What grinds my gears...

[bmt]

The standard of journalism is so poor. On the BBC inflation page...

 

 

Note the second sentence - obviously (the clue is in the word) falling inflation doesn't mean prices are going down. The next box under this then reads:

 

The very next box seems to be conflating falling inflation and falling prices (which of course would be deflation if it was generalised).

 

I often find the knowledge of any vaguely economic concepts, and even worse journalists use of statistics, to be criminal.

Edited 20 December 2023 by bmt

[leicsmac]

8 minutes ago, bmt said:

The standard of journalism is so poor. On the BBC inflation page...

 

 

Note the second sentence - obviously (the clue is in the word) falling inflation doesn't mean prices are going down. The next box under this then reads:

 

The very next box seems to be conflating falling inflation and falling prices (which of course would be deflation if it was generalised).

 

I often find the knowledge of any vaguely economic concepts, and even worse journalists use of statistics, to be criminal.

You see these kinds of issues in the scientific articles that the Beeb put out from time to time, too.

 

I guess it's pretty difficult to communicate a (relatively) complex concept in a way that can be understood by as many people as possible while still making sure it retains all its original meaning. Especially in this digital age where it's so easy to subvert the very idea of truth anyway.

[bmt]

6 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

You see these kinds of issues in the scientific articles that the Beeb put out from time to time, too.

 

I guess it's pretty difficult to communicate a (relatively) complex concept in a way that can be understood by as many people as possible while still making sure it retains all its original meaning. Especially in this digital age where it's so easy to subvert the very idea of truth anyway.

I agree although think they could avoid being misleading. I often think the problem is that the journalist doesn't understand rather than they have communicated it incorrectly.

 

Generally, the presentation of data is horrendous. During Covid I kept a list of all the outrageously poor uses of statistics and incomprehensible visualisations they used as it infuriated me haha. The government also were guilty of this (remember those bloody heatmaps they used).

[grobyfox1990]

27 minutes ago, bmt said:

The standard of journalism is so poor. On the BBC inflation page...

 

 

Note the second sentence - obviously (the clue is in the word) falling inflation doesn't mean prices are going down. The next box under this then reads:

 

The very next box seems to be conflating falling inflation and falling prices (which of course would be deflation if it was generalised).

 

I often find the knowledge of any vaguely economic concepts, and even worse journalists use of statistics, to be criminal.

Your problem is in the first line, the BBC is unbelievably basic. The people they hire are either out for a laugh or are fresh out of school. Cannot rely on them for any meaningful analysis. 

[leicsmac]

2 hours ago, bmt said:

I agree although think they could avoid being misleading. I often think the problem is that the journalist doesn't understand rather than they have communicated it incorrectly.

 

Generally, the presentation of data is horrendous. During Covid I kept a list of all the outrageously poor uses of statistics and incomprehensible visualisations they used as it infuriated me haha. The government also were guilty of this (remember those bloody heatmaps they used).

Yeah, that's a possibility, though it follows that lack of understanding of a topic will lead to poor presentation of it anyway.

 

I'm struggling to think of easily accessible platforms that do provide such information for everyone in a way easy to understand, though.

 

2 hours ago, grobyfox1990 said:

Your problem is in the first line, the BBC is unbelievably basic. The people they hire are either out for a laugh or are fresh out of school. Cannot rely on them for any meaningful analysis. 

Which is unfortunate when a large chunk of the voting (and therefore policymaking) public rely on them for points of view of matters they might not understand in the first instance. Or rely on even worse, possibly malicious, sources.

 

[Daggers]

I can't believe how difficult it is to change the phone number associated with my HMRC account.

 

Two days of being on hold and speaking to complete morons now.

 

I hate HMRC more than anything. I can see why people avoid bothering with tax altogether.

[String fellow]

21 minutes ago, Daggers said:

I can't believe how difficult it is to change the phone number associated with my HMRC account.

 

Two days of being on hold and speaking to complete morons now.

 

I hate HMRC more than anything. I can see why people avoid bothering with tax altogether.

HMRC recently sent me a 12-page form to fill in regarding the capital gains (which amounted to virtually nothing) that a close relative had made in the few days of life remaining to them after the start of the new financial year in April. If the solicitor handling my late relative's estate hadn't agreed to deal with it, I'd have happily torn it up!

Edited 20 December 2023 by String fellow

[Daggers]

3 minutes ago, String fellow said:

HMRC recently sent me a 12-page form to fill in regarding the capital gains (which amounted to virtually nothing) that a close relative had made in the few days of life remaining to them after the start of the new year financial in April. If the solicitor handling my late relative's estate hadn't agreed to deal with it, I'd have happily torn it up. Plonkers.

1. Yesterday, they cut me off after 90 minutes of going round in circles. I was being really polite but she insisted on asking me a question that would be impossible to answer unless you worked at the HMRC and had access to their system. It's never been detailed in a letter or email - and I've gone through the lot.

 

2. "Sorry, you've failed the security questions", said woman this morning - I hadn't. I was less polite when she said she couldn't tell me what I'd failed on or give me the exact phrasing of the last question. She said I'd have to phone up again and listen carefully to the questions and note them down. Insane. My short term memory spits a fuse when I'm getting anxious, I was very anxious. 

 

3. Finally got through to a lad on another line; same questions, same answers, and this time I passed security. Completely nonsensical. The system is so unfriendly to amateurs like me who don't pay for accountants. I think next year I'm hiring an accountant.

[FoyleFox]

People/companies wishing you a "Happy Holiday's".

No. It's Christmas, so it's Merry Christmas.

[Daggers]

2 minutes ago, FoyleFox said:

People/companies wishing you a "Happy Holiday's".

No. It's Christmas, so it's Merry Christmas.

Seasonal greetings to you too

Edited 21 December 2023 by Daggers

[foxy boxing]

7 minutes ago, FoyleFox said:

People/companies wishing you a "Happy Holiday's".

No. It's Christmas, so it's Merry Christmas.

It could be worse, it could be "Happy Winterval" 

[leicsmac]

Guess it depends.

 

Based on popularity, it's Christmas.

 

Based on precedent and oldest historical tradition, it's Yule.

 

But of course there is no real right answer.

[The Bear]

 

[ajthefox]

Bit of wind today and the trains have gone to absolute shit

[David Hankey]

Many "ordinary" folk up and down the country have, over the years, been seeking a change in the law with regard to assisted dying to no avail.

 

Now a Dame has entered the fray politicians are now sitting up and taking note. Now why is that?

[Tommy G]

2 hours ago, FoyleFox said:

People/companies wishing you a "Happy Holiday's".

No. It's Christmas, so it's Merry Christmas.

PC Britain I'm afraid. People are probably too afraid to say Merry Christmas as it might offend someone, bit like player of the match. All ridiculous

[String fellow]

58 minutes ago, Tommy G said:

PC Britain I'm afraid. People are probably too afraid to say Merry Christmas as it might offend someone, bit like player of the match. All ridiculous

The PC brigade seem to forget that by trying not offend a small minority, they risk offending a large majority with their nonsense. 

[leicsmac]

... sorry, must have missed the memo where the UK is a Christian nation embedded in its judiciary and legislature where this time is a festival exclusive to that religion and referred to exclusively by that name, then. As opposed to a secular nation where more than one nomenclature might apply.

[The Bear]

10 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

... sorry, must have missed the memo where the UK is a Christian nation embedded in its judiciary and legislature where this time is a festival exclusive to that religion and referred to exclusively by that name, then. As opposed to a secular nation where more than one nomenclature might apply.

Merry Newtonmas everyone. 

[Dunge]

I see Christmas in this country as far more reflective of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol than the Nativity. It’s more a cultural thing than a religious thing, which makes it all the more disappointing when this cr*p comes up each year.

[Bordersfox]

1 hour ago, String fellow said:

The PC brigade seem to forget that by trying not offend a small minority, they risk offending a large majority with their nonsense. 

Can you identify the the PC brigade folk that are so outraged by the use of merry Christmas?  

 

Because I use the term Christmas frequently to a wide range of people and at work and my employer uses the term Christmas.  My employer happens to be one of the most 'woke' charities in the U.K.  and has been criticised with some justification in the past for being overly PC in it's use of language.   

 

So, is the PC brigade really to blame or are you being a snowflake.   See what I did there?

[Daggers]

Oh dear, the “you can’t even say Christmas these days” crowd seem to be wanking themselves into oblivion, it must be Saturnalia. 

[Free Falling Foxes]

3 hours ago, David Hankey said:

Many "ordinary" folk up and down the country have, over the years, been seeking a change in the law with regard to assisted dying to no avail.

 

Now a Dame has entered the fray politicians are now sitting up and taking note. Now why is that?

That's Life.........

Edited 21 December 2023 by Free Falling Foxes

[Daggers]

2 minutes ago, Free Falling Foxes said:

That's Life I guess.

“It was then that we contacted the Electricity Board”.
 

With the reply “I’m sorry, this really has got nothing to do with us.” 
 

 

[Nalis]

Some mates would call me 'woke' but I always found Happy Holidays to sound a bit silly no matter what you are referring to. Saying Happy holidays for Diwali or Eid would be very strange by way of comparison so why do it for Christmas?