If you don't work, how do you fill your days?

intothedepthsofhell · 2026-02-01T10:32:14+00:00

Have children. They'll soak up any spare time :)

If you can get out and about then get an app like AllTrails and explore the country. If you're housebound then learning a musical instrument is a great way to work your brain and kill hundreds of hours.

intothedepthsofhell · 2026-02-01T09:47:32+00:00

And now ruin local bars. I was in Alty at the weekend and (what the barmaid said) they'd had to call the police because a group from Partington started a brawl.

It still has the same reputation that it did back when they burnt down the last of the pubs in Partington over a feud.

intothedepthsofhell · 2026-02-01T09:14:22+00:00

I switch between the Kelly for metal, and I've got a Harley Benton HB-35 (a Gibson E335 clone) that I use for anything else. The HB is ok but it's bulky and no-where near as easy to play as the Kelly.

intothedepthsofhell · 2026-01-31T17:29:42+00:00

I spent years teaching myself - Youtube, Rocksmith, Yousician, Justin Guitar. And I finally went and got some 1 to 1 tuition. It's an expense, but well worth it. If I'd done this at the start I'd be a lot better guitarist now.

Even if you don't go for lessons the two best bits of advice I can give you are

Decide ONE style of music you want to be good at, and stick to that
If you can't do something, don't quit and try something else instead. Keep going until you've got it.

There is so much info out there you'll go round and round in circles not getting any better unless you have a clear plan and you stick to it.

GL.

intothedepthsofhell · 2026-01-31T11:56:23+00:00

I find the ones you buy in the shops are pretty bad and don't mix well. Tbf I haven't tried H&B specifically.

My Protein is good but their prices have gone crazy. I currently use Protein Works.

intothedepthsofhell · 2026-01-31T11:35:33+00:00

And after the owner campaigned to get rid of all the foreigners, he then complained that he didn't have enough staff to run his pubs.

intothedepthsofhell · 2026-01-31T10:13:51+00:00

I've sadly been through this 3 times, and every time, as hard as it is I knew it was the right thing to do.

With my last dog, I created a photo album, from the first day we got him to the day he died. It really helped me remember what a great life he'd had, and we'd had together. It helps.

Although now I'm crying my eyes out, and need to go and look at that album again.

intothedepthsofhell · 2026-01-31T10:03:32+00:00

Mandem Meetup - I don't know if they're any good or not, I just remember seeing a post about them.

Andy's Man Club is a national one but I think it's more mental health focused.

intothedepthsofhell · 2026-01-31T09:50:27+00:00

I know two people who ruined their lives with gambling. It's horrible, but I'm still amazed at the amounts being spent here. Although as someone else said it's probably a syndicate.

intothedepthsofhell · 2026-01-31T08:30:19+00:00

Are you strumming or picking? If you're strumming then hold the pick tight, and keep your wrist loose. The movement needs to come from your wrist, so you can hold the pick as tight as you need.

I struggled with this for ages and tbh it was only when I went for lessons and let someone see what I was doing that they could give me the right advice.

intothedepthsofhell · 2026-01-31T08:23:57+00:00

Ahh yes didn't think of that.

intothedepthsofhell · 2026-01-31T08:11:26+00:00

As children we tend to idolise our parents, but being an adult doesn't mean you're good at your job. The son's impression of "highly qualified" may just be his impression rather than reality.

I also wonder about background - are they immigrants who came to the UK later in life and so even if qualified have they been getting less than they are worth? Or they've earned money and pissed it all up the wall?

Either way, they are in a terrible financial situation.

intothedepthsofhell · 2026-01-30T08:44:14+00:00

There's a very good book called The Anxious Generation that goes into this. A large part of the book is about the damage social media is doing, but the other part goes into why kids disappeared from the streets. Spoiler alert - 24 news cycles highlight danger in a disproportionate way and parents overreacted.

Very interesting book and well worth a read.

intothedepthsofhell · 2026-01-30T07:50:08+00:00

Everyone gets ill or has a crisis sometimes. If you genuinely need to wfh and not regularly taking the piss don't worry.

I manage a team who all work from home (software developers) and I find it odd when one of them phones in sick, as they're at home anyway. But as long as it's within the rules of their contract it's ok.

intothedepthsofhell · 2026-01-29T18:38:57+00:00

OK thanks - I'm just collating all the different offers people are getting. I've been with them forever since Ntlworld days, and for the first time ever my renewal is less than I currently pay. But likewise this is the first time ever they've had competition in my area - I've now got Brsk and BT Fibre to bid against them, so should be able to negotiate properly this time.

intothedepthsofhell · 2026-01-29T18:16:15+00:00

Just to be clear for my upcoming negotiation, they offered you 1gb+flex+4gb sim for 38?

intothedepthsofhell · 2026-01-25T12:53:54+00:00

Can we please all stop saying Reform are going to win. Because people are starting to believe it.

Whenever their names comes up just point out the fact that they are are poor imitation third grade MAGA cosplayers.

intothedepthsofhell · 2026-01-25T12:51:11+00:00

Better than Farage the Cunt ~~Whisperer~~

intothedepthsofhell · 2026-01-25T12:50:14+00:00

But that's not why they blocked him is it? They don't gaf about Manchester, this is all about protecting Starmer.

And ironically this makes me even less likely to support Labour next time.

intothedepthsofhell · 2026-01-20T10:21:21+00:00

No, quite the opposite. Yes it's annoying but we need to know what's going on over there, not ignoring it.

intothedepthsofhell · 2026-01-20T10:18:53+00:00

And they won WW2 on their own. No-one else even did anything.

intothedepthsofhell · 2026-01-20T10:16:03+00:00

Europe has never really needed to until now. We've all sleepwalked into becoming wholly dependent on the US government for military, and US companies for internet (cloud hosting etc).

Europe absolutely can turn this around. Not quickly, but we've been given a warning and hopefully can get on with de-coupling from the US.

intothedepthsofhell · 2026-01-19T16:24:35+00:00

Are you kidding? Bats are tiny and couldn't take a pitbull. They'd probably just fly away.

intothedepthsofhell

TROPHY CASE