Things that piss you off that shouldn't

[Danwichmann]

5 hours ago, trekka said:

Good news is that it turned up at about 7.45 PM.  Bad news is that the box was huge and completely unnecessary.   Why do Amazon in particular feel the need to send small items in large boxes? 

I don't remember where I heard this so it could be BS but I think it's to do with packing in the delivery truck in the most efficient way. Basically picking the right Tetris piece.

[MCU]

6 hours ago, trekka said:

Good news is that it turned up at about 7.45 PM.  Bad news is that the box was huge and completely unnecessary.   Why do Amazon in particular feel the need to send small items in large boxes? 

I thought they got pulled up on this.

Quite worrying considering how many orders must be placed with them every day. 

[Robtaylor200]

So the discussion Vinyl or not

Things that piss me off that shouldn't   having to get the record player out from under the bed, search through my records for some John Holt reggae, get it out of the sleeve, put a plastic middle in it, put it on the player, position the needle, play record sit down to enjoy, 2 mins later get up and turn it over or look for another.

Or Alexa "Play John Holt"   sorted 

[Seat68]

9 minutes ago, Robtaylor200 said:

So the discussion Vinyl or not

Things that piss me off that shouldn't   having to get the record player out from under the bed, search through my records for some John Holt reggae, get it out of the sleeve, put a plastic middle in it, put it on the player, position the needle, play record sit down to enjoy, 2 mins later get up and turn it over or look for another.

Or Alexa "Play John Holt"   sorted 

Similar but different. Walk to the stereo. Turn it on. Not sure what to listen to so have a flick through my vinyl. See a half forgotten gem. Sit down with the sleeve, before I know it side 1 has finished and now on to side 2. 
I have Alexa too and it is convenient but it doesnt have that 1979 Tom T Hall album I love or any sleeve, or pops and crackles. 

[chrisp65]

2 hours ago, Robtaylor200 said:

So the discussion Vinyl or not

Things that piss me off that shouldn't   having to get the record player out from under the bed, search through my records for some John Holt reggae, get it out of the sleeve, put a plastic middle in it, put it on the player, position the needle, play record sit down to enjoy, 2 mins later get up and turn it over or look for another.

Or Alexa "Play John Holt"   sorted 

 

I’m the same with manual gearbox cars.

Having to get the car out from under the bed, search for the key through my little box of keys (everything from the radiator bleed key to that key I won’t throw out in case I remember what its for), open the door, get in it, turn the key, press down the clutch and put it in gear.

Or, drive my keyless automatic, which I’ve already parked outside on a road. Sorted.

 

 

 

[Genie]

I'd previously mentioned we'd took a punt on a holiday to Florida at the end of May as the prices were dirt cheap. It had the usual Covid protection for changes / cancellation etc.

We've known for a while it wasn't going to happen but because we added theme part tickets to the booking they said it voided the possibility to transfer to another date. We had to wait for them to cancel it for a refund.

Over the weened they cancelled the flights, randomly re-booked the outbound flight for the day we were due to come back and no mention of the other hotel or tickets.

So now I'm on hold for hours to speak to them about what efforts they are going to to avoid refunding me. (British Airways btw).

[mjmooney]

2 hours ago, Robtaylor200 said:

So the discussion Vinyl or not

Things that piss me off that shouldn't   having to get the record player out from under the bed, search through my records for some John Holt reggae, get it out of the sleeve, put a plastic middle in it, put it on the player, position the needle, play record sit down to enjoy, 2 mins later get up and turn it over or look for another.

Or Alexa "Play John Holt"   sorted 

As you know, I prefer CDs. But I'd 100 times rather mess around with my remaining LPs and 45s than speak to any creepy Alexa. I would feel self-conscious and disturbed in equal measure. 

[Genie]

6 minutes ago, mjmooney said:

As you know, I prefer CDs. But I'd 100 times rather mess around with my remaining LPs and 45s than speak to any creepy Alexa. I would feel self-conscious and disturbed in equal measure. 

I have got over my uncomfortable feeling speaking to a device now. So easy to say "Alexa play songs by [artist]" or "Alexa, play [genre] songs or songs from [decade]". Absolute game changer.

 

[Seat68]

I am not uncomfortable with talking to alexa. It was weird at first but its fine now. 

[sidcow]

30 minutes ago, mjmooney said:

As you know, I prefer CDs. But I'd 100 times rather mess around with my remaining LPs and 45s than speak to any creepy Alexa. I would feel self-conscious and disturbed in equal measure. 

You leave Alexa alone!   she's lovely

[Designer1]

Alexa is brilliant tbh. We have three of them dotted around the house (not sure of the model but it's one with the screen for watching TV etc) and they are incredibly useful.

The one in the kitchen is a godsend for timers and when I'm cooking / washing up it's perfect to pop on some Spotify / Amazon tunes.

Really great pieces of kit.

[mjmooney]

7 minutes ago, Designer1 said:

Alexa is brilliant tbh. We have three of them dotted around the house (not sure of the model but it's one with the screen for watching TV etc) and they are incredibly useful.

The one in the kitchen is a godsend for timers and when I'm cooking / washing up it's perfect to pop on some Spotify / Amazon tunes.

Really great pieces of kit.

There's the rub. The missus wants one for that precise scenario. And a mate has given us an old one that he had going spare. But because I'm the one with the Amazon Prime account she's waiting for me to set it up. And as I consider it the work of the devil, it's still sitting there weeks later. 

I would 100% rather dry my hands and walk over to the radio. 

Edited April 19, 2021 by mjmooney

[bickster]

Says to Device: Play X album by Y artist

Device: Ok Playing X by Y, it then plays the title track of the album (in mono obviously) and after that track sticks on some other shite I never asked for.

Far easier to locate album and stick it on because I know where everything is now. In the time it takes me to find a record, I've usually wanted to play football with the device around the room.

And did I mention the sound quality from these devices is utter shite

And yes I like pops and crackles even though most of my vinyl doesn't have any

The device gets used for "Play Radio 6Music" when I do the washing up or something else in the kitchen and the rest of the time it just infuriates me.

 

[Seat68]

1 minute ago, bickster said:

Says to Device: Play X album by Y artist

Device: Ok Playing X by Y, it then plays the title track of the album (in mono obviously) and after that track sticks on some other shite I never asked for.

Far easier to locate album and stick it on because I know where everything is now. In the time it takes me to find a record, I've usually wanted to play football with the device around the room.

And did I mention the sound quality from these devices is utter shite

And yes I like pops and crackles even though most of my vinyl doesn't have any

The device gets used for "Play Radio 6Music" when I do the washing up or something else in the kitchen and the rest of the time it just infuriates me.

 

Without question. 99% of play is radio. It opens up so much in that respect. That said I appear to have settled on a Northern Ireland country music station. So although it opens up the world, I haven’t strayed far. 

[chrisp65]

We have ‘Alexa’ in the living room, I think it was a version that was about 30 or 40 quid and is a round ball with a glowing light underneath it.

I mean, it’s fine I’m sure, I’m worried that this is a music snobbery trap but I’ve only ever asked it to play a small number of things and it couldn’t.

I see a list of music on a Thursday that’s hitting the shops the following week and invariably if it’s something I’m interested in I can ask Alexa to play it and it either doesn’t have it, or naming the correct version and mix is such a ball ache that I give up.

Of my existing records, yes Alexa is fine for playing The Eagles. Amorphous Androgynous, Isness the Abbey Road mix, mmmm not so much. Super Furry Animals chart singles, it finds them fine, pirate CD’s of alternate takes of Man Don’t Give A Fudge, mmmm again not so much. Llwybr Llaethog Dwb Cymraeg mp3 only releases, well it might be my accent but Alexa doesn’t even appear to understand what I’m saying.

It’s whatever floats your goat, there’s more than one way to skin a cat and its whatever works for you. Personally, because my turntable isn’t under the bed I find playing records quite a nice thing to do. If others don’t, they should do something else.

 I do fear that unless you are shifting millions of listening units, selling your music via the number of Alexa plays is not a sustainable business model for many artists. I’ve not researched that. But I’d be fairly confident that Ani Glass gets more pennies when I buy a physical copy of her album than when 10,000 people ask Alexa to play an Ani Glass song.

 

 

[bannedfromHandV]

Proper old man thing to hate on Alexa.

It’s amazing, end of.

[a m ole]

10 minutes ago, bickster said:

 

And did I mention the sound quality from these devices is utter shite

By most accounts the least popular device had by far the best audio (HomePod), so it makes sense that they don’t design them for audiophiles. Most people using them for music are switching from radio or even listening through their phone, so.

[mjmooney]

2 hours ago, bannedfromHandV said:

Proper old man thing to hate on Alexa.

Quite so. I am a proper old man. 

[mjmooney]

2 hours ago, bickster said:

And yes I like pops and crackles even though most of my vinyl doesn't have any

 

[Genie]

3 hours ago, mjmooney said:

There's the rub. The missus wants one for that precise scenario. And a mate has given us an old one that he had going spare. But because I'm the one with the Amazon Prime account she's waiting for me to set it up. And as I consider it the work of the devil, it's still sitting there weeks later. 

I would 100% rather dry my hands and walk over to the radio. 

Did you know you can share your Amazon prime account benefits with another person for free?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201910370