My building management company. My kitchen sink is not working., No water comes out. I have been trying to get it fixed for awhile now. I call the maintenance number and talk to someone who sounds suspiciously like an Indian call center. I'm on my fourth call today. Nothing has happened yet. Someone was supposed to come by yesterday, No, We'll see if anyone comes today.
TICTH Hospital discharge planning, or lack thereof. Why are you - nurse who apparently don’t know what care package is going in or what assessments have been done because apparently your clinical notes don’t contain that information - trying to ring my 87r old father on a *Sunday morning* to tell him my 81yr old mother with a broken leg will be discharged tomorrow. Do you know if OT have assessed the flat - you think they usually do - yes but do you know if they actually have ? Don’t know. Do you know what care she will have ? No.
Does this sound like a disaster waiting to happen - yes it does.
TICTH bloody idiots who started arranging the discharge without checking the fucking X-ray. On which it turns out the bones have shifted and she may now require a second op and a plate putting in - having told both my elderly parents to expect the discharge, got her up and dressed and bags packed to go home before telling them it couldn’t happen.
I'm so sorry this is happening @Doublethink. Have you contacted the hospital's PALs service. When your mum is ready to be discharged a few weeks in a discharge to assess bed in a care home might enable you to see if she can come home with some support.
@Doublethink I can remember around five to six years ago dealing with my parents discharge from hospital and the number of assessments needed. It felt as one of the few times when they were viewed as a unit. No the help was not always brilliant but it was there. Even last year when I broke my arm I had to prove I could walk up stairs before they would let me home. I am a reasonably fit in my late fifties.
This year, after major surgery on his leg, with a drain in a close friend was sent home to a two story house with no such assessment, he is an active seventy nine year old
The RAC.
Our car wouldn't start (it's been resting for three weeks as Mrs RR recovers) . We got to town, parked, went shopping. Got back in the car. Pressed all Bessie's correct buttons. Nothing, nada. She was obviously sulking with a flat battery (I know the feeling). 'Never mind', I said, we'll phone the RAC. So we phoned their breakdown telephone number. And got nowhere. Nada, nothing, no human answer at all. B*gg*r! What now? Help, Lord!
Apparently, to get the RAC to come out to you, you now need an 'app' (whatever that is) on your 'i-phone' (whatever that is).
Prayer works! So grateful you still don't need an app for that. Thank goodness for kind and helpful neighbours (and jump leads!).
It was the impossibility of talking to a reassuring RAC operative that upset us.
Mrs RR, clever bunny that she is, has now downloaded the necessary RAC app.
I have one app on my i-pad. It's to control my hi fi streamer thingy. I had to get one to listen to Radio 3 concertswithout compression.
To Hell with the BBC too!
The AA hadn't gone that far as of this spring, when I called them. They did have automated bits saying "try the app", whilst getting through the menus though. I do wonder what happens if you're in one of the places where there's enough signal for a voice call, but not for data?
Perhaps only to heck, as it’s not really traumatic, just annoying and incomprehensible. The levels of parking under the largish hotel at which we are staying are numbered -1 and -2 on the lift buttons. That’s fine, as they are below ground. However, which is the uppermost of the two levels -2! This is not logical!!
Company R sent me, through the post, a form to complete and return. There was no address on the form for me to return it to, but in tiny letters at the bottom of the covering letter there was their Registered Office Address.
I phoned to confirm this was the address to which I had to return the form. I got an automatic message that their lines were "unusually busy" but the answers to most questions are on their website.
Much hunting round their website did not reveal their postal address. So I tried submitting a question. In order to ask "What is your address?" I had to answer 7 questions. Then I got an error message. The "date of birth" was just a box, no indication of the form in which the date of birth had to be entered and it took me three attempts to get it right.
Then I got a message that they would normally reply within 5 days, but it might be longer.
So I phoned again. Took a best guess at the "press 1 for X, 2 for Y", was on hold for 11 minutes, and then the person who answered told me they couldn't tell me their address until I had answered their security questions. One of which (the date on the original letter) I couldn't answer without going and raking through my filing cabinet. Fortunately, as I'd got the first four questions right, she relented and confirmed that their Registered Office was indeed the address to which I had to post the form.
Further to this, several days later I received an e-mail headed Confidential - Intended for the named recipient(s) only which confirmed their postal address.
Yesterday I got a letter telling me that the payment was not as simple as just paying the money back into the account it came from. I need to prove that the bank account, in my name, from which I paid the money in the first place, is in fact my account! They have asked me to send either a blank cancelled cheque, or a paying-in-slip, or a paper bank statement from the last three months. I don't get paper statements, and I'd have to make a trip into town to collect a pay-in slip, so it's going to have to be the blank cancelled cheque.
How does this prevent money-laundering? They know I have access to, and use of, the bank account, because that's where the money came from in the first place. How does proving I have a cheque book for the account make any difference?
They say it has to be "an original bank statement" which precludes photocopies or print-outs, I think.
I just don't understand why they need it. The money came out of the joint account of NEQ and NEM, it's being refunded back into the same account of NEQ and NEM; why do I need to prove that that it is in fact my account? Surely the fact that I used the account in the first place proves that it's my account?
Sending them a cancelled blank cheque doesn't tell them anything they didn't already know; viz, this is a bank account over which I have control.
My small market town looks like having three separate Remembrance services tomorrow. There used to be just the one, in the Parish Church. There is no memorial anywhere outside, but the rood screen in church is inscribed with the names of the fallen of two world wars, and there is a hanging cross for WW2, so traditionally this has been the location for a united service for many years.
I think there was a divergence of opinion a couple of years ago, so now the Anglicans and Methodist each have a service in their own church, and the British Legion has one on the Market Square. They are also doing one on the 11th. Sad.
Much the same in Our Town, although I don't think it's a result of past falling-out - it's simply that there are numerous churches, each of which will probably incorporate some sort of Act of Remembrance in its regular worship tomorrow morning.
IIRC, the main British Legion ceremony (with Scouts, Guides, and all the other quasi-military groups) takes place in the afternoon.
On Monday 11th, a Gun will be fired at 11am from a local Fort, and this will mark the beginning of the *official* two-minute silence. FatherinCharge invites the faithful to stay for a cuppa tea after the 10am Mass, and then to go outside the church (weather permitting) to hear the Gun, and to keep the two-minute silence with him. A sensible arrangement, I think, but not really feasible for those at work or school, hence the multitude of Stuff on the nearest Sunday...
TBH I'd like to consign to Hell most of what goes on at Remembrance-tide. (And I say this as the son of German Jewish parents who fled Hitler at the end of 1938; my father actually having spent some time in a concentration camp). I dislike so much of the language, the faux-religiosity, the emphasis on patriotism, and so much more.
Yes, I'm well aware that "they fought so you could have the freedom to express your opinions" but, if we are to have Remembrance, let it be with grief for the past dead, civilian as well as military, and with despair that we humans have still not learned to resolve our differences peaceably. And let it please be a secular, rather than a religious, commemoration (although including representatives of various faith communities might be acceptable).
I shall be leading worship tomorrow with reluctance.
I will not argue with you, BT. Too many of my family are still out there on the battlefields for me to not observe, to not wear a poppy, but the weaponisation of remembrance is hateful and hides the truth behind what was really being fought for.
North American banks, still operating in the 1970s. Needed money in US dollars quickly for a family member's emergency, but it couldn't be transferred electronically from one Canadian bank to another (of course it can, but they won't do it). They insisted that they couldn't send the money directly to the recipient, and had to write a bank cheque (in US dollars) to us from our savings account with them to our US account at another. The cheque took over a week to reach us in the mail. A new regulation says they must put a 30 day hold on it, which we argued down to one week. Once that is done, we have a choice of mailing a bank draft or paying a large fee for a wire transfer - yes, they still exist here. The entire transaction could have been done in a few minutes, but will have taken nearly four weeks by the time it's completed. This is terminally idiotic.
Edit: apologies to other posters - was composing this rant without checking what else had come up. Remembrance is a more important issue today.
I actually don't mind the Remembrance stuff; it only happens once a year, and I'm quite content to buy and wear a poppy as a mark of respect and gratitude, and entreat the Almighty for the wisdom to learn from the past.
What does annoy me is the "weaponisation", the way some on the right of the political spectrum have commandeered the poppy, and would seem to be trying to make it a symbol of the very "nationalism" that we're thankful to have been delivered from.
In response to ST's TICTH, I quite understand; we nearly lost a house because of the ridiculous bureaucracy of the Canadian banking system. (Northern Ireland bank transferred the purchase price automatically; Canadian bank said it had to sit for 30 days to clear).
What does annoy me is the "weaponisation", the way some on the right of the political spectrum have commandeered the poppy, and would seem to be trying to make it a symbol of the very "nationalism" that we're thankful to have been delivered from.
This. And, to be fair, the Royal British Legion don't like it either.
I agree about the weaponisation. Our MP had a photo of him laying a wreath on his Facebook page. I was behind him and saw his wife moving over to get the best angle. All the comments were well done, what a patriot etc. Someone said 'Where was Starmer?' implying he couldn't be bothered to turn up. Fine if it was the Cenotaph and he wasn't there, but this was our local market town.
I felt somewhat shocked to see how many of the younger people who attended our Remembrance service used the opportunity for selfies, as well as photos of their beloved offspring in their Brownie or Cub uniforms.
I wonder how much of that is lack of personal connection to war losses @Puzzler ? I'm 51. My parents were born at the end of WW2. The first Kuwait war was when I was in 6th form. One of the people in my RPG group was in Afghanistan, but that's the only person I know who was there.
One of my cousins was in his RN uniform at his local Remembrance parade today, and 2 of the next gen down on the other side of the family will have been in their Army uniforms at theirs (or on duty), but I suspect that there just aren't that many people who know or are related to folks in/ex Armed Forces.
Which part of "That is a massive red flag, I am never, ever, doing that again, for love nor money!" do you have a problem with?
In other news, I've heard nowt from the recruiter regarding the people I referred to as "bawbags". This is not a surprise. Considering he approached me on October 15th, stating that they were interested in contacting me, I've long since lost any trust in them I might have had. I simply don't understand why they would hire a recruiter and then fail to communicate with them without being chased up.
How long has "Singles Day" been a naked cash grab and why I am getting emails for it? And if they had to come up with this new capitalist monster, could they not have chosen a different day than Armistice day?
I was briefly tempted to google this, but that was only going to prompt some algorithm to start sending me those emails, and popping up reminders on FB in the mistaken assumption that I am actually interested, so I refrained.
I'd rather remain in ignorance until it becomes one of those things everyone knows about, whether they want to or not.
I am annoyed trying to get mental health help, and feel I'm not being listened to and medication that helped in the past (which I had to come off as it wasn't available in the country I moved to; I've moved back) isn't being prescribed as it is "from the 1960s" (or soon thereafter) and we have more modern ones. Which, after 4 years of adjustments and additions, isn't working. Sorry for the whinge; I'm just tired. Maybe I'm mistaken, but I'm just over it.
I hold the RBL at least partly responsible for the poppy mess, not least because of their (somewhat understandable) tendency to make it appear that every war involving British forces was necessary and honorable, and that British military deaths are the only ones that really matter. Given their core purpose that's perfectly reasonable, but in their role as "custodians of remembrance" it's not appropriate.
Minor rant in the Grand Scheme Of Things™, but TICTH Tesco's magazine. It's a quite delightful publication, with lots of nice recipes in it, but in November's magazine there was one recipe that rather jumped out at me as being rather nice.
Unfortunately ... they printed the recipe in white print on a background that varied from medium-grey to really rather pale grey, and I found it very hard to read.
I appreciate that I have rather bad eyesight, but white type on a pale grey background is just silly, isn't it?
Minor rant in the Grand Scheme Of Things™, but TICTH Tesco's magazine. It's a quite delightful publication, with lots of nice recipes in it, but in November's magazine there was one recipe that rather jumped out at me as being rather nice.
Unfortunately ... they printed the recipe in white print on a background that varied from medium-grey to really rather pale grey, and I found it very hard to read.
I appreciate that I have rather bad eyesight, but white type on a pale grey background is just silly, isn't it?
It is very, very silly. Says the person who spends much time adapting pretty looking educational resources so they can actually be used...
Did you manage to decipher it @Piglet? It’s also available online, so you could copy and paste it, and change the colour.
Thanks, Bro J - that's not a bad idea! 🙂
I could get most of it, but I had to squint at the page, and it wasn't exactly comfortable. In fairness, I wasn't in the strongest light, but it was somewhere I can read normal text easily enough.
I used to prepare (and put up) the outside notices at Our Place, giving details of the week's services etc., and I read somewhere (or was told) that black lower case type on a yellow background was the best combination for those with some visual impairment.
Comments
Does this sound like a disaster waiting to happen - yes it does.
This year, after major surgery on his leg, with a drain in a close friend was sent home to a two story house with no such assessment, he is an active seventy nine year old
Our car wouldn't start (it's been resting for three weeks as Mrs RR recovers) . We got to town, parked, went shopping. Got back in the car. Pressed all Bessie's correct buttons. Nothing, nada. She was obviously sulking with a flat battery (I know the feeling). 'Never mind', I said, we'll phone the RAC. So we phoned their breakdown telephone number. And got nowhere. Nada, nothing, no human answer at all. B*gg*r! What now? Help, Lord!
Apparently, to get the RAC to come out to you, you now need an 'app' (whatever that is) on your 'i-phone' (whatever that is).
Prayer works! So grateful you still don't need an app for that. Thank goodness for kind and helpful neighbours (and jump leads!).
Seriously, though, I sympathise. As you say, helpful neighbours (and jump leads) are handy to have around.
Mrs RR, clever bunny that she is, has now downloaded the necessary RAC app.
I have one app on my i-pad. It's to control my hi fi streamer thingy. I had to get one to listen to Radio 3 concertswithout compression.
To Hell with the BBC too!
Further to this, several days later I received an e-mail headed Confidential - Intended for the named recipient(s) only which confirmed their postal address.
Yesterday I got a letter telling me that the payment was not as simple as just paying the money back into the account it came from. I need to prove that the bank account, in my name, from which I paid the money in the first place, is in fact my account! They have asked me to send either a blank cancelled cheque, or a paying-in-slip, or a paper bank statement from the last three months. I don't get paper statements, and I'd have to make a trip into town to collect a pay-in slip, so it's going to have to be the blank cancelled cheque.
How does this prevent money-laundering? They know I have access to, and use of, the bank account, because that's where the money came from in the first place. How does proving I have a cheque book for the account make any difference?
I just don't understand why they need it. The money came out of the joint account of NEQ and NEM, it's being refunded back into the same account of NEQ and NEM; why do I need to prove that that it is in fact my account? Surely the fact that I used the account in the first place proves that it's my account?
Sending them a cancelled blank cheque doesn't tell them anything they didn't already know; viz, this is a bank account over which I have control.
*With stupidity the Gods themselves struggle in vain.
<rolleyes>
Ve are only obeyink orders.
I think there was a divergence of opinion a couple of years ago, so now the Anglicans and Methodist each have a service in their own church, and the British Legion has one on the Market Square. They are also doing one on the 11th. Sad.
IIRC, the main British Legion ceremony (with Scouts, Guides, and all the other quasi-military groups) takes place in the afternoon.
On Monday 11th, a Gun will be fired at 11am from a local Fort, and this will mark the beginning of the *official* two-minute silence. FatherinCharge invites the faithful to stay for a cuppa tea after the 10am Mass, and then to go outside the church (weather permitting) to hear the Gun, and to keep the two-minute silence with him. A sensible arrangement, I think, but not really feasible for those at work or school, hence the multitude of Stuff on the nearest Sunday...
Yes, I'm well aware that "they fought so you could have the freedom to express your opinions" but, if we are to have Remembrance, let it be with grief for the past dead, civilian as well as military, and with despair that we humans have still not learned to resolve our differences peaceably. And let it please be a secular, rather than a religious, commemoration (although including representatives of various faith communities might be acceptable).
I shall be leading worship tomorrow with reluctance.
BTW my father - still a German national at the time - served in the Pioneer Corps during WW2, although only within Britain.
Edit: apologies to other posters - was composing this rant without checking what else had come up. Remembrance is a more important issue today.
What does annoy me is the "weaponisation", the way some on the right of the political spectrum have commandeered the poppy, and would seem to be trying to make it a symbol of the very "nationalism" that we're thankful to have been delivered from.
In response to ST's TICTH, I quite understand; we nearly lost a house because of the ridiculous bureaucracy of the Canadian banking system. (Northern Ireland bank transferred the purchase price automatically; Canadian bank said it had to sit for 30 days to clear).
One of my cousins was in his RN uniform at his local Remembrance parade today, and 2 of the next gen down on the other side of the family will have been in their Army uniforms at theirs (or on duty), but I suspect that there just aren't that many people who know or are related to folks in/ex Armed Forces.
Which part of "That is a massive red flag, I am never, ever, doing that again, for love nor money!" do you have a problem with?
In other news, I've heard nowt from the recruiter regarding the people I referred to as "bawbags". This is not a surprise. Considering he approached me on October 15th, stating that they were interested in contacting me, I've long since lost any trust in them I might have had. I simply don't understand why they would hire a recruiter and then fail to communicate with them without being chased up.
I was briefly tempted to google this, but that was only going to prompt some algorithm to start sending me those emails, and popping up reminders on FB in the mistaken assumption that I am actually interested, so I refrained.
I'd rather remain in ignorance until it becomes one of those things everyone knows about, whether they want to or not.
Unfortunately ... they printed the recipe in white print on a background that varied from medium-grey to really rather pale grey, and I found it very hard to read.
I appreciate that I have rather bad eyesight, but white type on a pale grey background is just silly, isn't it?
It is very, very silly. Says the person who spends much time adapting pretty looking educational resources so they can actually be used...
Thanks, Bro J - that's not a bad idea! 🙂
I could get most of it, but I had to squint at the page, and it wasn't exactly comfortable. In fairness, I wasn't in the strongest light, but it was somewhere I can read normal text easily enough.