Posts by Intractable Potsherd

Re: It's what a sad, angry minority wanted

@Phil: "At the moment the person working hardest to destroy it is Nicola Sturgeon, with assistance from some EU members who would love the chance to smack the UK for daring to leave, and who have always found that a divide-and-conquer strategy is best for them."

Once again, a Brexiter using the same argument *against* Scottish independence that they used *for* coming out of the EU. You can't have it both ways - either independence* is good for all or it isn't good for anyone. What is it about the English that makes them want to keep a failing union together? Is it that they know that the Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are a huge net benefit to them?

*Note: being a member of the EU never actually took away independence from the UK in any meaningful sense.

Oh, yes!!

Re: Many years ago...

I like that idea - when making a *really* serious point, switch on the gravity!

Re: What to do if you're contact trace positive

Evidence is building up that between 40 and 80 per cent of the worlds population is not susceptible to the virus - https://unherd.com/2020/06/karl-friston-up-to-80-not-even-susceptible-to-covid-19/

Apple does care about that - hence the walled garden.

Re: re: 1) my phone blocks numbers not in my contact list

"Many companies use number withheld for good reason. If someone from that company calls you and gets no answer, you would probably see the missed call and call back."

Nope - no message with relevant extension number etc, no return call. Calls with no message are almost always to the caller's advantage, not mine.

Re: Easy solution!

Max Richter's "Sleep" is very good for falling asleep to, as well. The great thing is, when all eight CDs are ripped to whatever device you choose, it plays all night!

Re: "Sons of Obama"

Thanks, C - you are probably right in this case.

Re: Optional?

"Mandating" is very difficult without mandating ownership of a) smartphones* and b) those with certain operating systems. With no difficulty at all my main Android phone could become a home-based terminal whilst any one of my Sailfish or Nokia/Sony Eriksson chocolate bar phones become my everyday carry (perhaps a different one on a cycle only I understand!) I won't be the only one El Reg reader, let alone UK citizen, that does something similar. As I've said many times, if government wants my identifiable data, it should ask for permission. Make it an advantage to me, not solely to them, and persuade me it is going to handled properly, and then we'll begin to talk.

*I know India has developed a system for some feature phones, but only some.

Re: To my shame ..

What's your evidence for that? Oh, yeah - none at all.

Re: They need jail time then

This is a case where not making a decision constitutes a decision.

Re: "Of 296 passengers and crew on board, there were 112 fatalities."

@AC: I had a look at the archive expecting the plane to be a Wellington, but was wrong - it was a Lancaster!

I loved the bit preceding that incident - "On 19 May, during a raid on the Tours marshalling yards, on final approach and waiting for the bomb-aimer to order ‘Bomb doors open’ his aircraft was hit by another Lancaster flying in almost the opposite direction. Another foot or so and there would have been one almighty bang. He managed to maintain control of the aircraft, continue the run and drop their bombs. Quiet an achievement given that he was now flying on only two engines, the port outer propeller was bent backwards and 12 feet of the port wing was missing. The Perspex top of the cabin just above the pilots head was also smashed which reduced the cockpit temperature dramatically. It was a long, slow, cold and dangerous return for the crew especially as German night fighters were on the look out for damaged aircraft such as his. He landed safely at RAF Tangmere in Sussex although 61 Sqn base was in Lincolnshire." Seriously good flying!

Re: They are to big to fail

Bouncing would be better than a horrible death in a fire-ball!

Re: Bon Voyage

For me, the only sour note is the MAGA-esque jingoism - "Hey, its All-American, woot woot!!11!"

I expect a bit different from El Reg.

Re: Data sovereignty, eh?

Nurse - he hasn't taken his pills again!!

My mother still does! She seems to have an endless supply of teabags without perforations - there is no way to make good tea in her house without bringing our own supplies (and that can lead to awkward situations!)

However, that isn't the worst. At my friend's mum's funeral recently, he recounted her recipe for tea - put cold water in a mug to half-full, add a teabag from the side of the sink where it had dried out from previous use, put mug with water and teabag into microwave for two minutes, add milk to fill mug, and serve. I assumed it was a joke, but the number of knowing nods around the room suggested otherwise. Fact-checking afterwards seems to verify that this was indeed true, which just goes to show that there is always something worse than you have imagined!

"1000s of people cramming on to UK beaches, beauty spots, parks etc because we are having the hot weather who could be spreading the virus right now."

The evidence is becoming much stronger that the chances of catching the virus outdoors are very, very low - approaching zero, in fact. This comes from looking at rough sleepers (virtually no transmission) and known clusters (all bar one indoors, and, interestingly, associated with noisy environments including choirs, concerts, and nightclubs). Essentially, being indoors with people singing and/or shouting seems to be the optimal way to catch this thing. Being outdoors is probably the safest place.

Re: He should be grateful he's British

Why were a bunch of "ultranationalist and xenophobic" nutters doing talking to an ultranationalist and xenophobic nutter from a different nation and "race"? Surely their creed demands that there is no common ground. It must be difficult having a meeting when everyone thinks they are inherently superior to everyone else in the room!

Re: Nowt so thick

As far as I can see from (fairly) extensive reading, there is nothing that makes Huawei kit less reliable or trustworthy than any other manufacturers' kit, and more reliable than some others. Apart from some gobshite in a country that is largely irrelevant to a UK university's purchasing decisions, no one else seems to thing there is a serious problem, either. Here's a thought - maybe the kit bought is most appropriate for the job, all things taken into account.

Re: @DougS

In essence, clothing fits into my argument the same - if there is a provable reason to *insist* on clothing then it is fine (despite the fact I never wear trunks, and would never go into any type of business establishment, or even visit e.g. an ice-cream van, without a shirt, I won't go into a shop/cafe/whatever that has a sign insisting on a minimum level of dress). However, it doesn't need a huge change in social mores to get people to wear clothing whilst out of the house (at least in the UK), so your argument fails.

Re: By Any Other Name

I think there is a word missing - "Unredacted", maybe?

The OP has one post, and joined 18/05/2020. Assume troll and don't feed.

Re: Can't beat this

There is a very slight bend in a road on the South Yorkshire/West Yorkshire border that is known as "Nigel's Bend" to members of a couple of motor clubs due to the distance from the tarmac and depth of penetration into the woodland that was achieved one evening!

Re: "Nasty little nationalist."

But essentially the same sentence - "Who cares about the economic future, Scotland UK will be "free". Might look good as an epitaph, not so great for the generations to come, at least those that can't emigrate." - can be applied to arguments to leave the EU, so why shouldn't we have the choice to put freedom before finance?

I was taught at law school that "Black Letter Law" is an abomination and denies the need for judges. The statute should point the direction, but not define the route taken nor the specific end point. I used to agree with that, but I now think that it misses a key point - the statute needs to be clear about the direction. The current state of statute writing is so shit that judges need to be far more disciplined in their interpretations.

Re: And this is why the Aussies are on top of it

If the number isn't recognised, the phone stays on the cradle. If you want an answer, leave a message.

(Note: I don't have school-age children, but this is my general rule and it would apply whoever called.)

Re: I think UK is just catching stray bullets

@mask AC: I'm starting to think you have a financial interest in mask sales. I don't care what you or other health absolutist want to wear - you can have a mask, a positive pressure breathing apparatus, or an NBC suit for all I care - but don't force it on me. It is unnatural and inhuman to wear masks, and, sooner or later, the time will come when they have to come off. Then, the follow-up infections will start.

Re: Not true

@misinformation AC: "Doctors wear masks, do they look like bank robbers?" Doctors, nurses dentists etc wear masks *for specified purposes*, and rarely when actually communicating with patients. They are, aware of the hugely negative impact of not having the evolutionarily maximally communicative parts of the face visible. Studies exist that show that trust takes a huge hit when communicated through a mask.

"Does all of Austria look look like bank robbers?"

Yes, yes it does. It also makes them look like paranoid fools.

"What about the successful European countries?"

Define "successful". However, I have stopped talking to my Czech friends and relatives if they insist on wearing the mask either on video chat or in person.

"... they are absolutely sure they are the smartest and most knowledgeable person in any room on any subject." Interesting - my experience is that lawyers are quite willing to acknowledge they don't know about $topic*, but then express complete disinterest because they don't know about it!

*Unlike doctors, especially GPs and surgeons