Early Risers.

[Tony_S]

Well, that was a quick trip to the docs!

Ten minutes early but I thought I'd go and wait indoors as my car is old and the heater is poor! Much to my surprise, I was sent straight in and the doc agreed with yesterdays prognosis - it's probably excess meds making me into a zombie so they are cut in half with a view to coming right off them. If my energy returns, I won't need them anyway!

Feeling optimistic.

John.

I was put on some medication a few years ago. It was a bit of "let's see if this works, come back in a month". I confirmed it seemed beneficial but I felt itchy everywhere. I assumed the doctor would reduce the dose, but he doubled it. The itchiness side effect disappeared.

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

Bright & sunny after a proper job frost so it should be nice for the walk to the chiropractor - and Carol,  the receptionist, has rung to say 'don't drive - congestion due to road works at the top of West St'; shame the local 'paper closes for press today otherwise it would have given the now very less than likely lad (Rodney Bewes) something else to moan about.

 

Trusting no further news about the various in-patients is good news.

 

Have a good day one & all.

[southern42]

' Morning all from red dragon land.

Third day in a row of bright sunshine.  

 

Great to hear from Jock.  Hope it all goes well.

 

Followed the link for sunrise/sunset for Bangor.  Hmm. Only City option for Wales is Cardiff.  Hey! They've forgotten us Gogs* again!   Liverpool is about as close as it gets and guess what? There is a time difference!

 

Liverpool (today)

Sunrise = 8mins later

Sunset = 11mins earlier

Daylength = 19 mins shorter than Cardiff  [EDIT Better make the most of it then!]

 

* Gogs = people from North (Gogledd) Wales.

 

Ray's shouting, "Excellent!"   That sounds promising - he's playing trains setting up sounds on the locos for the weekend.

I've got some little people to paint and some weathering to do over the next few days.

 

Have a good day all.  Hope it's as long or as short as you want it to be. 

Edited February 24, 2016 by southern42

[AndrewC]

Morningish all from "beautiful" Bishopsgate. True to form we had sunrise this morning. No doubt the sun will set again later this afternoon.

 

As is normal the project I'm on has been bungled by the client. Handbags at 10 paces and all that. Cockwomble doesn't even begin to describe the people responsible for the fustercluck they've twisted themselves into.

 

All quiet on the hospital front for Jock and Debs. Hoping that all is well.

 

Ready to rip our GP's useless staff a new one. Got a call the other day saying there'd been a request by the local NHS trust to move my records from the practice. I don't think so. Then I got a bunch of waffle about me having to reply to a letter from the local trust to confirm my address. No such letter ever appeared. Then I was told I need to re-register at the practice. A bit of checking confirmed my suspicions. The bunglec***s had sent my records back in error and can't recall them with out my permission. That means having to sign a new registration form. Rather than admit their cockup, I get lies and bullsh*t. I'll be filling in a registration form all right but not at that practice.

[AndyB]

Aggggghhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!

 

I just wish that was me gargling. 

 

<Rant On>

AndrewC lexicon deployed to fullest.

<Rant Off>

[Tony_S]

Morningish all from "beautiful" Bishopsgate. True to form we had sunrise this morning. No doubt the sun will set again later this afternoon.

 

As is normal the project I'm on has been bungled by the client. Handbags at 10 paces and all that. Cockwomble doesn't even begin to describe the people responsible for the fustercluck they've twisted themselves into.

 

...

My brother often found himself having to sort out the project for the client following his employers attempts to implement. He was told off by one project manager for being too client orientated. As Pete was Client Support Manager he was quite surprised! An awful lot of IT projects just don't ever seem to reach completion.

[The Lurker]

My brother often found himself having to sort out the project for the client following his employers attempts to implement. He was told off by one project manager for being too client orientated. As Pete was Client Support Manager he was quite surprised! An awful lot of IT projects just don't ever seem to reach completion.

There is usually a fundamental disconnect between the client/business user who vaguely knows what they want but not how to express it in techy terms (and at managerial levels often doesn't get to see the non routine work around situations in the current system) ad techy guys who know how to put a system in that does what the spec says, but don't understand what the client actually wants/needs

[Tony_S]

I mentioned earlier we are going on a cruise in April. Aditi has just had an email upgrading our cabin. Same grade but nearer the middle of the ship. Perhaps if I keep mentioning it in posts we will get more upgrades! B)

Edited February 24, 2016 by Tony_S

[New Haven Neil]

The NHS proved that one for me, Tony!

[Tony_S]

The NHS proved that one for me, Tony!

When I taught IT there were so many case studies for my students to look at for background! They only had to investigate something relatively simple though.

My brother couldn't understand how people implementing something that they knew would not work as specified could sleep at night. Pete retired early.

[sixoh8sixoh]

Afternoon all from a very sunny Scottish HQ!

 

I had to head down to Durham yesterday (late) afternoon and then back up again this morning. Beautiful frosty morning, -3 in Rochester (north of Otterburn, not the one in Kent, I hadn't taken a detour!) and some very light snow as I drove up to Carter Bar and down to Jedburgh. Was playing roadkill bingo - spotted (already extinct, not as a result of me imitating the North Wales police...) a deer, 2 badgers, a fox, a hare and a pheasant. Just needed a sheep to get a full house...

 

Great to hear Jock's on the mend. Hope everyone else is doing as well as can be expected!

[Ian Abel]

HUMP day, ta da.

 

Interesting that as talk turns to IT projects, thanks to Andrew for setting us down that path, and cockups/confusion of direction, I give you;

 

A day in the life of a consultant in a dungeon on Long Island...

Sitting in the dungeon yesterday, the project manager arrives wanders in - he lives in Florida but shows up here weekly (weakly!!)) often on Tuesday. We have decided he is too disinterested to try and actually arrive on Monday, LIKE THE BLOODY REST OF US -  around 9AM. Spends an hour doing not much in particular bent over his laptop, then dons his coat and buggers off.

I figure he's off to get some lunch, who knows! Returns about 3 hours later, strolling in, packing up his laptop and announcing he's leaving for the day, "...oh and I'm on vacation the rest of the week...". What the FLOCK?!?!?!

VP of finance, who I'm working closely with, who actually knows what's going on and is excellent to boot, shows up an hour or so later and inquires about said PM.

When informed of the events, she sallied forth with a expletive stream that would've made Andrew very proud, then says, "why does he #$!@$!@$ even bother?".

On we go with the project, secure in the knowledge that we'll actually be far better off without his input help fat-fingering everything.

 

OK, heads down again, more reports to create and "information dashboards" to build. For the latter, spec from above "PM" is total nonsense, so I'm creating what makes sense instead rather than waste everyone's time

 

+6 cloudy/foggy and light rain driving in. scheduled to become +12 and continual rain all day "heavy at times" according to the sorcerers seaweed twirlers  forecasters!

 

Head over the HUMP and we'll meet on the other side, hopefully refreshed and ready for the approaching weekend

Edited February 24, 2016 by Ian Abel

[roundhouse]

Morningish all from "beautiful" Bishopsgate. True to form we had sunrise this morning. No doubt the sun will set again later this afternoon.

 

As is normal the project I'm on has been bungled by the client. Handbags at 10 paces and all that. Cockwomble doesn't even begin to describe the people responsible for the fustercluck they've twisted themselves into.

 

All quiet on the hospital front for Jock and Debs. Hoping that all is well.

 

Ready to rip our GP's useless staff a new one. Got a call the other day saying there'd been a request by the local NHS trust to move my records from the practice. I don't think so. Then I got a bunch of waffle about me having to reply to a letter from the local trust to confirm my address. No such letter ever appeared. Then I was told I need to re-register at the practice. A bit of checking confirmed my suspicions. The bunglec***s had sent my records back in error and can't recall them with out my permission. That means having to sign a new registration form. Rather than admit their cockup, I get lies and bullsh*t. I'll be filling in a registration form all right but not at that practice.

Moor Brewing Tap take over in the Rake tonight to wind down?

Edited February 24, 2016 by roundhouse

[AndrewC]

HUMP day, ta da.

 

Interesting that as talk turns to IT projects, thanks to Andrew for setting us down that path, and cockups/confusion of direction, I give you;

 

A day in the life of a consultant in a dungeon on Long Island...

 

When informed of the events, she sallied forth with a expletive stream that would've made Andrew very proud, then says, "why does he #$!@$!@$ even bother?".

seaweed twirlers  forecasters!

 

 

Oh dear I seem to have ended up with a reputation of having a potty mouth.  

 

Not to try to out womble Ian, but my client has got project manglers on top of manglers. Consultants and contractors in higher places that are happy to play the stall and charge game. A governance regime that is still based on 80s main frame cultures. Department heads that can't be arsed to engage, and worst of all the minions who are more interested in protecting their micro-fiefdoms. All of these are feeding at the budget trough which is bloated to say the least. Even government doesn't p*ss away this much money.  

 

Monsieur Roundhouse: that is a very very good plan. See you there. Save me a seat.  

[Tony_S]

Oh dear I seem to have ended up with a reputation of having a potty mouth.  

 ...

 

Matthew and I were discussing swearing and insults this weekend. He said the Dutch are quite forthright people but wishing a disease on someone seems to be the basis of severe cursing. I mentioned Andrew's inventive use of language and Matthew said he didn't think generally people from Alberta seemed to swear much at all. Unlike his time in Australia, he quite taken with the use of language in the workplace, certainly in his workplace!

[AndrewC]

Matthew and I were discussing swearing and insults this weekend. He said the Dutch are quite forthright people but wishing a disease on someone seems to be the basis of severe cursing. I mentioned Andrew's inventive use of language and Matthew said he didn't think generally people from Alberta seemed to swear much at all. Unlike his time in Australia, he quite taken with the use of language in the workplace, certainly in his workplace!

Obviously Matthew never visited an oil company office when he was there. The air is blue most of the day. Full stops were replaced with f**k in many conversations.

[Ian Abel]

...Not to try to out womble Ian, but my client has got project manglers on top of manglers. Consultants and contractors in higher places that are happy to play the stall and charge game. A governance regime that is still based on 80s main frame cultures. Department heads that can't be arsed to engage, and worst of all the minions who are more interested in protecting their micro-fiefdoms. All of these are feeding at the budget trough which is bloated to say the least. Even government doesn't p*ss away this much money...

Hang on.... are you working on the same project as me, sure sounds like it?!?!?!

[Tony_S]

Obviously Matthew never visited an oil company office when he was there. The air is blue most of the day. Full stops were replaced with f**k in many conversations.

Matthew said the people he knew used to substitute other letters to replace the u and c rather than say the word.

[108]

Good to hear from Jock and Debs.

Best wishes to you both.

 

Sunrise in Fingal* at 7:22

Sunset at 17:51

 

* current location about 10 miles north of Dublin City centre.

[NGT6 1315]

Oh indeed, sunrise and sunset. 7.06 am and 5.41 pm today for Leipzig, zenith at 12.24 pm.

[PhilJ W]

As I spent most of my career working in the payroll department hearing choice language was part of the job, the worst offenders were some of the female office staff. Worst of all was one woman manager and what was more surprising was that she was a devout Christian who went to church every Sunday. I found some of our IT people a bit strange but not surprising some of the cockwombles we both had to deal with. The best managers to deal with were those in the departments where they had 'come off the tools' that is where they had in most cases worked in that department since leaving school. They knew their own job, and the job of everyone under them like the back of their hand, to work alongside many of them was a pleasure. Unfortunately most if not all of those sort had gone before I retired, replaced by those with a piece of paper in their hands saying that they can do the same job, as if.

[Barry O]

Despite Ed Cold I have had a successful house fixing broken bits day... new shower bits bought and fitted, new handles for downstairs toilet bought and fitted, odd bits of silicon sealant replaced...woo hoo!

 

But Ed Cold is resilient.. a force 4 curry didn't even dent it!  A big slug of Scotland's' finest also seemed to bounce off.. may need to take supreme measures and go for a hot curry!

 

Project Management is an art as it is generally full of artists. 

When we had the Challenger 2 Design, develop, deliver and maintain contract we had 12 in the Project Team. None were artists but had a good grasp of what had to be done and by when.

 

At a more recent contract they had lots of PM team members - but no plan(!). They didn't like me suggesting if they all failed to arrive for work together delivery times would reduce by 6 months!

 

Mind you we had some SAP insultants  consultants who charged the earth but seemed to have little clue as to how to deliver software.. patches added whenever they were available, no holistic view of how it was all going to work.....Lummy I wish the Lloyds TickIT assessors had visited! The overall PM (who was a contractor on megabucks per day) threatened to leave a meeting as I kept asking him "awkward" questions. In the end he bought me a pint and we got on fine!

 

Baz

Edited February 24, 2016 by Barry O

[pH]

There is usually a fundamental disconnect between the client/business user who vaguely knows what they want but not how to express it in techy terms (and at managerial levels often doesn't get to see the non routine work around situations in the current system) ad techy guys who know how to put a system in that does what the spec says, but don't understand what the client actually wants/needs

I presume people will have seen this cartoon, but just in case some haven't ... http://i2.wp.com/tamingdata.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/tree-swing-project-management-large.png

[New Haven Neil]

Evening all.  Just seeing if I could still say that....

 

Hoping fornews from Jock, and Debs seems to be recovering OK.  My best wishes to all others undergoing treatment and stress too.

 

Busy at work, as usual, which is good.  No project managing cockwombles, just a small team all pulling in the same direction.  This was not my experience in general as an NHS manager, however I did once, er, project manage an IT system installation for a Nurse Bank.  Did I really do that    I must have been mad.  It worked too, which was less to do with my 'skills' in that direction than a decent IT supplier who understood our needs.  Then I became the manager of a busy outpatients department and learned what bad IT was like!    Still, it was that job that drove us here, so I should be thankful.  

[pH]

Matthew and I were discussing swearing and insults this weekend. He said the Dutch are quite forthright people but wishing a disease on someone seems to be the basis of severe cursing. I mentioned Andrew's inventive use of language and Matthew said he didn't think generally people from Alberta seemed to swear much at all. Unlike his time in Australia, he quite taken with the use of language in the workplace, certainly in his workplace!

 

Swearing is usually in defiance of some taboo in the culture. I understand that the 'worst' English-language swearwords are Anglo-Saxon based because that was the language of the 'underclass' after the Norman Conquest. In Quebec, swearwords are religious terms being used out of context, since Quebec was at one time dominated by clerical authority - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quebec_French_profanity .

 

I've worked in places where swearing was so common that it lost all impact. To emphasise something, it was not unusual to split one swearword in order to insert another.

 

Incidentally, I find mildly amusing the use of an acronym in discussions on here of 3D printing which used to be (and possibly still is) a very rude word in Scots.