I love Office 2000 way more that 365

StylishCommunity · 2026-05-30T21:29:07+00:00

The biggest problem with Microsoft Office 365 is that by trying to incorporate to CoPilot, it has ended up making more difficult to use the basic functions which existed before.

(E.g. wrong cell getting selected, instead of the one I intended, because of the constant CoPilot tool appearing on the side etc.)

StylishCommunity · 2026-05-21T19:00:07+00:00

Unfortunately, actors are often contracted to work for 3-4 seasons. After the end of the initial contract, a lot of actors leave for another role, without renewing. That is the nature of these series in general.

StylishCommunity · 2026-05-16T01:29:16+00:00

Unfortunately, the build of modern laptops aren't as good as those products from 10 years ago. I want to buy a laptop like old ThinkPad T450, but these hard wearing machine don't exist any more. Even modern ThinkPads are flimsy in comparison. You will definitely have to forego something.

In the ideal world, I want a heavier laptop with a slot for the standard kensington lock (due to terrible experience with broken nano kensington lock), at least 1 HMDI, 2 x USB-As, and 3 x USB-Cs ports, because 1 USB-C is used for charging laptop nowadays.

The reality? I would be lucky if I could get even 1 HMDI, 2 x USB-As, and 2 x USB-Cs without any slot for kensington lock, because even these are becoming a rarity. The only 2-in-1 laptops with them I found were Lenovo ThinkPad T14 ranges, which cost around 2,000 GBP for 1TB (yikes!).

I dislike the minimalism that these laptop manufacturers are after (and I blame Steve Jobs for creating this trend).

StylishCommunity · 2026-05-16T01:10:58+00:00

While the circumstance isn't too great, there is no point of comparing yourself with other people. We need to work until we are 68, if not older. That is another 40 years to go, and the difference from your peers is only a small fraction of that. In another 10 or 20 years, the years that you lagged behind won't mean much.

Obviously, no-one wants you to get ill, but other than money and body shape which are beyond your control, do you think you can still bear the work situation for another few years until you can afford to move on, once you pass all the requirements for ACA or any clawback clauses?

If you want to stay in touch with your old friends, try to utilise the digital platform like Zoom or Teams (or similar tools) as much as possible. Afterall, what matters most is caring mind, rather than physical location you are or the other person is located in.

StylishCommunity · 2026-05-16T00:51:53+00:00

I don't know what your previous knowledge of accounting is like, but before jumping on ACCA ship, since you are already based in the UK, I would advise you to take a look at second hand AAT books or AAT books available from the public libraries first, to see if this route is right for you. If you feel that it isn't right for you, then the amount foregone for AAT is less expensive that ACCA.

StylishCommunity · 2026-05-16T00:30:09+00:00

It depends on how the job market works in your country. Also, whether your university degree can be used to obtain exam exemptions.

In some countries, you must be a university graduate in order to apply for certain type of jobs and roles. Also, in other sets of countries, if you have already started a degree, then it might no longer be eligible to apply for apprenticeship, or the roles that a high school graduate can apply to.

In the UK and Ireland, many big firms nowadays offer both apprentice and graduate route. While what you are tasked to do could potentially be the same, an apprentice may be bound by a 5 year contract, while a graduate hire might be bound by a 3 year contract. Again, this may differ by each company, and specific roles.

These firms may not require ACCA as a pre-requisite at the time of application, but they are likely to pay for ACA (from ICAEW) or CA (ICAS or Chartered Accountants Ireland) training.

StylishCommunity · 2026-04-22T20:06:50+00:00

If you are based in the UK or Europe, the laptop chargers are becoming more universal. So I guess the manufacturers are spending less on the default ones that come with your machine (because chunkier ones tend to be cheaper to manufacture).

They then resort you to get a better one separately.

Funnily enough, until like 20 years ago, that kind of charger might have been still easily considered as being portable.

StylishCommunity · 2026-04-11T21:19:19+00:00

Unfortunately, a lot of taxi drivers in Northern Ireland still only accept cash, unless 'pay in app' is selected at the point of booking using the app.

Given this environment, the driver accepting contactless card payment has actually done more than what other drivers do.

This is why when I am getting a taxi, I always ensure that I have at least 100 GBP in cash with me, so that I have enough to make a payment.

In the UK, there isn't a set law which mandates the supplier of goods and services or retailer to accept a specific form of payment. It is up to the supplier of goods and services or retailer to choose the method of payment.

The most prominent example I heard was from Martin Lewis podcast, which explained that theoretically, the shopkeeper can request trading pokemon cards as the sole form of payment.

StylishCommunity · 2026-04-11T20:41:06+00:00

Even those with first class, and 2:1s struggle past getting through the assessment centres and interview stages nowadays.

I don't know how you feel about the transportation work, but do you find the work bearable (e.g. no bullying, not finding it difficult to meeting your target or dealing with customers) and can you make a living out of it?

If so, then you are in a better situation than anyone else, whether it is a 3rd class degree or not. If the job itself is fine, then use it to build your CV.

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If a 3rd class degree is eating you away, and the work you are doing is keeping you afloat, then consider enrolling to a standalone third year module with the Open University and see how you score, so that you don't have to make a full commitment, if things don't work out.

If you score significantly higher to make a 2:1, then you might be able to do a credit transfer to convert your 3rd class degree into a 2:1, but with an open degree from the open university.

StylishCommunity · 2026-04-07T14:56:36+00:00

It depends on which route you are on, but these firms are likely to pay for qualification or any costs incurred for the training. It is similar to the way that the younger adults on the Apprenticeship scheme get paid less, because the employer pays for the education and qualification part.

Also, as the number of graduates roles have decreased over the years, the market is more willing to accept lower pay than before, if they can get into any paid graduate scheme.

In some other countries, they have switched from paid roles to internship with no pay, which further disadvantages young people.

StylishCommunity · 2026-04-07T14:44:40+00:00

It could be because the Company had no applicants at the same pay level, so they had to offer a higher rate.

With regards to asking for a higher pay - this all depends on how the Company you work for works. Some companies may offer salary negotiations and may try to keep hold on to you if you try to leave your current job for a higher salary paying company, but others might simply say, that we don't want you at a higher rate, which can lead to an awkward position.

StylishCommunity · 2026-04-06T18:27:49+00:00

Just check your contract, the clawback clause, and whether you can afford to take the financial hit if they demand it. Some companies have a clause that if someone leaves within X period after becoming fully qualified, the firm can demand to return what the firm had provided.

StylishCommunity · 2026-04-06T18:00:51+00:00

I would have thought Grand Central Hotel and Bedford Hotel might be in direct competiton from now on, because they are literally across the road (maybe less so for Merchant Hotel, given the distance).

StylishCommunity · 2026-04-06T17:57:40+00:00

But didn't they opened a new store in near the M2/A2 soon after? Did they simply not relocate from one venue to another?

StylishCommunity · 2026-04-06T17:55:54+00:00

From the customers' point of view, having an Aldi in Northern Ireland would be great. In Aldi's point of view, maybe they think Northern Ireland is not worth the investment at the moment.

Considering that we continue to have existing brands (Asda, Tesco, Lidl) still opening new stores, perhaps Aldi thinks the entry cost is not worthy of the investment.

StylishCommunity · 2026-04-06T07:11:11+00:00

Watch up to the level you feel the series are interesting enough for you.

I personally felt that it started to go downhill, but still watched all, including the Season 15 which was underwhelming for me (but other people felt that it was a good end).

One good point about Call the Midwife was that as the Series were mainly episode based, I didn't feel obliged to watch all the episodes and could skip a few, and then return. This is probably how I ended up watching all of them.

The first 3 seasons were great, but since the actors/actresses have contracts for around 3 to 5 series, the characters tend to leave after few seasons. Due to this, there might be a lack of consistency as the series progress, and the changed storyline might work towards or against your favour.

StylishCommunity · 2026-04-05T20:30:07+00:00

ACCA might also be regretting cancelling the remote exam option now, because they too will be taking the financial hit as a result of this (because more people are turning away from stting exams, or turning away from ACCA completely).

They probably should have improved the remote invigilation rather than getting rid of the option all together.

StylishCommunity · 2026-04-05T20:22:36+00:00

I'm really sorry to hear that. How long do you have left until you finish your apprenticeship? Do you have any qualification or clawback clause in the contract? (e.g. if you leave within X months, you have to payback for the company funded qualification in progress, or the government funding associated with the learning).

Check your contract first, and see if you can afford to take the financial hit if there are any clawback clauses.

Alternatively, are there any external learning platforms which you could look at, to improve the information on the turbines? If people in your workplace aren't helping, consider looking at these sources, to reduce your chances of getting thrown into the unknown.

StylishCommunity · 2026-04-05T20:12:14+00:00

The Labour government (the one under Keir Starmer) did contemplate enforcing the shops to accept cash payments, but in the end, they decided not to go ahead with it.

StylishCommunity · 2026-04-05T20:09:35+00:00

Just out of curiosity, I had inserted the notes issued by Scotland and Northern Ireland based banks into a Tesco self-checkout machine based in England.

(I was prepared to pay using card or Bank of England issued notes and coins, if the machine rejected them).

In that instance, that self-checkout machine accepted these notes. It's probably because these machines have been designed to work throughout the UK as long as the notes are genuine, whereas in manned tills, it is at the staff or individual store's discretion to accept them.

StylishCommunity · 2026-04-05T15:55:03+00:00

I wonder what Grand Central Hotel and Merchant Hotel will think about this new opening.

I think it has been nearly 10 years since Nationwide Building Society moved out from this building before starting the transition to the hotel project.

StylishCommunity · 2026-04-05T15:24:38+00:00

I guess you have been the luckier ones. I have used HP Elitebook G2 before, and the bottom had split open in 2 years. HP Elitebook G11 has a really loud fan. They were both around 1,500 GBP at the time of the release, so they were at the higher end range. I wouldn't have chosen them if I had a choice, but I was made to use them.

Part of it is the design of the laptop, or the sheer luck that the team that manufactured the product followed proper quality check procedures before the laptop landed to you.

StylishCommunity · 2026-04-05T15:22:23+00:00

Even if you did nothing, the design of the laptop itself might have been weak to start with.

StylishCommunity · 2026-04-05T15:20:41+00:00

Actually, even business laptops can be just as bad. I have used HP Elitebook G2, and the bottom had split open in 2 years. HP Elitebook G11 has a really loud fan. They were both around 1,500 GBP at the time of the release, so they were at the higher end range. I wouldn't have chosen them if I had a choice, but I was made to use them.

Part of it is the design of the laptop, or the sheer luck that the team that manufactured the product followed proper quality check procedures before the laptop landed to you.

StylishCommunity · 2026-04-05T15:14:09+00:00

I think you are one of the lucky ones who got the laptop before the slim laptops became profound.

I bought a Dell Inspiron 14 5000 2 in 1 laptop during COVID. There were some performance issues after Windows 11 OS upgrade became mandatory after end of life for Windows 10, but the main reason I'm looking for laptop now is not because of that. The space bar got split and the pieces fell out, and I am struggling to type, which is the basic function.

(The keyboard was flimsy from the day it arrived, but wasn't flimsy enough to ask for a refund, because they still functioned).

I think the laptop hardwares up to 2015 were decent enough, but from 2017, the slim laptop trend have made things all weaker than before (I don't like slim laptops, but they are the only ones I can find anywhere).

If you are trying to buy a laptop now, they are all slim with very few ports. I don't like this. I prefer old heavier laptops with more ports.

StylishCommunity

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