DIY shopping and other strangeness

[fluffymark]

So, just for a change, I tried out Tesco’s self-service checkout. And it felt surreal and strange. A delightful sense of childish joy waving food over the scanner with feelings of YAY every time it went beep when it finally found the barcode. It felt more like playing with a fun new shiny gadget than actually paying for things. Something was certainly missing from the shopping experience here. It even accepted a quick swipe from my Chip+PIN card without PIN or signature, which was somewhat disconcerting. Like, that’s all? I can walk out of the shop now? *meeep*

Am still coming down off the Ardgour-holiday high. It feels really odd eating meals all on my own. Or in fact, being on my own. I guess I’m missing people, and I’m looking forward to atreic and emperor‘s wedding ceilidh immensely now, so I can see all the pretty people again. Work doesn’t seem to be work at the moment, it’s just a place with people and things to do that doesn’t seem quite real. The mad window-attacking bird vanished while I was away, so that’s something. I wonder where it went? Will it be back? One of those unanswerable mysteries I suppose. *wonders*

Life is looking good. May is here (happy belated Beltaine to those who celebrate it), summer is spreading its first wings, and for once I’m enjoying the warm outdoors (I’ve just started filling the freezer with my summer survival kit of icecubes, just in case - too much heat and I go wah!!). Lots of people have been giving me chocolate (always a way to make a happy fluffymark) so I’m bouncing merrily. Oh yes, and I’m suddenly feeling rich - just got paid today, also certain people have finally paid back some debts to me, and I just had a peek at some investments and I’m laughing. A year ago I dropped a pile of savings into a fund with strong exposure to the Russian stock market, which has since skyrocketed. So, when do I sell? *excitedbounces*

Tomorrow is a polling day. For the first time ever, we’ve been flyered to death. I just scooped up the mountain of flyers that had been accumulating under the front door, and had a look what they actually say. Labour and the Lib Dems both launch into a scathing attack of each other, pointing out all the faults of their opponents, and say nothing about what they stand for, other than vague “make things better!!” statements. Respect appear to be subtly rebranding themselves from anti-war to anti-Blair, so they actually have something to campaign against (but it’s supposed to be a local election, surely? ah well). And the Greens are at pains to point out how much more green they are than any other party encroaching on their green-ness. All of which leaves me wonderfully confused!!! No sign at all of the Conservatives, BNP or UKIP here, I suspect all the right-wingers have gone into hiding. Don’t you just love election campaigns? *amused*

Anyway, just for the hell of it, a poll! *curioussmile*

[Poll #721886]

Comments

[pinkdormouse.livejournal.com]

I've no idea whether we're supposed to be voting here. Nothing's come through the letter box that I'm aware of.

[fluffymark]

*nods* I'm totally used to getting nothing at all like that. Which is why I'm amused by the huge pile of flyers that have been building up this time around. Apparently Labour won by only a very small handful of votes last time here, so the campaigning has been somewhat intense this time.

[neilh.livejournal.com]

I get a chance to vote for Fast Freddy (http://www.omrlp.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=128&Itemid=2)

[randomchris.livejournal.com]

We don't get to vote, because we live in Scotland.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

The novelty of the little beeping machine wears off after the 95th customer in a day with ten thousand cans of baby food that are all different who then drops all the bags on the floor and tries to get them free after you've done the paying bit.

[fluffymark]

Fast Freddy says:

"Starting with my main area TRANSPORT:
All roads to be Astroturfed to give us a more greener environment.
All cycle paths to be used by people with pogo sticks because they are fun
and dangerous
And (seriously) our country park car park can be used as the new park and ride
site. This will also help stop the country park from going bust, although it's crap so don't go there.

ENVIRONMENT
It's a big stink in my village or a big thing.

We have an agricultural collage with its summer muck spreading as well as a land fill site what obviously stinks and a sewage works what smells delightful in the summer.

So my solution to this issue is to add to it with the building of a new plastic recycling center on our village green belt what will pump out acrylic smoke.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING
I will create a tenting field and a small estate of mansion houses near the sewage works, as no one would want to spend a lot of money to live there.

SPORTS
The proposed rowing lake will be filled with sea fish to give anglers an alternative to fresh water fishing.
It will be frozen over each winter so that the Fen tradition of ice skating can be revived."

*bows down and worships* The affordable housing policy there is a gem. :) You've got to love the Monster Raving Loony Party. *giggles*

So, are you voting for him? ;)

[fluffymark]

Scotland is perfect. I want to move to Scotland.

[fluffymark]

Ouch. Yes, that would be bad. Actually, what I found annoying was having to pack each and every item just after I'd swiped it, as there's no room to put things aside. Whiched slowed thigns down, as I wanted to grab the next item straght away and make it go BEEP but I couldn't until I'd properly packed the previous one. Maybe I'm just too impatient for it.

[neilh.livejournal.com]

I was somewhat put off by the "more greener environment", but I'm not sure theres any better candidates.

Probably end up not voting again, as is usual, just because none of the candidates (even Freddy) really represent me or anything I care about.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

You get into a routine after six hours sitting at a till making things go beep and putting them in bags. Believe me.

[fluffymark]

Poor Freddie. He's going to be heartbroken and sobbing into his top hat to hear that.

[fluffymark]

I can believe that. I should enjoy making things go BEEP while it still has novelty value. This will explain the evil grin from the Tesco person supervising the self-service checkouts, who instead of making things go BEEP gets to watch people slog it out making things go BEEP themselves. The satisfaction must be overwhelming. Oh dear.

[neilh.livejournal.com]

Ooo, that was a bit grammar Nazi of me, wasn't it? How unlike me - I'm normally on the other end of that sort of attitude.

Apologies Freddy.

[dave holland (from livejournal.com)]

A delightful sense of childish joy

Aye. Joshua, aged 6, loves it. :-) Sadly he's not tall enough to reach into the trolley to get things out, so self-service expeditions involve me running between the trolley (to unload it), the scanner (to BEEP the things he can't, e.g. things wrapped in crinkly plastic), and the packing area (to get the stuff in bags faster than he can BEEP it). Still it's good fun.

If you put a lot of identical items through one after another as fast as you can, the scanner sometimes gets confused and loses track of how many items you have actually bought. *cough*

Mainly an answer, sorry if it comes across as too biased

[inskauldrak.livejournal.com]

Erm, Mark, you might want to read many of the previous leaflets (over the past 12 months as well as the recent ones) which do refer to local positive work we've done and indeed, non-vague actual delivery.

Ok, so I'm clearly biased, but all I'd say is:

1. Whatever people might say of the LibDems nationally (and I do have friends who are card-carrying members), the local candidates fielded in our ward do not deserve your vote - and I can fill you in on the reasons for that in more detail if you want.

2. I won't slag off the Greens, particularly as their candidate here is a good guy who we get on with very well and is local. But even if you vote for him you still have two votes left.

3. BNP & UKIP - no candidates in this ward, though they have turned up in Chingford. They'd get laughed out of town (or worse!) round here, thankfully.

4. Tories - have done *a* leaflet but I haven't seen it through our door. They have no real base in Waltham Forest except for the Chingford bit where they're rock solid. They don't expect to take votes around here and so aren't trying.

5. Labour - well, if you want local (aside from what I've mentioned above and again will happily give you info) then all I'd say is, do you really think I'd have given up that much of my life lately (and in the past) if it was just about a 'party'?

Our current councillors are good people who work themselves into the ground to make things better (and I've seen how upset they are if it's beyond their power, though they still try and find ways to help).

More than that, as they're my friends, I know just how much of the 'easy life', or the 'career-life' they've sacrificed because they believe in doing the right thing for other people.

[inskauldrak.livejournal.com]

The majorities in a lot of the borough are fairly (for values of under 100) tight, it's just that when they hold, people forget how close things were the last time 'cos they've had a councillor of X party for years.

[pinguhateseng.livejournal.com]

Work doesn’t seem to be work at the moment, it’s just a place with people and things to do that doesn’t seem quite real.

Is that in a bad way?

Oh yes, and I’m suddenly feeling rich

Ooooh good.

All in all, I'd say you have the perfect set up for packing up and going to a new country and having an adventure.

Sorry...I shan't let you live this one down. You know what I'm like.

*prod prod*

Go on!

[robert-jones.livejournal.com]

If these results are reflected nationwide...!

[mstevens.livejournal.com]

I have never had a chance to show my support for the monster raving loonies. This makes me sad.

[cassielalone.livejournal.com]

A year ago I dropped a pile of savings into a fund with strong exposure to the Russian stock market, which has since skyrocketed. So, when do I sell? *excitedbounces*

Maybe my mother could help you with that. She's really good at the whole stockmarket thing. (She's made a fair bit of money on it.) ^_^

[fluffymark]

I've seen them on the ballot paper before, in Cambridge I think (although sadly not in person). I always have a good look at the ballot paper for any oddities, like them, or the Natural Law party, or whatever. A couple of years ago I found the Communist Party were fielding a candidate, which was quite something.

[mstevens.livejournal.com]

I've had the commies, always half tempted to vote for them.

[fluffymark]

If you put a lot of identical items through one after another as fast as you can, the scanner sometimes gets confused and loses track of how many items you have actually bought. *cough*

I shall have to remember that. :)

Will you be at the Ceilidh on Saturday?

[ashfae.livejournal.com]

Not allowed to vote. Baaaaaaaaaaah.

[fluffymark]

You are being EVIL and you know it! Wah!!!

[fluffymark]

I suspect that my friends are not typical of the population as a whole, somehow. Maybe this explains why I love my friends, but not people in general. *nods*

[fluffymark]

ooooooh!! And she's visiting soon and I do want to see her as I like your mum so we should arrange something *nods*

Re: Mainly an answer, sorry if it comes across as too biased

[fluffymark]

Is ok, you're allowed to be biased. How goes the final campaigning?

[dave holland (from livejournal.com)]

Yep! Avec famille!

[fluffymark]

I like collecting flyers at election time and giggling at them!

Most flyers are indeed giggle-worthy. I mean, even those parties that have good ideas often don't put them acrosss properly in a flyer. The presentation is usually horrible. Badly photocopied leaflets in broken english with blurry photos of the candidates just put me off voting for people. Respect even attempted to do cartoons (of all things!), and they were just laughable. :)

[fluffymark]

Because you're American, or because you're in Scotland, or both? :/

[fluffymark]

Hooray! :)

[pinguhateseng.livejournal.com]

Just saying what you KNOW you want to hear!

Bwah ha ha ha haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

[fluffymark]

You're still EVIL.

However, I suppose I should really get around to sort out what I'm doing this summer and plan a few holidays and the like. Going away for a while for an adventure is a good plan. Not coming back and living there may be a bit too scary for now.

[pinguhateseng.livejournal.com]

Oh stop being such a fraidy cat! Look, you're older and richer than me, but I'm the one who dissapeared into the depths of Russia. Ok, maybe that just shows that I'm more stupid and have less to lose...

My point it that being a bit scared is normal - any big change is scary - but if you ever do it, it sounds like now is a good opportunity for you.

Go on!

:)

[ashfae.livejournal.com]

Hmm, both actually. Scotland's already had its local elections. Alas, I couldn't vote in them either, because while I am a resident I'm not a citizen. Grrr.

In fact, the only thing I'm allowed to vote in at the moment are US Presidential elections. Those, at least, I never miss! (for all the good it did the last two times, grrrrrrrrr)

[the-lady-lily.livejournal.com]

I have just seen evil_nick's photos of Matt and Sally's wedding - what colour has your hair gone, my peroxide petal??

[fluffymark]

Sweetie, my hair has gotten very exciting over the past two months. I dyed it deep dark RED way back in March, and since then it's changed colour every time I've washed it, so now it's more a pinky colour and the peroxide is showing through again. If you'd been looking at Nick's photos of Ardgour you'd find a lot more photos of me with reddish hair.

[the-lady-lily.livejournal.com]

At the time, looking at Ardgour photos kind of died under the 'must do piles of GREEK' angst. But all the same, minor sulk for not seeing wonderful shiny Mark hair before now!