Early Risers.

[Gwiwer]

Morning all.  Generic greetings from which you may delete as applicable.

 

 

 

plagiarism

There is now, I believe, an online plagiarism checker which basically scans through your text and compares it with everything in its database.  Anything which is blatantly copied, and anything which is a very near copy or could be considered plagiarism, is immediately flagged.  

 

How do I know this?  Mrs. G. as a part of her studies has had to assess the work of Environmental History undergraduates.  There was a bench-mark below which any possible plagiarism was disregarded and above which existed various forms of warning up to and including an outright fail and termination of that course for the student concerned.  

 

She was allowed to give me the general advice that around 60% of the students received some sort of warning level.

 

Speaking of the Good Lady .....

 

As of Midday tomorrow 7th October we shall have been married for 20 years.  I have the greatest of pleasure in celebrating the ups (and some downs) of those years and of looking forward to what ever our future holds with a stalwart partner, a remarkably driven and forthright woman and one who is confidently expected to become globally eminent in her field within the next couple of years.  She is also one of the most self-effacing and reserved people you could ever meet and denies having made any sort of positive contribution to the lives and lifestyles of the very many people she has come into contact with.   I could not wish for better.  And it all began at a simple civil ceremony in St. John's Hall, Penzance followed by a DIY reception at our home,  when an Aussie backpacker decided I was worth staying with what ever sacrifices that meant for her.

 

Despite the occasion she has a professional function in the evening which means, when taken with my shift times, that we are unable to do much about a celebration for a few days.  

 

It's been hot here these past two days.  35C in the City and nearer 40C in the bush.  The first bushfires of the season have claimed two homes.  It's cooled off now and should remain below 20C for several days so there's respite for those of us who were troubled by the significant clouds of dust and pollen blown in on today's high winds.

[NGT6 1315]

I haven't worn a tie for years, I think the last time was at my brothers second marriage, about 10 years ago, I just hate the bloody things.

 

At work, we must wear ties during autumn and winter, but they're also provided with elastic neck bands for those who (like me) hate tying them by hand!

 

 

 

And in order to cheer up young Chris F I've dug out a pic I took at Zweisimmen during a very brief visit there while on my Grand Tour back in 2003  (with due apologies and grovelling to Debs).  Enjoy your day folks.

 

DSCF0267.jpg

 

Ah, 900 V DC OHLE supply, necessitating running with both pans up and pan heads with three contacts each. The MOB line is something I'd like to see myself some time!

[Danemouth]

I once knew a bar in Easky, Co. Sligo that doubled as the local Undertakers. By coincidence I started on “Puckoon” there whilst sipping on a pint.

 

Best, Pete.

 

When I started work in the Computer Centre of Wales Gas Board in 1965 there were several agencies around Wales where you could pay your gas bill.

 

Stamped on the back of some payment receipts we processed was

 

"Selwyn K. Parry, Blaina - Builder, Undertaker and authorised agent for Wales Gas Board".

 

Apparently the combination of undertaker and builder was fairly common in the Valleys.

 

Remember being an Assistant Scoutmaster about the same time - we had a summer camp in Eire. I was asked to collect something from the local ironmongers - this had a bar down one side of the shop and I was asked if I wanted a "little drop" while I waited.  I next went to Ireland in 1997 by which time this sort of premise seems to have disappeared.

 

Dave 

[Gwiwer]

 

 

At work, we must wear ties during autumn and winter,

 

At work we must wear ties.  Full stop.  Ours are supplied in conventional, elastic collar or clip-on and we may choose which ever we like.

 

Bearing in mind the temperatures we have to work in for several months of the year the Station Master has discretion to permit us to remove our ties but it's not an automatic right determined by date or temperature.  Today and yesterday we were permitted to remove ties as it reached 35C.

[Gwiwer]

 

 Builder, Undertaker and authorised agent for Wales Gas Board".

 

Apparently the combination of undertaker and builder was fairly common in the Valleys.

 

I'm not sure that is was ever common elsewhere but there was until recently a one-man business at Crows-an-Wra, near Lands End, proclaiming the owner to be a "Grocer, Builder and Undertaker".  

[Danemouth]

The most common is submitting plagiarised work. The consequences of submitting work other than your own are made clear to students on degree courses. They still think they can get away with it. As Aditi's college doesn't issue their own degrees (usually OU) they have to have everything documented. For a first offence if proved the work has to be resubmitted without plagiarism but the mark is capped at low pass level. I am not sure if other offences count as plagiarism, paying someone else to do your work, stealing someone else's work and claiming the victim was the plagiarist. I am sure there are more.

Mitigation panels are to do with students requests for extra time due to unfortunate circumstances.

Tony,

 

The college certainly seem to be ensuring the get maximum value plus in the lead up to your good lady's retirement - she's not been given the chance to wind down!

 

Dave

[Ian Abel]

Morning...

 

Sounds like flu/lurgy is starting to take out ERs - my best wishes for a speedy recovery to all. Hopefully that sort of virus can't be transmitted to the rest of us on here!

 

Congratulations in advance to Gwiwer and Mrs for the anniversary tomorrow. Enjoy many more.

 

Nothing to report from yesterday, simply working in the dungeon <yawn>

 

Sorely tempted, as other have remarked, to stir the pot in "...driving standards..." may do that next to give my day a kick-start

 

12 and sunny with a light breeze when I wandered into the hotel car park this morning, expecting 22 for the high.

[Mike Bellamy]

 

Rick

 

Correct about online plagiarism checking - the most well known is Turnitin

http://turnitin.com/en_us/what-we-offer

 

Ed

 

Academic Offences - copied below from a University not a million miles away from where I am sitting (it's lunch time so I'm OK!) Plagiarism has already been mentioned, but also may include Collusion, Impersonation, Conduct in Examinations, Fabrication of Data and Deception.

 

The University has a public duty to ensure that the highest standards are maintained in the conduct of assessment. Thus, the legitimate interests of the students and the University's reputation are safeguarded. Alleged academic offences which would compromise these standards will be investigated thoroughly. If confirmed, an offence will lead to the imposition of severe consequences, including the possibility of termination of registration and enrolment, i.e. expulsion.

 

An "academic offence" has been committed when a student tries to gain improper advantage for her/himself by breaking, or not following, the Academic Regulations concerning any part of the assessment process. This procedure applies to all students engaged in any University assessment activity whether on or off site including collaborative programmes.

 

 

.

[Tony_S]

Tony,

 

The college certainly seem to be ensuring the get maximum value plus in the lead up to your good lady's retirement - she's not been given the chance to wind down!

 

Dave

Actually she thinks this counts as light duties!

[southern42]

Afternoon all from red dragon land.

It was sunny this morning, clouded over now.

 

If we're still mentioning combi-shops, my optician shared his premises with the camera man who, being the father of a school friend, got me into my first 35mm camera which I saved up for out of my Saturday job wages (@ 2/6^d an hour,* I think).  Those were days!  No flea-bay back then.

 

* 12¹/₂p for those born post 1971. 

 

If we're not still on combi-shops, forget what I've said and carry on as if I've said nowt.  

 

Enjoy your day while I attempt to catch up.

[Tony_S]

Rick

 

Correct about online plagiarism checking - the most well known is Turnitin

http://turnitin.com/en_us/what-we-offer

 

Ed

 

Academic Offences - copied below from a University not a million miles away from where I am sitting (it's lunch time so I'm OK!) Plagiarism has already been mentioned, but also may include Collusion, Impersonation, Conduct in Examinations, Fabrication of Data and Deception.

 

The University has a public duty to ensure that the highest standards are maintained in the conduct of assessment. Thus, the legitimate interests of the students and the University's reputation are safeguarded. Alleged academic offences which would compromise these standards will be investigated thoroughly. If confirmed, an offence will lead to the imposition of severe consequences, including the possibility of termination of registration and enrolment, i.e. expulsion.

 

An "academic offence" has been committed when a student tries to gain improper advantage for her/himself by breaking, or not following, the Academic Regulations concerning any part of the assessment process. This procedure applies to all students engaged in any University assessment activity whether on or off site including collaborative programmes.

 

 

.

Before Turnitin, Aditi had a reputation for being very good at spotting plagiarised work, certainly for any students she had responsibility for rather than just those she taught.

However a positive result on Turnitin still requires scrutiny (as in Mike's examples) as I mentioned before students have committed plagiarism by theft of other students work

When Matthew was at the LSE some students had difficulty coping with the concept of using referencing and citing, as their previous degree system had featured a lot of being able to regurgitate the textbook. I know Matthew was concerned with the amount of overlap of courses and that his research was covering a similar area to his undergrad thesis that he might plagiarise himself.

Edited October 6, 2015 by Tony_S

[The Stationmaster]

When I started work in the Computer Centre of Wales Gas Board in 1965 there were several agencies around Wales where you could pay your gas bill.

 

Stamped on the back of some payment receipts we processed was

 

"Selwyn K. Parry, Blaina - Builder, Undertaker and authorised agent for Wales Gas Board".

 

Apparently the combination of undertaker and builder was fairly common in the Valleys.

 

Remember being an Assistant Scoutmaster about the same time - we had a summer camp in Eire. I was asked to collect something from the local ironmongers - this had a bar down one side of the shop and I was asked if I wanted a "little drop" while I waited.  I next went to Ireland in 1997 by which time this sort of premise seems to have disappeared.

 

Dave 

My dad served his apprenticeship with a village carpenter in Yorkshire and that meant a very wide range of skills including making coffins plus a huge range of other woodwork so I still have his adze (a proper full size one) although I'm not so sure about the spokeshave (he was very skilled at making the wooden parts of spoked wheels as well as being a skilled cabinet maker.  He with his boss and the local blacksmith built a full size gypsy caravan from scratch for a passing Romany who came by every year - he paid £5,000 in cash (in the mid 1930s) when he collected it the year after being ordered.   After his first retirement he worked part time for an antique shop in Reading making antiques - basically taking usable parts from badly damaged antique items and using them to make something else - he was so good at it even the well known local expert Arthur Negus (remember him on tv?) couldn't tell the items hadn't originally been made a couple of hundred years previously as dad knew all the old jointing techniques and how to make the sort of glues which had been used in those days.

 

 

 

Ah, 900 V DC OHLE supply, necessitating running with both pans up and pan heads with three contacts each. The MOB line is something I'd like to see myself some time!

 

The MOB is a lovely trip Dom - very manageable compared with, say, trying to cram most of the RhB into two days.  It also turned into a stroke of luck for me - at a previous conference (in La Rochelle) I had had a blazing row with the DB representative, he started it but I gave him both barrels so we were hardly on the best of terms.  Anyway during one of the Luzern conferences I was off doing the MOB and got to Montreux to find two German ladies who couldn't find their way round the station to the MOB part - it was being rebuilt at the time - so I duly guided them to their train for Zweisimmen.  Anyway one of them was his wife and that evening he was very profuse in his thanks for my assisting her and at every conference from then on I was his best mate who could do no wrong - strange old world isn't it.

[Smiffy2]

Afternoon all, from La Belle France. Not really had time to catch up, but I agree about ties - I refused for years. I think I've only got a black one now.

 

Journey here was OK yesterday, nothing wrong with the house except we forgot to get coffee when we shopped! Disaster! I had to get up this morning caffeine-free, and I felt very poorly and had the shakes... OK now.

 

Planning to have a few days off, meeting with a builder for repointing the stone walls and taking Julie out for lunch on her birthday (Cancale).

 

So, best wishes all, I'll catch up when I can. Perhaps.

[roundhouse]

 I might have to have a look in on driving standards if its getting juicy!!

 

had an email form the airline we are booked with for our internal US flight time changes.

 

To start with it looked as if they had moved our flights form morning to evening till I did a bit more checking and found out I had fallen foul of the US 12 hour clock and our use of the 24 hour clock - school boy error which I should have spotted but it was the way they listed the flights that threw me (7.15am, 8.45pm, 11.15am and so on). Luckily I managed to persuade them to drop the 400 quid surcharge and we will now have a full day in Phoenix as planned.

 

Very thankful of their understanding although might be because they may have had that happen quite a bit.

 

Seeing Mikes photo in Switzerland, must make a visit back there as its such a great place although the train scene has changed quite a bit form our first visits back in the mid 80's.

[Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71]

Aft'noon all,

 

A real Heathcliffe style constitutional this afternoon....

 

....he probably lives here...

 

....clearing drainage is a popular pastime for the local farmers just now....

 

 

....a heavy shower caught me without coat two thirds of the way around and forced refuge under a bushy tree, a few minutes earlier and I would have taken refuge in the pub....the ride home was in light rain and more urgent due to a governors meeting at 3.45 

 

Enjoy what you do

 

Dave

Edited October 6, 2015 by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71

[sixoh8sixoh]

Afternoon all from a showery Scottish HQ. Apologies for not having read the intervening 13 pages... I may have to accept that will forever be a mystery to me...

 

It's been a busy couple of days (well, few days, actually!), including an all-day conference at Parliament yesterday and supporting the Cabinet Secretary at Committee this morning. One more day of work, then a day off on the Borders Railway, then one day in the office, then a week off!

 

Hope everyone's well, hopefully keep caught up for today and tomorrow at least!

[sixoh8sixoh]

Another year older and not much wiser I fear that most of the ties I wear in future will be of the black variety.

I think my mood matches the weather.

Is that a very subtle reference to a notable day, BoD? If so, happy birthday and hope it improves for you!

[Shedman5]

Afternoon,  a sunny morning which has now changed to grey cloud cover, however I have been able to mow the lawns and do a general tidy up. It seems the weather of late has not stopped the grass growing while I have been away!

 

On retirement I dispensed with all my ties bar two, I kept one blue one and a black one, sadly the black one has seen more wear so far.

 

With these sort of Post Tropical Storms you can expect more winds to the Right of the centre of circulation with, conversely, more rain to the Left. Thanks for the info Pete I await the storm with interest! Prefer rain to wind!

 

Enjoy whats left of the day.

 

Alan

[NGT6 1315]

At work we must wear ties.  Full stop.  Ours are supplied in conventional, elastic collar or clip-on and we may choose which ever we like.

 

Bearing in mind the temperatures we have to work in for several months of the year the Station Master has discretion to permit us to remove our ties but it's not an automatic right determined by date or temperature.  Today and yesterday we were permitted to remove ties as it reached 35C.

 

I should also add that there are a few combinations for our company clothes where ties are mandatory while for others, they're facultative. The waistcoat (which I personally most like to wear) is one piece which must be worn with tie all year round, for example. Similarly, ties must be worn with any of the coats we are issued.

 

Shoes, however, are completely at our own discretion, as long as they're dark in colour, flat, resilient, and completely enclose the feet, which in turn is to say, no sandals, high heels or similar fashionable shoes are permitted. I do notice some colleagues wear rather elegant leather shoes to work which would do a banker justice, but I personally would rather not wear such shoes to any work where I would expect to have to walk on the trackbed or otherwise outside of paved grounds. I am quite fond of Geox shoes, which to my mind fulfil both visual and practical expectations in my line of work.

[BoD]

Is that a very subtle reference to a notable day, BoD? If so, happy birthday and hope it improves for you!

 

Thanks Mike

Weather improved so I got out for my daily which always improves things.

An unexpected visit from some family members and more to follow should make the day altogether brighter.

A glass or two  may be forced upon me later - and that always goes down well.

[NGT6 1315]

Is that a very subtle reference to a notable day, BoD? If so, happy birthday and hope it improves for you!

 

May I just second this!

[jamie92208]

Afternoon all from a rather wet village after a sudden torrential downpour.   I had to wear a black tie all the time at work, of the clip on variety, so when I had to attend my first funeral of a colleague, quite early in my service.  I was told in no uncertain terms by my colleagues that I should show some respect and wear a tie of any colour other than black.  This showed that we had taken the trouble to choose one.  I have followed that ever since apart from the two or three funerals that I had to attend in uniform.   Now I hardly ever wear one but it doesn't feel strange to put one on when the occasion demands.

 

I've had an interesting day.  Beth was duly driven round two different hospital appointments, in two different cities.  Then I got an email from the building society that is allowing us to buy the house in France.  They wanted proof that my credit card bill had been paid off in full.  (Along with a string of other conditions).   I sent them my latest statement together with a printed confirmation from internet banking of  a payment that paid it in full.   I also explained in my email that my next statement would not be available until the 18th October and we are due to complete on the 19th.  I asked them to contact me by close of business last Friday if that wasn't good enough.   I got an email this lunchtime saying that they wanted an actual statement.  I duly rang Barclaycard and spoke to a young lady in India who said that it was impossible to issue a statement before the due date.  Two phone calls later the Building Society have agreed to proceed with what I've sent.   I was not amused to say the least.  The excuse was " The computer says I have to have a statement.".  

 

Anyway rant mode off.  I've got the car fettled and checked tyres, washer bottle etc for tomorrow's trip and am now looing forward to France and 3 days good company.  I've even pre paid my Dartford Toll.

 

I will need some Scottish Medicine tonight I think.

 

Jamie

Edited October 6, 2015 by jamie92208

[NGT6 1315]

I will need some Scottish Medicine tonight I think.

 

That does sound like a good idea which I might just pick up on!

[gordon s]

Afternoon all.  It's still peeing down....

 

Congrats on your wedding anniversary, Rick.  Nothing beats a good marriage when it works well.

 

Just back from Fitzpatrick's.  Sounds like a night club...:-)

 

Staggered to see the car park was virtually full and thought they really must be busy, but in conversation with one of the girls she told me that most of those were staff cars and they have 160 working there.  Some set up. 

 

So Archie started off with some physio and then we all had to sit with fancy glasses on as he had some laser treatment on his back.  Something to do with stimulating the nerves.  He seemed to enjoy the process but then almost went to sleep as the physio massaged up and down his back.  I could think of worse things than being stroked by an attractive 35 year old.

 

Physio done it was off to the pool and the water treadmill.  Girls in wetsuits and the lucky soul had to stand in chest high warm water walking on a treadmill whilst his assistant moved his back legs to help him.  Couldn't really take any pics as others were there, but here's one just as the water had been drained out and he's stood like a drowned rat awaiting his shower and blow dry. 

 

 

Because he can't stand on slippery surfaces as there is a risk of slipping and damaging something, our kitchen floor is now covered in yoga mats.... 

 

Edited October 6, 2015 by gordon s

[The Lurker]

I've still got my tie on. It's got more comfortable over the day.

 

But I shan't be wearing it tomorrow!

 

I used to wear one all the time and not particularly mind. But now I don't have to wear one all the time, those occasions I do are of note!

 

As I have to wear business dress ie a suit at work, I generally won't dress smartly otherwise, much to Mrs Lurker's despair on occasion. But she can't come up with a reason why jeans aren't good enough for a family meal out... we don't take the lurker boys to Michelin starred places!