Online Grocery

GaSCiT went well, but not totally without hiccups.

The worst problem was Tesco Online. We used this service (having written to head office) to solve the problem of having many trips to the supermarket.

Unfortunately Tesco Online lack a little in the way of competence.

See the thing is we put the order in in advance. Not just a day, not two but well over a week.

Tesco apparently do not check their advance orders until they need to send them out, and by then it was almost too late. They are so incompetent that there is no connection between Tesco online and the store stock ordering system.

So the lesson to be learned: don't use Tesco online for anything you need to rely on. They are not at all reliable.

Apparently energy companies are getting into trouble for inaccurate estimates. To me this is missing the point. If the customer fails to check the estimated bill against the meter, that is their own look-out and any consequence is their just deserts for being lazy or ill informed. No the real problem is not estimates, but direct debits getting mangled, bills not being sent for months or even years, meter readers not keeping appointments, and customer readings not being used to recalculate bills.

I really do think that laws on consumer protection should have a clause that exempt people from compensation or protection where a person of reasonable intelligence (allowing for natural degredation due to age) would not fall foul of making the same mistake. So for example a person biting straight into a pop-tart straight out of the toaster and full of hot jam, or who poured boiling coffee all over themselves, would have a ruling that the burns were just punishment for their innate stupidity.

There are cases where corporations do not take sufficient care in their dealings with customers, and in such cases they should be held responsible. However we should not be rewarding or compensating people for their own stupidity.

Slightly irritated by these claims we've been mislead by the BBC.

As I see it it all boils down to reports where the reporter claimed "I've been speaking to type of person X who said...", and "there have been allegations that...". Now if that isn't patently obvious that the BBC is passing on the word of one man, who may or may not be telling the truth, the government has a low opinion of the intelect of the general public.

Show Class

Sunday we visited the Arthington show, which is a small agricultural show in, no not Arthington but nearby Bramhope. Nicola did her usual trick and entered nearly everything. However in all the classes where she was the only entrant she only received “Highly commended”. Was this she asked because of the lack of entrants? Oh no it’s because her entries weren’t good enough.

We were wondering what the judge expected for canvass work, or anything for that matter, because she hadn’t put any comments. With entry numbers low this sort of behaviour doesn’t encourage people to enter. Well Nicola got the Trophy for handicrafts based on the points from all the Highly Commendeds.

So my elephant isn’t a good enough soft toy to get a prize? Well I’m pleased with him even if no-one else likes him.

Just about ready for home tomorrow. Passport- check - tickets check- Prezzie for 1 year old niece- check.

More film news. Oh dear oh dear oh dear.

The whole plot in the linked site would have been terrible even in the 60s and 70s.

And British Oscars- arn't they the Baftas?

Cinema

Yesterday evening I went to see The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I know little of Alan Moore, but was not overly impressed. I’ll save my thoughts for later.

One think that is bugging me- wasn't Peta Wilson in Neighbours?

Friday was hard work, but I managed to solve the problem before we needed to leave the office.

In the evening we ate… somewhere- I forget then we went to JD’s Bait shop. This is actually a bar. Danny and Andy drink far more than I do, so we got through quite a few pitchers of Coors light, before being chucked out at 2am feigning ignorance of places which have to shut by law.

Saturday got up at 9 to tell the cleaner to push off and come back later (she did to her credit). We met up at 11am, then drove out to Rocky Mountain park. Got up to 12,500 ft where the air was quite thin and the scenery quite beautiful. When we got back, we decided to collapse and then meet up at 9 to eat. Most of the chain restaurants in Denver close early, even on a Saturday!!!

Sunday we drove down to Colorado Spring, then visited pikes peak, an even more expensive national park Pikes Peak is a plateau (or at least it is now) at 14,000 with a car park, café and gift shop on it. The road to it has NO crash barriers. At the top we bumped into a BSA Transatlantic Council troop (Trans: American Scouts in Western Europe). They were over here from Belgium to visit Philmont.

After that we drove on to Royal Gorge to see the bridge, only to discover the Bridge was in an amusement park, and we would have to pay to get in. So we didn’t. You have to pay to see most of America’s natural attractions. We vastly underestimated the scale of the map, and it was 7:30pm by the time we returned to the Hotel.

Pizza hut was shut- at 8:30!!! So it was off the the Grand Slam sports bar for a meal and a beer.

Well Sunday was horrible, got up at 5am, got a taxi, via Barnsley to Manchester airport, then an 8 hour flight in a 767 with minimal facilities to Chicago, where we had to brave US immigration. Apparently there had been storms in Chicago so after the flight had been delayed by 30 or so minutes we were sat queuing on the tarmac for another 3 hours with only a single solitary glass of water from American Airlines.

When we finally got to Denver, 4 hours late, my bag was open. Luckily I’m missing nothing. I finally got to bed at 10:30 pm Denver time, over 24 hours after waking up back home.

Work has been all right, although my immediate tasks are now complete and none of it couldn’t have been done back home.

Today I have managed to collect all my outstading subs, visit the district treasurer, get some stuff for Nicola from the guide depot, put the washing out, fix my thailand wheelie thing, cook, wash-up, etc. In the process meeting most of my Explorer's parents and recieve the admiration of the treasurer who has not had anyone elses subs.

Now just got to get the GaSCiT spreadsheats straight before I go.

I'm definately off to the states on Sunday. Nicola is busy getting GaSCiT in order so she can stand in for me.