Rant of the Day v2.

[tango15]

Mine are all relatively close, but my primary methods to solve the groceries problems are copied from my mother back in the '70s. I've bought the biggest freezer I have space for, grow a veggie garden, and got better/more adventurous at cooking. I will be using the mangoes to make my own chutney. The difference in cost between home-cooked/prepared and bought prepared is bigger than ever.
I suppose in some ways all these 'rantable' events have a benefit; They're so annoying that I've decided to fix the problems myself rather than put up with them any more. And I've discovered I'm pretty good at the new skills and enjoy them.

I notice that increasingly, there are shortages of fresh veg in the local supermarkets - not huge shortages, but I never saw this prior to the pandemic. I think there are still problems with distribution in the UK, and of course the profit levels are much lower. In my local Aldi for example, they may not have lettuce, but there is plenty of space devoted to cases of beer, which are stacked 5 feet high and still relatively cheap. There is a massive (but largely hidden) problem with alcoholism in the UK. It's the 21st century equivalent of smoking, and sooner or later the government will have to clamp down on it.

My garden is north-facing and quite small, so there's no room to grow veg, but I've done it very successfully in other houses that I've lived in. The taste is totally different of course.

[llondel]

When we had rodent problems moving in (or returning) to a house, our cats took care of the issue. Probably not such a good solution when there are coyotes to take care of the cats.

It would be interesting to see a coyote take on an Australian feral cat. They grow huge, and I've seen one chase a fox away from a kill.

That's Australian wildlife for you, everything is out to kill. I'm sure the local coyotes stay clear of mountain lions around here, although it's not inconceivable that a pack might challenge the lion.

[PHXPhlyer]

Went out onto the patio this morning to find that the rat had gnawed through two corners of the tub's lid but only through the overlap, not directly into the tub like the other corner which is now covered by a weighted bucket.

PP

[PHXPhlyer]

With regard to produce in grocery stores:
The nearest grocer to me is a local chain that caters to the Hispanic populace.
They have the best prices on produce, both everyday and sale prices.
They also put out 1-2 carts of blem produce in grab bags. The bags are clear so you can see most of the contents. Sold for$.99 each.
Most bags are chosen mainly for contents that are appetizing to the tortoises and anything else that I can throw into a stew or stirfry.
Sometimes I come home with 4 or 5 bags and can hardly fit them in the refrigerator.

PP

[G-CPTN]

In a previous life I used to 'make paper' once a year.
We rented a papermill and created our paper from cotton shoddy.
The finished product was used to make friction material (after impregnating with resin) for vehicle automatic transmissions.

It was a fascinating process to see a 'slurry' containing shredded rags being floated off onto membranes and 'cooked' (dried in ovens) to form thick 'cartridge paper'.

[Rossian]

...."blem produce"?? Que? mi no comprende.

The Ancient Mariner

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

blemished, i.e. imperfect looks but usable

[1DC]

Was at the local T.esco today about 1700, it is a very large one but was almost out of salad stuff. Unusual for us to go on a Monday so don't know if that is the norm but I was surprised. We normally have a delivery from them every 10 days or so and that is the only time I peruse the availability, I have noticed that of late the only discounts are available to the customers who have a loyalty card.

[ExSp33db1rd]

Ref my 7817.

I have today received an e-mail answer from Natwest, confirming that my "new" branch is Shaftesbury after all, originally "suggested" by Chatbot Ask Dora, but subsequently denied by Ask Dora. ( Right hands / Left hands ? )

Also a confirmation that my long standing Direct Debt is still valid, so why was it paid on 1st March as per the last million months or so, but not 1st April ?

Natwest claim that it ain't their fault, which may be true.

And .... a deposit of £50 to reward me for the inconvenience, but ..... the problem will not have been solved until the next,1st June, Direct Debit request has been honoured.

Time will tell. Fingers crossed, breath held.

[Hydromet]

Was at the local T.esco today about 1700, it is a very large one but was almost out of salad stuff. Unusual for us to go on a Monday so don't know if that is the norm but I was surprised. We normally have a delivery from them every 10 days or so and that is the only time I peruse the availability, I have noticed that of late the only discounts are available to the customers who have a loyalty card.

I've noticed that the shelves at our local supermarkets are often bare on Monday mornings, probably because so many people do their shopping over the weekend. By Monday afternoon they're usually starting to fill up, and by Tuesday they're back to normal.

[Boac]

so why was it paid on 1st March as per the last million months or so, but not 1st April ?

Generally the DD is 'called' by the payee for payment so it is probably not the bank's fault.

[ExSp33db1rd]

I agree, but the org. concerned said it was refused in both April and May. Maybe they made a mistake in the application, but twice, after being made aware of the Aprol problem ?

Curiouser and curiouser, said Alice.

[PHXPhlyer]

Got behind on Stuff NZ quizzes by a few days and went back to catch up.
Quizzes open OK (3 different browsers but require to "Choose" after making one's selection.
Nil progress thereafter.
Latest quizzes work normally without requiring one to choose after selection.

PP

[PHXPhlyer]

Got behind on Stuff NZ quizzes by a few days and went back to catch up.
Quizzes open OK (3 different browsers but require to "Choose" after making one's selection.
Nil progress thereafter.
Latest quizzes work normally without requiring one to choose after selection.

PP

Revisited then quizzes that I wasn't able to access this morning.
They let me in but only after the first question locked up and I had reloaded the page.
Every subsequent quiz followed suit until today's.

PP

[Karearea]

Got behind on Stuff NZ quizzes by a few days and went back to catch up.
Quizzes open OK (3 different browsers but require to "Choose" after making one's selection.
Nil progress thereafter.
Latest quizzes work normally without requiring one to choose after selection.

PP

Revisited then quizzes that I wasn't able to access this morning.
They let me in but only after the first question locked up and I had reloaded the page.
Every subsequent quiz followed suit until today's.

PP

I wonder how much traffic they've lost by insisting on their 'log-in'.

[PHXPhlyer]

I'm not sure it had anything to do with the log-in.
As I am already in their "system" I just re-log-in anytime it is requested.
Username and PW in my browser so needs just a click.
Anyway, I'm all caught up.

PP

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Philosophical Thought for the Day:

Rants from my friends, especially about large companies, governments, and associated call centres, seem to be increasing all the time.
Do we have, in general, a situation which will inevitably continue to deteriorate?
Senior managers at the top with little knowledge of how the processes actually function. Cheap labour at the bottom that can't do anything beyond their sometimes nonsensical basic training.
The few people in the middle who have been holding it all together are now quitting, because...

07ea51d42966846a4f5da858253409a3-192513782.jpg (26.3 KiB) Viewed 418 times

I think we have a situation where the real 'winners' are no longer allowed to win, because of the restrictions placed on them either by ignorant managers or by inadequate resources.
And so, never being allowed to win and not being idiots, they quit.

It's becoming impossible for the capable, the 'winners', to get the satisfaction they need from solving a difficult problem.
Either they now aren't allowed to solve the problem, or they get yet another dumped on them before they've properly sorted the previous one.
I quit my final career because of the first reason, and my sister's just quit her current employer for the second reason.

And so the capable are now taking the quiet jobs; librarian, company accountant, handyman, because they can still do some good and go home satisfied at the end of the day.
And the emergency services co-ordinator, and suchlike jobs, go unfilled, or filled with idiots who talk a good interview but can't cope in a crisis. In fact, they make the crisis worse.

[llondel]

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it

- W.C.Fields

[OFSO]

Aaaargh. Usual problem getting from Figueras to the Airport. In Spain you must buy high speed train tickets in advance (internet) but all other tickets on the day of travel and at the station (not internet). So Figueras - Airport involves dismounting at Barcelona Sants station, finding a ticket machine for the remainder of the trip, standing entering your passport details (really - to buy a ticket) while thieves, pickpockets and bindlestiffs eye you up.

[OFSO]

Alternative:slow train all the way. Well, possibly, but Airport, which has its own train station, doesn't show up on internet time table. And isn't at the international terminal anyway, so involves a shuttle bus. And you can't buy through tickets.