Computers

Our Amazing Brains

~ beetleypete ~ 59 Comments

The ability of our brains to store so much random stuff has long fascinated me. I know that my PC probably has more storage and ROM than my brain, but you have to ‘ask’ it something for a computer to disclose its knowledge. The human brain does the opposite, presenting things to our conscious and unconscious mind as it sees fit, often for no good reason that we can fathom.

Just under 20 years ago, I was already working for the Metropolitan Police, in London. I had the opportunity to attend a course that would allow me to work in a special role in the event of a major disaster, at home or abroad. You know the sort of thing, a revolution in a country where British nationals reside, perhaps a catastrophic plane crash of an aircraft containing many British passengers. At the end of the news report, there is often a telephone number to ring. In England, that number would come through to a special operations room at the Police Training College in Hendon, North London.

I was accepted for a place on the course, and arrived for my first day. Taken into a new purpose-built room containing many computer terminals, the course started immediately, as there was a lot to cover. If I thought it was going to be either interesting or exciting, I soon found out it was neither. having to access many different screens, tabs, and databases, constantly cross-checking to make sure the same information had not been duplicated elsewhere. It was quite literally ‘Brain-ache’.

At break time, we got to meet some of the others doing the same course in a different room. One woman was friendly, but very loud. As I was the oldest person on the course, I stood out, but she wasn’t young, perhaps late thirties. She was also rather inappropriately dressed, considering the seriousness of what we were doing. Her dress was short enough to be ‘too short’, and also had a revealing neckline. She was the type of attractive lady that your eyes wander to, but your mind immediately waves a red flag.

The course continued over a few days, and after the final exam, we all passed. Allowed to go home early on the last day, we were passing another room when there was a loud knocking on the internal glass windows. I turned to see the loud lady waving goodbye to our group, and could just hear her shouting “See you all soon”. That seemed a strange thing to say, as we all worked at very different locations around Greater London.

Some three weeks later, I had to get my Police I.D. card renewed. Constantly swiping in and out of various doors had started to wear off the strip that allowed me in and out of where I worked. So I booked an appointment at the department that issued new cards, which was based in New Scotland Yard at the time. When I got my new card, I headed downstairs to leave the building and return to where I worked, and as I passed a room with a glass panel on the door, I heard a knocking on the glass.

As I turned, I saw it was the loud lady I had met at Hendon, still very inappropriately dressed. She waved excitedly, as if she had just seen a long lost friend. We didn’t even know each other’s names, but I waved back, and carried on walking.

So, what does that have to do with my brain? (I hear you ask)

This morning, I was awakened from a deep sleep at 04:07. (I checked the time on my Tablet next to the bed) What woke me was a loud knocking on the bedroom window. As I sat up in bed, my brain told me it was the lady from the course at Hendon who was knocking, and I could see her face in my mind. The knocking sound could still be heard, so I got out of bed to check.

Every bit of my intelligent thought process told me that the woman, who would by now be in her late fifties, was not standing on the back patio in Beetley, 140 miles from London, knocking on the bedroom window. But I still had to check, so I opened one side of the curtains. In the half-light before dawn, there was nobody there, nothing to see at all.

Back in bed, I had trouble getting back to sleep. Not just because I was wondering what had actually been knocking on the window, but also why my brain had chosen that moment to inform me that a random, forgotten memory from my past life was responsible.

It would be nice if we could ask our brains a question, just like we do with a computer.

Of course, I would be asking, “Why Brain? Why?”

Sleep And Retirement

~ beetleypete ~ 54 Comments

Something to consider, if and when you plan to retire.

When I first retired from work at the age of 60 in 2012, it felt like a holiday. Hard to believe that I never had to show up for a job again, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was all rather fake. Just like that feeling on a foreign holiday, I was sure I would have to go home eventually. But I couldn’t go home, because I was at home. And I couldn’t go back to work, because I no longer had a job.

So I stayed up late. Very late. I watched films into the early hours. I read books in one long sitting. Then I started blogging in the summer, and sat at the computer until three in the morning most nights, wondering what to post onto my new blog.

I hadn’t worked a 12-hour shift, so I wasn’t really that tired.

That was made worse by sleeping-in. Some days I didn’t stir until ten. But we had Ollie by then, so he had to go out. Long walks with him, sometimes very long walks that wore us both out. Four or five hours discovering the area around Beetley on foot.

But I still wasn’t that tired at night.

The following year, I started volunteering for the Fire Service. Twenty hours a week Monday to Friday, then rushing back to take Ollie out for yet another long walk. Julie was working full time back then, so I still stayed up much later than her.

It took almost ten years of adjustment, but in 2021 I started to go to bed earlier. I might have tossed and turned a bit, but I eventually went to sleep at least four hours earlier than I had been doing. By 2022, age was beginning to tell when I reached the age of seventy. I cut down my screen time in the evenings, avoiding the computer after dinner as much as possible. And I tried to go to bed at or just after eleven at night.

That started to work. No reading in bed, getting up when I woke up, instead of turning over.

Now I am awake by (or before) seven most days. I get tired around ten at night, and I look forward to my bed just after eleven. At weekends I try to stay up until after midnight, to keep Julie company. But that doesn’t always work out, and I am still in bed before twelve sometimes.

It took a very long time, but I finally sorted out my sleep pattern in retirement.

Farewell Windows 10

~ beetleypete ~ 57 Comments

I saw this yesterday on Twitter. It was the first I had heard about it.

Windows UK
@WindowsUK
The new Windows 11 is coming on 5th October to bring you closer to what you love. Whether you’re a hardcore gamer or a total film lover, you can find your favourite apps, films, and games more quickly and easily in the new Microsoft Store.

In April 2020, I bought a new PC after the old one running Windows 7 started to break down. Now after just 18 months, Windows 10 is to be replaced before I had even managed to fully understand it!

Microsoft is apparently offering a free upgrade, but only if my current PC ‘meets the requirements’ to download it. If not, it seems likely I will be having to consider replacing a perfectly working PC sometime next year.

Planned obsolescene strikes again. So much for Microsoft’s carbon footprint.

Blogging: Some things I have learned

~ beetleypete ~ 27 Comments

I am not from the computer age. I was not a young man when I first had to learn to operate a PC. From the outset, it was a challenge. I constantly asked advice from younger people, or those using computers for a living. But it didn’t really sink in. For me, what they found intuitive and easy to grasp, was a baffling process that I could just not get into my brain. I took notes, created cribs, and constantly referred to them. Many years on, and I have only recently understood how to set up photo folders, and attach pictures to emails. Countless hours spent in trial and error before this PC, have resulted in me reaching a basic level of computer skill that most ten year-old children have already far exceeded.

But I have been writing a blog for almost four years, so I must know something about computers, and how the blogging platform works, surely? Well, not really. I have barely scratched the surface of what can be done on WordPress, Twitter, or Google +. I still don’t know how to schedule a post to appear when I am not around to press publish, and I have no idea how to arrange several photos into small boxes, or place them on different parts of the blog page. I am still unsure how to embed links, without using the whole cut/paste method. After all this time, I make a lot of mistakes, and find it just as hard to get to grips with computers as I did when I first saw one. When I have thought long and hard about giving up blogging, it has not been because I find writing difficult. It has been from frustration at my lack of understanding of computers.

As far as blogging goes, I have discovered a few things about it, at least as far as the WordPress blogging platform operates. These may be of some use to new bloggers, or those still struggling to get the best from it, like me.

1) If you add a photo or graphic to your media library to use it in a post, don’t delete it. If you do, it will disappear from the post, rendering what you were writing about meaningless. You have to keep them. They add to your allowance, but unless you consign the whole post to the trash bin, you have to retain them in the file. Make sure to check that allowance too. A lot of photos can suddenly eat into it, and you can go from 2% to 30%, in the blink of an eye.

2) If you re-blog something from another blog, all the images from that post will also transfer into your own media library, as if by magic. If you delete them, they will not appear on your re-blogged post, but the original will not be affected.

3) Add video links from You Tube, or similar sites, and they generally appear on the blog post as you intended. However, they are constantly monitored by the originators, and are frequently removed by them; or by You Tube, or by holders of copyright. Your video link becomes a grey blob on the blog post, sometimes containing a warning, if clicked on. This means that you have to constantly review and update any video links; delete the old one in the edit screen, and find a new one to replace it. When you post a lot of film and music clips, as I do, this housekeeping is a necessary and regular chore.

4) If you use images from websites and other sources, it is advisable to credit them with the original image. Copyright is a minefield, so if in doubt, don’t.

5) Play around with free themes. So many bloggers (myself included) stick with their original choice, and are generally oblivious as to whether or not it really suits what they have developed their blog into. On the menu, choose ‘Appearance’, then ‘Themes.’ Look down the list available (there are lots) and the free ones are clearly marked. You can preview the new theme, with your own blog content instantly inserted. If you don’t like it, choose another one. Should you decide that you prefer your original theme, no harm done. But a change is a good as a rest, so the saying goes.

So, just five tips. They will no doubt be laughable to those who see this sort of thing as second nature. Each one of them baffled me though, so if only one person is saved from hours of blogging frustration, I hope that it helps.

Technical brain-ache

~ beetleypete ~ 14 Comments

I have always been honest on this blog, especially when it comes to technology. I am simply no good with it. I can just about manage to figure out how to type and post this article, and I rely on WordPress for everything else. I can use a cash machine, but I avoid Internet Banking. Give me a new TV to set up, and the chances are you will hear me swearing and cursing within a few minutes. I have even given up lifting my car bonnet, as there just seems to be a big plastic cover over everything, something best left undisturbed.

With that in mind, and given how tired I have been feeling for some reason, you might think that I would leave technology well-alone, unless unavoidable. However, for reasons that have only passing explanation, I decided to tackle two techno gadgets, on the same day. The result of this folly is that I have been left with a muddled head, and more confirmation that I shouldn’t be let loose on these things.

For a long time now, we have managed without a printer. We are not habitual printers, never print photos, and I still write letters. So we haven’t really felt deprived, since the last one we had stopped working. There are lots of things in this modern world that are starting to assume ownership of such a device though. Discount vouchers, restaurant offers, some receipts and invoices, tickets and boarding passes, are all presumed to be ‘printable’. This week, I had to return another failed piece of technology; a multi-region DVD player that failed to play anything multi-region. The supplier was happy to take it back, but I had to print a returns label for the courier. I asked our neighbours, and they said that I could pop next door, and use their printer. In the meantime, Julie had found someone selling a printer locally, for a very low price. It was new and sealed, and had never been out of the box. An unwanted gift of some kind, sold at half price, to raise some ready cash. So we bought it. I collected it from the seller a few miles away, and brought it home last night.

As advertised, it was indeed sealed, with all labels intact. Opening it, I soon realised that it was a very basic model, and the bottom of the range from the company, Hewlett Packard. Never mind, as long as it worked. After laying out all the contents, I seemed to be missing a cable to connect it to the computer. The information book and user guide was notable by its absence too, replaced with a cartoon-style information sheet that was frustratingly difficult to comprehend. As it was getting late, I opted to leave it until daylight to attempt setup, or there was a danger that I would throw it out of the window, to smash into pieces on the path. I did some Internet research instead, finding almost 150 negative reviews, mainly about the lack of a printer cable in the box, and the absence of wi-fi capability. I did manage to find a better information sheet though, as well as a video from the company on You Tube, explaining how to set it up.

As it was a bright sunny morning (it rained later, and still is…) I felt enthused to get it going. I had a rare brainwave, and remembered that I did have an old printer cable somewhere, which I actually managed to find. I watched the video, installed the software, and set the computer to recognise the printer. Finding the relevant document, I pressed ‘Print’ with little expectation of success. And I was right. After a noise that sounded like a brass band falling down some stairs, the document that finally appeared looked nothing like the page on screen. More research, more reading, and I discovered that I had to align the printer. This done, I tried again. It was no better. My hand was reaching for the window catch, when I had a thought. I downloaded the document instead. Once it was in my documents as a file, it printed. I almost ran out into the street to shout ‘Hooray’, such was my childish delight at this everyday achievement. I should have left it there, but I was also awaiting delivery of a new mobile phone.

My step-daughter broke her phone last week, and she hasn’t been able to make calls since. It is also difficult for her to receive them, as the screen is smashed. She has a small baby, so it is not good for her to be without a phone; and as she is on maternity pay, she cannot afford to replace it at the moment. I had an idea. I have had my current smart-phone for almost seven years. It works fine, has Internet access, a monthly call plan, a camera if I need it, and it works well-enough, when the signal is strong in the area. So I haven’t bothered to upgrade to a newer model free of charge, which is allowed every two years. High time I did, thought I, and I can give the sparkly new phone to my step-daughter, who can insert her Sim card, and be back in business. I rang the company yesterday, and they were happy to send me a new phone, if I extended my contract for another two years. As I would have done so anyway, that wasn’t a problem. I only had to pay a small delivery charge, and the courier would bring it today. I agreed to the new contract over the phone, and that was that. Or was it?

The phone arrived today, and with it came a Sim card, which was unusual. I didn’t concern myself, as I had not intended to keep it. Not long after the courier departed, I was contacted and asked to activate my new card, by placing it into the new phone. I called the company, explaining that I didn’t intend to use the new phone as my main phone, and it would have a different Sim card put in. They told me that this would not be possible. It was a 4G phone, and used a micro Sim. Furthermore, my old Sim card would be deactivated within 24 hours, and the number transferred to the new handset, whether I liked it or not. They said that I could use the older handset as a spare, by buying a card to insert into that, but I had to use the new one as my main phone, due to the network transfer. This was like having a conversation in Klingon to me, and I was barely able to keep up. I protested that I had been misinformed, and that they should take back the offer. They replied that I had asked them, and that the deal was better, with the faster 4G network, and an improved data and text allowance, plus the new style handset, all at the same contract price, with no extra charge. Besides, it was too late, as my number and call plan would transfer to the new sim anyway, so if I didn’t put it into the phone and activate it, I would have two dead phones. And I had agreed to the contract, so there.
Are you following this? I’m not sure that I am.

I was left cursing myself for having another ‘good idea’. I wish that I had just gone to a phone shop, and bought her a basic phone. That’s what you get for trying to help. But there’s more.

I bit the bullet, and installed the new card, activating the swish new (and very large) phone, which I then put on charge. I would usually put in the old Sim card, and transfer all the numbers and information from that, onto the new phone. But there was a problem. The old larger card doesn’t fit in the new phone. Once the activation is complete, and the old card ‘dies’, so does all my info. I rang again. They said I could transfer all the stuff I needed from my HTC Synch Account, by plugging the new phone into my computer. ‘I don’t have a Synch Account’, I told them. Silence followed. I knew that I would have to tackle this on my own, not a prospect I welcomed. I began to explore the menus and screens. I found that if I logged in with my Facebook account, all that information would migrate easily. But I am not on Facebook. My Google+ info was easily transferred, but my dozens of contact numbers are not on Google+. As well as this, the phone menus, despite being the same company, and vaguely similar, operate differently from the old one, so everything took forever to work out. I downloaded a full user manual from the Internet. It runs to 191 pages, mostly in Hieroglyphs.

After getting the basic operation sorted, I even managed to get onto the home wi-fi, as it seems my data allowance has not yet arrived. I also called the phone from the home one, and sure enough, it has already become ‘my’ number. That got me in a panic. What if the Sim ‘dies’ tonight? I began to write down all the information from my old mobile. All the numbers, e mail addresses, notes and memos I have kept. I will have to transfer all of this manually another time. When I had finished, I had five full A4 pages of closely-written contact names and numbers in my notebook. My head was swimming, and I felt more tired than ever. But I chose a ringtone, from a truly awful selection, and opted for power save, to make the battery last. I then picked another dire text notification sound from those available, and with eyelids drooping, called it a day. Technology, don’t you just love it?

And did I mention? It’s raining. Hard.

Cutting and Pasting

~ beetleypete ~ 8 Comments

I am turning to everyone for help with something that is beginning to bug me. For the last week, I have been unable to cut and paste (or copy and paste) any links into wordpress posts. This started with You Tube, and has now spread to everything. Whether it is a music video, film clip, or wiki page, it just will not appear on the post. I have tried publishing first, then trying to add the link later, and that doesn’t work. It does let me do this onto a blank word document, but when I then try to add this into the wordpress edit, it fails to materialise.

This is going to effect my posts considerably. Film and music posts will no longer contain clips or information, travel posts will have no links to things of interest, and I will be unable to publish links to things I have written elsewhere, My computer knowledge is fairly basic. I have re-booted the PC, and changed the usb connections for the mouse and keyboard. Nothing makes any difference.

So, fellow bloggers, and computer experts out there, HELP!

Thanks in anticipation, Pete.

**Update at 4.30 pm. It seems that wordpress support has a page open about this, and others are having the same trouble. I have sent them a request for advice or help today. **

Internet Dependency

~ beetleypete ~ 11 Comments

If that sounds like a disease, then maybe it should be classified as one.

I didn’t even have a computer until 2002. I took the plunge, and bought a Dell laptop, with the best specification I could afford at the time. I paid more for an upgrade from a 10gb hard drive, to a 20gb, for 256kb of memory instead of 128kb, and for a Pentium processor, supposedly maximized for laptops. It had a CD drive, but no DVD, and no wireless card, as that would have pushed it past my budget. Even that package cost me an eye-watering £1,500 then, and today I could not even give it away free.

Once I had it set up, I connected it to the dial-up Internet in my flat. That offered the not exactly head-spinning speed of 56kb/s. No option then of broadband, or any faster connection, at prices I could reasonably contemplate; I had to stay wired up, to a very long cable connector. So much for the freedom of a laptop. I started sending e mails, and surfing the ‘net, and it worked fine. Then somebody sent me an e mail with a photo attachment, and I watched as it started to download. After a full fifteen minutes, only the top inch of the large picture was visible, and it was another ten minutes before I could see what it was. If anyone sent more photos, I didn’t even bother to open them. After looking up a hotel, or holiday destination, woe betide I would like to download the brochure, pictures of the resort, or even the price list. Not unless I had a lot of time to spare.

A few painful years passed, and mobile companies introduced the broadband dongle. This small device fitted into a USB port, and replaced the tortoise-like dial-up, with an amazingly fast 3mb/s speed, based on a mobile phone contract, that surprisingly, was reasonably priced. I could hardly believe the difference. E mails flew off in the blink of an eye, photos appeared almost immediately, and web surfing became a pleasurable experience. The laptop, once only used as a last resort, had become invaluable. And even better, with the mobile dongle, I could take it anywhere. Trouble was, the specification was not capable of keeping up with advances in computing. The hard drive wasn’t even full, as I didn’t download music or films, and had never stored that many photos. But the 1.8 MHz processor, and 256kb memory could no longer cut the mustard. No You Tube, forget games, though I didn’t really play them, and before too long, even basic e mail programmes were full of spinning graphics, films clips, and zany advertisements. It was taking so long to load my e mails, I stopped bothering to look at them. I resolved to change it; even though I had paid so much a few years earlier, better ones were selling for less than £500, one third of what it had set me back.

But I knew that I would be moving the following year, and retiring from work. Might as well wait, and get the best one I could afford, in 2012. Not long after the move, I was pleased to have enough room for a desktop system. I prefer a real keyboard, and the tower systems offer better value for money for the newer high-spec computers these days. I went with Windows 7, and got a 500gb hard drive, DVD drive, i3 processor, and 4gb of memory. With a monitor donated by a friend, the whole deal came in at under £475 from Hewlett Packard. This illustrated how much cheaper computing had become, in just ten years. I signed up with BT Broadband, which I connected to the PC by cable, with a wireless option for the mobile phone and for visitors to use; and it came in handy when I got Julie a tablet. Even in rural Norfolk, I get a regular speed of 6-7mb/s, and after two years, I still marvel at the lack of delay, and the ability to use different tabs. I can listen to a song on You Tube, while I am writing about it on my blog, and at the same time, my e mails are updating. To those of you brought up with computers, this all sounds like ‘So what’, but to me, it is as miraculous as the first moving pictures, or that original light bulb.

I started writing the blog, because the computer was so easy to use, and I buy things online for the same reason. I still have lots to learn. I can never seem to be able to ‘find’ files, and have trouble locating downloads. I have stored my photos on Dropbox, but don’t seem to be able to move them anywhere else. Attaching anything to an e mail is still a major undertaking, and familiarity with the equipment has not seemed to increase my knowledge of how to use it effectively. Nonetheless, I can now enjoy computing, at least at the level of my capabilities; blogging, sending reviews to other sites, retrieving information, and being basically computer literate. The Internet has become my friend, and no longer something to avoid, or to be fearful of.

This morning, I went to check my e mails, and have a look at my blog, as I do almost every day now. Firefox took forever to appear. I suspected ‘updates’, but none were notified. When it finally loaded, I typed in the search for my Yahoo mail, and the spinning began. After almost ten minutes, there was no sign of the login page. I asked Julie if her tablet was experiencing similar problems, and she told me that she had uploaded a photo to Facebook, but it had taken a long time. I shut the tab, and typed in my blog address. Another ten minutes, and the blog appeared, minus the header photo and graphics. The computer broadband information declared a ‘very strong’ signal, so I suspected hardware or software malfunction. I did what I always do, shut it down, and walked away. I was confident that it would all be fine when I went back later to check.

It wasn’t. It was the same as before. I had uncomfortable flashbacks to the bad old days of dial-up. I couldn’t check my e mails, because the page is so graphic-heavy, and the ads are all videos, it just would not load correctly. I tried using Microsoft Explorer, in case it was a Firefox fault. I scanned the computer with the anti-virus, worried that some malicious software was attacking. I de-fragged and cleaned up files, but nothing helped. I shut it down again, and gave it one more try, resolving that it would be three goes and out. When it didn’t work, I went into the kitchen and made a late breakfast. I got ready after that, and took Ollie for a very long walk, wondering how I was going to keep in touch with everyone, update my blog, and check my online orders. I had already decided that it couldn’t be my PC, as Julie’s tablet was having the same problem, and both our smartphones were not responding either. I reasoned that I would have to spend ages on the ‘phone to BT tomorrow, trying to get them to sort out my Internet.

Across by the plum orchards, the stumpy trees were full of delicate white blossom. From a distance, they looked like small clouds, hovering six feet above the ground. The fields across Holt Road were shimmering a fluorescent yellow, as far as the eye could see; rape seed in flower. In one prepared field near the pig farm, I spotted at least a dozen rabbits scampering around. Ollie spotted them too, and gave chase enthusiastically. Hearing some squealing, I turned and saw a group of tiny piglets rushing around, playing joyously in the mud, oblivious to their fate. Somehow, the computer problems didn’t seem so important anymore. Life would go on, and it would be like it was before we had laptops and tablets. The world was becoming Internet dependent, and I was not about to let that happen to me.

I didn’t get back until after 5pm. It had been a good walk, over three hours. Before starting dinner, I checked the computer again. It was back to normal. It just needed me to take that walk.

Nothing works (2)

~ beetleypete ~ Leave a comment

OK, I have calmed down a bit now.

As Eddy Winko commented, I should have just read a book. Instead, I spent the evening between TV and computer, e-mailing companies, re-tuning like a man possessed, and becoming ever more frustrated with modern technology. This morning, I have woken up with a realisation of my technical limitations. Another re-tune of everything has not improved matters at all. However, unusually good, and prompt, customer service by ITV, has resulted in me being able to install the ITV player on the PC, so that should help Julie with the X Factor, at least.

Mind you, I almost flared up again, when an update to the Flash Player (required, apparently) lost all the functions of that device, and disappeared completely. I reached down to the Marianas Trench of my computer skills, finally realising that Microsoft, once again, are calling the shots. I was using Firefox as a browser, and protecting myself with AVG ‘do not track’ application. Microsoft don’t like this. They want you to use Internet Explorer, and disable the anti-tracking function. Otherwise, Flash Player will not install, and ITV player will not work properly. Talk about got you by the short and curlies!

There is a lot of stuff in the media and on the net, about all the people who are supposed to control the World. Shady corporations, Freemasons, and many others get a mention. Forget all that. Microsoft rules the World. At least the electronic world, of information, and access to it. If you want to be part of the 21st century, keep in touch with your friends, and use all the products that make life more bearable, then you have to sell your soul to Silicon Valley. They might just as well send me a small device to implant under my skin, then they can track everything, and read my thoughts too. Big Brother wasn’t even close, sorry Mr. Orwell.

As for the sorry saga of the TV channels; looks like I will have to ‘get a man in’.

Nothing works…

~ beetleypete ~ 2 Comments

Things just don’t work, do they? What happened to “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.”? We have had a nightmare with the Freeview TV this weekend. Loads of channels not working properly, disappearing from the schedule, or just pixellating beyond visual tolerance. Looking on the website, they recommend a re-tune, due to (unannounced) engineering work on the local transmitter, and a change in the allocated numbers for the HD channels. That didn’t work at all, as I have just lost all of the ITV/C4 output for good.

I thought that I could watch the programmes on the computer instead.  ITV tells me that I need a ‘parental password’, to avoid the watershed. As I have never set one up, that failed to work, as well. The TV re-allocated all these channels to the over 800 category, so they just don’t come on at all.  What is this all about? HD Freeview, and Freeview HD recorder, all so much junk. They cannot get a strong enough signal, despite Internet assurances, so there is no HD. As for the ‘normal’ telly, forget it. We have a 40 inch, Internet, Smart TV, edge LED, 3D, and 200 HZ. It cannot cope with a normal programme, let alone HD. The TV struggles to keep up with the resolution, and pixellation is visible at all times. It is all just crap. The normal CRT TV , that preceded it, was a 1000 times better, and never failed us. I am exceptionally fed up with it, and ready to consign it to the rubbish dump.

Telly used to be pretty reliable, and quite good to watch too. The way I feel at the moment, what I have now, is only fit for the scrap-heap. I need a time machine, and I could pop back to a time when things just worked. I have had enough of it, as I am sure you can tell. Is it an age thing, have I missed something? I don’t think so. If this is progress, give me the 1980’s.

A few bad days

~ beetleypete ~ Leave a comment

Since last week, I have been a bit fed up. That sort of edginess where everything starts to assume a real importance, and to begin to really get you down. Of course, the funeral for Julie’s Dad did not help matters, although it went off well, despite being a sad day for all concerned. Driving home last Friday, we hit appalling traffic, adding almost two hours to the normal three-hour journey, so I started the weekend feeling tired and low.

Then the weather turned again. Driving rain, sleet, hail, and a cold wind as well. Everywhere was dark and gloomy, and the ground was muddy, and covered in leaves. Taking Ollie for his walk was a real chore, although he didn’t even seem to notice the change. Then the clocks went back an hour, so we got up to what felt like a late start. This ridiculous, uniquely British tradition means that it now begins to get dark at 4pm, making the evenings seem long and dull.

I decided to do some ‘serious’ cleaning, and tackled the double oven. This is only a year old, but the fan assistance, and high running temperatures, seem to make it harder to clean than a ‘normal’ gas oven. As the doors drop down towards you, it is much more difficult to get right inside, to ensure a thorough job. The oven cleaner is like acid, and stripped the skin from two fingers with ease. (I know that you are supposed to wear gloves but I find them too cumbersome.) After two hours on the cooker, I did the rest of the kitchen, and felt stupidly tired afterwards, another sure sign of my advancing years. I then discovered that the cleaning fluid had somehow managed to get inside the seal of the glass doors, and I was left with white streaks between the two sheets of glass, impossible to remove. This made me angry and frustrated, far in excess of what should be expected for an ‘oven mishap’. A sure sign that the accumulation factor was kicking in.

Then the computer started to play up. Every time that it was shut down, it re-appeared with error messages, lost all my photos, and did not recognise me as the administrator. I have had to ‘system restore’ three times in two days. This made me acutely aware of my lack of technical prowess with computers, and electronic items generally. I would happily have thrown the whole thing out the window, then stamped on it for good measure. I still don’t know what the problem is, so have had to resort to standby only, without shutting down. No doubt I will eventually have to get someone in, to patiently point out my schoolboy error, for a large fee. Naturally, Julie wanted to do her Internet shopping for Christmas, so it came at the most inconvenient moment. (What doesn’t?)

The next day, Ollie’s eye seemed to be tearful again. After two operations, and a lot of distress, it seems that they may not have worked fully, so we will soon have to start that process all over again; contacting vets, claiming off the insurers, and making numerous trips to and from Newmarket, at 100 miles a time.

That is why the blog has been quiet. Not many readers recently, and not much input from me either.

I woke up to bright sun today, and have a lot to get done this week. The sun did not really improve my mood though, and I have little enthusiasm for anything, to be honest. Hence, ‘A few bad days’.