Technology in the current crisis.

[Roger Kettle]

Firstly, I hope that all of you and your friends and families are still healthy.
Secondly, hasn't the recent back-up technology been crap? As you well know, I have little interest in, and even less knowledge of, everything online. Having said that, I was led to believe it was an astonishing, almost flawless, wonder of the modern world. In these dark times, video link-ups have been the source of much amusement for me. Cut to a viral expert being interviewed from his home. (Always in front of a massive bookcase. By the way, I've yet to see a Beau Peep annual in there). Just as he's about to deliver an earth-shattering solution to this horrific pandemic, his face freezes into a grotesque parody of Mo from The Simpsons. This is accompanied by what sounds like a continuous, crackling burp. End of interview with an apologetic "We seem to have lost Professor Knowitall". Crap. Just pick up the phone. We have absolutely no need to see these people. Let's just listen to what they have to say.
Okay, I'm off to watch some TV now. From two metres, of course.

[Diane CBPFC]

I think it is called bookscaping. People pile up items behind themselves to give you visual clues to their identity. Thick leather bound volumes to show how smart they are and something whimsical to show they are still of the people.

[Mince]

Secondly, hasn't the recent back-up technology been crap?

Try IDrive. They offer 2TB of cloud backup for £11/year.

Having said that, I was led to believe it was an astonishing, almost flawless, wonder of the modern world. In these dark times, video link-ups have been the source of much amusement for me.

Yes, this is because people pay for a really fast broadband and then cripple it with a slow router and a laptop with a slow wifi card. This is akin to driving on a motorway with a go kart.

[Roger Kettle]

You took the words from my mouth.
On a slightly different note, why do people on TV insist on using "metres" and "kilometres"? (For example, we're all being told to stay "two metres" apart). Even the wonderful David Attenborough talks about snakes being "3 metres" long or polar bears being able to smell prey from "10 kilometres" away. Why? As far as I'm aware, every single road sign in the U.K. uses miles or yards to illustrate distance. I have never seen a sign that says "London 300 kilometres" or "Petrol 600 metres". Why are these measurements only used in TV land? It's time this was stopped. Give them an inch and they take a kilometre.

[Mince]

The UK started converting to metric in the 70s: we decimalised our currency, and began using centimetres and kilograms and Celsius in school. But stuffy old-fashioned politicians did not like Her Majesty's traditional British weights and measures becoming obsolete. And so we ended up in this ridiculous halfway-house, with petrol sold in litres and car efficiency in miles per gallon, with Celsius for cold weather and Fahrenheit for hot, with cooking oil in litres and beer in pints.

The same happened when the Americans abolished the 'u' in words like 'honour' and 'favour'. The process had already begun in British English with words such as 'pallor' and 'tremor', but once the Americans took the process to its logical conclusion, we decided that enough was enough and we stopped. And so again we're in this half-way house.

Sensible people have the kilometre and we won't even budge an inch. 

[Tarquin Thunderthighs lll]

I think it is called bookscaping. People pile up items behind themselves to give you visual clues to their identity. Thick leather bound volumes to show how smart they are and something whimsical to show they are still of the people.

Okay - here's mine. Not sure how close you can zoom in, but do your amateur psychology worst, folks. Note the Beau Peep Book. It's in good company...

[Mince]

Did you get the quadcopter out the loft for this photo?

[Tarquin Thunderthighs lll]

No, no - that’s where it lives...since it landed there.

[Max]

"On a slightly different note, why do people on TV insist on using "metres" and "kilometres"? (For example, we're all being told to stay "two metres" apart). Even the wonderful David Attenborough talks about snakes being "3 metres" long or polar bears being able to smell prey from "10 kilometres" away. Why? As far as I'm aware, every single road sign in the U.K. uses miles or yards to illustrate distance. I have never seen a sign that says "London 300 kilometres" or "Petrol 600 metres". Why are these measurements only used in TV land? It's time this was stopped. Give them an inch and they take a kilometre".

They can take our imperial measurements, but they'll never take the bawhair. 

[Roger Kettle]

 

[Sandy Buttcheeks]

They can take our imperial measurements, but they'll never take the bawhair. 

I'm with you, Max.

As a young engineering apprentice I was trained to use and understand both the "smidgen" and its little brother "the bawhair". 34 years later, I still have no idea of how many bawhairs there are in the smidgen, but given the amount of work I've seen that is "just a bawhair out, mate", it's most certainly open to the most varied of interpretations !!

[Bilthehut]

I think it is called bookscaping. People pile up items behind themselves to give you visual clues to their identity. Thick leather bound volumes to show how smart they are and something whimsical to show they are still of the people.

Okay - here's mine. Not sure how close you can zoom in, but do your amateur psychology worst, folks. Note the Beau Peep Book. It's in good company...

Where's the 'Hairy Steve' comic, Tarks?

[Tarquin Thunderthighs lll]

Where's the 'Hairy Steve' comic, Tarks?

   I was hoping not to be asked that question, Bill. Not sure how you could miss it...er...them...all 70 of them. I don't get a lot of visitors. 

[Bilthehut]

Where's the 'Hairy Steve' comic, Tarks?

   I was hoping not to be asked that question, Bill. Not sure how you could miss it...er...them...all 70 of them. I don't get a lot of visitors. 

Didn’t want to embarrass you there Tarks, but I do like mine.

[Bilthehut]

And here it is