Topic: Local News

[smokester]

It is not Liz Truss's fault that she is stupid and incapable but ambitious. It is the Tory members' fault that they elected an idiot, but they have a long track record in this. Rishi Sunak was available, and the MPs understood that he was capable of doing the job, but the stupidity of the electorate - or parts of it - and their vulnerability to wishful thinking and pie-in-the-sky promises cannot be underestimated (as we have seen in other major western democracies as well).

I agree that the Tories are bad, but I disagree that the other parties are less bad: I think they are all equally bad, because the system is completely and irretrievably flawed.

Being an opposition party is ridiculously easy; all one needs to do is to point out that what the party in power is doing is wrong, with no need to have an alternative that would work, let alone any fear of ever being asked to prove it. Liz Truss could have been a spectacularly good leader of the opposition, as her dreams could have been spouted with no possibility of being proven wrong - her downfall was to lead the party that was in power. The SNP is a very good example. In power they are clueless, as in opposition their sole policy was independence from England, and in power that remains their sole policy: even after their fellow country have voted against that policy in a referendum.

Looks like we might be getting another BJ. There was a time that was considered a good thing ...

[goldshirt*9]

The only sensible candidate is (and was last time) Rishi Sunak. After the way he was treated last time, I wouldn't be at all surprised if he declined to put himself forward this time. I really, really, hope that he doesn't. Mordaunt is desperate for power, but is another Truss: Braverman similar (but even more obviously the wrong choice - her resignation was transparently manufactured by her to increase her profile). One day we will learn that tokenism doesn't do anyone any favours.

... but if they choose BJ again (or possibly even worse, Gove), then they have essentially acknowledged that they are unelectable.

I personally think he would do the job and stick up two fingers to those who voted against him.

[smokester]

The only sensible candidate is (and was last time) Rishi Sunak. After the way he was treated last time, I wouldn't be at all surprised if he declined to put himself forward this time. I really, really, hope that he doesn't. Mordaunt is desperate for power, but is another Truss: Braverman similar (but even more obviously the wrong choice - her resignation was transparently manufactured by her to increase her profile). One day we will learn that tokenism doesn't do anyone any favours.

... but if they choose BJ again (or possibly even worse, Gove), then they have essentially acknowledged that they are unelectable.

I strangely have more respect for Govey since his trip to Paris in Spitting Image. Can't say it did his image much good, though:

[smokester]

The storm that hit us on Saturday fried the broadband in my street (at least) until 9am this morning. I'm pretty sure that's a poor response time, especially here in this part of London where it's mostly bankers working from home.

[6pairsofshoes]

No rain for many months, then we got a really heavy downpour yesterday.  We may have to start pumping out the basement.  It's often either feast or famine here.  It's also cold now and our heater is on the fritz.  It comes on if you jump on the floor next to it.  The repairman can't come until next Friday (a week from this Friday).  He was here a month ago but didn't have the parts to repair it.  Still charged us for the visit anyway.

[smokester]

No rain for many months, then we got a really heavy downpour yesterday.  We may have to start pumping out the basement.  It's often either feast or famine here.  It's also cold now and our heater is on the fritz.  It comes on if you jump on the floor next to it.  The repairman can't come until next Friday (a week from this Friday).  He was here a month ago but didn't have the parts to repair it.  Still charged us for the visit anyway.

You sound like you've moved to my street.

[8ullfrog]

Shame you couldn't tell him no parts, no pay.

[smokester]

Shame you couldn't tell him no parts, no pay.

It's a call out fee which is standard. Some guys will remove this from the final bill if you give them the contract.

[smokester]

It's lucky I gave up eggs after my cholesterol issues as, apparently, the UK will have no eggs until after Christmas.

It's a mix of a massive outbreak of avian flu and something to do with rising costs.

It's odd: I haven't eaten eggs for months but now I know I cant get them, I really want an omelette.

[goldshirt*9]

out local butcher showed a vid from a egg producer. He stated on air
" Supermarkets have increased the cost of eggs to the buyer, but haven't passed any of this increase to the producer,"
whilst showing the amount of eggs in their store's. Now I realise our butcher does source his eggs from local producers and I believe him.
Supermarkets are basically profiteering from what is happening atm and he does have plenty of eggs at an increased price.

[8ullfrog]

I watched some of the horse trading on the loading docks, the trucks always brought more than was ordered, or wrong product. I didn't give a poo, as I was just the guy with the floor jack, but the store manager was quite creative with his language.

He had about zero wiggle room either, he was not able to negotiate with the trucks, and would inform them of this loudly.

One time the truck guy thought he'd "break" a bottle of vinegar to "show me", but he overbalanced and brought the pallet down.
We obviously boogied out of the box, but my manager then closed and locked his truck, said it was now a hazard, and he could golly off.

That one pissed off the customers like nothing else, we were short on... all.

The pallet jack was pretty neat but boss wouldn't let me golly with it. Bunch of settings and he had me using it like a plain old dolly.

My dad was a trucker, so I was raised to respect the profession, but we got a lot of scum naffs at our loading dock.

I don't think we ever had a problem with eggs.

One coworker was fired for sitting in the milk box texting. On the clock of course. Boss called him, and the jig was up.

Unrestricted profit margins will have to be regulated, or the world is going to collapse. Companies are already cutting 20% or more of their workforce to maintain the profit race, and that is going to backfire soon and hard.

[smokester]

Miraculously, there were 3 boxes of eggs (boxes of 6) in my local Co-op yesterday so I bought 2 of them. I felt a bit guilty as other folk were left looking at the empty shelf and the 2 boxes in my basket, but it's a hen eat hen world, right?

[8ullfrog]

I've had people try to pull things out of my cart before.

They get very angry when confronted, like they expect others to just passively accept that their need is greater.

My area is doing the algorithm generated "move all the products around so the customers can't find them" thing.

My local CVS has phased out 2 liters of soda, which makes me mad as I'll often pick one up for the weekend, and now I can't.
They're now pushing 1 liters, and that's just not enough.

They also won't admit it. They just say they're out. But the shelving has been rearranged to make the soda area smaller.
Plus, they tried it before in 2017. Consumers rejected it.

I miss the chip aisle as well, it's all nuts and twigs now. On the plus side the nuts and twigs aisle is as empty as a graveyard.

Takis can go suck a golly.

[smokester]

I've had a couple of bad days with my daughter having a suspected appendicitis. I was in the hospital for 10 hours yesterday.

She had an ultrasound this moring and she's ok. It looks like it could be a false alarm as the pain has subsided.

Scary poo!

[dweez]

Man, I'm glad it all worked out. I know that had to be scary for your daughter and you.