More painting …

OK, those aren’t exactly the best photos, but you get the gist.

I’ve painted me Bathroom, as well!

Yes, I know, I know, it’s nothing major.

But here’s where I’ll get frank: my bedroom is opposite the bathroom.

And the fact that the colour on the bathroom walls bothered the hell out of me wen I went to bed, last night!

So today’s project?

Was to dab the last bit’s of paint on the bathroom walls!

Well, once I’d done the hall … !

The Daily Teaser.

Hmmm …

Panic over, I think …

I think … !

Because Kelly’s managed to find most of her apparently lost files: seems, as part of the install, they’d been shifted from the USB drive, to the relevant places in Kelly’s home folder.

Phew!

I hope!

Anyway, let’s move on, shall we?

Yeeesssss …

He says, doing his best Jeremy Paxman impersonation …

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Birthday Girl Andrea going head to head with Tim and ’Shel: with all of them getting 6 out of 6, and both Tim and Andrea putting in some good quotes.

Did I mention it was Andrea’s birthday, yesterday? I didn’t?

Well, it was, and I’m enough of a gent to not mention her age.

But gentleman enough to say “Andrea, you HAVE the Official First-In-Clap!”. Happy belated Birthday!

Anyway, let’s get cracking on, shall we?

Here’s today’s questions, complete with the ‘How To’ and License …

Q1) 28^th January, 1547, saw the death of Henry 8^th. Who became the first protestant ruler of England on his death?

Q2) 266 years later, 28^th January, 1813, saw the first publication of which classic novel?

Q3) 28^th January, 1986, saw which challenging space disaster occur?

Q4) 33 years before that, 28^th January, 1953, saw who hanged for murder?

Q5) 329 years before that, Sir Thomas Warner founded the first British colony in the Caribbean: but on which Caribbean island?

Q6) And finally … 28^th January, 1958 saw the patenting of which brick?

And here’s yesterday’s questions and answer …

Q1) 27^th January, 1945, saw the Red Army liberate which notorious Polish prison camp?

A1) Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Q2) One year earlier, 27^th January, 1944, saw the end of the siege of which Russian city?

A2) Leningrad. (Or Saint Petersburg, as it now is.)

Q3) 27^th, January, 1951, saw the birth of drummer, Brian Downey: no relation, I should add. Which Irish rock band was he a founder member of?

A3) Thin Lizzy. (Who named themselves after a robot character in The Dandy comic, called Tin Lizzie. Just try faking an Irish accent when you’re saying the name …)

Q4) 27^th January, 1967, saw which entry in the Apollo missions catch fire on the launchpad??

A4) Apollo 1.

Q5) 27^th January saw John Logie Baird publicly demonstrate television, for the first time: in which year of the 1920s?

A5) 1926.

Q6) And finally … 27^th January, 1984, saw Michæl Jackson seriously burned whilst recording an advert for which drink?

A6) Pepsi Cola.

Enjoy those, everyone!

I got it wrong!

I’ve got to admit, I think I got it wrong.

No, I stand corrected, I did get it wrong.

I managed to well and truly over estimate my own abilities.

Well, no, that’s strictly inaccurate.

I didn’t: what I actually did was … well …

Remember my friend, Kelly?

Her in the photo’s?

Yeah, that Kelly!

She’s been — rather nervously — eyeing up the possibility of putting Ubuntu on to her laptop for about six months, now: we’ve finally … finally … got around to putting it on there for her.

Ah HEM!!

Adventures in Linux Land, eh, Kelly?

I’ve got to admit, I think I managed to make an almost complete hash of it.

Back-ups.

Yeeeeeezzzzzzz …

Backing stuff up!

Oy VEH!

Now, I’ve got to confess, that’s why I owe Kelly an apology.

Because I made the stupid mistake of copying her files across to the USB flash drive I keep for this sort of thing.

But not double checking I’d done so correctly.

Which meant that — after the usual fairly smooth Ubuntu installation process — I couldn’t find the files I’d — apparently successfully — copied across for her.

Kelly was practically in tears. And I can’t say that I blame her.

After all, despite my* reassurances, the installation had apparently gone badly wrong.

What makes it worse, is that Kelly had done Allison and I something of a nice dinner, as well: absolutely fantastic plate of ol’ fashioned bangers and mash.

Now, Kelly, bless her, has been in touch, to let me know she’s found most of the actual important files: and sounded fairly ok about that.

But I’ve got to admit, I made hash of copying those files over. By not double-checking that they’d been copied across.

Kelly, I’m sorry for that.

•••••

But if nothing else, it has made me very aware of the importance of making sure of copying these things across properly.

In the case of Kevin’s laptop, it wasn’t this much of a problem. After all, the amount of file’s Kevin had were minimal, compared to the sheer volume Kelly has/had. We are, don’t forget, talking about a semi professional musician, photographer and artist who uses her laptop as a tool, as much as something for surfing the ’net, or writing letters with.

So, this has actually taught me a thing or two …

Make DAMN sure I encourage people who want to do this back their files up.

Make DAMN sure that — when I do it, as well — that I do it correctly.

And make DAMN sure I know exactly what software people have! Kelly had some very obscure stuff on there … !

•••••

Now, let’s move on, shall we?

Shall we?

Yes, I think I’d better, hadn’t I?

The one bit of entertaining news I caught, today, is something from Apple.

Yep.

Steve Jobs, Apple CEO, cancer survivor, and possibly the best showman the computer industry has pulled something else out of them there trouser pockets, again. And I’m not talking about Harry Enfield’s suggested iHump, either …

Oh, no … !

If you’re an Apple fan — hel-LO! — then you’d probably realise there’s been talk — talk, I should emphasise — about a potential Apple tablet for some time, now.

You know how the rumour mills go.

But Apple’s done it again.

Managed to introduce a gadget that’s got onto the BBC’s 10 O’Clock News bulletin, exactly when Apple wants it to.

They’ve introduced what they call the iPad: in other words a touch screen device, somewhere between an iPhone, and a netbook.

Steve Jobs is calling it revolutionary.

I don’t know about that: I do know, though, that the iPod, and iPhone weren’t revolutionary, but were iCatching beautiful bits of easy to use, much copied pieces of kit.

I also know this: I want one for Christmas!

Or me birthday, that’s nearer!!

* And reassurances from Allison, as well, bless her!

The Daily Teaser …

Well, it’s officially official!

I’ve now painted my Hallway!

OK, granted, I had a little help from Allison and her sister, Jan — and Jan’s eldest, Nicki, who ‘supervised’ — getting the top and bottom edges, but I did a heck of a lot.

And I’ve got to admit, I feel rather good about having it done.

I know it sounds strange, but getting that hallway painted has been something I’ve been meaning getting done for a while, so …

•••••

Actually, I’ve also got to apologise that today’s teaser’s a touch later than usual, actually.

Believe it or not, I’ve had an electrician in, checking one of me plug sockets.

Which meant, of course, having the power off for half an hour or so, so.

Oh well …

•••••

Let’s get cracking on, shall we?

Yes, lets …

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Simon, Andrea and Shel all go head to head, with Simon grabbing the Official First-In-Clap — Round of Applause, so you know, Shel! — Simon and Andrea both getting 5 out of 5, and Shel trailing with four out of five.

Let’s see what people can do with today’s questions, shall we?

Here we are, along with the ‘How To’ and License …

Q1) 27^th January, 1945, saw the Red Army liberate which notorious Polish prison camp?

Q2) One year earlier, 27^th January, 1944, saw the end of the siege of which Russian city?

Q3) 27^th, January, 1951, saw the birth of drummer, Brian Downey: no relation, I should add. Which Irish rock band was he a founder member of?

Q4) 27^th January, 1967, saw which entry in the Apollo missions catch fire on the launchpad??

Q5) 27^th January saw John Logie Baird publicly demonstrate television, for the first time: in which year of the 1920s?

Q6) And finally … 27^th January, 1984, saw Michæl Jackson seriously burned whilst recording an advert for which drink?

And here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) 26^th January is the national day in three commonwealth countries: name one of them.

A1) Australia, India and Uganda. (These are, respectively, Australia Day — in Australia, obviously — Republic Day in India and Liberation Day in Uganda. Which means we all eat Curried Vegemite sandwiches. Or sing Down Under in Swahilli … )

Q2) How many days are left until the end of 2010?

A2) 339.

Q3) 26^th January, 1992, saw the death of José Ferrer: for which 1950 film did he win a best actor Oscar?

A3) Cyrano de Bergerac.

Q4) Six years later, 26^th January , 1998, saw President Bill Clinton quite famously deny having … what?

A4) An affair with Monica Lewinsky. (I’ll let everyone else make tasteless remarks about cigars … )

Q5) And finally … 26^th January, 1962, saw the death of which notorious mobster?

A5) Charles “Lucky” Luciano. (Who’d been originally born as Salvatore)

Enjoy those, everyone: I’ll catch you later!

The Daily Teaser …

Well, there’s a thing …

Bless him, I got talking — via Facebook’s chat service — to Simon.

Who was having trouble with his laptop, yesterday: I’ve a feeling he’d’ve been in first. And — as you probably guessed — I’ve offered to put Ubuntu on there.

I think he’ll be taking a rain-check, for now, though: we are taking about the family laptop, here, so …

At any rate, it did mean yesterday’s teaser was a bit of a first. It was the first All Ladies Teaser!

It saw ’Shel and Andrea go Head to Head with Andrea, with ’Shel getting 6 out of 10 and Andrea getting 8 out of 10.

Hmmm …

An All Ladies, UK v USA Teaser!

I’m just going to smile to myself … !!

Let’s move on, shall we?

Shall we?

Yes, let’s!

Here’s today’s questions, along with the ‘How To’ and License …

Q1) 26^th January is the national day in three commonwealth countries: name one of them.

Q2) How many days are left until the end of 2010?

Q3) 26^th January, 1992, saw the death of José Ferrer: for which 1950 film did he win a best actor Oscar?

Q4) Six years later, 26^th January , 1998, saw President Bill Clinton quite famously deny having … what?

Q5) And finally … 26^th January, 1962, saw the death of which notorious mobster?

And here’s Yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) Today saw the birth of Scotland’s national Poet: what was his name?

A1) Robert Burns.

Q2) More to the point, in which year of the 1750s was his birth?

A2) 1759.

Q3) Equally to the point, what foodstuff did this poet call “… Great Chieftain o’ the puddin’ race”?

A3) A haggis.

Q4) One final question about this chap … What government department did he temporarily work for?

A4) HM Customs and Excise.

Q5) 25^th January is Saint Dwynwen’s Day, in Wales: this is the Welsh equivalent of which better known Saints Day?

A5) Saint Valentine’s Day.

Q6) 25^th January, 1971, saw who seize control of Uganda?

A6) General Idi Amin. (Or Idi Amin Dada , to give us his full name.)

Q7) 62 years earlier, 25^th January, 1909, saw the début of which Richard Strauss opera. (Simon, get this one wrong … !)

A7) Elektra.

Q8) 25^th January, 1919, saw the foundation of which international organisation?

A8) The League of Nations.

Q9) 25^th January, 1943, saw the birth of director, Tobe Hooper: what’s his best known film?

A9) The original version of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Q10) And finally … today in 2009, saw the death of producer, Kim Manners: which spooky 1990s series was he a producer of?

A10) The X-Files.

Enjoy those, everyone: I’ll catch you later!