TWO breakthroughs in 48 hours!

[Bob Williams]

This could be covered by two topics: Home & DIY, and Tech. It involves a long-standing Repair & Maintenance issue with my landlord, and a problem with my ISP services.

Yesterday I received a commitment from the landlord to take out an old, dangerous SF back boiler, remove the whole fireplace and hearth. I have only been reporting this since 2007, when I read HSE and Environmental Housing reports concerning these old boiler installations. Because our Council handed over all its Housing Stock to what was then a local “Linx Homes” housing association in 2003, it became apparent over the years that the Council did not pass enough relevant information to LH. The situation has become complicated by successive mergers and takeovers within housing association groups, until our local Louth-based association became the massive Waterloo Housing Group, and moved to Birmingham. How our little Linx Homes association staff wound up administering the whole Group, is a matter I cannot explain. Now there is another association about to be swallowed.

I had reached the end of my patience with the fireplace matter, so I reported the problem online to their horrible, clunky website and followed up with an email and letter, all on Friday evening last. I informed them that I had contacted HSE and Env. Housing, plus my MP. If there was no commitment in writing to take action, I was proceeding with a case against them, using over 10 years of correspondence and recorded Repair reports, with no answers from them. First thing Monday morning, I received a call from the Repairs & Maintenance boss*, with a verbal commitment to do the work. I stated that I would continue to proceed with my case until I received that commitment in writing, with a date for the work. Because this is what they do: “We’ll get back to you!” But they never back up a verbal agreement, on the basis of “Ignore it and they will go away!”

Second problem was my continuing battle to get Plusnet and Openreach to connect my BB service to the new Superfast cabinet around the corner from my Close. My speeds had reduced from 12 Mbps to between 3 and 4, and I had 2 engineer visits. Plusnet and OR denied that the engineer had downloaded his reports whilst he was here, but I knew he had because he showed me and let me hear responses. He recommended that my line should be disconnected from the old cabinet (¾ mile away) and reconnected to the new Cabinet number 42: I gave them that cabinet number and its location, with a photo clearly showing street names. Just in case BT had lost it, you understand….??

This morning I received an apology from Plusnet and a written intention to carry out the work by OR.

Hence the Two Breakthroughs. Sometimes things go a little bit right.

*The R&M ‘boss’ was the guy who erected a fence at our property in 2004, a Direct Labour employee working for Linx Homes. No, I can’t explain that either, because he was a Muppet then and has moved on up to Superior Muppetry now. Seriously, he is an idiot: I can almost hear the wheels turning when I speak to him.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[JayCeeDee]

That’s good to hear on both counts. You just have to hope that the R&M boss doesn’t come down to supervise – although I reckon there’s a part of you that would like to see him, if only to vent your spleen on him!! ( if you’ve still got it that is !!?? )

Apologies upfront if that is too near the mark, but I just couldn’t let that one pass me by.??

[The Duke]

Congratulations Bob. What will you do with yourself now. We’ll have to find you anther case to chase up, if you’re at a loss. ?

[Richard]

Bob, it was all explained in a book, the Petter Principle I think it was called. People advance until they just cross their final fronter of incompetence. In other words when the bull* becomes short supplied they can no longer ride the crest of the wave.

Anyway, hopefully your problems will soon be done and dusted – why do I fear that will not really be the case? Still we can live in hope for you.

[Bob Williams]

Thanks guys.

JayCeeDee, no apology necessary, found that funny. ?Spleen went when the Pancreas tail* was removed, they found that the spleen was full of nasty cells, far more than the P-tail.

*Apparently it looks like a fillet steak tail end. I love a surgeon with a sense of humour.? Wonder what was on his menu that evening?

Steve, I don’t need any more work atm thanks. Currently removing all items and racking from my shed, found a leak on the rear wall. Need to repaint and re-felt the back, where the water gets in. Happened since my lovely neighbour got a cowboy in to put up a fence.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The VFM Addict]

Richard wrote:

Bob, it was all explained in a book, the Petter Principle I think it was called. People advance until they just cross their final fronter of incompetence. In other words when the bull* becomes short supplied they can no longer ride the crest of the wave. Anyway, hopefully your problems will soon be done and dusted – why do I fear that will not really be the case? Still we can live in hope for you.

Yep that’s true and often described in short as people being promoted to their level of incompetence.   Makes sense really because if you do a job well you usually get promoted.  You only stop getting promoted when you are crap at the job you are doing.    The only company which I know of that tries very hard indeed to avoid such is Tesco’s who work their Traffic Light System like clockwork.   When classifying an employee Green meaning ready for promotion focus is always on likely competency in the new potential role rather than competency in their current role.  As far as possible they test individuals in ‘Acting As’ roles during superiors’ holidays and maternity leave, etc.   I’ve a lot of time for Tesco’s senior store managers.   They are usually class acts and truly worth the £100-120K that the managers of the larger stores are paid.

 

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[Bob Williams]

That is very interesting information regarding Tesco management VFM. Although the business obviously had its problems, it may explain how Tesco came to overcome that, moving onward and upward. A lesson for other UK organisations.

Being promoted beyond the subject’s level of competence happened a lot during my Army service, installing certain people who had been in admin capacities for years, into posts which required tactical knowledge of which they had no experience. A very few compensated for this lack, by deciding upon an experienced subordinate and relying upon that soldier’s advice. The rest “winged it” and either limped on, usually blaming subordinates, or crashed and burned.

 

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Wheels-Of-Fire]

Oh welcome to the club then Bob.

I had the tail of my pancreas and spleen removed in 2012. I had a pseudo cyst in my pancreas that was causing pancreatic fluid to leak into my abdomen. There was nothing wrong with my spleen but as it normally connects to the tail of the pancreas it had to go too.

Perhaps we could compare scars one day ?

[Tippon]

The VFM Addict wrote:

When classifying an employee Green meaning ready for promotion focus is always on likely competency in the new potential role rather than competency in their current role.

I had a manager in British Gas who attempted something like that, but under his own steam. If a difficult problem came up, he’d try to get us to solve it on our own. He was a great guy, and it was a good idea, except there were things that we hadn’t been trained on for a reason – imagine being a shelf stacker and a customer tells you that they were short changed. How do you even begin to deal with it?

I had one customer whose problem took me about eight months to fix, when a specialist could have fixed it in a week…

[Bob Williams]

Wheels-Of-Fire wrote:

Oh welcome to the club then Bob. I had the tail of my pancreas and spleen removed in 2012. I had a pseudo cyst in my pancreas that was causing pancreatic fluid to leak into my abdomen. There was nothing wrong with my spleen but as it normally connects to the tail of the pancreas it had to go too. Perhaps we could compare scars one day

Graham – unless you’ve had:

*3 brain surgeries after hit & run & fractured skull.

*spinal surgery to remove, rebuild with carbon fibre & refit, No.4 vertebra.

*Bowel disease with a Parastomal hernia.

*Arthroscopy left knee.

*Aforementioned Pancreatic& spleen adventure, tail had cancer cells, spleen full of them: –

– You might lose on scores! Not bragging, just very unfortunate and wish I had none.

BTW, if I had not had a Prostate problem in December 17, I would not have had the CT & MRI scans which found the cancer on the Pancreas.

Medical serendipity?

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Wheels-Of-Fire]

You are well ahead on points there bob !

Have they ever offered you Creon for your digestion ?

[Richard]

Bob, I would think you are not only well ahead on points, but also in a different league when the undesirability of the way you got there is considered. It is hard to consider if this was simple hard luck or simple, what?

It is easier to suggest that in spite of it all you have battled back from the medical and non-medical insults to life the first part of your life with some degree of self respect and feeling of success along the way.

Well done for all that.

Now you have only to overcome the sludge traders from the digital obstructors and the housing morons and you will be almost on level pegging with the world – until the next slingshot of misfortune arrives.

[Bob Williams]

Graham, never heard of Creon, I will look it up. I have Lansaprazole for Reflux, which gave me Barrett’s Oesophagus (missed that off the previous list) Barrett’s is the oesophagus reacting to acid reflux by lining the gullet with a layer of stomach lining. This narrows the oesophagus and gullet, and creates more potential cell problems: I have a camera and biopsy every 2 years to check for rogue cells. It also means that I have to eat in small bites and chew thoroughly, because food particles get stuck.

I have (2x 3 tablets) of Capacetabine, twice a day directly after meals, as part of the Chemo process: they teach my white cells to attack cancer cells, penetrating the disguise that cancer cells put up. Well, that’s the current plan. (2x 2) Erythromycin twice a day, antibiotic to replace the spleen’s job. A Pravastatin at night for cholesterol, a tiny tablet which is a heck of a job to swallow due to the Barrett’s.

I have seen more different hospitals than I can comfortably remember, not that I wish to!

Richard I come from a really bloody-minded family, we refuse to give in to illness, injury or those organisations and officials who make life so difficult for us all. My 5’4″ dad was a miner, as were both brothers and we grew up in a hard environment. Dad taught us to respect others but expect the same respect from them. He also taught us that we are better than no one, but no one is better than us.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Wheels-Of-Fire]

Just so I don’t fall too far behind in the points table Bob…

I too am on a PPI (Omeprazole) due to acid reflux caused by a Hiatus hernia. They give me the camera job every year or two but as its stable the best treatment is to keep taking the pills. I have had Sarcoidosis for many years and it sometimes flares up and attacks different bits of me. It was infact the main cause of my pancreas problem. There is no cure so they just monitor me and give steroids if it flares up.

I am ment to take a daily dose of Pen V for the missing spleen but I don’t because it makes me feel sick. I have told anyone who will listen this but they say Pen V is the only suitable long term antibiotic.

Creon is a replacement for the pancreatic enzyme that breaks down carbohydrate, without it I get tremendous gas ?

You are still top of the table though !

[Bob Williams]

Graham I have Hiatus hernia too. Blimey, how am I still here?

I would much prefer to lose some of these problems though, wouldn’t we all? The one thing that annoys me is the old bat up the road who buttonholes me and asks how I am, then interrupts immediately with news about her bad back. It’s all she has in the way of medical problems and she is 82. If I see her coming I try to disappear.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Tippon]

Bob Williams wrote:

Wheels-Of-Fire wrote:

Oh welcome to the club then Bob. I had the tail of my pancreas and spleen removed in 2012. I had a pseudo cyst in my pancreas that was causing pancreatic fluid to leak into my abdomen. There was nothing wrong with my spleen but as it normally connects to the tail of the pancreas it had to go too. Perhaps we could compare scars one day

Graham – unless you’ve had: *3 brain surgeries after hit & run & fractured skull. *spinal surgery to remove, rebuild with carbon fibre & refit, No.4 vertebra. *Bowel disease with a Parastomal hernia. *Arthroscopy left knee. *Aforementioned Pancreatic& spleen adventure, tail had cancer cells, spleen full of them: – – You might lose on scores! Not bragging, just very unfortunate and wish I had none. BTW, if I had not had a Prostate problem in December 17, I would not have had the CT & MRI scans which found the cancer on the Pancreas. Medical serendipity?

I don’t think I should play this game. I just got to half a dozen serious injuries without much effort. I don’t think I want to tempt fate! ??

[Bob Williams]

Think you’re right Ryan: maybe time to kill this thread, blood and bits all over it.??

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Richard]

You ain’t seen nothing yet, just wait for the next instalment of your broadband and the back burner which has been simmering away on a slow heat – or have things warmed up on either of those two touchy subjects yet?

[Bob Williams]

Richard I posted on another thread that my landlord has succumbed to threats of HSE and Environmental Housing intervention. ☺? My fireplace and back boiler are to be removed next Tuesday. Plusnet and OR are due for another broadside on Monday, although it is more the inaction of BT OR, delaying connection to the new cabinet. Well, that’s Plusnet’s story and I have good reason to believe them: I am offering to upgrade my service if I can get a better (stable) connection.

The part of this thread which refers to health issues, I will not return to though, as it was becoming like the floor of an operating theatre.???

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Richard]

I missed the details of the direct target, BT / OR are always a different story. They approached us about making a length of access via an underground feed, the close agreed and that must have been about 15 years back. Not that they are slow or anything, I was reminded as they were working on the pole yesterday…

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