Hi eagle-eyes,

bit of a random one but I figure that's what miscellaneous is about, and I'm so angry I wanted to try to do something to end someone's meaningless existence;

Some light-fingered fucking waste of life has just stolen my younger bro's Macbook Pro and Sony phone from his studio in Hackney Wick. He started the studio up less than a year ago, and invested in the computer about 3 months ago, and needless to say it was a big deal to help get things off the ground.

About an hour or two ago, while he was in a meeting in the studio, a scumbag got into the kitchen and nicked both phone and computer. It's a long shot, but I'd do anything to get this back for him.

So, if anyone does get see/get offered anything this evening, see something on Gumtree, or whatever, I'd be extremely grateful if you could use your wits/call the police/twat them fully in the face with D-lock/PM me with details. The computer will have no power cable, a load of stuff to do with fashion, Raeburn Design, and militaria on the desktop. Can pay a handsome reward of ca$h and bonus prizes for info leading to recovery.

Many thanks for reading.

Graeme

ps. ITS HIS FUCKING BIRTHDAY.

Fucking shabby dude, I live in hackney wick so will keep eyes peeled for any dodgy looking cunts (asied form all of the usual dodgy looking cunts who actually live there)

Much obliged Mr Object,

not sure how well the shoulder is at the moment, but I'd sure love to see you swooping out the E3 darkness, delivery a polo mallet directly to the damp-bastard's temple.

I've been playing polo again for a week so life is good. The concept of vigilante armed with a polo mallet is quite entertaining.

dude, bad news. but seriously, what you expect from the area.

should be covered by insurance.

Sure the area is a bit cranky, but the warehouse split into smaller units has a really good community, with lot's of people about all the time, so it's taken some balls to do it with such confidence. Things will change when bodies start getting fished out the canal with gas-pipe sized rings cut into their skulls.

Yeah insurance, he looked into it when he first moved in, asked around for as advice and help etc, it's a grey area when you live in the workspace or work out of a living space, so couldn't find anyone who would do it apart from for crazy money - and risked being caught out if he said, I do/don't live here when something like this happens...

sorry man, but no insurance, WTF!! this is east london my friend.

What colour was the Macbook (just to help if it's on Bumtree, etc)

Shut up dogsballs.

I need to report a theft. Someone has blatantly nicked dogsballs's compassion. It seems like such a petty crime - I thought thieves were targeting higher quality components these days, but a rock is a rock.

sorry, don't want to get into a discussion on insurance, I don't know for a fact he doesn't have it, but the amount of time he spent looking and the technical trouble I presumed not. Apologies if I've got this wrong.

I'm just trying to put word out, it's the only thing I can do to help. Two mate's bikes have been recovered through alerting a network to it, and you guys are very much out and about in the East. Fair enough, an OTP laptop is a bit different to a very distinctive trials bike...

Many thanks Pifco, good point; 15" Macbook Pro, the regular brushed silver finish (so that pins it down then!) will check if it was stickered or distinctive marks.

i said bad news. but, seriously, reality check!! buying brand spankers trendy computer, leave in shared office space in dodgy area of town, unlocked and no insurance. what's the difference to leaving a brand new bike....nothing?!

good luck getting it back.

why does the general consultation that you must get a Mac if you're going to do anything slighty creative? why does an extra £500 is worth that? I mean does it make you coffee when you're working in Photoshop? does it warm your lap slighty better than other laptop?

sorry for the negativity, that must really suck so bad especially without insurance (hell??), I feel for you mate.

shit man, they're £1200 new :O

exactly! I honestly don't get why £1200* is worth spending instead of £600 for the same computer.

*£1300 actually, the MacBook Air doesn't really qualified since it's useless, I should know, my father brought one, the silly sod.

I think he's managed to work this one out all on his own...

will keep ears peeled. Strangely this happens a LOT, shared workspaces / community orifice areas are constantly being targeted. Round my area there are a well dressed couple who walk in to the "wrong" office for a meeting and leave with ipods / macbooks. easy pickings.

from a theft info post to slag of the east end to a mac vs pc discussion in 15 minutes! amazing. Send happy birthday to your bro Chop and condolences.

Ok, to clarify for those of you who need to know why he hasn't got insurance;

He spent a lot of time researching (he even came to me for advice, I mean!?) for his 'light-industrial' workspace, as classified by the landlord and Council. It's part of a big warehouse space chopped into these units, strong doors, secure gates, good security.

Fine, you can get insurance for this, no problem.

However, when you have 3x people living in there, as other guys do in there, it's a bit different, and that's when the insurance goes through the roof. He can't classify it as a living space, because then he'd have to reclassify it as a habitation (and the landlord doesn't want that) and his tax-status would change completely in terms of production from home (and by production, I mean rows of industrial sewing machines, rails of stock, and a 5m long screen print table) for the worse - and 'Live-work' space status is designed to benefit those working from a desk.

Either way, if the Insurance guy comes to inspect/the police file a report on a theft, I'm pretty sure they would invalidate the contract on these grounds, he'd loose the money he thought he'd beens pending wisely, and possibly cause problems for the landlord. To this end, I could even argue that the year he's spent living there, and not paying insurance, it's cheaper than buying a new computer.

Sorry, this isn't a rant, he's not an idiot and he's been working really hard to make this work, so I thought I would clear this up.


Oh, and no obvious markings or stickers, but the desktop was two monkeys playing in a bath at London Zoo.

This has gone up on gumtree today.

I'm not saying it's your bro's, but doesn't mention anything like mains cable, software etc. Only techy stuff mentioned could have been taken from the website

Also, if it was nearly new I'd have thought he'd want more for it than 850

http://www.gumtree.com/london/24/27372624.html

many thanks Picco, much appreciated ...that does look well dodgy.

Fred, yep, that happened to my ex a few years ago. She was working on the 3rd floor of a secure office in Croydon and a well dressed women came in, blithered around a bit and took her laptop and her handbag. Shameless.

Mr Silver, I shall indeed, pass on your regards!