The angry thread

railsquid · January 09, 2015, 09:04:32 AM

Quote from: Agrippa on January 08, 2015, 10:09:59 AMThe reason this doesn't happen , (though it may in some places ) is probably
because these people would require supervision, phone a sickie every day,
not go out in the rain, invoke human rights about degrading work etc .
Perhaps if we adopted a Jap type system, no work - no eat things would
change.

Umm, no work here means you'll be on unemployment benefits for quite a few months at a proportion of your former earnings (not sure on the exact details but it's nothing to sneeze at). Once that runs out and you've burnt through any savings down to a certain level, social security kicks in, which is probably not much so fun (especially for non-citizens who have no automatic right to it), but social darwinism it ain't. Enough stories of people scamming the system (partly paid through my taxes even though I can't benefit from it) to make me

too.

ozzie Bill. · January 09, 2015, 08:57:34 PM

Referring to Roger's post. What your son has done is very praiseworthy and I admire his willingness and enthusiasm. However, there are often unseen barriers that preclude others from the same path. 1) would be that there are a limited number of jobs of that ilk, available on the "email at 01.40" system. 2) is very definitely age. In Aus (and UK from my understanding) once you are past a certain age, around 55, if you lose your job, you are VERY unlikely to be offered a new job, unless you have a highly specialised or sought after skill. 3) age would preclude many of us from taking some jobs, particularly those as physical as the one referred to by Roger. 4) if age didn't, then many older folk have certain infirmities which make such employment either difficult or risky (or both)
And yes, I am an older man, recently put on the scrap heap and told by a mate in an employment agency that I had better get used to being unemployed as I will never find more work. I have been lucky and have got some sessional teaching at Uni and TAFE (Tech college) and I have also retrained as an aged and disability care worker, an industry desperate for workers. But the physical toll on me of doing that job is big, and makes it tough for anyone to do it full time. Most of my colleagues are young to middle aged and most only work part-time, due to the physical nature of the job. BTW, I am not an office softie, having started working life as a farm labourer and then a truck driver. I have remained in reasonably good shape and have always led a healthy, physical life, so I am used to physical labour.
cheers, Bill.

Skyline2uk · January 15, 2015, 09:01:53 PM

Tired.

Did we have some sort of festival recently? Did that not involve time off? Honestly as I sit here with the rain thumping against the windows and wing roaring like I am in the middle of

Atlantic, I can't believe I have only done 9 days of work this year.

It seems like there was no break at all, just stood up from the desk, went away and ate some Turkey and sat right back down at the desk with the only difference being a slightly more pressing workload. Its the same old e-mails, phone calls, "Webex" meetings, meeting meetings (more often than not resiting the urge to throttle the git opposite me who sits there and says bold a brass and says that despite saying 2 weeks ago that milestone would be reached by now, he needs another week) and frustration. I can only be glad I am not an actual project manager, but then again I get shot for being the messenger anyway.

Ok I know many people do much more difficult work than I do, and they had far less time off than me. But just now as my eyes sting and the aforementioned rain slowly penetrates my not-so watertight house (yep, another leak

) I want a rant.

Oh look, there was a rant.

Skyline2uk

Malc · January 15, 2015, 09:12:56 PM

I know what you mean about the meetings and timescales, but as an ex project manager, I do sympathise with the guy who has your hands around his windpipe. You do the Gant chart, do the critical path analysis, set all the way points and milestones, allowing some slack. Then some Herbert of a supplier can't supply what he promised he would, at the time he said he could, and you're banjaxed. Glad to be retired and out of all the hassle.

Skyline2uk · January 15, 2015, 09:28:07 PM

QuoteI know what you mean about the meetings and timescales, but as an ex project manager, I do sympathise with the guy who has your hands around his windpipe.

I do see your point, I really do. But its the same supplier who has done the same thing repeated and an many respects getting worse, over and over again. The manager just does not seem to know this and build in required slack. I would be delighted if he came to me and said "yeah that thing I said needed 4 weeks, its done in 3"

Anyway, I don't throttle the guy, I just make jokes about replacing him with a tape player......

Skyline2uk

MikeDunn · January 15, 2015, 09:41:22 PM

Working on a large project myself ... every team is pulling their own weight except one - Comms, and they dumped a contractor on us ...

Worst one I've worked with in an age ...

Oldman · January 16, 2015, 09:35:51 PM

doctors. Got more scans tomorrow, also back on the Amoxicillin 500 pills. Can't take the steroid pills to help the breathing because they react with some other pills I'm on.
Jonclox know how you feel. My repeat prescriptions are now totaling 10 items.

jonclox · January 17, 2015, 11:11:51 AM

Quote from: Oldman on January 16, 2015, 09:35:51 PM
doctors. Got more scans tomorrow, also back on the Amoxicillin 500 pills. Can't take the steroid pills to help the breathing because they react with some other pills I'm on.
Jonclox know how you feel. My repeat prescriptions are now totaling 10 items.

Ouch

and yes I know exactly how you feel. Just finished a week on steroids myself and they work for me (short term) without to much conflicting reaction. I guess Im on about ten items via repeat each month. Wife threatened to put the whole lot in the blender and just give me a spoonful each mealtime

Hope you manage to get things on the right track and balance soon
My theory is that if I can get through Jan and Feb each year I stand a chance of better things to come

jonclox · January 19, 2015, 04:30:43 PM

Just took the front pony wheel off my Fairburn to adjust the spring underneath and check B2B measurement and dropped the tiny washer onto /into the carpet. Chances of finding it .......less than zero.

talisman56 · January 19, 2015, 04:54:11 PM

Walk around in bare feet - that how I find the

track pins that 'escape' from the layout...

Malc · January 19, 2015, 06:21:26 PM

Quote from: jonclox on January 19, 2015, 04:30:43 PM
Just took the front pony wheel off my Fairburn to adjust the spring underneath and check B2B measurement and dropped the tiny washer onto /into the carpet. Chances of finding it .......less than zero.

I have a LED light with a strong magnetic base that I use to find metal objects on the carpet.

ChrisWV10 · January 20, 2015, 09:12:33 PM

My Farish Voyager made several loud clicks with pronounced jumping then stopped dead with the motor still buzzing. Would this be split gears?

Not a happy bunny :

railsquid · January 23, 2015, 01:16:04 PM

Well, it turns out it's going to cost me the better part of 200 quid to register the Squidlet with the UK authorities.

This is why we can't have nice things, such as a Pendolino pre-order.

Kipper · January 23, 2015, 09:00:46 PM

Currys delivered a new washing machine but, as it is hard wired into the wall, rather than a 3 pin plug, they will not install. So, had to do it myself, which involved grovelling under the work top, cutting off plug and then fitting wires into terminal block on the wall plate, screwing on water pipe and threading waste pipe through hole in cabinet side, and then trying to get out of resulting 2 inch gap!! (Well, wider than that, but ruddy tight). All worked afterwards, so have some clean clothes now!
Someone from down the road has been round, drinking my beer, and commented that I had broken the law, and should have got an electrician in to do the wiring into the wall plate thing. Hmmm, should I be worried, or should I fork out another hundred notes to get a man in to do it, and give me a bit of paper to prove it is safe?

Geoff · January 23, 2015, 09:09:00 PM

Quote from: Kipper on January 23, 2015, 09:00:46 PM
Currys delivered a new washing machine but, as it is hard wired into the wall, rather than a 3 pin plug, they will not install. So, had to do it myself, which involved grovelling under the work top, cutting off plug and then fitting wires into terminal block on the wall plate, screwing on water pipe and threading waste pipe through hole in cabinet side, and then trying to get out of resulting 2 inch gap!! (Well, wider than that, but ruddy tight). All worked afterwards, so have some clean clothes now!
Someone from down the road has been round, drinking my beer, and commented that I had broken the law, and should have got an electrician in to do the wiring into the wall plate thing. Hmmm, should I be worried, or should I fork out another hundred notes to get a man in to do it, and give me a bit of paper to prove it is safe?

The beer swigging bloke is right but if you have done it yourself and you can live with it whats the problem.