30th April 2022 > > Stuff and nonsense.

tl;dr

Really, stuff and nonsense. Do something more interesting instead.

Market Snap (at time of writing)

Market Wrap

Risk assets do not like the continuing sell-off in govvies, a trend that is only going to worsen over time as supply chain problems grow with every day that China’s dictator-in-chief, Xi, continues his absurd attempt to control Covid. Still, at least he has the support of my local MP.

Occasional Series – Potentially a non-crypto scam?

I had the most ridiculous conversation ever yesterday morning. I kept it going quite a while as I did find it terribly entertaining.

My phone rang and being in a particularly benign mood, I answered it.

Friends and relatives of mine will attest to the fact that this is a pretty rare occurrence. I am often told off for my lack of communication skills, like responding to texts, emails, WhatsApp (medium of choice for adulteresses but that is a story for another day), FB, and the plethora of other channels now available.

The very kind and polite lady on the other end of the call told me that I was due a refund of something close to £200 for excessive charges on an extended warranty I had paid for a washing machine.

Despite asking several times, she could not give me an exact figure. Or rather, every time I asked for confirmation of the amount it changed.

I then asked which washing machine it was for. Hotpoint was her choice.

I have two washing machines at home, neither are Hotpoint.

I asked again why she wanted to send me money. She confirmed it was for an extended warranty policy.

Heavens above, I have never bought one of those in my life. Extended warranties are simply legalised scams. The sellers of extended warranties rate only slightly above my unknown caller in the pantheon of human kindness.

She then proceeded to tell me my name, my phone number, and my home address. This is all information in the public sphere, and despite my age and associated mental degradation I didn’t feel the need to be reminded of those facts about my life.

Moving to the chase, my caller and I agreed that I could receive a refund of indeterminate value, for an extended warranty I did not purchase, on a washing machine I do not own.

Nice.

…

When I declined to give my bank details to her and instead asked for a cheque to be sent to my address that she had already quoted at me she put the phone down.

Occasional Series – Watford FC

Today we play Burnley at home.

Watford FC is the original Family Club.

We did diversity before it became a thing.

We invented woke, though we did not know it.

If we lose today, mathematically we can still stay up, but that would require winning all four of our last games, Burnley losing all of theirs, and we would have to make up more than 20 in goal difference. And don’t even talk to me about an Everton renaissance.

This is a far cry from those heady days at the end of last year when all supporters of liberalism and democracy (that is the whole of the UK apart from a small settlement centred on the Tyne) were eagerly expressing expectation in the hope that Newcastle would take our place in the relegation stakes.

Rotherham away on a blustery Tuesday night in February next awaits.

Curious Cryptos’ Commentary – Haven’t you heard enough from me today?

The CCC will be back by Tuesday at the latest. I have a bit of travelling to do after today’s game.