I agree that “plopp” bottles are truly a classic.
What’s really pissing me off at the moment is the way the German Army in Afghanistan is portrayed as a threat to Afghanistan, rather than a support - by no one else than the German Media itself! Shows you what the Bundeswehr has to deal with at the Homefront - rather than the respect our foreign comrades get for their sacrifice, they have to hear their own country calling them murderers, cowards, etc.
And our ‘Allies’ join in on the beating as a (pretty deserved) revenge for the condescending reactions the German government showcased whenever our Allies were in similar situations. In a way they got what was coming to the, too bad the Army is going to get the butt of it.
This just further cements my point that Afghanistan is Germany’s Vietnam.
Well, for what it’s worth, I’m glad they’re there doing their part.
Umm… wasn’t that the Soviet Union?:mrgreen:
Well, Afghanistan is going with the times, it’s recyclable. Everybody can have his Vietnam, again and again!
Yeah, I was just kidding, I understood what you were saying. How does the German populace view the deployment of troops to Afghanistan? Are they at all supportive?
Well it’s hard to tell. I would say, generally the mood is that Afghanistan shouldn’t be Germany’s fight, it should be the US’s.
In my eyes, however, the 80% against, 20% pro statistics that you often see printed in liberal magazines like the ‘Spiegel’ don’t quite correctly reflect the attitude, as the German (far) Left has a tendency to be extremely vocal and therefore to distort the overall picture.
What pisses me off today is that I go into the Macs Milk to buy a carton of milk and I drink it at work and it’s sour so I go back to the store and ask them to give me my money back. They ask me for my receipt and I say I threw it away. The guy say’s, how does he know if I bought it from his store. I tell the guy I was in his store like 30 minutes ago and he say’s I should still have the receipt then. I tell him, I don’t go carrying receipts all day everytime I buy a bloody pop or carton of milk. The guy says I would have to talk to his Manager. I ask him to bring him on. He tells me the Manager is in after 4 and I should come back. I tell him it costs me more in gas money than the milk. The guy tells me that he is not authorized to give returns without receipts. I tell the bone head I was just in his store and he should know this. He tells me his hands are tired. So I poor out the sour milk all over his counter and tell him that he can tell his manager to hire better competent people and called him a bonehead! What a day im having!
Schuultz,
Sorry to hear about the media back-lash in Germany regarding Afghanistan. Right or wrong, we’ve had to deal with it since 2001 in the U.S. I can understand the media’s attitude for Iraq, but Afghanistan? I guess I don’t get that one. Either way, I would like to extend my appreciation for the German participation in Afghanistan. The help doesn’t go unnoticed by the troops on the ground!
Since this is the “Things that piss me off!” column, here goes:
I hate fucking American politics! Just this morning I’m reading about how the General in charge of Afghanistan is asking for troops, but the White house, indeed the Pentagon, are twiddling their respective thumbs while people (Afghan, NATO, American, etc.) are fighting for their lives. It pisses me off that the average American can’t put down their Big-Mac and stop watching American Idol long enough to figure out that there’s a fucking war going on! While I’m at it, I’ll express my discontent with the world’s religions. Without them, the world could arguably be a much more peaceful place. That goes for Christians, Jews, Muslims, and all the rest who want to kill someone else just because their idea of God and worship are different from their own.
Huh…that makes me feel a little better. lol!
Non Sequitor, you might want to read the book ‘Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan’ by Seth Jones. It should explain why the government doesn’t think the General’s request of more troops makes a lot of sense.
What the US Military tries to do at the moment is, to put it into metaphor, giving the Afghans one fish after the other to feed it for the day, instead of teaching it how to fish itself.
It is a lot more important to teach the ANA and ANP to handle the insurgents themselves than to constantly increase troop sizes to face them in person.
I’m fully aware of the intricacies of assymetric warfare, but your solution is a long-term one. Right now, both the ANA and ANP are rife with corruption and sympathizers. Most members of the ANP and ANA do so because they have few other choices. After being left to rot on the vine, so to speak, for 8 years, they have little interest in doing anything that doesn’t have some sort of immediate gratification. Usually this means taking pay-offs, bribes, or using hash or some other drug. Simply put, these folks have to shaped into an effective fighting force with the loyal support of not only the central gov’t but also local tribal chieftains. This will take a long time. The troop increase has to be a short term fix for any number of reasons. Fielding more troops away from the larger FOBs allows them to take a more pro-active approach to protecting the civilian populace. The danger, of course, is being seen as an occupier rather than a liberator. This may well be impossible after 8 years in-country, but thanks to new ROE’s, it may still be “doable”. The coalition needs to counter the propaganda that the Taliban and AQ use to undermine the situation as well. The trick is to figure out how to do it effectively though. In a country with such poor infrastructure and horrendous illiteracy rates, the Taliban already has a language and background advantage on us. Personally, I would have preferred to stick with small SOF ops rather than a full-fledged occupation, but that’s not the reality now. General McChrystal has a special operations background, and I feel that he has a better grasp of how to proceed now than most think. President Obama (whom I voted for) has a tough decision. He’s going to lose support from someone no matter what he does. If he bolsters forces and casualties mount (which they would), then an already unpopular war becomes even less so with the American people. If he doesn’t reinforce, then he loses any hope of cooperation with the Republicans or the military. Our folks will be tasked with achieving the impossible without the man-power or resources to achieve it. A temporary increase of forces could lead to achieving some short-term goals which could rally popular support for the war if there is recognizable progress. Of course I’m just an Armchair General in these matters, and all of this is just speculation on my part, but this is the conclusion I’ve come to. Sorry for the long post!
This Takes the CAKE!! Why give to Charity when it goes in the pocket of Big Shots! Why I ask you Why! This is Disgusting!!!
Golden parachute eased departure of foundation president this year; charity commits `to transparency’
Toronto Star Newspaper
The SickKids Foundation gave former president Michael O’Mahoney a $2.7 million golden parachute when they showed him the door early this year, documents reveal.The charismatic O’Mahoney, an American headhunted six years ago to lead the charity, received a payout that included his final salary of $600,000 plus a whopping $2.1 million the charity calls “incentive payments” and money to compensate him for leaving before the end of his contract.
Realizing that this payment – which is unlike any in Canadian charity history – may enrage donors, the charity has set up a special phone line for calls from the public.
“This was one of the most difficult years in the history of SickKids Foundation,” board chair Patsy Anderson said Wednesday.
O’Mahoney did not return a call to his new office, a charity fundraising consultancy company on Queen St. E. When O’Mahoney left SickKids, he said he was going to attend divinity school and become a deacon in the Roman Catholic Church.
Late Wednesday, he sent a written statement saying his deal with SickKids Foundation stated “the terms of my severance package be kept confidential.” He added, though, that the $2.7 million cited by the charity in its financial statements to regulators “represents a sum far greater than the one I was offered.”
SickKids is the fundraising arm of the Hospital for Sick Children. Two years ago the Star reported that SickKids was using aggressive, commission-based fundraisers. The practice is frowned on in the charity world. The Star also reported on high salaries such as O’Mahoney’s. At the time, Anderson stood by the president, saying he was a skilled leader who was needed for the job. His salary was $612,000 in 2007. By comparison, the president of World Vision, a charity that not only raises funds but undertakes projects worldwide, was $175,000.
When interviewed, O’Mahoney defended his salary, and when asked if he received any additional incentives based on fundraising or other targets, he said he did not.
According to Anderson Wednesday, O’Mahoney was getting these incentive payments – she wouldn’t say how much – and they were building up. She said that’s part of the reason for the $2.7 million payout. A big chunk of it is also related to a clause in his contract – approved by the board when it hired him – providing for severance pay. Anderson refused to release this contract.
The hospital, she said, “seeks the best researchers. We seek the best foundation executives.” In a statement Wednesday, the board said recent measures it has taken “reflect the Foundation’s core values of honesty and integrity.”
Hired this summer to replace O’Mahoney is Ted Garrard, formerly vice-president (external) of the University of Western Ontario. Garrard told the Star Wednesday he will be paid $400,000, plus another 25 per cent of his base salary if he meets fundraising and management targets. Garrard is paid a bit less than the president of Sick Kids Hospital; O’Mahoney was paid more.
This new wave of disclosure may be a sign philanthropic groups want to boost donor confidence. SickKids called the Star before it published its financial documents.
“We are very committed to transparency,” board chair Anderson said in an interview at the foundation’s University Ave. offices.
The SickKids Foundation grew under O’Mahoney, but so did its cost of fundraising. Administration and fundraising now costs 40 cents on the donor dollar, the charity said in the statement. Anderson said they are restructuring to bring those costs down.
She pointed out that fundraising revenue grew significantly under O’Mahoney, more than doubling from the $45 million when he took over in 2003. But in the past year, a challenging economy has seen revenues drop to $88 million.
Proof that the charity can be run more cheaply was evident over the past six months. A board member and Toronto business executive, John Francis, who ran the foundation until a full-time president could be found, did the job for free.
The $2.7 million payout to O’Mahoney was a “negotiated resignation,” Anderson said.
As part of what she calls “restructuring costs” they also paid $800,000 to some other senior executives the charity let go.
In his statement, O’Mahoney said he is proud of his achievements, which he said included raising fundraising revenues from $43 million in 2003 to $98 million in 2008.
Among the many (possibly infinite 
) things that royally piss me off are people who and organisations which have no sense of humour and choose to treat everything they can find as an assault on their particular area of humourless sensitivity and as validation of their oversensitive sense of martyrdom, ably assisted by the morons commonly known as experts (in search of publicity) and journalists (in search of a beat up).
A CALENDAR featuring cartoons of rabbits committing suicide has been called irresponsible by animal welfare and mental health groups.
The 2010 Calendar of Bunny Suicides by British cartoonist Andy Riley is available through bookstores including Borders and Angus & Robertson and features 12 images of rabbits planning to end their lives with such items as power sockets, flammable substances and knives.
Barbara Hocking, of mental health group SANE Australia, said retailers should refuse to stock the calendars.
“It is being flippant and tasteless around what is a very tragic and important issue,” Ms Hocking said.
“Calendars are more public than books because they can hang on the wall for all to see. If a person who has been affected by suicide saw any of those images, they would be very angry.”
Ms Hocking said the cartoon pictures sent the wrong message to children and immature adults.
RSPCA spokesman Tim Pilgrim said the black humour undermined the progress of animal welfare.
“The attempt at humour in these books is poor and sets a bad example to the community,” he said.
“An animal’s welfare is an extremely important issue.”
Cartoonist and writer Riley also assisted in writing some episodes of the British comedy show Black Books.
Anyone needing help with personal problems can call 1800 18 SANE (7263).
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,26288006-661,00.html
Yeah, well, I’ve been very closely affected by suicide in the past year and I can’t see why the calendar shouldn’t be published.
Then again, I’m not going to respond to the invitation for anyone needing help with personal problems to call SANE, partly because I’m not likely to launch myself off my trolley because a cartoon fucking rabbit necks itself and I can’t tell the difference between the cartoon fucking rabbit necking itself and a human being I love doing the same.
Or maybe there’s something wrong with me, that I can’t see the difference between a human being and a cartoon fucking rabbit.
Possibly because I am so seriously disturbed that I fail to identify myself with a cartoon fucking rabbit, unlike SANE people.
Perhaps this is why I am reduced to a bit of a snigger every time everyone is reported to be offered counselling every time a newspaper reports someone causing offence by some major offence such as farting in public.
Counselling and other grand interventions by people who have no fucking idea what actually happens in a so called ‘critical incident’ might be a waste of time, at least for everyone except the useless overpaid consultants offering it to corporations etc. But I’m just judging on the basis of my limited personal experience with some useless ‘How did it make you feel’ psycho dollies providing some pretty much compulsory bullshit after one mass murder event which didn’t quite get off the ground, after the first murder and some other gun violence didn’t quite go the way the intended mass murderer and then suicide by police cunt intended.
Meanwhile, judging by media attention, the nation is supposed to get itself as wound up about blackface in a trivial event by a few kids in a school in a schoolyard nobody has ever heard of as the nation should be about a fucking cartoon rabbit in a calendar?
Row over school blackface prank
* Eliza Sum * From: Sunday Herald Sun * November 01, 2009 12:00AM
ANOTHER Hey Hey It’s Saturday-style race row has surfaced after a photograph showing a group of year 12 students in full blackface was posted on social networking website Facebook.
Four male students from Luther College dressed in singlets, baseball caps and school uniform pants posed on school property in the photograph while parodying stereotypical African Americans.
Although the photograph was taken a month ago on the last day of compulsory winter uniform, the picture was uploaded on Facebook only recently and has remained there.
The incident has occurred weeks after the blackface racism row on the final Hey Hey It’s Saturday reunion special, which became the subject of extensive international criticism.
Ignoring the negative historical connotations associated with blackface, the students struck a pose for the photograph and proudly displayed “gang” hand gestures.
A female classmate posted the picture on Facebook, where a former teacher viewed it.
Both the student and former teacher, who do not wish to be named, expressed their disapproval, claiming that the blackface parody was racist.
The former history teacher went on to discuss the incident on Twitter, where he expressed his shock at the behaviour of his former students.
However, he was more surprised by the inaction of the Croydon Hills school, which has a strict racial harassment policy.
“I’m surprised none of the staff said anything,” he said.
“Normally the school takes this any kind of harassment very seriously, (so) I don’t know how this got past them.”
He was quick to defend the moral character of the students, saying that they were “good at heart”.
Luther College declined to comment on the issue.This incident follows the suspension of nine Xavier College students and numerous reports of anti-social muck-up day behaviour in the last week.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/row-over-school-blackface-prank/story-e6frf7kx-1225793134632
There is no telling these sorts of people anything, they are convinced they alone have the job of telling everyone else how to perceive, and respond to whatever the nutter idea of the week may be. There was a similar bleating of the Cloud 9 society here some years ago about a book, and calendar featuring (with equal parts creativity and practicality in my opinion) the manifold uses for deceased cats.
Just figured I’d piss off herman2 a little bit more
Nice, isn’t it?
I’m pissed off with the way ‘political correctness’ is taking over our lives…
Now that feels better.
The way that with the new software I can’t seem to go to any page later than 3 directly from the “New Posts” page >:(
O ya! For me its to ones (not always fat and/or ugly) who wait until everything is rang up then go searching for their checkbook-then, of course, they have no pen. Makes me feel superior ‘cause I fill out the check (except for signature) while waiting in line.
Something that pisses me off? Incompitant drivers.
Drunk/Incompitant/Mercy Passed on Road Test Drivers…
Oh and the way BP oil is trying to tend to the situation with spilled oil in the gulf.
I’ve never found any use for a dead cat.
Even my dogs can’t be bothered playing with them, once they’ve left the corpse at the back door.
Cats are even more burdensome dead than alive. Digging a deep hole in clay is much more annoying than feeding the live bastard every night. Although, unlike feeding the bastards, you only have to do it once.
But at least the live ones keep the mice down, in their own cruel fashion.
Anyway, that’s not what I came on to say, but it’s been a while since this thread got any notice so I scrolled down it to make sure I was in the right place to say that people who piss me off most recently are:
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Fat ****s who lean on, and pretty much into (especially if they have disgracefully sagging tits, and that’s not just the sheilas), their shopping trolleys as they propel them slowly through supermarkets because they’re too ****ing fat to support their appallingly excessive bodyweight.
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Said fat ****s who invariably park their shopping trolleys at about a 45 degree angle across the aisle, touching the other row of food, so that even Thin Arthur couldn’t squeeze himself between the trolley and its suddenly liberated owner who is now blocking the aisle by attempting to bend down to see where the highest fat content food can be found, thus presenting their arse about the size of a small planet to block anyone who, like me, thinks that a supermarket is a place to get out of as quickly as possible.
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Cyclists of the same mentality, except they’re usually slim and dressed up for the Tour de France and on the road, but never in the ****ing bike lane because nobody uses it because it’s not clean and smooth like the road the cars are on, so these ****s are always hogging half a car lane when they’ve got a whole empty ****ing lane, which my council rates paid for, to themselves to their left. But it is fun to stop one’s car right next to the gutter at lights and roundabouts, so they can’t get past. I do love the way these gentle people go apeshit when they can’t get past my car, but never notice when they’re holding up a line of cars driven by owners who are too considerate to run the bastards over. The dumb ****s could just lift their bike and go on the footpath, but that’s beyond them. Which is rather surprising when they have the initiative to ignore red lights, pedestrian crossings, and sundry other things which motorists have to observe. (And, yes, I also ride a bike, but not like those arrogant ****s.)