Insignificant/ Significant things that BYP or just wind you up a little

[Taipan]

My Daughter ringing at 04:36 saying "I love you Guys". Then telling me her and her two friends are still up drinking but the other has fallen asleep. Then rings as at 08:32 saying "OMG, Bailey and I are still up"! Errr, thanks for the update?!

We have a table booked for 16:30 for her birthday Sunday roast. I'm guessing that is going to get cancelled/postponed!

[Count Steer]

I'm thinking about getting solar panels and seeing the government's announcement about zero VAT on renewables I went looking for prices. As I have a bungalow and I'm not scared of some simple wiring I looked for DIY options thinking I could forgo the feed in option. VAT is only reduced when you use government authorised fitters and then only when the cost of labour is more than the cost of the parts, anything else still has 20% added.
So to save the 20% tax I have to pay 50% extra to an already overpriced company.

Another 'scheme' from a 'scheming' government 'Help to buy' just put house prices up and money in the builders pockets, subsidies on electric cars put the car prices up and money into car builders pockets. None of them seem to be aimed at actually saving the punter any money.

However, having heard of the problems people have had with solar installed by authorised fitters I assume it's either not as simple as it looks or some of the approved installers are actually incompetent.

Out of interest, what sort of price were you getting on the panels?

[Cousin Jack]

I'm thinking about getting solar panels and seeing the government's announcement about zero VAT on renewables I went looking for prices. As I have a bungalow and I'm not scared of some simple wiring I looked for DIY options thinking I could forgo the feed in option. VAT is only reduced when you use government authorised fitters and then only when the cost of labour is more than the cost of the parts, anything else still has 20% added.
So to save the 20% tax I have to pay 50% extra to an already overpriced company.

Government 'schemes' are inevitably linked to cowboys who make money, from the Government and often from the consumer too. I once investigated a Gordon Brown (IIRC) scheme that gave everyone an 'education' amount to spend. I was unable to find a single supplier that was offering anything except what I considered rip-off courses of no worth, but of course all priced at the maximum allowance.

[Horse]

Government 'schemes' are inevitably linked to cowboys who make money, from the Government and often from the consumer too. I once investigated a Gordon Brown (IIRC) scheme that gave everyone an 'education' amount to spend. I was unable to find a single supplier that was offering anything except what I considered rip-off courses of no worth, but of course all priced at the maximum allowance.

There was a training company which made (and spent) a small fortune. They fed off of training grants for ex-military personnel.

They moved into rider and driver training. Were the only training company I've seen with branded Rang Rovers, wearing nice suits. No-one else made that sort of money from it.

IIRC Owner got awards for innovation etc.

They tried to push for mandatory standards etc. Failed. Shut down.

Not naming them as the vestiges of rider training carried on and are AFAIK fairly reputable.

[Mussels]

I'm thinking about getting solar panels and seeing the government's announcement about zero VAT on renewables I went looking for prices. As I have a bungalow and I'm not scared of some simple wiring I looked for DIY options thinking I could forgo the feed in option. VAT is only reduced when you use government authorised fitters and then only when the cost of labour is more than the cost of the parts, anything else still has 20% added.
So to save the 20% tax I have to pay 50% extra to an already overpriced company.

Another 'scheme' from a 'scheming' government 'Help to buy' just put house prices up and money in the builders pockets, subsidies on electric cars put the car prices up and money into car builders pockets. None of them seem to be aimed at actually saving the punter any money.

However, having heard of the problems people have had with solar installed by authorised fitters I assume it's either not as simple as it looks or some of the approved installers are actually incompetent.

Out of interest, what sort of price were you getting on the panels?

I didn't look that hard as the first company offering DIY solutions explained the VAT position on its main page. They wanted £4k exc VAT for a 4KW system so not massively cheaper than the £5.5k example given on most of the 'should I install solar' websites, VAT makes them almost the same price.
I have a large roof and could fit much cheaper less efficient panels, I'd take 10% efficiency over 20% if the panels are a quarter of the price. My experience of the local approved company is there's no consultation on what suits my purpose, they just fit what they want to tick a box.
There's a company up north somewhere that is starting to sell much cheaper and thinner panels, I'll try to find out more about them but I don't think they are widely available yet.

[Mussels]

Government 'schemes' are inevitably linked to cowboys who make money, from the Government and often from the consumer too. I once investigated a Gordon Brown (IIRC) scheme that gave everyone an 'education' amount to spend. I was unable to find a single supplier that was offering anything except what I considered rip-off courses of no worth, but of course all priced at the maximum allowance.

There was a training company which made (and spent) a small fortune. They fed off of training grants for ex-military personnel.

They moved into rider and driver training. Were the only training company I've seen with branded Rang Rovers, wearing nice suits. No-one else made that sort of money from it.

IIRC Owner got awards for innovation etc.

They tried to push for mandatory standards etc. Failed. Shut down.

Not naming them as the vestiges of rider training carried on and are AFAIK fairly reputable.

I did resettlement training with them, the military grant allowed £X for a two week course and a generous £Y for accommodation so all of their courses were one week plus a week of work experience all with compulsory accommodation. As expected students were put up in very cheap rooms and work experience turned out to be unskilled labouring which I walked out of after two days.

[Jody]

Feeling incompetent in the workplace

As you may be aware I work in a private ski chalet for an English family during the winter. Lovely, lovely people, but they are effing loaded. People of this ilk don't want to know the details, they don't want the hows and whys of how things get done, they just want things done. They want to be able to stroll into a place and everything works. That's kinda where I come in.

The boss arrived late last night.

First issue,
"does the fire work" (gas fire operated by remote control)
No sorry
"Why not, this has been going on for months"
The last I got told was the engineer was going to come out and show me how to fix common problems, I'm still waiting for that to happen.

*the main problem here is that the engineer doesn't think there's anything wrong with the fire, he just thinks I'm an incompetent moron who doesn't know how the fire works. He has refused to come and see the fire for himself as he is convinced it's in perfect working order. Get a different engineer/ company I hear you say. No, my boss doesn't allow me to source technicians, I have to go through the architect and she doesn't GAF.


Second issue
"you sent my spare helmet and gloves to Val D'Isere"
Well yes I did, but only after I had sent pictures to our man in Val and said "is this your kit" to which he replied "yes that's mine"

Third issue
"where are my ski poles, I put them in the car the last time you picked us up"

they aren't in the car or the ski room which tells me they never made it to the car and being as the helmet and gloves I sent to Val were left in the restaurant I picked you all up from, I suspect you left the poles there !

There's an argument that these things are not my fault. As mentioned my boss doesn't care who is at fault, he doesn't want excuses, he wants things to work! He's not even been here 12 hours and I've failed him 3 times

Keep those photos handy of his indiscretions with the underage chap a while back.

I said they were loaded, I didn't say they were royalty !

[Count Steer]

There's a company up north somewhere that is starting to sell much cheaper and thinner panels, I'll try to find out more about them but I don't think they are widely available yet.

I'm surprised no-one is selling systems for new build and reroofing where you fit a supporting connective grid then plug solar tiles into it so that they are actually the roofing material. Obvs you would have matching, cheap dummy ones for the edges (or anywhere they need trimming) and shaded areas.

I think someone came up with something vaguely like that but pretty crude.

It would look better and be more flexible, maintainable etc etc. Clear glass ones would be good too for skylights and windows but that's probably a step too far.

Maybe I'd better invent it.

[Horse]

I'm surprised no-one is selling systems for new build and reroofing where you fit a supporting connective grid then plug solar tiles into it so that they are actually the roofing material. Obvs you would have matching, cheap dummy ones for the edges (or anywhere they need trimming) and shaded areas.

I think someone came up with something vaguely like that but pretty crude.

Maybe I'd better invent it.

There were some like that at the National Self Build Centre, Swindon, years ago.

[Felix]

Fuel timing solenoids that cost £190 for such a small part

[David]

Feeling incompetent in the workplace

As you may be aware I work in a private ski chalet for an English family during the winter. Lovely, lovely people, but they are effing loaded. People of this ilk don't want to know the details, they don't want the hows and whys of how things get done, they just want things done. They want to be able to stroll into a place and everything works. That's kinda where I come in.

The boss arrived late last night.

First issue,
"does the fire work" (gas fire operated by remote control)
No sorry
"Why not, this has been going on for months"
The last I got told was the engineer was going to come out and show me how to fix common problems, I'm still waiting for that to happen.

*the main problem here is that the engineer doesn't think there's anything wrong with the fire, he just thinks I'm an incompetent moron who doesn't know how the fire works. He has refused to come and see the fire for himself as he is convinced it's in perfect working order. Get a different engineer/ company I hear you say. No, my boss doesn't allow me to source technicians, I have to go through the architect and she doesn't GAF.


Second issue
"you sent my spare helmet and gloves to Val D'Isere"
Well yes I did, but only after I had sent pictures to our man in Val and said "is this your kit" to which he replied "yes that's mine"

Third issue
"where are my ski poles, I put them in the car the last time you picked us up"

they aren't in the car or the ski room which tells me they never made it to the car and being as the helmet and gloves I sent to Val were left in the restaurant I picked you all up from, I suspect you left the poles there !

There's an argument that these things are not my fault. As mentioned my boss doesn't care who is at fault, he doesn't want excuses, he wants things to work! He's not even been here 12 hours and I've failed him 3 times

Keep those photos handy of his indiscretions with the underage chap a while back.

I said they were loaded, I didn't say they were royalty !

If you dont have the photos...just go out, buy the kit and put it through petty cash. offer him photocopies of the receipts to claim off his travel insurance.
Put out a contract on the guy in Val'd'isre and like wise wih the receipts

[Noggin]

People who really don't think before they speak!!

I mean, I know I'm knackered, I'm broken, I'm not sleeping well but to meet a friend and the first thing she says is "oh, you look tired" is just not ideal!!!

She looked how I feel, but I'd never say it out loud cos, well, if you feel bad you don't need someone pointing it out!! Especially when it's bleeding obvious why you feel/look like that (for me - not fit or light, crutches with a FUBAR shoulder, lack of mobility due to broken leg)

FFS, people say the daftest things whilst trying to be 'caring'!!!!

[Yorick]

People who really don't think before they speak!!

I mean, I know I'm knackered, I'm broken, I'm not sleeping well but to meet a friend and the first thing she says is "oh, you look tired" is just not ideal!!!

She looked how I feel, but I'd never say it out loud cos, well, if you feel bad you don't need someone pointing it out!! Especially when it's bleeding obvious why you feel/look like that (for me - not fit or light, crutches with a FUBAR shoulder, lack of mobility due to broken leg)

FFS, people say the daftest things whilst trying to be 'caring'!!!!

Ooooooh. Someone's tired

[Noggin]

People who really don't think before they speak!!

I mean, I know I'm knackered, I'm broken, I'm not sleeping well but to meet a friend and the first thing she says is "oh, you look tired" is just not ideal!!!

She looked how I feel, but I'd never say it out loud cos, well, if you feel bad you don't need someone pointing it out!! Especially when it's bleeding obvious why you feel/look like that (for me - not fit or light, crutches with a FUBAR shoulder, lack of mobility due to broken leg)

FFS, people say the daftest things whilst trying to be 'caring'!!!!

Ooooooh. Someone's tired

Obviously!!! You really don't need to point it out

[Count Steer]

Obviously!!! You really don't need to point it out

I crawled in the street and I murmured,'I'm done.'
Then up came Old Jenkins and shouted,'By gum!'
'My word you do look well!
My word you do look well!
You're looking fine and in the pink!'
I shouted, 'Am I?... Come and have a drink!
You've put new life in me, I'm sounder than a bell.
By gad! There's life in the old dog yet.
My word, I do feel well!'

[slowsider]

Obviously!!! You really don't need to point it out

I crawled in the street and I murmured,'I'm done.'
Then up came Old Jenkins and shouted,'By gum!'
'My word you do look well!
My word you do look well!
You're looking fine and in the pink!'
I shouted, 'Am I?... Come and have a drink!
You've put new life in me, I'm sounder than a bell.
By gad! There's life in the old dog yet.
My word, I do feel well!'

Certainly beats looking queer

[Count Steer]

Bah! Blooming humbug. Software updates. Suddenly my Naim streamer in the living room errors when contacting Snotify. Lo! The more modern one (Muso) in another room works fine. It looks like a recent Snotify update isn't compatible with the older streamer. Much chatter and wailing + gnashing of teeth on the user forum. From Snotify and Naim? Not a peep.

Bum.

[Felix]

Sat nav fucked up. It was stuck in a reboot loop when you turned it off. It was also set to boot into sat nav software so you could not get to setting. Fuck it so bought another then now after the new one arrived i fixed the old one by simply re setting the software <<< FUD

[Noggin]

Bah! Blooming humbug. Software updates. Suddenly my Naim streamer in the living room errors when contacting Snotify. Lo! The more modern one (Muso) in another room works fine. It looks like a recent Snotify update isn't compatible with the older streamer. Much chatter and wailing + gnashing of teeth on the user forum. From Snotify and Naim? Not a peep.

Bum.

I've got that with quite a few things now. I use an old (very old!) ipad to put things on the tv through an apple tv. But I can't put quite a lot of apps on it cos it's too old, can't use a VPN that I want on it . . . . . I should replace it, but it works fine - apart from being too old for lots of things!!!

[Saga Lout]

...it works fine - apart from being too old for lots of things!!!

I know how it feels.