Posts by Andus McCoatover

Isn't this what happened on AF477?

Confused by conflicting information, the computer on the plane basically said "Fuc*k this for a game of soldiers, I'm outta here! Over to you blokes".

Problem was, the 'blokes' weren't sufficiently experienced to realise the severity problem, being reliant on the 'puuter to do the flying. The rest is history.

We're too bloody reliant on these systems, and not reliant on our own skills.

In the case of lessons learned from AF477 (and others) I think it should be mandatory for pilots to do something like 1/10 flights without autopilot, to re-learn how to fly a *real* plane, rather than a simulator.

Boys and their toys...

Looks too flimsy to me to get on the bugg*er!

Looking at that hole in the house wall...

Maybe a film, as a combination between "Shawshank Redemption" and "Hannonball the Cannonball" is in order?

Lego?? Shurely you mean Playmobil.

When the Large Hardon Collider does reproduce reliably, You can bet Lester will get his toys out from under the bed again!

"potentially habitable"

I'd suggest "probably inhabited".

Why are we so smegging arrogant to think that we're the only species that exist in the universe? Other species have surely lived millenia before, or will millenia live after us.

We don't get their radio transmissions? Fuc'k me sideways, we've only had radio for a little over a hundred years.

You'd think, in that nanosecond of eternity, we'd have the intelligence to hear something?

Neither do I.

Age of 50 ???

Why do NASA allow children to fly spacecraft? OK, I'm a whippersnapper compared to John Glenn, but...

Good retirement, Sir !

Christ-in-shitty nappies!

I was lucky. My boss wanted me to take on WiMAX as a trainer when at NSN.

I knew it was doomed to failure.(my boss was an idiot. Doubt if she knew how to switch her vibrator on - and I DEFINITELY wasn't offering to help! )

Stuck with EDGE. Got kicked anyway....

Winter comes...

..is it time to grind another mirror? 10 or 12 inch this time?

It takes bloody ages - 2 months of evenings - pushing and turning one piece of glass with gradations of grinding paste against another (One goes convex, the other concave - which is the one you want).

Then, send the upper glass off to be silvered. Meanwhile, you make the tube, buy the reflecting mirror, fit eyepiece...

Yep, making a telescope is an effort. Mercifully, we no longer have to use "Speculum Metal" as Herschel (Discoverer of Uranus) had to.

Slavering over this!

The description has done more for me than Viagra's acheived!

Preserve nature!

Pickle a squirrell !

Glad it wasn't windy....

In that position, she could've screamed and whistled for help at the same time....

There really aren't enough Fridays in a week...

(Ta, Lester)

Buttock-ourse

Obvious, really!.

Nice one, Lester.

Silicon?

Erm, wondered where the sandy beaches came from. Seems they just popped up.

Regretfully...

...as one kicked out in the second round (receiving a decent shedload of wedge) I knew this was inevitable.

The Nokia Networks / Siemens 'alliance' that the gormless Beresford-Wylie set up had a 6-year agreement. That'll take it to April 2013. Then, they can divorce. Just in time for the Initial Public Offering (IPO). Great, coincidental timing.

However, 23% off the company is huge, considering the German branch, due to German employment laws will probably escape lightest, unless they delay until the divorce can be realised, and completed. The Finns, and those in Irving, San Diego etc. will be smashed.

Mercifully, it's lovely revenge on my old manager who kicked me 4 years ago.

Justice and revenge, like 'bubble and squeak' really IS a dish best served cold...

I'm seriously glad I was kicked when I was - there's NO WAY NSN can possibly pay this many the same 'golden goodbye' that I got. They simply don't have it. Think the average was €50,000. Multiply by 17,000... (Not if you're using a windoze XP computer's calculator, you can't copy the result to paste it (!) )

I wouldn't like to be Elop right now.

Fortunately, he's got the key to the Executive bathroom....

Congress:

"We've identified an asteroid that's gonna impact Earth, sir!"

"OK, we can launch an ICBM, fitted with a nuclear warhead to deflect it"

...later..

"Sir, it doesn't threaten America. It seems it'll hit Iraq"

"Due to budgetary restraints...."

BBC reports they've recieved communication from the thing.

'Course, it might just be "HELP", but hope isn't lost yet. Think the opportunity to visit Mars has gone for now, but I wondered if they can park the thing in a Lagrange spot, and, assuming it's still functional, wait for the next opportunity?

This is really interesting to watch...Bit of Apollo-13 stuff, ripping success from the jaws of failure?

@ gaz 7

"..every time by re-inventing the wheel and not applying the final polish.."

Anyone remember that hilarious moment in Formula-1 when Todt was leaping up-and-down in the Ferrarri pit with fury, because some muppet engineer had forgotten to bring the 4th wheel with him?

This is a bit like that. Except, with Nokia, there's no-one to jump up and down anymore (Until, of course, Ballmer buys Nokia, then he can do his 'monkey dance' whilst lobbing chairs around).

Makes me cringe.

As a once - proud ex- Nokia Siemens network employee, I have watched this giant fall.

It's like a slo-mo version of Lenin's, Gadaffi's and Hussein's statues ripped to the ground.

Only difference is, only the latter three was I happy about.

If they erect a statue to Elop, I'll buy the rope, and hire the truck.

Think we've a numpty on board.

Anyone else noticed?

(Pseudocode)

IF name contains 'george' or 'bush' but not 'Angry Bird George' ;

Auto-downvote.

IANAP (I Am Not A Prick^WProgrammer)

Finland's worse.

I should know. Fortunately, managed to avoid the 'pox-doctor' or 'clap-clinic' so far....but, man, why go to Asia?