Early Risers.

[iL Dottore]

Any medical insurance to use up before you leave Doc?

 Ed

Alas, no. We don't get medical through work, but rather through our own insurance (though sometimes big companies can negotiate a favourable rate with one insurance company for its staff's health insurance - but we are talking BIG companies...)

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. The skip is now full and ready to go, a bit peeved as I paid VAT on it and I've just been informed that I didn't have to as I'm not a business and its placed on private property. The skip companies charge VAT as a matter of course and it involves them in a bit more paperwork if VAT isn't charged (and once its been paid thats it). I seem to recall many years ago a builder who was doing work for my father telling him to order the skip as it would work out cheaper, now I know why, unfortunately my father didn't tell me or I've forgotten why and how it was cheaper. The person who told me of this is a neighbour who is a landscape gardener who I told to make use of the skip as I'd only half filled it anyway. This morning he gave me £30 for letting him use the skip which just covered the VAT.

[AndyID]

We had some of the bits from EDSAC at GU Computing Science (not Computer Science BTW!) including some of the mercury delay-line storage units. We also had the operator's couch (so the operator could have a kip while their program was running) and the "memory available blackboard" which showed which bits of memory were actually working at that point in time

 

SOLIDAC was built with germanium transistors, and every time it was switched on, one or more would expire. I had the fun job of fixing it! (Taught me a lot though.)

 

More on the same. http://physicalimpossibility.com/2013/01/05/1967-computer-music-produced-in-glasgow/

 

Tom O'Beirne used to blast his latest pibroch composition around the department - which drove a lot of people crazy!

[BoD]

All was well for about 5 years and then my employer decided a certain national optical company could supply this service at a lower price. I dug my heels in and refused to go anywhere else and to my surprise they allowed me to carry on as before. I reasoned such companies may not have that same system of care. Of course I would concede I may have been wrong there but why chance it.

 

Having had relatives in Edinburgh who were 'traditional' opticians I should be agreeing with you. However, both my recent referrals to the eye infirmary have been via a national optical company. Both referrals have proven both perceptive and timely. For which I am most grateful.

[bluebottle]

...  I'm having my eyes tested, then the fun begins of choosing the frames jointly - "I like this one" - "I don't" etc....

 

Daughter Helen accompanies me when I go for new glasses. If it comes to a disagreement between two styles, she bowls her unplayable googly: "You know best Dad, but these make you look younger."

Oh, all right, then...

[Tony_S]

Evening all

Sitting with a glass of red ethanol contemplating the meaning of life.

Have been to the eye infirmary today for the follow up to the op. They can't tell if the lens implant has bedded in or not. The internal eye pressure is 'sky high', these are the consultant's words, so I suspect this is a medical term. It was so high they wouldn't risk putting the dilatory drops in. So, I have even more, different drops, to put in and have to return in a week's time to see if they have had any effect and decide what's to be done next.

You must think me an ungrateful sod compared to some on here, but it's bothering me.

Just glad I can offload here.

Don't worry about off loading. I really sympathise with you on anything to with eyes. I never used to like any eye inspection and seemed to be very sensitive to any eye poking. I have had to get used to it unfortunately and try to be brave.

Are you perhaps doing too much? My friend had her cataracts removed and one eye wasn't settling as quickly as it should. Her surgeon asked if she had been doing any gardening for instance. She said no but had been scrubbing out all her buckets. She was told to desist!

Tony

[emt_911]

After having the full English I braved the DLR. This is the first time I've used it and I have to say that I wasn't overly impressed. The rest of the day was useful though.

 

BoD - By the sounds of it, the red ethanol is probably appropriate. I hope that the new drops work and you don't have too many more problems.

 

LE - It sounds like they're trying to shift the blame for providing dodgy kit. Have you contacted trading standards?

 

John - Although I found it funny that somehow you've time travelled 400+ years into the past, it's certainly not funny if you loose many hours of work over it.

 

Another early start tomorrow although this is back to the grind

[Tony_S]

After having the full English I braved the DLR. This is the first time I've used it and I have to say that I wasn't overly impressed...

Did you sit at the front and pretend to be the driver?

Going on the DLR at night at winter through Docklands is pretty impressive, if you like modern architectural lighting!

Tony

[Coombe Barton]

John - Although I found it funny that somehow you've time travelled 400+ years into the past, it's certainly not funny if you loose many hours of work over it.

 

It's happened so often that you get resigned to it and develop insurance strategies

 

Then you share the story with colleagues and get loads of similar things back.

 

Then you document it all for when things really do hit the fan or you're so fed up it becomes a real barrier to progress.

[laurenceb]

Night all

[AndyID]

 

This was the indication of one of the recovery files generated by my ****ing laptop today.

 

It's in the reign of Queen Elizabeth 

 

THE FIRST!

 

Capture.PNG

 

 

I wonder if perhaps the battery for the real-time-clock has gone TU?

[Coombe Barton]

I wonder if perhaps the battery for the real-time-clock has gone TU?

No, clock's OK

 

IT's not the first spurious date on this or other machines - Win 8.1 and Oxffice 2013 on Lenove are much more likely explanations.

[Tony_S]

It's happened so often that you get resigned to it and develop insurance strategies

Then you share the story with colleagues and get loads of similar things back.

Then you document it all for when things really do hit the fan or you're so fed up it becomes a real barrier to progress.

We had a similar situation at my last place of work. At a staff meeting where all the documented IT problems were discussed and examples of how teaching and learning were being affected the Principal said "no-one has died yet" and left the room. Edited June 16, 2015 by Tony_S

[emt_911]

Night all

[andyram]

Evening all. Quite late tonight so not managed a proper read through. I hope all is well and the various operations, eye tests, computer repairs go well.

A busy day today. I am out on courses tomorrow afternoon and all day Thursday so I have been frantically preparing resources for the supply teacher. I lost a bit of the evening to garden watering. My parents are still away so I have been left to make sure the plants don't wither and die in this spell of hot weather. Of course nothing is simple. "while you're out you can deliver these Avon packages" came Sarah's order. No peace for the wicked.

Word from the sunny Isle of Wight. My parents enjoyed the steam railway, although they ended up with an brutish Austerity tank instead of one the more authentic island locos.

Back here and I have at least started to write the application for the internal promotion. I have never seen so much bull related brown stuff on one page.

 

Have a good hump day.

[newbryford]

Won the big golf match today against BiL and his partner 6&4, so a bit of a tubbing. Family golf bragging rights are now mine.

 

As it's been my 4th round in 4 days in sunshine, I'm beginning to fee a bit frazzled and a large V&C is by my side as I type.

 

The next few days will be taken up with work and preparing stock for a trip to Perth Exhibition in 10 days or so.

Tomorrow night is the first of ten school prom nights at wife's work so I'm on vehicle marshalling duty as the prom vehicles arrive. I'll try and phot it if there's interesting stuff beyond the usual diet of stretched limos, shiny Mercs and fire engines.............

 

Cheers,

Mick

[AndyID]

No, clock's OK

 

IT's not the first spurious date on this or other machines - Win 8.1 and Oxffice 2013 on Lenove are much more likely explanations.

 

It's not entirely spurious. 1-1-1601 is the start date that Windows uses for it's clock. Sounds like it was reset.

[newbryford]

It's not entirely spurious. 1-1-1601 is the start date that Windows uses for it's clock. Sounds like it was reset.

 

And the accompanying message on 2-1-1601. "Windows requires an update........."

 

Cheers,

Mick

[The Stationmaster]

G'night all

[Jock67B]

Evening all,

Managed a quick look in despite the presence of the little ones - everyone bar me now asleep so I'll slurp the nightcap and join them soon!

Have to apologise to Sherry for getting the funeral date wrong! Thanks for correcting my error Ian, no doubt she will update us when time allows.

Flávio, it sounds like you might have had a better result than you could have anticipated - it's obvious that the current boss does value your talents but seems incapable of showing that he does! I would ensure that the relationship works in your favour in the future and wish you the very best of luck. I assume you will have the relationship written out in black and white?

BoD, I was terribly sorry to hear of your uncommon setback with the eye pressures and can only hope your problem is short term and that you are left without any defects in your vision. Please don't hesitate to use the supportive nature of ERs, I've found it a great help when things looked bleak and I'd gladly discuss anything you might want to get off your chest by PM if it helps!

Mick(NB), Well done on the golf course and good luck with your preparation for the Perth show. Is their a special reason for attending one so far away?

The hump approaches so I hope you all get over it safely! I'll try to look in again late tomorrow and it would be nice to read of some good things happening to our digital friends who are currently under the weather.

Kind regards,

Jock.

G'night all!

PS - looks like the disappearances of Tex and Trev are set to remain a mystery!

Edited June 16, 2015 by Jock67B

[Tony_S]

It's not entirely spurious. 1-1-1601 is the start date that Windows uses for it's clock. Sounds like it was reset.

Strange to think that we are now in a different Gregorian 400 year cycle to the one that Windows was first developed.

[newbryford]

Mick(NB), Well done on the golf course and good luck with your preparation for the Perth show. Is their a special reason for attending one so far away?

 

 

Not at all. It must be that Perth MRS like my layout(s)..... (New Bryford this time around - we took Blackmill two years ago.) I will be touting my next layout when I'm there.

 

Despite the 270 mile trip[1], it's a very good show from the operator side, the local club look after us and make us feel welcome. On the Saturday afternoon, the Club Chairman and Exhibition manager are known to come round and offer a wee dram to the layout crews.

 

Cheers'

Mick

[1] I love driving north, especially through the Lune Gorge on the M6 and over Beattock on the M74. Very rarely any traffic problems - that's the kiss of death for next week then!

[pH]

We had some of the bits from EDSAC at GU Computing Science (not Computer Science BTW!) including some of the mercury delay-line storage units. We also had the operator's couch (so the operator could have a kip while their program was running) and the "memory available blackboard" which showed which bits of memory were actually working at that point in time

 

I've posted this before, but I think it was before you joined, Andy. I've been inside one of the EDSACs in Cambridge University computing service, years after it was taken out of service. It was built round the walls of a room. When anyone of the original group who had worked on it retired, they would take a piece off the wall, bronze and mount it, and present it to the person retiring.

[AndyID]

 

Despite the 270 mile trip

 

270 miles! That's a Sunday afternoon drive. I'm about to drive to Southern California to collect a 3500 lb caravan and haul it back here. The fast route is Idaho, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, California. Only 1400 miles each way. (Hence the brake job on my truck.)

 

I'll try to get some train pics on the Cajon Pass  http://waynesword.palomar.edu/cencalif1.htm

[newbryford]

270 miles! That's a Sunday afternoon drive. I'm about to drive to Southern California to collect a 3500 lb caravan and haul it back here. The fast route is Idaho, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, California. Only 1400 miles each way. (Hence the brake job on my truck.)

 

I'll try to get some train pics on the Cajon Pass  http://waynesword.palomar.edu/cencalif1.htm

 

270 miles in the UK is probably a very different proposition to that in the US. Friday afternoon is usually hell on the UK roads, especially anywhere south of the M62. My longest drive in one day in the US was from New York to Williamsburg,VA - around 360 miles after a 8 hour transatlantic flight. Never again!

 

One of the best trips we had with a layout was Truro to home on a summer Sunday evening. About 360 miles in a Mercedes flyer Sprinter van. Although we expected heavy holiday traffic on the M5/M6, we decided to have a meal after packing up after the show and set off about 7pm. 360 miles was done in somewhere just under 5 hours (allegedly), including a PNB & fuel stop.

 

Cheers,

Mick