The totally off-topic thread

[whatmeworry]

Salvos at the door for Red Shield appeal.

Husband just gave them $15 in 5 cent coins. Poor girls.

Did he get a receipt?

 

[Denali]

Did he get a receipt?

Yes he did. The people at the door were actual Salvos, full uniform.

 

[JessicaTam]

Interesting they are removing them. When we were in South Africa we were told about how they inject the horns with something (I forget now) which basically renders them worthless but allows the rhinon to keep their horn.

But unless they were painted bright pink or something the poachers wouldn't know. :?:

 

[whatmeworry]

BA has had their computers crash so if you wanted to fly with them you will be waiting.

Yes it's total chaos it seems. ALL BA flights out of LHR or LGW cancelled. People told to go home or not come to airports. Doesn't affect me in Wales!

Union officials blaming the outsourcing of IT to India.

A union official accused BA of cutting costs by laying off IT staff last year and outsourcing the work to India.
“This could have all been avoided,” said Mick Rix, national officer for aviation at the GMB union. “We can only feel genuinely sorry for the tens of thousands of passengers who are stranded at airports and face having their travel plans and holidays ruined.”
“In 2016 BA made hundreds of dedicated and loyal IT staff redundant and outsourced the work to India.”
“BA have made substantial profits for a number of years, and many viewed the company’s actions as just plain greedy,” he said, pointing to the 2016 move that sparked protests and outrage from members of the union.

British Airways grounds flights after computer outage, union blames outsourcing to India | world-news | Hindustan Times

 

[Deleted member]

And a nice one indeed. I wonder how many women are WP in their own right. I usually get a 'surprise' look when I flash the card. Or maybe it's my age.

As does Mrs GPH, and she is the major traveller in the family. Moreover if she tries to turn left, she is often stopped from doing so, in spite of holding a pointy end BP.

 

[drron]

On the other hand outsourcing QLD Health IT to India might even improve reliability.

 

[Quickstatus]

Union officials blaming the outsourcing of IT to India.



British Airways grounds flights after computer outage, union blames outsourcing to India | world-news | Hindustan Times

Funny how the NHS is now increasingly populated by staff from the subcontinent and elsewhere who are happy to work for government mandated poor wages and by staff whose command of the English language is poor.

 

[whatmeworry]

On the other hand outsourcing QLD Health IT to India might even improve reliability.

Well IBM India had a hand in that.

 

[Quickstatus]

Same IBM as Census?

 

[JohnK]

IBM used to be good until they started outsourcing development.

 

[Pushka]

As does Mrs GPH, and she is the major traveller in the family. Moreover if she tries to turn left, she is often stopped from doing so, in spite of holding a pointy end BP.

To clarify . My like means that I empathise and not Mrs GPH was misdirected

I also get the feeling that older women are treated as though they are not really knowing what they are doing.

 

[cove]

Women in their 60+ age seem to develop a high invisibility index when they go shopping. Lots of shop assistants seem to want to serve a 20 something lady first. Have you noticed this too?

 

[Pushka]

Women in their 60+ age seem to develop a high invisibility index when they go shopping. Lots of shop assistants seem to want to serve a 20 something lady first. Have you noticed this too?

It does depend on how I look and where I shop. If it looks like I am a serious spender they are very effusive. But dressed in casual I am a nothing.

I have noticed that older men are more likely to ignore me than younger men whom I find are more likely to be helpful.

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

Women in their 60+ age seem to develop a high invisibility index when they go shopping. Lots of shop assistants seem to want to serve a 20 something lady first. Have you noticed this too?

Depends on where I am shopping and what jewellery I have on

 

[Flying mermaid]

I think Im going to break out of my comfort zone and stay at a few B&Bs for our Scotland trip next year.

Ive never stayed at one before and Ive already found a few I like the look of. Quite liking the "full Scottish breakfast" being offered, except for the black pudding.

Two so far:
Highland Spirit B&B | No.1 Trip Advisor | Malt Whisky Trail and B&B Dunvegan Guesthouse & Self Catering Accommodation at Carters Rest Isle of Skye

we stay at B&Bs from time to time - especially in country areas in New Zealand and Australia. If the choice is between a motel, or a nice B&B the B&B wins hands down. Usually get much nicer accommodation and breakfasts are good.

 

[Flying mermaid]

except for the black pudding.

Last time we were in Edinburgh, we walked to Leith to visit the Royal Brittania Yacht. The walk was interesting (and so was the Yacht), particularly when we popped into a shop to get directions and valiantly tried to understand the accent! However the funniest thing we saw was an Indian Restaurant advertising a special of the day of Curry and Black Pudding!

 

[Flashback]

BA has had their computers crash so if you wanted to fly with them you will be waiting.

Yes it's total chaos it seems. ALL BA flights out of LHR or LGW cancelled. People told to go home or not come to airports. Doesn't affect me in Wales!

Fortunately not me, no delays yesterday and sat in the new CX F lounge ahead of my AY flight (sold by BA)

Last time we were in Edinburgh, we walked to Leith to visit the Royal Brittania Yacht. The walk was interesting (and so was the Yacht), particularly when we popped into a shop to get directions and valiantly tried to understand the accent! However the funniest thing we saw was an Indian Restaurant advertising a special of the day of Curry and Black Pudding!

Try working with a bunch of Glaswegians! Now that can be difficult to understand!

 

[Flying mermaid]

Interesting they are removing them. When we were in South Africa we were told about how they inject the horns with something (I forget now) which basically renders them worthless but allows the rhinon to keep their horn.

They tried injecting with a poisonous dye, but they found that Rhino horns aren't porous, so it didn't render the whole horn useless. Poachers were still taking the horns and then just removing the contaminated bit.

When we stayed at Camp Jabulani there were two rescued rhinos at the Hoedspruit centre - they had had their horns chopped off by poachers but had been found in time to save them. They used plastic surgery to save the one and the other had enough horn left that it would regrow - it needed surgery as well, because they had cut in so deep.

The people at Camp Jabulani told us they had had guests staying there, who were reporting to the poachers where the rhino were. They don't kill the rhino as the vultures would attract attention. They leave the animals to die slowly, to give themselves more time to get away.

Unfortunately Africa can't stop the poachers - too much money in it and often the poachers are better armed than they are. The demand has to be stopped and that is really hard to do when you have stupid businesspeople in places like Vietnam who offer powdered rhino horn to guests to demonstrate how wealthy they are.

I am in two minds as to whether South Africa's decision to allow sales of rhino horn from "farmed" rhino is a good thing. Superficially it sounds OK - meet market demand, so they don't need to kill the animals, but if it means demand grows then that can't be a good thing. It is supposed to be within the country only, but given there is no demand inside South Africa, most people feel it will be taken out and also make it easier for poachers to take their horns out.

 

[Flying mermaid]

As does Mrs GPH, and she is the major traveller in the family. Moreover if she tries to turn left, she is often stopped from doing so, in spite of holding a pointy end BP.

I had the same problem when travelling J with SAS from Shanghai to Copenhagen - or maybe it was because we were a family. Anyway was rather frazzled when getting in the plane and hadn't travelled SAS before, so gave 4 BPs to the FA at the door. he told us to walk to the second aisle and turn right. I am trying to find our row number and vaguely feeling something is wrong, when Ms FM who was more on the ball, said this doesn't look like business! He hadn't even looked at the BPs - just assumed we were economy and directed us to the correct aisle.

Ms FM also had the same problem when travelling in F on an AONE4. She kept on being told she was queuing in the wrong place for check in. She said they were always very pleasant but used to come and say in voices as though they were talking to a rather intellectually challenged primary school kid, "this is the wrong queue for you dear".

 

[JohnK]

Depends on where I am shopping and what jewellery I have on

I can't imagine they'd be ignoring you while shopping.