I walked from Wembley towards Ealing on Sunday evening after the 'murcan football game, and a number of times I had to pause (at a safe distance) as people let off fireworks from their front gardens / business establishments / right out on the pavement next to the traffic*
* the final set appeared distinctly underage to be handling pyrotechnics, and had failed to notice the van full of Police Officers who were coming along the road as they lit the first one. They were being given a stern talking to by the time I went past them.
I wonder if we'd be letting off fireworks at about this time of year if Catesby, Fawkes, and the rest, had succeeded in their dastardly plot, back in 1605...
Strictly Diwali itself was Sunday, and it finished on Tuesday. The big celebration for that was a few junctions down the motorway. Although there are enough Sikhs around to have about half a dozen gudwaras in the city, locally the South Asian population is mostly Muslim, and it's not the Prophet's birthday yet, so I strongly suspect this was 'letting them off for the hell of it.'
TICTH spending an eon or two on the phone, waiting to speak to someone in customer service; explaining everything to a very nice rep; being told they'd do a joint call with tech support; winding up (mistakenly, I think) waiting again for a human; explaining everything to *another* nice rep; eventually finding out that the problem was on the company's end; having a nice convo with the rep, while trying to find a workaround; trying the workaround--while my connection was slow; finally getting the problem thing working well enough; and bidding a fond farewell to the rep--who will get a great review from me, when the customer experience survey comes around.
TICTH spending an eon or two on the phone, waiting to speak to someone in customer service; explaining everything to a very nice rep; being told they'd do a joint call with tech support; winding up (mistakenly, I think) waiting again for a human; explaining everything to *another* nice rep; eventually finding out that the problem was on the company's end; having a nice convo with the rep, while trying to find a workaround; trying the workaround--while my connection was slow; finally getting the problem thing working well enough; and bidding a fond farewell to the rep--who will get a great review from me, when the customer experience survey comes around.
From such problems may we all be delivered. Amen.
Isn't it wonderful, after the strain of waiting forever on the phone, to get to talk to one or two kind and helpful human beings? More and more, after I thresh around in backwaters of AI (particularly when using the phone), do I appreciate the richness of real live human beings.
At the end of a very long memorial service today, just as we had all had agreed that our friend had left for a well deserved place in heaven, the closing music was 'Highland Cathedral' played as a bagpipe and organ duet. It was, er... unheavenly.
TTICH the person who agreed to take over the weekly pew sheet from me, after a five year stint, at a date we agreed on, but who has failed to produce the first one today.
... the closing music was 'Highland Cathedral' played as a bagpipe and organ duet. It was, er... unheavenly.
Highland Cathedral is IMHO, one of the few acceptable pieces of bagpipe music, and is quite rightly played as a bagpipe/organ duet.
[tangent]
D. was playing for a wedding once in Northern Ireland, and they had a piper. When D. asked him what he was going to play, he said, "you probably won't know it - it's called Highland Cathedral." "Know it?" D. replied, "I used to be the organist of it."
[/tangent]
... the closing music was 'Highland Cathedral' played as a bagpipe and organ duet. It was, er... unheavenly.
Highland Cathedral is IMHO, one of the few acceptable pieces of bagpipe music, and is quite rightly played as a bagpipe/organ duet.
[tangent]
D. was playing for a wedding once in Northern Ireland, and they had a piper. When D. asked him what he was going to play, he said, "you probably won't know it - it's called Highland Cathedral." "Know it?" D. replied, "I used to be the organist of it."
[/tangent]
OK - but I had politely omitted to mention that the organist is inexperienced (though he's a fine pianist) and the piper was perhaps not of the highest calibre. They were introduced to each other a few minutes before the service began and had a slight communication/coordination problem.
I know house buying is stressful but it really is not helped when the vendor (via the estate agents) proposes we get the ageing electrical circuit and gas central heating checks done *after* we have moved in. And pushes for an exchange date, with completion a) four weeks after exchange b) before Christmas & c) not too close to Christmas. Why not ask for a cherry on top?
@sionisais - as my mother would have said "they want jam on it" TICTH windows and all it's works. Chilperic attempted to renew the subscription from China, bank wouldn't accept it for some reason, I had to do it, and now, no matter how many times I attempt to reinstall it, it defaults to his settings, sends him a text (in China, though now in London with Year 7 & 8, and then still doesn't allow me in. I'm running out
TICTH the boy racer who cut me up in this afternoon's school rush-hour traffic. I managed to brake in time to avoid a collision, but got a good view of the lettering on the back of his car.
It read 'No Illegal Immigrants Kept In This Car Overnight'...
Typical Roy Bacer 'humour', I suppose, but perhaps the poor lad has a rather small w*lly. Judging by the extra bits and pieces on his car, that might well be the case.
Can I include in that the driver who drove into the taxi that was taking Dad and I to A&E the other week? Yes drove into the taxi, in the process of overtaking us when we were stopped in a lane for turning right! I can not imagine what he thought he was doing.
TICTH the person from TV Licensing enforcement who called on our daughter-in-law at pretty much the time she was trying to settle her children down pre-bedtime. It was just as Mrs Sioni and I were there, because the enforcement officer demanded entry, tried to trip her up with questioning that really ought to be done under caution (not having a licence when you should is a criminal matter) and then tried to scare her into paying for a licence and a fine on the doorstep, even though they don't use on-air TV or BBC iPlayer. They hadn't even phoned or written beforehand. Bastards.
Doing that is out of order. Doing that to someone with mental health issues serious enough to qualify for additional welfare benefits is, well, Tory policy I suppose.
TICTH the childcare worker who wrote on my 4 year old grandson's hand a Star Of David with the explanation "You are a star"
The child is a Jew, by the way.
Have you reported the incident to the Police? Sounds like a form of assault...
I haven't really calmed down enough. D-i-l did really well, I expect her husband, our eldest son who has experience as a secondary school teacher and now works for the revenue can keep calm and take it far up enough up the relevant authority's hierarchy to give someone a Bad Day.
I once years ago threatened the TV licensing authority with going to the police on the grounds of harassment. I do not have a license as there are very few TV programmes I can actually watch, therefore do not own a TV and avoid Iplayer like the plague.
TICTH the childcare worker who wrote on my 4 year old grandson's hand a Star Of David with the explanation "You are a star"
The child is a Jew, by the way.
Apologies for my ignorance and mind-density. Is this specifically an echo of being force to wear the Star of David during the Holocaust?
Does the childcare worker do that with other, non-Jewish students?
If the childcare worker did it specifically because the child is Jewish, not just trying to make the child feel good about themself, then hell yes, it was a terrible thing to do.
Having recovered from the shock we think it was simply ignorance and an across-the-board lack of (any) ethnic sensitivities on the part of the carer. In addition, an over-sensitivity on our part because of our awareness of the Shoah through living in Israel-Palestine. I also realised I'd not have been happy about a pentagram either.
If I was dealing with it (it's my daughter's , his mother's responsibilty) I would base my response to the day-care on "it's his body". It is not right to draw (anything) on a child's body. As a friend suggested a card to stick on the fridge would last longer.
She'd not have been likely to know he is Jewish. His given name is a false cognate and his family name is a local one. Which is what we've tried to do for all the children and grandchildren. (Because we don't want anyone to hear "What? Can you spell that, please?"" whenever they say their name and we want everyone to be comfortable with saying it)
False cognate: a word that sounds the same but means something else in different languages. A linguistic happenstance, as it were; and a blessing to multi-cultural parents!
Drug insurance plans. I take one pill a month that costs $10.00 a month that I pay out of pocket for as it is not costly enough to be covered by insurance. Meantime I am also required to have a drug insurance plan. My plan cost me $20.00 a month. So I am paying $30.00 a month for my pills, No problem it goes in the big pot so others with higher costs are covered. Just received a notice that next year my drug plan is going up to $60.00 a month, which will mean I am now paying $75.00 a month for my $10.00 pills. Time to shop around.
Also time to start pushing for a healthcare system that isn't insane, I would think. I'm currently taking 3 prescription medications, paid for through my taxes.
I have just discovered that not only is social care here split according to which local authority is involved, but also continuing health care is split according to which Clinical Commissioning Group is involved, and cross boundary issues abound.
We had a visit from a charitable part of the care provision on Thursday, and she told us that when she asks for something for someone in Dartford or Gravesham, there is no problem getting it, but when she asks for something for someone in Sevenoaks, it is like getting blood out of a stone. Guess which area has more wealthy residents and is a safe Tory seat, and which have more deprived residents, and are marginal seats.
It is possible that a healthcare system (if system is the right word) like this: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/chances-getting-nhs-funded-care-depends-live/ is viewed as sane by some of the people in charge.
It's like those painful mouth ulcers you get if you're a bit seedy generally - they feel (to the tongue) as though they're the size of A Hole In The Road...
Styes can be painful, too, however small, so I sympathise, LVER. Hope it clears up soon!
It's like those painful mouth ulcers you get if you're a bit seedy generally - they feel (to the tongue) as though they're the size of A Hole In The Road...
Styes can be painful, too, however small, so I sympathise, LVER. Hope it clears up soon!
The show-offy mouth ulcers at the front of the mouth are annoying but a special place must be held for the ones that hide at the back of the mouth and masquerade as an ear infection in their pain patterns. I am getting wise to them but they still hideaway and are difficult to treat and come when I have a cold and earache is likely.
Update on my insurance. After 45 minutes on the phone, and speaking with three different departments I had my pharmacy insurance reduced from 60 to 13 dollars a month for the same coverage. Our medical system in the US is a joke.
Thanks Piglet, it makes me sad to think that for sure some of my elderly mates would just give in and pay it. I know some of us of age get confused, or tired, or just overcome by the whole thing. I think insurance companies count on it.
Comments
* the final set appeared distinctly underage to be handling pyrotechnics, and had failed to notice the van full of Police Officers who were coming along the road as they lit the first one. They were being given a stern talking to by the time I went past them.
From such problems may we all be delivered. Amen.
Isn't it wonderful, after the strain of waiting forever on the phone, to get to talk to one or two kind and helpful human beings? More and more, after I thresh around in backwaters of AI (particularly when using the phone), do I appreciate the richness of real live human beings.
[tangent]
D. was playing for a wedding once in Northern Ireland, and they had a piper. When D. asked him what he was going to play, he said, "you probably won't know it - it's called Highland Cathedral." "Know it?" D. replied, "I used to be the organist of it."
[/tangent]
OK - but I had politely omitted to mention that the organist is inexperienced (though he's a fine pianist) and the piper was perhaps not of the highest calibre. They were introduced to each other a few minutes before the service began and had a slight communication/coordination problem.
I liked the tangent concerning D. Lovely!
It read 'No Illegal Immigrants Kept In This Car Overnight'...
Typical Roy Bacer 'humour', I suppose, but perhaps the poor lad has a rather small w*lly. Judging by the extra bits and pieces on his car, that might well be the case.
Doing that is out of order. Doing that to someone with mental health issues serious enough to qualify for additional welfare benefits is, well, Tory policy I suppose.
The child is a Jew, by the way.
I haven't really calmed down enough. D-i-l did really well, I expect her husband, our eldest son who has experience as a secondary school teacher and now works for the revenue can keep calm and take it far up enough up the relevant authority's hierarchy to give someone a Bad Day.
This link shows the regulations.
Apologies for my ignorance and mind-density. Is this specifically an echo of being force to wear the Star of David during the Holocaust?
Does the childcare worker do that with other, non-Jewish students?
If the childcare worker did it specifically because the child is Jewish, not just trying to make the child feel good about themself, then hell yes, it was a terrible thing to do.
Thanks for your patience.
If I was dealing with it (it's my daughter's , his mother's responsibilty) I would base my response to the day-care on "it's his body". It is not right to draw (anything) on a child's body. As a friend suggested a card to stick on the fridge would last longer.
She'd not have been likely to know he is Jewish. His given name is a false cognate and his family name is a local one. Which is what we've tried to do for all the children and grandchildren. (Because we don't want anyone to hear "What? Can you spell that, please?"" whenever they say their name and we want everyone to be comfortable with saying it)
We had a visit from a charitable part of the care provision on Thursday, and she told us that when she asks for something for someone in Dartford or Gravesham, there is no problem getting it, but when she asks for something for someone in Sevenoaks, it is like getting blood out of a stone. Guess which area has more wealthy residents and is a safe Tory seat, and which have more deprived residents, and are marginal seats.
It is possible that a healthcare system (if system is the right word) like this: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/chances-getting-nhs-funded-care-depends-live/ is viewed as sane by some of the people in charge.
Objectively I’m fairly sure it’s quite small and not very noticeable. Nonetheless I feel like the Elephant Man.
Also it hurts more than a thing that size has a right too, and means I have to throw out all my eye makeup and buy more. Bugger.
Styes can be painful, too, however small, so I sympathise, LVER. Hope it clears up soon!
The show-offy mouth ulcers at the front of the mouth are annoying but a special place must be held for the ones that hide at the back of the mouth and masquerade as an ear infection in their pain patterns. I am getting wise to them but they still hideaway and are difficult to treat and come when I have a cold and earache is likely.
Belated thanks for your patient explanation.
I know management speak is a well worn path on the Ship. New one for me in an email about a restructure..."enhanced cessation". Good grief!