Bad beat/Moaning/Venting thread - Wordle Gummidge

[Wombatman]

Agnostic means you effectively believe it's a coin flip as to whether god exists or not.

More like you want to flip a coin but can never find one. Does the coin you can't find exist?

[Hitchhiker's Guide To...]

Decided on the house front that the 'do very little' option is the sensible play. So cheapo new kitchen, new bathroom, new ensuite, new windows, new doors, inset stove, flooring, attic stairs\hatch, insulate attic and a few other jobs but no retrofit and no extension.

Objective being to have the house ready for the new inhabitants by end June.

Sounds good, all likely to add value.

Just thinking in terms of you now moving towards extracting value from the house in terms of increasing sale price, rather than considering it as a home:


I wouldn't do an external door as they seem to cost €4-5k due to the structural fitting, and its highly unlikely you'd get that back on resale.

Ensuite - clear value
Attic space - clear value
Insulate attic - clear value


Windows - €12-15k, but improves BER. I'd imagine that's a marginal enough decision. Could be too costly compared to the value, unless your BER is woeful.

Flooring - laminate presumably? Higher quality flooring would be a waste, as you wouldn't get the value back. Plus the stove is a decent idea. All nice low cost ways of indicating modernity.

New inexpensive kitchen - nice way of showing value without breaking the bank. €6-10k.

Bathroom - I wonder if just re-tiling it and putting some of those fancy balfejohn electric mirrors in, is the most cost effective approach. Anything more substantial and you wouldn't get the value back. Superficial is probably as good as a deep change.

[RichieM]

For sure. Last time out my missus couldn't bring her self to do it, but she will be on board the no religion train this time, so that's 4 in our house.

It has moved from the last option to the first option as well, so that's good. Hopefully another decent uptick in it, although most will still tick catholic by rote.

My wife wanted to put herself and the boys down as catholic, still has a tinge of the catholic guilt.

Not enough to give up some free time to christen the kids who are as a result definitely not catholic.

[Micknail]

Raoul Duke III too many cuts for my liking, I suggest a bonfire and another start

I'll take a pic of mine and throw it up today.

[Raoul Duke III]

Raoul Duke III too many cuts for my liking, I suggest a bonfire and another start

I'll take a pic of mine and throw it up today.

Flower bed envy. A New Low.

[Raoul Duke III]

Sounds good, all likely to add value.

Just thinking in terms of you now moving towards extracting value from the house in terms of increasing sale price, rather than considering it as a home:


I wouldn't do an external door as they seem to cost €4-5k due to the structural fitting, and its highly unlikely you'd get that back on resale.

Ensuite - clear value
Attic space - clear value
Insulate attic - clear value


Windows - €12-15k, but improves BER. I'd imagine that's a marginal enough decision. Could be too costly compared to the value, unless your BER is woeful.

Flooring - laminate presumably? Higher quality flooring would be a waste, as you wouldn't get the value back. Plus the stove is a decent idea. All nice low cost ways of indicating modernity.

New inexpensive kitchen - nice way of showing value without breaking the bank. €6-10k.

Bathroom - I wonder if just re-tiling it and putting some of those fancy balfejohn electric mirrors in, is the most cost effective approach. Anything more substantial and you wouldn't get the value back. Superficial is probably as good as a deep change.

We're not selling. 'Next inhabitants' would be renters, if the proposed relocation comes to pass which is in negotiation state. Otherwise it'll still be us.

But any additions are for our benefit rather than anyone else. Obviously won't hurt if we do rent. I dread to think how much €€€€ we would ask for the place but assume I'd need a very large sack to collect the loot each month.

[Micknail]

Do you want to talk about decorative bark mulch?

[Raoul Duke III]

Do you want to talk about decorative bark mulch?

Sounds like what the dog will do to it.

[Raoul Duke III]

Speaking of the dog, I was given a tip for protecting my relaid lawn while the grass grows (so that she wouldn't dig it up): "make a 50/50 mix of water and vinegar, and spray it over the area. Dogs hate it."

She's out there now licking it off the ground.

[6starpool]

My wife wanted to put herself and the boys down as catholic, still has a tinge of the catholic guilt.

Not enough to give up some free time to christen the kids who are as a result definitely not catholic.

Fecking wimmin. Our boys certainly not baptised either, despite my mother's emotional blackmail attempts for kid #1.

[CHDad]

My kids won't be baptised. Can decide themselves when they're adults.

[6starpool]

Speaking of the dog, I was given a tip for protecting my relaid lawn while the grass grows (so that she wouldn't dig it up): "make a 50/50 mix of water and vinegar, and spray it over the area. Dogs hate it."

She's out there now licking it off the ground.

Licking isn't digging though, so that can be filed in the win column.

[DeadParrot]

Fecking wimmin. Our boys certainly not baptised either, despite my mother's emotional blackmail attempts for kid #1.

ha, yeah, I got the "but what if something happens to them" line from a few aunts and uncles.

[6starpool]

ha, yeah, I got the "but what if something happens to them" line from a few aunts and uncles.

Her most devious attempt was using my deceased father (who died days before we found out my missus was duffed) as material. "Oh if your father was alive now he'd be disgusted".

[Solksjaer!]

Christened both my boys . Well the priest did. Fun day .

Nothing more boring than a preachy relative but it was my decision. They can back out when they are older and discover IT.

[Solksjaer!]

Got married on a boat , all very secular.


How many were married in a church ?

[Keane]

As it happens we finally set a date today. We were hoping to have a ceremony in August kind of timeframe but amazingly (to me anyway) we had to ring up the registry office in Killarney to make an appointment to declare our intention to marry after which we have to wait three months minimum before we can actually get married. The first available appointment for us to declare intention to marry is the fucking 27th of July so can't actually fill out the form till November. Very modern.

[DeadParrot]

Got married on a boat , all very secular.


How many were married in a church ?

Got married in a barn
by a druid. Stayed in a tent.
It was a pretty brilliant day

[The Istanbul]

Re the religious thing:-
1. How many of you got married in a religious ceremony?
2. How many of you got your kids baptised or enabled them to make their First Communion or Confirmation?
3. How many of you, when you die, have express instructions not to have any religious aspect to your death commemorations?
Answering these questions honestly will help you determine if you are a true non-believer OR a religious hypocrite/a la carte believer.

[The Istanbul]

If you check out Village Green Card club on Facebook, that's JPs place or Dublin Poker Club on Facebook for the Bonnington card room. Both have their schedules up.

I like JPs, it just seems more comfortable to me or something and the staff are better. Quite decent cash action too compared to the Bonnington where I found it all a bit tight and less action.

Enjoy wherever you end up anyway.

Sporting Emporium have their €300 EOM game tomorrow-intend to attend. Hopefully this will become a decent successor to the FitzEOM (Padraig Parkinson and Donal McAonghusa running the show so it has a right chance)

[hotspur]

Agnostic means you effectively believe it's a coin flip as to whether god exists or not.

It means nothing of the sort.

[Raoul Duke III]

Got married on a boat , all very secular.


How many were married in a church ?

We arrived to our wedding reception on a boat (hotel in Athlone and friend offered a boat for the craic).

Got married in a church with competing Catholic and Proddy priests.

[Hitchhiker's Guide To...]

Re the religious thing:-
1. How many of you got married in a religious ceremony?
2. How many of you got your kids baptised or enabled them to make their First Communion or Confirmation?
3. How many of you, when you die, have express instructions not to have any religious aspect to your death commemorations?
Answering these questions honestly will help you determine if you are a true non-believer OR a religious hypocrite/a la carte believer.

I think you might have done the first two because of societal convention, and not thought about point 3. It wouldn't make you a hypocrite or mean you are religious if you have done them.

[6starpool]

It means nothing of the sort.

Isn't it essentially that you basically say that you don't know either way whether there is a god or not, and aren't prepared to say that you do or don't believe in the existence of such a being?

[6starpool]

Re the religious thing:-
1. How many of you got married in a religious ceremony?
2. How many of you got your kids baptised or enabled them to make their First Communion or Confirmation?
3. How many of you, when you die, have express instructions not to have any religious aspect to your death commemorations?
Answering these questions honestly will help you determine if you are a true non-believer OR a religious hypocrite/a la carte believer.

- We got married in a church for a couple of reason.
1. My wife wanted to, partially because it's where she had always thought she'd get married, and also because it is what people generally did, and I went along with it because while I would certainly have preferred it not to be in a church, I didn't care enough to cause a fuss about it, especially since the priest wasn't insisting on things ike knowing that we actually went to mass. If he did we'd definitely have ditched it,

- Kids not baptised, and won't be going to a catholic ethos school or any of the other add ons.

- I've told my missus I don't want any kind of religious funeral if anything happens to me.

She says now though that she regrets not having a fully non-religious wedding, but there you go.

[DeadParrot]

I'm having some interesting conversations with the daughter as she was asking the other day why jesus made all the houses and didn't make one for everyone
and he made the people and animals and plants so she doesnt want to eat her vegtables cause holy god made them

[Denny Crane]

We're not selling. 'Next inhabitants' would be renters, if the proposed relocation comes to pass which is in negotiation state. Otherwise it'll still be us.

But any additions are for our benefit rather than anyone else. Obviously won't hurt if we do rent. I dread to think how much €€€€ we would ask for the place but assume I'd need a very large sack to collect the loot each month.

I probably missed this when I was away.
Is this the recent house you bought? You're moving again?

[Solksjaer!]

Bit surprised Agnostic isn't widely understood .

I'd say there are a huge % of Agnostics these days. Definitely more than true believers .

Indifference is very distinct from agnostic . I cant see how one replaces the other.

[6starpool]

I'm having some interesting conversations with the daughter as she was asking the other day why jesus made all the houses and didn't make one for everyone
and he made the people and animals and plants so she doesnt want to eat her vegtables cause holy god made them

Explain it to her in jedi terms.

[Raoul Duke III]

I probably missed this when I was away.
Is this the recent house you bought? You're moving again?

Potentially relocating for a couple of years so we would rent it out while away.

Not 'recent' any more as we moved into the place in May 2019!

[Solksjaer!]

I'm having some interesting conversations with the daughter as she was asking the other day why jesus made all the houses and didn't make one for everyone
and he made the people and animals and plants so she doesnt want to eat her vegtables cause holy god made them

The proddys got all the houses .

[Denny Crane]

Potentially relocating for a couple of years so we would rent it out while away.

Not 'recent' any more as we moved into the place in May 2019!

Ah very good. Best of luck.

I think it's recent when it comes to housing, we're not playing Monopoly here!

[hotspur]

Isn't it essentially that you basically say that you don't know either way whether there is a god or not, and aren't prepared to say that you do or don't believe in the existence of such a being?

Agnosticism in its serious form is epistemological, it is the viewpoint that the existence or not of god is something unknowable for a human being. The etymology of the word is based on the word "unknowable".

That is so far away from thinking it's a coin flip that it is unrelated. You can believe that there is or that there isn't a god and still hold the view that it is unknowable. So agnosticism is about what it is possible to know.

[Solksjaer!]

Agnosticism in its serious form is epistemological, it is the viewpoint that the existence or not of god is something unknowable for a human being. The etymology of the word is based on the word "unknowable".

That is so far away from thinking it's a coin flip that it is unrelated. You can believe that there is or that there isn't a god and still hold the view that it is unknowable. So agnosticism is about what it is possible to know.

I remember our old Teacher getting very uppidy when one lad went full athiest is class . A real rebel of a 12 year old ( i thought he was cool) . Anyway the kid was saying . HTF do you know etc. This lead to a full on discussion agnostic vis a vis atheist etc. Some of us blind believers were thinking. Hey we are agnostic. Later told the mudder im agnostic, got a clatter.

[Lazare]

Agnosticism in its serious form is epistemological, it is the viewpoint that the existence or not of god is something unknowable for a human being. The etymology of the word is based on the word "unknowable".

That is so far away from thinking it's a coin flip that it is unrelated. You can believe that there is or that there isn't a god and still hold the view that it is unknowable. So agnosticism is about what it is possible to know.

Point taken on the word's meaning, but..

What in the world is fully knowable?

Isn't it minutely remotely possible that I'm not typing this post right now, that in fact what you're reading right this second doesn't actually exist.

You would, rightly say that's nonsense, as would I.

So what's the point of agnosticism around the existence of god(s)?

The existence of a creator is as absurd as the non existence of these words you're reading.

Get off the fence. (Not you)

[Solksjaer!]

Point taken on the word's meaning, but..

What in the world is fully knowable?

Isn't it minutely remotely possible that I'm not typing this post right now, that in fact what you're reading right this second doesn't actually exist.

You would, rightly say that's nonsense, as would I.

So what's the point of agnosticism around the existence of god(s)?

The existence of a creator is as absurd as the non existence of these words you're reading.

Get off the fence. (Not you)

Some very scientific folk think we might be in a simulation. A bit sexier that believing in a god in 2022. However, if you half thought this is possible and we are, then there has been a creator .

[Raoul Duke III]

Ah very good. Best of luck.

I think it's recent when it comes to housing, we're not playing Monopoly here!

I'll be back in time to lose a Shanahans dinner to you in the next presidential election

[hotspur]

There's too much to have to go into in your post there Lazare.

But just to take up the question of absurdity and existence. I think a duck billed platypus is absurd but it exists. The same goes the laws of quantum mechanics. Even perhaps that there is being at all. The big bang? People enjoying the bag pipes? How absurd we find things may depend on how much we can view things from outside of our habitual perspectives whereby we are just used to them and thinking about things in a particular way. Get stoned and everything is absurd.

[Denny Crane]

Internal interviews are a bit mad.

I was propositioned for two different internal moves. Both sparked off by off-the-cuff conversations during a rare visit to the office (shows the importance of that I guess). And both involved managers from abroad.

I had prepped for one of the calls. But I barely got a word in. It was just "here's the great role, here's why you should do it, and here's why we think you'd be good".

Sure beats sweating under the grill for an hour and a half telling stories about a time when you did X which demonstrated Y, for an external interview when there's already an internal candidate lined up.

[Denny Crane]

The pension auto-enrollment wasn't what I was expecting. It's only really for workers on the lower band. Which makes sense really, everyone else has enough incentives.

[Emmet]

Re the religious thing:-
1. How many of you got married in a religious ceremony?
2. How many of you got your kids baptised or enabled them to make their First Communion or Confirmation?
3. How many of you, when you die, have express instructions not to have any religious aspect to your death commemorations?
Answering these questions honestly will help you determine if you are a true non-believer OR a religious hypocrite/a la carte believer.

* unmarried
* daughter not christened / baptised / no holy smokes
* I have no express instructions for my death, mostly cause I'll be dead and won't be able to enjoy the few pints anyway.

[Hectorjelly]

Interval interviews are a bit mad..

I googled this thinking it was a new HR trick I'd never heard of

[Raoul Duke III]

The pension auto-enrollment wasn't what I was expecting. It's only really for workers on the lower band. Which makes sense really, everyone else has enough incentives.

until SF remove them

[coillcam]

Internal interviews are a bit mad.

I was propositioned for two different internal moves. Both sparked off by off-the-cuff conversations during a rare visit to the office (shows the importance of that I guess). And both involved managers from abroad.

I had prepped for one of the calls. But I barely got a word in. It was just "here's the great role, here's why you should do it, and here's why we think you'd be good".

Sure beats sweating under the grill for an hour and a half telling stories about a time when you did X which demonstrated Y, for an external interview when there's already an internal candidate lined up.

I put a mate of mine in for two different times for jobs that I didn't know were already internally (pre)filled. He wasn't too happy to hear that afterwards. He got called back for a 2nd interview in one of those cases. I was fuming the 2nd time as I explicitly said to HR (new manager) that he already was worried about this being sewn up like previously and not to call him in. Fuck your company man! How do you work for these dickheads? **coillcam shrugs awkwardly**. Net result is no more referrals from me. On the other side of the scale I've seen a couple of fellas apply internally for everything and get shot down each time.

[Lazare]

Re the religious thing:-
1. How many of you got married in a religious ceremony?
2. How many of you got your kids baptised or enabled them to make their First Communion or Confirmation?
3. How many of you, when you die, have express instructions not to have any religious aspect to your death commemorations?
Answering these questions honestly will help you determine if you are a true non-believer OR a religious hypocrite/a la carte believer.

Married on a beach.

None of three kids baptised.

Like Emmet, I don't really care about my own funeral as I won't be there. Everyone left behind will understand what I would have wanted, but if for some reason a religious thing helps them I'm OK with that.

We had a secular funeral for our baby girl and it was lovely. I did have to politely decline requests to say prayers, and add a touch of catholicism from the lady The Coombe put us in touch with, on about four different occasions. She was a lovely woman that meant well so I didn't mind. She stood up and told a lovely story about cherry blossom trees instead.

[Hectorjelly]

At a basic level, the average analyst is rewarded for being correct in their predictions for the next quarter, the next year. They are literally measured and evaluated in these terms. They have very little incentives to try to price in market directions a few years down the line, let alone a few decades down the line. For that we need some bigger perspective. Obv its very easy to be wrong on this, but generally the biggest indicator of long-term economic direction is demographics (by far) and comparing current economies to how similar economies have developed in the past. To my mind, that points investment returns very clearly towards Asia and Africa.

Extrapolating a mid-level income economy like China, or a low-level income economy like those of Indonesia, India, all across Africa, to them having a higher income in the future (and their companies benefiting accordingly), is not much of a leap. These trends have happened consistently across time. Extrapolating the US to become ever richer, ever more powerful, is something where there aren't many historical trends to support it.

So your thesis seems to be that you believe in the efficient market hypothesis, however, the markets have failed to take into account demographics and the fact that China will shortly become a democracy. I don't think this is a very compelling argument!

For one thing, the US is a gigantic magnet for all the best and brightest minds from all of those countries. As we discussed here previously China basically has zero immigration.

There's an interesting brief look at investing in china here: https://themacrocompass.substack.com...-to-invest?s=r

[Lazare]

Also just realised, I'm living in Newcastle almost 18 years and I've never once been inside the gate of the catholic church.

Been inside the Church of Ireland one though for a snoop at the old graves.

[Lazare]

Fair chance I'd still be somewhat religious/involved had I been brought up COI.

Just seems a bit chilled out and cool.

One of the main things popping into my head a lot reading 1984 was the Irish catholic church.

[Micknail]

Flower bed envy. A New Low.

SPOILER

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[Lazare]

SPOILER

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Nice. Now paint that wall a deep green and stick a few big mirrors on low down with Tec7.

[Raoul Duke III]

For one thing, the US is a gigantic magnet for all the best and brightest minds from all of those countries. As we discussed here previously China basically has zero immigration.

It's something we often forget - countries that are multicultural with a high degree of immigration are the ones that are the most successful, both from the perspective of economic success as well as individual freedom.

I'm not sure that closed societies will ever be able to crack that nut.

[Micknail]

Nice. Now paint that wall a deep green and stick a few big mirrors on low down with Tec7.

Not sure if I'm kinky enough for mirrors in a garden.
What is that meant to look like?

Although one of the plans was to paint one of the walls white-ish and get a projector pointed at it.

[Hitchhiker's Guide To...]

For one thing, the US is a gigantic magnet for all the best and brightest minds from all of those countries. As we discussed here previously China basically has zero immigration.

orly

https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2022/03/american-population-growth-rate-slow/629392/

[Raoul Duke III]

orly

https://www.theatlantic.com/newslett...e-slow/629392/

Excess covid deaths? + maybe some hangover from Trumpist immigration policy

[Hitchhiker's Guide To...]

So your thesis seems to be that you believe in the efficient market hypothesis, however, the markets have failed to take into account demographics and the fact that China will shortly become a democracy. I don't think this is a very compelling argument!

I actually gave a significantly more refined argument than that, which accords with a decent behavioural argument. That markets are short-term efficient and long-term negligent. Primarily because analysts are judged based on their next quarter and next year forecast accuracy, as that is what their performance assessment is often based on, due to those estimates being used to rank investment institutions.

There's almost no analysts, or even investment funds that are heavily assessed based on long-term forecasts, as investors have such a short-term focus, so they cater to this short-term focus.

The short-term focus of US investors, US companies, and US politics, is not a new thesis I've just come up with.

[Hitchhiker's Guide To...]

It's something we often forget - countries that are multicultural with a high degree of immigration are the ones that are the most successful, both from the perspective of economic success as well as individual freedom.

I'm not sure that closed societies will ever be able to crack that nut.

Hmm.

China was the largest economy in the world for over a millennium without multiculturalism.

I think your argument is more: the current largest economy is a bit multicultural and therefore multiculturalism works.

[Raoul Duke III]

Hmm.

China was the largest economy in the world for over a millennium without multiculturalism.

I think your argument is more: the current largest economy is a bit multicultural and therefore multiculturalism works.

I'm surprised a man of your supposed intellectual bent would use such outdated notions of 'success'.

How about something like the Human Development Index? The only outlier in the Top 10 is Hong Kong, although I guess they still have positive hangovers from the good old days.

[Hectorjelly]

Hmm.

China was the largest economy in the world for over a millennium without multiculturalism.

.

C'mon, this is pretty silly. Pre-industrial revolution per capita GDP was roughly the same all around the world, so the biggest economy in the world was just based on who had the most people. China at some point in the 19th century had a third of the world's population.

[Hitchhiker's Guide To...]

I'm surprised a man of your supposed intellectual bent would use such outdated notions of 'success'.

How about something like the Human Development Index? The only outlier in the Top 10 is Hong Kong, although I guess they still have positive hangovers from the good old days.

I think you are lowering the tone of the conversation by talking about human freedoms. I'm talking about future investment returns. A decent amount of those countries in the top 20 are probably going to see declining economies over the next 30 years. That's what your MSCI World Index is primarily invested in.

[Hitchhiker's Guide To...]

Excess covid deaths? + maybe some hangover from Trumpist immigration policy

I see you went for the 'guess the article content' approach rather than read it. It notes that Biden has done very little to lift Trump's policies as there isn't enough domestic support for much more than that.