Page 340 of 391

Re: Rant of the Day v2.

Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2022 11:39 am
by Pontius Navigator
Toilet humour.
Our downstairs one got blocked. Now the drain needed regular unblocking but not this time. Time to change it, anyway it was well over 40 years old.

Plumber came and we discovered the pan had been set on concrete. No problem, I have an SDS Hammer drill. Then the floor had original Martley stick on tiles. Some were not stuck. The others were as superglue.

No problem, I have an electric blow lamp.

Then we decided on new wall tiles and storage with cupboards etc. Fortunately I had found a company that made doors an cupboards to fit and helped with the design.

In total it cost north of £2,000 for a room 4ft X 8ft.

And the blockage? One of those clip on loo blu had come off and gone round the bend.

Re: Rant of the Day v2.

Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2022 1:09 pm
by 1DC
C16.. I bet when you are having a nice hot shower one cold day and creating bit of steam your toilet will start flushing!! The lights on the mirrors over the washbasins in our onsuite work like that and if you create a lot of humidity in the bathroom they will flash on and off for a bit.

Re: Rant of the Day v2.

Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2022 8:11 pm
by 4mastacker
What is it with these so-called "Celebs" on quiz shows? They appear to be as thick as mince and unable to give the correct answer to fairly simple questions. e.g. in tonight's "Weakest Link" "What "C" was the name of the Anglo-French supersonic airliner?" "Errr...dunno".

Re: Rant of the Day v2.

Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2022 11:11 pm
by OFSO
As we were this evening hosting a young lad while his parents were out (our relatives) we had the Weakest Link on the box to entertain him. We were also appalled at the dimwitted contestants. Worst still is that a couple of times on The Chase some idiot know-nothing gave their profession as school teacher.

Re: Rant of the Day v2.

Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2022 4:07 pm
by Pontius Navigator
OFSO wrote:
Fri Dec 23, 2022 11:11 pm
As we were this evening hosting a young lad while his parents were out (our relatives) we had the Weakest Link on the box to entertain him. We were also appalled at the dimwitted contestants. Worst still is that a couple of times on The Chase some idiot know-nothing gave their profession as school teacher.
That is the frightening thing.

Re: Rant of the Day v2.

Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2022 6:40 pm
by Fox3WheresMyBanana
My colleagues and I would occasionally get

"Sir, you know everything!"

..usually when they had tried to catch us out, and failed.

In my case, I would reply:

"Would you prefer that I didn't know what I was talking about?"

..and they would think about that for a moment,

"No"

Re: Rant of the Day v2.

Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2022 11:05 pm
by G-CPTN
I have just been requested to update a password - demanded 8 characters with' one upper case, one numerical and one 'character'.

What a pain in the butt!

Re: Rant of the Day v2.

Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2022 1:47 am
by Fox3WheresMyBanana
I think a pain in the butt is two 'characters'

*
^

Try

Upyer5^*

Re: Rant of the Day v2.

Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2022 5:13 am
by TheGreenAnger
Fox3WheresMyBanana wrote:
Sat Dec 24, 2022 6:40 pm
My colleagues and I would occasionally get

"Sir, you know everything!"

..usually when they had tried to catch us out, and failed.

In my case, I would <<channel my inner David Niven>>
“From David Niven's autobiography, Bring on the Empty Horses. Director Mike Curtiz to David Niven & Errol Flynn: "You lousy bums, you and your stinking language, you think I know f**k nothing, well let me tell you— I know F**K ALL!”
― David Niven
Mike Curtiz's malapropisms were funny but his cruelty to animals ultimately was the measure of a meagre man but as ever the truth is hard to find.

David Niven, who was borrowed from Sam Goldwyn and cast as Flynn’s heroic aide, claimed that Curtiz’s language malapropisms were a “source of joy to all of us.” The future author recalled Curtiz’s staging of horses during one scene. “Okay,’ he yelled into a megaphone, ‘Bring on the empty horses!’ Flynn and I doubled up with laughter. ‘You lousy bums,’ Curtiz shouted. ‘You and your stinking language . . . you think I know **** nothing. . . . Well let me tell you—I know **** ALL!’”

In his memoir Niven also wrote about Curtiz’s personal involvement in a cruel practice that allegedly resulted in the mass crippling and destruction of horses: “Curtiz ordered the use of the “Running W,” a tripping wire attached to a foreleg. This the stunt riders would pull when they arrived at full gallop at the spot he had indicated, and a ghastly fall would ensue. . . . Flynn led a campaign to have this cruelty stopped, but the studio circumvented his efforts and completed the carnage by sending a second unit down to Mexico, where the laws against mistreating animals were minimal, to say the least.”

Niven’s account was partially accurate. Flynn apparently did report the maltreatment of horses to the Humane Society at some point. He despised any type of cruelty toward animals and blamed Curtiz for the abuse. Flynn’s widow, Patrice Wymore, told me, “I know Errol was terribly incensed at his [Curtiz’s] treatment of animals.” But contrary to Niven’s assertion and other published reports, no portion of The Charge of the Light Brigade was filmed in Mexico. His claim concerning Curtiz’s responsibility regarding the mass inhumane treatment of horses appears to have been grossly exaggerated.
https://alankrode.com/the-true-story-of ... t-brigade/

Re: Rant of the Day v2.

Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2022 9:27 pm
by 4mastacker
Just before Christmas, I received a phone call from the hospital advising me of my appointment and the lassie said she would send a text confirming the appointment. This afternoon, promised text arrived confirming the appointment..........followed within a minute by another text cancelling the appointment "due to unforeseen circumstances". One is not amused.

Re: Rant of the Day v2.

Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2022 12:57 pm
by 4mastacker
Rang the hospital appointments desk to clarify my appointment - is it cancelled or not as both texts had the same time stamp. Told to ring back on Thursday as the appointments desk is closed until then. So who sent yesterday's texts?

As an aside, the NHS is always screaming for more cash and yet the health trust that runs Betsi Cadwaladr NHS Trust in Wales cannot account for £122 million of its money.

Re: Rant of the Day v2.

Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2022 1:34 pm
by Pontius Navigator
4ma, Mrs PN received two letters just before Christmas, one envelope, one confirming her appointment in February and a second cancelling it. Fortunately we had private health care too once NHS goes over 18 weeks.
Got an appointment with the consultant within the week of ringing. Her investigation will be arrranged next week.

Re: Rant of the Day v2.

Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2022 6:40 pm
by Pontius Navigator
We're in the market for two new doors, say £4,000. Contacted a large regional company that we had used at our previous house. They could visit next day, what 2 hour slot would we like?. He arrived on time, discussed needs and came up with a good finance deal well under budget.

Contacted another national company from East Anglia, arranged appointment for tomorrow. Got a call half an hour or so, they have another visit same time, he could come next week. I asked if he wanted to sell us some doors. He still didn't get the hint.

We had previously tried mountain climbing and without haggling he cane up with a price for one door adjacent to the first first quote for two.

Clearly times are hard, and work scarce, my arse.

Re: Rant of the Day v2.

Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2022 12:29 pm
by 4mastacker
Rang the hospital and was passed between pillar and post - at one point I was put through to another number only for the phone to be answered by the person who had just re-directed me :(( - until one person told me to ring another hospital which co-ordinates appointments.

I rang this other hospital (Boston) where, after another tour of the houses, an appointments clerk said my previous appointment had been cancelled because "of a cock-up by the clinic which is closed on that day and no appointments should have been offered"- so much for the "unforeseen circumstances". It sounded like I wasn't the only person who had been given a spurious appointment for that day. She was able to re-book the appointment for another week but I spent north of two hours of my life on the telephone that I won't get back.

I have no complaint with the clinical staff but it seems to me that the NHS (certainly ULHT) needs to get a bloody grip and sort out its admin - the same impression came across during my admission to A&E at another ULHT hospital earlier on this year.

Their cock-up caused unnecessary phone calls by myself and also used the time of several members of staff trying to sort out what sounds to have been a basic error. I doubt that I am a unique example and you have to wonder how much time/effort is wasted across the whole estate because NHS staff aren't on top of their job.

Re: Rant of the Day v2.

Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2022 12:39 pm
by CharlieOneSix
Mrs C16 noticed an unauthorised payment on her credit card for a month's subscription to Amazon Prime. We have a current annual subscription. Customer Services were superb and promised a refund. Next call to M&S Bank to request cancellation of her card. Customer Services were appalling. The lady who answered from another continent insisted on reading from a script and basically told Mrs C16 to stop talking until she finished the script. I won't bore you with all the irrelevant scripted questions that were asked but as she wasn't getting anywhere Mrs C16 asked to speak to a Manager and things were sorted quickly and the card cancelled.

Re: Rant of the Day v2.

Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2022 3:40 pm
by Pontius Navigator
4ma, Mrs PN's was 16th Feb. The idiocy, which your explainer avoided, it the simultaneous appointment and cancellation.
Mrs PN's was 16th Feb, appointment and cancellation in the same envelope

Re: Rant of the Day v2.

Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2022 3:48 pm
by G-CPTN
Pontius Navigator wrote:
Thu Dec 29, 2022 3:40 pm
appointment and cancellation in the same envelope
Which took precedence?

Re: Rant of the Day v2.

Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2022 3:52 pm
by Pontius Navigator
G-CPTN wrote:
Thu Dec 29, 2022 3:48 pm
Pontius Navigator wrote:
Thu Dec 29, 2022 3:40 pm
appointment and cancellation in the same envelope
Which took precedence?
As we had already cancelled........

Re: Rant of the Day v2.

Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2022 10:56 am
by talmacapt
Not sure if this qualifies for a rant.

My son, lives in UK (Reading), sent me his energy bill (Scottish Power) and I was surprised to see gas is charged per kwh.

He has a metric meter, which measures volume, and I wondered how this equates to kwh.

The calculation is somewhat involved.

Why do they not charge by volume?

Re: Rant of the Day v2.

Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2022 11:09 am
by talmacapt
Further to the above, I discovered it is explained in:

Gas ( Calculation of Thermal Energy) Regulations 1996 (SI 1996/439)

That's all right then.