Modern Life, Moaning and Hard Times...Pffft

[Kimbers]

I'm gonna be the positive one with this Topic and I do hope many of you can give me your 2 cents worth as well (good or bad)

 

Is it me or is everyone moaning about something or other? My FB page is full of friends bemoaning life. If it's not Taxes or Minimum cost of Alcohol unit legislation, it's the weather, government, work or some such other!

 

Me and Wendy have a theory that since WW2 that successive govts have given us one disaster after another to worry about and keep us nice and quiet.

 

It was the Cold War, Nuclear Attack, Ozone Layer, Economy then Green Issues (wasn't the planet meant to be in an Ice Age by now?) lack of fossil fuels, Terrorism etc.

 

Maybe, just maybe it's all gone too far now. Maybe we should do our best and work hard and not moan because the Government is going to move you to a smaller council house or tax you a bedroom tax. At least you have a roof over your head. 500,000 people don't in the UK alone!

 

Or moaning that meat is so expensive or that your burger has horse meat in it! Many people won't get enough to eat around the world.

 

Here's a good one I saw this week "I'm going to have to start drinking Carlsberg because my pub has put Stella up to £4.50!" Fuck me! At least you can still afford to have a drink!

 

Another one I saw: "My back hurts and I have had to have a week off to see the Doctor. After xrays and consultancy they told me I had muscle pain from sitting hunched over my desk all day. What good are Doctors?" Well it could be worse, you could have Cancer or something nasty...and while you are at it stop wasting NHS time so people who are really ill can get seen!!

 

Is it me or is it about time we looked at the positives and work to make things better? Was the WW2 generation the last ones who gave everything up to fight for what is right? If it all happened again now why do I get the impression that fighting for your country would break human rights or some excuse?

 

Rant over. Your thoughts?

 

A Happy Kimbers (but slightly annoyed).....(beer o clock I think).

[arbell9]

do we get the wet fish out next time you have a rant at the government or something else and give you one mighty slap?

[Sparky]

First rule of power, mate:  keep your subjects afraid of something, anything, and you retain control over them.

 

The rest of it?  Well, it ain't what happens; it's how you deal with it.  I'm a glass 3/4 full guy.  Yes, 3/4.  I've had truly unbelievable shit to deal with in my life, and I've just smiled and got myself through it.  Nobody hears me moan about how crap things are.  You're dealt the cards; you play them.  No point harping on about how unlucky you are.  I work with people who raise grievances against colleagues if they think they're being looked at in a funny way.  I'd like to slap some sense into them, but society wants to listen to their problems, allocate them an outreach officer, and sign them off for 3 months due to stress or some new name they'll give the affliction that will guarantee a lifetime of research grants to help them put even more fear into us.

 

The difference between them and you (and me), Kimbers, is that when you've truly, TRULY looked death squarely in the eye, your outlook changes, very much for the better.  I fully appreciate the wonders and challenges of life, my family and true friends, because I know the dice could have landed differently.

 

I have crap days like everyone else, but even those are a rich experience!  I'm a lucky guy.

[Günter]

Kimbers, not long ago there was someone moaning about heatache and drunken poker gaming all night long

 

 

 

 

##

..anyway, globalisation was existent and influenced the life of every human even before WW2 ..just see how the Lobbyism and industrial interests lead the world even in colonial time.

 

..other point, everytime if there is a business- & civil crisis in a country 'poor minded and dump people' do what some despotic guys tell them -- just see what an austrian guy had done in munich in the last century, and how industrial and social lobyism had made a use of it. (see there Thyssen-group and all the people from aristrocratic circles who were just to willing to take part in his military plans..)

 

 

..on the point of 'orientation'  -it is the natural character of humans to focus on things to achieve, not the one who are behind. That's why none (or only a few) focus and compare the personal status with those who sleep under a bridge.

In a style of controversial thinking we could say -do you want to change your status with them ?

..or are you willing to give at least half of everything to an other human, one that is not related to the health & wealthy of you own clan ??

 

..even if it sounds odd, I say that I'm not willing to give off and chare anything that I have got -just to start again with nothing.

Of course it gives good feelings to chare some things & help, but everyone has his own personal limits ..there is no general thinking that you can enact by government, or the free will of humans would be a bad joke.

[ramjet]

I sort of try to think by the adage of

 

"90% of the things happening around me I can't influence or change and the other 10% are going to happen anyway, so I try not to worry about them."

 

Doesn't work all the time, but it gets Liz and I through a lot.

It's like the weather. Sun's going to come up, suns' going to go down. It might rain in the middle.

[rogerch]

http://www.myvidster.com/video/4730047/Four_Yorkshiremen

[Mark Blanchard]

"Always look on the bright side of life . . . "

[rogerch]

[molemot]

1957...Harold Macmillan....

"Indeed let us be frank about it - most of our people have never had it so good.

Go around the country, go to the industrial towns, go to the farms and you will see a state of prosperity such as we have never had in my lifetime - nor indeed in the history of this country."

Can't recall any other politician making a speech like that...and he was RIGHT, too!!

I first looked death squarely in the eye in 1952, when my appendix burst and I got peritonitis; 20 minutes from departure and dragged back from the brink by emergency surgery and loads of the latest antibiotics. Since then, it's been gravy all the way so, no matter how hard I try, I can't get miserable anbd cheesed off for more than a couple of minutes. Then again, moaning is an Englishman's right and makes an effective coping strategy...just don't take him seriously!!

[Laura]

I know, it's so annoying when people moan constantly about such topic as:

 

MP's salaries

State pensions

pest control

snow in winter

...

 

talk about first world problems

[slewthy]

People like to moan. At least they are happy.

It probably comes from a lack of anything actually interesting to say. So, its either moan or talk about the weather.

 

Re the glass 1/2 full issue. Some people say that their glasses are overflowing. I'd like to know where all that overflow goes...

 

My glass isnt half empty - its full.

 

Its just that my glass is too big....

Edited March 17, 2013 by slewthy

[basalte]

I think a moan about the misfortunes others have to go through with a suggestion of action to change the "moan-inducing" situation has the necessary air of dignity about it..but I intend to moan anyway, with reasons.      

Edited March 17, 2013 by basalte

[obione]

There are far too many complaing far too much of the time - I try to ingnore them, but they still insist on posting up nonsense on a daily basis on facebook

Still, musn't grumble eh...

[basalte]

Its a shame...things could be so much better for the mass of people as they were in the years from 1945 to 1979 before the Great God of Corporate Profit began to be worshipped for its own sake and before National wealth was shared out  less equally ; when money was the secondary consideration to ensuring a reasonable quality of life for everyone  ; when for example-(surely a  left-wing extremist !) - Harold Macmillan was the prime mover of Comprehensive Schools  and later expressed concern at the very thought of selling "the family silver" of the Nationalised industries and even Ted Heath thought Rolls Royce should be taken into public ownership; there was stable employment, good value public transport, even free school milk. Not a big (or even necessarily healthy) thing in itself but an expression of the State looking out for peoples` well-being. Morality and justice were still more important than a good PR Company ready to "spin" the latest bad news out of existence and when an Australian press baron with US citizenship for tax reasons, controlled less than half the mass media.

There has been a loss of Freedom in the UK over the years. Not the ersatz "freedom" of being able to keep and spend the metal discs and paper rectangles we call Money, but to travel to work and back on a train at sane prices, not to have to worry about your local hospital being closed down, not to have to worry about the gas bill versus the rent, not to worry about keeping up the mortgage payments. A home as a home, not an "investment".

And - Well I Never !  What a coincidence (not) ! The deregulation of the banks and Share trading in 1986 has been a predominant feature in wealth-creation (and equally wealth-nicking) over the same historical period.......its worth exploring that link in inquiring how present-day moans about everyday life have arisen. The lkink between the way national resources are used are inextricably linked with those decIsions as they are in the USA.

The "old" problems of the West associated with the Industrial Reviolution have been outsourced so there can be less moaning about cholera / dysentery / TB / pea-soupers etc. but to go right back to the beginning of this rant, we could all have it so much better if the profoundly distortive effects of the (to some extent inevitable) process best described as "The More You Have, The More You Get" as reversed a bit !     

Edited March 17, 2013 by basalte

[Kimbers]

Whilst I do agree somewhat with you Dan, Your quote obvious punk at Maggie wasn't really what I was looking at More sort of "If you aren't happy then change it. Only you can do it!" sort of thing. This thread isn't meant to be political, they are all as bad as each other.

 

A friend of mine said she needed to get out, earn a little money and get a job to improve her self image. I understand that and in keeping with my impulsive nature I found her the perfect job. 3 hours a night anytime before 5am but after 6pm (when hubby is home and can look after the kids), good money as well!

 

She turned it down. Apparantly she was just "Sounding off" and didn't really want any of that.

 

I know I have been totally guilty of moaning about crap before. But like Sparky says, when you have had a serious illness it gives you a much more positive outlook.

[basalte]

It`s very true Tony, if I went through what you`ve had to put up with, I would indeed have a more positive outlook - I am not exactly proud of some of my moans which cross over into political abstractions that many do not worry about let alone have another formulated view on. It needs another thread !All the best,

Dan

[Kimbers]

Please feel free to start another thread mate. The more threads the merrier! Like you I like General chat but am not into technical stuff. And the nice thing on here is the amount of people who join in with general discussions!!

 

To be honest mate. Yes I went through some bad times but I feel a better person for it since. So it's not all bad!

[USAndretti42]

I'm sick of all these people moaning!  Haven't they got something better to do?  It really gets me down.

[basalte]

Sorry Trevor...but in any case whingeing is often a uniquely British duty : As Bertie Wooster remarked :

 

"I rather fancy it`s Shakespeare who says that it`s always just when a fellow is feeling particularly braced with things in general that Fate sneaks up behind him with the bit of Lead piping" .

[Kimbers]

Hehe I think Trev may have had tongue firmly in cheek with that one!

[Al]

Well it is one of my pet hates (but not that I moan about it!) .  The bloody whinging Brit.  That is all we do as a nation and in a very non specific way, but about ANYTHING!  Glass definitely 1/2 empty folk.

 

I am a ships Captain / Offshore Installation Manager with 180 people working and living in very close proximity to each other. We have to have harmony for any number of reasons. The Oil industry must be one of the most multinational, multicultural environments to work. Every nationality under the sun and the Brits/Limeys are known as "The Whinging Brits" by all.  Good reason as well.  Can't argue with that.  We deserve it. 

 

I have spent all my 38 years working abroad or offshore but preferably offshore abroad.  Recently I changed drillships and came back to UK waters for a while out W of Shetland and was dreading it as the UK National content is much higher here. Still only about 65% thankfully as we are on an international contract.  Luckily we know we are heading off to Canada for 6 months and then Angola in 2014 to drill for the next 3 years so we will lose many of them. Thank God!  Work in a 2nd world country for a while where our standard of living makes us rich beyond their belief and you get a different perspective on life.

 

Off topic but this is my new Tonka toy by the way:

http://www.offshoreenergytoday.com/statoil-signs-drillship-contracts-for-exploration-in-angola/

[rogerch]

Sorry Trevor...but in any case whingeing is often a uniquely British duty : As Bertie Wooster remarked :

 

"I rather fancy it`s Shakespeare who says that it`s always just when a fellow is feeling particularly braced with things in general that Fate sneaks up behind him with the bit of Lead piping" .

 

I hate Shakespeare ! 

[B1 RMA]

Its a shame...things could be so much better for the mass of people as they were in the years from 1945 to 1979 before the Great God of Corporate Profit began to be worshipped for its own sake and before National wealth was shared out  less equally ; when money was the secondary consideration to ensuring a reasonable quality of life for everyone  ; when for example-(surely a  left-wing extremist !) - Harold Macmillan was the prime mover of Comprehensive Schools  and later expressed concern at the very thought of selling "the family silver" of the Nationalised industries and even Ted Heath thought Rolls Royce should be taken into public ownership; there was stable employment, good value public transport, even free school milk. Not a big (or even necessarily healthy) thing in itself but an expression of the State looking out for peoples` well-being. Morality and justice were still more important than a good PR Company ready to "spin" the latest bad news out of existence and when an Australian press baron with US citizenship for tax reasons, controlled less than half the mass media.

There has been a loss of Freedom in the UK over the years. Not the ersatz "freedom" of being able to keep and spend the metal discs and paper rectangles we call Money, but to travel to work and back on a train at sane prices, not to have to worry about your local hospital being closed down, not to have to worry about the gas bill versus the rent, not to worry about keeping up the mortgage payments. A home as a home, not an "investment".

And - Well I Never !  What a coincidence (not) ! The deregulation of the banks and Share trading in 1986 has been a predominant feature in wealth-creation (and equally wealth-nicking) over the same historical period.......its worth exploring that link in inquiring how present-day moans about everyday life have arisen. The lkink between the way national resources are used are inextricably linked with those decIsions as they are in the USA.

The "old" problems of the West associated with the Industrial Reviolution have been outsourced so there can be less moaning about cholera / dysentery / TB / pea-soupers etc. but to go right back to the beginning of this rant, we could all have it so much better if the profoundly distortive effects of the (to some extent inevitable) process best described as "The More You Have, The More You Get" as reversed a bit !

 

Think I pretty much agree with you there.

 

The trouble is today everyone expects so much for so little effort. I have found this with employing people today, I always say they want to start at Managing Director and work their way down.

 

Myself, I float above all the hurly burly loosely following the Pratyekabuddha course through life or at least I think it is on account of a clever chemistry student spiking the fruit punch at a gathering I was invited to when two of my close friends were at Oxford. It was obviously a very powerful halucegenic because my friends tell me I sat in front of this very charismatic man crosslegged who had an amazing powerful type aura about him for virtually the whole evening. I can't remeber a thing he said but it must have rooted itself deep in my mind because I have this laid back stress free calm path through life.

Didn't I read somewhere that Facebook was the domain of whingers don't know as I don't do it.