I woke to blue skies and sunshine and the 13 year blight of the champagne Marxists finally over. Despite the weather on the South coast being none too good I signed up a new client for one of my business mentoring packages so, all in all, it’s been a good day really.
Author Archives: thatconsultantbloke
more fun with the national health service
I had to go over to my local health centre last week for a periodic check up. As I’m getting closer to three score years it’s good to keep a check on how the old body is doing, and I’m pleased to say that it’s not too bad at all. A couple of things I need to watch, but I’m doing better than maybe they thought, and this is the issue. I knew that I was doing better than the numbers that they told me I needed to be around because I had the same set of blood tests a couple of months ago at the hospital.
Bearing in mind that we are talking about two establishments both part of the Swindon NHS trust and barely two miles away from each other as the crow flies why is the information not shared?
How much time was wasted on two appointments for the tests, two more appointments for the results, two sets of postage to send the samples plus all of the consumables involved, two lots of tests?
I know the anti big brother mob are rabidly against centralising information, but this is an area where surely it would have made sense to have made the first test results available to my general practioner’s office? With all the waste in costs why oh why does this sort of thing go on?
When I had the first of the two operations at the NHS hospital I signed a form and that released all of my notes and test results from the private hospital that I had seen previously about that health issue, so if we can swap data between the private and public services, why can’t two parts of the same public service do the same?
What saddens me most is that money and time has ben wasted on me that could have benefited somone who really needed it. This government has done so much damage to the NHS it is hard to believe that it was a Labour party idea in the first place.
Filed under random rants
letters to the editor number 19 – initial thoughts
Sir
My attention has been drawn to the intials PM. Amongst other things, they appear to stand for:
a) Prime Minister
b) Puppet Master
c) Peter Mandelson
Am I alone in thinking that this is no coincidence? I think that we should be told.
Yours faihtfully
Worried of Wiltshire
nice to be back in Scotland #li
I like Scotland. My first visit was to Galloway on holiday with the family and I was able to trace some of the roots of Richard Hannay’s adventures in the first half of the 39 Steps ad well as tracking down some of the old Port Road.
My first flight was to Aberdeen, returning a couple of days later from Edinburgh and I went on to shuttle back and forth to Edinburgh or Glasgow (and Belfast, but that’s another story) so often I was on first name terms with many of the cabin crew.
It was during all these trips that the Wonder of Wokingham and I got together in Edinburgh, so no wonder I have many fond memories.
This time we (a colleague and I) have had to drive up instead of the planned flight, but we have had an easy run up the M40/M42/M6 toll/M6 etc and are in place for our round of meeting tomorrow. Aplogies to followers of my driving logs, but I forgot about keeping one of our run up. I’ll try and remember to log the drive back though.
Filed under business life, journey logs
Thoughts on Texas and late race #NASCAR cautions.
These restart wrecks late in the race are getting beyond a joke. Now I’m not Jeff Gordon fan, but the guy had the best car, was cruising to a win that would have broke a bit of a streak when Rooty had his spin.Differing pit strategies shuffle the pack, but we barely get the green waved when the 99 and the 14 tangle and we get the big one and a red flag.
OK, it’s racing, but it isn’t a demolition derby, so what do we need to let the races run out without all this stupidity? I would start by penaliing any driver that causes a wreck on a restart by stripping the driver and owner of any points for that event and parking them for the next one to try and get the message across.
I’d also look at the question of pitting under caution in the late stages. It screws up the race for teams that have used their strategy well and got themselves a decent postition. I don’t hold with the argument that it makes the race more exiting – especially the phantom “competition caution” – if NASCAR want a 30 lap sprint them they should just run them and not waste everyone’s time with a 500 miler. So let’s try a new rule. If there is a caution with, say, 30 or less laps to go you can pit for new tires and/or fuel, but you go to the back of the pack for the single file restart.
For me the only good thing that came out of the Texas race at the weekend was that Mark Martin got a decent finish after some bad luck (and wrecks).
Filed under auto racing and motor sport
fun with words number 78 – more media mayhem
Sat with the Wokingham Wonder having dinner tonight my reverie was broken by the link announcer on TV telling us that there was to be a programme on the Worst Serial Killers; the ones that were able to kill and kill before finally being tracked down by the police.
What? The worst serial killers? Surely the ones that got away with it enough to become serial killers were the ones that were good at it? On that basis should it not be the Best Serial Killers? The worst ones might not even have managed to kill anyone.
Once again I know what they meant to say, and probably so did pretty much everyone else, so what does it matter? Well, for me, it is yet another example of sloppy speaking which, from the media, is pretty much criminal. The most notorious serial killers would have worked, so why not say that?
As they murder the language with such frequency, will they be featured in the programme?
Oh well. They’ve come with my medication again, I’ll have to go.
Filed under fun stuff, random rants
Thoughts on Natural Disasters (or Acts of God?)
Reading that insurance companies might claim that the volcanic ash incident currently closing UK airspace was an act of God and thus not covered got me thinking of my own experience in trying to phone insurance company helplines.
I pictured something like:
Ring ring, “Welcome to the Acts of God customer service call centre. Your call is important to us, but our operator, whilst omnipotent and omnipresent, is busy right now. Please hold and your call will be answered shortly”
Cue music, then: “Your call is still in a queue. Your call is important to us, but right now we are experiencing a high demand. All calls are recorded on tablets of stone for training purposes”.
More music until just as you start to enjoy it “Your call is still in a queue. If your call is not urgent, you might try our web site at http://www.weknowwhoyouare.com”. Back to the music, but not where you left it.
Then “You may key in your 16 digit account number, followed by the hash key, on your telephone key pad, if you wish to, but we know who you are and what you want, so you don’t have to, but if it makes you feel better and helps pass the time feel free”, and, once again, the music cuts in.
Then a voice interrupts “Yes John, I know you are troubled about me”
Err, well, I’m a bit concerned that you’re not too happy up there? I mean I’ve been chugged down the high street for the victims of the earthquake and the cyclone and now this volcanic eruption has caused my holiday flight to be canceled and the insurance company won’t pay out for my car hire and hotel ‘cos they say it’s an act of God and, well, what can I do?
“John, these are not acts of God, they are a natural disasters, but your insurance company is right; natural disasters are covered in their exclusions. Did I not give you two good eyes to read the small print?”
Well, yes, but the eyes aren’t too good these days .
“And is not self abuse a contributing factor? And were you not warned about this and the consequences?”
Well, maybe you’re right.
“Of course I am right! Now, how may I help you?”
Well I was worried that you were angry or something with all of this trouble around the world, so are we going to have any more acts, I mean natural disasters? I mean what about the general election?
“John, the outcome of the election will not be a natural disaster. It may be a supreme act of folly, but you were not created perfect. I can only hope that you learn from your mistakes and, although you have shown little evidence of being able to do so, I above all must have faith in you to get it right one day. Now, is there anything else I can help you with today?”
Well, no. Thank you.
“You are welcome. You will receive an email within the next 24 hours to give feedback on your experience with our helpline. Goodbye”.
election e-hype? Evening Standard article
Great article by Roy Greenslade in last night’s London Evening Standard (14 April 2010, page 35) on how doorstep campaigning is still the way to go. Completely ruined the post I had planned on the same subject though!
Not sure if you can find it on line, but well worth checking out. Just to quote one line; “There is, at present, no substitute for knocking on doors and speaking at the hustings”. I couldn’t agree more.
Filed under serious stuff
letters to the editor #14 – share the election
Sir
I was saddened to read of the loss of the Polish president and colleagues in the recent air disaster, and my condolences go out to the familes of those lost and the Polish people. I understand that a general election has been called in Poland as a result.
Given that there are lots of Polish people living here in the UK, many of whom are families of gallant allies that have resided here since helping us defeat the Axis powers in WW2, and that we also have a general election in the offing, is this not a chance to merge our countries under a single leadership? It could save costs by having just the one election and we might end up with a much better government (it couldn’t be any worse surely).
Suddenly our general election might be of interest after all.
Yours
Saddened of Swindon
getting the best from Powerpoint, part 2
For those of you that have enjoyed my 10 tips on getting the best from Powerpoint, I do a spoof presentation to illustrate the worst ways to use it with some discussion and examples of good practice. Feel free to get in touch if you’d like me to come along and present to your team or group.
Filed under business life, fun stuff
The Voice of the Bloke at the Back 