What's made you grumpy today?

[The Panda Nut]

The spring clock fiddling. It does not give more daylight hours, that is determined by the earth circumnavigating the sun. Moving the clocks does not change the daylight hours, it only moves the clocks.
At elast there are fewer nowadays, as 4 are radio controlled, and seem to have adjusted fine overnight. (Sometimes they don't, and have to be repositioned near a window.)
Then upstairs, there are 3 more to be adjusted, plus my watch.
Downstairs, there's the phone, the old 1880 mantel clock, and in the kitchen, the heating control, the microwave and oven. (That's 11 so far)
Then outside for three cars, and a clock in the garage. That's 15. There'll be the radio in the Panda to do sometime, needs the faceplate attached, so that will be a while before I next bother to take it out with me.
Silliness.
Anybody have more to change?

9 to do. Couldnt agree more what absolute cobblers this now is. It was always dark at home time when leaving school, and before the clock changes. Its total Bo*****s.
Why cant they just kill this off once and for all.
Daylight saving my backside.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

9 to do. Couldnt agree more what absolute cobblers this now is. It was always dark at home time when leaving school, and before the clock changes. Its total Bo*****s.
Why cant they just kill this off once and for all.
Daylight saving my backside.

Daylight saving was a concept of it's time. When young we lived a very rural life and my Mum always told us it was so the farmers could get better use from the daylight hours? Never did understand her logic and still don't to this day.

 

[portland_bill]

Daylight saving was a concept of it's time. When young we lived a very rural life and my Mum always told us it was so the farmers could get better use from the daylight hours? Never did understand her logic and still don't to this day.

There was a lovely lady at the bowls club, worked her life on farms, including during WW2. The clock was a nonsense, she said, as they'd be in the fields just before dawn, and return just after dusk. The time on the clock was irrelevant.

Our calendar does not quite fit with the earth's cycle, hence a leap year, and occasionally a double leap year, where we add another extra day. (Can't remember when we had the last one of those) So GMT may not be in the right place any more.

So let's take data, over two years, at each longitude line around the world. Compile the data, reset midday at Greenwich, for the whole world. Then leave it there. Might need to repeat every 100 years.

 

[vexorg]

There's some logic in making it lighter for school kids walking to/from school.
And also lighter evenings mean you have the lights on at home for an hour less in the evening. Lighting and heating for big factories mattered more than us at home, but the reasoning should still be the same.

Alternative is to shift working and sleep hours.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Daylight saving was a concept of it's time. When young we lived a very rural life and my Mum always told us it was so the farmers could get better use from the daylight hours? Never did understand her logic and still don't to this day.

It might have been relevant when many many more people were working in agriculture. Now we have to listen to all the guff spouted about school kids getting home in daylight. It wasnt true or relevant when I cycled to and from school and its still stupid now. Im sure it helps farmers have a better social life though as they dont have to get up with the sun which is admittedly sometimes hard work.

I worked for Worcester City council in the 80's. ALL ORDERS MUST BE IN QUADUPLICATE..... and the pink copy goes to the Guildhall.

I got very angry about this, the cost of carbonised 4 colour order pads was eye watering even back then!!!! and went to the Guldhall. and marched into the top mans office and asked to see what the purpose of them was. Eventually after upsetting many people, I was ushered into a room by a very nice mild lady. There was a room about 40' by 30' in the centre of this top priced office accomodation FULL, to the ceiling with parks department pink slips. Ah I said , what do you want them for? I dont know she said. I was told just to put them in here and have been doing so for the last 20 years. I think it would be a good idea if you stopped sending them its a real bind...... The stupid pads were stopped the same day saving hundreds of pounds a year.

Why cannot someone somewhere exercise one grey cell and REALLY ask what we do this for. We are not any longer working as agricultural slaves to the so called upper classes who wanted ALL daylight hours to be worked by hte plebs, and thank God indeed for that It just centres daylight into the hours when we work. And not in any useful way. Ive been asking people if it is helpfull for over 60 years and I have NEVER ever met anyone who defended it with passion and I think only 1 person who defended it at all. 99.9% think its stupid, because it is. It makes a small difference for a few days.

I dont feel better for the rant because noone will do anything about it, just keep doing it because we always have.

Why not move the clocks 4 hours and really have some fun. Two extra bank holiday weeks for acclimatisation and to avoid "claims" from the people who are psychologically damaged by it..... Ive been psycologically damaged by moving the clocks and I WANT COMPENSATION!!!

 

[The Panda Nut]

There was a lovely lady at the bowls club, worked her life on farms, including during WW2. The clock was a nonsense, she said, as they'd be in the fields just before dawn, and return just after dusk. The time on the clock was irrelevant.

Our calendar does not quite fit with the earth's cycle, hence a leap year, and occasionally a double leap year, where we add another extra day. (Can't remember when we had the last one of those) So GMT may not be in the right place any more.

So let's take data, over two years, at each longitude line around the world. Compile the data, reset midday at Greenwich, for the whole world. Then leave it there. Might need to repeat every 100 years.

TOUCHE

 

[The Panda Nut]

There's some logic in making it lighter for school kids walking to/from school.
And also lighter evenings mean you have the lights on at home for an hour less in the evening. Lighting and heating for big factories mattered more than us at home, but the reasoning should still be the same.

Alternative is to shift working and sleep hours.

This is true for about two weeks in the autumn. DOnt give them any quarter!

 

[portland_bill]

It might have been relevant when many many more people were working in agriculture. Now we have to listen to all the guff spouted about school kids getting home in daylight. It wasnt true or relevant when I cycled to and from school and its still stupid now. Im sure it helps farmers have a better social life though as they dont have to get up with the sun which is admittedly sometimes hard work.

I worked for Worcester City council in the 80's. ALL ORDERS MUST BE IN QUADUPLICATE..... and the pink copy goes to the Guildhall.

I got very angry about this, the cost of carbonised 4 colour order pads was eye watering even back then!!!! and went to the Guldhall. and marched into the top mans office and asked to see what the purpose of them was. Eventually after upsetting many people, I was ushered into a room by a very nice mild lady. There was a room about 40' by 30' in the centre of this top priced office accomodation FULL, to the ceiling with parks department pink slips. Ah I said , what do you want them for? I dont know she said. I was told just to put them in here and have been doing so for the last 20 years. I think it would be a good idea if you stopped sending them its a real bind...... The stupid pads were stopped the same day saving hundreds of pounds a year.

Why cannot someone somewhere exercise one grey cell and REALLY ask what we do this for. We are not any longer working as agricultural slaves to the so called upper classes who wanted ALL daylight hours to be worked by hte plebs, and thank God indeed for that It just centres daylight into the hours when we work. And not in any useful way. Ive been asking people if it is helpfull for over 60 years and I have NEVER ever met anyone who defended it with passion and I think only 1 person who defended it at all. 99.9% think its stupid, because it is. It makes a small difference for a few days.

I dont feel better for the rant because noone will do anything about it, just keep doing it because we always have.

Why not move the clocks 4 hours and really have some fun. Two extra bank holiday weeks for acclimatisation and to avoid "claims" from the people who are psychologically damaged by it..... Ive been psycologically damaged by moving the clocks and I WANT COMPENSATION!!!

I'd say you should go lie down in a dark room, but sadly that will have to wait until later, when the sun goes down, at whatever time that might be.

Referring to unneeded paperwork. I used to have to prepare a monthly report for a director. It would take half a day, each month. One month, the submission date coincided with a holiday. On my return, I changed the date on the previous month's return, photocopied it, and submitted it. Waited, no queries.
The following month, photocopied the same old report and submitted it. Also prepared a new one, just in case. No queries.
Following month, prepared one, didn't submit it. Then for the followng four months, just ignored it.
Then one day, the director was stood at my desk, saying he hadn't had that month's report. Being open plan office, it went quiet. I explained that I hadn't submitted one for about 5 months, and also showed the two repeat ones, and suggested that these might not be critical to the business. He admitted that he had not looked at them for a while, and was that day filling time, as his workload was quiet. He was surprised to learn it took a half day to prepare, which is a serious waste. I offered to spend the rest of the day creating one, to which he said he'd get back to me. Off he went, as my colleagues all thought I might have just sacked myself.

Two hours later, an email circulated, with a list of over 20 reports, no longer required. Mine was one of them. Result. I never understood why so many colleagues were afraid of this director.

 

[bugsymike]

I worked for Worcester City council in the 80's. ALL ORDERS MUST BE IN QUADUPLICATE..... and the pink copy goes to the Guildhall.

Some pal of a Local Council Officer probably became a millionaire flogging them all those years..

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

I'd say you should go lie down in a dark room, but sadly that will have to wait until later, when the sun goes down, at whatever time that might be.

Referring to unneeded paperwork. I used to have to prepare a monthly report for a director. It would take half a day, each month. One month, the submission date coincided with a holiday. On my return, I changed the date on the previous month's return, photocopied it, and submitted it. Waited, no queries.
The following month, photocopied the same old report and submitted it. Also prepared a new one, just in case. No queries.
Following month, prepared one, didn't submit it. Then for the followng four months, just ignored it.
Then one day, the director was stood at my desk, saying he hadn't had that month's report. Being open plan office, it went quiet. I explained that I hadn't submitted one for about 5 months, and also showed the two repeat ones, and suggested that these might not be critical to the business. He admitted that he had not looked at them for a while, and was that day filling time, as his workload was quiet. He was surprised to learn it took a half day to prepare, which is a serious waste. I offered to spend the rest of the day creating one, to which he said he'd get back to me. Off he went, as my colleagues all thought I might have just sacked myself.

Two hours later, an email circulated, with a list of over 20 reports, no longer required. Mine was one of them. Result. I never understood why so many colleagues were afraid of this director.

"Fear" of those in charge is a strange phenomenon - lots of people seem to have it. I've found it to be a largely unwarranted worry. Mostly, if you're doing your job to the best of your ability and find something, like the above, I've found constructive criticism is well received. The problem usually arises when you've got a boss who's not up to doing his/her job and so is themselves scared to change anything in case this draws attention to their ineptitude. Unfortunately I've run into a number of people who have been promoted to one grade above their ability level and then you've got a problem!

 

[portland_bill]

"Fear" of those in charge is a strange phenomenon - lots of people seem to have it. I've found it to be a largely unwarranted worry. Mostly, if you're doing your job to the best of your ability and find something, like the above, I've found constructive criticism is well received. The problem usually arises when you've got a boss who's not up to doing his/her job and so is themselves scared to change anything in case this draws attention to their ineptitude. Unfortunately I've run into a number of people who have been promoted to one grade above their ability level and then you've got a problem!

The company I worked at had a lot of middle management, all contributing little to the business, except cost. So every decision had to go through multiple managers, for sign off, delaying everything, while competitors just got on with competing. Each manager would have to make amendments, just to prove their input was necessary, often subsequent managers reversing those amendments.
We had a small team of 6 (peons). We developed a system of submitting a plan, then proceeding with it, whilst it was going through the sign-off process. By the time it was signed off, the plan had already been implemented in its original form. Quicker, more efficient. No-one ever checked to see if their amendments had been implemented. (Manage the manager)
My own direct boss was a complete waste of space. He'd call meetings, waste our time, give directions. Then we'd carry on as we'd originally planned. Silly days. That whole division is now defunct, but meanwhile, it bought me a house, and is now paying a reasonable pension. Hopefully I'll go before they run out of pension money.

There was also the phenomenon of "not invented here". Ideas from the minions were generally ignored, considered of little value. New ideas had to come from managers. Without being hands-on with the nitty-gritty, their ideas were mostly rubbish, although we could adjust them a little if the basis was good. Otherwise we had to pass ideas as subtle hints, until a manager believed it was his idea.
Most businesses have a pyramid structure. As teh business started its inevitable slide into oblivion, they kept cutting minions, without touching the middle management. Fewer actually generating revenue, same huge costs in the middle. Strangely didn't work. Structure became very much a diamond shape.

 

[The Panda Nut]

The company I worked at had a lot of middle management, all contributing little to the business, except cost. So every decision had to go through multiple managers, for sign off, delaying everything, while competitors just got on with competing. Each manager would have to make amendments, just to prove their input was necessary, often subsequent managers reversing those amendments.
We had a small team of 6 (peons). We developed a system of submitting a plan, then proceeding with it, whilst it was going through the sign-off process. By the time it was signed off, the plan had already been implemented in its original form. Quicker, more efficient. No-one ever checked to see if their amendments had been implemented. (Manage the manager)
My own direct boss was a complete waste of space. He'd call meetings, waste our time, give directions. Then we'd carry on as we'd originally planned. Silly days. That whole division is now defunct, but meanwhile, it bought me a house, and is now paying a reasonable pension. Hopefully I'll go before they run out of pension money.

There was also the phenomenon of "not invented here". Ideas from the minions were generally ignored, considered of little value. New ideas had to come from managers. Without being hands-on with the nitty-gritty, their ideas were mostly rubbish, although we could adjust them a little if the basis was good. Otherwise we had to pass ideas as subtle hints, until a manager believed it was his idea.
Most businesses have a pyramid structure. As teh business started its inevitable slide into oblivion, they kept cutting minions, without touching the middle management. Fewer actually generating revenue, same huge costs in the middle. Strangely didn't work. Structure became very much a diamond shape.

I had a boss once who only did his thing his way. I used to march into his office and say John, you were asking the other day for x,y,z to be done but Im not sure how you said you wanted it, Was it a,b,c that you said?? He always used to say yes. I then used to add well im not sure boss but I do my best to get it done as you asked... Not once did he challenge me. Throw in a few no one thought it would work but is has comments and tell him how clever he was and he just beamed with pleasure. I changed everything in sight. He seemed happy as it worked better than before. As long as we showed repsect to his age and rank and gave him the credit he was happy. In his case I think illness was at the bottom of his indecision so it was forgiveable.

 

[bugsymike]

Todays grump is house insurance renewal quote from LV had gone up by 50% from last year inspite of making no claims in 40 years, I spoke to them on the phone and the attitude was, that is the quote, no negotiation, take it or leave it! So I left it!!!
Saga didn't end there, got a quote from online search which though better wasn't as good as last year, went to pay and it didn't go through, so rang the number on the same site, took card details etc. then still seemed strange. I hung up and checked the number on scam site which set alarms ringing, so then had to ring my bank etc. which still took a while, nothing seems to have gone out and they have been notified, but it certainly puts the stress level up.
Bring back the old days

 

[vexorg]

All insurance has gone up. I'm with admiral, and again about 50% after haggling back down from the silly renewal figures.
I questioned it and was told costs and inflation were high. Inflation is 10% max over the last few months, and I'll happily pay an extra 10% - apparantly "it doesn't work like that"

The fiat 500 was also much higher than the rest, again this is now a high risk car for accidents. Pointing out we've had no claims on it in 4 years, and my daughter has had no claims on the car before either, got the reply that it's due to all the other fiat 500 claims. So it's all you useless fiat 500 drivers pushing our insurance up!!!

 

[mowermender70]

well what a day had letter from bank its closing its 12 miles each way NOW it is 25 miles each way also checked my trusty nokia phone the one after the brick phone went to top it up no does not appear to have been oprating had this phone for over 12 years and all ways have a£10 top up go to the nearest tesco store. so 12 miles later go to store nothing can be done go on line would not listin asked to leave by sec team get to car tried to phone wife not working it has £7.81 still on it poor wife sufferes from memorey loss sincehaving both flu&covid jab last year at the doctors but will not admit it we are left to rot o what a day

 

[The Panda Nut]

well what a day had letter from bank its closing its 12 miles each way NOW it is 25 miles each way also checked my trusty nokia phone the one after the brick phone went to top it up no does not appear to have been oprating had this phone for over 12 years and all ways have a£10 top up go to the nearest tesco store. so 12 miles later go to store nothing can be done go on line would not listin asked to leave by sec team get to car tried to phone wife not working it has £7.81 still on it poor wife sufferes from memorey loss sincehaving both flu&covid jab last year at the doctors but will not admit it we are left to rot o what a day

Smarty is well worth a look. Price stability is laudable and valjue top. I pay £6 a mponth and get as much internet and more than I need, and also no call chaargeds in the UK. All my european use has also been covered.

 

[The Panda Nut]

All insurance has gone up. I'm with admiral, and again about 50% after haggling back down from the silly renewal figures.
I questioned it and was told costs and inflation were high. Inflation is 10% max over the last few months, and I'll happily pay an extra 10% - apparantly "it doesn't work like that"

The fiat 500 was also much higher than the rest, again this is now a high risk car for accidents. Pointing out we've had no claims on it in 4 years, and my daughter has had no claims on the car before either, got the reply that it's due to all the other fiat 500 claims. So it's all you useless fiat 500 drivers pushing our insurance up!!!

or is it that its a small car that is easily damaged in smallish bumps and expensive to repair. I suspect a bit of both. It doesnt make it less annoying being made to pay a lot more for reasons I supect are nearer to a rip off than much fact.

 

[StevenRB45]

Even basic things like parts availability are driving it up...

You need a panel it's on back order...ok the insurance is now on hook for 2 months of hire car if they don't write the car off instead to avoid that bill.

Also if you crash a modern car...there's a lot of bits to get ruined, sensors in the front bumper and extremities, and the bumper itself...before you get to things like bits and pieces coded to the car that require dealer intervention..

 

[The Panda Nut]

Even basic things like parts availability are driving it up...

You need a panel it's on back order...ok the insurance is now on hook for 2 months of hire car if they don't write the car off instead to avoid that bill.

Also if you crash a modern car...there's a lot of bits to get ruined, sensors in the front bumper and extremities, and the bumper itself...before you get to things like bits and pieces coded to the car that require dealer intervention..

Yep. 500's and Pandas are fragile things and it doesnt take much to write them off. I hate the insurance companies manner of just writing off whats often a repairable car. Its another reason to stick with 'analogue' cars.

 

[Cheest]

Looked out the window this morning and it was snowing. Bleah!