Rant of the Day v2.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Bus from our nearest international airport is once a day, leaving 5 minutes before the flight from Europe arrives, and arriving 1 hour after the flight departs.
The last train was in 1983. There are no connecting flights from the more local, regional airport.
You could take a dogsled in winter......but the international flights are summer only.

[Karearea]

"Trains"?

What is "trains"?

[Rwy in Sight]

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...
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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.

Don't forget that problems can be solved easily provided a person in charge wants to solve them. However, offer, there are obstacles on his willingness to solve them, mainly profit and his personal approach to the issue. The first one was covered by F3 in terms of quality, customer service etc are ok as long as they don't cost money that with the right moves can remain in company bank accounts. I used to work for the top telecom provider the local subsidiary of Deutsche Telecom. All measures were taken to put the maximum pressure at the front line staff pushing them to work longer hours and take more calls, but when an issue appear all the front line staff could do was to tell customers was to say "I have sent the matter to another dept, they will look at it and give you an answer" which more often than not it didn't come. Once I wanted to help an officer that I met while doing my military service. I took carefull notes of his issues and try to discuss it with a supervisor only to be told it was a systemic issue and not to take t any farther.

Similarly once I work for a security system company a British one who kept mentioning its multinational status. A customer then asked for a contract in English rather than in the local language and the boss answer was sorry we work here so contracts are only made in the local language. And then they wondered why customers ended up going for the cheaper local service provider.

However some times people don't want to solve an issue because it will put their job at stake. They present a problem as to big to be solved, they persuade their superiors that only small solutions can be used and thus they remain employed with an excellent salary and perks. The company I work for can't manage to deliver bills on time and instead have an abundance of angry customers as their supply is cut. They do nothing about the invoicing department preferring to have angry customers calling at their call center.

[OFSO]

Bought train tickets today.
You can't buy AVE high speed train tickets at Figueras station, only for Regional trains. But both ticket machines are broken.
You can't buy Regional train tickets in Vilefant, only AVE, but both ticket machines refused my DIN/NIE.
Thank heavens for human beings !

[PHXPhlyer]

D#2's car failed vehicle emissions testing and needs a new catalytic converter to make it meet testing requirements, approx. $1300 .
The Department of Environmental Quality has a program that will reimburse up to $900 of the repair cost.
I was all ready to apply for this program this morning when the twice monthly portal opened only to find out that her car was ineligible for the program on account of it having a "salvage title".
To add insult to injury, the emissions testing is only required in the two most populated counties in the state.

PP

[llondel]

Mine failed emissions testing last year. I was surprised when it passed the previous time, so I got a couple of years extra use from it. The car was old enough to vote, so I decided I'd take the scrap value given that I didn't really need a car under present circumstances. My son had to go buy himself a car though, because he'd been using it up to then.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Compare the emissions from scrapping vehicles sooner due to exhaust emissions failures and manufacturing new vehicles to replace them, with the emissions that would be made by allowing a vehicle to remain on the road with an exhaust emission 'failure'. Or no test at all, like here. Don't forget to add the emissions of the buyer going to work more often to afford the new vehicle. And of course the emissions of all the people making the test equipment, using it, writing the regulations for it, the guy driving the scrap lorry, etc.

Today's Sesame Street was brought to you by the words Whole Cycle Costing.

[llondel]

Compare the emissions from scrapping vehicles sooner due to exhaust emissions failures and manufacturing new vehicles to replace them, with the emissions that would be made by allowing a vehicle to remain on the road with an exhaust emission 'failure'. Or no test at all, like here. Don't forget to add the emissions of the buyer going to work more often to afford the new vehicle. And of course the emissions of all the people making the test equipment, using it, writing the regulations for it, the guy driving the scrap lorry, etc.

Today's Sesame Street was brought to you by the words Whole Cycle Costing.

Also consider running costs of vehicle. Fuel economy of the one I scrapped was not good (worse than the larger minivan). It was only used for shorter journeys, and as an individual, I figured it would cost me less to take the money and run, even if I then had to buy a replacement vehicle with a better fuel economy and lower maintenance costs. I have my eye on the Chevy Volt - has a petrol engine so it can go a decent distance, but if I'm stuck in typical Bay Area traffic, the electric side comes into its own. It would still be used as a local vehicle (which is where EVs are ideal) for the most part.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

True, but spare parts and servicing are usually cheaper on the older models (up to a point). It's a complex equation that far too often isn't even attempted when there's an agenda to sell.

[OFSO]

You can buy a botte of "engine cleaner" in supermarkets here. Add one per tankful of diesel (there's also a version for petrol engines), the day(s) before the emissions test, cars always pass.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Ah, now here we use injector cleaner....oddly enough to clean the injectors. And it works!
I use it myself, always.
And the fuel efficiency and so the exhaust does improve, so vehicles would probably then pass an emissions test, if there was one.

[OFSO]

I use it too. Both petrol car (17 years old) and diesel car (9 years old) always pass the emissions annual test. It's Wynn's and sold in our local supermarket.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

I mainly use Lucas fuel treatment. It really helps with fuel economy also.
I did try another way back, but the economy effect was not clear, whereas with Lucas it is.
They both helped with initial acceleration.

[OFSO]

Bought an alloy wheel cleaner spray. Made in Germany.
"Spray on, leave five minutes, wash off and wheels will be gleaming."
Words missing there.
"Provided that is you get down on your hands and knees, brush around spokes, hub and rim with a special brush and power wash off, then polish with a soft cloth."
Vorsprung Durch Techik meine Arsch.......

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

get down on your hands and knees, brush around spokes, hub and rim with a special brush and power wash off, then polish with a soft cloth

That's what Gastarbeiter are for!

[ricardian]

These phishing attempts are becoming very amateurish - here's the latest email purporting to come from the delivery service EVRI who, it is claimed, tried to deliver my parcel at 03:13 hrs! Just one typo "proced" but the killer here is that EVRI and all other couriers don't deliver on the island as we have our own haulier.

Hi,
We tried on: Tue, June 25, 2024 3:13 AM
Delivery Type: 3-5 Working Days
Our delivery driver, Michael was unable to delivery your parcel as there was no one present at the time of delivery.
You can reschedule your delivery by heading to the Evri portal provided below.
Proced to portal
N𝅴𝅺𝅳o𝅳𝅸𝅴t𝅳𝅵𝅳e𝅴𝅺𝅹 𝅸𝅺𝅹:𝅹𝅸𝅹 𝅵𝅵𝅹Your parcel will be delivered by Michael𝅴𝅳
Regards,
EVRI Help Service

[ricardian]

I received my Postal Poll Card a few days ago and I've just noticed this on the card "You will receive a postal vote for this election because you asked to vote by post".
I, along with almost everyone else in the Northern Isles, most definitely did NOT ask to vote by post. 15 years ago Orkney Islands Council closed all the polling stations in the Northern Isles in order to save money and we all HAD to use a postal vote. It is possible to vote in person but it involves a lot of telephone calls and form-filling plus a ferry trip into Kirkwall.
My postal vote arrived today (Tuesday), I've put my X in the appropriate box and will post it tomorrow.

[PHXPhlyer]

I don't know which is worse:
The coverage and hype leading up yo the presidential candidates debate or the Olympics.

PP

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

I know what you mean...it's impossible to tell who's on drugs in either competition.

[PHXPhlyer]

Speaking of drugs:
Snoop Dogg was a "reporter" during the US Track and Field trials.
That is what it has come to.

PP