2011 — 16 August: Tuesday
I don't think today's country walk is going to be unduly troubled by sunshine.1 It's already 09:30 and breakfast is fully loaded, though the latest batch of stewed plums really could use a little sugar. Brian tells me he has (after some hints from Len regarding "webmin") now given up trying to squeeze both a Linux server and an admin interface for it into my over-little 2GB Asus netbook2 and will arrange to do all its admin from the more spacious environment of BlackBeast...
Sounds like a good plan. Now, let's see if I can squeeze a packed lunch into a sandwich box. I'm sure I'll be able to administer that myself.
My friend Carol is now back in New York having much enjoyed her first-ever trip to Switzerland. I spent a couple of weeks in the Bernese Oberland back in 1966 but have somehow never felt the need to return. It's still jolly expensive, I gather, as the once mighty dollar and the rather shabby pound descend in lock-step into the dust.
And safely back...
... in time to catch the repeat of the Prom with Elgar's "Enigma" variations. Perfect for an afternoon cuppa. My tiny new server is nearly ready to commence its customer acceptance trials, or will be after Brian has also popped an MP3 music server on to it. (Those last-minute changes of customer requirements are so aggravating, aren't they?) His design goal (he only now tells me) is that I should be able to do all the Ubuntu server administration3 from the Tablet PC, as well as from BlackBeast. Jolly good fun.
I still keep an...
... occasional eye on broadcast TV, just to make sure my low opinion of it remains justified. I'd earlier been reading gloomy news about cuts or proposals of cuts at BBC4, which seems about the only remaining small island of civilised TV. Any way, it's the next channel in the firing line thanks to the inept and unchanged management of the BBC. The same clowns who tried to "off" 6Music last year. (Link.)
So today's evening meal has just been eaten to the latest set of "shocking revelations" about attempts to dismiss the reality of, and/or deny the occurrence of, phone hacking, and knowledge of same, among various fragrant parties in our wonderful media circus. Mind you, since today's letter had been in the possession of Knacker of the Yard for four years, but was new news to the Commons Committee, it's not much of a revelation, is it? But it's certainly a confirmation of the general level of dishonesty and sleazy behaviour. By the way, if the channel I was watching (ITV 1 HD) was actually high definition, I need my eyesight tested. And BBC here in the South can't even manage any hi-def kit yet.
Back to my book. With the Prom on quietly in the background, probably. I don't really know any Bax. (Bix, yes. Bax, no.)