only have had him a few weeks. He was found by a friend of ours totally abandoned in the garden of a property he was renting to them. No water, little food, no shelter and they had pissed off to the UK just leaving him outside! Read the rest of this entry »

It’s no secret that I’m not a big fan of the security staff at Thorpe Park…

Click here for another example of what a bunch of morons they are!

As a web designer it’s won’t come as any shock that every now and then I have a mooch about other web designers sites to see what’s going on and being said.

Lets be honest most web design businesses sites follow a similar pattern – services, portfolio and of course the about page where they’ll describe there expertise. I’ll always have a look at that one – one I found today was particularly amusing…

I’ve been designing websites since the late 80′s

I was suitably impressed – this person must be a fcuking genius!

Given that the web was barely an apple in the eye of Tim Berners-Lee, and the first browser (Mosaic) was released in 1993 that’s one hell of an achievement!

Moral of the story: If you are going to lie, at least take the time to research your facts on Wikipedia before approaching the keyboard!

In case anyone who knows me is wondering – I built my first site in 1996.

It would seem, according to an article on the BBC website – which carries the headline,

Qatar 2022 ‘whistleblower’ in corruption U-turn

It would seem that all is well within FIFA and always has been! So we can all forget how the dodgy dealings dominated the headlines recently, with evidence quoted from many reliable sources that things ‘haven’t been quite right’ for a while now.

The article continues…

The “whistleblower” behind a series of corruption allegations involving Fifa executive committee members and Qatar’s 2022 World Cup bid has told the BBC she fabricated the claims. Phaedra Al Majid, a former international media officer for Qatar 2022, said she wanted to exact revenge after losing her campaign job. She decided to go public after she said her “lies had gone too far”.

Yeah right – we believe you! One has to wonder what it took to fix (pardon the pun) this one? Now for a quick game of spot the difference….

I’ve never been a fan of cats, as anyone who knows me will tell you. In fact – I hate the damned things… Selfish, useless little creatures that serve no purpose other than to spread germs – and irritate me!

I used to be allergic to then when I was younger – I’m not now – but I still tell people I am so they’ll keep their precious little fluffy things away from me if I go to a cat owners house. Come to think of it, I may actually still be allergic. But, its been so long since I let one get near enough me to know whether I am or not.

How may cat owners do you know who protest the intelligence, and affection of their pets. In reality, they function on pure instinct, think their owners exist to provide for them – and serve no useful place in any society except their own. Okay, I can’t object to a cat owner who keeps their animal at home and looks after it responsibly – but don’t get me onto cats in those circumstances that are allowed to wander over food preparation surfaces.

But how many cat owners are responsible? How many let their pets wander into other people space to make their mess, or wander the streets to breed indiscriminately? Do I feel bad if I run one over in my car? No! I blame the owner. Read the rest of this entry »

Okay, the heading is a bit harsh I know. But, it’s no secret that I have a bit of an issue with the professional standards and methods employed by Thorpe Park Security (click to read the original post) after my visit last summer. But, I had to laugh this morning when I stumbled on an article from the Surrey Herald about one of their security staff who has changed his name by deed poll to ‘Animal’.

Yes, it’s true – in fact he has gone a step further and changed original name of ‘Stephen Edmunds’ to ‘Animal Stephen Leonidas Floyd Mayweather McManus Edmunds’.

So good to see they are maintaining such a high standard of recruitment since my visit. It must be really hard for them finding security staff with this level of intelligence. I wonder if he has his new name stitched into his imitation Police style Thorpe Park Security uniform?

It will probably make me sound like some kind of Scrooge character – but, apart from my kids (and my dad this year who’s staying with us) generally I don’t buy Christmas presents. It seems like a total waste of money to me – and I’m more that a little tired of all the Christmas marketing that seems to start earlier and earlier each year. I tell people not to buy for me but some still do – but I insist if they must that they don’t spend much money.

Christmas has  just become so over-commercialized it’s beyond belief. It seems that people all over the world get themselves into financial difficulties because of the intense pressure to spend placed on them by stores and their own family as they feel the need to equal the spend of better off family members.

I also don’t buy into the ‘good will to all men thing’, why the hell can’t we be nice to each other all the time…? And just avoid the people we don’t get on with Christmas holidays or not… The religious aspect is meaningless to me – I’m an atheist – so do not feel the need to celebrate the birth of a fictional historical character. I loved Christmas when my kids were young, but now they are teenagers it’s lost it’s charm!

To tell you the truth I’m not sure what it means to me any more – perhaps all it is to me is a great meal, an excuse to close business down for a few days and take a break, and a bit of time to spend with family (the ones I like), and friends.

As I write this, people the world over buying things they can’t afford for people that in many cases neither need or want their gifts – getting themselves into financial difficulty – whilst elsewhere other people starve.

Christmas! What a load of crap…!!!!

Why not use the money to help people less fortunate than you instead…

Like most other clear thinking Brits I watched Nick Griffin of the BNP (British National Party for our American friends) on Question Time recently. I hadn’t approved of him being on – but in the end I think it was right to give him ‘enough rope to hang himself’ – which he duly did.

In my (and many others – it seems) opinion he showed himself to be a poorly educated, fascist, racist, anti-Semitic, KKK loving, bigot… It’s insulting to most intelligent people to hear this man of all people spouting on about democracy!

It occurred to me whilst watching, that if (and let’s be honest it´s a big if) the BNP constitution is changed to allow black and Asian members to join – if every black and Asian and clear thinking ‘indigenous’ person (the BNP description) in Britain joined – there would be enough new members to vote the BNP out of existence.

Now wouldn’t that be a lesson in democracy for the BNP! I wonder if it’s possible – so started up a Facebook group to see if the idea could take off…

Of course it wouldn’t finish them, they’d be back in another guise – but hell,wouldn’t it be a major setback in their attempt to go ‘mainstream’ with their fascist brand of politics!

The news abounds today with the story about President Obama being awarded the Nobel Peace Price. But what the hell exactly is it for?

Barack Obama’s only achievement I can see to date is becoming the first black President. No mean feat, a piece of history as we all felt, and I salute him for that – but that in itself does not warrant this accolade.

I really like the guy, and in my opinion he has the makings of becoming a fine President. But that’s it – he has the makings – but hasn’t actually completed anything of any magnitude yet. And certainly not in the peace stakes. Yes, he’s said a few reassuring words, but, in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Middle East  people on both sides of the conflicts are still dying, and the Iranians and the Chinese continue to murder their own people – seems to me that it’s business as usual!

In my opinion the Nobel people have been out to kiss ass and get themselves more news coverage than usual. They have, and it has backfired on them. They should be ashamed of how this de-values the deserving winners in Science, Literature and other disciplines, who have worked hard, achieved great things and enriched the human experience.

I’m sure he can’t say it – but I suspect this will have made Barack Obama furious, he really didn’t need this kind of coverage right now. I don’t doubt this has caused him great embarrasment through no fault of his own!