Little Raves

Worldly and otherworldly topics
User avatar
JohnClay
Posts: 313
Joined: Mon Mar 01, 2021 7:55 am
Location: Australia
Contact:

Re: Little Raves

Post by JohnClay » Sun Mar 14, 2021 1:37 am

This is from my Programming Fundamentals class:

It talks about bizarre things like Japan only having block numbers and no street names.... and their doctors being paid for you being well rather than when you're unwell....

User avatar
Limey
Posts: 104
Joined: Thu Feb 18, 2021 9:45 pm
Location: Scotland

Re: Little Raves

Post by Limey » Mon Mar 15, 2021 1:02 pm

Here's an example of what I was talking about previously with the new generation of AI, machine learning "computer enhance" photo restoration products now hitting the market.
To my knowledge there's only one so far, called Remini. It's the one that's licensed by MyHeritage website to recreate the image which is then animated.
Sometimes, the colour conversion from black and white or sepia works well too.

Here is an example of what I'm talking about, since a picture is worth a thousand words. An old school friend, restored to megapixel quality from a grainy disposable camera shot. Note that this is a crop from a group photo at 100%

Image

edit: I can't seem to hotlink to my hosting here, so here's the direct, supposedly broken link from above:

http://writtenpolicy.com/d-restore.jpg

djm
Posts: 244
Joined: Thu Feb 25, 2021 3:08 pm
Location: Woodplumpton
Formerly: djm

Re: Little Raves

Post by djm » Mon Mar 15, 2021 7:41 pm

Are you really in Scotland Limey? What made you leave the US for that third world dosshole?

User avatar
MoneyJungle
Posts: 134
Joined: Fri Feb 26, 2021 12:14 am

Re: Little Raves

Post by MoneyJungle » Mon Mar 15, 2021 10:53 pm

I was riding my bike behind a big box store (which has enough open blacktop to land a 747) and I saw some idiot on her phone crash her car into a concrete barrier. I can’t stress enough how much open space there is. The road is all marked up from kids doing donuts.

UPDATE: minutes after writing this I got overly zealous while opening a bag of rice and it went everywhere as punishment for my schadenfreude

User avatar
Limey
Posts: 104
Joined: Thu Feb 18, 2021 9:45 pm
Location: Scotland

Re: Little Raves

Post by Limey » Mon Mar 22, 2021 12:31 pm

djm wrote:
Mon Mar 15, 2021 7:41 pm
Are you really in Scotland Limey? What made you leave the US for that third world dosshole?
I am!
I don't think it's bad at all. It's a beautiful part of the world is auld Laurentia. I'm usually the poshest person about with my understandable dialect, trousers, and words coming from my mouth instead of the back of my throat. I've applied to become the King of Fife, but the role might have been retired.

I got divorced and then met mxx about 18 months later who had already moved here. Plus my parents are getting on a bit now and dad just got cancer [woah, bit heavy for a raves thread].
There was pretty much nothing keeping me there and nothing of interest and although still a citizen (and therefore reluctantly paying US taxes still) I'm happier here and eating better, plus work is a lot less frantic. People get a good amount of time off per year (I think I get about 6 weeks paid time off!) so the work/life balance is much better and the cultures of a lot more holiday destinations are just a few hours away, whereas in the US, you have to fly 8+ hours just to get to another country, which may or may not be worth visiting anyway.

I'll take three holidays per year including the Canaries and Greece over any holiday destination in the US and a job that sure, can pay six figures, but will slowly kill you and give you only ten days off per year.

I'm generally not social, so it really doesn't matter all that much where I live as long as I have internet and travel options. We may well move again yet, but for now, I'm enjoying life 3.0 'the noo' as an honorary Scot.

User avatar
Madrigal
Posts: 619
Joined: Fri Nov 22, 2019 8:59 am

Re: Little Raves

Post by Madrigal » Mon Mar 22, 2021 12:43 pm

Limey wrote:
Mon Mar 22, 2021 12:31 pm

I'll take three holidays per year including the Canaries and Greece over any holiday destination in the US and a job that sure, can pay six figures, but will slowly kill you and give you only ten days off per year.
No kidding. So your company has to adapt to the holiday standards of the country you're based in? Or did you switch companies? US holidays are a joke. :/ I guess I've got it worse because freelancers don't get paid holidays though. I recently watched something about a Scandinavian country that not only paid for your holidays but also paid you double for them so you could use your money on something nice. :D

Sorry to hear about your dad, I wish him the best.

User avatar
Limey
Posts: 104
Joined: Thu Feb 18, 2021 9:45 pm
Location: Scotland

Re: Little Raves

Post by Limey » Mon Mar 22, 2021 3:15 pm

Madrigal wrote:
Mon Mar 22, 2021 12:43 pm
No kidding. So your company has to adapt to the holiday standards of the country you're based in? Or did you switch companies? US holidays are a joke. :/ I guess I've got it worse because freelancers don't get paid holidays though. I recently watched something about a Scandinavian country that not only paid for your holidays but also paid you double for them so you could use your money on something nice. :D

Sorry to hear about your dad, I wish him the best.
Thanks.
Both are true. Companies have to adapt to British laws and having just two weeks off per year (standard in the US) is unheard of. Most people get 4-6 weeks paid time off plus personal days.
At first, my employer was a different contract of work in joining the UK division (for tax reasons) and then I left and joined another company that offer a company car (or cash alternative) - 8.5% Pension match, 32 paid days off etc.

It's nice to be near a transport hub, so under normal circumstances, we could be jetting off somewhere warm for a fraction of the cost of the US. e.g. $100 return flights are quite common to the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe. Also, with socialised healthcare, you aren't tied to your employer for health (in my case, just private healthcare for a fraction of the cost of US insurance)

User avatar
last_caress
Posts: 60
Joined: Sat Feb 27, 2021 8:45 pm

Re: Little Raves

Post by last_caress » Mon Mar 29, 2021 6:01 pm

4 day weekend for easter. Woop woop.

djm
Posts: 244
Joined: Thu Feb 25, 2021 3:08 pm
Location: Woodplumpton
Formerly: djm

Re: Little Raves

Post by djm » Mon Mar 29, 2021 6:40 pm

last_caress wrote:
Mon Mar 29, 2021 6:01 pm
4 day weekend for easter. Woop woop.
I was going to put that in the rants thread. I loathe bank holidays, weekends are bad enough for interrupting my ability to work without extending them either side.

If I were able to forgo sleep I would work nights too. My great fear in life is that I will die without completing my works.

User avatar
jyng1
Posts: 260
Joined: Mon Mar 01, 2021 1:13 am

Re: Little Raves

Post by jyng1 » Mon Mar 29, 2021 7:22 pm

djm wrote:
Mon Mar 29, 2021 6:40 pm
last_caress wrote:
Mon Mar 29, 2021 6:01 pm
4 day weekend for easter. Woop woop.
I was going to put that in the rants thread. I loathe bank holidays, weekends are bad enough for interrupting my ability to work without extending them either side.

If I were able to forgo sleep I would work nights too. My great fear in life is that I will die without completing my works.
Lol, we just changed to 12 hour shifts and I now mainly don't work more than two days in a row.

Post Reply