• Michael is on the super stouts
• Marie is doing dry "couple-of-days"
• What's a plosion? Michael has over-researched micophones
• Is Feng-Shui a load of nonsense? Or Real?
• Marie rubbishes Mark's new years resolution

Who is Marie Wigmore?

• Independent contractor for over 3 decades, currently engaged at BT
• Jira-avoidance wizard
• Graduate of the Youth Training Scheme, proud achiever of 5 O-Levels
• Driving Licence holder
• There will be a quiz at the end!

Quickfire questions

1. Inside or Outside IR35?
2. Microsoft Project Planner or Jira?
3. AI - scared or not scared?
4. If you were in charge, what's your RTO policy?
5. Do you prefer to consult for public sector, or consult for private sector?
6. Sports Car or SUV?
7. Most Expensive Dress you've ever worn?
8. One fashion tip for Mark?
9. Cat person or dog person?

Breaking Production Leaderboard

Clean Sheet, or Big Bang?
Marie has a podcast exclusive for us, on the post office scandal. Bloody toffee-crisp eaters!

Big Topics

Contracting

• How has it changed?
• Are the good times behind us?
• How have the big 4 influenced government policy?
• Have you ever had any contracts go bad, mid-way through?
• In the past, you’ve got a contract coming to an end, it’s not getting renewed, you’ve got bills to pay. What’s the game plan for landing you next gig?

Starting a consultancy

• What’s the gameplan for launching a new company?
• What are you gonna sell?
• How will you get clients?

News for the week

1. Experts urge caution over use of Chinese AI Deepseek (The Guardian)
2. James Howells suing Newport council again, after partner binned bitcoin wallet, and they won't let him dig up landfill (BBC)
3. Microsoft to acquire tiktok? (The Guardian)
4. Google maps renaming, after Trump renaming (The Register)
5. Amazon prime air to launch in Darlington (Tech Crunch)
6. AWS & Microsoft CMA investigation (Computer Weekly)

Old news, but relevant:

• Chinese major hardware hack uncovered (The Guardian)

Recommendations

Music

• Justice – Cross, electro/dance
• Underworld - Second toughest in the infants, electro
• Sonny Federa, DJ, House

TV

• Mr McMahon, wrestling documentary
• Traitors: Uncloaked finale, with Claudia Winkleman
• Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action, documentary
• Girl You Know It's True, music movie about Milli Vanilli, who had one of the biggest scandals in music history
• The White Lotus, drama, comedy
• Gangs of London, Crime Drama

Books

• Feng Shui Modern, by Cliff Tan (Guardian Bookshop)

Podcasts

• Designated Driver, the podcast for fans of Adam Driver (Podbean)

Jokes

1. What do you call a Hippo on One Leg?
2. Change your nickname on iOS (YT video)

Next Time:

Chris Hunter joins us talking about coding bootcamps

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Special Guest: Marie Wigmore.