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Marriage Diaries: My wife's a chronic complainer and I'm sick of it
Marriage Diaries: My wife's a chronic complainer and I'm sick of it

Yahoo

time12 hours ago

  • General
  • Yahoo

Marriage Diaries: My wife's a chronic complainer and I'm sick of it

It all began with the chicken stew, served in a pub while my wife and I were on holiday in Devon. The chicken was so overcooked and dry that it was inedible. We both agreed it was like trying to eat feathers, but did we complain? Did we heck? We just paid and left hungry, but in the car afterwards, we both admitted that we absolutely should have said something, and my wife resolved there and then to be a born-again complainer. Clearly, she meant it because ever since that fateful fricassee, she has gone from strength to strength in exercising her consumer rights. Watch out, Watchdog, there's a new sheriff in town. Her new regime started with the cabbie who kept his meter running on our driveway while my wife ran into the house to get cash and by the time she came out she was a fiver short. I wasn't there, but she recounted the tale of the taxi to me afterwards saying she flat-out refused to pay more, the fare should have stopped when they reached the destination, and it wasn't her fault he didn't have a card machine. An argument ensued. My wife didn't back down. Neighbours and passers-by all joined in the uprising, and he grabbed the cash and high-tailed it off to his next fare. Win. Next up, the delivery guy whose package for us looked like it had recently been used as a football that had then been sat on at half-time. My wife took a picture of it and refused to accept it. Another win. However, I'm now starting to think that we've created a bit of a monster as each successful complaint and stand-off has emboldened her further, to the point where she now seems to be looking for things to kick up a stink about. Eating out is stressful because there are so many points of potential conflict. The demeanour of the staff. The duration between ordering and eating. And that's before we even get to the food itself. Will the carrots be orange enough for her? Even if everything is to her satisfaction, she then turns to everyone else around the table to ask how our meals are. 'Delicious,' we all reply in unison, to avoid further conflict. Airbnb and hotel rooms are another target-rich environment for her, and as soon as we're through the door, the inspection levels rival those of a British Army barracks. What I'd like her to do is strike the right balance between not saying boo to a goose (or an inedible chicken) and being an unholy pain in the backside. And, I've realised to do that, I need to find my voice, my inner complainer. I'm not talking about joining the queues clogging up the customer service desks of this world, but I need to complain to my wife about her complaining. Talking to her in a language she'll surely understand. And I know I need to do this urgently before we go on holiday this summer because we've never set foot in an airport without there being a problem with one of our family's carry-ons: weight, size, wrong colour, too many zips. However, this is the first time we'll have done so since my wife found her inner Matt Allwright. So, when they hit us with the inevitable surcharge, we'll see what happens when the unstoppable force that is now my wife comes face-to-face with the immovable object that is the budget airline check-in desk. So, if you're at Heathrow this summer I can only apologise in advance if your flight's delayed. It may not be the airline's fault. It may be mine. I'm just trying to find the right moment to tell my wife. The thing is, I hate complaining. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Solve the daily Crossword

Marriage Diaries: My wife's a chronic complainer and I'm sick of it
Marriage Diaries: My wife's a chronic complainer and I'm sick of it

Telegraph

time13 hours ago

  • General
  • Telegraph

Marriage Diaries: My wife's a chronic complainer and I'm sick of it

It all began with the chicken stew, served in a pub while my wife and I were on holiday in Devon. The chicken was so overcooked and dry that it was inedible. We both agreed it was like trying to eat feathers, but did we complain? Did we heck? We just paid and left hungry, but in the car afterwards, we both admitted that we absolutely should have said something, and my wife resolved there and then to be a born-again complainer. Clearly, she meant it because ever since that fateful fricassee, she has gone from strength to strength in exercising her consumer rights. Watch out, Watchdog, there's a new sheriff in town. Her new regime started with the cabbie who kept his meter running on our driveway while my wife ran into the house to get cash and by the time she came out she was a fiver short. I wasn't there, but she recounted the tale of the taxi to me afterwards saying she flat-out refused to pay more, the fare should have stopped when they reached the destination, and it wasn't her fault he didn't have a card machine. An argument ensued. My wife didn't back down. Neighbours and passers-by all joined in the uprising, and he grabbed the cash and high-tailed it off to his next fare. Win. Next up, the delivery guy whose package for us looked like it had recently been used as a football that had then been sat on at half-time. My wife took a picture of it and refused to accept it. Another win. However, I'm now starting to think that we've created a bit of a monster as each successful complaint and stand-off has emboldened her further, to the point where she now seems to be looking for things to kick up a stink about. Eating out is stressful because there are so many points of potential conflict. The demeanour of the staff. The duration between ordering and eating. And that's before we even get to the food itself. Will the carrots be orange enough for her? Even if everything is to her satisfaction, she then turns to everyone else around the table to ask how our meals are. 'Delicious,' we all reply in unison, to avoid further conflict. Airbnb and hotel rooms are another target-rich environment for her, and as soon as we're through the door, the inspection levels rival those of a British Army barracks. What I'd like her to do is strike the right balance between not saying boo to a goose (or an inedible chicken) and being an unholy pain in the backside. And, I've realised to do that, I need to find my voice, my inner complainer. I'm not talking about joining the queues clogging up the customer service desks of this world, but I need to complain to my wife about her complaining. Talking to her in a language she'll surely understand. And I know I need to do this urgently before we go on holiday this summer because we've never set foot in an airport without there being a problem with one of our family's carry-ons: weight, size, wrong colour, too many zips. However, this is the first time we'll have done so since my wife found her inner Matt Allwright. So, when they hit us with the inevitable surcharge, we'll see what happens when the unstoppable force that is now my wife comes face-to-face with the immovable object that is the budget airline check-in desk. So, if you're at Heathrow this summer I can only apologise in advance if your flight's delayed. It may not be the airline's fault. It may be mine. I'm just trying to find the right moment to tell my wife. The thing is, I hate complaining.

California hospital accused of losing bodies and failing to inform panicking families that their loved ones were dead
California hospital accused of losing bodies and failing to inform panicking families that their loved ones were dead

The Independent

timea day ago

  • Health
  • The Independent

California hospital accused of losing bodies and failing to inform panicking families that their loved ones were dead

A California hospital system is under fire after a series of complaints which allege they lost bodies and failed to inform multiple families about the death of their relatives. Dignity Health is accused of 'callous, reckless, and outrageous failure' for not notifying families about their dead loved ones or issuing death certificates, SFGate reports. A 2022 health department audit, reviewed by SFGate, states one hospital, Mercy San Juan Medical Center, had significant failures when it came to processing the dead. Now, families are filing complaints against the California hospital system as they mourn their relatives. The family of Jessie Peterson filed a complaint against Dignity Health following her death in April 2023. The initial complaint was filed last year but has since been amended to broaden the scope when it was discovered more people may have been impacted. The complaint, shared with The Independent by the family's attorney Marc Greenberg, reveals Peterson, 31, died after she was admitted to Mercy San Juan Medical Center during a diabetic episode. Peterson's mother alleges that she was never contacted about her daughter's death, and that hospital staff incorrectly told her she had left against medical advice. Her family embarked on a year-long search, posting flyers and asking friends about her whereabouts, SFGate reports. The family finally found closure a year after her death, when police discovered Peterson's body at the Mortuary Support Services of Northern California. Her body was so badly decomposed that her family was unable to hold an open-casket funeral, SFGate reports. The decomposition also made it impossible for officials to conduct an autopsy to determine if there was any medical malpractice, the complaint states. The Peterson family isn't alone. The family of Tonya Walker, a 51-year-old, mother of four, reported her missing on November 10. She was homeless at the time, but her family told SFGate she kept in regular contact with them. The family was unaware that Walker had been admitted to a Dignity Health hospital on October 31, 2023 for low blood sugar, high blood pressure and high potassium levels. She died November 2, 2023. This led to a months-long missing person search. The family hung thousands of posters and offered a reward for information, SFGate reports. They didn't find her until May 31, 2024, when local police said they found Walker, according to the complaint. She was also at the Mortuary Support Services of Northern California. Now, Walker's family says Dignity Health never notified them about her death, and failed to issue a death certificate. When they found her in the morgue, they said her body was unrecognizable and it appeared her eyes and skin were removed, SFGate reports. The family's complaint states that Dignity Health 'unilaterally made the decision to make Ms. Walker an organ donor, and then without any permission whatsoever, harvested Ms. Walker's eyes and tissue.' An attorney for Walker's family, Rachel Fiset, told The Independent that the hospital 'knowingly and repeatedly violated their legal obligations.' 'The behavior has caused severe emotional distress beyond measure, particularly when coupled with what appears to be harvesting organs without authorization and storing dozens of unembalmed bodies in 'cold storage' for months, and even years, to decompose,' Fiset said. 'It's a gross disregard for human life and the dozens of cases suggest the actions were at the least reckless, if not intentional.' The family also named Mortuary Support Services of Northern California in their complaint. An attorney for the morgue's owner, Michael Lofton, told SFGate the company denies any liability related to the allegations. 'Obviously this is a very unfortunate situation; however, our client, Mortuary Support Services of Northern California, disputes that it has any liability in this matter and we intend to vigorously defend any claims against it,' the attorney said. 'However, as this matter is now in litigation, we cannot comment further.' Other Dignity Health patients have reportedly gone missing after their deaths. One unnamed patient went missing in 2023 after their body was picked up by an unknown person, SFGate reports, citing health department records. A spokesperson for Dignity Health declined to comment on the allegations to SFGate.

Vivendi Hit by EU Chargesheet for Closing Lagardere Deal Too Soon
Vivendi Hit by EU Chargesheet for Closing Lagardere Deal Too Soon

Bloomberg

timea day ago

  • Business
  • Bloomberg

Vivendi Hit by EU Chargesheet for Closing Lagardere Deal Too Soon

Vivendi SE has been hit with a formal European Union complaint for allegedly closing its takeover of Lagardere SA before obtaining the green light from Brussels. The European Commission said Friday that 'Vivendi exercised decisive influence over Lagardere before the transaction was notified to the commission.' The issuing of a so-called statement of objections could pave the way for future fines of as much as 10% of their combined sales.

Newcastle City Council bullying investigation costs reach £74k
Newcastle City Council bullying investigation costs reach £74k

BBC News

time3 days ago

  • Politics
  • BBC News

Newcastle City Council bullying investigation costs reach £74k

An unfinished investigation into a bullying complaint made against a former council leader has so far cost more than £74,000.A senior local authority director made the allegation last September against Nick Kemp, who was leader of Newcastle City Council at the investigation into the complaint, which was commissioned by the council last November and is being carried out by an external law firm, is yet to were told on Tuesday its findings were now expected to be delivered in August, following concerns about the length of time it was taking to complete, and that the probe had already resulted in a bill totalling tens of thousands of pounds. Mr Kemp, who resigned as leader in September and later quit the Labour Party, has denied any complaint against the Byker councillor was made by Michelle Percy, the council's director of investment and growth. 'Far too long' Council solicitor Helen Wilson confirmed the current running cost of the investigation was £74,632.50, plus said the inquiry into the bullying complaint had been a "significant undertaking" requiring interviews with multiple individuals and a "large amount of information" being gathered, and said she hoped a final report would be issued to the council's monitoring officer in a breach of the council's code of conduct was found, then the matter would be referred to a special hearing in front of the audit and standards committee to decide what action to take, she added. The committee's independent chair, Les Watson, said the situation had "gone on far too long" and that he wanted to move quickly once the final report is Kemp, who was replaced by Karen Kilgour in the leader role, said at the time of his resignation that he "strenuously" refuted any allegations of long-serving councillor and five colleagues all quit Labour in November 2024, in doing so wiping out the party's majority in the council chamber, and now sit as members of an East End and Associates Independents group. Follow BBC Newcastle on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.

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