Families....

 

So tired yesterday all I posted was this picture, then fell asleep!

Today I managed to reply to emails, quite quickly for me.  Including one from a woman on ancestry who is researching the family line.  Quite how she fits I fail to see however, family lines spread out and who knows how close a relative she might be?  I hope she is rich?  

There was a ship, the 'Lyon,' which sailed in 1640 to New England.  On board were a hundred or so seeking a new life, possibly for religious reasons, possibly for adventure.  One visitor from the USA informed me that from those who arrived all those years ago there were now 3 million descendants.   

This is worrying, as my fathers line tended to have several children each, they probably went off breeding happily around the world, and here may be 3 or more million of us lot being miserable old goats in all parts of the world!  

I was wondering if those long gone family were like us?  Did they have the same inherited attitudes?  Did they use the same terms we use today, or had their experiences, running or working on farms, created the attitudes and outlook that came down to us?  Grandfather was a drunk, my father went the opposite way because of this, but what were they like previous to that?  Great Grandfather took a pub in a period of agricultural downturn, though he kept 40 acres nearby.  You cannot run a pub and be a drunk, even if your daughters do most of the work.  Women have a nasty tendency to say what they think...

If we met our forefathers and mothers would we recognise ourselves in them by the way they spoke, the mannerisms, their looks?  I have mentioned previously the football team of 16 years old from 1896, I recognised three of them as young men following the Heart of Midlothian in the 60s.  Clearly they were the grandchildren, would we recognise out grandfathers in similar fashion, if indeed we had photographs of them?  

I am just imagining several generations of my family on my fathers side in one room, all complaining about something, all moaning and all being 'right!'  Maybe it would be good, maybe it would be tiring!

I give thanks that the massive Microsoft outage has missed this house, though I know not why.  The NHS, airports, airlines, and big business are grounded, while many individuals have the 'Blue screen of death!'  It is many years since I saw that, it was once common, and I am glad to have avoided this.

How can Microsoft have such an outage?  How can so many suffer this way at one time?  Surely there was some system to limit exposure to outages?  We all know their wonderful machines work well until they don't, and while accepting the complexity of the inner workings it remains clear that some 14 year old was not doing his job today.

I have said for a long time there is no need to fear bombs.  Putin makes a big mistake dropping bombs, all he has to do is close down the electricity power stations, block all the Microsoft workings and victory is assured.  Without electric nothing happens, without computers nothing happens.  And on top of that there is no backup on card to overcome this.  Rail travel systems are down, carboard tickets would still work mind.  I laugh when they say 'Buy tickets online,' but not if the system is down, not if the individuals laptop is dead, and not if the bank cannot pass the cash!  

More of this to come.

Fame and Fortune the Slappers Way

I am contemplating the suggestion that I ought to set up a video link and offering myself to the world on 'Only Fans' or some such channel.  One of my young women has made this suggestion and I have been cogitating on it all day.  

Obviously the days of the week would determine the normal routine, though some may not notice a difference, and carrying the camera through the park and into Tesco or wherever might find some difficulties arising.  Especially with that big bloke on security at Sainsburys.  

However, my daily trip to the laptop ought to be worth something cash wise from DELL, as it is their machine that is driving me mad.  Also Microsoft would get many a mention throughout the day, just as they did yesterday when I could not work my way through 'Outlook' as it has been amended again by a 13 year old maniac.  Their name was used often.

'Firefox,' would get less attention as bad language is rare with that browser, but for a fee it could be mentioned daily.  As indeed would 'Opera,' which I use to scribble this rubbish as it has a much used spellchecker on it.  

A camera in an appropriate place would offer views of me slumming it working during the morning, hopefully with a bit of sunshine creeping in.  I say 'working,' I mean 'reading the online press and Twitter.'  My opinions are freely offered loudly if the neighbours are out.   Surely there is a number of viewers for such a sight?  

Also, when I rise, like Larry the Cat chasing a Fox from Downing Street, the viewers would then enjoy my catering skills at the oven.  Brandishing sauces (donated by a variety of companies) while placing mince pies from Murdoch's Butchers in Forres in the oven would surely acquire interest from the far north.  Indeed even abroad!  The dash and daring with which I stir the pot, throwing in, and I mean throwing, a variety of spices, sauces, and things found at the back of the freezer, would be an encouragement to many in these 'hard up times.'   Enabling the world to note how a large pan can produce enough soup for a week must be worth something, if even only to the 'Food Banks!'  

'Waterstones' and 'Amazon,' not to say 'World of Books,' must be willing to part company with the readies for an advert?  I could pose on the filthy couch surrounded by their offerings, reading the latest (non-fiction) tome that has been obtained through a gifted book token.  My opinion would surely be of benefit to the aspiring author, to those concerned with the subject, and readers desiring to purchase.

Doing this while quaffing 'Sainsburys Red Label Tea,' or 'Bells Scotch Whisky,' surely would deserve a decent response?  

The surrounding scenery, the dust on the mantlepiece, the unhoovered floor, the drying washing hanging around like a bad smell,  would ring a bell with many a man devoid of women to tidy up.  They too would enjoy the coverage of football, even if their team was losing.  After all, it's not whether you win or lose but how you play the game.  All football fans agree to this.

What...?  Oh!

Obviously, with the latest Tory Chancellor denying outright his intention to become the next Prime Minister and thereby making clear his intention to become the next Prime Minister, we can be assured that energy costs will rise again.  This may mean mush of my coverage on these 'TikTok' channels will be somewhat dark.  This, especially when advertising swimwear, which appears to be the only thing that the women actually do, might of course be better in the dark.  

Political harangues,  football commentary, Sunday sermons (that will bring in the crowds, to complain), travelogues of places I have never visited, family history, until the injunctions arrive, and constant references to 'The War,' though I will probably mean the 'Great One,' are surely the stuff to bring sponsors knocking on my door, instead of 'Hermes Drivers' looking for my neighbour. 

I can start planning the camera positions, not counting the one seeking stars in the sky as there is little room in the sink, and then await the many offers that must fall through my door.  

Of course, if successful the price demands rise accordingly.

Vaccination and Microsoft equal Anger

Science Museum

 

The letter came the other day, this followed on from the email, informing me that I was now eligible for the 'seasonal' Covid vaccination.  'Hooray,' said I, and returned to slumber.

Today, I looked up the online process, I clicked, I clicked again, always in the appropriate places, and clicked again.

I entered my National Health number.

I entered my date of birth, 2nd Jan 1990.

I clicked 'continue.'

I then selected the nearest centre offering the vaccination.

Witham!

Witham!  Six miles away, an hour on the bus, and even then I have to walk miles to find the place in the outskirts of town!

Other offerings were further afield.

I searched for the 'Walk in Centre.' 

I found one in town!

This operates at the 'Braintree Village' shopping experience.

I looked up the opening times.

SUNDAY!

Sunday, the one day buses do not run!

There is a Hospital up the road, 20 minutes walk away even for me, and that is where I got the previous two vaccinations.  The local 'Christchurch Pharmacy' run by a local church, offered the last booster.

No more.

For no good reason, cost in other words, if I take up this generous offer I must travel miles for it.

Shambles, that bloody Tories!

Bloody Microsoft!

They have kept me waiting a month before accepting the change of details, for no reason.  

Today I tried to sign in and had to go through all the hoops.

Eventually I was told to offer the last 4 digits of the phone number.

This I did.

I waited.

I waited.

I waited.

Nothing came.

I went through it all once more, informing them of my honest opinion.

I waited.

I waited.

I gave up.

I did get far enough into the mish mash of an organisation run by 14 year olds to find the phone number they required me to add was correct, however, the phone number on my details made no sense whatsoever.  Where did it come from?  I tried to delete it, but it appears to be still there.

Then I had to log in again, and now they are making me wait another month before I can go through all this again!

Happiness is not my name today.

Tuesday Grumbles

It has been an exhausting few days.  Last week I did too much for my unfit, old frame.  Walking about on Sunday did not help.  So I have done nothing of interest again.  It has to be said, that is now my normal existence.  This morning I reached Sainsburys early but found I was tired, very tired.  I struggled back home and drank coffee and ate whatever I could find, irrespective of what it did to the diet.  This took all day to wear off, and is still hanging around yet. 

Actually, I have done other things, mostly on the laptop.  I have managed to upset gays in the USA, Brexiteers in the UK, and my downstairs neighbour, though that was by just existing.  

So, the time has not been wasted then?

Boris has managed to cause a railway strike, by not allowing his government to take part in talks, also reducing subsidy payments by half, demanding 2500 job cuts, including ticket sellers, replacing them with computerised online tickets (which many cannot use) and refusing wage increases.  He now blames 'militant unions' for troubling the nation.  

'Train drivers are overpaid' some claim, ignoring the fact that train drivers are not involved in the strike.  The 'Daily Mail' reader is easily led.

Postmen are next, Criminal Barristers, those who defend you that is, are also striking this week, most others are soon to follow.  Nurses, dustmen and a wide variety of people now suffering from the cost of living increase are demanding more.  This government of billionaires and millionaires is ignoring them.

On Sunday we remembered it was 'Fathers Day,' another of those imported US celebrations that did not exist when I was young.  Father's, now almost outlawed by Harriet Harmen and her feminist rabble, are given a token day today, but only if they are 'new fathers,' a term which implies all fathers beforehand were bad.  This of course is rubbish, many were bad, just as many were very good, however, books and magazines, newspapers and TV stories fill with tales of the bad ones. For 40 years Harriet and her harridans have been telling us men are bad, many now accept this as true, and this includes young men.

Fathers are important, we are created male and female, no matter what todays fashionable lies tell us.  One male, one female, married for life, are best for children, male and female.  We are all aware of the many failures, we often read about them.  We never appear to read about failed one parent (usually female) families which fail, we never appear to read about gay marriages which fail, couples living together for a while which fail, we obtain only half a story, and children suffer.

One police Inspector indicated that most young black kids in trouble had no fathers, this was quietly pushed aside, as this was not a popular, though true, observation.  I have known black men who have not looked after their children, but many more who have been very good fathers indeed.  Society hears only what it wishes to hear, not what is best. 

I notice Microsoft have been at it again.  While everything was going along reasonably they have amended this and that, especially the 'Photos' and not informed us as to how to change things again.

This did not take long to work out, however, once again it appears 14 year olds are the ones coming up with ideas.  Why do tech companies amend things so often?  Apart from amending mistakes, keeping out bugs, and finding new ways to make use of your data to enrich themselves, which after all, is what it is all about, why do they do this?  Last night, on the new, cheap, spare laptop, which uses the totally useless Win 11, I struggled with normal everyday things.  Sure, I was a bit tired, but the cursor requires fixing, the layout is poor, and nothing works properly, unless they say so.  Firefox etc, cannot be used unless you leave their 'S' security, whatever that means, and all I know is that they are making even more from my useless data than I am making for myself.  

Anyone got a spare 13 year old who can help here?

This brute does not help either!

The other day I was sorting things out and found a man in Amsterdam talking to me!  That cost text money to fix.  Every time I touch it something disappears or even worse, appears!  Now I find it 'topping up' with £20 three times within a week, whereas before it took weeks to do this.  

I went onto the website, struggled to get on, struggled to find the costs, struggled to find what I had paid, and struggled to understand why I am now paying so much more when it all looks the same?  A few more days research here before I dump GiffGaff and find another.  

Wednesday Wondering

 

 

 

My favourite niece was bringning my new favourite great nephew to see me on Sunday, however, both she and her husband have contracted Covid!  This does not surprise me, though it worryies me as the kid is not yet seven months old.  Four people of my acquaintance have also suffered under this virus recently, and manay more besides.  The incompetent Russian spy who occupies No 10 Downing Street has followed the instructions of his greedy backbenchers and big business money men to drop all restrictions, including wearing masks on buses, in shops, in schools and crowded places and now he is even ending the free distribution of the LFT's that test for the virus!  NHS staff are now required to pay £5 or go wthout!!! The free parking for hospital staff will also end soon.  Now, unsurprisingly, Covid is running riot again!  Hospitals are overrun, and as you know the Tories deprive the NHS deliberately of funds, with 90,000 or so vacancies not being filled, although vast sums are offered for those who will lead 'Diversity and Inclusion (inclusive unless you are Christian of course).'  

These facts are given little space in the right-wing media, which is all we appear to have today, it is possible Russia has a more open, free press than the UK.  These facts are not wanted so must be ignored, yet they will leak out in Twitter and other social media, uncomfortable as they may be for Boris and his gangsters.    

It is noticeable that Boris has gained some support from his UKIP leaning followers by his apparent 'leading' of the defence of Ukraine.  The fact that this leading is another lie, the EU and US have done much, much more, is not something found in the 'Daily Express,' or 'Daily Mail,' and as to what is actually found in the 'Sun,' you can guess for yourself.  It is fair to say Rupert Murdoch's 'Fox News,' is still allowing that Carlson bloke to spout Russian propaganda daily.  What's in it for Rupert I ask?

Ukraine has hidden 'Partygate' for a while, however, this may increase some support for Johnson but the cover up by the Met Police will only harden antipathy amongst the rest of the nation.  Especially as on the day the Met announce some 20 fines for partying, names withheld, have been awarded Boris leads the Tories into a drunken party at night to celebrate!  Entering the Hotel they passed a line of silent mourners, mourning for their Covid dead.  The Tories ignored them. 

The sooner this lot are in jail the better.

The problem in the House is simple, the Westminster parliament is based on 'Gentlemenly behaviour,' and if someone does wrong, for instance 'lies to the House,' he would step down from his post.  Boris and his gang 'lie repeatedly to the House,' but refuse to step down and there is no parliamentary means of forcing them to.  Gentlemen they are not, and they know nothing can be done about it.  

This is of course made worse by a feeble opposition, only the Scottish Nationalists of either type oppose honestly, and indeed feebly, while the Labour Party waffles and wastes all our time.  What is Starmer for? 

How the UK is desparate for a (seemingly) honest major politican with ideas, integrity and guts.

I wonder again if this is a judgement we are under for our false liberalisation of society?

 

 

I had an er, debate on Twitter last night re those who claim to ID as female when in fact they are male, and vice-versa.  It got nowhere.  The vast array of legal loopholes, laws, and 'rights' which was uncovered amazed me as did the attempts to justify this.  

Quite simply we are born male or female, nothing else.  There are those who doctors find are neither one or the other and have to make adjustments for, this is fair enough, but these are a minority.  There are however, now many who believe they are in the wrong body, which they clearly are not, today such as these demand to act as they wish, in spite of others opposition.  In some cases men, with penis's, have been endangering women in women only spaces. 

The 'Gender Recognition Act 2004' allows a man to ID as a woman, penis and all, however this does not in Law mean he can make use of all women's facilities, for security reasons, though this apears to be lax these days.  

As we grow life affects us, heredity, family, life, war, disease, trauma of many kinds causes us to react, sometimes leading people into strange lifestyles.  Today we hear of one Tory MP who is openly admitting he is 'transgender.'  This began when he was raped as a child.  It has become known because he was being blackmailed and the criminal is now happily in jail.  In his case trauma caused a reaction, and I wonder how many others with this slant on their lives have suffered such trauma also?

This is too complicated to discuss in depth, and few of us know enough about it.  However, my heart went out to this MP, a Conservative at that, and wished he had had proper psychological counselling at the time, if indeed that was available in those days.  How many others do not get help, instead are only offered support to live a life they were not born for?   

How lucky we are not to have to endure such trauma.

I hate Microsoft!
I hate Laptops!

I hate Photo Op!

I am convinced President Putin is responsible for attacking me on this laptop.

Everthing goes wrong.

Things appear on screen unwanted.

They disappear unwanted.

Today, I tried to upload some pictures of the camera.

It took half an hour for what normally takes a couple of minutes work.

Nothing would work.  I restarted the procedure several times, yet it failed.

I had to restart the laptop and then it worked first time!

Why?

I took a quick, and terrible shot, with the wee camera later, and this has given trouble on 'Photos' also.

It didn't work!

Again I had to faff around before it worked.

I was going to attempt a complaint to Microsoft but managed not to.

They might have cut me off completely had they actually read what I was thinking...

Victorian Budget and Win 11

Windows 11 is sitting on my 'Upgrade' awaiting introduction.  I am not sure if I ought to go ahead with this, I am awaiting news of those who have downloaded it already and review their problems, and there will certainly be problems here.  

TechRadar has already offered help for those who have found difficulties.  It looks a good site for such problems.  There are many other similar sites out there, some however have too many adverts, some seek money, some are dodgy.  

My intention is to wait a bit, see how many folk suffer, and then install.  I suspect this will take all day to finish and then another day restore the lost items and working out what has gone missing.  Normal Microsoft work then? 

I had a bath the other day, and this was a mistake.  You see I normally shower but sitting in the bath I was able to scan around and in this manner noticed all the dirt that has accumulated since I last had a proper clean of this place.  It was not attractive.  So Monday saw me scrub the er, scum, from all around, and then plan to replace the filthy seal which has become somewhat degraded (somewhat!).

However, luck was with me and my dinner made me nauseous so I was forced to stop work.

Overcoming this took until the next day when I went over to the Garden Cafe to meet an old friend, I only have 'old friends' these days, for coffee.  There we did the honourable thing and took all the people we know apart, put the world to rights, and risked frostbite sitting in the gardens.  

To warm up we wandered and we cheerily greeted a volunteer gardener inside a large bush of some sort as we passed, his muffled answer was not quite so cheery, and wandered about the gardens enjoying the fruits of their labours.  We have rarely met, she has been making use of the new freedoms, in spite of Covid still existing, to meet all her old friends, and she has many!  When we worked at the museum have the day was taken up by visits of her old boyfriends!   It was nice to get out for a while.

 

Sunak

     

This Billionaire Sunak was informing the House of how to increase the nations wealth today.  I did not look in.  Too much, far too much, has already been leaked to his friendly media, and they will always make it look good so I have a good idea of what would be said.  Tomorrow, once the clever people have looked it over, we will find out exactly how Sunak has avoided once again taxing his wife's £1.3 Billion company in which he has a share, yet increased charges for everybody else, especially the poorest.  I have realised I no longer require to seek information on Victorian life by researching the books on my shelf, I just need to look at what Boris and his cabal are saying and there it is right in front of me.

 

 

Grumble...

While reading that Microsoft are close to Windows 11 release I find they have updated Win 10 and now have inserted an uncalled for addition to the page.  At the bottom right we see the weather offered, click on this and a whole new experience of needless rubbish is thrust at you.  

I ask for this?  

Will I use it?  

No, there is nothing on it I do not already have or in fact require.  

Do I need a lot of celeb stories?  

Do I need info on the money markets?  

Who decides what a 'Top Story' is?  It certainly isn't a grown up.

Why do we have such useless rubbish dumped on us unwanted and of no use to anyone?  Surely if they wish to alter Win 10 all they have to do is ask - preferably someone over 45.

 

The heat is having an effect round here....
 

Update on Update...

To amend an old army joke re adjutants:

'Is it lawful to kill anyone connected to Microsoft?' 

'Yes, as there will always be extenuating circumstances.'

Things were going as well as can be expected today, Tesco had been visited, the self service machine and I fell out and had to be rescued by the young lady almost wearing a mask.  I had wandered home, decided there was nothing to do but watch the boring cricket, which was quite good in the end, and settled down to eat and sleep through the day.

Microsoft interrupted!  

As I put the brute onto 'sleep mode' they offered an update.  I took this and waited.  Naturally when this finished, quite soon compared to last time, I fond things missing.  'Avast' anti-virus had gone, other things were closed down, and 'Edge' filled the page and would not let me remove it!  This took time and several restarts before their blasted new browser was removed from my screen.  They do not half push their luck when they push their browsers!  

Eventually all was well and then I watched cricket in the heat.  At least 28 degrees in here all day, I hate to imagine what is was like for those working outside, and the site of em in shorts led to the mirror being placed elsewhere, for my sake, I also avoided windows.

Of course watching cricket only happened because there was no football.  Aberdeen ought to have been playing St Johnstone in Perth but some players went on a night out in 'Locked Down' Aberdeen, two tested for the virus and the others have to isolate for 10 days.  This led to an almighty row, rude words from the First Minister, and even ruder words from their manager when the game was put off.  They almost had to play with 8 players missing!  Good job it was postponed.  Such events may well happen more often during this season.

So no football, cricket takes all day, and now I am trying to find something stimulating for my mind, 'Pointless Celebrities' perhaps?  However I have no idea who any off them are!  Nothing else appeals, maybe the radio or better an old radio programme from the iplayer?  I will avoid entertaining myself by doing anything approaching work.

Venus!  These things have been hanging around the night sky for a few days.  I am glad that I can see them but why in the middle of the night?  That reminds me of Trump suggesting sending a man to the sun.  Angela Merkel indicates this is not wise and so Trump suggests 'Send him at night?'  Something about that appeals to me...

A friend has been made redundant as his company is suffering losses.  I passed a coffee shop today that has closed down, at the time I thought that this was the first of many.  My friends loss is an indication that many more jobs will go, not just because of the Virus but also because of Brexit.  In Sunderland 'Nissan' workers cheered the Brexit vote, several hundred have been made redundant and soon Nissan will go to Holland I suspect.  Today 'JCB,' who encouraged their people to vote Brexit have announced the paperwork is too long and expensive so they are off to Germany!  

What did people expect?

We are about to see thousands of job losses, redundancies and sackings, the rich will rise above it and the poor will remain the mass who suffer.  We have seen it before many time.  Pick up your Old Testament and read the Prophet Amos, he spoke of this concerning Samaria, similar causes and in the end destruction.  Somewhat different today, but not for those who are at the bottom, they will suffer most, and indeed worldwide!

Have a nice day...

Friday Frolic...

Not much of a frolic merely a walk up to B&M's to buy seed for the birds.  At least under the gray skies these daffs were still blooming.  The brightest things to be seen on a dreich day.
I took a couple of pics of things only to find that Microsoft had 'updated' the 'Photos' ap thereby making it difficult to play around with the pictures.  All the usual things are still there but now they are shifted around and difficult to find.  The obvious things are hidden and it is unclear where anything is.
Why do 14 year old geeks get allowed near these things?
'Photos' was a reasonable system yet now it is confusing and clearly not improved by someone who actually uses the thing.  I not 'Outlook' was updated recently and again the first thing you look for is not in an obvious position it is hidden or placed in an out of the way part of the system!  
Have these drugged up geeks not heard about KISS?  I suspect most have yet to hear about women to be honest, 'Keep It Simple Stupid' or 'do the obvious thing' and all will be well, that of course does not go down among the lads in silicon valley....

Hidden from the main road is this old chapel.  Originally owned by the Quakers it is now in possession of the local Sally Ann.  It lies behind an undertakers that at one point in the late 19th century worked as a 'Beer Shop,' not a pub just a place to buy beer.  This was a haphazard system to stop people drinking Gin which was ruining the nation.  People drank less gin but more beer and drunkenness became a problem!  Who would have thought...?
Next door is a house I would have loved to buy if I had money.  It also sits far back from the road and goes back well into time.  Sadly the person selling wanted thousands of pounds for this and the loose change in my pocket did not cover it.  Further along another building, this time commercial, also sits back from the road, I am left wondering why?  Possibly I will never know.

Animals in Town.

The Alpacas were back in town today staring at the people desperate to fondle them and reacting in similar fashion to starlets surprised at the interview process in Hollywood studios, however the alpacas were less worldly in their approach.  The animals were happy with the folks who brought them, they have been brought up by them sometimes fed as kids.

  
The lass with the pygmy goats told me how she expected soon to be hand rearing kids as some of the goats were producing at an inconsiderate period of the year.  Some like the idea of working among animals and indeed it is enjoyable as we all know however she was well used to a 24 hour work timetable.  These pygmy goats were happy to meet folks but happily they were not the type to jump out of the barricade which they hid behind, the one goat that could was not brought with them, though the children around would I suspect have been happy if a goat had wandered amongst them.
At the end of the month reindeer appear once again in the town centre, no sleighs following.

     
Grumblings on facebook forced me to rise early to find pictures of the sunrise.  With red eyes almost
closed I struggled into the chilly air to seek pink skies outside the kitchen window.  One appeared but the resulting snap, not to say anything about goosebumps caused by cold air, was not good enough though it was good enough in my view for the grumbler who chose to ignore it!  
Later, once coffee had whitened much of the eyes I snapped the rising sun behind the catholic church, quite what it was doing there I know not.  The looks from the few around me as I apparently attempted to picture Sainsburys car park I ignored and cut out said car park from the shot for decencies sake.  Mornings and evenings, if up to see them, produce interesting skies.

Wandering home via the green slab of the park I noticed how the sky had changed and once again cutting cut the rough stuff found an interesting shot of the sky above us.  The sight of the sky takes from  my mind the thought of yet another Win 10 update that arrived last night at the wrong time.  Once that had been dealt with the anti virus, 'AVAST,' followed suit and  went through three restarts before I could continue.  No problems have gone, the speedy machine is slower and I find it amazing that God can give us such skies after six days of work while Microsoft after twenty years of fiddling still cannot give us a safe, quick update!  
Someone high up in government security mentioned helpfully today that he considered all our computers had been hacked by the Russians.  This may well be true as they have been hacking for years and so many spam emails mean we all fall for some of them at one time or another, and one day they may well switch them all off or start being 'Big Brother' and talking to us from Moscow like it or not.
Interesting that nobody mentions that we too are hacking into Russian webspace and I suspect everybody else's webspace, possibly not President Trumps as we all know what he has on his laptop, but world leaders everywhere must giggle at any pictures Putin has on his!  Rumour has it that the British Army has a 77 Brigade, though this could be nonsense, who's main job is to investigate the web and offer propaganda to the masses and oppose other nations hacking of the UKs webspace.
There must be such people for defence and if there isn't we have to ask why not?  I wonder if one day Mrs May will knock on the door asking about my lack of support for her dictatorship, I expect her soon.
 

Looks like Reindeer...

Many of you will have read The Venomous Bead and her troubles with the latest Microsoft upgrade.
If you have failed to do so I suggest you do as it is funny, it always is when happening to others.
However the upgrade landed here the next day and strange things are happening to me!
This is not funny!  
The most common problem is not a serious one just an annoying irk.  I sign on and it runs as it ought then suddenly I must sign in again!  When I do the brute is already up and almost running yet I have had to sign in twice, why?  This has never happened before and is the fault of the new upgrade.
I notice they have added a 'people' sign to the taskbar yet I neither require this or wish to possess it, naturally it is not removable!  The Start Page also has added many items they claim are new, though they are just upgraded, almost all of which I will never use.
One day they will invent and offer a laptop that does what I require, need, use and like, one I will not find offers items I don't wish and one that works without glitches of all kinds.   

Facebook, the one that claims 126 million people contacted by Russian bots would not be influenced by them yet demands huge costs from those willing to advertise pap to the world as it will influence the viewer, that facebook fell apart the first time I used it after the upgrade.  Whether this was facebook or Microsoft or myself I cannot tell but it disappeared from the screen and suddenly returned!  Of course this HP model cursor has a life of its own.  I leave it here and find it there, I look up a word and when I type the cursor is three lines away from where I left it.  I become the curser then!
Isn't technology great?

Christmas brings its troubles.  One of them is the council 'Reindeer Hunt' in which local kids are encouraged to find the reindeer hidden across town.  If they are as big as this one and the one placed outside the museum I suspect they will find them easily enough.  I suspect however the majority will be no more than a foot high and found in the windows of many shops.
This follows a similar 'hunt' organised by the council during the museum exhibition this summer to make people look into the windows of the shops around the town.  The kids look for the items and the mums spend their money, a good and successful idea.

I canny wait to see what they have placed inside!

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Still not working, still now working, still not working....

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!

(old picture...)

AAURGH Continued!

Having contacted Microsoft the chap helpfully offered a link that would reinstall Win 10.
This however needed to be downloaded to a memory stick of at least 5GB, naturally the only blank (and it had to be blank) stick I had was 4GB.  A slow trudge to Tesco led to another £7 leaving my pocket, I smiled at this, and returned to spend hours downloading (quick) the relevant link and then applying (slow, oh so slow) the link to the hurt laptop.
 Hours passed.
Eventually after many false starts the start screen appeared, I logged in and waited.
It didn't work.
I lunched badly, siesta'd well, then started again.
This time I amended things slightly and waited.
Hours passed.
The machine trudged to a finish, I needed to shave again by this time, and the result appeared, 
no difference, it still didn't work.
Tomorrow, with less hair and a very frightened neighbour, I will try again one more time with a couple of different ideas.
I'm not one to complain...

Outside the sun is shining.
Inside is darkness and gloom.
Outside pretty girls skip past half naked.
Sadly so do men who ought not.
I sit by laptop urging a response, to the laptop, not the girls.

Win 10, Microsft, AAUGH!!!!

Last night on my new laptop Microsoft decided to add an update.  Fine, it was late, I was tired, I switched off and slept.  This morning making use of the old laptop, the one on which I keep the details and links for the Great War research, and indeed much else, I began to clear up the links and consider what to put over to the new laptop.
This took all morning, searching out old links many of which had died since I kept them, removing duplicates and sorting the hundreds of much needed links into a sensible order.  It was fun rediscovering links to trials at the Old Bailey in times past, archaeology sites from the past and little used but important links to battles and individuals that might be required any day now.  It is to be regretted that so many sites no longer exist, just as it is regretted that I cannot mind what they were about!  However I cleared out many and placed a lot in better files, including links to the villages round the town and one in particular that I need to do some research on.
Then it happened.
"Windows needs to restart your computer" said the message.
Simple enough and as it was lunch time I switched off and let it update.
Update it did and took its time about it too!

After my unhealthy lunch, after my siesta, after I had a smile on my face I switched the old laptop back on and awaited the update process.
It went through the blue screen update message "Please wait while...etc" and then after a short eon it offered the Microsoft Upgrade message, you know the one, slow writing that stays for ever and moves off while the "Don't switch off ..."type messages run through.
While waiting I read 'War & Peace,' the entire Bible, got married, had three children and when I returned it was till updating!
Eventually it ceased.
The screen flashed once or twice, on the left of the screen the 'Recycle Bin' and several other folders appeared, though smaller and not int he right order.  One or two items appeared on the toolbar at the bottom but after another short eternity nothing else!
Nothing!  Not a thing!
All was gone.  All my research, all my links good and bad, four years of work (I use the word loosely) lost or at least unobtainable.  I muttered strange words and despaired a bit more.
I waited, I was getting good at this, I waited again, and much later pressed buttons but nothing worked, 'Start' didn't, only 'File Explorer' worked.
I logged out.
I logged in.
Same result.
So after more hopeless pushing and many rude words, some despair and a bang of the head on the wall I switched off completely hoping this would restart the brute.
It didn't.
I returned to the wall and bounced my head off it to the neighbours annoyance, it was his wall too!
I left a question on the Microsoft Community site, it might get answered one day.
Suddenly I found an opening. 
I fiddled with the right click on the search button (Search didn't work) and chose 'Toolbars' and then 'Deasktop.'  Suddenly as I clicked on the wee chevrons a long list of things appeared.  All was still there, trapped inside the machine.  But how to get to out?  'Control Panel' then select a 'restore point.'  Easy!
er, about a short lifetime ago I did this and the laptop is restoring itself to 5/7/17 blasted Yanks I mean 7/5/17 (why do they have the date wrong?) and as I write it is finishing!

It failed!

Everything is still on there, I can see that. 
It is the OS that has gone, the very thing they are supposed to be updating!