Early Risers.

[jamie92208]

13 minutes ago, PupCam said:

 

Nail whacked soundly on the head I think Andy!   The trouble is, I just won't give up

 

Such an acute sense sense of cynicism is worthy of membership of Captain Cynical's  team I would have thought (you'll have to get past his HR "people" first though) and  I can lend you my spare Cynical Suit until your own one turns up.

 

Alan

I had Cartledge problems in both knees a few years ago. For the first one I did what I was told and went for physio. I told them that I'd done the damage 30 years before and the excercises would only make it worse. They did. Eventually  I got to see the surgeon. Went in shorts and before he even examined me, he took a look and diagnosed the problem. Sorted a few weeks later and no trouble since. When the 2nd one went I went to the GP and he suggested the physio route. I told him that I thought it was just a way of trying to cut down on who could see the surgeons.  He agreed with me, bypassed the system and I got the knee sorted 3 weeks later.  Yes just another way of trying to make the system worse. Perhaps I'm a tad cynical. The physio's were private providers paid by results

 

Jamie

Edited September 8, 2021 by jamie92208

[PhilJ W]

27 minutes ago, leopardml2341 said:

Meanwhile:

 

 

Methinks this is s scam

I have received a couple also but as I refuse to deal with Amazon let alone open an account with them I know its a scam.

[polybear]

1 hour ago, Gwiwer said:

The train I take into the House of Fun became trapped at Twickenham when a shopping trolley interrupted progress on all lines.  No-one hurt but a lot of damaged, twisted and entangled metal, some of it fused to the conductor rail
 

 

What a shame the little b'stards responsible weren't fused to the shopping trolley in the process....make a great work of art, that would.  Stand aside Tracey Emin....

 

1 hour ago, Gwiwer said:

Some people had been stuck on board for as much as three hours. 

 

 

One of Bear's pet nightmares would be being caught in a similar situation with no loo on board - and gaggin' for a Number 2.

 

In other news:

Another journey onto the roof of the Conservatory - bedroom window, guttering, fascia & soffit, extractor fan vents, soil pipe, down pipe and bathroom window all cleaned.  Tick

[southern42]

It is now mid afternoon, or thereabouts, and I have just finished lunch.

 

A short toot on the flute.  I must keep playing the Judge tune more, I was stumbling over it this morning.

 

My walk in the park cloudy-outdoors to the Log Swing ran a bit late, Ray was a bit late home as well, and what with one thing and another...the time did passeth and lunch was even later. As to the drawing, not a lot more paper covered but more definition given to the existing roots.

 

This trip, I noticed a tangle of roots spreading away downstream from the tree so I just had to do some walkabouts to get some pics.

 

 

As you can see, it is not a big note pad, merely A5. "Small is beautiful," I think they say! We will see.

 

And the current state of progress.

 

One of the main difficulties I have is that the Faber-Castell pencils are lovely and 'vibrant' (their word) and I need a more muted look, so I am having to work out how to dull the colours down. Another is making things look three dimensional without under or over doing it.  The background should be fun as I want to make that lighter so the tree and the Log Swing stand out rather than blend in too much. I sometimes think that it is a shame I did not include the whole width of the tree but then, when I started I only had intentions of doing the log swing and a slight suggestion of everything else but it moved away from that idea quite quickly. Sounds akin to m*d*ll*ng to me.

 

Time for some G word and that fuchsia stump.

 

[iL Dottore]

4 hours ago, PupCam said:

...Why is it acceptable FOR ALL organisations (NHS, HMG, Utility Companies etc etc) to perpetually pedal the pathetic message that there's a Pandemic on, you can got all you need from our website @ www.we're going to waste your time for hours on the telephone if you hang on and constantly bombard you with stupid, pointless information so you can't actually concentrate on anything else while we waste your time.co.uk,  webchat , email blah blah blxxdy blah!...

It's the WWI British Spirit resurfacing. My dear Puppers

 

Not the "Blitz Spirit" (i.e. the "Jerry has bombed me out of house and home, but so what? I'm carryin on") but rather the widespread and pernicious "don't you know there's a war on" - which was an excuse to do f***-all.

 

I heard a story, sort of third-hand through the family, that my maternal Grandfather - a CPO in Royal Navy during WWII - was on shore leave and was trying to get something urgent done and was fobbed off by some Spiv with the words "don't you know there's a war on". Apparently he left without a word, and came back 10 minutes with his lads and proceeded to instruct the Spiv what was really meant by "there's a war on".

 

iD

Edited September 8, 2021 by iL Dottore

[polybear]

Bear has seen some unbelievable stories - but this one must be up there with the best:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-58487855

[Sir TophamHatt]

Evening... and what an evening it is!
 

Just today I have been reminded of something that could be considered "grumpy old man" but it really does annoy me.

 

Our local Morrisons store is being redone at the moment and posters outside saying "we're improving your store..."

I really dislike this term of phrase.  It's not "my" store at all.

Not many companies pretend to be personable like this but I can see getting more annoyed as I get older.  Maybe I should challenge them and suggest if it's my store, then I shouldn't pay for anything.

[iL Dottore]

1 hour ago, PupCam said:

…Such an acute sense sense of cynicism is worthy of membership of Captain Cynical's  team I would have thought (you'll have to get past his HR "people" first though) and  I can lend you my spare Cynical Suit until your own one turns up.

Alan

A small correction, if I may:

1. Captain Cynical does not have an HR department, he has a personnel  office staffed by two former minions.
2. Although the two minions are now office bound, they spent many years working in the field. Following work related injury they were rotated into personnel.
3. Ergo, the two minions in personnel know about the job in detail having “been there, done that, got the prosthetic leg/arm/hand”

Personnel acquisition and retention has never been a problem for Captain Cynical, in fact given that the current term terms and conditions of employment are exceptional even for the lowest minion. Captain Cynical Industries AG have far more applicants an open positions – so we only hire the very best. 

Our employment motto is: hire the best, demand the best, pay the best and treat them like adults.

 

Captain Cynical.

[PhilJ W]

2 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

A small correction, if I may:

1. Captain Cynical does not have an HR department, he has a personnel  office staffed by two former minions.
2. Although the two minions are now office bound, they spent many years working in the field. Following work related injury they were rotated into personnel.
3. Ergo, the two minions in personnel know about the job in detail having “been there, done that, got the prosthetic leg/arm/hand”

Personnel acquisition and retention has never been a problem for Captain Cynical, in fact given that the current term terms and conditions of employment are exceptional even for the lowest minion. Captain Cynical Industries AG have far more applicants an open positions – so we only hire the very best. 

Our employment motto is: hire the best, demand the best, pay the best and treat them like adults.

 

Captain Cynical.

Isn't that an Oxymoron?

[simontaylor484]

2 hours ago, leopardml2341 said:

Methinks this is just a ploy to ensure that complaints etc. are never dealt with because the complainant gives up their pursuit (or the will to live - see later) before resolution.

 

A similar thing happened to me on the pathway from the depths of my mental ill health episode a few years ago. Once I had regained some of my tenacity I was so fed up with being passed from pillar to post, and sometimes even ignored, I suggested that their M.O. was at least one way to reduce case numbers and waiting lists by simply pushing their clients over the edge; another one gone!

Exactly what happened to me God knows what would have happened if the Mrs had not rung 111 when not satisfied with the "care" from the GP who put her on to something called single point of access and then on to the mental health crisis team.

[simontaylor484]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

Bear has seen some unbelievable stories - but this one must be up there with the best:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-58487855

You couldnt make it up. Looks like some one's in for a promotion

 

It reminds me of the Welsh road sign when they emailed a translator for the Welsh wording and got an out of office reply and they put it on the sign.

[iL Dottore]

21 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Isn't that an Oxymoron?

How so???

[PupCam]

5 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

How so???

It would only be an Oxymoron IF you had an "industry standard" HR team

 

In fact, in that case it would actually be a miracle!

[PhilJ W]

54 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

How so???

The signature makes it sound sarcastic, which we all know that it isn't.

[tigerburnie]

Evening, now here's a thing, my GP rang me yesterday, after said consultation I asked, "when will I get my flu jab"?......................"no idea, all down to availability!........................just had a phone call from the same surgery, I get my jab tomorrow, now that was some swift delivery............................or the left hand has no idea what the right hand is doing.......................

[PhilJ W]

Zoom meeting in ten minutes, time to sign in.

[AndyB]

2 hours ago, polybear said:

Bear has seen some unbelievable stories - but this one must be up there with the best:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-58487855

 

I'm guessing their Delivery Manager is reviewing their DEVOPS this morning!

 

Mind you, as was mentioned a week or so ago, the council will find 10 times more money to fix this (post balls up), compared to investing to do it properly in the first place. 

 

Been trying to imagine how to reproduce this on my own digital estate - just in case. Lol. 

[brianusa]

3 hours ago, Sir TophamHatt said:

Evening... and what an evening it is!
 

Just today I have been reminded of something that could be considered "grumpy old man" but it really does annoy me.

 

Our local Morrisons store is being redone at the moment and posters outside saying "we're improving your store..."

I really dislike this term of phrase.  It's not "my" store at all.

Not many companies pretend to be personable like this but I can see getting more annoyed as I get older.  Maybe I should challenge them and suggest if it's my store, then I shouldn't pay for anything.

How about our "guests" at Costco and elsewhere?  I am a customer, certainly not their guest!  As for their "associates," they used to be shop assistants or clerks.  We can be nice without having to be grating ala Heep!

    Brian

[Coombe Barton]

... and Boris' hope - less convincing ...

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2021/09/08/stating-the-obvious-again/

[Ozexpatriate]

8 hours ago, PupCam said:

Why is it acceptable FOR ALL organisations (NHS, HMG, Utility Companies etc etc) to perpetually pedal the pathetic message that there's a Pandemic on, you can got all you need from our website @ www.we're going to waste your time for hours on the telephone if you hang on and constantly bombard you with stupid, pointless information so you can't actually concentrate on anything else while we waste your time.co.uk,  webchat , email blah blah blxxdy blah!

5 hours ago, leopardml2341 said:

Methinks this is just a ploy to ensure that complaints etc. are never dealt with because the complainant gives up their pursuit (or the will to live - see later) before resolution.

Normally regarding any encounter with officialdom I would apply Hanlon's Razor:

Quote

Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity ... or incompetence*

* A common variant

 

With many corporate entities I would offer a corollary:

 

Never attribute to cunning that which is adequately explained by cost cutting ... or laziness.

 

Here in Oregon, we have a recycling incentive to return beverage containers (beer, water, soda). A surcharge is applied at the point of sale which can be later refunded. Supermarket chains are required to manage the refund process and used to offer self-service machines that read bar codes on containers and anonymously produced a ticket with the amount of the refund.

 

Pre-pandemic an alternative using identifiers and hefty, transparent green bags was offered as an alternative. During the pandemic, all the self-service machines were shut down with social distancing difficulties being the excuse - leaving only the the green bag option. Once pandemic restrictions were lifted* the self-service machines were not returned to service.

 

* We're now back to a mask mandate (indoors and outdoors). 

 

Why? No clear reason, but they did require a supermarket employee to manage the machines - empty the bins, unstick jams, manually produce refund tickets where the machines failed to read barcodes etc. It is a smelly, sticky and potentially dangerous job - including the use of chain mail gauntlets to deal with broken glass. The green bags are outsourced to a company that collects them.

 

I don't want to use the green bags. I don't want to be entered into a database tracking how many bottles I return. The pandemic provided an convenient excuse for the supermarkets to not offer their old solution.

[Gwiwer]

On 07/09/2021 at 14:58, Gwiwer said:

He needs the results from a week's peak-flow measurements before awarding me the badge I expect to receive.  He does however seem happy that this is nothing more serious nor in need of any more urgent attention than has been provided.

It's unrealistic to judge from a few early results.  Ask Boris about the early days of the current problem for example.  However the peak-flow readings are more than somewhat below what Dr. Quack suggested they might be.  I'll see how the next couple of days go.  If they stay low without improvement I can always call him back.  If there is any improvement I shall wait until next week's booked face-to-face session in the surgery.  

 

The voice got used rather a lot today owing to the widespread disruption on the rail network.  Double-edged sword mode : if we had suitable microphones I would have been able to make regular announcements which may have reduced the number of questions asked but as we don't I ended up talking just as much but to a lot more people individually.  Why do we not have mics?  We should have.  They are provided.  Cordless mics meaning we can use them anywhere the signal is picked up rather than "hiding" in a hut or office.  It has been though for some time that a few of our number either keep them in their lockers when not in use or are so forgetful / unprofessional that they just take them home and they're not always seen again.  It's the same with the radios.  Miss Management needs to do more than she has done for as long as I've been employed there to manage this situation.  It is not satisfactory and (in the case of radios) may cause delay in the transmission or reception of safety-critical and other urgent messages.  

 

Dinner was enjoyed outside tonight.  Covid tests were done and once again offered no positive news.  Kebabs were delivered, Pimms (for her) and Red Laughing Water (for me) were poured and we sat at the picnic table on the lawn and beside one of the flower beds we have lovingly cared for this summer.  Not an hour after we came inside it started raining and is now persisterating down with distant thunder.  A well-timed and possibly final-for-this-year outdoor evening meal which we both enjoyed.  

 

Almost time for bed.  I hope not to dream again of missing the sleeping car as I did last night!  I checked in at Penzance, left my bag to be stowed (not a service the current operators provide) and the very busy check-in lady assured me she would be back to "Assign my berth".  Next thing I knew the train was pulling out with me not on board but needing to be in London for 7am to start work.  A little later the alarm sounded and I woke still slightly troubled that the train had left me behind.

 

G'night all.  Stay well.  

[leopardml2341]

Thumping headache

 

Goodnight folks.

[PupCam]

8 hours ago, PupCam said:

Later on I have another medical telephone appointment, this time with the specialist Cardio nurse so we'll see what happens with that.  I wonder if she will be able to shed any light on the delayed (apparently "unimportant")  CT Angiogram scan ...

 

 Well that worked very well,  we had a most useful conversation and cleared up a number of things relating to my medical treatment etc with on-going plans for follow-ups.   So, many thanks to her.

 

7 hours ago, polybear said:

Creocote another fence PANEL??  As in singular?  Pupper's dedication knows no bounds.....

 

Yes one at a time for two reasons 1) I really can't manage all that bobbing up and down (particularly in the sun) for too long at the moment and 2) It's such a tedious task - whilst I have endless patience in some respects, doing tedious, mind-numbingly dull but not tricky tasks is not one of them.

 

Anyway you'd think one of my mates, knowing my currently frail condition, would take pity on me and offer to come round and do it for me  and all for the princely sum of a mugotea and a wedge of LDC.    Cue the Neville Chamberlain voice over;

 

"I have to tell you now that no such undertaking has been received and consequently this household is at ...."   

 

Well, perhaps not war and anyway we've just missed the 3rd September anniversary of the second war to end all wars (until the next one).  Still, plans are afoot for a joint Bear & Puppers expeditionary  mission on which reports may be filed at a later point

 

1 hour ago, tigerburnie said:

Evening, now here's a thing, my GP rang me yesterday, after said consultation I asked, "when will I get my flu jab"?......................"no idea, all down to availability!........................just had a phone call from the same surgery, I get my jab tomorrow, now that was some swift delivery............................or the left hand has no idea what the right hand is doing.......................

 

I think we can all predict the correct answer there!

 

Alan

 

[polybear]

3 hours ago, Sir TophamHatt said:

Evening... and what an evening it is!
 

Just today I have been reminded of something that could be considered "grumpy old man" but it really does annoy me.

 

Our local Morrisons store is being redone at the moment and posters outside saying "we're improving your store..."

I really dislike this term of phrase.  It's not "my" store at all.

Not many companies pretend to be personable like this but I can see getting more annoyed as I get older.  Maybe I should challenge them and suggest if it's my store, then I shouldn't pay for anything.

 

A sign outside Bear's local Co-op has now been changed from "Please wear a mask etc. etc." to "Feel free to wear a mask whilst inside our store"....

 

3 hours ago, simontaylor484 said:

It reminds me of the Welsh road sign when they emailed a translator for the Welsh wording and got an out of office reply and they put it on the sign.

 

For many years when Bear used to occasionally travel along the M4 and across the bridge I thought it somewhat strange just how many places were named "Gwasanaethau", as I kept seeing signs saying something along the lines of "Gwasanaethau 8 miles" etc.  Eventually I twigged that it means "Services" - as in Motorway Services.....

Doh!.....

[PupCam]

12 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Here in Oregon, we have a recycling incentive to return beverage containers (beer, water, soda). A surcharge is applied at the point of sale which can be later refunded.

When I (and I suspect a great many other ERs) was a boy, over 50 years ago then, we used to return our lemonade and other soft drink bottles for the 6d refund.   In fact it was a business opportunity, source of income for a young Puppers and any bottles that were found were eagerly returned to a local shop (didn't matter which one) to collect the cash. 

 

Spookily enough, the brand of soft drinks that provided this opportunity was Corona.

 

Alan

 

Edited September 8, 2021 by PupCam