Nostr notes by Stevan

It's this sort of morning in #Assynt ...

2026-10-30T07:21:00Z

It's this sort of morning in #Assynt

I find that very frustrating. The "achievement" narrative ...

2026-10-23T12:42:42Z

In reply to nevent1q…9048
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I find that very frustrating. The "achievement" narrative is so entrenched.
It goes further in our parts, with stalking (deer shooting) which, eg, you can see in Landseer's "Monarch of the Glen". A herbivore is portrayed as some apex predator that needs to be tamed (with a high velocity bullet). What's regarded as cunning in needing to be stalked is just fear on the part of the deer. It's cosplaying, really.

Mmm, that was a .... breezy afternoon. Should calm down a little ...

2026-10-14T17:49:02Z

Mmm, that was a .... breezy afternoon.
Should calm down a little now. A nice change, as usually it seems to ramp up during the hours of darkness.
#weather

Deep trenches lined with spoil do not deter sheep. Let's hope ...

2026-10-12T20:07:25Z

Deep trenches lined with spoil do not deter sheep.
Let's hope the gate is intact after the Great On-Grid Power Project of 2026 concludes. Bleating outside the window doesn't help.

Many congratulations you two. (Also good try re the doors. but I ...

2026-10-11T07:09:02Z

In reply to nevent1q…z9pq
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Many congratulations you two.
(Also good try re the doors. but I think you're trying to get out of a trip to IKEA. Julie knows this, and she'lluggest going to IKEA-BSD, so let us know if you return with a Filosistrem bookcase)

The confusing but pretty lightscape of Glasgow and her river at ...

2026-10-10T19:13:22Z

The confusing but pretty lightscape of Glasgow and her river at night, this evening.

Oh, that's useful, and a real timesaver. It's so annoying ...

2026-10-07T20:08:56Z

Oh, that's useful, and a real timesaver.
It's so annoying getting halfway through an article, giving it the benefit of the doubt, and then thinking "This doesn't make sense", and then the penny drops.
Thanks, uBlock Origin.

EDIT: It's this list, that I must have added at some point
https://github.com/alvi-se/ai-ublock-blacklist

5. Afternoon walk continuing A final look around at the beach and ...

2026-09-28T16:27:45Z

In reply to nevent1q…kgvc
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5. Afternoon walk continuing
A final look around at the beach and the sunpath as we walk up the Green.
Time again to count blessings and be grateful this is on our doorstep.

4. Afternoon Walk continued I never know whether these are ...

2026-09-28T16:25:54Z

In reply to nevent1q…jut2
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4. Afternoon Walk continued

I never know whether these are curlews or whimbrel. I think they're curlew, but they tend to call when disturbed, whereas these were stubbornly silent.

#Birds
#Assynt

5/...

3. Afternoon Walk continued In the other direction, the beach was ...

2026-09-28T16:23:40Z

In reply to nevent1q…wfcr
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3. Afternoon Walk continued
In the other direction, the beach was crowded with a beachcomber.

4/....

2. Afternoon walk continued It's the season for sunpaths. ...

2026-09-28T16:21:55Z

In reply to nevent1q…mh5j
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2. Afternoon walk continued
It's the season for sunpaths. This is just taken with Leiza, my little Lumix point-and-shoot, who coped quite well with the light.

3/...

Afternoon walk, and we waited for a shower to go through on a day ...

2026-09-28T16:19:42Z

Afternoon walk, and we waited for a shower to go through on a day of sunshine and showers.
Preas Loch and the waterfall looking good.

#Assynt

2/...

I know campervans take chances and pass far too close on single ...

2026-09-27T12:30:20Z

I know campervans take chances and pass far too close on single track roads, but I never thought there'd be evidence of them passing THAT close.

You seem to have been away for ages, though I expect it's ...

2026-09-26T16:59:25Z

In reply to nevent1q…yhkr
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You seem to have been away for ages, though I expect it's gone quickly for you. Have a pleasant flight, and don't forget to obey the arrows in IKEA.

Our Birdnet-Pi is working well, sitting on the porch, with a ...

2026-09-26T08:52:14Z

Our Birdnet-Pi is working well, sitting on the porch, with a cheapie USB microphone under the eaves. But it fails to detect the gentle, high pitched cheep-cheep of the goldfinches, probably because of the background noise of the burn not far away. I don't think there's much to be done about it, and it's not worth trying an expensive microphone.
But if anyone has any ideas about increasing this sensitivity, and decreasing the background noise, that would be good.

Hooray! 'All is safely gather in Ere the winter storms ...

2026-09-24T15:37:46Z

In reply to nevent1q…uj7e
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Hooray!
'All is safely gather in
Ere the winter storms begin.'
Somehow the two of us managed this all. I'll probably only be capable of gibbering quietly in the corner for a day or two (don't say "hooray" again). My watch says I've tramped 9.5km, which, wokring it out, is about right. But then, my watch has also just given up, and like its owner needs a charge.
But we're be warm again this winter, and we're deeply grateful, now and, we know, then.

And then the wind swung to the south.... Would we be able to get ...

2026-09-24T15:31:22Z

In reply to nevent1q…r9e3
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And then the wind swung to the south....
Would we be able to get the 4 tonnes of wood blocks safely stowed before the rain came?

That's four tonnes off the lorry. The delivery guys are ...

2026-09-24T12:11:29Z

In reply to nevent1q…xcpf
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That's four tonnes off the lorry. The delivery guys are brilliant. Ian, today's driver, thanked ME for helping get the pallets off the lorry, while I was trying to thank him for his work. Well, we know the routine for getting the pallets off onto the track, so of course we'll help.
Anyway, delivery was at 10:30, and it's now 1.00pm, and we've managed to get two of the pallets safely into the wood store. I hope energy levels last, and the rain stays off, long enough to get one more in today.

Apologies for the early morning heavy philosophical contention, ...

2026-09-24T07:11:13Z

Apologies for the early morning heavy philosophical contention, but if only yesterday was today.
Today's the day we get 4 tonnes of compressed wood blocks delivered, our winter heating fuel. These have to be kept dry, but can only be offloaded some way down our track. So we have to get them into the woodstore in the dry.
Today is not that dry day, while yesterday would have been perfect.
Oh well, maybe we'll be fortunate. Tarpaulins at the ready, and we'll hope for the best.

For all lovers of music, today is the feast day of Hildegard of ...

2026-09-17T06:38:44Z

For all lovers of music, today is the feast day of Hildegard of Bingen. If you're in need of a peaceful break today, give some of her music a listen.

Quite a few links to her music at the site for International Studies of Hildegard von Bingen https://www.hildegard-society.org/p/home.html

Nostr event nevent1qqsf87w9j78cwqjlkdd293kpyqlvht4uhrz9lmvz92vvg7mv5pj5sdczyqjfpslds9tu2wwcsjs06nlety99z8urseuv537ce545g50p4vk6c0wnqge

2026-08-26T16:03:02Z

Oh, not Tim Curry as well..... 😔

The poem no longer scans. Wednesday's child is supposed to be ...

2026-08-20T07:56:02Z

In reply to nevent1q…v0v0
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The poem no longer scans. Wednesday's child is supposed to be full of woe, not full of homicidal rage.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monday%27s_Child

Er, no! 😃

2026-08-16T15:38:34Z

In reply to nevent1q…c9gj
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Er, no! 😃

UK folk: Anyone have any recommendations for a cheap domestic ...

2026-08-11T07:21:07Z

UK folk: Anyone have any recommendations for a *cheap* domestic VoIP phone? It'll be used perhaps 3 or 4 times a year and pretty much only for inbound calls, so absolute entry level is fine. Don't really want to use the river-themed online bazaar, if necessary.

Nostr event nevent1qqs2euhlx2w9865h88j07k0nlw7h8at365c2mevva2tuvfzdnwm2h7szyqjfpslds9tu2wwcsjs06nlety99z8urseuv537ce545g50p4vk6cmrargp

2026-08-10T08:27:14Z

Jedpost

Having just been chatting with @npub1zw8…zt6g about a different ...

2026-08-09T11:54:37Z

In reply to nevent1q…wca4
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Having just been chatting with Vanessa Knipe (npub1zw8…zt6g) about a different play, Arcadia has been made into a radio play on more than one occasion. It's brilliant. The version for Tom Stoppard's birthday was particularly good.

It's a delicacy best served to friends whose acquaintanceship ...

2026-08-08T17:37:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…dzae
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It's a delicacy best served to friends whose acquaintanceship you urgently need to terminate. 😃
But it does have a scientific angle. It's been scientifically proven to be an essential nutrient for people who have consumed 8 or more pints of strong beer.

Currently enjoying playing ay eye email tennis with a potential ...

2026-08-07T08:50:02Z

Currently enjoying playing ay eye email tennis with a potential electricity supplier.
Original Email: We are not an existing customer
Their Response: We cannot find your name in the customer database
OE: This is my name and address
TR: Can you please provide your name and address

Oh yes, you have to be careful of that area, where gravity is so ...

2026-08-03T06:48:28Z

In reply to nevent1q…4a8d
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Oh yes, you have to be careful of that area, where gravity is so weak you just float off into space. But I see you know that, and you're sensibly wearing the little bag full of lead they issue folk in those parts. 😉

Lovely. Its main use, of course, is as as vehicle for good ...

2026-08-02T20:31:06Z

In reply to nevent1q…j9qt
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Lovely. Its main use, of course, is as as vehicle for good mustard.
And parsnips - so good, and a staple crop before the arrival of the potato.

And I'm old enough to remember the first "We need IDLE ...

2026-07-27T19:32:50Z

In reply to nevent1q…6dqj
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And I'm old enough to remember the first "We need IDLE support" requests!

To cap it all, as I was picking up the bag, after I'd made a ...

2026-07-10T15:04:54Z

In reply to nevent1q…n5uw
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To cap it all, as I was picking up the bag, after I'd made a dive for the broken milk bottle in a futile effort to stop the last few millilitres from flowing out, I saw a large hook on the side of the cashier's station with "BAG" written in large, friendly letters on it.
Yes, that's where you hang one side of the bag in a simple yet effective way to beat gravity.

I have to say, the Lidl cashier was brilliant. Wouldn't let ...

2026-07-10T14:48:37Z

In reply to nevent1q…walq
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I have to say, the Lidl cashier was brilliant. Wouldn't let me feel embarrassed, immediately and with, it seems, considerable practice, he pressed the button on his mike, ordered up a replacement 2l milk, then a mop (looked like a full scale hazmat trolley when it arrived) and all was sorted within a couple of minutes. What's more, he wouldn't let me pay for the replacement milk. "Accidents will happen," he said.
I've always liked Lidl.

Isn't it awful, and mildly embarrassing, being behind an old ...

2026-07-10T14:46:10Z

Isn't it awful, and mildly embarrassing, being behind an old bodach in the queue in Lidl, when he gets flustered at the speed of the cashier, tries to pack two bags at once, and lets the cooler bag containing 2x 2l milk drop, resulting in what can only be called a volcanic lactic explosion across the floor.
Reader, I was that bodach.

In other news, 2l milk cartons have interesting points of failure under sudden percussive pressure.

Nature's colour combo number 198657: The Highland July ...

2026-07-05T09:39:51Z

Nature's colour combo number 198657: The Highland July palette.

#BloomScrolling

#Assynt

I'm sorry to hear that. I hope she recovered from that ...

2026-06-29T12:59:52Z

In reply to nevent1q…3sy8
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I'm sorry to hear that. I hope she recovered from that traumatic experience. 😃

Who remembers the brilliant "Organiser", bought later by ...

2026-06-29T12:41:10Z

Who remembers the brilliant "Organiser", bought later by Lotus to become Lotus Organizer, and inevitably moved to silicon heaven. An obvious and straight forward interface, and very useful, except that it had not networking capabilities. It's a reminder of the extent to which people have been adapted to suit computer interfaces rather than the interface to people.
But it lives on with RISCOS, which itself stubbornly refuses to conform to the warnings of Doctorow's poo emoji.

Just watching #TOTP from 1979 on BBC Four. I've just pointed ...

2026-06-26T20:06:26Z

Just watching #TOTP from 1979 on BBC Four. I've just pointed out to herself that this is like us, at that time, listening to music from the late 1920s and early 1930s.
I said it, but I'm still trying to process it.

Just to say I've been enjoying your city series. Ta.

2026-06-24T10:43:54Z

In reply to nevent1q…ywqp
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Just to say I've been enjoying your city series. Ta.

Someone is trying to build a nest in the one birdhouse feeder. ...

2026-06-21T07:41:01Z

Someone is trying to build a nest in the one birdhouse feeder. Every morning, when filling the feeder, I have had to clear out a load of grasses and fleece. There are birds all over it, all the time, yet one has decided to ignore all of them and just build a nest.
I can see it's really convenient to have a supermarket on the doorstep, but it's also a little bit impractical.
Anyway, we haven't ever had so many sparrows. They are everywhere, and today sees us having to go east for more food.

Right, the company Helen has used in the past is Anderson Black - ...

2026-06-14T07:29:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…lfl6
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Right, the company Helen has used in the past is Anderson Black - https://www.andersonblackexecutivetravel.com/ It's well run and they seem to be able to offer a range of services.
She is also aware, but has no direct knowledge of, Devine Tours which seem to have a good reputation - https://devinetoursofscotland.co.uk/

I'll ask herself who has some recent experience, though for ...

2026-06-14T06:38:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…lfl6
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I'll ask herself who has some recent experience, though for bigger groups. But I think she knows an Edinburgh company that can help.
If they want to see parts of the country outwith the cities, there are many options, eg Rabbies. They're well established & the guides we've chatted with seem very good.
I think This Is My Glasgow (npub1904…tf7j) does foot tours of Glasgow, which may not suit elderly folk.

I needed 13, but, as a scatterling of Africa, ew, that needed ...

2026-06-13T11:08:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…wv7z
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I needed 13, but, as a scatterling of Africa, ew, that needed courage.

Alternative meaning of pizzicato - dipping your toe into the ...

2026-06-13T07:14:47Z

In reply to nevent1q…nsne
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Alternative meaning of pizzicato - dipping your toe into the freezing water and plucking it out again really quickly.
But if your weather is anything like ours in Assynt, what a dreadful day for the Celtman.

Especially sad that something that started in Enlightenment ...

2026-06-12T09:35:47Z

In reply to nevent1q…5tkr
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Especially sad that something that started in Enlightenment Edinburgh has ended up so geopolitically constrained.

After you posted about this a while back, I tried a few, but as ...

2026-06-12T09:33:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…gxdn
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After you posted about this a while back, I tried a few, but as you say, a little too US-centric for my taste. A pity.

Ah. At that moment, no, you're right, it was keeking through ...

2026-06-08T08:11:10Z

In reply to nevent1q…0x4h
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Ah. At that moment, no, you're right, it was keeking through that gap between distant clouds and the horizon.

Sunset tonight is 22:21, so yes, that is sunlight, and when ...

2026-06-08T06:24:46Z

In reply to nevent1q…0hj5
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Sunset tonight is 22:21, so yes, that is sunlight, and when nature called just after midnight, the northern sky was still light. I must take a snap at that time before the sun tires of us in the north again.

The comfrey attracting many bee-folk in spite of the fact that ...

2026-06-07T20:53:45Z

The comfrey attracting many bee-folk in spite of the fact that it's nearly 10pm

That sounds bad. I don't really have a need to investigate ...

2026-06-05T08:41:45Z

In reply to nevent1q…r06y
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That sounds bad.
I don't really have a need to investigate this, but it's interesting when it comes to the surface. I think it's also healthy to bear in mind the fickleness of fortune that has resulted in one's being here at all.

4. So this gets filed into another family mystery, such as the ...

2026-06-05T08:19:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…mds8
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4. So this gets filed into another family mystery, such as the one I mentioned here before, when two of my mother's cousins disappeared during the war. They were apparently moved out of London with the evacuees and weren't heard from again. Their mother suffered terribly, eventually dying during an appendectomy. This episode still seems to bother my mother.
I wonder how many other aspects, and perhaps tragedies, are buried deep in the family memory. We'll never know.

5/...

3. I now learn that she settled in England at some point. She ...

2026-06-05T08:16:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…tqfp
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3. I now learn that she settled in England at some point. She took the name of the distant part of the family, rejecting the bad father's name (as did my grandmother). It seems my uncle visited her some years back.
I recall that whenever my half-aunt was alluded to (almost always indirectly) it was with love and longing. Perhaps that's what puzzled me as a kid.
The worst is that I don't think she was told about my father's death, and clearly they were close. But I didn't know this at the time
4/

2. My grandmother remarried, unfortunately to an alcoholic. My ...

2026-06-05T08:13:13Z

In reply to nevent1q…2ext
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2. My grandmother remarried, unfortunately to an alcoholic. My father's job, at the age of 13 or 14, was to drive him to the pub at night and wait for him to get plastered before driving him home. This was the father of my half-aunt.
The family, after kicking the man out, struggled, and my gran worked as a cashier in a shop. But she could not look after the young one as well. My father apparently loved his sister, and must have been distraught when a distant part of the family adopted her.
3/...

Skeletons, a 🧵 : I'm not close to my blood family. We are ...

2026-06-05T08:10:16Z

Skeletons, a 🧵 :
I'm not close to my blood family. We are distributed, and have been since I was 12. Yesterday I got to wondering, as I sometimes do, about a half-aunt I have, and who I have never met. This does pop into my mind from time to time, but only later did I realise the subconscious reason; it was my father's, and marks the same length of time from his death as his age at the time.
Anyway, I contacted my mother to ask. She doesn't know the full story, but gave some insight.
2/...

Many congratulations. And thank you for all you have done to ...

2026-06-02T12:06:32Z

In reply to nevent1q…grhe
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Many congratulations. And thank you for all you have done to date, and will, no doubt, do in the future.

Do you mean this type of copper tape? 😐ot ...

2026-05-31T17:54:14Z

In reply to nevent1q…mwmd
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Do you mean this type of copper tape? 😐ot

This is where fail2ban's 404-probe filter comes in handy. The ...

2026-05-31T11:07:50Z

In reply to nevent1q…g0ug
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This is where fail2ban's 404-probe filter comes in handy. The fact that, yesterday, that filter also locked me out is neither here nor there (badly configured xmpp service)

That moment when you're drinking from a tin and the ringpull ...

2026-05-30T13:17:06Z

That moment when you're drinking from a tin and the ringpull reaches out to grab a beard hair in a vicelike grip, but doing so gently, so that you're not aware of it until you finish your slurp, and try to lower the tin, which apparently is done with such force it feels as though it's ripped half your face off.
That.
The ringpull then laughingly displayed the hair like a trophy, never relinquishing it's dastardly prize.
Meanwhile, I only have half a lip.

The venue for this weekend's yarn show has "Free ...

2026-05-28T16:19:37Z

The venue for this weekend's yarn show has "Free wifi." I expected an "accept" page, but I didn't expect:
1. A page to accept or decline cookies & tracking.
2. A "login" page demanding
- gender
- first name
- last name
- Post code
- age - day month year
- email address
- password
(the email address had to be verifiable)

I can't see how that data slurp can be required to use a wifi connection. It must be one of those brexit benefit.

Neil Brown (npub1huw…c5x7) just tagging for interest, not necessarily any response

Stoer Green being sure to wear flowers in her hair #MorningWalk ...

2026-05-26T08:59:30Z

Stoer Green being sure to wear flowers in her hair
#MorningWalk

There is a truism that if you want to test the quality of food, ...

2026-05-25T17:46:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…8u6n
_________________________

There is a truism that if you want to test the quality of food, don't ask for complex dishes but choose "simple" items, eg, can an Italian pizzeria do a good Marguerita, a French place onion soup etc. Well, the humble fishcake may seem easy, but this was utterly delicious.
And yes, chatting to Julia and Jason, when we phoned to book, Julia said "It's Helen and Stevan - make the fishcakes without coriander." So kind and thoughtful, and much appreciated.

We've decided on a little treat this evening and are having ...

2026-05-25T16:53:39Z

We've decided on a little treat this evening and are having out dinner at An Cala in Lochinver.
Jason knows I have an allergy to coriander, so knowing we'd booked, he made his legendary fishcakes without it. This will be good.
This contrasts with a very expensive restaurant recently where I asked about coriander, they assured me a salad was fine, but when it arrived, herself spotted it was laced with the stuff.
(More later, we're eating!)

Maybe, but in a single line, that's one of the best ripostes ...

2026-05-22T06:45:48Z

In reply to nevent1q…zmr0
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Maybe, but in a single line, that's one of the best ripostes against a global megacorp we've seen in ages. Let their PR department deal with that!

It's fledging day for a lot of the LBJs and even the ...

2026-05-20T15:30:57Z

It's fledging day for a lot of the LBJs and even the redpolls.
That means having to be careful as we walk along the path. Herself nearly flattened an LBJ this afternoon, which didn't bother to fly off. They can fly, but at the moment just seem content to hang around getting their bearings, though it must be a time of such danger to them.
We dread the possibility of a sparrowhawk or hoodie coming along.
BUT... fledging now means there'll almost certainly be another brood this year.
#Birds

Oh dear. Is there some hope?

2026-05-07T06:31:21Z

In reply to nevent1q…p447
_________________________

Oh dear. Is there some hope?

#Lambing Time, a thread 🧵 Herself noticed this ewe from her ...

2026-05-05T09:04:17Z

#Lambing Time, a thread 🧵

Herself noticed this ewe from her dyeshed window this morning, looking as though she was getting ready to bring a new woolly soul into the world

2/...

....All in the April evening... #Assynt ...

2026-04-24T20:40:51Z

....All in the April evening...

#Assynt

"Wow! What's that thing there? And who's that? This ...

2026-04-21T08:05:51Z

"Wow! What's that thing there? And who's that? This is great, much better than being cooped up in the dark, although the journey here was a bit wild"
#Lambing
#Assynt

I'm not saying it's raining biblically hard in Inverness, ...

2026-04-20T11:39:34Z

I'm not saying it's raining biblically hard in Inverness, but someone called Noah had just come along asking if we've seen two emus and a long tardigrade

I, too, wish to aspire to this impressive stepping of passive ...

2026-04-16T08:37:47Z

I, too, wish to aspire to this impressive stepping of passive aggression into the active realm.
Deep approval.

There seem to be quite a few Fediversians with MG4s. Here's ...

2026-04-04T09:37:25Z

In reply to nevent1q…36y6
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There seem to be quite a few Fediversians with MG4s. Here's my blog posts, chiming with yours - https://blog.vasten.co.uk/index.php?category/EVs
David Njoku (npub1jmc…ugn3) also has an MG4, and I think someone else in Aus, but I can't recall who.

Email from VPS provider: "...the global memory shortage has ...

2026-03-20T07:03:11Z

Email from VPS provider: "...the global memory shortage has been driving up hardware costs across the entire hosting industry. RAM and SSDs are more expensive than ever, as AI corporations are consuming a large portion of production capacity... we must pass on parts of these increased costs."
That's bad enough, but they've paid for literally the world's supply of memory and disk with money that does not actually exist, while we have to pay for what we already have with money that does exist.

I've just found my 17 year old Kobo reader. It's ...

2026-03-19T10:00:12Z

I've just found my 17 year old Kobo reader. It's charging, but I don't know yet if it will hold a charge.
But I did turn on the wifi, and it said "Last Sync - 15/12/22"
It then proceeded to update the firmware. And the update has worked.
Enshittification is a choice, not the nature of technology.

It's time for your morning Herdie. #SheepOfMastodon #Assynt ...

2026-03-19T09:46:41Z

It's time for your morning Herdie.
#SheepOfMastodon
#Assynt
#MorningWalk

Things that make you go "oh-ohhhh". Just had a call ...

2026-03-18T14:18:03Z

Things that make you go "oh-ohhhh". Just had a call cancelling herself's dentist appointment, along with the weird information that they'll let us know when next they can make any appointments at all.
Not good news, as I was going to phone tomorrow to get a split tooth sorted. Also somehow sinister sounding.
Don't really want to find another dentist, or fewer patients here will give them an excuse to close the NHS dental service locally.

But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? Snapped a ...

2026-03-17T18:04:29Z

But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?
Snapped a moment ago.

The timetable for fibre in our area is now 2030, but that's ...

2026-03-13T08:20:22Z

The timetable for fibre in our area is now 2030, but that's followed by "the timetable may change." Based on evidence of ScotGov's & BT's interest in our area, that means the timetable will be elongated, not compressed.
You'd imagine rural areas like ours would have some sort of priority for the £400m allocated to this, given the economic benefits of good infrastructure, but profit beats the common good.
Before someone says "contact your MSP/MP", years of doing that have achieved nothing.

Can any birders identify these little guys? They're on Preas ...

2026-03-06T09:26:40Z

Can any birders identify these little guys? They're on Preas Loch, along with geese and something else making interesting calls we couldn't identify.
#Birds

4. And now we have adverts for systems infinitely more opaque ...

2026-02-17T18:50:48Z

In reply to nevent1q…ugr3
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4. And now we have adverts for systems infinitely more opaque than was possibly with Access which, according to the adverts, one need only trust. The copilot slop will surely always be accurate and show correct data.
I wonder how many companies are going to go to the wall blinking in the light of reality before this nonsense goes full circle.

3. Some years later, I worked at a different company. An ...

2026-02-17T18:48:45Z

In reply to nevent1q…am4h
_________________________

3. Some years later, I worked at a different company. An accounting wunderkind was brought in who promptly wanted to work around the accounting systems by building his own Access database. I warned the CFO about the dangers of this, and was told I should control ,y obvious jealousy of the wunderkind.
Then the auditors came in.
And once again, we came within days of closing down, being declared insolvent, saved only by the accountants working round the clock.
4/...

2. Well, someone wrote an Access application that soon was so ...

2026-02-17T18:45:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…q0c0
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2. Well, someone wrote an Access application that soon was so "useful", it became indispensable. And when it inevitably started spitting out nonsense, it started impacting on a company in a regulated industry for whom I worked. We came within 24 hours of being closed down, and only because several people worked pretty much round the clock to resolve the problems of this poorly understood and undocumented application.
3/...

Let me tell you a story. We've got the telly on, and ...

2026-02-17T18:43:25Z

Let me tell you a story.
We've got the telly on, and there's just been a staggeringly unlikely ad for Microsoft copilot slop generator.
But my story is about the 1990s and the 2000s. Do you remember how MS Access was punted as an easy database application (it was), but it had so many come-ons that encouraged users to over-extend themselves. Rather than depend on reliable corporate systems, just bung the data into this application to solve all known problems.
2/...

Don't worry about it. I myself have, of my own free will, ...

2026-02-12T15:50:25Z

In reply to nevent1q…t9jg
_________________________

Don't worry about it. I myself have, of my own free will, been 39 for the last 25 years. You'll have plenty of time to get your head around things. 😁

At the bottom of the hill, an older place of worship. At the top ...

2026-02-09T13:25:55Z

In reply to nevent1q…f9jd
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At the bottom of the hill, an older place of worship. At the top of the hill, a more modern aspect of worship.
3/...

I had time to kill in Lochinver today, as the car was charging on ...

2026-02-09T13:24:08Z

I had time to kill in Lochinver today, as the car was charging on the slow charger. Highland Council clearly only see their monopoly charge network as sources of profit, but can't bring themselves to fix broken units. The Lochinver fast charger has been broken for 3 months. We also know that Scourie, Lairg, Tongue & Tain chargers are out of action. Service? They've heard of it & rejected the notion.
Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, it gave me a chance for a little photo excursion. Here's Lochinver.

Medical appointment this morning, and the car went into tortoise ...

2026-02-02T09:34:30Z

Medical appointment this morning, and the car went into tortoise mode 🐢. No idea why. First time this has happened. Still, I got in, though the car stopped a few times on the steeper hills

Yuk. The app for the car (rate of charge, duration etc, among ...

2026-01-30T08:45:58Z

Yuk. The app for the car (rate of charge, duration etc, among other things, so quite useful) now refuses to run if it claims to detect "a VPN". That "vpn" is Tracker Control, or even the duckduckgo app protection, used to stop scummy apps selling my soul. A recent update must have enabled this very useful (to somebody, not the user) feature. I wonder how many other apps will follow suit.
MG iSmart - in the sense that "smart" can be "hurt", I suppose.

Hope it clears quickly.

2026-01-29T11:25:22Z

In reply to nevent1q…4x89
_________________________

Hope it clears quickly.

More #Aurora pics, a few moments ago The lights of Stornoway can ...

2026-01-19T21:25:13Z

More #Aurora pics, a few moments ago
The lights of Stornoway can be seen across the Minch in one pic (as well as my finger over the lens)

#TechiePost That's a bit weird, but I'll post it here in ...

2025-12-20T10:22:46Z

#TechiePost
That's a bit weird, but I'll post it here in case it helps anyone.
Running KDE Plasma under wayland. I recently added a bottom launcher panel. Some programs now failed to show a menu bar.
The problem is the Global Menu widget, which somehow got installed on that panel (I don't recall adding it, as I don't like a menu in the panel) The widget does not support wayland.
Removed the widget and all is well.

Chuckling over this that herself found on Instagram, from Suzie ...

2025-12-19T08:32:58Z

Chuckling over this that herself found on Instagram, from Suzie Dent the lexicographer

Not necessarily most memorable, but right up there, we were ...

2025-12-14T09:06:31Z

In reply to nevent1q…lkuz
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Not necessarily most memorable, but right up there, we were walking in the hills when we heard a cheeping noise. It was a baby otter, all alone, abandoned by her mother. The experts thought the mother was new, & hadn't counted her pups properly while moving them from the natal holt.
Under instruction from the otter sanctuary & our countryside ranger, we went back to lift her, & she spent the night in our kitchen before we took her to the sanctuary. She was released a year later.

An unexpected head-down day strengthening the defences of ...

2025-12-13T17:11:51Z

An unexpected head-down day strengthening the defences of herself's website after some lowlife used it to test stolen credit card details by creating new accounts & trying to buy stuff. No real harm to the site, we think, other than potentially reputation. Must say the person from the credit card processor Helen contacted (only 2 small transactions worked) was very knowledgeable, helpful reassuring. It could have been a lot worse.
Now to see if the additional defences help.

Right, off to the dentist to get a cracked root extracted. That ...

2025-12-11T13:11:54Z

Right, off to the dentist to get a cracked root extracted. That will be after I try to convince him that he really doesn't want to do it - nothing to do with me quaking in my boots, you understand.

Wow, it's frustrating looking at the feed from ...

2025-12-11T10:59:11Z

Wow, it's frustrating looking at the feed from Mark Jackson (npub1agz…k395) how other areas are getting improvements to their fibre connections, when here there are no plans to lay fibre at all, in spite of public money for this being gifted to the incumbent monopoly (used in areas more profitable for them), against a background of having just been in South Africa, and seeing the most rural of places with fibre to the premises.

Not sure if you follow @npub1d7n…yxsc who also seems to have ...

2025-12-06T18:31:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…jrw2
_________________________

Not sure if you follow Allen but one of the bad ones, woooo (npub1d7n…yxsc) who also seems to have upgraded his FreeBSDs recently.
I imagine you do. I hear all FreeBSD people know all other FreeBSD people in this and other universes.

WITHOUT marmite

2025-12-05T21:21:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…pyxt
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WITHOUT marmite

It was neither the oatcake nor the marmite, Justine. It was ...

2025-12-05T21:05:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…yhg6
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It was neither the oatcake nor the marmite, Justine. It was serving them on a FreeBSD install DVD.

Optics?

2025-11-22T10:14:41Z

In reply to nevent1q…z8cn
_________________________

Optics?

One final thing from the museum. They tell it like it is. Rather ...

2025-11-15T15:36:13Z

In reply to nevent1q…g70a
_________________________

One final thing from the museum. They tell it like it is. Rather than just saying "Don't sit on this relic from the past" they up the stakes.
The sign reads " Everyone who ever sat on this chair is now dead. Play it safe and remain standing."

#TLHHTraveling