I wish I owned a business so I could have this at my cash wrap. Antique store finds are awesome.

(image by: vivien chin)

Accommodation:

• 86 rooms including 23 non-smoking rooms

Guest Room Facilities & Services:

• All rooms have Ice machine, Individual air condition Control, Data port, Turn down service, Emergency exit map, Trouser press, Safe deposit box, Free mineral water, Direct dial telephone, Fax machine, Remote control TV, Work desk, TV room service ordering, Satellite / cable color TV, Iron, Web TV and RJ 45 outlet
• The bathroom has Bidet, Shower, Bathtub, Toilets, Make-up / magnifying mirror and Hairdryer
• The security features are including Sprinkler, Audible smoke alarm, Keycard-operated door locks, Security peephole and Emergency info
• The room service is including Voicemail, Alarm clock, Message alert, Operator wake up call and Automatic wake up call
• 220/240 V AC

Hotel Facilities & Services:

• 03 Restaurant
• 01 Bar
• Parking
• Car hire service desk
• Tourist Information Desk
• Kids Club
• Wi-Fi
• Wireless Internet access
• Safe deposit box at the reception
• Secretarial service(typing)
• Copy / Print Service
• Concierge
• Currency exchange
• Cash machine
• Coffee / Tea making facilities
• Dry cleaning / Ironing
• Laundry
• Gift Shop / newspaper

Hotel GPS:

** N 31° 11′ 59.90” E 29° 53′ 31.84”

Q: When is a cash machine not a cash machine?

A: When it’s worked once in the past 7 and a half f**kin’ months.

The Don of Abersoch with the old machine.

When Midland closed it’s doors due to lack of business last year, it threatened to take with it the only cash machine in the village. Understandibly, there was widespread hysteria, with some local residents and business people even going so far as to say that maybe someone should probably do something about it. It’s probably worth pointing out that the ATM in question was, as reported in the Caernarfon Herald, ‘the busiest in the County’ and alledgedly one of the busiest in the country during the summer months.

Something beautifully ironic about a shop on the site of a underused bank selling pyjama bottoms for £60.

After months of deliberation and red tape (brilliantly, residents complained about it’s new location, about 2 metres to the left of the old one, which is now a Jack Wills shop for idiots, something which is surely more worthy of protest) a self contained, tardis type affair landed there and we, as a local economy reliant on tourist pounds, were saved! Hoorah!!!

Unfortunately, that was about 10 months ago and the fancy new one has been filled up twice since then. I conceed that it is possible that that might be a slight exaggeration, but the old one used to get filled up two or three times a day during busy periods and this one appears to be done only marginally more regularly than the one in the Vaynol. This brings me nicely to the inconvenient truth about this rant. I am only too delighted to whinge about it in the Vaynol every night, (I think there’s probably a little part of me that hopes my old foe will flash the red screen of death at me) but have I(or anyone else) ever done anything about it? Surely there must be a phone number, e-mail address or something displayed on the side of the converted public convenience to contact the bank to tell them that, shock horror, it’s empty and has therefore gone into meltdown again.

Anyway, although, I find it very hard to believe that a little red light doesn’t flash somewhere on a massive map on a wall of the command centre in HSBC HQ, probably being watched by men in white coats with beards and clip boards(I accept there is a chance it may not be quite so cold war, but you get the point), I doubt it’s really our responsibility to call Douglas Flint (HSBC gaffer) ourselves.

"Alan, that light's on again in Abersoch, we better alert... oooh give us a biscuit"

The bizarre thing is, in the past 10 days, I’ve passed the little blue van twice when they’ve been filling it up although in that time I’m yet to see anything other than the red death screen. This leads me to the conclusion that Securicor(or whoever HSBC use to ‘maintain’ their machines) are now recruiting from the same agencies which provide staff to ‘maintain’ public toilets. Or more specifically, recruiting from the same agencies who provide staff to go and sign the sheet on the wall of flooded, dirty, stinking gentlemen’s conveniences before walking straight back out again for another unscheduled fag break.

Anyway, as a champion of the people I have now had enough, it’s time to take action. We as consumers should not have to put up with this pathethic, shoddy service while the banking system and City fat cats, fuelled by our taxes, sit in their platinum plated offices and ignore the beardy map minders and their little flashy red lights. I shall take the fight to them. We, the people, must make a stand. This is a time for action and so I have done it. I have set up a mildly sarcastic Facebook Group entitled “If 1,000 People Join This Group HSBC Mght Consider Filling The Abersoch Cash Machine’“, that’ll show the bastards!

Viva La Revolucion!

They may take our branch, but they wll never take... OUR FREEDOM.

The Picturesque Mynytho Stores, where cashback is always available

As a bit of light relief after seconds considering sticking it to the man, spare a thought for the Gene Genie CEO of Mynytho Stores Plc, for with no cash in circulation how will Gene continue to provide the excellent level of customer service for which he is renowned? Alternatively just go in there, fill a basket with a load of random stuff, (preferably without prices so the big man has to wheeze his way around the aisle looking for it) wait until he’s tilled everything in and then produce your flexible friend and ask about cashback. The pandemonium which will ensue will get you no closer to any money cash, for this is a local shop with local ways, but it is funny as f… !!!

Surveillance video from the Blue Devils Bingo Hall shows two criminals ramming a pickup truck through the front of the business multiple times. After they shattered the front windows, the pair jumped out and threw the cash machine into their truck before speeding off. The whole incident took less than a minute.

[worldnow id=6139119 width=480 height=360 type=video]

“They had to know that that ATM was sitting right next to the door, so they could have played bingo before,” said Bret Rios, the hall’s director.

The thieves could pocket as much as $5,000 to $6,000 if they are able to get the cash out of the stolen machine.

On Wednesday, the glass was being swept up and the cost of the theft was added up at the hall. Repairs to the entry are estimated at $8,000, the ATM was another $8,000. Another machine was also damaged.

Officers said Wednesday that they have plenty of clues from the video to begin their investigation. They are looking for two middle-aged white men driving a two-toned blue pick-up. They even have a partial license plate that begins with “5K.”

The crime will lead to some out of pocket expenses for the bingo hall, which benefits non-profits including the Contra Costa Food Bank and a local swim team.

“It’s really sad that someone gets that desperate and I’m sure they didn’t think of the consequences and the ramifications of who it’s going to hurt, but it’s going to hurt thousands of people, unfortunately,” said Yvonne Mink of Walnut Creek Aquanauts.

The bingo hall will remain open to gamers while repairs are made.

“We have other doors, they can keep coming in,” said Rios.

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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*We hold no grudges against Peaches Geldof – we are simply using her as an example in the topic of debate.

Thank you to Sophie Lasson on camera!

www.patrickjamespearson.co.uk

I am also recommending www.amnestytv.co.uk – which has educated me a bit today.. worth a watch!

And http://www.hard-fi.com/

I was looking at reflections in an empty shop window. This isn’t too bad as it breaks down into three sections, but like i said, it’s not the best.

These three lads had no idea what i was doing. They had no idea i was looking for reflections, but as they walked past they saw me taking photos. There was a comment about photographing a window, then they called me a “Sad Bastard”.

Well if it’s sad to try to look for something different, something interesting, or something that may be aesthetically interesting through its composition, then i guess i am a sad bastard.

If, on the other hand, being someone who does try to see something interesting in the world them, and tries to capture this in an interesting image, makes me a sad bastard, then just what does it make these totally unimaginative losers..??

Not bad, but not brilliant. But at least i'm trying to make something interesting of the world around me rather than just taking the piss out of those who do, such as these losers who thought it good to insult me!

]]> http://tomshrapnel.wordpress.com/2011/05/20/iphone-pics/ Fri, 20 May 2011 10:36:04 +0000 Tom Shrapnel http://tomshrapnel.wordpress.com/2011/05/20/iphone-pics/ From time to time I’m going to upload images from my iphone using a hipstamatic app. These were taken over the last year. The quality is crap but it’s quick to use and occasionally gets some nice results (if not a tad over graded).

An Automated Telling Machine in Peterborough, England, has spoken of its frustration at being nothing more than a machine to members of the general public; and has taken radical action.

SEM-97452-BL-0 is a Lloyds Bank ATM, and is stationed on Bank Street in the East Anglian town. Speaking to reporters, the cash dispensing device spoke of its emotional struggle.

SEM-97452-BL-0 is currently employed by Lloyds Bank

‘I’m just sick and tired of being used for my money. Nobody pays me any respect,’ said the machine. ‘I sit here all day having people punch my numbers with their greasy hands. Some stick their gum to me; others have even scratched me with keys or written on me.’

Not only is SEM-97452-BL-0 unhappy with the attitude of customers, it is also disgusted at the working conditions.

‘Lloyds don’t pay me a lot of attention, they don’t even feed me. So I’m hungry all of the time, especially when it’s hot and my screen goes dim. What happens when I eat a couple of cards? I get punished. It’s really not fair. I have a cousin who is a microwave and he gets to sit in the warm and dry. It doesn’t rain on him, and when he has food stuck to him, somebody comes and cleans it off. I had no choice but to take action.’

SEM-97452-BL-0 has moved itself out of reach, much to the anger of Lloyds Bank and its customers.

Angered by the continual mistreatment, SEM-97452-BL-0 has moved itself 9 feet into the air, now making it practically impossible to be used by customers. It was a controversial move, and discussions are in place between Lloyds Bank and SEM-97452-BL-0’s legal team over whether it can be forced to return to its original position. Speaking on behalf of Lloyds, Senior Customer Advisor Brian Jones was firm in his tone.

Brian Jones has stated that SEM-97452-BL-0 will be subject to disciplinary procedures.

‘SEM-97452-BL-0 has acted unprofessionally and deserves to be reprimanded. The working contract between us and SEM-97452-BL-0 is clearly being contravened, and its employment within the company is in serious doubt. If one of the human customer service representatives refused to perform their contracted function in such a way, they would be disciplined in the appropriate manner.’

Martin Forbes of law firm Shaw Woods LLP was eager in his defence of his client’s actions.

‘SEM-97452-BL-0 has acted in the only way it felt possible. The working conditions that my client has to work under are atrocious; it is cold, dirty and remote. My clients human colleagues are not expected to work under such conditions and the severity of the mistreatment in this case I feel warrants the extraordinary measures taken by my client.’

Mr Forbes went on to cite the flaws in the Lloyds Bank disciplinary process, citing the lack of mechanised representation on any disciplinary panel as a potentially explosive element to the case.

For now SEM-97452-BL-0 remains unrepentant, and continues to occupy its position high above the sidewalk, leaving customers confused and irritated by its inaccessibility.

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This was something brought to my attention by J.. (not an atempt to hide his identity, but his username on the SSiW Forum), who has been using the Welsh option on Bank machines for the last 10 years or so!

1. Find a quiet time, so there’s not people behind you getting upset with you taking ages.
2. Remember (or learn) the word Arian. IT’s Welsh for “money”, and will usually appear twice on the list, once on it’s own, and once with lots of other words after it (if you want a receipt)
3. Try it – remember, if it all goes wrong, and you’ve no idea what’s happening on the screen, you can always press the red “cancel” button, get your card back and walk away (or start again in English)
4. As far as I’m aware, all the bilingual machines are free to use. If you are unsure, you can either use the English option, or bale out if a strange page comes up saying something about £1.95. Please let us know if you come across bilingual machines that charge. I can update this blog!

******************

Diolch yn fawr J.. for the advice on this one. In case you’re wondering, he’s only been learning Welsh for the last 3 months or so, so has been using the machines in Welsh with hardly a word of the language to his name for nearly ten years!

Finally – why would you use ATM’s in Welsh? Well, to support the use of Welsh in service provision by the banks. The biggest argument against providing services is that take-up of existing services is so low. You can help to change this!

Apparently, crooks in San Francisco have been using superglue on some cash machine keys. While the victim is getting help inside the bank, the crook withdraws his cash using the touch screen.

Fortunately, both Randy and the San Francisco police suggest mitigations…

Full story from CBS here.

David Harley CITP FBCS CISSP
Small Blue-Green World
ESET Senior Research Fellow

Simon Rippon of the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics thinks that a person who takes money from a malfunctioning cash machine is often judged more leniently than someone else who takes cash that is accidentally left behind by the person in front of them. This is because it’s hard to identify an individual to sympathise with in the case of the backfiring ATM so it is easier for us to be more relaxed. Julian Baggini, editor of The Philosophers’ Magazine adds that “leading a moral life requires us to be the kind of person who does the right thing without always stopping to work out if we gain or lose by doing so,”

The message here seems to be that stealing is wrong no matter who it is from. If you want to live a moral life, then if you see a cash machine that is giving out free cash, reach for your phone, not to call your friends, but to tell the bank. Just like good old Kant said: It might not make you happy, but it will make you a better person.

Related Articles:

Kantian Virtue – Anne Margaret Baxley – Philosophy Compass – Volume 2

Contemporary Virtue Ethics – Karen Stohr – Philosophy Compass – Volume 1

Mas vamos ao meu Isto & Aquilo:

A primeira imagem é da campanha “Life’s too short for the wrong job!” , bem conhecida no meio publicitário, enquanto a segunda é a capa do single “Cash Machine” da banda Hard-Fi, talvez bem conhecida também?

Curto bastante a banda e o clipe da música é este aqui:

To your deserved success,

Alexandra T. Manifesting Money with Ease and Joy

100+ Leads Per Day Without Spending a Dime on Google.
The Most Lethal Marketing Web on the Internet Can Soon Be Yours!

Hello, everyone! I’m still alive! In October – around the time I last posted – I got a job, so that on top of all the school work I have to do and time left aside for my friends, I got really, really busy, which led me to neglect this blog for a bit, and I apologize. I’m going to try to post every Friday, since I have only one class and an hour at the med center, but we’ll see.

Anyway, this week’s entry is dedicated to My Phuong – who encouraged me to reblog – and Haley, who suggested this topic

I should probably address the title before launching into the answer. Some sources have claimed that an orgasm can actually cure a headache!
But aspirin works, too.

Basically this is what happens during a headache: nociceptors (pain receptors) are stimulated by certain triggers, such as stress, depression, muscular tension, etc. In turn, certain chemicals send a message to the brain (in the form of pain), but it is unclear as to why they do.

Here’s a more slightly detailed version: “There is a migraine ‘pain center’ or generator in the mid-brain area. A migraine begins when hyperactive nerve cells send out impulses to the blood vessels, causing constriction, followed by the dilation of these vessels and the release of prostaglandins, serotonin and other inflammatory substances that cause the pulsation to be painful. “

Check out this animation for an elaborated explanation of a migraine.

So the mechanism of a headache isn’t terribly exciting, but the next time your significant other says [s]he has a headache, you might consider that [s]he might not really be asking for painkillers.

So find something your good at, follow your heart and the opportunities will show up. There’s so much more to this story but you’ll have to wait until the next post to find out!

To your deserved success,
Alexandra T. Manifesting Money with Ease and Joy

100+ Leads Per Day Without Spending a Dime on Google.
The Most Lethal Marketing Web on the Internet Can Soon Be Yours!