Re: In other news

On 17.09.2023 19.50, Merlyne wrote:
> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
> news:[email protected]: 
> 
>> On 09.09.2023 22.51, Merlyne wrote:
>>> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
>>> news:[email protected]: 
>>>
>>>> On 06.09.2023 14.22, Merlyne wrote:
>>>>> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
>>>>> news:[email protected]: 
>>>>>
>>>>>> On 30.08.2023 14.42, Merlyne wrote:
>>>>>>> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
>>>>>>> news:[email protected]: 
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On 24.08.2023 16.55, Merlyne wrote:
>>>>>>>>> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
>>>>>>>>> news:[email protected]: 
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> On 18.08.2023 14.51, Merlyne wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
>>>>>>>>>>> news:[email protected]: 
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> On 13.08.2023 23.28, Merlyne wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
>>>>>>>>>>>>> news:[email protected]: 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 09.08.2023 14.19, Merlyne wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> news:[email protected]: 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 01.08.2023 13.32, Merlyne wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> news:[email protected]: 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 27.07.2023 15.32, Merlyne wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> news:[email protected]: 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 22.07.2023 17.21, Merlyne wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> news:[email protected]: 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 18.07.2023 13.24, Merlyne wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> news:[email protected]: 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 12.07.2023 13.22, Merlyne wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> news:[email protected]: 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 08.07.2023 17.01, Merlyne wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> news:[email protected]: 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 05.07.2023 14.14, Merlyne wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> news:[email protected]: 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 02.07.2023 16.29, Merlyne wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> news:[email protected]: 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 28.06.2023 13.31, Merlyne wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I got a new phone and a better plan.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Why are cell plans so much more
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> expensive 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> in my country vs the US? 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> CAPITALISM! It's always capitalism.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> We've been over this. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Sure. Are you sure that it's not related
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> to population base? 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> If you pay the same country-wide and you
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> the same coverage in sparsely populated
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> areas (I know you have some of those),
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> then maybe. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> But most likely capitalism. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Ugh!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I got a new S21 and 20GB of data for
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> $47/month taxes in. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I pay a base fee of ~$4/month (deducted
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> from consumption) with slightly higher
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> per-minute charge and no free data. But
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> then I only use 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> data in emergency (which haven't
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> happened 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> yet) and make maybe two calls and two
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> texts/month. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I used to have a prepaid cell for like
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> $10 a month back in 2003 when it was my
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> emergency phone. Once I started using it
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> all the time, 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> it was more cost-efficient to have a plan
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> with unlimited talk and text. I would say
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> that I am most frequently contacted by
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> text than by other modes i.e. voice call
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> or email. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On the other hand I still pay for a
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> landline (IP) even though it hasn't made
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> a sound (or call) in several years. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I also have a landline. My Dad calls it
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> and a few places where I keep forgetting
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> to change my contact info to my cell. I
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> think the landline isn't VOIP it's
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> whatever came 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> before that but after rotary dial phones.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Analog... (rotary dials relied on counting
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> the impulses - one for each digit passed
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> on return; pushbutton 'dialing' relied on
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> the frequency of the tone correspondig to
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> each digit/button) 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> They will probably phase it out
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> eventually. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Like they did with teevee signals, thus
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> making everyone get new teevees... 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I thought I got a new tv because the old
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> one stopped working. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> That may be, but lots of people got new tvs
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> because their old one couldn't
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> receive/decode the digital signal. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The cable company gave out digital conversion
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> boxes to people. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Can you still get one of those. To use on an
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> old teevee that you buy at an antique shop?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I doubt anything would work on a tv that old.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> In theory it would. It would require a digital
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> to analog conversion and probably a granularity
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> reduction from HD to PAL or [whatever the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> American format is called]. An old cable
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> converter might just work if one could bypass
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> the subscription bit. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> It could work from an antenna. Some channels are
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> in the air. In HD even. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> That's what I meant, using the antenna as input
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> for the box. A really old TV will probably make a
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> mess of an unaltered HD signal. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I can imagine.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> It would probably make a mess of SD signals too.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> And if by some miracle it could be made to work,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> there probably wouldn't be anything good on anyway.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Nonsense! There are always quality programming
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> available like those reality shows were a farmer
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> needs a wife. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Grrr! No matter when I look it seems to be all
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> American 'Married at first sight' or some survival
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> show... 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> There's now a couple of them on about finding a spouse
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> for farmers. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> And some where they put couples in an isolated spot and
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> see how long it takes for people to cheat on their
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> partners. *sigh* 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> And how long does it take? I need closure.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Sorry, I don't have that information. I don't watch that
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> type of programming. It's detrimental to my health.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> I bet it would help you fall asleep = good for your health
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> Not really. I tend to get irrationally angry that this shite
>>>>>>>>>>>> is even produced, much less broadcast - using my money to do
>>>>>>>>>>>> it. 
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> But it's outside your control. You need to chill.
>>>>>>>>>> That certainly does not lessen the frustration.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Here have some Gatorade.
>>>>>>>>>> Mmmmm... electrolytes. (I've never actually tried Gatorade.)
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I think my Dad bought some in the 70's when it was green sea
>>>>>>>>> water. It's pretty gross.
>>>>>>>>> I'm sure the stuff they have now is full of sugar.
>>>>>>>> Well, sports people need their energy.
>>>>>>> This is just a guess - it's mostly non-sports people who drink
>>>>>>> it. 
>>>>>> Also the sports people/teams who are sponsored by the company, I
>>>>>> bet. At least when they are on teevee.
>>>>>
>>>>> Or the Gatorade container is filled with water. At least that's
>>>>> what it looks like when they dump it on the winning coach.
>>>> One would hope so, given the stickyness of sugary drinks...
>>> But you never know...
>> That may be what happened to that Spanish womens football coach...
> He got drunk on fermented Gatorade and kissed one of the players?
Or maybe he was covered in sticky Gatorade and unwittingly was sticking
to the players mouth...

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I see that Big Brother is back for it's 25th season.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Ugh!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> But of course it is... It's what the people want.
>>>>>>>>>>>>> People are stupid!
>>>>>>>>>>>> Gatorade contains a lot of electrolytes... (guess the
>>>>>>>>>>>> reference for the chance to win a modest prize)
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Idiocracy?
>>>>>>>>>> Yup! I'll mail you a gold star...
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> YAY! I hardly get any snail mail anymore.
>>>>>>>>> This is so exciting.
>>>>>>>> Hang on. I need to find a stamp... I'm sure there are some
>>>>>>>> around here somewhere.
>>>>>>> I'm so excited. I never win anything. I have to pee!
>>>>>> You know what they say: You can't win unless you play. Maybe you
>>>>>> should start doing some sportsball or something... After you are
>>>>>> done peeing, obviously.
>>>>>
>>>>> I can't picture me playing team sports.
>>>> There are types of sportsball where you play alone (against an
>>>> opponent, obviously). Also without team sport you don't get to
>>>> imbibe the team spirit...
>>> No. I get that at work.
>> Oohh! do you get to go on retreats and play stupid games too? (Made up
>> by a genuine behaviourist sociologist.)
> 
> Before COVID, we had stupid team building exercises.
> One time a manager brought in a bag of carrots and tried to get us all 
> to go outside and make a snowman.
This was in winter, one assumes.

> Another manager had a stuffed animal that each person was supposed to 
> take home for the weekend and then share the toys adventures with the 
> rest of the team.
Invasion of privacy if I ever saw it. Mind, if it had been me the stuffy
thing would most likely have experienced doing laundry and watching
telly. Very adventurous.

> During COVID, they tried a bunch of virtual events because they think we 
> are retarded 6 year olds. Show 'n' tell, anyone?
I don't remember most of the stupid tasks we were given at those
sessions. Most of they were to do with working as a team, and everyone
was faffing about getting nowhere until someone took charge and started
giving orders. More often than I care to remember someone being me -
just to get the thing over with. Great way to consolidate respect for
section managers and such who was doing their fair share of faffing.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> They do show Colombo (again) but late at night and I
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> still remember all the plots from last time.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I don't remember all the Columbo plots. Doesn't matter
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> since they show you who did at the beginning of the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> show. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Yes but Colombo is more about howdonit than whodunit...
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> and Colombo pretending to be dumb but really being very
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> smart of course. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> And one more thing...
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Oh yeah, it must have slipped my mind for a moment...
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I have Acorn and BritBox now so I can catch up on all
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> my British murder mystery shows. I feel with the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> writer and actor strike that there may be a long tv
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> show drought. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I get BritBox as well (on that streaming service).
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> They have Yes Minister/Prime Minister.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I never watched that one.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> It's a good introduction into how gubbernment *really*
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> works... sort of. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I'm going to finish Good Omens and then watch the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> latest season of The Witcher. The next season of The
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Wheel of time starts September 1. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I did see a Canadian police series in french. It had
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> all the right characters:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> - a neuro-divergent sketch artist with 'amazing'
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> abilities, - a wheel-chair bound, female chief always
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> wearing a baseball cap, - a young arab gay forensic
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> investigator, - a semi-alcoholic older detective who
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> broke all the rules (violently) - a middle aged female
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> researcher, who was a former elite hacker. And that
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> was just the Good Guys(tm). 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I don't know that one. I used to watch 'District 31'
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> when I was on language training.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 'Portrait Robot' in Canadian. ('The Sketch Artist' in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 'danish'). I don't know 'District 31' but I do have a
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Belgian series of all things, all about sex-crimes.. in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Flemish language. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> And speaking of programming, I wrote a Python program
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> today without taking a course.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I had no idea you were a parseltongue.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Well, I had to do something after I failed out of
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> wizard school. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Is that even possible. I thought you would just have to
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> take the year again. Or become Key Warden or something.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> But eventually they found out that I'm too stupid to be a
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> wizard. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Is that even possible? I thought it's an innate ability
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> for those whom it is gifted.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> I'm more of a Rincewind type of wizard or not gifted at
>>>>>>>>>>>>> all. Smoke and mirrors!
>>>>>>>>>>>> I'm not familiar. Or _a_ familiar for that matter...
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> That's what the cats are for.
>>>>>>>>>> I have no cat. Also no wizardry.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I have a cat. It does what it wants.
>>>>>>>> I'm somewhat familiar with the behaviour of cats.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Not familiar with the rules of being a familiar.
>>>>>>>> Me either. But that's okay since I'm not a cat.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> One of these day I'm gonna install the ADA
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> pre-compiler for gcc again and think of something to
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> code in it... Something with a lot of things happening
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> at the same time. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> No, you won't.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I will. Some day...
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Right after you build that water feature in your yard,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I'm sure. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Well I won't be able to work on the water feature in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> winter, so I could do the installing then.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Isn't that when you are painting the living room?
>>>>>>>>>>>>> *snickers*
>>>>>>>>>>>> No that was this spring, theoretically... Or next spring.
>>>>>>>>>>>> Some time when I can keep the doors and windows open.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Anyhoo....
>>>>>>>>>>>>> You should learn Python so that you can nitpit my code.
>>>>>>>>>>>> What made you think that I don't know Python? (I don't, but
>>>>>>>>>>>> still) 
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> It was a calculated risk. It was created after you left
>>>>>>>>>>> school and were a fully functioning adult with a regular day
>>>>>>>>>>> job. 
>>>>>>>>>> Yebbut I was reasonably capable of learning several
>>>>>>>>>> programming languages for many years after that.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> As did I.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I think once MS took over the workplace, most people learned
>>>>>>>>> VB. 
>>>>>>>> And some probably even learned a programming language as well.
>>>>>>> Probably.
>>>>>>> I usually end up teaching myself.
>>>>>> Whereas I on several occasions ended up teaching others...
>>>>>
>>>>> I haven't taught anyone to program, but I do end up reviewing other
>>>>> people's code. I get questions about 'How do I do thing X?' I have
>>>>> one programmer who can't program from scratch. I usually have to
>>>>> meet with him and outline step 1, step 2 etc.
>>>> But you are supposed to learn that in programmer school...?
>>> I think his degree is in Philosophy or History or something non-
>>> programming. How he got into this line of work, I'll never know. He
>>> told me his dream job would be to work on video games. He would die
>>> in that job.
>> Probably. How he got the job: probably the same way as everyone else -
>> lied on his resume...
> 
> I would be impressed if that were the case. This one has about 0 
> initiative. 
Maybe you could assign him to go to all the meetings...? Just tell him
to say "No".

>>>>> Sometimes people write 10 pages of code to do something when all
>>>>> they need is the coalesce function.
>>>> Isn't that more an unwillingness to RT(F)M?
>>> No one does that.
>> I always did. And it served me well on many occasions. More people
>> should RTM.
> 
> You lost the F!
If one RTM before it becomes am urgent necessity there is no F involved.

>>>>>>>>>>>> What made you think I can't nitpick any code from a position
>>>>>>>>>>>> of relative ignorance?
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> But really. Code is code. The symbols may be different but
>>>>>>>>>>>> logic is forever...
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> That's what I keep telling coworkers who are panicking about
>>>>>>>>>>> having to learn Python or R. If you can program, you can do
>>>>>>>>>>> it in any language. You just have to learn to syntax.
>>>>>>>>>> And memorise all the function libraries, of course... Piece of
>>>>>>>>>> cake. 
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Nah. I mean the stuff I use often will get engraved in my mind.
>>>>>>>>> Anything else, will be googled.
>>>>>>>> But... your productivity!!1!
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> All pensionable time!
>>>>>>> If they want me to be more productive, they need to get me more
>>>>>>> staff and stop assigning me extra work.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Your productivity isn't going to increase if you run out of work
>>>>>> to do. 
>>>>>>
>>>>> That will never happen. When we are understaffed, I don't have time
>>>>> to focus on my own work. All the work has to be distributed amongst
>>>>> the existing staff.
>>>>
>>>> Delegation is work, though. Particularly if you have staff.
>>>
>>> It's a delicate balanacing act.
>>
>> Another reason why wearing heels to work is a bad idea?
>>
> I definitely wobble less in flat shoes.

One of several reasons why I never wore high heels to work.

-- 
BeH

" We are trapped by language to such a degree that every attempt to
formulate insight is a play on words." - Niels Bohr