Isolated Blurt Thread

[Handley_Page]

Sad state of affairs.

How very true.

 

[MagicaPractica]

How very true.

I seem to have misplaced my optimism this week or, at least, my equanimity. *sigh*

 

[Handley_Page]

I seem to have misplaced my optimism this week or, at least, my equanimity. *sigh*

Mags,, you can never misplace "optimism".
Fingers' Crossed.

 

[oggbashan]

New Pay-As-You-Go SIM card troubles.

I used to have a top up card for my old SIM. I could walk into most corner stores, hand the card over with some cash and a few seconds later I had topped up the SIM.

My new SIM didn't come with a top up card. I asked yesterday in the shop that sold me the new SIM. They don't have them. I could get them from the phone company's shop.

Today I drove a round trip of 25 miles to their nearest branch. I waited twenty minutes before a customer adviser was free. They didn't have any but I could try a nearby branch of the retailer I bought the SIM card from. I waited twenty minutes before a customer adviser was free. They hadn't had any for the last three years. I could order it from the phone company on line.

I went home. I searched on line through the phone company's site. They don't do top up cards anymore but I could top up on line. I tried, and got as far as pay by PayPal.

A message came up with a button - "confirm and accept". Accept what? Accept that they could charge my PayPal account with unspecified amounts at any time. Not bloody likely!

There was a smaller button. "reject and return to previous page". I rejected.

I could pay by debit or credit card. I paid by credit card but on the way to do that I noticed a message about data. My mobile is a simple phone. Calls and texts is all it does. BUT if as a PAYG SIM it accepted data? They would charge £2 A DAY even if it wasn't used.

WTF? Is that a rip-off or what? I could be charged £2 a day for NOT using my phone.

The top up ended with a survey. Was I happy with their service? I wasn't and completed the survey expressing my displeasure.

They sent me a text to my mobile confirming that I had topped up. If I replied to the text I'd get 100 reward points. I have considerable difficulty sending texts because of arthritis. I handed my mobile to my son-in-law who had forgotten how to use such a basic phone. He was swearing nearly as much as I had been before he managed to text the reply. The response "Message not understood". Try again. Turn off predictive text. Success!

Because of my deafness I can barely hear the phone even on a loud setting. Because of my arthritis I have difficulty writing a text and even problems reading a text if I have to scroll down. My phone is for calling car rescue or emergency services only but if anyone else is around it would be far better for them to do it, not me. All I ever wanted was a basic means of summoning help.

I used to have that on an ancient brick size phone but the battery died and is no longer made. That SIM wouldn't fit a modern phone so I had to buy a new cheap phone and PAYG SIM which was OK making half a dozen calls a year - until the SIM died.

Now I have a phone which works but I have real difficulty using. How long before the credit runs out or this SIM dies?

I dislike getting old.

 

[Handley_Page]

Ogg, I am in full accord.

I keep getting phone calls from salesmen/women who want to do me a favour (Ha!).
But I think I have found a way of getting them off my back: Ask them to send me the offer by post.
"We don't do that, Sir".
"Well, if you want to do business, you'll have to do it the way requested by the potential customer, them: Goodbye"

 

[oggbashan]

Ogg, I am in full accord.

I keep getting phone calls from salesmen/women who want to do me a favour (Ha!).
But I think I have found a way of getting them off my back: Ask them to send me the offer by post.
"We don't do that, Sir".
"Well, if you want to do business, you'll have to do it the way requested by the potential customer, them: Goodbye"

I don't like companies that insist when I order goods that I must give them a mobile phone number "so that they can call me if there is a problem with the order". A landline won't do. I can hear my landline because I have a special handset. I can't hear my mobile and anyway it is not switched on - unless I want to make an emergency call.

But now I have a solution. I will give them the number of the SIM that died.

 

[JayG88]

Ok, I don't know what to do, what's this post about? help I'm new!

 

[Kimikimidoll]

Ok, I don't know what to do, what's this post about? help I'm new!

Just say anything that's on your mind

 

[_Lynn_]

Ok, I don't know what to do, what's this post about? help I'm new!

Sounds like an isolated blurt to me, so you passed.



Unrelated blurt:

I can't remember when I last wrote anything more than 2,500 words and this one is at 6,500 and going strong.

 

[MagicaPractica]

Sounds like an isolated blurt to me, so you passed.



Unrelated blurt:

I can't remember when I last wrote anything more than 2,500 words and this one is at 6,500 and going strong.

Woo hoo!

 

[_Lynn_]

Woo hoo!

Thanks, MP.

 

[MagicaPractica]

Stupid brain. Try not to think of something (someone) during the day and it justs turns into a dream at night.

 

[Handley_Page]

Stupid brain. Try not to think of something (someone) during the day and it justs turns into a dream at night.

That sounds like a plot bunny.

 

[OliviaM]

Ogg - I wouldn't normally say that new technology is the answer, but in this case, you would be much better off with a new smartphone. The touchscreen would be much easier to use with arthritis than push buttons. And rather than trying to listen to calls, you could simply read and send texts. Some phones even automatically transcribes voicemail.

It's more expensive and there's a learning curve, but you'd pick it up quickly enough. Bonus: you could check Lit forums while sitting in a doctor's office.

 

[oggbashan]

Ogg - I wouldn't normally say that new technology is the answer, but in this case, you would be much better off with a new smartphone. The touchscreen would be much easier to use with arthritis than push buttons. And rather than trying to listen to calls, you could simply read and send texts. Some phones even automatically transcribes voicemail.

It's more expensive and there's a learning curve, but you'd pick it up quickly enough. Bonus: you could check Lit forums while sitting in a doctor's office.

I've looked into that, thank you. My sons-in-law use smart phones but the displayed keyboards are far too small for my ability. I have difficulty even with a laptop's keyboard and pointer. I usually plug in a full size mouse and keyboard which makes the laptop's portability dubious.

But my need for a mobile phone is minimal. Normally I would only use one IF I was on my own and needed breakdown assistance for my car. The call centre number is preset on my mobile - thanks, youngest daughter - so all I need to do is scroll to it and press call. Mobile numbers for daughters and sons-in-law are also saved.

It isn't worth my time or money to try a smartphone for the rare times I would need to use it.

Sitting in a doctor's waiting room? I use my e-reader. I can move around on that with the few buttons on the edge. I have 50,000 ebooks on that AND .txt versions of all my posted stories.

 

[OliviaM]

That's a good use of waiting room time! I love my new e-reader.

I think I vastly over-estimate the amount of time other people spend in daily contact with relatives and friends. I'm constantly using my phone to text. Haha

 

[oggbashan]

That's a good use of waiting room time! I love my new e-reader.

I think I vastly over-estimate the amount of time other people spend in daily contact with relatives and friends. I'm constantly using my phone to text. Haha

I had (note past tense) far too many relations. At my parents' Golden Wedding party there were 400 relations present. The hundreds more in Australia and Canada sent their best wishes but didn't attend.

Now I have outlived many of my generation. I have two female cousins and their husbands in my father's line and several cousins in my mother's line that we were less in contact with.

The younger generations? Still hundreds of them, many of whom I have never met.

But I speak to dozens of people a day face to face as part of my community activities. Today was a quiet day. I've just added up - 15 people that I have had a conversation with that was more than "Hello, how are you?".

 

[Kimikimidoll]

But I speak to dozens of people a day face to face as part of my community activities. Today was a quiet day. I've just added up - 15 people that I have had a conversation with that was more than "Hello, how are you?".

15? That's quiet? I'd be hiding under a table after talking to 15 people.

 

[oggbashan]

15? That's quiet? I'd be hiding under a table after talking to 15 people.

When I was a manager I had 150 staff and was Personnel Manager for 1,000.

Talking to 15 people in a day IS a quiet day for me.

 

[Kimikimidoll]

When I was a manager I had 150 staff and was Personnel Manager for 1,000.

Talking to 15 people in a day IS a quiet day for me.

Wow. *takes hat off in reverence*
I have to teach about 20 kids, then you have the staff and colleagues and friends, the other students- say 20 more, and at home 3. And... here, maybe 2 on an active day. That's 45 in total on my busiest days, and that's enough to make me consider moving to Antarctica.

 

[OliviaM]

I had (note past tense) far too many relations. At my parents' Golden Wedding party there were 400 relations present. The hundreds more in Australia and Canada sent their best wishes but didn't attend.

Now I have outlived many of my generation. I have two female cousins and their husbands in my father's line and several cousins in my mother's line that we were less in contact with.

The younger generations? Still hundreds of them, many of whom I have never met.

But I speak to dozens of people a day face to face as part of my community activities. Today was a quiet day. I've just added up - 15 people that I have had a conversation with that was more than "Hello, how are you?".

Goodness. I'll never know what it's like to have a family that big. It sounds incredible.

The phone thing - I was just referring to the constant messaging conversations I get into. I meant I forget not everybody texts compulsively. Though, in my defense, I don't live near any family and this is how we stay in touch.

 

[oggbashan]

I'm still Chairman of this, and Chairman of that, and I've been trying to resign as Vice-President of the Chamber of Commerce for over a decade. I can't walk around our town without being stopped for a discussion about something. Today the topics were a major housing development; the Council's car parking charges for next year; next summer's air show; and the changes to our local museum.

The Vice-President? I enrolled one of our local whores into the Chamber of Commerce. Why not? She was operating legally, paying her taxes, and she offered a ten per cent discount to other Chamber members. Some people thought I was taking the 'Vice' role too literally but my ploy to get deselected didn't work. I was praised for getting a new paying member of the Chamber.

I don't know how many Chamber members took advantage of her discount but she had a discount from the tradesmen helping adapt her cellar into a dungeon.

 

[Handley_Page]

I'm still Chairman of this, and Chairman of that, and I've been trying to resign as Vice-President of the Chamber of Commerce for over a decade. I can't walk around our town without being stopped for a discussion about something. Today the topics were a major housing development; the Council's car parking charges for next year; next summer's air show; and the changes to our local museum.

The Vice-President? I enrolled one of our local whores into the Chamber of Commerce. Why not? She was operating legally, paying her taxes, and she offered a ten per cent discount to other Chamber members. Some people thought I was taking the 'Vice' role too literally but my ploy to get deselected didn't work. I was praised for getting a new paying member of the Chamber.

I don't know how many Chamber members took advantage of her discount but she had a discount from the tradesmen helping adapt her cellar into a dungeon.

How does a whore pay her taxes ?
And doesn't that mean that the Government is "living off immoral Earnings?"
(one of the reasons for not discussing the matter in public for a few decades).

 

[MagicaPractica]

That sounds like a plot bunny.

The first dream rather was, but only in the most romantic and restrained of ways. The second one is much more amorphous and I'm not even sure what happened at this point.

 

[oggbashan]

How does a whore pay her taxes ?
And doesn't that mean that the Government is "living off immoral Earnings?"
(one of the reasons for not discussing the matter in public for a few decades).

A whore working on her own, whose earnings do not support a man, is acting legally as long as she does not solicit on the street. She pays taxes as a self-employed person.

As for the Government living off immoral earnings? That goes back thousands of years. The memorable quote was from the Roman Emperor Vespasian who taxed urine from public lavatories - Pecunia Non Olet - Money Doesn't Smell:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pecunia_non_olet

That was true then when all money was metal coins. It isn't true today. Most large denomination paper banknotes have traces of cannabis.