“Hundreds of Beavers” was the best film I saw this year. I think it’s a 2022 film though.
I thought Heretic was excellent, really well done on Hugh Grant's character.
Pig was astoundingly good. It's a 2021 film but I watched it recently, I highly recommend it.
Alien Romulus was very good and worked well as a sequel to Alien.
Pig was astoundingly good. It's a 2021 film but I watched it recently, I highly recommend it.
Alien Romulus was very good and worked well as a sequel to Alien.
You're just paying for it another way.
I have a 'backup' of the film if you remind me your email.
I have a 'backup' of the film if you remind me your email.
as tico says, free ones aren't worth it - generally they won't get you past most stuff you want to get past anyway, and because they're so limited in scope it makes them easy for the big guys to block
it's a cliche brand but I've been using Nord for a few years now, and they do me fine for everything I feel I need a VPN for; I did use Opera's built-in VPN for a while but now they've gone full crypto I switched to Firefox, and with Nord's plugin I can even pick which tabs get shielded. how much longer we can legally use a VPN in this country remains to be seen...
it's a cliche brand but I've been using Nord for a few years now, and they do me fine for everything I feel I need a VPN for; I did use Opera's built-in VPN for a while but now they've gone full crypto I switched to Firefox, and with Nord's plugin I can even pick which tabs get shielded. how much longer we can legally use a VPN in this country remains to be seen...
they've suggested it before, and with the way the world's going at the moment they can certainly consider suggesting it again - anything to protect the poor innocent kiddies from the dangers of learning trans people exist
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/vpns-online-safety-bill-labour-champion-b2239810.html
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/vpns-online-safety-bill-labour-champion-b2239810.html
But I finally acquired Slow Horses in a "perfectly legal manner" and that is really good.
i'm annoyed I can't get my dad a legit copy on DVD/BluRay, because he'd like that but isn't going to go for appletv+ or "legitimate means"
I'm also enjoying Severance, in that old school Lost style way of watching pretty images and having no real clue what's going on.
I'm sworn to watch The Substance before New Year, as that's reputedly the absolute shiz
I'm sworn to watch The Substance before New Year, as that's reputedly the absolute shiz
I missed the Substance at the cinema, annoyingly.
I'll add the diplomat and severance to the list. I'm currently working my way through Doom Patrol, which isn't great but it's oddly moreish.
I'll add the diplomat and severance to the list. I'm currently working my way through Doom Patrol, which isn't great but it's oddly moreish.
full of heart, full of the original spirit of trek, and takes no prisoners in calling out mistakes of previous generations (fuck you rick berman)
about how lower decks sidelined Discovery as an alternate reality.
I'll add it to the watch list.
I'll add it to the watch list.
was one of the most affecting films I've ever seen - the soundscape hung around my head for days. I also liked Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Wicked Little Letters was fun as was Monkey Man but in a totally different way. and I saw some great documentaries.
TV, Ludwig was fun. And Slip. I enjoyed that. I only have Netflix so dunno about anything else on any other pay-for streaming service
TV, Ludwig was fun. And Slip. I enjoyed that. I only have Netflix so dunno about anything else on any other pay-for streaming service
Ludwig was fantastic. I hadn't heard of Slip at all, looks interesting.
We're currently watching Return to Paradise which is exactly what you'd expect it to be.
We're currently watching Return to Paradise which is exactly what you'd expect it to be.
Also Furiosa. I like both, but that's it, did see any other movie this year
This is the first year ever that I’m going away for Christmas though so I’m quite excited. Heading to the absolute middle of nowhere in Wales to avoid all other humans.
for me apart from the 25/26th. Hopefully I'll get a chance to study for my Big Microsoft Exam on the 6th.
sometimes I wish we COULD turn it off. And we do run quite a lot of Red Hat.
sassenfrassenrassenrassen. I mean, some of the stuff it does is Really Fucking Clever, but I'm more on the programming and support side. The thing that irks the most is that it doesn't help us in our day jobs, it's just some higher up wonk deciding we need some ticks inna box for lols.
I’m dead against certs. I’m yet to hire anyone due to certs.
Microsoft at least used to (maybe still does) give companies a bunch of free stuff if a threshold of employees have up to date MS certs.
Microsoft at least used to (maybe still does) give companies a bunch of free stuff if a threshold of employees have up to date MS certs.
from MS despite this, because we do £LOTS with them for licencing. I don't think having 5 support engineers with this cert is going to help further.
Lavabread... Is not a bread product.
Still it went quite well in an all-day breakfast in Cardiff.
It is a sort of seaweed lumpy sauce.
Still it went quite well in an all-day breakfast in Cardiff.
It is a sort of seaweed lumpy sauce.
Oh good.
I'm starting my degree now. I'm in a teams with 70 other people.
Edit: oh no breakout rooms
EditEdiT: ok that wasn't so bad.
In other news, I was having a look at whether there's decent internet that isn't VM in my area yet, and it turns out that the new street they're putting in next door HAS THE SAME POSTCODE. So there's going to be two houses sharing 23, WN3 5YB. That's proper rubbish.
I'm starting my degree now. I'm in a teams with 70 other people.
Edit: oh no breakout rooms
EditEdiT: ok that wasn't so bad.
In other news, I was having a look at whether there's decent internet that isn't VM in my area yet, and it turns out that the new street they're putting in next door HAS THE SAME POSTCODE. So there's going to be two houses sharing 23, WN3 5YB. That's proper rubbish.
though I've just checked the post office and it's not on their address lookup.
(admittedly nearly 2 decades ago) it took 6 months for the post office to give us a postcode and about 2 years for that to propagate to various online databases.
I don’t create software or databases or websites or whatever. But I’m a hack-away-until-I-get-it-working amateur programmer who uses a bit of various languages to control, extend, script, etc other bits of software and equipment that I use in my work.
Today I found myself using a Windows .BAT file to script AutoCAD to batch open a load of files and run a LISP routine on them, which uses an ActiveX function that Autodesk borrow.
FFS, AutoDesk.
Today I found myself using a Windows .BAT file to script AutoCAD to batch open a load of files and run a LISP routine on them, which uses an ActiveX function that Autodesk borrow.
FFS, AutoDesk.
To make it change the dates on a bunch of drawings.
Might have to build an Abacus interface.
Might have to build an Abacus interface.
and today I imported some appointments into Outlook from a CSV file.
Also I did some stuff in FoxPro, last version released in 2007, but that's not so unusual for me.
Also I did some stuff in FoxPro, last version released in 2007, but that's not so unusual for me.
.BAT files on people's Win11 machines to run the aeons-old DOS SUBST command to map a drive letter to a Sharepoint shortcut location so some fucking old software can still export files.
Funsies.
Funsies.
i always struggle because all the clients who send me sharepoint folder links, i'm an 'external' person so tey don't like it.
"YOU THOUGHT NTFS PERMISSIONS were UNFATHOMABLE? Boy, have we at SHAREPOINT got NEWS for YOU!"
I call it 'Shitpoint' for a reason.
I call it 'Shitpoint' for a reason.
You can write code in their version of LISP to do more complicated things, but the easiest way to script a bunch of actions is literally to make a text file of what you’d type into the AutoCAD command line (it has a weird mixture of graphical interface and typed commands, for those who aren’t familiar), and you can then run it as a single command. It’s a macro essentially.
When you CLOSE a file manually and get the dialogue box, the question is: “ Do you want to save changes to (filename)?”
When you script a CLOSE, the command line question that your script needs to answer is "Are you sure you want to discard all changes?"
Obviously this requires NO instead of YES. Took me ages to figure out why my files weren’t saving.
What absolute twattage. Terrible terrible people.
When you CLOSE a file manually and get the dialogue box, the question is: “ Do you want to save changes to (filename)?”
When you script a CLOSE, the command line question that your script needs to answer is "Are you sure you want to discard all changes?"
Obviously this requires NO instead of YES. Took me ages to figure out why my files weren’t saving.
What absolute twattage. Terrible terrible people.
probably peaked with BBC Basic. So can't really comment
Did really enjoy watching England thump NZ in the second test here in Wellington, although disappointed it finished in three days, so I had to actually go to work on Mon-Tue
Did really enjoy watching England thump NZ in the second test here in Wellington, although disappointed it finished in three days, so I had to actually go to work on Mon-Tue
David Gower or Jimmy. Which was a shame
Did come face to face with Richard Hadlee though, which was nice
Did come face to face with Richard Hadlee though, which was nice
Microsoft are trying to deprecate it but lots of other people implement bits of it so it won’t die.
Took me fucking ages to find sufficient documentation to cobble together these disparate bits.
Took me fucking ages to find sufficient documentation to cobble together these disparate bits.
And half the forum stuff online is wrong.
haven't thought of imageready in a while.
I've not used photoshop in about 4 years, after having switched to Affinity (which i really like for DTP, and can live with for photo edditing) and it's £60 for a lifetime licence.
I've not used photoshop in about 4 years, after having switched to Affinity (which i really like for DTP, and can live with for photo edditing) and it's £60 for a lifetime licence.
and I really like the idea of it, but I still can't break away from Publisher.
I really like Photo. I never did anything beyond the basics in photoshop so switching wasn't difficult.
I really like Photo. I never did anything beyond the basics in photoshop so switching wasn't difficult.
Wanted to remake the 2-frame xmas tree gif for my Dinos site festive header and couldn't remember how to do it.
as does bluebeam the industry PDF markup software.. it's not much more expensive and awful. they keep adding all sorts of cloud based collaboration tools nobody uses but the actual UI and markup stuff is just every so slightly worse than in was in 2011
Here have a bunch of AI tools and all sorts of bollocks. But also, gonna hide all the traditional toobars and make it much harder to do basic stuff, which is all you are ever trying to do
and now word has got loads of "buy acrobat to export to pdf" bollocks
then in small un-highlighted text.. "or click here to just do it"
then in small un-highlighted text.. "or click here to just do it"
Yeah, those were good times. Have you considered a cloud subscription?
On the way to the pizza oven. It landed face down in the mud. It was very upsetting.
Anyway, I've been thinking about Christmas pizza. Gravy base, stuffing, turkey and bacon twisted together. What else / what other Christmas pizzas would you suggest?
Anyway, I've been thinking about Christmas pizza. Gravy base, stuffing, turkey and bacon twisted together. What else / what other Christmas pizzas would you suggest?
primarily due to:
1. them working out how to breed ones that aren't sulphurous
2. frying instead of boiling (chopped in half before frying to get the crispy face)
1. them working out how to breed ones that aren't sulphurous
2. frying instead of boiling (chopped in half before frying to get the crispy face)
with bacon and chesnuts that is great for roasting, would also work as pizza topping if defrosted probably.
And that the chest freezer someone gave us and the tumble dryer should live in the play shed till the caravan is in place and I build a new wheeliebin shed style shed for them.
The caravan fits but the door doesn't open fully. The freezer is in place but I can't get the dryer out of the back door, so I'll have to take it out of the front then DRIVE ROUND TO THE BACK GATE AND LIFT IT OVER THE SMALL WALL (because it's not actually a proper gate, it's a short wall with a fence on top that we made into a gate) and then put into the shed because I can't take it down the side of the house because there's a bloody caravan there.
It's a lot of faff to polish the turd that is "our house is too small and we've got too much stuff". And my knees hurt.
The caravan fits but the door doesn't open fully. The freezer is in place but I can't get the dryer out of the back door, so I'll have to take it out of the front then DRIVE ROUND TO THE BACK GATE AND LIFT IT OVER THE SMALL WALL (because it's not actually a proper gate, it's a short wall with a fence on top that we made into a gate) and then put into the shed because I can't take it down the side of the house because there's a bloody caravan there.
It's a lot of faff to polish the turd that is "our house is too small and we've got too much stuff". And my knees hurt.
why not use it to move the caravan for long enough to get the fridge etc. past the house?
and has a few inches clearance at the sides. I need a team of Ukrainians to move it.
Anyway, I did it. I'm the end the dryer being in the van meant it was at the right height, and I found a spare doormat to put on the wall so I wasn't scuffing the dryer. And then I put the door back on.
More ridiculous jobs today but not quite so ridiculous, and they're all inside, and I'm home alone so the Christmas tunes are on.
Anyway, I did it. I'm the end the dryer being in the van meant it was at the right height, and I found a spare doormat to put on the wall so I wasn't scuffing the dryer. And then I put the door back on.
More ridiculous jobs today but not quite so ridiculous, and they're all inside, and I'm home alone so the Christmas tunes are on.
- So that cat in the front... is it from Utrecht?
- ermm. No i don't think so.
- It doesn't have family from Amsterdam?
- Umm not sure... what's all this about?
- How dutch is that moggy in the window?
- ermm. No i don't think so.
- It doesn't have family from Amsterdam?
- Umm not sure... what's all this about?
- How dutch is that moggy in the window?
It's a pun
"How much is that doggy in the window" it was a popular song.
You know
"How much is that doggy in the window" it was a popular song.
You know
It sounds a bit like the title of that song about an enquiry regarding the monetary value of a canine on display in a commercial premises.
just goes to show what you can achieve when you really stretch yourself.
All the youngsters at work use GOAT to describe anything remotely pleasant.
And with that I’m old…
And with that I’m old…
But thank you!
We had a posh lunch, cocktails, and Shakespeare.
We had a posh lunch, cocktails, and Shakespeare.
And work are pushing it so I thought "yeah why not", despite having dropped out four times before.
When you apply there isn't an option for the three year option I actually wanted, you apply for the two year option and they see of you'll be ok for it. I got a questionnaire and said "no" to almost everything - are you familiar with git? Can you do linear regression and other stats stuff? Have you used these python libraries? And so on. All "no".
They've accepted me on to the two year course.
When you apply there isn't an option for the three year option I actually wanted, you apply for the two year option and they see of you'll be ok for it. I got a questionnaire and said "no" to almost everything - are you familiar with git? Can you do linear regression and other stats stuff? Have you used these python libraries? And so on. All "no".
They've accepted me on to the two year course.
presumably they'll teach you that stuff so knowing bits of it might be a bad thing?
I work with stats and statisticians every day, I'm supposed to know what I'm talking about. Anything more complicated than mean and median I have to google every time. All the sums are done are by computer programmes these days, SAS is just complicated Excel.
I work with stats and statisticians every day, I'm supposed to know what I'm talking about. Anything more complicated than mean and median I have to google every time. All the sums are done are by computer programmes these days, SAS is just complicated Excel.
in Silicon Valley and I last took a stats class when I was 17. It's all just schoolboys drawing lines of best fit, just in too many dimensions.
who knows! just make something up! Nobody understands it anyway!
We'll see.
I've got a project on the go which should make my working life much easier when it finishes in April so maybe I'll be able to catch up.
I've got a project on the go which should make my working life much easier when it finishes in April so maybe I'll be able to catch up.
I am foolishly considering trying to do some tinkering with skills I have not flexed in decades. any recommendations for a cheap soldering iron, and possibly a bluetooth audio receiver board if you know a reliable one? it would be going into an old car stereo, or possibly into a box that will then connect to that stereo in some way, whichever feels safer at the time.
Cost maybe £30+postage, run from USB-c or a 2.1mm centre positive 12-24V wall wart, decent choice of tips, hackable OS :D
(yes, it's a soldering iron with an operating system)
Click me!
(yes, it's a soldering iron with an operating system)
Click me!
although I'm worried they're way more than I need or would ever get full use from. still, it's not that much more than a cheap solid lump of iron like my old dad used to use, and probably way easier to flog on if I don't use it enough!
DollaTek ZK-502M Audio Mini 2.0 Stereo 50W+50W bluetooth Digital Amplifier Module 50W*2 AMP Amplificador Home Theater AUX USB https://amzn.eu/d/hOot7qN
I'm terrible at soldering, I wouldn't know a good soldering iron from a hair straightener.
I'm terrible at soldering, I wouldn't know a good soldering iron from a hair straightener.
the module I was looking at already is a dollatek one, I shall have a compare between that one & this as it may be a more viable idea - thanks!
It ripped out the tyre side wall, bent the swing arm and smashed the wheel arch liner. Thankfully it is an “only money” problem rather than a huge effort problem.
She’s a little shaken understandably, and fine otherwise.
Incidentally it is the twins 2nd birthday today!
She’s a little shaken understandably, and fine otherwise.
Incidentally it is the twins 2nd birthday today!