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Norm’s ramblings for the year of 2008
Norm’s ramblings for the year of 2008
Column for June 2008
You can’t make this up, can you?
In the same article on the BBC website on 7th June:
“Homebuilders have cut back new building this year as a lack of mortgage products and falling house prices have cut demand.”
Closely followed by :
"And if you don't keep building these houses the prices just keep going up relative to people's incomes."
From -
Right, another couple of things to keep you on your toes:
Big Brother is here!!
Big Brother is here!!
A couple of months ago I wrote about the 'big brother' syndrome we are slowly drifting into.
My thoughts struck the odd nerve and even a major politician has publicly raised the subject by resigning his seat in parliament, much to the disgust of his 'political' friends and most commentators. The problem is that public support is becoming more vocal, much to the dismay of the political parties.
When you think about it, the political system doesn't allow for thinking politicians for some reason. The public used to appear to think that our elected representatives know best and couldn't alter the way of things.
Recent events are starting to show that the public are do care and will take action if they think stand a chance of making a change. The reduction/loss of the 10p rate of income tax, the relentless increase in the price of fuels, the Irish vote on the 'European Constitution' (yes, I know it's a treaty) and now the idea of locking people up for over a month for possibly no reason, means the public worm has turned. The local press published a letter of mine a couple of months ago regarding national government 'imposing' a housing target on the county, for which I received a number of comments of support and now it transpires that builders are complaining that they can't sell the homes already built, so what's the point of building more?
Strangely, you would think that recent events would make our political 'masters' see the light, but that really would be wishful thinking.
By the time you read this (about 6 weeks in the future), I expect the previous shadow home secretary will be re-elected and after a decent interval will be reappointed in his old position, the proposed 'fuel escalator' will be dropped - again, Europe will decide that the Irish didn't know what was good for them, and request another vote either on the same 'treaty' or one so similar, that just a punctuation change (to make it easier to understand) will be used to justify it, the House of Lords will reject the 42 day bill and the government will invoke the parliament act and somehow the building and purchase of homes will be made easier.
Then we have I'D cards, which I can't really believe anyone can object to - if they believed it would help anybody apart from government security. Personally, I can't believe the assurances being given that data collected would be safe. So much has been lost over the past months through stupid errors and to say that steps will be taken really can't
be believed. My mind keeps going back to the 1930's when events would have been very different if the proposed ID card had been available then. Naturally, 'safeguards' would be in place - but to what effect?
Watching a Press Conference by our Prime Minister on June 16th, I was struck by the comment that the 'Lisbon Treaty' will be debated by both houses of parliament before going to the Queen for the Royal assent by the end of the week.
The tale of the disappearing telephone number.
It's now more than 30 years that British Telecom strung some wires from the pole on the corner to our house. Over the years, we have rubbed along through the various changes that my telephone supplier have made, including adding an 8 prefix and making the Berkhamsted exchange turn into 01 442.
The latest decision of making a charge to receive a bill and yet another charge to enable a customer to pay for the service provided using 'coins of the realm' really was the last straw, so I 'downgraded' our service to a telephone service - by changing from business to residential.
Little did I know that BT, as the GPO/British Telecom is now known, actually is divided into separate organisations which don't actually talk to each other, although you contact all by the same means.
I ended up with 'BT business' owing me money and 'BT residential' being owed money. Remember, same bit of wire, with same number to same customer. BT business didn't indicate how the refund was to be made (this was March), so, being a simple kind of person, I checked with BT, who suggested there might be a problem, but made a note on the computer file that I would be paying 'BT residential less the credit owed by BT business and if there was a problem, they would get in contact.
They did get in contact - apparently by disconnecting the telephone line on Friday 13th June!
Naturally, I reported the fault via the web site on the evening of June 16th and then via the local pay phone on the 17th. It transpires that I had been disconnected for non-payment. No matter how I tried to point out that being owed the very same amount by BT business cut no ice, but they managed to transfer me to BT business (different outfit remember, who don't talk to each other), where they confirmed that the money was still just sitting in their bank.
'Can you send it to BT residential, please?', I asked. 'No, but we can send you a cheque, so you can pay them', came the reply. I agreed to this as I wasn't getting anywhere trying to explain how stupid this appeared to a mere customer particularly as they were just holding into the money. Strange also how only a few days earlier, they sent a letter saying they where sorry that I had left BT, and would I like to return. I hadn't left BT as far as I knew.
After spending some time in a pay phone (why no seat or loo?) trying to find out what was happening, I decided to just BACS the money while I wait the 10/14 days that BT business say it will take to get my money to me.
Then on the Wednesday (18th), a letter arrived from BT saying that if I didn't pay the outstanding monies, my telephone contract will be terminated on 26th June 2008. Off to my 'local pay phone' to find just what was going on. Another hour+ listening to rather distorted noise, it appears that I was disconnected in error - I think - however, my telephone number has been 'lost', but not to worry, we will try to get your line back working by the 20th.
It seems that the line was indeed 'reconnected' on the 20th, but the number is a mystery, so not really a lot of use as it is not known to anyone except BT.
On the 26th my lost telephone number suddenly reappeared, but now the broadband has disappeared.
The saga continues............
Next month, I hope to report on the latest hospital proposals as I'm the Citizens Association representative on the panel whose 1st meeting is on 7th July 2008. You have been warned!
My thoughts struck the odd nerve and even a major politician has publicly raised the subject by resigning his seat in parliament, much to the disgust of his 'political' friends and most commentators. The problem is that public support is becoming more vocal, much to the dismay of the political parties.
When you think about it, the political system doesn't allow for thinking politicians for some reason. The public used to appear to think that our elected representatives know best and couldn't alter the way of things.
Recent events are starting to show that the public are do care and will take action if they think stand a chance of making a change. The reduction/loss of the 10p rate of income tax, the relentless increase in the price of fuels, the Irish vote on the 'European Constitution' (yes, I know it's a treaty) and now the idea of locking people up for over a month for possibly no reason, means the public worm has turned. The local press published a letter of mine a couple of months ago regarding national government 'imposing' a housing target on the county, for which I received a number of comments of support and now it transpires that builders are complaining that they can't sell the homes already built, so what's the point of building more?
Strangely, you would think that recent events would make our political 'masters' see the light, but that really would be wishful thinking.
By the time you read this (about 6 weeks in the future), I expect the previous shadow home secretary will be re-
Then we have I'D cards, which I can't really believe anyone can object to -
Watching a Press Conference by our Prime Minister on June 16th, I was struck by the comment that the 'Lisbon Treaty' will be debated by both houses of parliament before going to the Queen for the Royal assent by the end of the week.
The tale of the disappearing telephone number.
It's now more than 30 years that British Telecom strung some wires from the pole on the corner to our house. Over the years, we have rubbed along through the various changes that my telephone supplier have made, including adding an 8 prefix and making the Berkhamsted exchange turn into 01 442.
The latest decision of making a charge to receive a bill and yet another charge to enable a customer to pay for the service provided using 'coins of the realm' really was the last straw, so I 'downgraded' our service to a telephone service -
I ended up with 'BT business' owing me money and 'BT residential' being owed money. Remember, same bit of wire, with same number to same customer. BT business didn't indicate how the refund was to be made (this was March), so, being a simple kind of person, I checked with BT, who suggested there might be a problem, but made a note on the computer file that I would be paying 'BT residential less the credit owed by BT business and if there was a problem, they would get in contact.
They did get in contact -
'Can you send it to BT residential, please?', I asked. 'No, but we can send you a cheque, so you can pay them', came the reply. I agreed to this as I wasn't getting anywhere trying to explain how stupid this appeared to a mere customer particularly as they were just holding into the money. Strange also how only a few days earlier, they sent a letter saying they where sorry that I had left BT, and would I like to return. I hadn't left BT as far as I knew.
After spending some time in a pay phone (why no seat or loo?) trying to find out what was happening, I decided to just BACS the money while I wait the 10/14 days that BT business say it will take to get my money to me.
Then on the Wednesday (18th), a letter arrived from BT saying that if I didn't pay the outstanding monies, my telephone contract will be terminated on 26th June 2008. Off to my 'local pay phone' to find just what was going on. Another hour+ listening to rather distorted noise, it appears that I was disconnected in error -
It seems that the line was indeed 'reconnected' on the 20th, but the number is a mystery, so not really a lot of use as it is not known to anyone except BT.
On the 26th my lost telephone number suddenly reappeared, but now the broadband has disappeared.
The saga continues............
Next month, I hope to report on the latest hospital proposals as I'm the Citizens Association representative on the panel whose 1st meeting is on 7th July 2008. You have been warned!
