2015 — 25 March: Wednesday
A lovely, sunny1 morning. And a return to a more normal wake-up time, too (in time, that is, to be sure of catching "Bach before Seven"). I likes me my bit of Bach of a morning.
Today...
... seems like a good day to restore my Localhost web server and then, perhaps, to try out the alternative Brian recently found to the SQLite Browser. I've now got back my "Recoll" desktop searching tool and used it to rebuild my web pages index from their latest location. As before, I shall have to add myself to the group that can access these files and then 'fool' the lighttpd web server as to their exact whereabouts. Good job I made detailed notes, isn't it?
All done and dusted. Next? That fresh food I mentioned yesterday, methinks. Where are my car keys? [Pause]
Rather busy out there, but all done and dusted. Next? Breakfast, perhaps? It is nearly 09:00 after all. Where's that croissant?
Notes on get-iplayer
Again, for my future reference. The PPA keeps a more up-to-date version than the one currently tucked away in the Mint 17.1 distro.
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:jon-hedgerows/get-iplayer sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install get-iplayer
The first line tells Linux about a personal package archive. get-apt will check it out for obvious problems, but only do this with something you trust. The second line tells apt to refresh its list of package sources. The third line installs get-iplayer and its dependencies (including rmtpdump).
And, bingo! There's get_iplayer at version 2.92 successfully snaffling last night's (very fine) "Late Junction" for me in glorious 320 kbps quality.
Hold it!
Before you go guzzling your overdue lemonses, do you mind just explaining where these came from? Sure. Who needs Amazon when there's an Asda a mile from my doorstep?
Generation is simple. Scan, rotate, scale (keeping as uncompressed .png file), group in Inkscape, export into the GIMP, and use that to get the final .jpg file. Can I have that lemonses now, please? I'm sharp set.
Roughly 95% of my food...
... comes from Waitrose. (I'm lazy.) Parent organisation JLP has just sent me a new Partnership card, which is a vital part of my smoothly-established food acquisition process (this morning's expotition
there being just the latest typical example). I must first activate this new card (it tells me) by calling number 'xxx'. Fair enough. Been there before. So I call 'xxx'.
"We're sorry. This number is temporarily unavailable."
So (naturally?) I next call Customer Services.
"Hi. My name's Robert. Can I have the first two letters of your memorable word?"
Well, you could if I had one. I'm just calling because the number my new card says I need to call to activate it is unavailable, and I'd rather like to eat.
"I understand, sir. Can I have the first two letters of your memorable word?"
You're not really listening to what I'm saying, are you Robert? Let's take it nice and slowly, shall we? ...
Long story short, the card is now activated, so I can carry on eating. I now have my first-ever memorable word2 for JLP, never previously having bothered to sign up to their Internet presence. Unlike 99.999% of their well-heeled customers, I suppose. And my new best friend Robert has promised to send my Internet password, by snailmail, in three to five days. Yet more junk mail, I expect.
Meanwhile, the solicitor I've been ignoring for nearly a year now while I decide further simplifications I want to make to my new Will3 has just reminded me my new "Will is not legally valid until such time that it has been correctly signed." Like I wasn't fully aware of that. And Mr Funeral Director, calling to assure me all is in place for tomorrow's little 'farewell' ceremony, was a little nonplussed at my offer to drop by his office this afternoon with a cheque for his fee. It seems people don't generally pay in advance :-)
I just want everything neat and tidy, dagnabbit. Bite me. And now I'm definitely overdue a lunch, too.
Free won't
I like it. (Link.)
Xfce
I like it, too! It seems even more responsive, but is pleasing in its minimalist approach. Love the right click contextual menus. I think I shall have to keep this around for a while. Is it too weird to confess that the larger pointer is one of its best features on this gigantic screen?
Somewhat to my surprise...
... given all that's been going on hereabouts, I've managed to go ten full days before what I've reluctantly had to accept are my 'usual' stress- and tiredness-related visual zig-zags showed up (earlier this evening). As I've said, the nearest I've yet seen to a visual representation of this phenomenon...
... was this cat I found nearly 50 years ago in one of John Hadfield's "Saturday Books". Still, when the funeral's out of the way, I guess I'll be able to relax for a bit. And quietly contemplate another of my growing set of rites de passage under (as it were) my belt. Life, heh? Such good fun at times.