Little'un

30 September

Did anyone see that silly Dorktown woman on telly last night talk about her heart going 10 to the dozen? I really do wish people would put their brains in gear before letting their tongues engage.

Another bloody budgie has arrived here in Jaronland! However, I don’t mind this one for now cos it’s only a temporary addition. Besides which, it’s not the owner’s fault. They have been caught up in the benefit changes that the tory muppets have brought in and are likely to be in B&B from next Tuesday or Wednesday. Basically, they were in a privately rented house and the old landlord sold it to someone else. The new landlord wanted them out and went to court to do so. The bailiffs will be there next week to change the locks.

It’s going to be a job and half getting all the kids to school if they can do so seeing as they all go to different schools anyway. A lot will depend on where they are put in a B&B really. I’ve seen it on telly, but having it happen so close to people we know is causing a lot of hassle and worry. At least their dog is sorted and has a place to go. It is one thing we couldn’t help with.

This one is going to be really short today. I’ve got some writing done, about 1500 words but I want to get more done. So todays photo is …

The fountain in Cov precinct.

Today’s funny …

Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Albert.
Albert who?
Albert you'll never be able to guess who I am.       

I hate waste!

29 September

Elements within the Dorktown rank and file have caught Americana it seems. I have long dreaded that happening. An individual on Streetlife no longer sees that its fine say he has items going for free, or to give away, oh no, he wants to ‘gift’ them. Doesn’t he see how stupid that sounds! Ye gods, what next I wonder? Fish and French fries stores? Walkers potato chips? Color paint? Scouts honor? Oh come one, give us break!!!

I’ve just been looking through the MSN home page and came across a piece in Food & Drink section that claims there are simple ways to reduce food waste. Perhaps the easiest way to not to buy so much. To prevent that all you need to do is to check your fridge and cupboards before you go out shopping. We have a small notebook that we use for our shopping list and we write down what we need as we find we need it. Some weeks we have just the odd one or two items, and then the next week we have quite a long list.

What we do not do, simple because we can’t afford it, is to take into our heads to go into a shop and buy fresh items for that day’s dinner. Something else we don’t do is to buy packs of fresh veg. A kilo bag of carrots is far too much for us and would be wasted but buying just four lose carrots as and when we need them works fine for us. The only fresh foods we do buy in packs is fruit and that it because I eat so much of it and by next week I will be ready to buy more. Fruit is rarely wasted in Jaronland.

Supermarkets are in a difficult place with ordering in fresh foods. There’s narrow line to tread by buying too much or not enough of the various items that customers demand. I like fresh plum tomatoes but I rarely see the see the full sized version, only the ‘baby’ ones. There’s tube of those in our fridge after yesterday’s shop. So I can’t really expect them to order the full sized versions just for me, simply because I don’t buy them all that often.

What happens when they do over-order? They throw it out, and get jumped on by charities and celebrity chefs for throwing out good and useable food. If they under-order and run out, then customers may go elsewhere and never come back. Apparently they use weather forecasts along with algorithms that work out how much and when to order goods. It doesn’t always work though, as I said yesterday the programs and forecasts are only as good as the people writing and using them.

From what I’ve seen on telly, the Yanks are biggest food wasters by far. It seems that unless they eat until they are full they feel that they haven’t had value for money. Here in the UK there are rules on waste and wage payments which means that food is more expensive here than in the States. That may be so, but just thinks wee bit; when was the last time you finished a full fish & chips carry out? I can’t remember when it was for me. A normal Chinese take away will give two meals, not the one I bought.

No matter where we look, where we live, in western countries obesity is on the increase, but not everyone is getting fatter are they. Oh no, not by a long chalk. Those who remain slim are either fitter all round, and perhaps they watch what they are eating much more than those who are getting fatter. It’s a case watching what and how much I eat that is making me lose so much weight. Now, a large plate full of food put me off and I rarely eat it all anymore. And that my friends is waste, and I don’t like waste, especially when it’s me causing it.

Today’s photo has to be …

One of my favourites that never gets wasted. And yes, I know, it’s not very healthy and I don’t have a clue what is in those burgers, but by heck, I do enjoy them every so often. See, I’m not a do as I say kind of guy …

Today’s funny …

Have you heard about the lawyers' word processor software?
No matter what font you select, everything come out in fine print.           

Reasearch: could or should

28 September

Jan’s sister Sykped again yesterday and made a comment about how tall and good looking Kile is getting after she saw him on Sunday. That got me thinking about how much we might be trapped by our genes. You see, I was taller than my dad, Tom is 6’ 4”, taller than me by around a foot. Kile’s mum is around the same height as me. On Jan’s side they are all tall and lanky, all that is except Trish who is 5’ 10”, still taller than me though. After they had finished I had said that I was hoping that Sam’s genes would kick in somewhere and hold Kile’s height back a wee bit.

At least we know what our lineage is and where we get our various traits from, but what of the five-month baby boy that was on the news last night? He is a mix of three sets of genes not matter what those doctors in Mexico said. No-one, and I do mean no-one, can be sure as to how anyone will turn out with just the genes from his mum and dad, so how on earth can they be sure they have got it right by adding a third person into the mix?

I’m really struggling with this one you know. I do see the benefits of gene therapy to help remove the chance of a particular illness being passed on to kids. Even then I have doubts as to what effects messing with their genes like that will have in the future. This is all now ground these people are breaking. How can they be certain that by selecting some genes that might help parents in one way, will have no adverse effect in later generations. They also claim that designer babies are a long way in the future, if at all. Is it really? It seems to me that every time someone makes breakthrough in this area, we are getting closer to designer babies. They don’t know what will happen in the future!  And don’t let them try to kid you they do.  

Hollywood does occasionally come out with good line we need to take to our hearts. The one I am thinking of right now is Jurassic Park where Jeff Goldblum says, ‘They were so busy trying to see if they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should!” So true my friends, so true.

Along a different line of research is artificial intelligence (AI). That too is a line of research that is gathering speed; it’s also a worry for a lot of people at the same time. Have you heard of Asimov’s Laws, or the Laws of Robotics? No, well here they are …

1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.

Okay, I know, they are fiction, made up in 1942 by SF writer Isaac Asimov, and yes, I think this is something that researchers should at least take not of. Perhaps he could the need of such laws in the near future as well as the far future. So, where has this come from for me to write about it today? It’s come from the latest issue of WebUser and its writer Barry Collins who claims that relying on AI will ultimately leave us in a mess. He quotes an anecdote about a robotic vacuum cleaner which managed to spread dog poop all over the living room floor as one possible example.

He moves on to the prospect of having driverless car on the road soon. Collins then asks the question, ‘What will happen if an incident forces police to close a road, post an officer to direct traffic, but the driverless car ignores the cop and either drives on regardless or just comes to stop having been totally confused by what is going on?’ Thing is, an AI unit is only as good as its programming, same as all computers. No matter how good the programming is, it still lacks one item that we humans have that can’t programmed, common sense. That is why we will never be safe with giving full control of computers/AI units.

These two issues are linked by two things; a, research; b, at what point should it stop. Goldblum’s line was right; ‘They were so busy trying to see if they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should!”

Common sense eh? For today’s photo …

an example of where it’s been thrown out, along with the rubbish.

Today’s funny …

If his brain was chocolate, it wouldn't fill an M&M.        

More reading, writing and lost stuff

27 September

Nice sight on the scales this morning, I was down another 4lbs to 15st 7lbs. Heyhey, meks me ‘appy terday.

It looks like all my old edited photos are lost, although I do have the originals, so all is not lost. What I will now have to do is to work my way through them all again; that will be slow work, but it will get done eventually. I’m not looking forward to it though, there are several thousands of them. It becomes even more clear for the need to back up your projects continually, a lesson I will one day learn properly.

We writers are told time and time again not to use the word ‘very’ in our work. So there I was yesterday reading through one of Rowling’s latest efforts and that very same word kept on appearing fairly often. So I’m left wondering if ‘don not use’ rule is on for beginner writers; once we are established perhaps the rules don’t matter? I was never one for following rules anyway and yet for once this is one I have done for some reason. There’s a tutor about somewhere who hates to see the word ‘replied’ during dialogue passages. Why? That one makes no sense to me at all. ‘Very well,’ I replied, ‘forgive me for ignoring you then!’      

Twins used as a plot twist in the end of a story is one we are advised not to use. Apparently, it’s far too easy to see coming half way through. Actually, this one makes sense. One of Peter James’ Roy Grace does exactly this and yes, I could see it coming from fairly early on. As I’ve just said, I’m not one for following rules at the best of times, so in my House of Pain book I have used a set of twins. However, I brought them into the story right at the ‘very’ beginning. That one seemed to work well too.       

A lottery win is another one we are told not use as a way out of a sticky end. In my book Finding Our Way, I have used a Euro lottery win early on the story, not at the end. It works too. The thing is with rules, they are there for a reason which usually makes sense. Use of twins and a lottery win as a way out of trouble are far too obvious aren’t they. So if a writer wants to use those two ideas, find a way of doing so where which isn’t either obvious, or just plain lazy. Anyway …

There I was lying in bed last night reading HP5 for the third time, and it occurred to me that maybe I don’t really want to go to Hogwarts anymore. ‘Why?’ you might ask. Well, it seems that the students there only read for class and exam reasons. Those who know the books/films may have noticed that apart from ‘The Tales of Beadle the Bard’, there are no pleasure reading books, no fiction at all, unless you want to claim that Lockhart’s stuff was fiction. Now where would any decent reading addict get and keep their TBR pile? Not their truck cos that’s full of school stuff anyway. Which brings to continuity issues …

YouTube is full of vids about mistakes in films. I’ve not seen them all of course but here’s a few that I have picked up in films; take Independence Day, for example; Will Smith is dressed in his uniform to return to his base after the aliens arrived. Did you ever notice that the epaulets on his jacket keep changing? One scene it’s up above the collar, next its down, then both or up, then as it was to start with. Not the sort of error that should have been made in such a high budget film at all.

Jan has wanting to watch the Game of Thrones DVDs again began, so we them last night before we went through for a lie down read. And there’s a continuity issue in there too. This one relates to the dire-wolf puppies the Stark kids have. Bran climbs a wall; sees something he shouldn’t then is pushed out of a top window. His pup is still very much a pup. Yet only a month or so later when an assassin arrives, he’s killed by a fully grown dog. How does that work then? Perhaps the writers have been to Hogwarts and learn an aging potion, maybe the one Weasley twines (again, see), tried to use. Or perhaps they think we are all stupid and won’t notice.

Today’s photo …

Jan’s nodding dog in the car.

Today’s funny …

Yo momma's so ugly, even Rice Krispies won't talk to her!                  

A few bits ...

26 September

It you were to look along and shelf full of books, you will find that there are many different book formats and sizes. Some of the really large books are on their edges on the bottom shelf, they are usually wildlife or art books, coffee table books as some call them. The self-published writer has the added problem of deciding which size he wants his book to printed in. After my experience with Amazon’s CreateSpace, I have looked at a number of others and LULU publishing is what I am trying to do now. However, I’ve found that the sizes available are not the same as CreateSpace. Why can’t they all comply to one standard, just as the photography industry has done with ISO? I shall prevail though, I really will!

That’s the print side of things, when it comes to eBook side, it gets just as complicated. On my Samsung tablet I have a Kindle app which I use for books. Again, the set up process is different to CreateSpace. Right now though I’m just trying to get the print version sorted, I’ll start with the eBook later. Oh yes, It’s Shipshape I’m trying to sort out. Let me tell you my friends, I do enjoy the actual writing, but all this faff about after is really bugging the life out of me.

Russia has been roundly condemned at the UN for its actions in Syria. I’ve said before that Putin is a dangerous man, one that needs watching closely. It seems he is looking for a war between Russia and the West with Syria as his excuse. If the conflict spreads and Russia does decide to roll into Western Europe, there is very little in place to stop him. So much for the peace dividend then! All the allied nations have reduced their armed forces because the fall of the USSR removed that threat. And yet, there has been little peace in the world since then has there. Now we have megalomaniac in power in Moscow and there’s little we can do to stop him right now.

Our current prime muppet claims she is hard enough to deal with such people, but is she? Time will tell of course. As you well know, I am not a lover of the tories but I have to be honest and say that she is the strongest of the current batch of party leaders. We have a few years before we go to polling booths again so hopefully someone will come along to challenge her. At the labour party has spoken loudly by re-electing Corbyn again. Now it’ up to the labour muppets to live with and get on a do the job properly by supporting him fully. If they do, they may well get my trust and vote again. As for Corbyn as prime muppet? Oh no, he’s most certainly not on that level of competence. It looks like we are headed for another eight years if tory mismanagement at least. I wish I could bugger off and live on my private little island somewhere … … …

Mr Virgin arrived as promised on Saturday and swapped out our TIVO box. The quality of the picture is really good, a lot better than it was before. It seems that the hard drive had failed, a known fault with the boxes. He was here for about half an hour sorting it out for us. The biggest downside is that we have lost all our recorded programmes, including a number of films that we like and were keeping. At least we can now watch the shows we do record.              

I wonder … have any of you ordered anything from a company called Betterware? Don’t bother if you haven’t. The goods look great in the book, but when they arrive they look cheap and nasty. The current man running things here in Dorktown isn’t doing much of a job either. Jan ordered an item for the car, it doesn’t fit so she wants to send it back and get a refund of the price. Trying to get hold of the man is proving very difficult, so Jan phoned the company directly; even they are having problems with the man. It will be sorted out soon enough, but such shoddy service from the local rep doesn’t do the company any good at all.

Today’s photo …

A greater white fronted goose – I think; someone will hopefully correct me if I’m wrong.

Today’s funny …

Wife: To think that I had to marry you to find out just how stupid you are.
Husband: You should have realised that when I asked you to marry me.      

On reading voices and seeing the truth behind and between the lines

25 September

What sort of voice do you hear as you read I wonder? For me it depends on if I have watched any sort of dramatization of a book. Clancy’s Jack Ryan was always Harrison Ford’s voice in my head; Alan Banks, as played by Stephen Tompkinson isn’t actually how I hear his voice. In the books Banks is from Peterborough, so why get a man from the North to play him. Ian Rankin refuses to watch or listen to any of his Rebus shows on telly. He claims that he doesn’t want any influence from the show and actors to colour his mind and effect his writing. Actually, I can see what he means and I don’t blame him one bit.

Even now as I read a Rebus book its Ken Stott I here in my head, so the dramatizations can affect some people. Val McDermid’s Tony Hill however, doesn’t come through as Robson Green in my mind, strange that perhaps. Maybe it’s because there have been a lot fewer of those shows that I have seen. It’s been eight years since the last one was released and anyway, those shows, like the books, didn’t grab my attention so much as the others I’ve mentioned here.

Casting director of films and TV shows do have a difficult job though. After all, each of us have our own views on who would be good for any part in a movie. A recent read for me is The Hunger Games. President Snow is really nasty sadistic man, but I didn’t see Donald Sutherland playing the part as I read. I saw Snow as being medium sort of man all round, not the tall, slim, elegant man that is Sutherland. And yet Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy is bang on for me.

Oh how the mind wonders; Kile like me is a HP fan and last night we watched the last of the eight films, again. And here I was typing away and I came to mind about the end of the Battle for Hogwarts. Harry now has the alder wand which he won of Tom Riddle. But should Harry really have it. Yes, he disarmed Draco in the manor house, but Hermione and Ron come along and disarm Draco again, along with two of his friends. So who should really have the much sort after wand? Of course, filmmakers are different writers aren’t they, indeed they have to be. How else could squeeze a whole year into around four to five hours of filming?     

On MSN yesterday I came across even more dietary advice, this time from cardiologists. The article claimed a list of foods that they will not eat. Two such Items were frozen foods and tinned foods. The claim is that such foods are high in salt and added ingredients that also add to the salt and high fat content of them. Oh yes, is that right? So a bag of frozen garden peas is full of salt is it? Now here’s the thing, if we are take any notice of these things then we need to learn to read through and between the lines.

I would agree that a frozen curry and rice may well be high in salt, but not frozen veg. Yet that article didn’t make any mention of this. My next question is; ‘Why wasn’t there and distinction made?’ The answer is simple really; to say so would have shifted the balance of what the article wanted to say. As we all know by now, bad news is good for sales, or in this case, views of an on-line news stream. So read well my friends.

Today’s photo …

A stag at Whipsnade

Today’s funny …

Patient: Doctor, doctor, I can't stop eating cheese and biscuits.
Doctor: You must be crackers.    

What does Dorktown need?

 

24 September

Years ago I had the bright idea that there were two things that Dorktown really needed. First one was a decent book shop; the second one was a decent café, by which I mean a plain simple café where you can buy a mug of tea or coffee and a bacon batch at decent prices, and open on Sundays as well as in the week. You might be wondering why I didn’t do either of them, that’s simply really, both need capital which I didn’t have.

Soon after that the Nuneaton Bookshop open its doors and that was one filled. Again such a café opened in Abbey Street to meet the need I had seen, or at least part of it. Apparently the council would allow it to open on Sundays. Both of those two outlets have since closed; now we have a Waterstones in Queens Road and so many cafes the choice is bewildering. What we don’t have though is a second hand bookshop, although there is a stall selling second hand books on the Wednesday market.

Our nearest such outlet is the Astley Book Farm (http://www.astleybookfarm.com/) which is excellent. There’s another one in Atherstone too. However, you need to travel to get to them and that can be a pain, Atherstone is fine to get to and on a major bus route, Astley isn’t on any bus route and has limited parking. But is there really a need for such a shop in town now? We do have something like 15 charity shops in town, all of them selling books. However, when I’ve been in any of them, there is always someone browsing the book shelves. So maybe there is a need and all it needs is someone with the dosh and vision to come along and open one – that counts me out cos of the dosh angle … ah well …

Kile arrived here yesterday as we sort of expected. This morning he sat down to start his homework. He tends to do his IT work here because we have a printer, at home he doesn’t. Anyway, his first task was to find and print a complete article from a 19^th Century publication, which he was really struggling with, so I had a look to see what I could find. Oh dear, I found loads of them, but they all needed to be paid for with the cheapest running at £9.95 a month. Seeing as it is a one-off project, and we are unlikely to use it again after today, we can’t really afford even that. How on earth do these teachers thing all parents can afford these things on a regular basis? Bloody people; my dad called them educated idiots – he wasn’t too off was he!

Fun and games with Mr Virgin again yesterday I’m afraid. It’s all down to that TIVO box we have. It seems that the internal hard drive has failed. We’re expecting an engineer to turn up today to try to sort it out. We both think that we will now lose all our recorded films when the box or the hard drive is replaced. At least we will catch up with everything then.

This morning my copy of Which?, arrived and one of the major articles and tests is on the broadband packages that are available. Virgin comes in second place behind PlusNet, bottom of the list is Sky. Rather handy actually cos we have been talking about looking for a cheaper deal just lately. But can we get a cheaper deal I wonder? You see, all our comms/IT is through Virgin, landline, mobile, broadband and TV package. We have been with Virgin since 1998/9 and have had very few problems with them. And yet I read so many negative comments about them in various places like magazines and social media. I can only speak about what I see and experience, and so far, we haven’t had any problems with them. In reality, I can’t see us moving from them.

Today’s photo …

city centre from the same spot I got the Broadgate photo 5 days ago.

Today’s funny …

Office Boy: The boss is starting to take notice of me.
Secretary: How's that?
Office Boy: This morning he asked me if I worked here.

The black dog, books and writers

23 September

Yesterday was a bad day for me for most of the day. I got up feeling down and it had begun to life as I went through to bed. That really is the worst part of the day for the black dog to take a hike. I saw 2.30 this morning before I was finally able to sleep, well, that was the time when I last looked at the clock. This morning I feel not so bad, which is fine seeing as we might be having Kile for the weekend. We are still waiting for his mum or nan to let us know if he is coming here or not. It is his usual weekend to come here but earlier in the week there was talk of them all going out tomorrow; be nice to know eh …

Not so long ago a comedian named Robin Williams killed himself. He’s not the first creative genius to do so is he. Van Gough not only cut off his ear, but he later killed himself. Tony Hancock and Peter Sellers are just two more. How many more have done so over the years I wonder? I’m thinking of Jimmy Hendrix and Brian Jones for instance, musical geniuses who died from a drugs overdose; but were they accidents or deliberate acts. And what of one of my favourite actors, Phillip Seymour Hoffman? Was his death an accident of deliberate? We will never know of course, but I do wonder.

So yesterday was a bad day for me, however, I am not trying to compare myself with these genius artists, oh no, no, no. But it does make me wonder you know, it really does. How many other artists or different media have died at their own hands? I bet there’s a Ph.D. in that for someone, but certainly not me.  

Have you by any chance of heard of a writer by the name of Robert Backman? I ask because last night I finished one of his books, Thinner by name. Of course, we now know that the writer is Stephen King using a pen name. When the book first appeared there was a lot of discussion about who the real writer is. After four more books, King admitted they were his. However, those who had read a lot of King’s work could easily see his voice in the pages, and so could I. But was that down to seeing King’s name on the front cover or because I really could see his voice in the pages? I’ll leave you to decide on that one.

A few years ago I saw a bought a book by Peter James in a charity shop. I knew I didn’t know the name and the back cover blurb looked interesting, so I paid my £1 and took my chance. Mr James has since profited from me quite a bit since then and I now have a copy of all his books on my shelves. There is one that I have been struggling to find, Billionaire. That one I finally found in a new release paperback from last year, on a stall in the market a few weeks ago, I shall begin reading it later tonight. At least I thought I had a copy of all his books, but I’ve just had a look on the Fantastic Fiction website and found another seven I haven’t read, or own. My search will continue.

We do buy some strange stuff don’t we? The other day I saw and ad on Facebook for a stamping thing that made a raised mark on the pages of your books, and I fancied one. Jan ordered it for me and it arrived this morning. I’ve tried it out on Thinner and it does work, but oh dear … do I slowly work through all my current books or just stamp them when I buy them new … … …

Today’s photo …

A not-so super hero in Broad Gate.

Today’s funny …

Did you hear about the idiot who thought that the Cote d'Azur was a blue jacket?          

Diabetic fun and games

21 September

This morning I had a run into town on me scooter, simply just to get me out for a wee bit. Jan was helping a friend move some boxes to her new home in Old Arley, and we met up at the Anker for an hour. And guess what? I didn’t buy any books today, see, I can manage it, but it was hard seeing as I saw a number of books on market stalls that I fancied. Jan in Asda now doing the shopping, which means I can get mesen into all sorts of mischief, even if does tell me to behave whenever she leaves me alone – spoil sport! I always behave … … …

What I did buy is nine pairs of gentle grip socks to replace another nine pairs of the normal socks I have in a bedside draw. My friendly foot butcher advised me get them cos of the marks the normal ones were making on my legs, not good for a diabetic who has circulation problems in his feet as it is. This diabetes game is no fun at all you know. Right now I feel that my sugar levels are quite high.

You see, I’m easily tired the last week or two and I’m more thirsty than normal too. Sorting that out means drinking more, and you know what happens then of course, and getting up a couple of time a night to go pee makes me tired too. But what can I do about it right now. I can get my levels tested at our pharmacy, which is fine, but what happens if I do a high sugar level?

I asked my GP about buying a testing kit after I was first diagnosed, his reply was, ‘What will do if you do get a high reading?’ And there lies the problem my friends, what can I do. I still need to eat at some time, but what? And how much? What I am nervous about is seeing a nurse or GP and end up being put on insulin. That really would be a backward step for me. Needles don’t worry me at all, I’ve had far too many over the years for it do so. However, when all is said and done, I am going to have to do something soon if things carry as they are.

Right! That’s me moan done with then – or is it? Looking outside right now, I see sunshine, but where was it when I was riding around town? Ah well … I did manage to get around the park before heading into town cos the flower beds looked nice as we drove past the other day, and I do like taking photos of flowers, even if I don’t know what they are. However, when I close up most of them were dying back, the one I did get was not a flower, more like a small shrub really. The one flower I did get is pale blue bell-shaped one. That will get posted later.

Our neighbour Roy is not the only one having a wet room fitted, Kath and Val across the back are have theirs done too. Both of them are elderly ladies who have mobility needs and I should think that trying to get in and out of those small baths we had in here would have been a nightmare for them. Why the council agreed to have such small baths fitted I don’t know, not a lot of thought went into by the looks of it. These ground floor flats are meant for elderly or disabled people, and those silly little baths were no good for any of us.

So then, a photo to find …

A bog plant … can you work it out?

Doctor, doctor, I think I'm a mountain.
Well you do look a little peaky.      

Reading, writing and a couple of dreams

20 September

One of these day’s I’ll learn to read things properly before I scream for help. So, I had another read of the Brother website and realised I still might be able to get the beastie working. First job then, where’s the damned cabling; actually though, I found those quite easily actually. Next job was to set it up, and it all worked. Great, that’s saved us some cash, makes a change does that. All I need to do now is to get on and get some writing done.

That is proving more than a little difficult though. Basically, I’m missing my writing room/study. We lived in Bracebridge Street before coming here and although we both love our little flat, ‘little’ is operative word. In the house I converted the back bedroom into a study, and it was there that I began writing anyway. In fact, it was in there that I wrote all of my finished books, and that is why I miss the study. I have said that I could take a ride into town to the library and write in there; or I could move everything into the bedroom and write. I’ve not done anything about either idea though.  

Our plan for today was to was a run over to Leicester to do our shopping at the Fosse Park Shopping Centre, just off the M1/M69 junction to do our weekly shopping – all seven items. So now we aren’t bothering. I did suggest a run over to Brum but Jan doesn’t really fancy it without a real purpose. She’s right really and I only it for the chance to get out for an hour or two. I’ll get out tomorrow on me scooter instead.

Well, I’ll get out tomorrow if I can. Of course, a lot will depend on the weather, but the main reason is that somehow I have managed to seriously pull a muscle in the right forearm. Every so I forget it about and put too much weight or over stretch it, and it seems to just pull it all over again. Normally you see, even now while I’m typing there’s no pain at all, and I’m pleased about cos I’m not sure I could put up with it all the time right now. I can see me upping my pain killers again before too long.

We have both been seriously thinking of learning Spanish, so when we had leaflet from the local college come through the door advertising a beginner’s Spanish course. Jan has been getting on to me to phone and get us a place on it. I finally did call this morning and guess what, it’s full. They have taken our names for the next one. Why Spanish? Well, we still have this nagging feeling of perhaps moving to Spain at some point, even if we have said before that we won’t be moving again. Our wee dream comes and goes but it’s always there in the back of our minds, but does it hurt to dream and perhaps even prepare, just in case hey …

Jan did ask at one point, not so long ago when I think of it, was how would be get internet excess. It’s a fair point actually and something I hadn’t thought of, even though we had broadband in Mallorca a few years ago. But where and how did they connect? That is just one question we would need to ask. Health care is something else we need to think about, along with the cost if we had to go private. It’s all our numerous conditions may well make such a move not worth the effort really. But as I say, there’s no problem with dreaming.

And so it’s time for a photo …

Another dream.

Today’s funny …

Lady Customer: Can I try on that dress in the window?
Assistant: If you really want to, but I think it would be better if you tried it on in the changing room.              

Printers and W10

19 September

My silly arsed brother Dave would have been 66 today, if only he had listened to what people were telling him about his eating and diabetes. That’s folks for yer …

I think I said not so long ago about being asked to write something for, For Reading Addicts. It seems it went down well and they said if I felt like doing any more, they’d be welcome. So last night I wrote another one, but then I took it into my head to print it out and read through it before posting. Not a bad idea really, except for one wee thing, I’ve not installed my Brother laser printer yet.

I’ve been looking for the CD to do so for some time and I can’t find it at all, so I had the bright idea of downloading the software from their website. That’s a big NO too. They claim there’s a Windows update that can be downloaded for it, Windows Update are saying are saying check with the manufacturer. And so I’m stuck ‘piggy-in-the-middle’ again. Hang on a mow I thinks to mesen, What about Jan’s Kodak printer. Still no go; W10 strikes again. So now at some time we will need to buy a new printer unless I can find an easy solution elsewhere. My good friends on Streetlife have come up with some suggestions so perhaps later I can things sorted.  

Last week I mentioned Roy across the way here. He’s certainly had a wet room fitted but by the looks of it he’s having a full re-wire down too. When our new kitchen was done we were told we would need a re-wire too. That is something we didn’t fancy at all and said so at the time, and it wasn’t done. It looks like we have got away with it, so I hope they don’t come and want to make a start on it.

At last I have got around to watching the Tonight show from last week, and yet again it’s on the lack of help and support for mental illness, and certainly serious mental illness. There is a serious issue for all of us when we take just a short walk outside our homes. This care in the community idea has failed drastically. Let’s face it though, it was started anyway as a cost cutting exercise anyway, and that needs to be rectified, and quickly.

The show has been filmed with Kent Police as they attended a man who was self-harming. It was filmed on a Friday morning, the earliest appointment they could arrange for him was the following Monday afternoon, they don’t work over the weekend. So if anyone has a mental health crisis, they must arrange it during the week. The show tells the story of a man who was realised back into the community and went off and killed his own grandson.

The man’s family had not been informed he had been released, if they had been they would have made sure the 9-year-old boy was safe. They knew his grandfather has a history of violence. He was released simply because the staff couldn’t cope with the man’s violence in the unit he was held in. They put their safety and comfort before that of the general public. That is just not on! It’s time it was taken seriously and sorted out.

Today’s photo …

Broadgate, Coventry.

Today’s funny …             

The poor guy walks up to the rich guy's house. He's down on his luck and needs, if they had some money. He rings the doorbell. "Hi there, I'm down on my luck, need some money, and I was wondering if you have any work I could do for you?" The rich Guy de, they must arrange it ides to give him a break, and says: "Sure, my porch needs painting. I'll pay you 50 dollars to do it for me." "Sure thing, Mister, I'll get started right away!" Time passes, until... "Hey Mister, I'm all done painting!" "Well, here's your 50 dollars" "Thanks, and by the way, it's a Ferrari, not a Porsche."      

Home grown terror, a few films and losts of books

18 September

Has New York been hit again by fanatical terrorists? Terrorists yes, fanatics, no, I don’t think so. Normally when the fanatics strike they are much more efficient and the casualty figures is far higher than 24 in injuries MSN is reporting right now. A second device was found too and that one failed to go off. No my friends, I have a feeling this is home grown Americans who have done this one. Let’s face it, the US has enough of its own anti-government groups floating around peddling their own version of how the Constitution should read, understood and applied.

Two bombs in New York, one in New Jersey but the New York mayor says investigators don’t think they are linked. I would think it’s a little too soon for such comments really. The earlier blast didn’t cause any injuries, so again, it wasn’t as well planned as other attacks that have happened around the world. The US should be grateful for that really, at least there’s no fatalities. However, these people learn from their mistakes and quickly adapt, so that is why I say it’s too early to say they are not linked.

Have you seen the film Olympus has Fallen? No, we have a thought it was OK. So when London has Fallen came out we thought it would worth a watch too. What we didn’t expect is a re-run of Olympus but set in London. Of course, the main target is to murder the US president live on telly, and oh yes, kill as many western country leaders as possible while they were at it. Of course, the baddies only partially succeed and the Secret Service wins the day. It’s a poor follow up folks and if you want to see it, wait until the DVD drops to £3 in Asda, just about worth it then.

Jan’s dropping hints that it’s time we watched the Game of Thrones sets again. We will do, even if I think it’s a bit too soon since the last time we watched them. But what do I know eh? I mean, I’ve been watching the Parry Hotters again over the last few weeks, and I’m reading the books for third time now. So yes, we’ll start the sets again soon, might even be later today, if I can find them that is.

Not far from us here in Dorktown is a second hand bookshop, Astley Book Farm. I love that place, but we don’t go there as often as I would like to. The last time we went I came back a small pile of books, including the one I’m reading now, Thinner by Stephen King writing under the name Robert Brachman. It’s as good as any other King has written, about a gypsy who cures two men involved in the death of elderly gypsy and the following cover-up. There are four more Brachman books waiting to be read too, all in one volume though, and I’m looking forward to those. Anyway, thee Book Farm …

Our last visit was around five or six weeks ago and I was really surprised at the changes that have been done. There’s a new café there, the whole place has been redesigned and repainted, and they have kept the 10/- Barn. 10/-? Try ten-bob, or in today speak 50p. I’ve not been in there yet but I have promised myself I will do next time we visit. Hopefully that won’t be long. Jan will no doubt shudder at the thought of even more books arriving here, but oh dear, what can a reading addict do?

Today’s photo …

Just one bookcase.

Today’s funny …

What do the guests do at a cannibal wedding?
They toast the bride and groom.

Road safety is down to common sense and lack of forethought for others

17 September

First off, a correction; Jan is not waiting to have an operation on her neck, no, the operation will be lower down on her back. The idea is to prevent her forward-leaning from the shoulders up continuing to curve. Sorry about that.

I’ve boobed again; my lappy was screaming at me to install updates to W10. Like an idjt I clicked to restart there and then, forgetting I had Word documents open and unsaved. However, as far as I can see, they haven’t been affected by the restart. One day my friends, I really will remember to save stuff every time I use it.

Two newspapers, from opposing political viewpoints both majored on just one issue of Thursday. The Mail and the Mirror shouted loudly about the death rate caused by drivers using hand held phones. Deaths caused by drivers is something that I’ve had strong views about for years now and the advent of the mobile phone has made the issue an even bigger problem. It took a fairly long time for us to get the idea that driving and drinking is not acceptable, well most of us do that is. We now have the same task with driving and mobile use. How many more people will die before the message gets through I wonder?

Another issue in last nights’ Midlands Today, was that of drivers giving cyclists more room as they drive passed them. Again, it’s another one that has caused deaths in the past and will do so in the future. The police have looked at the issue and found that most of the accidents had been caused by drivers, not cyclists. In an effort to reduce the number of accidents, they have taken to roads on cycles and are pulling over any driver who gets too close to them.

And don’t forget mobile use causes problems even with other pedestrians as they walk through crowed town centres. How many times have you had to move out of the way because someone is so wrapped up with writing a text they are not watching where they are going? I certainly have when I’ve been out on my scooter.  

For me the issue is, what is too close. The cops are saying that 1.5 metres is the correct amount of space needed when passing a cyclist. To make it clearer when they are pulled over for it, the undercover cop turns up and plays them the video he shot at the time. Drivers are then given the option of a training course or a fine, most of those caught so far have gone for the course.

Opinions have differed on this idea of course. One such view is that a lot of cyclist don’t ride properly or even legally anyway. Weaving between vehicles, riding through red lights, riding through a busy crowed market place, and so on are just a couple of incidents. Another one is making themselves visible at night time is another big one. How many times have you been out on a dark evening and seen a cyclist dressed head to toe in black or dark clothing?

In both issues, what all this comes to is the selfish attitude of so many people today. For years now we have been doing what we want, when we want to. All too often we have been pushed to improve our own lives, and yet the obvious part of that has been left out. The obvious part is the responsibility we all have to those around us. That is what we need to change most of all, indeed first of all.

If we all took that responsibility to heart, we would understand that using a mobile while driving is not acceptable, as is texting while walking in crowed areas. We would understand that it is necessary to give cyclists more room as we drive pass them. Other cyclists would understand that they are taking huge risks by weaving between vehicles.

Today’s photo ...

Bond Gate, Dorktown.

Today’s funny …

Did you hear about the man who was convicted of stealing luggage from the airport?
He asked for twenty other cases to be taken into consideration.