I have a week of trade shows to attend
This is not a good thing. Late nights, tyre-kickers, no seats and overpriced crap food*. What's in store this week for you my dear fellow B3TANs?

Alt: The TV adverts - I managed to avoid them** until last night at my G/F's place. Good stuff or schmalzfest?

*One I went to last week was 'free catered'. Everything had some sort of sauce on it - from mayonnaise to some sort of pickly/appley gloop. I don't eat sauces or other crap in my sandwiches at all. Ever. I explained this. The caterer brought me a cheese sandwich. With pickle in it because 'Everyone likes pickle'. Nearly throatpunched the twat.
** Still don't own a TV and after watching for a couple of hours last night I won't be buying one any time soon.
(Captain Placid 24/7 ball gags, brownie mix and clown porn, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 7:56, 130 replies, latest was 12 years ago)

A new morning low for OT
Mayonnaise on sandwiches is good. Everything else is evil.

It's my birthday today. Happy birthday to me etc etc.
( rachelswipe with a fork, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 8:32, Reply)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
+ NO BUTTER
( MEATSNAKE Richard Hammond, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 8:36, Reply)

Happy Birthday.

( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 8:52, Reply)

\o/

( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 9:32, Reply)

Happy Birthday to you etc etc

( Theoban What of it, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:17, Reply)

Harpy Birthday!

( The Light in Chains don't touch the Pope's boner, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 11:14, Reply)

Fussy eater.
And this is from a vegetarian.
( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 8:42, Reply)

Ha. Good old Paxo.
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/downing-street-demands-apology-after-jeremy-paxman-calls-david-cameron-complete-idiot-8931226.html
( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 8:45, Reply)

He's made a good point about WW1.

( Fucking hell Jeff I am not a robot, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 8:51, Reply)

Why do old biddies insist on calling WW1 the great war
Surely WW2 with its use of nuclear weapons was loads better.
( Peej, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 9:11, Reply)

^TGGI
WW1 was a 'good' war, but it wasn't 'great' like 'Nam or Gulf War II: The Return to Baghdad
( MEATSNAKE Richard Hammond, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 9:13, Reply)

I reckon, right, we spend £5m on the knees-up, then the rest can be put towards some kind of public services/project involving the military.

( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:06, Reply)

Happy birthday to Swipe,
happy birthday to Swipe,
happy biiiirrrrthhhhhday dear Swipe,
happy birthdsy to you.
How old then? Biological clock still ticking?
Yrah know what you mean about the telly, last night was the first time I saw the Christmas ads, fucking hell they were bad. Especially the M n S one and the Cadbury one.
(Pookie Bear had some very shiny foez, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 8:57, Reply)

I have a whole day off this week.
I'm also going to eat tapas and drink cocktails.
( MEATSNAKE Richard Hammond, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 9:00, Reply)

This week I will be mostly catching up on work stuff and sorting some Christmas presents out
Alt:
Christmas ads are 100% shite - see also Christmas songs
( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 9:07, Reply)

Christmas songs need to be hunted down and gassed like badgers.

(Pookie Bear had some very shiny foez, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 9:13, Reply)

*trigger fingers*

( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 9:18, Reply)

*back of the net*

(Pookie Bear had some very shiny foez, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 9:22, Reply)

Not all of them
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIvH5GdY4JE
( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 9:13, Reply)

Isn't Coventry Carol YM's stage name?

( MEATSNAKE Richard Hammond, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 9:14, Reply)

*longs for JU-88*

( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 9:18, Reply)

hello?
Is this thing on?
( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 9:39, Reply)

No.

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 9:40, Reply)

ahh
That explains it
( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 9:41, Reply)

Bit early for the philipino's to start celebrating chrstimas innit? They've already got trees up in their shops and houses. Seems a bit early to me.

( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 9:39, Reply)

Idiot.

( Fucking hell Jeff I am not a robot, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 9:47, Reply)

You rang?

( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 9:52, Reply)

ahh thanks for all the birthday love
where are you all, though? it feels like sitting at the bedside of an elderly relative.

who hasn't made a will.
( rachelswipe with a fork, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 9:50, Reply)

I'm here
Happy birthday missy
( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 9:52, Reply)

How'd the weekend lezfest go?
Any pictures?
(Pookie Bear had some very shiny foez, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 9:58, Reply)

LOADS

( rachelswipe with a fork, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:35, Reply)

Happy birthday swipey

( Windy Pig I'm naturally quite suspicious about the moon., Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:01, Reply)

It's your birthday?
Facebook never fucking told me, how I am expected to remember, eh?
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:21, Reply)

yes i think i took it off my personal info
along with any kind of relationship status, partly because i'm not 12, and partly because you just get a million horrible blokes from random countries wanting to be your friend.

no, wait. the other one. a green card.
( rachelswipe with a fork, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:22, Reply)

Disappointing
I've only had about 4 goal-digging sluts from other countries try and friend me. I must have my privacy better set up. Or have a sufficiently ugly profile pic.

Happy fukken Birthday and that. *mwah*
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:34, Reply)

ahh thank you sweetness xx

( rachelswipe with a fork, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:35, Reply)

I get at least one bloke from india or pakistan every couple of days 'cus of this coding group i'm on.
It's scary the amount of people on there who consider themselves developers yet are releasing dangerously bad code.
( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 11:16, Reply)

Unless it's controlling a train
or a nuclear deterrent, I'm struggling to see how bad code can be "dangerous"...
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 11:28, Reply)

Facebook is usually pretty indiscreet with sharing information, so she must've hidden it.

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:23, Reply)

Facebook told my mum that i'd been smoking :(

( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:40, Reply)

Oh man, I'm still scared of my mum finding out that I've ever smoked.

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:44, Reply)

My mum only found out about my tattoos a couple of years ago
I'm 38.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 11:10, Reply)

Our backup guy has gone on holiday for a couple of weeks
So I'm spending my morning familiarising myself with the backups. I texted him an MMS plus two SMSs with details for him to check earlier. I've just remembered that he's in Malaysia. I shall enjoy that bill.
( Kroney, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 9:50, Reply)

Get a work phone

( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 9:52, Reply)

No thanks.

( Kroney, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 9:53, Reply)

Its easy
Turn it off when you go home
( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 9:54, Reply)

Or live somewhere without a reception

(Bonzodog29 is an unemployed sponge of the worst kind, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 11:22, Reply)

Where will my receptionist sit?

( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 11:22, Reply)

On your lap.

( MEATSNAKE Richard Hammond, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 11:23, Reply)

It doesn't cost more to send texts to phones that are abroad.

( Bazongaloid, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:02, Reply)

Oh yeah? Bargain.
Every day's a school day.
( Kroney, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:04, Reply)

It may cost him more to receive them mind

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:12, Reply)

That's his stupid fault then.

( Bazongaloid, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:13, Reply)

Prick should've though of that before he went to Malaysia.
Alright Al?
( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:15, Reply)

Not really.
Got a bit of a bug, feeling a bit shit and the mrs and child are off up to Blackpool for a few days seeing relatives. So while it's nice to have the house to myself, it's also weird not having them around.

How's you?
( Bazongaloid, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:17, Reply)

Blackpool? How ghastly for them.
All good here, the placid-wind-down to Christmas has begun.
( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:22, Reply)

You work with placid? Oh you poor sod, a more misanthropic cunt I have never encountered.

( Bazongaloid, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:23, Reply)

I have been constantly ill since minibadger went to nursery
It's fucking amazing how a group of things with such pathetic immune systems can harbour bugs that fuck you into next week
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:36, Reply)

^ tggi

( Fucking hell Jeff I am not a robot, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:41, Reply)

pffffffffffffffffffffft
M
A
N
F
L
U
( rachelswipe with a fork, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:42, Reply)

I currently sound like I smoke 80 gitanes a day
Which is slightly ironic as the only time I've basically smoked in the last year or two was out with you lot.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 11:01, Reply)

She starts nursery next month. I've been told by all my dad friends to anticipate taking a week off work with vomiting and shitting through the eye of a needle

( Bazongaloid, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:44, Reply)

You can't tell where someone is, but it's a UK number, so it's not fair for you to foot the bill if that uk number is in timbucktoo.... it's up to the person in timbucktoo.

( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:10, Reply)

You still get charged more to call someone's phone if they are out of the country though.

( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:35, Reply)

I couldda swarn that you'd only pay more if there was a of knowing they were out of the country via their number.

( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 11:11, Reply)

Today is one last day of mooching about the house,
Do a little tidying and cleaning and that. Then new job starts tomorrow. A bit frightened and excited, it's going to be weird after having done nothing else other than catering work. Still, on and upwards.

Alt: what adverts? I just sort of tune them out, or wander off for a few minutes, I'm sure they're utter bullocks though.
( Windy Pig I'm naturally quite suspicious about the moon., Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:00, Reply)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWIPE.
I had a great weekend with my brother and my dad, celebrating my brother getting his MA.

My dad is a fucking liability - he'll chat to anything in a skirt, and by the time we got to the restaurant after having spent the afternoon in the pub, instructed us loudly that "I think I'm ready to start singing, now!"

Thankfully I managed to shut him down on that this time.

TV adverts are great - particularly when discussed with left-wing students.
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:07, Reply)

Are students particularly grumpy about adverts?

( Windy Pig I'm naturally quite suspicious about the moon., Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:10, Reply)

The ones I hung about with were.
Capitalism?! CRAPitalism, more like! Adverts are symptomatic of the cultural hegemony that keeps the working classes repressed and unquestioning. Hey - can I borrow a couple of quid to make up enough to buy an eighth?"
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:12, Reply)

That sort of student is almost never working class themselves.
Still, it's nice of them to spend their inheritance/grants gained from their parents'/the public's devotion to the same cultural hegemony they're decrying in the pub in order to lecture the uninterested about the rights of people that think they're lazy, work-shy pricks.
( Kroney, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:19, Reply)

I think that anyone who has to work for a living is working class.
So students are generally a bit of a Schrodinger's cat there - not working because they don't have to at university, but they will do when they get out.
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:22, Reply)

The middle class have to work for a living, too. So do the upper class, frequently.
It's the type of job you have along with your family's social history that determines your class.
( Kroney, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:24, Reply)

See, I'm not sure I agree.
I think the "Middle" class are also working class, due to them having to work.

I'd say class was defined by disposable income.

Although if anything the concept of class is merely bigotry fed to the prolitariat to keep them fighting among themselves.
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:34, Reply)

What?
Surely the middle class are generally office or at least intelligence based, where the working class, although often highly skilled are more in the manual labour category?
Although I'm from an intensely middle class family, yet both me and my brother have taken fairly manual jobs. Its not clear cut as you say, but there is a definite distinction between working and middle.
I think the line is more blurry middle to upper. At what staley point do you jump the ship and move on up?
( Windy Pig I'm naturally quite suspicious about the moon., Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:40, Reply)

Isn't it more to do with how you refer to your evening meal and whether you have a lock on the loo door?

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:46, Reply)

Well I don't know. There aren't any hard and fast rules or laws.
Hence my speculating that it's actually just a divisive concept fed to keep people fighting amongst themselves due to snobbery.

I've never quite understood why class is so important to some people's self-identity, or why people are judged on it.

I just figured that to my - admittedly little - mind - if one were to make distinctions, doing it on a financial assessment would be easier than by something as intangible as job type - an artist has a very manual job, but often being such is associated with being middle class, and I have never met a working plumber that's poor.
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:47, Reply)

Fair enough, but there does seem to be a cultural distinction,
Like you say, a plumber is rarely poor, but does he spend his money the same as a similarly earning artist or office clerk or so on?
( Windy Pig I'm naturally quite suspicious about the moon., Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:55, Reply)

Well what he spends his money on - that's where we get back into snobbery, isn't it?
If a plumber buys a coffee percolator and prefers a light salmon salad with a mint & pea puree and artisan bread instead of a full English, is he working class, middle class, or just in need of a good shoeing?
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:57, Reply)

Class is traditionally defined as working class = manual/trade work
and middle class = professional/clerical.

Since it's only a social tradition in the first place, I reckon that'll do.
( Kroney, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 11:01, Reply)

I Will settle with kroney on this i reckon.I
It's not that important to me either.
( Windy Pig I'm naturally quite suspicious about the moon., Mon 11 Nov 2013, 11:03, Reply)

You're a gentleman electrician.
You should put this on your van and turn up to jobs wearing a monocle.
( Kroney, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 11:11, Reply)

This I really like.
"Gosh, madam - what Ceboidea installed THIS device? The parameters of its setting are barely cognisant!"
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 11:13, Reply)

Ah, the apostrophe. It will always betray the grammatically upwardly mobile.

( Kroney, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 11:16, Reply)

Gah.

( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 11:21, Reply)

What if your trade is as a clerical professional? Pffft.
But yes - I largely agree.

Basically I don't like to associate with anyone who gets their hands dirty for a living, as they're a bit common.
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 11:06, Reply)

If your work is clerical professional, it isn't a trade by definition.

( Kroney, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 11:07, Reply)

Solicitors, lawyers - these are clerical jobs. Administrators, too.
I see your point - I'm just mocking how completely arbitrary the boundaries are.
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 11:11, Reply)

EXCUSE ME
clerical, my fucking arse.
( rachelswipe with a fork, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 11:13, Reply)

It's just being able to read quite well, and be good at filing.

( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 11:14, Reply)

it's like being a fish
the bait and the urge to rise to it are irresistible.............
( rachelswipe with a fork, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 11:16, Reply)

They're professions, not trades.
It's not really that arbitrary, you work with your hands, it's a trade. Though why it's been decided that trades are working class and professions are not, I don't know. It doesn't seem terribly applicable anymore as you have to sit through qualifications to check a boiler just as you have to sit through qualifications to effect a civil law suit.

Still, there it is. I'm just pointing out what the boundaries are, not commenting on their relevance.
( Kroney, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 11:14, Reply)

So a surgeon's a tradesman?
Or a pilot?
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 11:16, Reply)

You're not going to knock down any social boundaries by splitting hairs, you know.

( Kroney, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 11:17, Reply)

Hahaha

( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 11:20, Reply)

yeah
that would make you a barber. tres working class.
( rachelswipe with a fork, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 11:32, Reply)

"Trays"

( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 11:35, Reply)

No, she washes hair

( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 11:38, Reply)

He's an idiot - what kid of breakfast is that?

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 11:01, Reply)

Well - quite.

( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 11:13, Reply)

Work, training course, phone shopping.
Department xmas dinner on Sunday. Not entirely sure why we're having it this early, but there you go...
Alt: they do seem overly schmaltzy this year. That John Lewis one can fuck right off.

Alt Alt: happy birthday swipe.
( b3th Not shit. Not mod., Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:08, Reply)

Christmas dinner?
In November?
( Windy Pig I'm naturally quite suspicious about the moon., Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:10, Reply)

You've worked in the hospitality industry, why is this a surprise to you?

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:14, Reply)

True.
Every year it would get earlier. And every year I was surprised. But it's not even mid November.
( Windy Pig I'm naturally quite suspicious about the moon., Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:31, Reply)

To be fair, it's not really a xmas dinner
so much as a department night out.
( b3th Not shit. Not mod., Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:15, Reply)

I'm taking my research group out on 22nd Nov for christmas thing
it's the only friday everyone can do. still, at least it means we don't have to do christmas bloody menus.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:39, Reply)

You don't have to, but there will be one available.

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 10:47, Reply)

I've just checked
and it does :(
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Mon 11 Nov 2013, 11:09, Reply)