About time

his week we began documenting what happened almost 3 years ago. The following 4 parts will be followed by plenty more:

There’s a happy ending, sort of. But it’s unfair that people go through this for doing good work, for free.

Easier times

fter a very difficult battle or late-night war with PSG (ManCity gave back a good fight, proving potency) Manchester will be the host/hostess of easier clubs visiting and even away matches won’t be too challenging.

This coming Saturday in the afternoon there will be a rush. Tomorrow at noon we talk about the Court of Appeal while ManCity management likely discusses its appeal to the High Court.

We can kind of relate to those stuck for years in the legal system, including ManCity.

Once a person or entity gets accustomed to it the whole thing becomes more routine, there’s no anxiety anymore.

Barack Obama was no hero

he former US President Barack Obama is probably across the road from us right now, as he’s talking there in a few hours.

I have mixed feelings.

He did many bad things.

Only relative to the current President is he a “good” person.

Manchester City showed resilience in the second half

anchester City lost last night’s match. It wasn’t a critical match (no PL points to lose, no tournament to get kicked out from). But it would be good to boast about beating the Champions.

Based on opportunities and quality of opportunities, Manchester City played as well as PSG, sometimes even better.

The score tells another story.

After the first half an hour many worried it would end up a devastating disaster like 0-6. That didn’t happen.

I was actually right outside the stadium, jogging, when Haaland scored the first goal.

When did something innocent turn from benign (e.g. Charlie Chaplin) to malicious or “warning sign”?

believe I purchased my first (maybe only) bowtie in 2001 (possibly 2000) at a shop called Manchester Wippell (of Manchester). Or maybe “J Wippell & Co. Manchester”; some people I know call them “Wippells” (with an S) . There’s a very long history to these folks. It moreover seems that they still exist and operate in the same address (9-21 Princess St, Greater, Manchester M2 4DN). They’ve survived a lot. The name and reputation matter. I also got a silk handkerchief there once.

I recently wrote about James Bottomley, the Microsofter who helps Microsoft inject back doors and kill switches into Linux.

Bottomley became “known” for wearing bowties; it’s like he attempted to make these garments of clothing/apparel his “signature”, I honestly don’t know why (the bizarre logic of it).

Like “normal” ties, they serve no practical function, they only ever get in the way (e.g. inside some food), but those are class or hierarchy symbols (worn at the expense of one’s comfort).

I dress casually every day. I don’t try to project “value” using cotton and leather.

Like many of his background, Bottomley seems pretentious and uncarting about Software Freedom, he’s just chasing money. Money, money, money.

Because of this man (Bottomley), I nowadays associate bowties (in the context of software) with bad people. I think I’ve now worn a bowtie for well over a decades.

Even when Bottomley was at IBM/Red Hat/Novell I already didn’t like and didn’t trust him. I had good reasons to feel that way.

City ’til I die?

HE visitors are ahead by 3 goals within just over half an hour. The worst part? It seems like they deserve it.

Maybe it’s not too shocking that PSG is winning, but the pace or rate of the goals is probably shocking and demoralising players.

Now it’s about damage mitigation for ManCity. They have future matches to prepare for.

Thankfully this is no “knockout round”.

What more can be said?

ManCity needs a miracle even just to equalise.

The rest is the cost of exposing things

oday we made some more progress regarding legal matters. We are still eyeing the Court of Appeal for next year. All these processes are slow, but we exercise our legal rights and we do so strictly based on the protocols available.

Reporting regarding the EPO has been successful. It seems like the “monarch” is being stopped. At last.

The reporting is a public service. We always did this pro bono.