No more sunny days in the garden

oday I wanted to sunbathe but it was too cold, partly sunny, and even if it was fully sunny (bright and clear), it would be too cold to sit outside comfortably.

So I suppose my last post that said “end of 2026″ or “goodbye, 2026″ was right. It’s too late now. Soon the clock will change (it should not, DST is nonsense) and then it’s too late to get a tan.

“Never wrestle with pigs. You both get dirty and the pig likes it.” — George Bernard Shaw

he (former) President Barack Obama will be here this week to give a talk. Across the road from us.

I have had many bad things to say about him (the drone strikes, NSA spy programs etc.), but he was nowhere as bad as the mobster who came after him.

One thing I liked about Obama’s attitude is that he didn’t fall for bait from Faux Noise (Fox News), e.g. heckling over the colour of his jacket.

Obama was “smooth” enough not to be easily provoked, not even by Putin.

The current demented dictator is like a marionette with temper and attitude.

If the current dictator changes the rules to end a two-term limit, then Obama can become a US President again.

Feels a bit festive already

he winter or autumn here has gotten cold (tried to find heater for the fish; there’s a plan B) and Xmas is just two months away. The days will get longer again, not shorter.

This year, unlike last year, both Rianne are available (no other engagement that day) to shop together on Xmas Eve.

What will we buy this year? Well, I still need to find a new Xmas sweater for Rianne. The Sunday Market has none until it’s nearly Xmas; they say it’s very hard to sell these once Xmas has passed.

I miss the days Xmas had some real “charm” (maybe 80s and 90s).

Due to lousy economies a lot of habits have changed.

To many people, expectation of extravagant consumption became a pesky burden. Social media (popularity contest) makes that worse.

We’ll be doing fine this coming Christmas and next year

welve years ago I began covering EPO corruption. The coverage was exclusive. The following year (yes, within a year) I was receiving SLAPPs from the EPO and someone stepped in to help me handle this, on a pro bono basis. I’ve since then learned a lot – to the point where I can handle legal processes without expending much money (that I do not have).

That later led to my introduction to another solicitor, who I was told (several times) was the best in the country (in the area of media and communication). He taught me how to be a “little lawyer” because this way, for years to come, I’d be able to fearlessly handle almost anything thrown our way.

I think this approach goes a long way. A little bit of legal experience (and skills) can help people become self-sufficient and aware of their legal rights.

That’s not to say I can handle every legal process or area; not even lawyers can do everything, not even if they went to law school.

Specialisation means that one excels at particular area; with experience (longevity) comes greater strength.

It hurts it

his year I think it’s my 32^nd year in IRC. I love IRC, but I’m not very “good at it”. I don’t know many of the functionalities (I collaborate with people who do), I make a ton of typos in IRC (it’s very informal anyway; maybe it ought to be that way), and I’ve only dealt with one ircd in my entire lifetime: ergo.

This morning someone told me IRC was dying; I pushed back and showed data that suggested otherwise.

I was told the users are “bots”; but that is hardly new.

IRC will be around for many years to come. Too many people still love it. ‘Too many’ people who use it are my age or younger. They won’t die any time soon.

No simple fix

ough people – typically men – like to make noise to get noticed when they work out. They can groan, they can dump heavy equipment, they can even play loud music (many “modern” phones can do this without external boosters). Any of those things can get them attention from people nearby. It might even give them a thrill or a power (motivational) boost if people look at them while they exercise.

Many people, however, keep it to themselves. I’m one of these people. I’m very quiet in gyms.

Older people tend to want a quiet gym. I’m not that old. Yet I’ve always liked calm atmosphere.

Gyms are typically shared (it’s too expensive to maintain and repair one at home, especially with very advanced equipment). The gym is rented, at least the bits and pieces in it (a company is contracted to provide and update the contents). It wasn’t always like that, but times have changed. It’s the same with movies and music.

One last resort when gyms get loud is to get headphones and self-isolate, but that tends to interfere with intense exercise (wires everywhere, lack of spatial awareness) and isn’t necessarily good on the eardrum. A health hazard.

Perhaps some people manage to find noise-free gyms. Even the ones that ban the use of a mobile phone (out of concern for the peace of others) have no policy on groaning and loud weight-dropping.

Birds are incredible animals

he other week I wrote about an awkward bird that had green eyes. It didn’t seem healthy. Indeed, it’s a sign of a health problem. The good news is, this bird came back and is coming every day (going to the kitchen to ask for seeds) and the eyes are now mostly brown, as the bird in general has gotten more healthy. The same goes for “The Sick Bird”. We’d like to think that ill birds treat us like some sort of hospital, or a place to go to when their health severely deteriorates.

This past Sunday I hauled another sack of seeds for them. They should be “covered” until the end of the year, maybe even longer.

Birds are good companions. If they trust you, they will become like pet parrots. Durian, who is very young, already lets me carry him on my palm while I feed him. Of course I wash with soap and sanitise (a need for alcohol) afterwards.

This morning Rianne managed to feed about 120 birds all at the same time. It’s an incredible number and probably a new record for her (except in Piccadilly Gardens). She even doubled the jarful because there were so many (after soaking rain).

At this very moment the Bot Couple are cleaning one another. They are in excellent shape (perfect fur coverage) and ready for winter.