Early morning. Had a snooze earlier and am not working today.
Weds at the pub was a bit of a washout. 2 of the hotel/restaurant guys turned up very late. It turned out funny in other ways. I had a a conversation with Frazer about the Scots referendum. Despite a strong accent, he does not have a vote as he no longer has family in Jockland. I know a few people ‘North of the Border’, all of whom are in the No camp. In no way is that represenataive. Asked how he would vote if he could, he said he was a conservative (the last conservative Scot?) and would have voted no. Gently I talked a bit more about his conservatism. He is ‘every man for himself”. I want a caring society. My ideal is nearer Skandiwegia, his beyond the US. He stormed off from me ‘before it comes to blows’. Strange. Must be a bit insecure in his beliefs.
My mother was a communist party member in the ’30s. Many idealistic people were. Nobody knew about what was really happenning in the USSR. My Polish grandfather was a member of a socialist club, after he had been thrown out of a German dominated choir because he was Jewish. The photos of the club are amazing. Chrinolines and frock coats.
Back in the pub, there was a large group of young women. Local ageing failed lothario Ray was trying to chat them up. I could hear 2 of them near me were speaking French, so we spoke for a few minutes. They were au pairs from an agency. Quite a few different countries. They left. Not my doing.
After that I was landed with Ray. He knew I speak Spanish and now French. He greets me we ‘Hola, Como esta?’ every time I see him. It is easier to say ‘Muy bien gracias’ than to get more involved. He has a few phrses, which are rubbish. He is an East African Asian. He speaks other languages, but does not appear to have an idea how languages work. Knowing about verbs is a big shortcut. He wants me to teach him. I declined. I told him a few things. He won’t remember, which will show why I won’t do it.
Today at work wasn’t too bad. I installed my new Lenovo ThinkCentre as my work PC. Windows 8.1 is going to take me a while to get used to. I don’t have my old desktop with all the icons. I think we got firm numbers for the Cap Ex form, which should happen today. We should be putting in a slightly high figure to come down from. Instead the figure is pared to the bone because unrealistic budgets have been assigned.
Protobikes 
Hi Jon,
Hope you are well – If you are still finding that you don’t like Windows 8.1 (and who does?!) give Classic Shell a try… Very small free program that gives you the old start menu back… Transforms Windows 8 and 8.1… http://www.classicshell.net/
All the best
Alan
Hi Alan. A colleague already suggested that. I’m going to discuss it with my support guys, but I am beginning to understand 8.1. It isn’t preventing me working, though the new Excel and Outlook can provoke some head-scratching. I think the blog says how I am. I don’t really anticipate doing much outside work until I retire in 2016.
I’ve been installing it on most of the Windows 8/8.1 machines I’ve worked on lately… I’m not keen on the new Office either… Very buggy…. Service Pack 1 has just been released for it so hopefully that might improve things… I really wish Microsoft would leave things alone. Windows 7 was a really nice, stable operating system and Office 2010 was very good as well…
I’ve not used a machine regularly with Windows 7, though I find it OK. I’m about to update my own machines to that. The new machine at work has Office 365. Over the 2 years of our contract it saves about 10K. Only breaks even after 3.5 years. We will try Classicshell. Much easier cutover if we are happier with it, but I have been trying to make8.1 work, with reasonable results.
Excellent… Hope to see you at Hillingdon – and roll on retirement!!! :o)
I will probably be there with the long lens
I’m still on XP… Actually, I’m posting this from my iPad. I hate it, but it was a present, so I can’t conduct an experiment to determine the exact at which it catches fire. Bah!
Great! :o)
Have installed Classicshell. I like it, but I wish I had time to persist customising 8.1.
There are some nice things about 8/8.1 but I think it was just too big a leap from the previous versions really.