Author Topic: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.  (Read 1576508 times)

barakta

  • Bastard lovechild of Yomiko Readman and Johnny 5
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13100 on: 26 April, 2021, 06:40:36 pm »
The world is a horrid noisy place, and I don’t like it. Dr Beardy (Mrs) is laughing at me because I’m speaking so quietly.

I’ve just returned from the hearing aid clinic where they provided me with shiny new aids with new programmes to replace mine which have been broken for 12 months. Excellent service, but they needn’t have bothered for me >:(

Sympathies. Adjusting to new volume levels is hard. Can you run them on lower volume till you adjust?

Hope the world is less noisy soon!

Beardy

  • Shedist
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13101 on: 26 April, 2021, 07:25:01 pm »
I can turn them down some, so have done so, but I’ve now taken them out because TV. Sarah is watching some reality thing with make up and apart from the irritating voices there’s also a muzak background which is dreadful.

I also need to get a new streamer so I can Bluetooth to my hearing aids and won’t need to keep taking them out to use my mobile or listen to audio books. That will also give me remote control of the hearing aids which I liked with my old streamer.
For every complex problem in the world, there is a simple and easily understood solution that’s wrong.

barakta

  • Bastard lovechild of Yomiko Readman and Johnny 5
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13102 on: 26 April, 2021, 11:19:10 pm »
TV noise is the worst, jarring and awful. We haven't had a TV since 2010ish when it died and I've never been able to tolerate TV in the background as it causes major sensory (auditory and visual) overload for me. Just before the pandemic hit, I stayed with a friend who has TWO tellies blaring constantly... It did my head in.

Streamers can be really good. I use them for the computer. I don't control my BAHAs with them cos it takes years to pair properly and often fails. I'm oldskool as my audiology usually say.

Beardy

  • Shedist
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13103 on: 27 April, 2021, 08:45:11 am »
When it comes to hearing aids I’m oldskool as well, but that’s because that’s what the NHS have (though I have managed to get into the position where they give me the best they’ve got) and I’m too tight to pay out the £000s required to go private. They just don’t last long enough to warrant that kind of expense, especially as I’m only investing in the delta over what I can get from the NHS. I love the NHS.
For every complex problem in the world, there is a simple and easily understood solution that’s wrong.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13104 on: 27 April, 2021, 08:49:00 am »
Just before the pandemic hit, I stayed with a friend who has TWO tellies blaring constantly... It did my head in.
TBF that would do me head in too, and not, or not only, cos of sensory overload.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13105 on: 27 April, 2021, 08:54:21 am »
What is it with delivery notifications.  DPD - "your parcel is due today". Great. Which one? From whom?  RM - "your parcel from StoreFeeder is due today" - Who? Oh, an e-commerce company owned by RM. Nope, still none the wiser.  >:(
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

ian

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13106 on: 27 April, 2021, 09:56:44 am »
I'd forgotten BG were scheduled to come around on Friday to service our boiler (leastways till about 4pm and checked and it said between 10-2pm and the engineer was 'in our area'). It seems they forgot too since he* got no closer.

Call BG. Was there a problem with the visit, says she. He didn't turn up, says I. Are you sure?

Perhaps the bears got him.

*I've become the awkward chap who, whenever he's going to use a masculine pronoun, now uses the feminine. Girl power! Except in this case, I've never had a female engineer turn up for anything, which is why the plumber is always a bloke in the 70s porn films.

Beardy

  • Shedist
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13107 on: 27 April, 2021, 10:13:25 am »
I'd forgotten BG were scheduled to come around on Friday to service our boiler (leastways till about 4pm and checked and it said between 10-2pm and the engineer was 'in our area'). It seems they forgot too since he* got no closer.

Call BG. Was there a problem with the visit, says she. He didn't turn up, says I. Are you sure?

Perhaps the bears got him.

*I've become the awkward chap who, whenever he's going to use a masculine pronoun, now uses the feminine. Girl power! Except in this case, I've never had a female engineer turn up for anything, which is why the plumber is always a bloke in the 70s porn films.
How can you be sure he didn’t turn up? He might have turned up in an alternative reality for all you know. You can’t go around stating facts like ‘he didn’t turn up’ based purely on you’re own experiences. I thought you were a SCIENTIST
For every complex problem in the world, there is a simple and easily understood solution that’s wrong.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13108 on: 27 April, 2021, 12:42:34 pm »
Just before the pandemic hit, I stayed with a friend who has TWO tellies blaring constantly... It did my head in.
TBF that would do me head in too, and not, or not only, cos of sensory overload.

Me three, and I grew up in a house full of them.  My parents used to think I was schizophrenic because I'd switch off the unwatched tellies.

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13109 on: 27 April, 2021, 12:46:47 pm »
On student flat I was in had semi-defunct two TVs, one without a picture and the other without sound.  It was quite amusing to watch Harold Wilson extolling the qualities of Pepsodent.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

ian

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13110 on: 27 April, 2021, 12:50:41 pm »
My parents never turn off the TV and the volume is always turned up. Blaring TVs was the soundtrack of my childhood. They're still the same, never turn the bloody off or down. And yes, if I turned off an unwatched TV, they'd get annoyed.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13111 on: 27 April, 2021, 04:34:59 pm »
We've got an electrician coming tomorrow to infect us with coronavirus perform an EICR.  This is a Good Thing in principle, as I'm hoping he'll condemn the consumer unit in favour of a Schneider RCBO board something with an RCD in it, along with the almost inevitable earthing upgrade.

However, it means he needs access to every socket, which has necessitated a lot of furniture moving, rearranging all the bikes, bits of bike, camping kit, compu-tqt etc. into the middle of rooms.  I've drawn the line at the fridge and washing machine.

I'm also hoping he isn't going to make a fuss about the fire alarm, which is a less-than-compliant installation of a professional alarm system, in lieu of the unreliable battery-operated smoke detectors that were causing considerable stress, lost sleep and expense.  By my reckoning, it's not part of the electrical installation, on the basis that it's connected via a kettle lead (see above re less-than-compliant), but if he gets sniffy, we're screwed.

Plus the duration off all the testing means the circuits that cannot be cut locally servers and stuff need to be powered down, and that something important is bound not to work when we switch it back on.

Meanwhile we'll be freezing our arses off with the windows open for hours.

Regulator

  • That's Councillor Regulator to you...
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13112 on: 27 April, 2021, 04:41:04 pm »
Copulating Seagull's on my roof.  Shut the f*** up , before I buy an air rifle.

I should warn you that all gulls are protected species.  Only lesser black-backed gulls and herring gulls are subject general license provisions for control - and those are subject to quite strict requirements.

Both black-backed gulls and herring gulls were removed from the general licence list last year. You would need a specific individual licence for them now.

Oops!  You're right - I forgot about the changes.  Good thing I didn't slap the gull that tried to dive bomb me at Whitby on Sunday...
Quote from: clarion
I completely agree with Reg.

Green Party Councillor

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13113 on: 27 April, 2021, 04:47:29 pm »
Copulating Seagull's on my roof.  Shut the f*** up , before I buy an air rifle.

I should warn you that all gulls are protected species.  Only lesser black-backed gulls and herring gulls are subject general license provisions for control - and those are subject to quite strict requirements.

Both black-backed gulls and herring gulls were removed from the general licence list last year. You would need a specific individual licence for them now.

Oops!  You're right - I forgot about the changes.  Good thing I didn't slap the gull that tried to dive bomb me at Whitby on Sunday...


This is LIVERPOOL !  We don't worry about licences for killin stuffs!  That includes each other  :(
Not fast & rarely furious

tweeting occasional in(s)anities as andrewxclark

Beardy

  • Shedist
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13114 on: 27 April, 2021, 05:07:55 pm »
We've got an electrician coming tomorrow to infect us with coronavirus perform an EICR.  This is a Good Thing in principle, as I'm hoping he'll condemn the consumer unit in favour of a Schneider RCBO board something with an RCD in it, along with the almost inevitable earthing upgrade.

However, it means he needs access to every socket, which has necessitated a lot of furniture moving, rearranging all the bikes, bits of bike, camping kit, compu-tqt etc. into the middle of rooms.  I've drawn the line at the fridge and washing machine.

I'm also hoping he isn't going to make a fuss about the fire alarm, which is a less-than-compliant installation of a professional alarm system, in lieu of the unreliable battery-operated smoke detectors that were causing considerable stress, lost sleep and expense.  By my reckoning, it's not part of the electrical installation, on the basis that it's connected via a kettle lead (see above re less-than-compliant), but if he gets sniffy, we're screwed.

Plus the duration off all the testing means the circuits that cannot be cut locally servers and stuff need to be powered down, and that something important is bound not to work when we switch it back on.

Meanwhile we'll be freezing our arses off with the windows open for hours.
A lot will depend on how much work the sparky does for your landlord. If he’s trying to curry favour or keep a good client happy he’s unlikely to find much wrong regardless of the state of the installation. It annoys me because I’m no longer legally entitled to do my own electrics, but part P and lazy or easily swayed sparks mean that there are still a lot of dodgy installations but now certified as safe!

And have you seen the price of a proper tester!
For every complex problem in the world, there is a simple and easily understood solution that’s wrong.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13115 on: 27 April, 2021, 05:09:00 pm »
Yeah, it's bollocks, isn't it?

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13116 on: 27 April, 2021, 08:29:05 pm »
"Oh, for fuck's sake!" said Kim, as she realised that in freeing access to the wall sockets, she'd carefully tetrised a whole lot of Stuff directly under the light fittings...

(For reference, electrician has estimated the job will take "2-3 hours" which to my mind sounds about right for doing it vaguely properly.)

Beardy

  • Shedist
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13117 on: 27 April, 2021, 09:23:47 pm »
Light turns on, light turns off. Tested. All good.
For every complex problem in the world, there is a simple and easily understood solution that’s wrong.

FifeingEejit

  • Not Small
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13118 on: 27 April, 2021, 11:43:47 pm »
I tried to get my brother to do some work a bit dinghy, but as he fitted the alarm system for compliance next year and did various other stuff with more expensive stuff than I'd have like he pointed out thst if it fucks up not only will his insurance shaft him hell also lose his ticket for signing off stuff.

Of course it may just be revenge.

Sent from my BKL-L09 using Tapatalk


hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13119 on: 28 April, 2021, 02:37:17 am »
Area is without electricity.
AGAIN.

Beardy

  • Shedist
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13120 on: 28 April, 2021, 08:48:09 am »
I tried to get my brother to do some work a bit dinghy, but as he fitted the alarm system for compliance next year and did various other stuff with more expensive stuff than I'd have like he pointed out thst if it fucks up not only will his insurance shaft him hell also lose his ticket for signing off stuff.

Of course it may just be revenge.

Sent from my BKL-L09 using Tapatalk
That certainly seems to be the possible outcome of shoddy workmanship, and if you were being charitable you could say that was the aim of the restrictions. However, the reality seems to be that bad sparks are still cutting corners with shoddy work and fictional testing without any apparent sanctions.
For every complex problem in the world, there is a simple and easily understood solution that’s wrong.

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13121 on: 28 April, 2021, 01:02:20 pm »
We had our house built and the builder refused to use our electrician. Following completion with certificates completed we decided we needed a couple of changes. Cue a visit from western power to upgrade our fuse, addition of an extra distribution board, multiple other checks and a bill for ~2k to get it safe.

FifeingEejit

  • Not Small
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13122 on: 28 April, 2021, 04:21:00 pm »
I tried to get my brother to do some work a bit dinghy, but as he fitted the alarm system for compliance next year and did various other stuff with more expensive stuff than I'd have like he pointed out thst if it fucks up not only will his insurance shaft him hell also lose his ticket for signing off stuff.

Of course it may just be revenge.

Sent from my BKL-L09 using Tapatalk
That certainly seems to be the possible outcome of shoddy workmanship, and if you were being charitable you could say that was the aim of the restrictions. However, the reality seems to be that bad sparks are still cutting corners with shoddy work and fictional testing without any apparent sanctions.
No ones checking, so only going to be found out if it goes bad quickly.

Missing earth seems to be a favourite, usually obly discover than via deth.

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Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13123 on: 28 April, 2021, 10:50:56 pm »
We've got an electrician coming tomorrow to infect us with coronavirus perform an EICR.

For those playing along at home:

Two elec-chickens turned up, approximately two hours late.  Boo.

They did not remove every faceplate, merely one socket/rose on each circuit in order to check the loop resistance.  I did not have to remove any lightbulbs.

That aside, they were reasonably thorough about the electrical tests, and worked their way methodically through the regulation checklist, picking up the things that I expected them to.  Further more, they seemed satisfied with the earthing (I didn't see the figures).  Hurrah.

They grokked the fire alarm, but weren't sure how to write it up.  I'm hoping this doesn't cause landlord grief.

They are displeased about the lack of an RCD on the cooker socket, because someone might plug a lawn mower into it.  I'm hoping that any remedial action involves installing an RCD on the upstairs ring main as well, in case someone plugs a cheap shitty whatever from China into it...

And they managed to do all the power-off stuff in less than the life of the UPS battery, so we can put off the discovery of dicky PSU caps and circular cold-boot dependencies to another day.  Hurrah.

They were fairly hopeless with masks throughout, wingeing when barakta reminded them, and one appeared to be using a Buff-alike that was doing a poor job of nose covering.  Boo.  Hopefully we haven't acquired teh coronalurgi.  They were mumbling to each other in Brummie (which is mostly vowels, and what's more, usually the wrong ones), and I couldn't hear them for shit.  Barakta didn't stand a chance.

barakta

  • Bastard lovechild of Yomiko Readman and Johnny 5
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #13124 on: 29 April, 2021, 04:23:15 pm »
I should add that we wore OUR masks throughout and kept the windows wide open for the duration + 30 mins after they left. We then kept windows open for another 2ish hours while we resorted our house.

I'm not inclined to let them back in for remedial works till we don't need masks again cos I CBA with it. I talked about using masks TWICE before they came by SMS and they were all "of course" which makes me even angrier about it cos it's not like I didn't warn them. And they should be wearing masks in ALL houses by default, and ready masked before ringing doorbell.

Masks Over Noses.