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subbiesrock

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Posts posted by subbiesrock

  1. yes, a £400 strap for my £130 rep. :whistling:

    i'd sooner spend that money on a gen 93150 for my franken 1665!

    or 2 more nice reps or 3 very nice dirks for my 177. How do breitling get away with charging such extortionate prices? I guess no one wants a £4000 watch on strap that costs less that £50 per square inch of leather/gator/whatever <_<

    Also, I don't want to be a douche, but I posted asking for non OEM leather strap options, and pretty much everyone says "OEM IS BEST!!!!1!"; it's a very typical attitude i've noticed on the forums; it's a difficult one to put into words, but i feel it is somewhat alienating to newer members (myself included).

    That's just a little rant i had to get off my chest. I don't mean to bite the hand that feeds me; I value this community just as much (if not more) than the next guy.

    i'll always have a special feel for the forums :wub:

    Oh, I think you mistook my tongue-in-cheek posting as a serious one. I posted the video because I [censored] myself so much when I heard it the first time and thought I'd share it with the forum. Putting the douchiness of Lingman to one side (and MY GOD is he a douchebag...), you can't deny that his combination of custom polished croc strap, dyed stitching and Ocean Racer clasp doesn't look amazing...

    The issue with Breitlings is that they are very pretty watches. The dials are gorgeous and the cases really do look bespoke, especially the Bentleys. OEM straps really seem to fit best, which is why you are getting the response to your question. The best aftermarket straps are those which copy the OEM style, like the HKTAN earlier.

    PAMs are a little different, because their simple designs yearn for interesting straps. That's why strapmakers make so many PAM straps and relatively few Breitling straps. Also, the strap changing systems on PAMs are a joy, whereas Breitlings are a pain in the ass to change over.

    As for prices, it's all relative, and your cost breakdown is quite apt. New Breit straps are seriously exorbitant, but they are also exceptionally well made and use the very finest materials. The croc patterns and grains are always chosen from the finest large-grained sections. You pay a log of money for that. If you see a piece of croc, the large grained section is a very small fraction of the total area.

    Try Orloff for a strap. My daily wearer is a PAM 312 on a polished Orloff croc and I can't take it off. It would actually suit a full-ling (24mm lug) Breit :)

  2. Thanks for your input guys, it certainly is appreciated.

    Here's a little tidbit of info regarding scumbag #3 from my above scenario: Four days had passed, and I initiated an unpaid item dispute. So, idiot #3 retaliates with some very nasty negative feedback. I quickly got on the phone and explained the situation to a fleabay rep, and luckily I had the feedback removed.

    The biggest problem with fleabay is that the onus is on the seller to appease the buyer, with negative consequences if they don't. Many buyers take advantage of this.

    I just sold an item, and was informed almost a week after auction end that the buyer would be checking out in a further two weeks time, AND asked to renegotiate a fixed postage price at the same time.

    I firmly asked for payment within three days, plus the fixed postage price which he agreed upon when purchasing in the terms o the auction.

    He replied that if any of his terms were not to my liking that we could 'mutually decide' to cancel the transaction. I have no particular issue with doing so, but he really has me by the balls in terms of negative feedback if I decide to continue.

    The issue with feedback being linked to the percentage sellers pay is absolutely ridiculous. The charges to post listings, pay a percentage on the final price, then PP fees (because it's a commercial transaction), it constitutes a significant proportion of any profit made. In fact, I'm not surprised to see a lot of counterfeit goods being peddled on there, it's the only way to make a decent return... Honest, upstanding sellers are getting reamed on fleabay.

    To this, they will of course say that if you don't like it, you can sell elsewhere. Luckily, Gumtree is doing a roaring trade and I've been able to pick up and sell a few nice household items very smoothly and quickly, with free listings and no sales fees etc.

  3. I have taken to video documenting everything, and using tamper proof tape. One continuous shot, etc. Signature confirmation. And USPS proof of acceptance, and a photo of it at the PO. That way if the buyer accuses me of not sending the item, I have more than the average proof. Excessive and paranoid on my part...yes.

    Based on you receiving empty box, sounds like it is time to start video documenting the receipt of items.

    I would hope, PP would consider such evidence in a claim.

    I do that for all Items I sell here. Snap a pic of the outgoing envelope at the post office just as it is sent. It's very simple and a nice courtesy, plus it provides fairly solid proof of sending.

  4. Big time props to this women http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Krvprc0CKqg :drinks:

    A most eloquent expression of precisely what is wrong with the rioters - "dirty f€%king thieves, ya know".

    How about this for an idea to make a change - instead of stealing shoes and plasma TVs, how about knuckling down, getting an education and getting into the places where these decisions are made and making an ACTUAL difference, if they so believe they are being hard done by...

    No... This type of effort is beyond the grasp of most of those slack-jaws.

  5. Remember when this was the iwc forum to go to in the rep world?

    Pugwash photo posts, The Zigmeister modded aquatimers, top gun gen comparison threads...... Etc etc.

    First it turned into a sales forum for concepta. Now it's a wasteland for all the people who's pms the guy won't answer.

    I hear more and more about deals gone wrong. When does this end?

    If you spent a little more time researching and less time thread-crapping and drawing baseless conclusions, you would note that Concepta (very politely) told the forums some time ago that he is no longer able to supply parts and produce IWC frankens.

    Man, the entitlement complexes of some of you guys...

  6. Posting a random gun as the solution to this post was neither sensitive nor intelligent. Sorry for my choice of words, but I simply didn't get the joke. Seriously, apologies for any way my words might have offended you[\b]

    I think an apology in this instance was neither required nor justified. Seroberts simply made an unintelligent jibe to lighten the mood. He's from Texas, he's allowed :p Hell, I say some dumb [censored] sometimes, but I would never expect those within earshot to apologize to me for telling me how stupid what I said happened to be.

    Never apologize for having an opinion Plai, especially with the good ones you've shared so far.

  7. Sorry TeeJay, but if we wanna get technical, the children of immigrants are citizens and unlike many of their parents, often have full rights as any citizen would be.

    In the film The Godfather, Vito Corleone was an immigrant. His son, Michael (played by Al Pacino) is not remembered or ever thought of in our minds as an "immigrant".

    What indeed, IS interesting, is the connotation the word "immigrant" has.

    From a sociological standpoint i think you make a very valid point about immigrant families, but children born to immigrant parents aren't immigrants.

    This is an interesting point on both sides. Both arguments are valid. Indeed, the son or daughter born of a migrant in the new country is a citizen, with equal rights to other citizens. The issue however, using The Godfather as an appropriate analogy, is that the children of these immigrants are often brought up by their parents with a heavy emphasis on their own cultures from the 'old country'. In fact, the children are brought up with a belief system that the 'old country' has any number of redeeming qualities but this 'new' country is viewed as a place where 'fortunes can be made' but is culturally less significant or historically important. Coupled with a lack of community integration and such non-sensical ideas borne from the trials, mistakes and regrets of one's parents, it is little wonder to find the most radicalized are often those born in (and with a birthright in) the country they have been so taught to despise. It all comes down to a lack of education, which is prevalent in such communities. I doubt very much that, regardless of the conditions of upbringing, some time at a secular university studying anything at all for a few years with exposure to Western ideals won't change the minds of such people. This is a little off-topic but I think an important point at the root of some of the issues faced with immigration.

    Back to the issue, there are instances, particularly in less secular communities, where integration into the wider community is not commonplace. I don't mean to keep bringing up religion, but it is salient on this point. One of the greatest mechanisms for division in communities, and one of the greatest hinderances of integration into wider communities, is religion, and as a wider consequence, the lack of cultural diversity it brings. Religion, in combination with a lack of education and open-mindedness, and it is of no surprise to me to hear of some of the horrible events in recent times in Europe by second- and third- generation citizens. The London bombings and the failed attempts spring to mind. And those were very well educated people, suggesting a very insidious force of manipulation at work.

    Those alleged terrorists, with British educations, frankly owe their home country a debt to be lucky enough to have received such an education. Instead, they plot to blow up their fellow citizens. It is despicable. The very same applies to those who looted and pillaged in London the last week, for similar reasons, both immigrants, citizens of immigrants and everybody else.

    An earlier point was made about the relationship between economy and immigration. When all is well, noone bats an eyelid. It is only in difficult financial times when the questions are raised. This is predominantly an issue of governmental complacency and the shortsighted nature of single-office political terms, and a fundamental flaw in Western democracy.

    It's a tough issue to resolve, but it can only happen with a cultural shift. And that takes a long, long time. In the interim, the louts, morons and dickheads pillaging London need to be dealt with and made an example of. Personally I hope each one gets their justice.

  8. What exactly is so funny about my conclusions? Are they surprising to you? Actually, about 1 year of research on my part. Most data and economic outlooks are projected by independent sources such as universities. In my case specifically, the data that I base my conclusions on is gathered and collected by the Lawrence R. Klein Institute at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Immigrant statistics are easily obtained through Eurostat and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Any information you'd like on the subject i'd be happy to share.

    The only pertinent data that the general public usually has knowledge of is the size of immigrant populations and their rate of growth (at best). The most obvious way that people reach conclusions about immigrants is using the information they already know (immigrant population increases) and correlating that information to the current general economic trends. Thus when economies are good.. immigrants are BOOMING (3 to 5 times more immigrants flowing into destination countries) but no one talks about immigration since everyone is doing well. When economies are bad, generally speaking we see abrupt falloffs of immigrant populations even before countries even release quarterly reports on the slowing of economic growth etc. Thus.. immigrants generally realize there are no jobs before the government even knows it. Yet.. once the economy has slowed, heavy attention is placed on immigrant populations even though by the time this has happened, most immigrants waves have already slowed massively.

    For example, here in spain, Immigration is a huge issue currently, even though, we're receiving 200% less immigrants per day than we were 7 years ago (when immigration wasn't an "issue" in the media and politics).

    Fair call. In the case of immigrant populations, i would saythat both your sources and your synthesis are sound. But in terms of our second topic, that of conflicting ideologies being imposed by immigrants, the total number is much less important than the message itself. It only takes a very small number of people to radicalize the rest.

  9. Some news:

    There is a strong call for those looters arrested and living in public housing to have their rights to housing revoked.

    Those responsible need to have the book thrown at them. After this, the clerics that wish to institute Islamic law in western democratic countries are next on the hitlist. There is no place for such lunacy in my opinion.

  10. Thank you for your help! I was a bit eager to get a strap so I went ahead and ordered a BoB-strap for my watch. Does it usually take a lot of time for them to process the order? I punched it through 2-3 days ago and it says that it´s "Processing". I find it weird. It didn´t take me to a payment site either. I chose that I wanted to use Paypal and the next thing was that I finished the purchase without being taken to the paypal site and without offering any paypal-info.

    So you haven't actually paid yet? Maybe have a look on eBay. They're from the same guy (BoB) and a touch cheaper that the WACCEX website.

  11. It just makes me laugh/weep how countries like Australia can have such vigorous immigration policies, yet the UK just seems to have an open-door policy

    The Aussie Govt has attracted a lot of flak for their policies regarding refugee/asylum seekers. I'm not sure what the external image is, but believe me, it's a hot topic internally. A day barely goes by without a story of boat people or an attack by the Left over the Government's policies.

    The issue is a real land mine. Neither political party mentions it, knowing full well that the parties have been and continue to do back door deals with our neighboring countries to curb the flow of boatpeople. Putting it rather bluntly, they cost a lot of money and provide an ongoing financial burden for very little, if any gain to the Australian Public. Australia takes thousands of migrants yearly who either come on skilled work visas or have some demonstrated some aptitude and are willing to work. This is the same for current citizens who are expected to pull their own weight, so to speak. I know from first-hand experience that the biggest welfare cheats are 1st generation migrants who maintain their 'hearts' in the old country.

    The issue of people of particular faiths not adapting to their new environments is an interesting one. This idea of instituting Sharia'a law by an Islamist minority in England, a predominantly Anglo - Christian country for over a Millenium is beyond flagrant arrogance. Not that Britain and America's (and by proxy - Australia's) interventionist policies in the Middle East help the situation, but the sense of entitlement from these people, and the refugees who expect a coutry to which they have no national, cultural or religious ties, to open up their arms and welcome them for free and to support them financially as if they have some obligation to do so, is ludicrous. Then, they demand to institute their Barbaric, Banal Bronze-Age Belief systems as a replacement for the Rule of Law?

    It was proposed in Australia (and I suspect elsewhere in the West) that Sharia'a Courts are established to deal with 'Muslim' matters.

    What a joke.

    Lots to think about here. I suspect Europe (and Britain :p) have a lot on their plates presently, and these issues need to be nipped in the bud before the minority become a ruling majority.

  12. If this is for real I kinda find it inappropriate to post those pics here.

    It is absolutely for real. The pics are all freely available to view at Flickr. This is simply a compilation of news articles and references, nothing suss here R-Man.

    It isn't libel if it's true :)

  13. It's Ok.......you're an Ozzie, you don't get sued by an American Stripper!

    No, but I would get sued by an Aussie lawyer :op this stripper has got that same crazy glint in her eyes as my ex, and poses for photos in exactly the same way, it's remarkable :)

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