Early Risers.

[Tony_S]

2 hours ago, Coombe Barton said:

That's not the worst one - found some more after I posted

Before the days of AI generated essays Matthew said some,of the essays handed in by people on the MRes course he was on had the subject Google translated  into the students home language, the essay written in that language and then translated back from that into English, The university “encouraged “ him to help as he was one of two mother tongue English students on the course, or as he put it unpaid language tutors. He was mildly amused that some Dutch academics were especially critical of his English academic style. 
Tony

Edited January 26 by Tony_S

[Ian Abel]

1 hour ago, pH said:

Make sure you point out the possible problems here to Important People in the client organization, keep a record of that warning, and you can walk away humming “Not My Problem”.

The interesting juxtaposition is that the people I work for/report to, i.e. the Finance department, up to and including the director, all of whom I have an excellent relationship with, already KNOW the issues/problems.

 

The IT manager "feels" this is a position that can/should be an IT person that only needs part-time involvement. They've also "suggested" that the finance department may not doing things in a correct/accounting way and maybe should review their accounting methods!!!!

 

The Finance department have all along requested/recommended it be a full-time finance position reporting to and managed directly by them, as I currently am!

 

I know who will "ultimately" win, but it'll be fun watching.

The Finance director is a very nice. very bright/intelligent/knowledgeable woman who I get along with exceptionally well (for the past 8 YEARS - the person who asked for me to do what I'm doing), she is NOT someone who you want to cross or question their ability/knowledge of THEIR DEPARTMENT

I've seen her verbally destroy people who want to challenge her expertise with no knowledge, and the IT manager is IMHO treading a very tight rope...

 

Oh the joys of being a consultant, I can issue "told you so's" to all of the above and not give the proverbial "rats arse" at the end of the day 🤣🤣🤣

 

 

 

Edited January 26 by Ian Abel

[grandadbob]

Evenin' each,

Steady sort of day here in the Land of Sutt.  A mile and a half was walked and we went via the surgery to show proof of The Boss's ID* so she can sign up for online services.  * We've only been patients at the surgery for 40 years so I suppose it's quite right that they shouldn't take any chances!  🤪 Got home and it took several attempts to get past all the online security checks and finish the registration process but we managed in the end.

After lunch I spent a couple of hours in The Shed. Lots of stuttery running which I thought was a bit strange as I cleaned all the track the other day but then realised the problem was that a lot of the locos haven't been run for quite a while so I'm now going through all 70 odd locos and checking them out.  Ten sorted today and that was enough as the left peg was aching a bit.  More tomorrow.

In about half an hour I have a rugby match to watch, my team Quins are hosting @tigerburnie's Tigers.  It could be a good match and I would not like to bet on the outcome,  could go either way.   More rugby on offer over the weekend as usual so I expect to be extremely "busy."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 26 by grandadbob

[pH]

39 minutes ago, Ian Abel said:

…

I know who will "ultimately" win, but it'll be fun watching.

…

Sounds like it could be worth selling tickets for (and popcorn!).

[Sidecar Racer]

9 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

Their guaranteed cure for any earworm infection is to give this a burl on your telly or portable device.

 

 

 

You need proper chooky dancers though .

 

 

 

[TheQ]

Evening Awl,

Cold and no wind out there, could be very chilly in the morning so I've just topped up the stove.

Could get very confusing at the MRC as we have a Dave and a David joining.. confusing? Yep we already have a Dave and a David...

 

Not much done tonight just titivating, a RAF accommodation site.

 

Muggachoccy gone 

Goodnight Awl.

 

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Now that the car has been scrapped I will have to claim back the car tax, all £15 of it, I don't believe in giving the government any more money than I have too. Now on the lookout for a replacement car. I need a much larger car now due to my mobility problems, something like a Ford Galaxy or Vauxhall Zafira. 

[pH]

36 minutes ago, TheQ said:

 

Could get very confusing at the MRC as we have a Dave and a David joining.. confusing? Yep we already have a Dave and a David...

 

 

I have posted this before, but it seems appropriate to your situation, so please excuse the re-post:

 

https://youtu.be/xHYGYCyWK0o?feature=shared

 

[Gwiwer]

11 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

Their guaranteed cure for any earworm infection is to give this a burl on your telly or portable device.

That has indeed done the trick. 
 

The clip also proves just how little talent is required to top the music charts.  It peaked at number 2 thereby performing better than many (arguably) better songs by - among many others - The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Kylie Minogue and U2. 
 

I have clearly followed an incorrect career path. If performing a very basic choreographic routine to a very basic instrumental track gets you to almost top the hit parade then what might a (formerly long-haired) wannabe patella-percussionist and no sense of pitch but a half-decent baritone / bass range have been able to achieve?  

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all. 

[Gwiwer]

35 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

something like a Ford Galaxy or Vauxhall Zafira.

Kia Sportage or Dacia Duster?  Both would be in the running were I in that position 

[PhilJ W]

5 minutes ago, Gwiwer said:

Kia Sportage or Dacia Duster?  Both would be in the running were I in that position 

They're on the list as well as the Nissan Note but it all depends on what's available and at what price.

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[monkeysarefun]

1 hour ago, PhilJ W said:

They're on the list as well as the Nissan Note but it all depends on what's available and at what price.

  I'm hearing a lot about the Kia Starmer.

[BR60103]

4 hours ago, TheQ said:

Could get very confusing at the MRC as we have a Dave and a David joining.. confusing? Yep we already have a Dave and a David...

 

One year at a railway show our demo table was staffed by 3 Davids and a Dave.

 

[Ozexpatriate]

8 hours ago, Ian Abel said:

the Finance department, ...

 

The IT manager "feels" this is a position that can/should be an IT person that only needs part-time involvement.

A corporate drama as old as computing. Who owns what was once called "MIS" Management Information Systems - Finance/Accounting or IT?

 

In how many countless companies has this played out?

 

So long as it keeps generating billable hours.

[Ozexpatriate]

5 hours ago, TheQ said:

we have a Dave and a David joining.. confusing? Yep we already have a Dave and a David

David, Dave, Davo and Davey?

 

My youngest brother is a David. (Often Dave and Davo.) When he started school there were three Davids, two of them being David John.

[Ozexpatriate]

4 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

If performing a very basic choreographic routine to a very basic instrumental track gets you to almost top the hit parade then what might a (formerly long-haired) wannabe patella-percussionist and no sense of pitch but a half-decent baritone / bass range have been able to achieve?  

I belive the words of wisdom go something like this:

 

I shoulda learned to play the guitar
I shoulda learned to play them drums
Look at that mama, she got it stickin' in the camera

Man!  We could have some fun
And he's up there, what's that? Hawaiian noises?

Bangin' on the bongos like a chimpanzee
That ain't workin', that's the way you do it
Get your money for nothin', get your chicks for free

 

All of which raises questions - did a vinyl Brothers in Arms come with liner notes?  I remember it being one of the early very successful pop/rock compact audio discs (as opposed to classical music). It's amazing how much all on the online lyrics sites vary. (Lyrics above from here.)

 

(By the way, one Gordon Sumner shares writing credit with Mark Knopfler on that song.)

 

The linked video translates what I always heard as "moolah moolah" as "Ooh ah, move ah". Which of course leads to "misheard lyrics", famously so:

• "s'cuse me while I kiss this guy" (Jimmy Hendrix)
• "there's a bathroom on the right" (CCR)

 

Edited January 27 by Ozexpatriate

[zarniwhoop]

20 hours ago, Barry O said:

We seem to be missing even more ERs at the moment. @polybear, @PupCam, @zarniwhoop@Grizz, @Robert, @andyram, @NGT6 1315 along with several other more long term non attendees.  I hope they are all well.

Thanks for asking.

 

I'm ok apart from odd results from my CGM sensor, but mostly sleeping in what passes for normal hours here, and "up to my ass in alligators" trying to build - and document - some newer things on my PC and now searching far and wide for how to make it tell me what it is passing to each step of the compilation.

 

Thanks for asking, most of us show up, or rate posts, on TNM - at the moment I'm mostly skimming rather than reading everything.

 

Best wishes to @polybear who is fighting the dreaded black dog.

[Ozexpatriate]

An update to Microsoft Office 360 was pushed to me today.

 

Now the Microsoft Copilot (LLM-Generative AI)* attempts to complete my sentences in Outlook and Word.

 

Sadly it's predictive ability is not that bad - not 100% but well over 50%.

 

* Large Language Model, Generative Artificial Intelligence.

[Barry O]

Ey up!

 

Off to pontecarlos shortly so up and about early.

 

Overvtgecyears we have accumulated Andys/ Andrews at our Club. Easy peasy.. one is Andy, the next one is Fred.. etc..

 

Well,I now know what is like to frag your superiors.. write a truthfully letter about what they are doing wrong (and how it can be put right).. this was preparing the fragmentation grenade.. and finishing the letter equates to pulling tenpin out.).

 

Then, open email service up (open tent flap), then.. send it (roll the grenade in, shut flap , walk away).  No idea what will happen next...but I feel so much better for it!

 

So @Gwiwer the local Cornish Council.. are they locals or "people from else where" which can cause chaos.. like also stopping bells from ringing, farm animals from being m9ved from field to field etc?

 

Have as good a day as youcan. Great to hear that some of the "missing" ERs are ok.

 

Baz

 

 

 

[jamie92208]

46 minutes ago, Barry O said:

 

 

So @Gwiwer the local Cornish Council.. are they locals or "people from else where" which can cause chaos.. like also stopping bells from ringing, farm animals from being m9ved from field to field etc?

 

Have as good a day as youcan. Great to hear that some of the "missing" ERs are ok.

 

Baz

 

 

 

We don't have that problem in our village, OK technically a commune.  The council has 7 members.  Four are from the oldest and biggest farming family who'e been here since pre revolutionary days. 2 are from the upstart farming family who've only been here over a hundred years. The seventh is from one of the other two farming families.  Two incomers, Paris Ians, did stand at the last election but got about 5 votes each. The system works though they have the long term interests of the village at heart. 

 

Jamie

Edited January 27 by jamie92208

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from the Charente.  The telly now works very well with good quality pictures and all the channels work.  I had a good day out trainspotting so the world is a better place. 

 

The girls are to be talked to soon.  Then various bits of unspecified pottering.  Tonight we are going to a beetle drive.. 

 

Jamie

[iL Dottore]

Morning All,

 

Personally, I blame Chimpey @monkeysarefun. Had he not so generously 3D printed some bits and bobs for my “corporate helicopter” build, I would not be in this predicament. In other words, I want to drag my modelling skills (probably kicking and screaming) into the current century by moving to 3D printing but remain undecided: FDM or Resin?

 

Logically, one would get both types of printer, but Mrs iD - although amenable to getting one printer - is vehemently opposed to having both types…

 

Currently I’m edging towards FDM printing - I’ve seen quite a few excellent reports about the Bambu Labs FDM printers: minimal set-up, intuitive controls and - best of all - minimal to non existent layering.

 

Further research is needed.

6 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

  I'm hearing a lot about the Kia Starmer.

We definitely need a groan button!

 

8 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

….performing better than many (arguably) better songs by - among many others - The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Kylie Minogue and U2. 

You havin’ a larf or wot?

 

Now I’m the first one to admit that the petite and perfectly formed Ms Minogue is incredibly easy on the eye, but as a singer she is nowhere near Annie Haslam’s (Renaissance) or Maddy Prior’s (Steeleye Span) vocal power and range.

 

Could Kylie sing this?
 

Ms Haslam is easy on the eye as well 😁🥰♥️

 

Edited January 27 by iL Dottore
Forgot text

[Barry O]

2 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

 

 

The girls are to be talked to soon.  Then various bits of unspecified pottering.  Tonight we are going to a beetle drive.. 

 

Jamie

 Where are driving your VW????😎

 

Baz