Early Risers.

[Ozexpatriate]

9 hours ago, simontaylor484 said:

By the looks of Flavios tracking the Chinese government will be spying on him.

8 hours ago, polybear said:

Good spot - five days to install a couple of spy chips and software.  Not that we're trying to worry you or anything CC....

How well known is the "Supermicro motherboard" story?

 

Quote

On October 4, 2018, Bloomberg Businessweek published a report, citing unnamed corporate and governmental sources, which claimed that the Chinese People's Liberation Army had forced Supermicro's Chinese sub-contractors to add microchips with hardware backdoors to its servers. The report claimed that the compromised servers had been sold to U.S. government divisions (including the CIA and Department of Defense) and contractors and at least 30 commercial clients (including Apple). The backdoor was reportedly discovered by Amazon during a review of Elemental Technologies, a Supermicro client that Amazon would acquire in 2015.

There is a lot of research into built-in security devices on Silicon.

[Ozexpatriate]

5 hours ago, Ian Abel said:

Re: CRAZY Weather - the past 24-hours approximately here;

1) Yesterday, first thing as reported, moderate to dense fog.

2) Cleared by midday, then afternoon rain, high was around 13

3)  Early evening thunderstorms with heavy rain, followed by Tornado warnings and high winds, gusting 40-50mph.

4) First thing -8 and snowing mixed with ice pellets  snow stopped with a generous coating on the ground

5) High later expected to be 4, then plunge overnight to -11

I was wondering how you were doing when I saw yesterday's weather (plains and midwest) on the news.

 

With the thunderstorms I imagine all that snow you had earlier was gone. (It sounds like it is back.)

 

I noted that yesterday it was 19°C in Chicago - in mid-December! (A new record apparently, though it was similarly warm in 1975.)

 

Edited December 16, 2021 by Ozexpatriate

[monkeysarefun]

9 hours ago, simontaylor484 said:

By the looks of Flavios tracking the Chinese government will be spying on him.

In the room the other side of the  wall  I'm facing are 200  laptops that the IT procurement arm of Defence ordered and the security arm of Defence has banned from ever being rolled out onto the network.  The order was fulfilled in a Chinese factory of a major international computer manufacturer and the likelihood that the news of an order for laptops destined for "Department Of Defence Australia" not reaching the Chinese Government is extremely unlikely -  either way better safe than sorry.

[tigerburnie]

Evening, we had a nice 3 mile walk over the fields, cold but dry and bright and quite a lot of wildlife to watch, nice distraction and breath of air, deliveries due over the next few days apparently, so we won't be going far. Not done any muddling for ages, must have a look in the old summer house and check all is running well over the weekend.

GP rang to tell me my PSA is good but my blood pressure isn't great, so a lift in the tablets dispensed till I get the weight back down to where it should be, the young nurse who took my pressure said I should weigh 14 stone, I haven't weighed that amount for about 50 years, 10 kgs to lose, but doubtful this side of Christmas lol. 16 stone when fit and playing rugby, however I'm now almost 18 stone and not playing rugby, so maybe a diet is a good idea.

G'night all

[polybear]

10 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

I can remember one trip from Canterbury to Solihull just before Christmas. Early 1970s. It was very cold. I had to get off my BSA C15 every 15 minutes and hug the engine to warm up a bit. I wanted to get a cup of tea in a cafe in Towcester but they  didn’t serve motorcyclists. They were otherwise empty. Next time I saw it they had gone out of business. I am sure electrically heated gloves were available then in Motor Cycle News adverts. Probably military surplus, like my Spanish Airforce boots.  

 

Bear had a C15 for several years - about the only bike I've owned that I sold at a profit.  I quite liked it, though having the gear change on the wrong side was a bit weird.

[petethemole]

4 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

I can remember one trip from Canterbury to Solihull just before Christmas. Early 1970s. It was very cold. I had to get off my BSA C15 every 15 minutes and hug the engine to warm up a bit. I wanted to get a cup of tea in a cafe in Towcester but they  didn’t serve motorcyclists. They were otherwise empty. Next time I saw it they had gone out of business. I am sure electrically heated gloves were available then in Motor Cycle News adverts. Probably military surplus, like my Spanish Airforce boots.  

My grandfather drove a 1933 Vauxhall until about '64/5. It had no heater so he acquired some ex-USAAF heated gauntlets (as issued to bomber waist gunners) and had a socket fitted to the dash to plug them in. Grandmother made do with a huge fluffy rug and a hot water bottle (for longer journeys, like visiting us, 16 miles each way at a leisurely trundle).

[polybear]

3 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

In the room the other side of the  wall  I'm facing are 200  laptops that the IT procurement arm of Defence ordered and the security arm of Defence has banned from ever being rolled out onto the network.  The order was fulfilled in a Chinese factory of a major international computer manufacturer and the likelihood that the news of an order for laptops destined for "Department Of Defence Australia" not reaching the Chinese Government is extremely unlikely -  either way better safe than sorry.

 

That was a really bright bit of procurement......

I guess now the hard bit is finding a manufacturer that has nothing to do with China, or uses Chinese chips....or software.....or employs anyone with links to China.......or working for them......or.......

Seems pretty straightforward then....

[monkeysarefun]

6 hours ago, polybear said:

 

That was a really bright bit of procurement......

I guess now the hard bit is finding a manufacturer that has nothing to do with China, or uses Chinese chips....or software.....or employs anyone with links to China.......or working for them......or.......

Seems pretty straightforward then....

Mate you have no idea what they get up to! For instance if you are of interest to the Chinese government  (maybe you work for your goverment or for a major manufacturer with a Chinese competitor) and  you  arrive in a Chinese airport with your phone on (or even if its off if its an iphone) you may as well throw it away by the time you've gone through baggage check. Seriously.

Edited December 17, 2021 by monkeysarefun

[Ozexpatriate]

9 minutes ago, polybear said:

I guess now the hard bit is finding a manufacturer that has nothing to do with China, or uses Chinese chips....or software.....or employs anyone with links to China

Hence the criticality of the Taiwan Strait.

 

A couple of 'random' search results:

Quote

Responsible for 63% of global semiconductor market share, Taiwan lies at the heart of the semiconductor industry ...

In total, Taiwanese companies supply 63 percent of global semiconductors, compared with 12 percent by U.S. manufacturers.

In 2019, the market share of South Korean semiconductor manufacturers was around 18.4 percent in the global market.

80% of all electronic devices made today, is made either in South Korea or Taiwan.

 

Edited December 16, 2021 by Ozexpatriate

[monkeysarefun]

10 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

That was a really bright bit of procurement......

I guess now the hard bit is finding a manufacturer that has nothing to do with China, or uses Chinese chips....or software.....or employs anyone with links to China.......or working for them......or.......

Seems pretty straightforward then....

The order was put in good faith to the manufacturer, there is an enquiry as to why it was diverted to being  fulfilled in China in particular, previous orders came from Mexico. The Chinese government has strings to pull in places you wouldn't believe. 

[Ian Abel]

26 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

With the thunderstorms I imagine all that snow you had earlier was gone. (It sounds like it is back.)

Indeed, it all went away, rather quickly. Now it's back but only in the form of a light dusting. The temps for the next few days will mean it isn't going anywhere tho  at -8C currently and going down to -11 overnight !

 

[monkeysarefun]

6 hours ago, polybear said:

Bear's highlight of the day:

Seeing some tw@t get a ticket for parking in a disabled bay outside the Co-op without displaying a Blue Badge .  I only regret not having time to stick around and see their face when they returned....

A previous midrise office I had looked down upon a Sydney street. One day I spotted a parking officer writing out a ticket for an illegally parked car and slip it under the wiper blade. A few minutes later owner of car arrives, angrily rips ticket out from wiper blade shoves it in pocket and tears off somewhere looking narked.  A few minutes later parking officer arrives, writes out ticket for illegally parked car and slips it under the wiper blade. Unfortunately 5pm came before I got to see the bloke return to his car...

[laurenceb]

Night awl

[Winslow Boy]

I was pleased to read ,PB's comments about the selfish f..kwit being ticketed for parking in a disabled bay as it was one of the irritations that really used to get me absolutely fuming when I encounter ed t. That and the looks of spite that I would get when I got out the car having parked in a bay and then assisted my mother out. It was clear that they thought neither of us were disabled.

 

Interestingly a civil enforcement officer note not parking warden can only operate on publicly owned land that is covered by highway regulations. So when you see an offence happening it is the land owners responsibility to stop it and that may not necessarily be the supermarket these days.

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[J. S. Bach]

5 hours ago, grandadbob said:

Evenin' each,

Very pleasant afternoon spent Zooming with friends but now I'm going to be a very naughty boy.  I've noticed some comments on something called Naked Attraction.  If "indecent" photos upset you maybe you'd best look away now!

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry, couldn't resist it!  

Do you really want the poor thing straddling the San Andreas Fault?

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

I’ve once again spent most of the day in the cellar, working on my latest building, mainly on the interior, which may be viewed when the building is lit. 

 

Sheila’s package finally arrived today, thankfully everything was fine, so she’s a very happy bunny, but less so with the service, as it should have been here late last week, but didn’t get posted until Tuesday afternoon THIS week, so they won’t be getting good feedback/ reviews this time. 

 

No Charlie this afternoon, apparently there’d been some sort of c0ck up at work with a shift swap and he ended up working today, when he should have been off. The same has happened next week to,so he’s not a happy bunny. 

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[J. S. Bach]

Night Owl from the Piedmont.

[BR60103]

19 hours ago, pH said:

There’s been a scow grounded in the Niagara River, not far upstream from the Canadian Falls, for over a century:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niagara_Scow

Some of my father's uncles were involved in the rescue too, but only one guy seems to get his name mentioned.

 

[BR60103]

The next city over set a new record high for the day; forget what but near room temperature. 

 

[iL Dottore]

12 hours ago, polybear said:

….Yet we still somehow manage to have 1.4M unemployed........

Me thinks there are jobs out there for virtually everyone - if only many of them (not all, in fairness) could be bothered to get off their ar5es and go and get one….

Sadly, there are too many amongst the unemployed who are unemployable - for a whole host of reasons - some outside of the individual’s control, others well within an individual’s control. The problem facing most Western countries is how to address these reasons. Not an easy problem to solve…

10 hours ago, TheQ said:

Yep windows at work went fahrenheit a couple of days ago. I suspect an unannounced update, being typically American, no doubt somewhere in settings can change it back. Not sure I'll be able to at work as everything is administration rights only that they can make that way.. Also I get various stock market symbols alongside which turned up a week or two ago..

When my (current) business laptop rebooted after the latest Windows update a (big) notification pop-up appeared urging me to “upgrade (free!) to Windows 11” remembering how long it takes Microsoft to bug-fix each new iteration of Windows, I clicked on “NO” (and will continue to refuse the “upgrade”)

10 hours ago, Ian Abel said:

Curious as to whether this is the first "souffle" or the first "cheese souffle"?

Both. My first soufflé and my first cheese soufflé (though as you mention it, a sweet soufflé might be an alternative)

10 hours ago, grandadbob said:

..I've noticed some comments on something called Naked Attraction.  If "indecent" photos upset you maybe you'd best look away now!…

You call that indecent?
Where are the naked boiler tubes? The exposed firebox? The (pant, drool slaver) glistening inside motion???

Disappointedly 
Pervy of Pudbury

7 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

….then I could accompany her in some Christmas torture shopping. The rest of the afternoon was quite (un) memorable. Yuk and double yuk….

As much as I enjoy a spot of retail therapy, I absolutely hate shopping with Mrs iD - especially if it involves buying clothes. Whatever the answer to the question “what do think of this [clothes item]” the answer will ALWAYS be wrong. Paradoxically, when I do buy Mrs iD a clothing gift (the latest being a lovely long - dog walking friendly - waterproof greatcoat) she invariably loves the item (the aforementioned greatcoat has seen extensive use during the recent rainstorms). Go figure!

 

A short walk with the doggies awaits, before an intensive morning at work before POETS. And now that the modelleisenbahnzimmer has been liberated from the oppressive yoke of Mrs iD and her cruel, sadistic minions, I can now start the Signalbox build I’ve promised a fellow ER. So some enjoyable m*****ing is foreseen for this weekend.

 

Happy POETS day to all

 

iD

[jamie92208]

Good moaning, I don't need to say where I am as Mr Gates' no 3 chip will tell you. The arm where the Moderna version was inserted aches a bit but no other side effects so far.

 

My blood pressure appears to be under control after an up and down day of travel restriction announcements.  After several about turns we are still due to head for the UK to see our little blonde bombshell.  Her latest trick is to sing Delila, and stay in tune, at least for the chorus.  Various preparations will be made today and a friend needs to be taken to Saintes railway station.  In return for that favour I might even be allowed  some time in the shed later.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

Edited December 17, 2021 by jamie92208

[chrisf]

A social evening yesterday produced some carols and nibbles but I did not sing with my mouth full.   There was also a quiz in which I won some chocolate coins.  It's all go round here!

 

Chris

[monkeysarefun]

2 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Sadly, there are too many amongst the unemployed who are unemployable - for a whole host of reasons - some outside of the individual’s control, others well within an individual’s control. The problem facing most Western countries is how to address these reasons. Not an easy problem to solve…

The unemployed are actually playing a fairly vital part in keeping down the price of the stuff you buy. Full employment although a noble aim would actually be bad for the economy as a whole because demand for labour would push up wages, thus inflation and prices. The economic masters would then  jam on the brakes and soon there'd be unemployed workers again as businesses suffered. 

 

The trick is to figure out the level of unemployed an economy needs in order to prevent this - the  NAIRU or Non Accelerating Inflation Rate Of Unemployment. It was traditionally given that 5% of workers out of work was the magic number but recently with the US managing 3% unemployment with no adverse effect on inflation the figure appears to be somewhere around there.

 

But in the UK for instance this still  means that close to a million employable people need to be sitting at home doing their bit for the economy by not working and therefore keeping wage demand and  thus the prices you pay for things down.

 

So why not give them a cheery wave and a thanks mate! the next time you see one - unless they are breaking into your car.

Edited December 17, 2021 by monkeysarefun