Early Risers.

[monkeysarefun]

3 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Have you done the maths?

 

 

St. Lucia: 5.5 gold medals per million population

 

 

Are any of those horse based? They do not count and in fact you should get an extra  medal  taken off your score.

[Ozexpatriate]

6 minutes ago, pH said:

as you scrape each decal off the stack on the plate

Nah, just stick the new one on top of the old. They're too sticky to get them off each year.

 

Eventually a big clump of them will come off with some encouragement when the pile is thick enough to get some purchase on.

[Ozexpatriate]

11 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

Are any of those horse based?

Both medals (St. Lucia and Dominica) are for athletics - the domain of the Caribbean islands.

 

 

Edited August 5 by Ozexpatriate

[PupCam]

32 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Older technology nodes will last longer, particularly those manufactured with >10nm critical dimensions. I believe that the semiconductors being made now - are not likely to last nearly as long. My calculator from my university days still functions - though it could use a new battery I think.

 

Agreed. Flavio's ( @iL Dottore 's) post was about reparability - not the conscious decision to terminate support for old hardware/software platforms which have not failed (electrically or mechanically) - which they don't want to do because it is both very expensive and cannibalizes new sales.

 

There are infrastructural costs too - like supporting a 3G wireless network (or earlier).

 

 

So was a good part of mine ....    The lack / difficulty / cost of repairability forces the very wasteful disposal of equipment which could still have a considerably working life.

 

And who forces the infrastructure to become old?    Oh, that'll be the manufacturers thrusting later whizzo technologies on to the public when there's nothing intrinsically wrong with the earlier standards.

 

 

[Ozexpatriate]

43 minutes ago, Peter Kazmierczak said:

Wonder what the Olympic medal table would look like if it was based on the ACTUAL physical number of medals given out?

I did see this the other day and thought of @monkeysarefun

 

NBC: Why are there different Olympic medal counts? What to know about the tally

 

NBC is the broadcaster in the US.

 

Google by the way presents results in the same format as the official Olympics page.

[pH]

3 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

…

Eventually a big clump of them will come off with some encouragement when the pile is thick enough to get some purchase on.

And there’s a problem. If some unscrupulous person can remove several layers with the top (I.e. current) decal intact, those layers can then be stuck on to another licence plate. It’s not very often that anyone is going to check the serial number on the decal as being appropriate. The decals here were in several irregular parts on the adhesive backing to try to prevent a whole individual decal being taken off cleanly. (And the advice was to scrape off the expiring decal before putting the new one on, though seldom followed.)

[Ozexpatriate]

11 minutes ago, PupCam said:

So was a good part of mine

Yes your washing machine story is appalling. That was clearly deliberate. The drive to miniaturization of electronics form factors is different - it is driven by density - not a desire to make them unrepairable.

 

That what they are doing is unrepairable may be a happy coincidence for the manufacturer but it is not what is driving the decisions.

 

Edited August 5 by Ozexpatriate

[jjb1970]

As has been highlighted, obsolescence becomes a much bigger issue for industrial assets built for a life span measured in decades. 

 

Nowadays almost everything relies on computers, people tend to think of things like platform management systems but machinery will typically have shed loads of sensors and controllers, each of which has embedded software and which will almost certainly be superseded by replacement models multiple times within the life of the main machine.

 

If it's a safety critical application each of those devices will probably go through some sort of certification process or the user will be expected to be able to show it is suitable and safe for the application and there will be management of change processes.

 

People criticize things like digital engine management,  but the only way engine builders can achieve emissions requirements and efficiency demands of customers is to use things like common rail fuel system and variable injection and timing which demands digital engine management. I have sat in meetings where diesel engines have had engine management failures at 7 or 8 years and the engine manufacturer tells the user they can't repair or supply a replacement original and that the costs of upgrading the engine to current spec is hideous.

 

In fairness to engine builders, this is often exacerbated by people buying end of line obsolescencent hardware at clearance prices. I worked as an owners engineer on a new power station construction project where my employer had done that, many of the process controllers were obsolete when installed and the supplier was quite open about support ability.

[BR60103]

We used to have annual stickers on the license plates, but the government a few years ago stopped using them, along with the  sticker on the vehicle permit.  We were advised to remove ALL the stickers if we were travelling out of province as some police forces might not be up to date with our regs.  They have also stopped informing us when our licenses expire, but it is on our birthday. They are also planning to move the bureaus from the government buildings to a kiosk in a stationery chain. (US owned!)

This on top of:

paint peeling off the plates (illegal to apply your own paint)

new design plates that couldn't be read at night.

 

[iL Dottore]

7 hours ago, PupCam said:

That's an unusual aircraft scale🤔

Indeed and what's intriguing is that Revell also make a Bell UH 1 "Huey" in 1/32 scale (the usual large aircraft) as well as in 1/24 (rarer than hen's teeth, apparently), 1/48, 1/72 and 1/100.

 

I've never really understood why military vehicles and the like are modelled in 1/35, whilst aircraft are modelled in 1/32 (a similar discrepancy exists with 1/72 [armour, aircraft, etc] and 4mm model railway matériel). I dimly recall reading an article many, many years ago that explained why this was so. Unfortunately, I don't recall the explanation.

7 hours ago, PupCam said:

I'll say it for you iD;  it's a pathetic and pointless attempt to find fame if not fortune for whatever reason.   As you intimate of no actual use at all.

As I alluded to before, using the vernacular, I think it's very much a case of "willy waving" – as in "look what I've got and you suckers haven't!"

 

I can see the value of an unboxing video as the first part in describing how a certain model was built – especially if the video is edited after the entire model is constructed and the unboxing contains useful nuggets of information like "Puppers Models has released two versions of the 1/24 Scale CCI GmbH 'corporate security Huey gunship: the basic PB-line model and the deluxe iD-line which also includes some nice etched brass and turned metal components, but costs twice the price" 

 

Here's a thought: what if "unboxing videos" serve the same purpose as televised football does for the sports mad couch potato?

 

ION

In a rare moment of insanity*, not only did I buy a 1/72 scale Roman Trireme to build, but I also bought a second one (from a different manufacturer - but possibly from the same moulds). I have no idea why, apart from the fact that it seemed like a good idea at the time. Anyway, I've always wanted to have a decent sized ship model in a case and none of the modern ship kits (at the least the ones easily available to me) appealed. Building something like HMS victory was definitely not on the cards – I'm far too old to learn how to make such complex rigging, so given my interest in Roman history and the relative simplicity of the rigging of ships from the era, a trireme seemed a logical choice.

 

* OK, hands up who said "waddya mean 'rare'?"

[iL Dottore]

6 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Agreed. Flavio's ( @iL Dottore 's) post was about reparability - not the conscious decision to terminate support for old hardware/software platforms which have not failed (electrically or mechanically) - which they don't want to do because it is both very expensive and cannibalizes new sales.

 

Err, actually it was about both, Oz.
 

The first of the two paragraphs was about how perfectly good items that have no defects are rendered inoperable by lack of software support (leading to things like opening an app on your device and getting the message <this app must be updated to be used> going to get the upgrade only to be told <this app will on operating system version N+1> only to find that < operating system version N+1 is NOT available for your device >).

 

My second paragraph was about the repairability, or not, of equipment. Regarding repairability, I know I've said this before but it bears repeating: most (but not all) equipment destined for the professional markets are designed to be repairable with spare parts being readily available; their domestic market equivalent usually are not designed to be repairable. The example I have oft quoted is that of my Nisbet's professional countertop ice cream machine – in which every single part can be replaced if it fails (and those parts are available) and it's domestic cousin (from Betty Bossi) which is more or less the same machine but for which no repairs are envisaged and no parts are available.

 

I recently posted that I've been been watching various YouTube videos showing how people restore things, and it's really instructive to see how so much can be repairable. Okay, some of the restorers making these YouTube videos have well equipped workshops that would be the envy of any professional and have skill sets beyond that of grandad with a screwdriver, but they do illustrate what I think is a very valid issue: older items produced before (about) the 1990s for the most part can be repaired (even if this does involve more than just an IKEA tool kit and requires some sophisticated skill sets). Later made products often cannot.

 

So forgive me if I get a bit testy about those corporations trumpeting their "green credentials" whilst ensuring that their software support is as of short duration as possible and/or their products are designed not to be repaired

[Barry O]

Ey up!

 

Off to see the GP first thing then driving round Wroxeter in Telf Land for umpiring duties. We have had to scratch around to get a team together...pah!

 

Olympic medals.. well Yorkshire are doing well, I note that some of the Ireland team actually reside in Northern Ireland.. strange.. but then most IOC members represent some interesting places..

 

Time to get ready to go to the Marie Celeste...

Enjoy your day!

 

Baz

 

 

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from the Charente.  I was up and about early today.  Yesterday I discovered another wasps nest built inside part of the pool structure.  At least I discovered it after one of it's inhabitants had stung me..  Anyway this morning g I was out early before the little devil's were up and about. With the aid of some chemical warfare and a screwdriver I managed to get the cover off and the nest is now no more.  

 

Today is waiting day for a delivery company to ring to tell me when they are delivering g some new sturdy pool steps.  Once I know when they will be here Shoppi g will be organised. 

 

Like @Andy HayterHayter,  my licence doesn't have an expiry date but is plastic.  I did retain my 7.5 ytonne rights but have now let them lapse.

 

Jamie 

 

 

[Gwiwer]

8 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

NBC: Why are there different Olympic medal counts? What to know about the tally

It might have been an interesting read but it is both covered in pop-up adverts and paywalled. 

[TheQ]

Had to change my paper licence to photo when I came back from Saudi, as we'd moved here.

According to the UK government site Photo licences automatically have a ten year life even if it doesn't say so. I renewed my licence last year early,  as I had too when I'm 70 anyway and the nearest post office that does photo licenses was possibly being closed. Though it seems to have survived ..

Increasingly many UK post offices are in the newsagents, W.H.Smiths 

 

Mooring Awl,

4 hours sleep. , 3 hours sleep a good total for me.

Possibly caused by doing too much yesterday, also I had intended to do some computering yesterday evening, but was feeling very unwell, so just went to bed and finished reading a book on local unmentionables.

 

A forecast of 50 to 70% chance of rain means no outdoor work is planned today, so I'll do a little muddling, then while that sets I'll do the computering. Then back to muddling.

 

Just realised I'd ordered rotating servos, and servo testers to control some model radars I'm working on but forgotten any cables, so I've just wandered onto the web to order some. Kits that is, as they will be various lengths.

 

Time to go get a muggacoffee and breaky.

[jjb1970]

The only reason I got a license here was so I can hire a car in the UK. I still find it a bit bonkers that with a UK license they ask for a code to confirm the license and/or proof of address but with my foreign license they just take a scan of the photocard and that's it.

[iL Dottore]

10 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

The worry is that the removal of one gene or genes might have accidental side effects. I seem to recall a sci-fi series that had such a scenario as it's premise.

But you wouldn’t be removing the gene, just removing the population carrying the defective gene. The “normal” version of the gene would still be present in the genome.

 

A good example of this is the gene that codes for EGFR (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor). There are two types : WT (Wild Type) and mutated. Patients whose NSCLC (Non Small Cell Lung Cancer) have the mutated version of the gene have a much more aggressive lung cancer with poorer outcomes. People without lung cancer have (as far as I know) the WT version of the gene.

 

Unfortunately, very little in biology has a one-to-one relationship with the genome (1 gene = 1 physiological expression), and most things - from liver cancer to eye colour - involve a multitude of genes. So it is unlikely that a gene or even a cluster of genes directly responsible for criminality will be found. So my musings were basically a Gedankenspiele.

 

Much more likely would be the @polybear approach to jurisprudence: hang ALL the scrotes and let God sort them out…

[PhilJ W]

4 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

I've never really understood why military vehicles and the like are modelled in 1/35, whilst aircraft are modelled in 1/32 (a similar discrepancy exists with 1/72 [armour, aircraft, etc] and 4mm model railway matériel). I dimly recall reading an article many, many years ago that explained why this was so. Unfortunately, I don't recall the explanation.

1/72 scale and 4mm 00 scale came about in the 1930's when there was no crossover between model railways and model aircraft. The 1/72 scale (1/6th of an inch to the foot) was favoured because it gave models that were of a size that was easy to handle but gave sufficient detail. 1/76 scale is 4mm to the foot and was a development from H0 scale and uses H0 gauge track. Military modellers use a completely different system, model soldiers are given  a measurement such as 20mm which is very close to 00 scale or 35mm. 20mm is not the overall height of the figure but the height of the eyes. This is why military models  are to 1/35 scale as that is close to the 35mm standard of model soldiers.

 

Edited August 6 by PhilJ W

[New Haven Neil]

Morning, sunny it is, 19c and climbing.

 

Interesting talk about car tax/road fund licence/registration.  In the UK now nothing is displayed on the vehicle, being all digital.  here we still display 'tax discs' in our windscreens as we don't do modern, and don't have ANPR cameras everywhere.  Traffic wardens have a healthy trade in dishing out penalties for those who have an out of date disc (or a Guinness label) in the towns.  There was a time about 20 years ago when there was only one traffic warden on the rock, and he did a rota - Douglas on Monday, Ramsey on Tuesday etc, so it was a bit of a joke.  Now there's heaps of them and lots of tickets get lashed out. 

 

Ramsey quayside has chevron parking clearly marked as 'Reverse in, no vans', which gives them a lot of trade from those who can't read!

 

As regards traffic manners, well here there's a lot of the sort that do 40 everywhere, and I really mean everywhere, High Street or mountain road, which on open roads causes banzai overtakes by other frustrated road users, and those older generations who stop dead in the middle of a junction to chat to their friend they have spotted.  The youth just speed everywhere, used to keep me in a job.  We have 'R' Plates here for a year after passing your test, limited to 50 mph, they're a regular visitor to Magistrates on a Thursday morning!

 

 

[DaveF]

A fine but cooler and fresher morning with a lot of cloud, now and then the sun peeks out between the clouds.  The shopping has come, I ordered one small punnet of grapes but have 2 large ones, one red one white.  There was also a meat sub, I have rather a lot of chicken breasts so some will be frozen shortly.

 

There is not much else on the agenda, I may have a look at the letter box in the front door as the plastic rod which keeps the outer cover in place and lets it open has broken, for now it is glued together.  I think somewhere I have a metal rod of the right size which can replace it.  If not I'll have to get a new one.

 

I now have to decide whether to go out somewhere or just be content with a walk and do things at home.  At the moment the latter is the more tempting.

 

This morning I was looking at my photos on flickr, specifically the number of views they get.  Non railway photos generally get a good number of hits.  Railway ones with a nice shiny engine, be it steam or diesel do well, so do some infrastructure images.  DMUs and Pacers do least well.  I wonder why (I think I know the answer )?

 

David

Edited August 6 by DaveF

[Peter Kazmierczak]

And another Olympic thought...

Why is Germany so "poor", if we assume getting medals is a "good" thing, compared to say, GB and France? 

Is it a legacy of the cold war divided nation, or something else? 

Edited August 6 by Peter Kazmierczak

[PupCam]

Morning

 

9 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Yes your washing machine story is appalling. That was clearly deliberate. The drive to miniaturization of electronics form factors is different - it is driven by density - not a desire to make them unrepairable.

 

That what they are doing is unrepairable may be a happy coincidence for the manufacturer but it is not what is driving the decisions.

 

 

We are going to have to agree to disagree on this.   In my opinion, for what it is worth (probably not a lot), what they are doing is more than a happy coincidence it is one (note not the only one by a long way) of the factors that drives design, manufacturing and commercial decisions.    I'll say no more for fear of this turning into a RTR v Hand Built model loop.

 

3 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

ION

In a rare moment of insanity*, not only did I buy a 1/72 scale Roman Trireme to build, but I also bought a second one (from a different manufacturer - but possibly from the same moulds). I have no idea why, apart from the fact that it seemed like a good idea at the time. Anyway, I've always wanted to have a decent sized ship model in a case and none of the modern ship kits (at the least the ones easily available to me) appealed. Building something like HMS victory was definitely not on the cards – I'm far too old to learn how to make such complex rigging, so given my interest in Roman history and the relative simplicity of the rigging of ships from the era, a trireme seemed a logical choice.

 

Sometime ago somebody on here was singing the praises of a book "The Anatomy of Nelson's Ships" by C Nepean  Longridge.  Whilst not a ship modeller or even really a ship person I found a mint condition second hand copy on line for about £25.     As another example of how I can get distracted by going down unfamiliar rabbit holes I mentioned recently I bought it.    It really is an excellent, informative  and interesting book about a subject I know almost nothing about* and "I commend the book to the house".        Flavio go on, it's never too late to have a bash!

 

*  The extent of my knowledge of ships is probably limited to "Boats float and boats sink".   I'm reminded of the time many years ago when I joined a new (to me, it was actually a very old product) project at the GE.  I was asked what I knew of this long established product.   My answer was "It's white and pointy" which was an accurate if not technical indication of my background knowledge on the particular subject.    I'd learnt a great deal by the time I'd finished.  Fascinating and amusing, I can say no more.

 

3 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Err, actually it was about both, Oz.
 

The first of the two paragraphs was about how perfectly good items that have no defects are rendered inoperable by lack of software support (leading to things like opening an app on your device and getting the message <this app must be updated to be used> going to get the upgrade only to be told <this app will on operating system version N+1> only to find that < operating system version N+1 is NOT available for your device >).

 

My second paragraph was about the repairability, or not, of equipment. Regarding repairability, I know I've said this before but it bears repeating: most (but not all) equipment destined for the professional markets are designed to be repairable with spare parts being readily available; their domestic market equivalent usually are not designed to be repairable. The example I have oft quoted is that of my Nisbet's professional countertop ice cream machine – in which every single part can be replaced if it fails (and those parts are available) and it's domestic cousin (from Betty Bossi) which is more or less the same machine but for which no repairs are envisaged and no parts are available.

 

I recently posted that I've been been watching various YouTube videos showing how people restore things, and it's really instructive to see how so much can be repairable. Okay, some of the restorers making these YouTube videos have well equipped workshops that would be the envy of any professional and have skill sets beyond that of grandad with a screwdriver, but they do illustrate what I think is a very valid issue: older items produced before (about) the 1990s for the most part can be repaired (even if this does involve more than just an IKEA tool kit and requires some sophisticated skill sets). Later made products often cannot.

 

So forgive me if I get a bit testy about those corporations trumpeting their "green credentials" whilst ensuring that their software support is as of short duration as possible and/or their products are designed not to be repaired

 

An excellent and far more succinct post than mine Flavio 👍

 

ION

 

The Lurgy has reared it's ugly head.   The most likely source was from my hospital visit last Thursday.   If it was then I sincerely hope I've not passed it on to a certain Bear or Tony and Mo last Friday.     One good thing, I did a Covid test this morning which was negative 😀    Today was to have been a looking after and playing with the the two Junior Junior Puppers.   That has been cancelled due to the lugification - Pah!    Plan B has therefore been actioned:  Mrs P to go and spend the day at their house and look after them there.

 

Various trucks have turned up outside one complete with a digger.   A first chat with the team leader has outlined their plan and I have shown them where the joint of our feed from the main cable is.   The tarmac patch is still on the pavement from when the joint failed 25 years ago just after we'd moved in.        They will be checking for a cable break along its length first, I'm hoping it will prove to be that the main joint has failed again as I I'm not particularly looking forward to them digging up the drive!   

 

I've just received some positive news of my best mate's wife who suffered a cardiac arrest last Thursday.   She is finally making some positive progress, thank goodness.

 

Breakfast beckons

 

TTFN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 6 by PupCam
Typo

[Hroth]

12 hours ago, Hroth said:

Returning from my hols on Friday, I found a brown envelope saying that I needed to renew my licence before it expires in a months time.  As I can't do it online (no passport, bluddy ridiculous...) I have to go to a post office that deals with such things.  I therefore had to locate a suitable PO. Naturally on Friday and over the weekend the effin Post Office website was down for maintenance so I couldn't get it sorted today. However I have now located a suitable PO so I'll go there tomorrow morning to try and get it done...

 

Bluddy idiots.

 

Its no wonder the police chase programmes are full of cops chasing people with no driving licences...

 

 

Done and dusted.

 

I've now got a paper "Licence Replacement Receipt" (a piece of thermal till roll, when alls said and done) to prove to the plod if stopped that my licence is being renewed.  All I have to do is wait until Swansea get their arse into gear and send the new one out...

 

I may copy the piece of paper and laminate it to carry about so I can keep the original safe until the new Licence arrives!

 

ION

 

Morrisons Custard Doughnuts. Disappointing. Stick to jam ones (strawberry or raspberry) if you come over all doughnutty...

 

I think I shall snooze for the rest of the morning. 🤔

 

 

Edited August 6 by Hroth

[Jeepy]

And who forces the infrastructure to become old?    Oh, that'll be the manufacturers thrusting later whizzo technologies on to the public when there's nothing intrinsically wrong with the earlier standards.

 

If it ain't broke, don't 'fix' it, that's my motto! Lol! 

 

Cheers,

 

Jim.

[TheQ]

I got my replacement licence from dvla, within a few days, having had the photo taken and processed at the post office. The speed seems to indicate it was all done by computer, no cockups by human hands.