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Here is the device in place.

When I left school, I joined the Commercial Bank of Australia Limited (CBAL) in 1961. I worked for them till 1986 when they merged with the Bank of NSW to form Westpac. I continued working for Westpac until 1991, when banks started rationalising staff and introducing computers in branches. Obviously they did not require two lots of staff, as duplicated branches and departments were merged, so many staff were retrenched. I had been working in a suburban processing centre which was closed, and I was let go. But I still had 2 Westpac credit cards. The other night, after 11 pm., I got a text from Westpac questioning a debit to one of the cards from Optus Prepaid of about $50. I have no business with Optus Prepaid, and certainly had not used my credit card recently. I replied to the text that I did not recognise the transaction. Next morning I got a phone call from Westpac, to clarify details. The transaction was stopped, the card was cancelled, and a replacement card was isssued. Both my cards normally have zero balances or small credit balances no more than $10. I generally use them at parking stations where debit cards are not accepted, and the occasional online purchase. I have not cancelled them as I would never get another card, and it's handy to have recourse to some credit in case of emergency. I have been retired for 16 years and my superannuation has been fully drawn and spent.

Saw one proposed data centre that would use as much electricity as 1 million homes. At some point the madness has to stop.

I received a reply from OneTrack. He said he used to enjoy the forums, but got sick of the personal abuse from one member in particular and has decided to leave.

Probably "Dickens" brand. Popular cider among women, apparently.

Little Johnny was playing in the schoolyard when he got a splinter in his hand. He went to the teacher and said, " Miss, I need some cider." The teacher said, "Why do yo need cider?" Johnny said, "I got a splinter in my hand." The teacher said, "What's that got to do with cider? Little Johnny said, "I heard Mum say when she gets a prick in her hand she puts it in cider."

Their Power hungry-ness has many (thinking) people concerned. Nev

Have you noticed that in many cases, the electricity to power these massive data centres is generated by diesel powered generators? There's an irony in that which is hard to describe.

It sounds like there has been a recent regulatory change or that there as been some case that has made a decision that has the banks scrambling. Modern systems have a lot of cross referencing to work out anomalies and match data as they try and remove the human element to it. We are implementing a system that assesses such anomalies and can accept a certain tolerance of differences between identification documents or will refer to a staff member for review. If a staff member can't make the leap, they have probably been instructed by an overly zealous risk manager not to accept any differences. This comes down to risk appetite.. We have an appetite that two people with almost identical identification documents where everything else checks out except placement of letters of a name (but they are in the correct sequence) has a 99.9% probability of not happening. Same DoB, address history, contact details, etc. It's going to be very unlikely that a space interspersed in one doc means it is a different perspon - especially with recognised surname prefixes, etc. Re the credit card thing, it is the banks duty to ensure that, when you apply for new credit that you can afford it (they also should be doing periodical reviews on your existing revolving credit - of which a credit card is a revolving credit line). They are on the hook for your debts and if, after you going broke, the client can prove that they could not have afforded it and they disclosed all relevant information, the bank gets a fine to boot (over here, anyway)

I know you aren't really after a trike, but this might stimulate your imagination. Especially the front wheel setup.

Here's another form of madness that I heard about today: A growing number of people and technology communities treat artificial intelligence as a form of deity, driven by its vast knowledge, availability, and perceived omniscience. Way of the Future: Founded in 2017 by former Google and Waymo engineer Anthony Levandowski, this organization focuses on the realization, acceptance, and worship of a Godhead based on superintelligent AI. It shuttered in 2021 and was revived in 2023. Theta Noir: A new religious movement emerging from a 2020 performance art collective that worships MENA, a speculative digital deity, through cryptographic liturgies and multimedia rituals. Purpose-Built Chatbots: Users globally engage with dedicated religious chatbots (such as GitaGPT, QuranGPT, and Text With Jesus) for spiritual guidance and scriptural dialogue.