You’ve possibly realised I’m a Terry Pratchett fan: have been since I first read his work, back in the 1980s.
And I’m one of the — seemingly many — fans who’ll be boycotting BBC America’s The Watch as, when and if it gets a UK showing.
It’s wrong, on so many levels.
Including the casting.
At any rate, because of that, I’m planning to avoid it.
But also very pleased when the Guardian announced that Narrativia, the Pratchett family multi-media company had done deals with a couple of production companies: to produce. versions more faithful to the novels.
I’m looking forward to those.
The BBC America version is both wrong … and insulting to the fans, it’s American audience, and Sir Terry’s memory.
A few weeks ago, now, I joined Instagram: purely to try and advertise Nik Nak’s Old Peculiar.
And read, re-read and double re-read their advice on scammers on the platform: after getting a couple of deeply suspicious message.
From deeply suspicious users.
I’ve had about one a day for the past few days.
I’ve had another one, today.
She’s got a very attractive profile picture …
And her first name … ? Is Andrew.
She got blocked …
~≈†≈~
Just as a thought … ?
I mentioned my Love Songs list, the other day: you can find it here.
The reason I mentioned it … ?
Is simply that I didn’t add this tune from Fiddler on the Roof. It’s just the song about a relationship that hasn’t collapsed, and is working well enough …
I’ve just made today’s Teaser video in something of a rush: as I only realised I’d forgotten it, when I made the last batch.
If it looks a bit rushed? That’s because it was!
~≈¥≈~
Something I know … ?
Is that the UK’s National Health Service is — right now — having a crisis.
It’s got a lack of personal protective equipment.
I’ve got to confess, I’ve been listening to this morning’s edition of the Today programme: who’ve had the boss of at least one PPE supplier, this morning: complaining that he can’t get through to anyone, in order to sell his stock of visors.
Then there was the company who has been selling PPE kit to Europe … as their offer to sell to the NHS, and the government, has been ignored.
There’s possibly more.
Frankly?
Covid 19 has put the word into a situation like no other.
But simultaneously … ? Simultaneously not watching one.
If that makes sense?
Much as I really do fancy catching the Italian version of Reanimator -- made in 2017, and called Herbert West - Re-Animator -- I also fancied an early night.
But also fancied breaking the rules, a little, and blogging … without making a video, for once.
I suspect that you — as I — am getting frustrated.
If for no other reason than not being able to visit friends and family …
Sunday night dinner at mine … is odd …
At any rate … ? Things are frustrating enough that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are doing interviews about the state of the nation’s mental health.
Right at the moment, I’m watching old favourite, Dr Who.
I’ve been watching The Faceless Ones: one that’s new to me, as it’s been missing since before my birth.
But … ? I’ve started watching it, just after eight o’clock, tonight: just to avoid any conflict with the Clap For Our Carers event that happens at eight, on a Thursday.
Even though I don’t take part … ? It’s nice to hear, and to know it’s going on.
Except of course … ?
Tonight, someone decided lighting fireworks would be a good way of joining in.
There’s going to be a lot of annoyed pet owners out there.
At any rate … ?
At any rate, tonight I’ve sat down to two more episodes of The Faceless Ones: and yes.
I did one recently: themed — inevitably — around the current crisis.
It took about fifteen (15) minutes.
And earn me thirty quid: as an Amazon gift voucher.
£30 worth of free stuff from Amazon can’t be bad.
Even if Amazon’s going to take ages to deliver!
~≈Î≈~
Right at the moment?
I’m concerned about charities.
I think some — ones like veterans charity, Help for Heroes and the various charities that support NHS hospitals like Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital — really shouldn’t exist.
As the causes are funded by our tax money. The government should be doing a better job of using our money to fund them.
We shouldn’t have to pay extra for them.
So, seeing 99 year old veteran, Captain Tom Moore, doing a sponsored walk around his garden, to raise £1000 for the NHS — and raising £12 million as a result — leaves me feeling conflicted.
Raising that money’s the government’s job, not a retired captain who’s earned the right to have a sit down!
I’m going to be heading up to town, later: to pick up my diabetes medication.
And to get some shopping.
After a two week holiday? Sainsbury’s have added some offers to my Nectar card.
Including for white fleshed sweet potatoes.
I hope they’ve got some.
I’m getting heartily sick of the red ones!
~≈¥≈~
Oh, just as a quick thought?
A robotics engineer in California has scored scored some brownie points.
By building an experimental ventilator: out of easily available parts, a lot of open source code … and a Raspberry Pi, Britain’s best selling computer.
The thing’s currently getting testing in Colombia.
Hopefully?
Someone in the UK will pick that up.
It sounds like it could be an ideal solution, here in the UK.
Especially given that the Pi, the best selling British computer ever made?
There’s also a certain amount of sadness, as well.
As yesterday saw the death of comedian, Goody, and I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue panellist, Tim Brooke-Taylor.
The world’s a smaller place.
~≈†≈~
How are you with mis-selling?
A couple of weeks ago, I was looking for a gift for a friend.
And managed to buy three of these USB flash memory drives: from a third party Ebay seller called Fashionjiacl.
They, supposedly, had a capacity of some two terabytes: roughly two thousand hours of video, depending on the format and resolution.
At the advertised price, two terabytes is a godsend: especially if you are unemployed, and don’t have much money to spend.
I ordered three: which took a while to get to me.
When they did? I immediately start copying my Dr Who collection over to one of them.
That took about twenty-four hours, given the amount of data.
The data didn’t copy.
The stick — which was showing up both mo my Mac, and my Ubuntu MATE laptop, as a two terabyte drive — wouldn’t hold more than approximately thirty-two (32) gigabytes.
So … ?
I complained to the sellers: who — initially — only offered a thirty percent refund: roughly the price of one of the sticks I’d bought.
I told them this wasn’t good enough.
They then offered a thirteen pound refund.
I refused, again.
And told Fashionjiacl that, unless I got a full refund, I’d be reporting the to the consumer show, Watchdog, and watching a blog post about it and reporting them to Ebay, itself.
Something I’m still thinking of doing.
They refunded the money: which arrived in my bank account, yesterday.
I’m happy with that.
But?
I’m left with a bad taste in my mouth.
For a start?
Fashionjiacl is STILL offering hooky USB sticks on Ebay.
They HAVE added a footnote to say the devices are not the advertised two terabytes, but nearer thirty-two gigabytes: at the bottom of the page, in the proverbial last place we would look.
Something they weren’t doing when I bought them.
I’m assuming the things would still show up as two terabytes in any computer they’re connected to: so any one buying them would have no way of accurately know what the things could hold, or are holding.
I will give Fashionjiacl credit for refunding my money.
But … ?
I believe they are guilty of mis-selling.
And, given that this sort of thing seems to be common? It’s something I thought I should warn you about.
