The new news 24 thread

[NorthernMonkey]

23 hours ago, HMC said:

Taken just now from my living room….

 

Without reading the rest of the post, my first thought was ‘What the hell have you bought now?!’

[lesapandre]

On 23/06/2024 at 13:07, HMC said:

Taken just now from my living room….

 

Presumably Mr Rishi Sunak on the way to meet one of the Tory Party gamblers.

[egg]

On 23/06/2024 at 11:04, egg said:

Sprayster have a clearance sale on - just picked up some useful* odds and ends including a spray can of Mondeo Rimini Blue and some white grease.

Good for mini-shite painters who use rattle cans too.

https://www.sprayster.com/product-tag/clearance/

 

next day delivery from a Sunday order as well 👍. Sorry for 'Facebook marketplace' pic.

[SiC]

This is a shame it's closing 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp004vnze48o

My pics of when I went last here:

 

 

[vulgalour]

19 hours ago, vulgalour said:

One more job application rejection letter to add to the pile.

Tomorrow's job interview will probably lead to the same, I'm not deluding myself on that score.  Feedback is always that I interviewed well but there was a more suitable candidate, whatever that actually means.  Just love being second-best all the time, it's a great feeling.

I feel like the LDV Cub of employees.

Well that was catastrophic.

Laptop was tested before the interview, webcam worked just fine.  Today, webcam refused to work.  Then it kept flicking on and off rapidly making a distracting nuisance of itself.  We tried to do the interview anyway but I got stagefright (which I've never got in an interview before) and couldn't answer the first question.  Interview aborted (another first for me!) but they did suggest I rebook it for tomorrow.

Now the trouble is I can't get *any* of my tech to actually work with Microsoft Teams.  My mobile won't sign me in on it, the laptop webcam won't work, my pc won't see the separate webcam I've got, and NHS only do interviews via Microsoft Teams now.  Bloody stupid, the lot of it.  Even if I can get some tech working I'm absolutely certain I won't get through the interview now because I've made such an appalling first impression.

[lesapandre]

21 minutes ago, vulgalour said:

Well that was catastrophic.

Laptop was tested before the interview, webcam worked just fine.  Today, webcam refused to work.  Then it kept flicking on and off rapidly making a distracting nuisance of itself.  We tried to do the interview anyway but I got stagefright (which I've never got in an interview before) and couldn't answer the first question.  Interview aborted (another first for me!) but they did suggest I rebook it for tomorrow.

Now the trouble is I can't get *any* of my tech to actually work with Microsoft Teams.  My mobile won't sign me in on it, the laptop webcam won't work, my pc won't see the separate webcam I've got, and NHS only do interviews via Microsoft Teams now.  Bloody stupid, the lot of it.  Even if I can get some tech working I'm absolutely certain I won't get through the interview now because I've made such an appalling first impression.

I've interviewed and appointed a lot of employees over the years. Mostly good - a few bad and ugly alas in their job. Not many though.

I can't see unless it is a 2-interview process (and this is the first)  how they can possibly appoint anybody this way.

One of the most important things an organisation can do is get the right people.

If they can't be bothered to meet the candidates - and they should be down to 5 or less by this point - well no wonder the NHS is in such a mess. 

Rebook for tomorrow but they sound clueless if they are interviewing by computer. 

Print some prompt cards and put them behind the screen. If you are as eloquent and thoughtful and thorough as your posts on here you will walk it 2nd time out 🤗👍

I reckon this "NHS only do interviews via Microsoft Teams now" is illegal under the Aqualities Act. Nuts. Doctors too?

[vulgalour]

Solution found at least.  Can borrow housemate's laptop which works fine.  We then tested my laptop and that now works fine too, without anything being fixed, so heck knows what that's about.  Shall rebook the interview and hope I don't fuck it up on the second attempt.  I do not care for doing interviews "from the comfort of my own home".

[vulgalour]

Right... turns out the department I need to call to rebook the interview closes at 1pm (my interview as at 3:20pm) so I can't do that.  Did some digging, found the e-mail for the department and sent one over.  I'll also call them first thing tomorrow to double up on that.  To cap that off I got another rejection letter from another department in the same hospital, so I'll add that to the pile.

[BorniteIdentity]

Sounds like a ball-ache, but I am a complete advocate for first interviews being on Teams/Zoom.  At the end of the day the NHS is constantly under fire for inefficiencies, and this is a simple way of doing a quick filter through people who won't make the second round.

Hope the kit holds out and you get through to the next round bud.

[Ghosty]

On 23/06/2024 at 12:07, HMC said:

Wirksworth is outside Matlock in the Peak District, insert obvious 'bet that was a long journey' comment.

[grogee]

23 minutes ago, Ghosty said:

Wirksworth is outside Matlock in the Peak District, insert obvious 'bet that was a long journey' comment.

That makes my LEJOG on 50cc idea look like a nice warm bath in comparison. 

[danthecapriman]

6 hours ago, egg said:

next day delivery from a Sunday order as well 👍. Sorry for 'Facebook marketplace' pic.

Just taken advantage* of the clearance stuff for my miniature shite projects! Cheers for mentioning that👍

[sutty2006]

Finished my post box 

 

 

[Rust Collector]

5 hours ago, vulgalour said:

Well that was catastrophic.

Laptop was tested before the interview, webcam worked just fine.  Today, webcam refused to work.  Then it kept flicking on and off rapidly making a distracting nuisance of itself.  We tried to do the interview anyway but I got stagefright (which I've never got in an interview before) and couldn't answer the first question.  Interview aborted (another first for me!) but they did suggest I rebook it for tomorrow.

Now the trouble is I can't get *any* of my tech to actually work with Microsoft Teams.  My mobile won't sign me in on it, the laptop webcam won't work, my pc won't see the separate webcam I've got, and NHS only do interviews via Microsoft Teams now.  Bloody stupid, the lot of it.  Even if I can get some tech working I'm absolutely certain I won't get through the interview now because I've made such an appalling first impression.

My advice would be to try and use it as an opportunity to show how you can resolve a situation that’s not gone as expected, and show that you can resolve the problem calmly and confidently. In my book that demonstrates a skill that’s useful in most workplaces!

[Snake Charmer]

1 hour ago, sutty2006 said:

Finished my post box 

 

 

How have you managed to make two large lumps of cast iron with four spark plugs sticking out the side look so small? 😄

I hope it's connected to a humongous lump of concrete. 👍

[stuboy]

Spent the day in gravesends football grounds assessing new pts drivers.

[sutty2006]

22 minutes ago, Snake Charmer said:

How have you managed to make two large lumps of cast iron with four spark plugs sticking out the side look so small? 😄

I hope it's connected to a humongous lump of concrete. 👍

 

that reminds me. Need to put 4 plugs in it. 

[Lacquer Peel]

POV: you're an estate agent in 2001 admiring your new base model Audi A3 TDI

 

[EyesWeldedShut]

9 hours ago, stuboy said:

Spent the day in gravesends football grounds assessing new pts drivers.

Feck me - those new, fangled electric ambulances need a hell of a charging station.......

[andy18s]

11 hours ago, sutty2006 said:

Finished my post box 

 

 

By finished I guess you mean the Cavalier has finally rotted away?

[Bear]

On 24/06/2024 at 12:01, lesapandre said:

Got this very nice key tag yesterday out and about in France.

I got one on eBay for the C6 with a similar vibe...

 

[vulgalour]

Right then, job interview done and it went way better.  Ironically, Microsoft wouldn't let me log in on the back-up laptop (or my mobile, for that matter), even when I tried all the stuff that should allow that to happen so I *had* to use my laptop.  My laptop which then decided that after several tests throughout the morning was going to have the webcam crap out ten minutes before the interview was due to begin.  Just about at my wits end with tech, it miraculously started working and stayed stable throughout the whole interview which was a *lot* shorter than I was expecting.

It was kind of odd when I mentioned having worked for the NHS before and they didn't know, like... it's in my CV, I had several temp posts through an agency doing medical secretary work with almost exactly the same responsibilities as the one I applied for.  So if I got shortlisted without them knowing that then I definitely do something right on paper.  Or they're desperate for staff.  Might be both.

Anyway, key thing is I'm feeling a lot better about it and now I just have to wait for a call back to see if I'm adding another rejection letter to the pile, or starting a new part time job.

[richardmorris]

[hairnet]

@Frogchod will be jealous

[wuvvum]

I discovered today that the Merc is supposed to have different sized tyres front to rear - 225/45 17 on the front and 245/40 on the rear.  Which seems a bit over the top for a 19-year-old diesel estate, but hey ho.  The car is currently on 225/45s all round, which might explain why the traction control kicked in when I booted it out of a junction (although that might also have been due to the rear tyres being Wanlis).  It also explains why the sidewalls look a bit odd on a couple of the tyres - the rims are different widths too.

This is bad news as 245/40s are significantly more expensive than 225/45s, and there's less choice too.  So I have a choice between trying to find a decent pair of part worns or going the budget route - there's no way I'm paying over 200 quid for a pair of tyres for a car of that age and (lack of) value.

[Split_Pin]

My SLK had staggered wheels from new but it had 4 wheels from a later model which where all the same width and tyre size and didn't cause any problems. I think the Wanlis will be the cause of the lack of traction.

My 75 has 2 17 inch options, 215/50/17 or 225/45/17. It had the former which were much dearer so when it was finally time to replace all 4 I went for the latter option. A GT Radial which is A rated for Wet Grip, C for economy and 69dB  came in at about £80 per tyre fitted which I thought was OK.

Or maybe you could find a set of 4 non staggered 17 inch Merc wheels with tyres, perhaps 2nd hand?

[SiC]

I paid £78 each for Goodyear Eagle F1 in 225/45/17 for my 330i recently. Tyres on the drive (owned by Halfords).

That has the same tyres all round but I think the M Sport had staggered tyres. My E320 V6 had the same tyres all round too. I think the "sporty" version had staggered. 

[Frogchod]

8 hours ago, hairnet said:

@Frogchod will be jealous

Nah.  I prefer it not to be ruined by adding water... 

[richardmorris]

[mintwth]

MOT in progress...