WHAT ATTRACTED YOUR ATTENTION TODAY?

[Tizer]

We watched a TV programme last night about the history of nuclear weapons from the first tests, through the bombs in Japan, then the V bomber force and then it jumped to the UK getting the US Skybolt missiles to carry nuclear warheads. No mention of the UK's testing of the Blue Streak missile. I dug out this old news film on the web...
`The Blue Streak Rocket ' LINK
Also there was no mention of the change to submarines taking over our nuclear arsenal.

[plaques]

I remember working on the manufacture of parts for the Blue Streak Rocket. Nothing fancy just pump outlet pieces and the ignition base where the rings were gold fused into the base unit. One day we came into work to be told it was cancelled. All the bits and pieces were taken off the shop floor never to be seen again. The same thing happened with the English Electric TSR2 1975 ish. Bureaucratic ineptitude.

[Big Kev]

Youngest offspring awarded the Coach of the Year, by the National Basketball League, for the north of England. He was taken on to improve the Teesside Lions for the 2022-23 season, he did the job as they were unbeaten.

FB_IMG_1681743837945.jpg

[PanBiker]

Well done Oliver

[Big Kev]

He only found out when it was posted on Facebook this afternoon

[Stanley]

It makes you wonder where they get it from.....

I have performed a rescue mission.... I noticed yesterday a very small caterpillar on the window cill of the shed, the first I have seen this year. This morning I saw that it was still in the same place. I touched it and it moved so it's still alive. I carefully removed it and put it on the leaf of a large weed in the yard. I think it's possibly more likely to survive if it's on a leaf.

[Tizer]

Youngest offspring awarded the Coach of the Year, by the National Basketball League, for the north of England.

My news is that one of Mrs Tiz's youngest relatives has been promoted at his primary school - he's now officially in charge of the tomato plants! It's in recognition of all the attention he has already been giving to the plants. (I hope he gets a badge!)

[Big Kev]

Youngest offspring awarded the Coach of the Year, by the National Basketball League, for the north of England.

My news is that one of Mrs Tiz's youngest relatives has been promoted at his primary school - he's now officially in charge of the tomato plants! It's in recognition of all the attention he has already been giving to the plants. (I hope he gets a badge!)

Excellent, definitely needs a badge

[PanBiker]

I agree on the badge!

Having said that I don't think I was damaged for not getting a badge for being milk, ink , nib and blotting paper monitor during my career at primary school

[Stanley]

Can I have a badge for caterpillar rescue please?

[Cathy]

A badge?… Ha! I deserve a Medal for all the creepy crawlies I’ve put back outside!

[Stanley]

[Stanley]

The fact that the United Utilities were working on the water main in East Hill Street all day yesterday and will be here again this morning as the excavation is still open. It is below me and I am not affected but hopefully is a sign that at last some attention is being paid to the parlous state of the mains here which date back almost 140 years.....

[Stanley]

I got nosey this morning......





Here's what they are doing, replacing a bad connection with a new plastic pipe. Notice that the connection to the old CI common feeder pipe includes a stop valve. This means that the individual houses are responsible for the old pipe and here's what that pipe looked like when an earlier burst was repaired.

[PanBiker]

I wonder if they asked the car owner at the bottom if they needed to move it before digging the hole?

[Tripps]

Just watched Elon Musk's rocket 'launch'.

Oh boy - what a mess. The comentators are spinning it as well as they can but - sadly so was the rocket. Never saw a rocket do aerobatics before. "Remember this is a test flight".

I think it was eventually blown up by ground control.
I later learn that is called a "rapid unscheduled disassembly"

They were taiking of it being re-usable and taking 100 people at a time to Mars or somewhere. Not any time soon I'd say.

Disastrous.

[Stanley]

That thought did strike me as well Ian. I assume they must have as there is no way it is going anywhere until the hole is reinstated.....
The Space X launch.... It didn't go well did it..... But as you say, everyone put a brave face on and we were assured that the rocket did what the test was for, lifted off the pad. Despite it being almost 400ft tall they say they have more of them ready to come forward for more tests. A hell of an investment but I suppose the rewards will be worth it once the wrinkles are ironed out of the process.

[PanBiker]

Every single project involving rockets has had failures, Mercury, Gemini, Apollo etc. The amazing thing about this particular development is that the goal is to make both stages completely reusable. Quite impressive watching the prototype stages launch and then fall back to earth without parchutes. Relight the engines, stabilise, deploy the landing gear and fire retro's to land perfectly vertical. Remarkable technology. You have to have failures to learn things.

[Stanley]

I remembered that tomorrow afternoon at 15:00 we are going to get a ten second squawk on our phones from the government to test the new alarm service. I hope they don't get in the habit of using it!

[Tizer]

Having an idle moment I thought it was time I had a look at ChatGPT ( LINK ) to see what all the fuss was about. I asked it for information on several obscure minerals and was impressed by the results which came back in seconds. Then I asked it to `Write a history of Barnoldswick in England' and it gave me the following in about 20 seconds..... (However I note the spelling of `center'. ) I wonder if it copied the text from OG or another Barlick web site?

Barnoldswick is a small town located in Lancashire, England. It has a long and interesting history dating back to the Anglo-Saxon era. The town is situated in the valley of the River Ribble and was initially a rural area with a few scattered hamlets. It wasn't until the Industrial Revolution that Barnoldswick began to grow and develop into a thriving town.

During the early years of the Industrial Revolution, Barnoldswick was known for its cottage industries. Weavers, spinners, and farmers made up the majority of the working population. However, with the arrival of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in 1777, the town saw a significant increase in trade and commerce. The canal enabled goods to be transported to and from the town much more efficiently, which helped to expand the local economy.

In the 19th century, Barnoldswick's textile industry flourished, and the town became a center for cotton spinning and weaving. Many mills were built in the town, with the largest being Ellenroad Mill, which is now a heritage site. The mill was originally a cotton spinning mill but was later converted to power generation, providing electricity to the surrounding area.

During World War II, Barnoldswick played a significant role in the war effort. Rolls Royce had a factory in the town, which produced the Merlin engines used in Spitfire and Hurricane planes. The factory was heavily guarded and was a crucial part of the war effort, providing engines for many British planes.

Today, Barnoldswick is still a bustling town and is home to many businesses and industries. It has a thriving community and is a popular tourist destination, known for its stunning countryside and historic buildings. The town has also developed an excellent reputation for its food, with many local restaurants and cafes serving up delicious traditional dishes.

In conclusion, Barnoldswick has a rich history dating back to the Anglo-Saxon era, and its development and transformation during the Industrial Revolution have played a significant role in shaping the town we see today. From its humble beginnings as a rural area to becoming a center for textile production and a key player in the war effort, Barnoldswick has a unique and fascinating story that continues to unfold.

[Wendyf]

Ellenroad Mill in Barlick? That confusion can only come from Oneguy!

[Stanley]

That was what struck me Wendy but there are other little flaws that make you realise there are many sources and some of them quite suspect. Barlick as an Anglo-Saxon town? Rolls heavily guarded? They didn't come from here.
I have noticed that many videos on Youtube have computer generated commentaries, I'm not sure if you can call them AI.

[plaques]

I have noticed that many videos on Youtube have computer generated commentaries, I'm not sure if you can call them AI.

Tizer's post on the pod cast of the dangers of AI generated articles and opinions, (Sorry Tizer I can't remember the exact post reference) which went on to explain that AI could produce large numbers of reports that sounded 'plausible' until the detail and context were examined. To some extent we have already reached that point where an MP once outside the Commons appear to be able to tell outright lies, mix facts from one situation and apply them to a totally unrelated subject. Even when 'fact checks' show the statement to be wrong only those with an acute interest in the subject will remember the original statement.

There will be no customs border down the middle of the Irish sea. I wonder who said that? someone of no importance no doubt.

[Tizer]

ChatGPT may have got some errors in its summary of Barlick history but that ain't bad for 20 seconds for a first attempt and from the brief question I gave it. To be fair to the developers you're supposed to give as much context as possible and to treat the first answer as the starting point. You then ask further questions or give more information to improve the answers. It's a dialogue between you and the bot. When applied to my mineral queries it was accurate and bang up to date. If nothing else it's going to be a great benefit to scientists, engineers, technologists, mathematicians etc but as with most powerful modern developments it will be dangerous in the wrong hands. How will it cope with anti-vaxers, QAnon, Russian cyber trolls and the like?

[PanBiker]

I have just read a news report on my phone. At the bottom of the report it said some content provided by ChatGTP! Whatever happened to investigative journalism?