Bad beat/Moaning/Venting thread - Wordle Gummidge

[Tar.Aldarion]

omg - give me a link to where to get that!

I don't really get the point of the guy surrounded by vegetables, but about to cut bread. Whats the bread-cutting message? Why isn't he making a salad.

You know the classic meal of bread witha lot of raw vegetables and OJ.
https://eu.clickandgrow.com/ - yes being lazy is more expensive, but sweet for more greenery in houses and you can eat it. Perfect for people who can't keep a cactus alive.

[Lazare]

Oh I love that. Could you successfully grow coriander in one of those?

[Keane]

Serious work Hitch, looks great.

[Mellor]

Behold my ultimate lazy hipster planned setup. Hydroponics where you just fill the water tank so don't need to water it, lights are on a timer or controlled with a gesture or an app and you choose produce like a coffee pod service. Strawberries, tomatoes, basil whatever. It's so ridiculous, your plants have names in the app, it has a progress bar, it's all gamified. I love it.

GeEeAjLl.jpg

60lSPfhl.jpg

I could do with one of them. Living in an apartment but have a large enough outdoor terrace - by apartment standards. But it’s hard landscaped so everything is in pots. And never seem to last long.

Have a pair of decent sized palms. A chilli plant that’s lasted a few years, just replaced. But tried herbs a few times, mint, sage, chives, etc and they just get savaged by caterpillars and bugs. So gave up, and went with normal plants and flowers. But weather has been chaos - massive downpour followed by heatwave. So they’re flooded one day and a crispy death the next.

[Tar.Aldarion]

Yup they can do coriander Lazare.
They are perfect for most of us living in apartments or in urban areas. I'd say the only downside is once your pod of nutrients runs out the plant would die and you'd have to grow another. At least you could spice it up at that stage and switch. There is also the aerogarden which i think is for longer lasting stuff, but more effort adding the stuff and has a moving pump.

[Raoul Duke III]

Admiring HH's gardening frenzy - in my experience edible stuff, apart from hardy yokes like rosemary, is a waste of time as something else will eat if before you get the chance.

El Stuntdog (RIP) used to rob the strawberries at the first sign of ripeness.

[tylerdurden94]

Morning folks.

I'm looking to get a new Macbook for work and was thinking about buying it in the US but I can configure it a little different in Ireland to bring the cost down and make it comparable. Does anybody here have an "in" with getting money off stuff from Apple that could help me out?

[Raoul Duke III]

Surely it's time to kick out all Russian diplomats from Ireland. Given what their country is now doing they serve no purpose and we shouldn't enable their lies and spying operations.

[ComradeCollie]

Admiring HH's gardening frenzy - in my experience edible stuff, apart from hardy yokes like rosemary, is a waste of time as something else will eat if before you get the chance.

El Stuntdog (RIP) used to rob the strawberries at the first sign of ripeness.

I loved the potatoes I grew 3 years ago, though have been too lazy to dig up more of the garden that would be needed to have them in a rotation. Planted some gooseberry plants in 2020, so not expecting much in the way of a crop until 2023.

[Wombatman]

The IPB Masters Golf Sweep 2022 is open for entries!

https://www.irishpokerboards.com/forum/forum/gambling/general-gambling/1716928-ipb-the-masters-golf-sweep-2022

Voted best Golf Sweep of 2021

[Tar.Aldarion]

Admiring HH's gardening frenzy - in my experience edible stuff, apart from hardy yokes like rosemary, is a waste of time as something else will eat if before you get the chance.

El Stuntdog (RIP) used to rob the strawberries at the first sign of ripeness.

I bought a basil plant and my cat ate it all over one night. I had googled to make sure it was non toxic to cats before buying it and she had taken that personally.

[Wombatman]

Christ. I can barely keep one plant alive.....

[shrapnel]

my bullets for the masters: Cantlay, Smith, Thomas and Hatton!

[DeadParrot]

It was the other, other thing. Good news.

You'll find a penny on the street tomorrow.

Other other thing update
+50% wage incentive to stay until "june" to be paid in tax free ex gratia so...march, april, may, june (june contains 2 months tax free)
The wrinkle here is from my view, they are not close to wrapping up by june so +50% may go for another few months as well.
The problem then is i don't have a firm exit date when talking to prospctive employers.
I've floated the idea to redundo me in June and hire me back as a contractor but I need to think about the alternative of staying PAYE in the scenario where I'm getting 50% per month(tax free) plus benefits.

[Micknail]

Surely it's time to kick out all Russian diplomats from Ireland. Given what their country is now doing they serve no purpose and we shouldn't enable their lies and spying operations.

Work just got sent an updated list of sanctioned individuals.
it's a 679 page document, have ctrl+f for Roman and bingo.

[DeadParrot]

This is pretty disturbing.

[Wombatman]

Work just got sent an updated list of sanctioned individuals.
it's a 679 page document, have ctrl+f for Roman and bingo.

Lad on the radio during the week made a solid point re. sanctions.

The first rule to imposing sanctions is that they should hurt the enemy more than they hurt you.

[Raoul Duke III]

This is pretty disturbing.

That reads quite Final Solution-ish...

[Raoul Duke III]

Lad on the radio during the week made a solid point re. sanctions.

The first rule to imposing sanctions is that they should hurt the enemy more than they hurt you.

Have you got some specific sanctions in mind?

[Hitchhiker's Guide To...]

Whatever about the sanctions, we need some cross-European addressing of the loss of household spending power. Minus 4-6% on household spending power is the current estimate. That is 'catastrophic recession' levels of spending reduction. Even the global financial crisis only lowered US consumption by about 4% over two years. I think we could see a massive rise in bankruptcies, as SMEs that were barely hanging on over Covid, now find themselves with spending dramatically reduced.

The main fear, I'd say, is that it will lead to the rise of either extreme-left or extreme-right wing parties getting into power.

[Raoul Duke III]

Whatever about the sanctions, we need some cross-European addressing of the loss of household spending power. Minus 4-6% on household spending power is the current estimate. That is 'catastrophic recession' levels of spending reduction. Even the global financial crisis only lowered US consumption by about 4% over two years. I think we could see a massive rise in bankruptcies, as SMEs that were barely hanging on over Covid, now find themselves with spending dramatically reduced.

The main fear, I'd say, is that it will lead to the rise of either extreme-left or extreme-right wing parties getting into power.

Not sure what policy measures are available though. Whack up interest rates to, say, 5%?

That should help kill inflation but might kill lots of borrowers too.

[Wombatman]

Have you got some specific sanctions in mind?

Oil and gas the obvious one. Can you see the halting gas and oil flows into the EU? Would obviously hurt Russia but............

[Raoul Duke III]

Oil and gas the obvious one. Can you see the halting gas and oil flows into the EU? Would obviously hurt Russia but............

It's down about 30% iirc

[Hitchhiker's Guide To...]

Not sure what policy measures are available though. Whack up interest rates to, say, 5%?

That should help kill inflation but might kill lots of borrowers too.

I'm not sure raising interest rates would help control inflation, given that this inflation isn't primarily caused by too much money, but rather by external factors. As you are aware the purpose of raising interest rates in times of high inflation is to drive money out of the economy and into bank accounts, so it doesn't add to inflationary pressures. But that can't work when the cause of inflation is fundamentally not controllable by the internal market.

Realistically we either need wages to rise significantly, or taxes to fall significantly (allied with a corresponding raise in social welfare rates). Thats super-expensive. A 5% rise in public sector pay - which still results in a loss to public sector workers compared to inflation - is a whopping extra billion euroroonies. The same for social welfare is another billion. So there's two billion extra costs, and we still haven't got to the private sector, who probably need some form of tax cuts (some of which could be used to reduce the extent of public sector pay increases). Total cost of everything is maybe €3-4billion, just to keep things the same as last year. Its not a minor problem. Its a borrowing problem.

[luckforsome]

... Its finally here, the horse picking comp to end all horse picking comps... I am fully expecting a large influx of entrants today and tomorrow...

https://www.irishpokerboards.com/forum/forum/gambling/general-gambling/1716469-new-and-unimproved-aintree-2022-tipping-comp#post1716950

[Hectorjelly]

I'm not sure raising interest rates would help control inflation, given that this inflation isn't primarily caused by too much money, but rather by external factors. As you are aware the purpose of raising interest rates in times of high inflation is to drive money out of the economy and into bank accounts, so it doesn't add to inflationary pressures. But that can't work when the cause of inflation is fundamentally not controllable by the internal market.

Realistically we either need wages to rise significantly, or taxes to fall significantly (allied with a corresponding raise in social welfare rates). Thats super-expensive. A 5% rise in public sector pay - which still results in a loss to public sector workers compared to inflation - is a whopping extra billion euroroonies. The same for social welfare is another billion. So there's two billion extra costs, and we still haven't got to the private sector, who probably need some form of tax cuts (some of which could be used to reduce the extent of public sector pay increases). Total cost of everything is maybe €3-4billion, just to keep things the same as last year. Its not a minor problem. Its a borrowing problem.

Both of your solutions will make this worse, not better. Both reducing taxes or higher wages will stimulate demand, which leads to more money chasing the same amount of goods === higher inflation.

[DeadParrot]

That reads quite Final Solution-ish...

Here's the raw article

https://ria.ru/20220403/ukraina-1781469605.html

[Theresa]

my bullets for the masters: Cantlay, Smith, Thomas and Hatton!

Cam Smith, Thomas, Lowry, and Sheff over here.

[Hitchhiker's Guide To...]

Both of your solutions will make this worse, not better. Both reducing taxes or higher wages will stimulate demand, which leads to more money chasing the same amount of goods === higher inflation.

Thats not correct. It would be correct if these were internally provided goods. But the inflationary thing is externally provided oil and gas. Oil and gas consumption is quite inelastic: supply stays approximately the same whether people have more or less money. So, there wouldn't be an increase in demand with higher pay, and therefore highly unlikely to lead to higher inflation.

[Wombatman]

Masters selections that aren't part of The IPB Masters Golf Sweep 2022 should be shunned like Phil Michelson.

[Raoul Duke III]

Thats not correct. It would be correct if these were internally provided goods. But the inflationary thing is externally provided oil and gas. Oil and gas consumption is quite inelastic: supply stays approximately the same whether people have more or less money. So, there wouldn't be an increase in demand with higher pay, and therefore highly unlikely to lead to higher inflation.

It's not just oil and gas that are causing inflation? Food is massively up as are many other staples.

[Hitchhiker's Guide To...]

It's not just oil and gas that are causing inflation? Food is massively up as are many other staples.

But food is up because of the input costs. Which are once again external cost factors - energy, grain.

[Hitchhiker's Guide To...]

Its a basic enough thing. When inflation is externally determined, the standard approach is to raise incomes to match inflation and prevent loss of standard of living. When it is internally determined, then interest rates need to rise.

There is a bit of a mixture of the two. House price inflation is very high, and that's internally driven (largely), so maybe there needs to be some balance between allowing a small loss of living standards to drive down that portion of cost increases*, and then wage increases to cope with the external inflation.


* although that small loss of living standards would only really be experienced by lower income people, as higher income people tend to be able to demand cost-of-living increases, and those higher income people are what are driving asset price inflation.

[Hectorjelly]

Thats not correct. It would be correct if these were internally provided goods. But the inflationary thing is externally provided oil and gas. Oil and gas consumption is quite inelastic: supply stays approximately the same whether people have more or less money. So, there wouldn't be an increase in demand with higher pay, and therefore highly unlikely to lead to higher inflation.

I assume you mean demand rather than supply.

In any case Energy use is only a part of the current inflationary pressure, and parts of energy demand are highly elastic - commercial use and some of it is relatively inelastic, but will still increase or decrease based on cost. Almost every household across Europe will now be looking for ways to reduce their electricity bill.

There is no doubt that raising rates will combat inflation, it's one of the only things all economists and central bankers agree on. The only question is a) is there the willingness to accept the pain that is needed and b) Can they somehow avoid a bad recession in the process

The inflation in the 70's had many causes, but the Oil Shock was the catalyst - it took almost 10 years for the persistently high inflation to be stamped out, and it required Paul Volcker to massive raise rates. Before that they tried all sorts of nonsense, price controls, badges (!) and other bad economic ideas.

[luckforsome]

Worldle, I don't get... Either you know it or what's the fucking point?

On Wordle I broke a 60 day streak the other day by missing with one of those annoying ones where there are ten options for the fifth letter

... Current record is 72 from 72...

1. 0
2. 3
3. 28
4. 31
5. 7
6. 3

...Puts me -21 after 72 holes (yes I waited until 72 to come back)... Annoyingly I had 2 6's in a row last weekend...

[Hectorjelly]

Its a basic enough thing. When inflation is externally determined, the standard approach is to raise incomes to match inflation and prevent loss of standard of living. When it is internally determined, then interest rates need to rise.

I love the way you say, oh yeah this is a basic thing, and the completely misstate the simple thing. The simple solution to inflation is not to raise people's incomes, that's actually the DIRECT OPPOSITE of what it needed. When people feel wealthier they spend more. Spending more increases inflation. The solution, unfortunately, is to make people feel poorer.

As the saying goes - the solution to high prices is high prices.

[Silver-Tiger]

oleras Lazare Thanks for the help the other day.

Went for this https://www.weber.com/IE/en/barbecue...gid=40#start=1

So impressed by the build and size of it. Really is pretty to look at. 3 Pain staking but Satisfying hours putting it together on Saturday night.
Spend the extra few hundred quid on this model for the closed front, extra burner under the grill and side burner.

Any reccs for tools,recipes or rubs send them my way. Committed to giving it a right spin no matter the weather.

[Hitchhiker's Guide To...]

The inflation in the 70's had many causes, but the Oil Shock was the catalyst - it took almost 10 years for the persistently high inflation to be stamped out, and it required Paul Volcker to massive raise rates. Before that they tried all sorts of nonsense, price controls, badges (!) and other bad economic ideas.

hmm. So did the 10 years of super high-interest rates end inflation, or did the implosion of the OPEC cartel in the early 80s end inflation?



I can't quite describe how bad an idea it would be to heap household borrowing cost increases on households that are also losing 4-6% through cost of living increases.

[dobby]

Living in a big estate I've come to accept that other people will throw stuff into a skip when we get one, that's fine. I'd rather they knocked in and said I'm throwing some stuff in but whatever. I always make sure we fill the big stuff we need to get rid of early so we are not stuck for space in our own poxy skip.

But people just dumping a load of shite beside the fuckin thing for me to then have to put in the skip or leave on the street is mind boggling. Why go to the bother of bringing it all the way to my house and leave it on the ground. Really is some complete morons around.

[Hitchhiker's Guide To...]

I love the way you say, oh yeah this is a basic thing, and the completely misstate the simple thing. The simple solution to inflation is not to raise people's incomes, that's actually the DIRECT OPPOSITE of what it needed. When people feel wealthier they spend more. Spending more increases inflation. The solution, unfortunately, is to make people feel poorer.

As the saying goes - the solution to high prices is high prices.

Let's assume a households base pay last year was 100.

Currently that pay is on track to fall to about 93 relative to last year due to inflation.

How would reducing tax and increasing pay so their pay ends up at about 98 this year, compared to 100 last year, make anyone wealthier?

[DeeBrown]

Worked the weekend in city west doing bar work in the poker hall poker
have to say the Norwegian people are great craic
a pleasure to deal with

Generous to a fault imo.
On the poker table.

[Hectorjelly]

Let's assume a households base pay last year was 100.

Currently that pay is on track to fall to about 93 relative to last year due to inflation.

How would reducing tax and increasing pay so their pay ends up at about 98 this year, compared to 100 last year, make anyone wealthier?

You are confusing the effects of your proposal (which will make people wealthier) and the net effect of the inflation PLUS your proposal. Yes, people are going to be less wealthy, because high inflation is really quite a terrible thing - which is so important to deal with it properly - and not make it worse with short-sighted populist proposals. In your defence, plenty of politicians are now suggesting equally silly measures.

[Hectorjelly]

hmm. So did the 10 years of super high-interest rates end inflation, or did the implosion of the OPEC cartel in the early 80s end inflation?

There wasn't 10 years of super high-interest rates, and no.

[Hitchhiker's Guide To...]

You are confusing the effects of your proposal (which will make people wealthier) and the net effect of the inflation PLUS your proposal. Yes, people are going to be less wealthy, because high inflation is really quite a terrible thing - which is so important to deal with it properly - and not make it worse with short-sighted populist proposals. In your defence, plenty of politicians are now suggesting equally silly measures.

Its really not all that advanced as an idea, that when there is a sudden shock to people's income, that the government steps in with measures to alleviate. Its not a controversial idea, or something that hardly anyone would disagree with.

I think maybe what you are confusing is, if there are systemic reasons for inflation, then these need to be wiped out through higher interest rates. There's no reason to believe that the current inflation is systemic. The idea that policy makers should respond to a sudden shock of 4-6% loss of income, with a solution to take away another few percent of income through raising interest rates*, is bizarre.

With something like this you the government needs to go into protection mode - how to make sure such a sharp decline in income doesn't cause widespread problems. Which is what just about every government in Europe is currently doing (or 'silly measures' as you put it. )


* it could be argued that raising interest rates protects savers from spending power loss, but very few people live off their savings. Those with the highest savings accounts in the form of pensions accounts have these converted to monthly income on retirement. Leaving only the wealthy with substantial savings. Far more people are hurt by rising borrowing costs, than benefit from increased savings account interest rates.

[Hectorjelly]

The idea that policy makers should respond to a sudden shock of 4-6% loss of income, with a solution to take away another few percent of income through raising interest rates*, is bizarre.

And yet that is precisely what they are doing

"Expectations are growing that the U.S. central bank will hike interest rates this year by the most since 2005 as inflation hits a 40-year high. How much depends on who you ask: Goldman Sachs is penciling in seven increases, while traders are betting on at least six, according to CME Group’s FedWatch.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell at a March congressional testimony also opened the door to a massive half-point increase if price pressures don’t settle down, which would be the biggest single rate hike since May 2000."

https://www.bankrate.com/banking/federal-reserve/how-much-will-fed-raise-rates-in-2022/

[Hitchhiker's Guide To...]

And yet that is precisely what they are doing

"Expectations are growing that the U.S. central bank will hike interest rates this year by the most since 2005 as inflation hits a 40-year high. How much depends on who you ask: Goldman Sachs is penciling in seven increases, while traders are betting on at least six, according to CME Group’s FedWatch.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell at a March congressional testimony also opened the door to a massive half-point increase if price pressures don’t settle down, which would be the biggest single rate hike since May 2000."

https://www.bankrate.com/banking/federal-reserve/how-much-will-fed-raise-rates-in-2022/

You had to leave the continent you actually live on, to find a supporting story?!

The ECB approach is much more refrained, and the ECB tends to have a greater focus on social effects of their policies.

FRANKFURT, March 17 (Reuters) - The European Central Bank will be in no hurry to raise interest rates and any move will be gradual, ECB President Christine Lagarde said on Thursday

Thats leaving aside that monetary policy is not the same as fiscal policy.

[Hitchhiker's Guide To...]

Beautiful. Great to see progress in a world that otherwise seems to be going backwards.


Rishi Sunak to launch an NFT issued by the Royal Mint to help make UK 'global cryptoasset hub'

[Hectorjelly]

You had to leave the continent you actually live on, to find a supporting story?!

The ECB approach is much more refrained, and the ECB tends to have a greater focus on social effects of their policies.




Thats leaving aside that monetary policy is not the same as fiscal policy.

Yes, I had to leave the continent to find a bizarre small economy that has no bearing on our discussion lol. Please, either engage with the substance of the argument or don't reply. I can see why your argument with the other professor has gone on for several years!

[Hitchhiker's Guide To...]

Yes, I had to leave the continent to find a bizarre small economy that has no bearing on our discussion lol. Please, either engage with the substance of the argument or don't reply. I can see why your argument with the other professor has gone on for several years!

Surely the monetary system policy that we belong to is the more relevant one, especially as we tend to have a kinder and more inclusive form of capitalism on our continent.

[Hectorjelly]

Beautiful. Great to see progress in a world that otherwise seems to be going backwards.


Rishi Sunak to launch an NFT issued by the Royal Mint to help make UK 'global cryptoasset hub'

In similar news;

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-04/u-k-energy-supplier-gives-electric-blankets-to-tackle-gas-costs

[Hectorjelly]

Surely the monetary system policy that we belong to is the more relevant one, especially as we tend to have a kinder and more inclusive form of capitalism on our continent.

It's interesting you say that, because the only mandate the ECB has is to combat inflation, but the FED have a dual mandate to combat inflation and reduce unemployment. In any case the ECB are raising rates too, and there are a number of complicated details as to why they are being less aggressive about it. For two things, inflation is higher in the US, and parts of the euro zone are heavily indebted.

[oleras]

oleras Lazare Thanks for the help the other day.

Went for this https://www.weber.com/IE/en/barbecue...gid=40#start=1

So impressed by the build and size of it. Really is pretty to look at. 3 Pain staking but Satisfying hours putting it together on Saturday night.
Spend the extra few hundred quid on this model for the closed front, extra burner under the grill and side burner.

Any reccs for tools,recipes or rubs send them my way. Committed to giving it a right spin no matter the weather.

Congrats, shes a buet !

Unless its under a roof, i would buy a very good cover for it.

Tools, Weber do a 3 piece set, around the 50 mark and a good stainless steel brush to clean the grates.

[oleras]

Isnt one of you a prof of Economics....

[Lazare]

oleras Lazare Thanks for the help the other day.

Went for this https://www.weber.com/IE/en/barbecue...gid=40#start=1

So impressed by the build and size of it. Really is pretty to look at. 3 Pain staking but Satisfying hours putting it together on Saturday night.
Spend the extra few hundred quid on this model for the closed front, extra burner under the grill and side burner.

Any reccs for tools,recipes or rubs send them my way. Committed to giving it a right spin no matter the weather.

Oh that's an absolute beaut.

I had a similar experience building mine into the late night in my kitchen. Stood there staring at it then for ages.

I bought a rotisserie for mine and have gotten good use.

A staple side I do most times is courgette. Cut in half then slice into about 5mm pieces. Really tasty tossed in olive oil and salt, and great sear marks.

Marinated thighs then another favourite. Marinate them in an oven dish over night, garlic, coriander, soy the main base of the marinade. Put the dish straight in with the thighs skin side down and cook indirect for 20 mins at 200. Then flip them skin side up for another 20 mins. Take them out and crank the BBQ up to full. I put them back in then (out of the dish) on the top rack for 5 mins.

Awesome.

Enjoy man.

[ComradeCollie]

So, did anyone draw a cock in their time capsule?

[Hitchhiker's Guide To...]

Was having a think about food last night.

Mainly the contrast between pizzas and burgers.

We seem to, as a country, have solved perfect pizza. Its almost impossible to get a non-wood-fired pizza with San Marzano tomatoes in Dublin. With a really decent chorizo, or pepperoni, a high quality cheese offering. All hail the pizza makers of Ireland.

While our burgers are dire. There was a time when burgers were our thing. Remember the hype over Jo'Burg when it first opened in Rathmines? But even that wasn't very good. There's the abomination that is wowburger that seems to have taken over everywhere based on good finance access, but very little in the way of taste. I wonder if maybe burgers, in general, just aren't very good as a type of food? Or do we fuck them up badly?

There seems a small outside possibility that those Chinese burgers that are popping up everywhere might rescue the humble burger. That soft-wetish dough and then that hit of flavour from the pork or whatever in the middle, seems to have loads of possibilities. Maybe the fast food war between pizzas and burgers can move on to that new plain?

[MysteryGuest]

Government must do this, government must do this, bankers must do this, bankers must do that.
it’s all tinkering- we are fucked- energy crunch is permanent
Humanity won the geological lotto with hydrocarbons and spunked it like chavs

i see people are already getting bored of the Ukraine war and are dropping their Ukrainian refugees back at the shelter btw

[Hitchhiker's Guide To...]

What Irish thing could I bring to a family (with two kids) I'm having dinner with on Friday? They are in the middle of Ramadan, so probably wouldn't welcome a rake of sweets for the kids, and the traditional Irish liquors are out the window too. It shouldn't look too substantial, as that would feel like I put excessive effort into it, which might put them out. I'm drawing a bit of a blank.

[dobby]

So, did anyone draw a cock in their time capsule?

We ended up writing down a load of shit that's happening in our lives thats not asked on the census. Stuff we've done in the last couple of years, how our lives have changed a bit and plans for the future.

Will do the same for the next one so whoever gets unlucky enough to read about it in 100 years can see if we got anywhere with our plans.

[Hitchhiker's Guide To...]

Think I said something like 'I hope you are all happy', as I was feeling that not many people would ask about them. Felt a bit sad writing the whole thing, as it made it real that well - we'll all be dead when these are read. Like Dobby's idea.