One of these days, I swear, I’ll get a day when I don’t have palpitations.
Really!
Over the weekend?
We had quite a few snotty customers.
Well, I say weekend. If you want me to define it loosely, you can include Monday and Tuesday with that.
So, when my copy of iTunes acts up, exactly when my AppleTV updates itself: right in the middle of making the videos for another few days worth of teasers?
The past few days haven’t exactly been a barrel of pigeons, let’s put it that way.
At any rate?
That kind of intensity makes me value the time off I get.
And certainly value the time I have.
Catching up with discoveries: in between housework!
“Discoveries?” I hear here you ask.
Well, yes. Interesting albums are good: I’ve been listening to Brian Eno’s Ambient series for example, which are something to hear.
Films: and one of these days, I’ll sit down with one!
Books: I still can’t believe one co-worker hasn’t ever sat down with a good book.
That’s possibly vaguely heretical, now I think about it.
At any rate … discoveries.
Something I have discovered?
Is that there’s some interesting TV shows lurking around: both online, on TV, on DVD …
Enough to keep me happily sat in front of a TV, for the past few weeks.
My thoughts are with the families of those killed.
My thoughts are with those injured.
My thoughts are with Muslim/Asian co-workers: who are going to get a backlash from the type of idiots using Westminster as the excuse to retaliate, to meet violence with violence.
I’ve noticed — on the BBC’s website — that’s someone’s done something.
Basically?
A chap in the States has bee prosecuted for sending a gif — an animated picture, in other words — designed to work in such a way that induces epilepsy.
Then sent it to a chap with epilepsy.
I know there’s talk of cyber warfare.
But that’s …
Interesting …
~≈Â≈~
In other news?
You’ll’ve read that my second monitor seems to have given up the ghost yesterday: at least, notionally.
One thing I know worked with a previous monitor? Was tweaking the resolution.
Something I tried, last night, with that particular monitor.
With this one, however? Beyond a few seconds, it didn’t take.
Especially when you consider I’m doing a ten hour shift, today.
That’s actually not — at the moment —too bad a prospect.
What gets me — as always — is the transport.
As a result of the various boys of Crossrail work?
On Saturday, my commute to work starts with a rail replacement bus from Brentwood to Shenfield, moves to another bus Shenfield to Ingatestone, then and only then, to a train from Ingatestone to Chelmsford.
Which then plays out in reverse, on the way back.
It’s a bit of a pain in the bum, to be frank.
The only entertaining thing about the trip, today?
Is the fact the earworm of the day is the incredible entertaining Last Train to Transcentral*.
I don’t know if you follow the news … but Britain’s a political animal.
One that, right now?
One that’s barking.
If you’ll forgive the pun.
A couple of years ago, now? Scotland voted against independence: voting to remain a part of the UK.
Last years?
Britain voted to leave the EU. The arguments about that, ever since, have been … loud.
Noticeably? Because, while the people of the UK, overall, voted to leave … the majority in Northern Ireland, and Scotland, voted to remain.
I don’t know about Northern Ireland. But in Scotland, the Scottish Nationalists have a large number of MSPs: as a result of the most recent elections.
In the manifesto for that election? SNP leader, Nicola Sturgeon, made a promise to hold a second referendum: if it was felt things had seriously changed for Scotland.
Last years’s Brexit vote? Was that change.
A change that saw the Scottish First Minister announce, yesterday, that she would be seeking to hold a second independence referendum.
I really can’t say I blame her for doing so.
Were I a Scottish resident, for that second independence vote? And given that I voted remain?
To hell with the consequences.
I’d be voting for independence.
To leave the UK, so I could remain in the EU.
That’s going to annoy a lot of those who voted to leave the EU.
But yesterday’s announcement was implicit in the Brexit results.
Anyone complaining?
Should maybe have read the SNP manifesto, before the election …
~≈Â≈~
After all that politics?
We should maybe move on to something lighter.
Or, at least tell you the BBC have released the latest trailer of Dr Who’s tenth season.
And? I think we can say that’s a Mondasian Cyberman in there.
Was that I managed to catch a movie: although I don’t know whether I was impressed with Nosferatu*: but I CAN say I’ve seen it.
On other fronts?
I wrote, yesterday, that one man had been prosecuted for selling what’s called ‘fully loaded’ Kodi boxes.
In a follow up piece?
We see that the Premier League has managed to get a court order: to clamp down on the servers that are broadcast illegally streamed matches.
Given how Kodi boxes operate?
My biggest concern is the knock on effect.
I’m concerned that researchers and developers won’t necessarily have the legal manoeuvring room to do their jobs properly.
Doing what the League’s done, and trying to block what the servers are doing? Rather than the writers of the add-ons, the sellers of the boxes, or the people that buy or use them?
You’re possibly aware that I follow the technology news.
Aren’t you?
I do: so you know.
You’re possibly aware that I’ve been following the various court cases prosecuting people who sell what’s called ‘fully loaded’ Kodi boxes.
A Kodi box is an Android based media streaming box: that uses the open source Kodi software as its media player and manager.
Like other open source projects? Kodi has a range of add-ons that boost its functionality.
Including ones that let you access pay to view and subscription content for free.
Most Kodi boxes won’t have those built in. You have to add them, yourself.
Some sellers, however, are happy to sell you a ‘fully loaded’ box.
With the relevant iffy add-ons already installed.
A couple of days ago? A couple of days ago, one such seller — Malcolm Mayes — was fined £250, 000 for selling ‘fully loaded’ boxes to pubs and clubs.
Personally?
I’m not too surprised about that.
My concern has been what’s it’s always been. Not so much with the spread, or stopping of online piracy.
But what sort of implication this could have for the open source model: and — possibly — the computer science research.
After all, enabling researchers and others to develop software means — to me, at least — developing software that, occasionally, breaks the law.
Some sort of immunity from that — to enable researchers and developers to do their jobs — would seem to be in order.
~≈Ê≈~
On other fronts?
I mentioned, yesterday, that I’d done (subtitled) rips of series two of Mr Robot: that would play in vlc, MPEGStreamclip and on my AppleTV.
But not in Quicktime.
Despite being in Quicktime’s default format.
I’ve actually worked out that it was the subtitles that were causing the problems. I’d hit the wrong buttons, when ripping: so that they’d stay hidden, until switched on.
