2015 — 17 July: Friday

Today's planned toddle along the Itchen1 will probably precede the supplies run I lazily dodged yesterday — on the grounds that shopping for fresh food for two, any earlier than strictly necessary, risks being poor domestic economy. Besides, I posted his box of die-cast toys for him yesterday; what more could he possibly want?

I've been offered...

... some hints to sort out my printer, including the possibility of driving it generically (as a printer) under CUPS while still using the HPLIP service to control the "scanner" side of its dual personality. Only under Linux, heh?

Meanwhile, I made a start on the Swedish language version of "Real Humans" last night, pausing it about 30 minutes in from a combination of tiredness and increasing boredom at the affectless acting and unoriginal treatment of what should/could have been a truly fascinating scenario. Sadly, I am once again left bemused by the large amount of praise that's been heaped upon it. (Though, for that matter, the cover art of one of yesterday's acquisitions2 carries two twitter comments in lieu of quotes from 'paid' critics. Probably not a good sign; the low price being another giveaway.)

Opus lives!

At last, a potential benefit of Facebook. I was sent the three strips so far unleashed upon a grateful world under the heading "Bloom County 2015" by the wonderful Berkeley Breathed after a 25-year hiatus so, as my Facebook-using friend puts it, "All's right with the world, the universe is back in balance". Here's one of my Opus soft toys peeking (back in the summer of 2009) around the foot of what was one of my rear-channel speakers before I saw the "stereo" light and massively simplified my (you should pardon the phrase) "hi-fi system":

Opus and his Castle

Lighter than a die-cast airplane model, but equally incapable of flight. Just sayin'.

I was prepared...

... for a six-mile ramble, but it became a 7.5 mile trek into the unknown, though centred around Easton, at times. No matter. Back safely and freshly showered. Quick bite of lunch, some of that now much-delayed supplies topping up, laundering in progress, and I'll just about be ready for whatever the weekend throws at me. Including a gathering of the Mounce mini-clan in Northampton for a BBQ before John's departure for NZ next week.

Pause

And so it came to pass. I shall now decompress for a little in this relatively unwelcome — but, admittedly, seasonal — heat. It's 25C in the living room. It was -8C in Auckland a couple of days ago!

Given a choice between...

... listening to Daniel Levitin (after reading his books) or reading about the guvmint delaying for four years their manifesto promise to "cap" care costs, or the lovely Home Office appealing against the High Court ruling that their over-hastily-introduced and excessive snooping powers are illegal or the ridiculous notion that I cannot rip to MP3 format, for my personal use, CDs that I've bought, for my personal use... just where does one start?

With a cuppa, I guess.

  

Footnotes

1  Suitably long-sleeve shirted to discourage any midges.
2  It would be churlish to identify the title until I've confirmed the truth (or otherwise) of these twits' tweets.