Category: learning curve

6Music. It’s going, but also, it’s not.

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Here we go.

We knew this was coming. And we know that the replacement for BBC  Sounds is the BBC app, which won’t allow me (or anyone else outside the UK) to listen to 6Music.

And that’s still true.

But there is a link in this article which… (unless I’m missing something) allows you to listen to 6Music – just not on the BBC Sounds app.

So this was never about a rights problem with the music, then?

But hey, that’s absolutely fine by me. I will still be able to listen to 6Music here in SA, and that’s all that matters.

To me, at least.

I can’t test it just yet, because it links straight to the BBC Sounds app – which still works.

Until July 21st.

But… but… this is fine.

Isn’t it?

I have learned nothing

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The internet is back. It came back this morning, and it’s been here every since.

But I have learned nothing. I’m still leaving it late to drop a post in, even though the internet could disappear again at any moment.

And it might, because the weather locally has been quite… “exciting”.

The locals here are moaning about the state of the road out to the village, as if they are some special case that deserves to have their potholes filled and the municipality’s grader at their disposal immediately that there’s a bit of rain.

Especially the guy that EMPHASISES some of his WORDS in every message by using capitals somewhat RANDOMLY!!!

Honestly, it’s not that bad, especially when compared to the rest of the province.

[It was at this point that the internet connection completely disappeared – my deity, I’m such a muppet sometimes]

The cottage has been completely spring cleaned and we’re sitting in front of the fire and looking forward to some dinner.

And the internet is back so I’m uploading this RIGHT NOW!!!

Good idea

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Tonight’s plan for a beer and curry night seems to have been one of the better decisions I have made of late. At the time of writing, we’re 60mm deeper in water than we were this morning, and it’s dark and grey and stormy out there, with no signs of letting up any time soon.

It’s already added 87,704,000,000 litres to our dams in the last week.
No big issue with that – I might need to water my lawn in December.

Anyway, the good news is that with a beer expert…

I didn’t know what the word for this was, so I asked Google.

Beerologist, libationist, beer devotee, wert guru, beer maven, beer expert, hophead, pisspot, a tippler, a grog artist, a boozer, a beer buff, a slops surveyor, an ale addict, a hops handler, a quaffer, and the chairman of the brewed.

I was looking for a technical, official term, but I got given this. Unhelpful.

Anyway, as I was saying, the good news is that with a beer expert a pisspot coming over this evening, I have got some different beers in to taste – mostly local, but some from Germany, and one from Belgium – and I have cooked up two moerse curries: a lentil and butternut korma and a great-smelling, masala-style chicken dish. There’s naan, there’s achtar (mango, obvs) and there’s homemade raita with fresh mint plucked from the garden before things out there got scary.

We’ll light the fire up (spoiler – it’s already lit) and play pool, listen to the latest tunes from the hit parade, and enjoy some heartwarming food and company.

Tomorrow might be a little iffy, but let’s deal with that if and when we need to, because tonight promises to be a lot of fun.

Google Earth is 20 years old

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Google Earth is 20 years old. I may have mentioned that in the title.

Anyway, it’s not something that I use a lot, but it is something that I when I do use, I think is extremely useful. And they’ve released a whole… “thing”… showing how Google Earth can be used to measure change over time – where the time is… 20 years.

Here it is.

They say:

When we launched Google Earth 20 years ago, our mission was simple, yet powerful: give people a new way to understand our world. Since then, millions of people have been asking Earth questions, big and small, about the planet where we live. It helps us uncover new insights, tell powerful stories, and see the world — and our impact on it — in a whole new light.

Plenty of interesting projects on that link above to see just how useful Google Earth can be.

Go take a look.

Black Wattle

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A lot of people would say that throwing a 3kg chunk of firewood – specifically Black Wattle (Acacia mearnsii) – at their own shin would be something that they would even consider. But that’s surely only because they’ve never done it.
That said, I did do it this morning, and actually, I can see right where they are coming from.

I wouldn’t try it either. Good call.

Black Wattle firewood because here in South Africa, it’s a nasty invasive plant, and so chopping it down and burning it is a good – and environmentally friendly – way to get rid of it. Unless you live in a dodgy area of Bristol, that is.

But in Australia, the home of Black Wattle, the tree and the wood are revered, and they are useful:

All very interesting, and very impressive. But not what we need over here. We have our own trees for that sort of thing. And so, with the greatest respect, we’re going to just keep on chopping and burning.

Especially on these cold winter days.