A Stray Hare
Another set of pictures from my office. This time in the evening sun a stray hare ambled past and had a nibble on some grass. Luckily I had the camera handy. But no video this time.
A Stray Hare
Off Goes the Hare
Hares really are the most amazing of Britain’s wildlife.
And these two pictures were taken from just a couple of metres, where I’m typing this.
I also found out later that the front door was open, so my basset hound could have given chase. After all they were bred to hunt hares. Did she move? No! Although, when she went out about ten minutes later for her evening business, she did liven up as she had definitely smelt something. Dogs have an amazing sense of smell.
Check-In Chaos
It would appear that you can cut costs so far, but there is a limit to how far you can go. There was chaos at Stansted on Saturday, as Ryanair‘s agent Swissport did not provide enough people on the check-in desks.
Who is to blame is unclear, as neither Ryanair or Swissport have appeared to have commented.
It makes me even more certain that I’ll avoid cheap airlines unless I can carry everything on my back or in my jacket.
In fairness I should say that I’ve never been late with Ryanair, but then I’ve never put anything in the hold and always check-in on-line.
Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know
The phrase was used by Lady Caroline Lamb to describe the poet, Lord Byron. Note that as I write this, I’m watching Rupert Everett’s documentary on Channel 4.
My mother’s maiden name was Millbank and for this reason I’ve heard rumours in the family that I’m a direct descendant of Lord Byron. Sadly, or perhaps luckily, I don’t believe it to be true.
The connection of Millbank to Byron though is not tenuous. He married Anne Isabella “Annabella” Millbanke in 1815 and the marriage didn’t last long, although their daughter Ada, was later to gain her place in history as Charles Babbage‘s assistant on his difference engine or the first digital computer. If you want to read more about this read The Secret by Ashley Hay.
My researches into my family have led me to believe that most Millbanks, and remember spelling was a bit hit and miss before the early nineteenth century, are related in one way or other. But I’ve traced my Millbank line back to about 1800 and nowhere is any link to Byron, Annabella or Ada. At best he married one of my distant cousins.
But for me as a programmer, I would love to have any of them in my family tree!
How Not To Deal With Complaints
There is this article in The Times today.
We all know what we would like to happen.
What’s strikes me about this case, is that Apple are reported as requiring a gagging order before settling the customer’s problems. Isn’t this a bit over the top? I’m sure my late wife would have very strident views on this.
What MX73 is About
Years ago I wrote a lot of Project Management Software. Now at the age of nearly 62, I’m at it again, with a system called MX73, that stores all of the data in Excel workbooks and worksheets.
Here’s are some examples of the bar charts that can be created.
Bar Chart with Float
Note that you have complete control over headings, colours, scales and what data is shown in the bar chart.
Bar Chart with Star
In this chart one of the many symbols abailable is used to show the float. But suppose you used a star tom show that you had been paid for the work you had carried out.
If you’d like to open the Excel Workbook, you can download it from here.
Note that the file is in Excel 2003 format, so that more people can read it. But don’t use this format for a serious amount of graphics in Excel, as the file tends to grow like “Topsy”. Excel 2007 does not have the problem.
Raising the Anonymity a Bit
I was going to keep this blog completely anonymous, but a lot of my friends have seen it and if you follow me on something like Facebook or Twitter, you’ll have sussed the connection. After all the Twitter account is on the page anyway.
At the moment, I’ve more than one blog going and the other concerns my new Management Software System called MX73. So that I can post in fewer places, I’ll put odd comments about that here.
Terry Pratchett on Assisted Suicide
Terry is on the BBC Breakfast program at the moment. A lot of sense about assisted suicide.
Bikini Record Goes Bust
An attempt at Southend yesterday to break the number of women wearing bikinis failed.
Appearently only 42 turned up, when they needed 1923 to break the record. Southend must be just too cold. I though Essex girls were up for anything.
There are some appropriate Essex girl jokes here. It is probably a good idea if you don’t go there, if you can be easily offended or are female and were born in Essex.
Name the North Stand after Sir Bobby
There is a movement to rename the North Stand at Portman Road after Sir Bobby Robson. BBC Radio Suffolk is backing the call and there is also a group on Facebook.
I think this would be a good idea.
The Anonymous Widower 