The Daily Teaser — 15-08-2012

Ooooh … 

That’s … 

Well, about what I’d’ve expected, actually.

I’ve got Radio 4 on, at the moment: and they’ve just had a report on how the suicide rate amongst men — here’s the Huffington Post article on the subject — has gone up, during the recession.

I have to admit, just going on my own experience, I’m not surprised.

I’ve  suffered depression for years, now: and while the thyroid pills have helped enormously — I’ve felt better than I have for years — the job situation really hasn’t … 

I think I can only offer my sympathies to the families involved.

Let’s get moving on, shall we?

☱☲☴☲☱

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Debbi* putting her answers: and — along with admitting she’d loved yesterday’s video — also bagging 5 out of 5.

Let’s see how she — and you — do with today’s Teaser, shall we?   Here’s those questions, along with the ‘How To’, License and video … 

Q1) 15th August, 1040, saw Duncan 1st defeated in battle, by his cousin: who was his cousin?

Q2) More to the point, in which year was Shakespeare’s play about that cousin, first published?   (Published, I should stress.)

Q3) That play is frequently known both as The Bard’s Play: and what else … ?

Q4) As a final curséd question: in Polanski’s 1971 version of the play, who played Fleance, son of Banquo … ?

Q5) Moving on, 15th August, 1483, saw Pope Sixtus 4th consecrate the Sistine Chapel: in which year did Michaelangelo start painting the ceiling?

Q6) More to the point, which MAJOR Catholic event usually occurs in the Sistine Chapel … ?

Q7) 15th August, 1947, saw India become independent: who was its first Indian Prime Minister … ?

Q8) And finally … 15th August, 1977, saw a student manning Ohio State University’s radio telescope pick a suspected alien broadcast: what was that signal named … ?

And here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) 14th August, 1947, saw which country declare independence … ?   A1) Pakistan.

Q2) More to the point, who was the founding father of the nation … ?   A2) Mohammed Ali Jinnah: or محمد علی جنا, if you’d prefer it in Urdu.

Q3) 14th August, 1936, saw Rainey Bethea hanged in the last public execution in the US: in which US state was this … ?   A3) Kentuckey.

Q4) 14th August, 1980, saw Lech Walesa lead strike at the Gdansk shipyards, in Poland.   What was the name of the union he led … ?   A4) Solidarity: or Solidarność in Polish.

Q5) And finally … 14th August, 1994, saw the capture of Ilyich Ramirez Sanchez, in Sudan.   How was he better known … ?   A5) Carlos the Jackal.

Enjoy those, everyone: I’ll catch you later.

After we do the proverbial double, and leave you with a quote from Léon Theremin.

“I conceived of an instrument that would create sound without using any mechanical energy, like the conductor of an orchestra. The orchestra plays mechanically, using mechanical energy; the conductor just moves his hands, and his movements have an effect on the music artistry.”Léon Theremin, 27 August 1896 – 3 November 1993

Oooh … 

And a video from him, too … 

*        And you notice we’ve not got ’round to mentioning the Groat, yet, Debbi … !   Oh … And I wasn’t sure how well the video would go with people: but digging up something about the Theremin is always something … 

The Last Days Of Threshers On Earth

You know, technically, as I’m no longer employed at Threshers, I can afford to be a touch … talkative… about my time, there, I really can …

I mean, it’s not like they can sack me, now is it?

I mean, I can understand a company — any company — being wary about its employees sounding off about it, or its doing, but after it’s (effectively) dead, and being slowly buried?

That’s a different matter, altogether.

But I’m thinking that I and the rest of us who’ve worked there over the years, — like Will, the manager, on the left of the middle picture, and James, on the right — certainly owe the customers — like Kelly, who popped in for a bottle of Irn Bru — a big ‘Thank You’.

But as for the actual directors of First Quench Retail getting the same, from us, and everyone they’ve had to let go, by putting the company into administration?

I think, from what I’ve picked up, there’s many of us former Threshers employees who feel badly let down, if not actually betrayed.

The gossip I’ve picked up …

I know at one local branch, the manageress — someone who was very good at both the job, and at motivating her staff — was several months pregnant.

So I can’t see what’s happened as being welcome news.

And there’s a story doing the rounds that one branch manager got his posting on the 28th of October of this year.

The day before the company went into administration.

As you can imagine …

Well …

Now I’ve got to admit, I’ve enjoyed my time, there, I really have, as well as working with the people, there.

But I know that I’ve walked away from the experience feeling — or believing — a couple of things.

If you were following the news, you’ll know that, in the few days following the announcement of First Quench Retail going into administration, you’ll know they close 373 branches, straight away.

The the consensus — one I can’t help but agree with — was that if these lame duck stores had been closed down at least a year to 18 months ago, then the company would have been able to make quite a saving.

On top of that, there was the website …

Oh, dear LORD, the website.

Being something of a technology fan, the Threshers website was a disappointment.

A serious disappointment.

You could find any of our branches on the site, contact details, the names of the company executives, mission statements, diversity policies, what-have-you.

But you couldn’t do something crucial, in these cybernetically enhance, internet age.

You couldn’t — as with Tescos, Sainsburys, iTunes, Halfords, Amazon, Majestic, et al — buy our products online.

You couldn’t order, and pay for, a bottle of wine, and arrange for next day delivery or pick-up at your nearest branch.

Combine that with the simple fact that the Sainsburys of this world have been able to seriously under-cut their smaller competitors.

In this day and age, I feel that combination of factors has put me, and others, out of a job.

To nobody’s, least of all the former First Quench Retail’s directors credit.

Right here and Now

You know, this post is probably going to get me in trouble.

But what the heck.

I’ll be honest, I work in one of the local branches of a nationally known chain of off-licences that’s in serious trouble.

Deeply serious trouble.

And our branch has had the bad news, today, that our branch is one of the one that will be closing down.

Which is gutting … !

Understandably.

What gets me is the simple fact that — from what I, as an employee, have managed to understand — is that the company I work for knew about the likelihood of this happening, in July of last year: a few months after they hired me.

As you can possibly appreciate …

What makes it kind of worse, in these recession hit times, is the simple fact that, while they had a flashy website that told you all about themselves, their products, and where their stores were, it had no — NO — online store.

When you consider that the small Ma and Pa independent greengrocers/off-license up the hill from us, along with iTunes, Sainsburys, Tescos, Morrison, Asda, John Lewis, Majestic, Bargain Booze et al, has an online store, my employers seriously missed the boat.

Combined with missing that trick, they had some serious competition from the likes of the various nation supermarket chains, who were able to heavily out-do us, in terms of price.

And, as a result, went under.

And put me, the rest of my co-workers, and most of the branches in the area, will be made redundant.

For those of us who’ve been with the company less than two years can claim no redundancy, under the terms of the contracts.

Those who’ve been there longer?

Look like’s they’ve got a fight to claim whatever is available.

My only conclusion, being in at the coalface?

Is that this has been a huge great cock-up of monstrous proportions.

From start to finish.