Tech

Along the way this weekend, there’s also been an amount of geekiness going on too. Sorting out dubious email connections, installing anti-virus protection and updating it all, figuring out card-readers, and looking at digital cameras (not for me, for once!), in the end coming out with a very nice little Minolta Dimage G400 – certainly a breed I’ll consider looking at in the future, having seen some of the results already.

But I have to say, going back to 56k dial-up is painful. I’ve been on ADSL for the best part of 2½ years now, and you really do get used to it awfully easily. Still, all part of the fun and games, eh?

Still away

All’s well – I warned you the content would be intermittent, to say the least. But yes, things are good, and among other things I’ve caught up on more sleep in the last four days than I have in the last four months.

Of course, that’s not all that’s been happening, and in general there’s a fair amount of stuff that will be getting re-assessed and worked on in the next few months. Changes galore, and the boy is going to be OK for the forseeable future, I think.

Update

Yes, things are going fine, thanks. All’s well so far, and the relaxation is definitely a good thing.

Rants about train journeys etc. can be expected at a later date.

T’raaa

Fuck this, I’m off to Berkshire.

Expect intermittent updates for a while.

Tra(u)matic

After four years of “oh yes, it’ll happen, no really, it will”, the Manchester “big bang” tramline expansion has fallen through. What a shocker.

While the money’s always been promised, no-one seems to have ever thought to get a guarantee, or to actually say “Well where is it then?” And now the government has – unsurprisingly – changed its mind, and won’t help to fund the expansion.

So far as I’m concerned, yes, this is a bad development for the plan – but to say that it’s been betrayed is shite, it’s been piss-poor on the management front since day one.

Counting

Hmm, it’s a day with very little motivation left, to be honest. Come tonight I’ll be away down to Berkshire ’til Tuesday, so don’t expect too much in the way of updates. I’m sure there’ll be some along the way – but don’t hold your breaths.

In the meantime, of course, I’m really not in the mood to do much. There’s various bits I should be doing, but starting off something properly today just means it’ll then wait ’til this time next week. Kind of pointless.

So – no motivation for work, and lots for later. That’ll be a well-balanced day then.

Twattage

Thank you for your email about the problems you have experienced with the incorrect delivery of mail.

I am sorry to learn that your mail was delivered incorectly and left outside. I realise there can be no excuse for the misdelivery of mail which is clearly and correctly addressed and I would like to apologise for the concern you have been caused.

I have reported this issue to your local Delivery Office Manager and I have been advised that there are no problems with the way your mail is sorted prior to delivery. This leads me to conclude that this mistake happened as a result of human error..

You have my assurance that we are not complacent about our failures. In order to prevent this happening again the Delivery Officer responsible has been interviewed and will ensure that more care is taken in future, by checking the mail
both before and during delivery.

Please accept my apologies, for the annoyance and inconvenience you have been caused. If you have any further difficulties or require any information or advice about the various services we provide please do not hesitate to contact us quoting your reference number on 08457 740 740 or on Textphone(for the hard of hearing)08456 000 606 or email us at contactus@royalmail.com and we will be happy to help.

Postwatch, the independent consumer body for postal services, exists to represent customers’ interests. If you would like further information, they can be contacted on 08456 013 265 or at Freepost Postwatch.

Yours sincerely

JB

Customer SErvices

Aching arsebanditry. This was in response to a complaint I made a month ago about the fluntcapping twadgeknacker who decided to abandon an Amazon package at my front door on a weekend when no-one was in the house. An Amazon package with £100ish worth of stuff inside, and which basically advertised for the whole weekend “hey look, chavs of Manchester, no-one’s been home to pick up this parcel, so feel free to nick it, or break in and wander round the house at your leisure“

So yes, I’m going to complain a bit further on this one. Apologies don’t break the ice – and they’d do even less if the house had been broken into. And if some little scally had taken advantage of the package and nicked it, I bet the Royal Snail would have a whole load more shit to deal with than just me complaining.