2010 — 3 May: Monday
Beware the Ides of May (or, Big Bro is coming to town later this month). Meanwhile (it's 01:37 or so) I've just got back, and it's turned rather chilly out there, though it's still dry at the moment. On the assumption that it stays so for a few hours, we're optimistically planning a Bank Holiday walk.
G'night.
Dry, so far, with oily patches
Though (at 08:48) not the sunniest of starts to the day. And really quite chilly, still. Or maybe it's my old bones? Meanwhile, I thought from their constant stressing of their care for the environment in recent years, BP's main product must by now be so healthy you could almost eat it. Not so, it seems. But for the Republicans to claim (as it were) the higher ground in this mucky area is a new (and very oil-slicked) depth. (Source.)
Or should that be glowing patches?
The Owl and the Pussycat went to sea (if I recall) with some honey, and plenty of money, wrapped up in a five pound note...
Our costly Trident nuclear subs prefer to do so with safety valves sealed off. The military mind at its finest, I suppose. Good to know, therefore, that "We take safety extremely seriously".1 (Source.)
Typical
Having decided to walk tomorrow on the promise of better weather the sun has (naturally) started shining (on and off) here. Still, I have an Ubuntu server to play with. My simple goals are to:
- keep it "headless"
- administer it from any of my other PCs
- use it for networked storage, and hosting my local web server
Not too much to ask, surely?
If all else fails, I shall just have to watch Mike's French PAL DVD pressing of "Dune". We've both recently ordered the Blu-ray that's coming out in the States in a week or so, as we've both been equally disappointed over the years (since 1984!) with the quality of the various video transfers that came out on LaserDisc and then on Region 1 and Region 2 DVDs (including the shamefully poor2 version that was the "Extreme" edition [despite its tin box packaging]). Mike warns me the now obsolete HD DVD version was no better, either.
Last night's other film, by the way, was "No reservations". Not in the same league as "Pride & Prejudice", but watchable.
We've now got a lovely blue sky, a few fluffy white clouds, a cooling breeze. Beautiful walking weather, dammit. And it's time (12:32) to start thinking idly about a bite to eat. [Pause] Well, molehole.org seems to be off the air.3 Tell me something I couldn't deduce...
But I have Java 6 Update 20 as some sort of compensation. (Not a very good one, in my opinion.) The sun has again appeared after a shower. Sky is blue. Time is 15:00. Cuppa is fresh.
Oily talk
Unless I just misheard, the boss of BP in America (while disclaiming responsibility for the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico) has just said they are working hard to see if they can "Actuate this piece of evidently failed equipment" — Who talks like that? Separated by a common language, indeed.
Crying over split milk
I like a nice chortle, and being reminded of the Second Law of the late Sir John Maddox...
The secret of excellent proofreading is caring intensely about getting things right and loathing error with an intensity that perhaps only fascism or an alimony-collecting ex-wife deserves. Such people appear to have departed the earth, and don't figure soon to return. Might as well relax, sit back, and enjoy the typos one finds while having a peanut better and jolly sandwick and a cold glass of mulk.
This lack of central heating is doubtless saving me a fortune in gas bills, but I currently have four layers of clothing on as the temperature up here in the study (window open, of course) is a somewhat chilly 17C. I think I shall adjourn to catch me some flying pixels — the plasma screen does a good sideline in space heating, and is more visually interesting than the "plasma" gas fire. Christa never actually enjoyed the benefit of that, it suddenly occurs to me. Plus, downstairs is where the kettle lurks. It's 20:18 and counting.
Later
The French DVD pressing of "Dune" is excellent, though my Blu-ray is now on its way. However, "Aeon Flux" proved unwatchably stupid, despite the presence of the luscious Charlize Theron.