Today [7]

Kari said:

My adopted home country Germany went to an almost total lockdown today, lasting at least to January 10: https://www.thelocal.de/20201213/exp...kdown-measures

It's strange how different everything looks. A good example from today: I had an afternoon appointment with my doctor, and as usual, used public transport. Never before have I been the only passenger on the tram / streetcar during the daytime.

Attachment 310932

It's been a strange old year Kari. I've just cancelled my usual Christmas. Take care.

A funny, somewhat different and refreshing view of my native Lapland: Gordon, Gino and Fred: Desperately Seeking Santa - Wednesday 16 Dec 9pm - ITV Hub

It is available on ITV Hub for on demand.

Quoting ITV Hub:

Gordon, Gino and Fred are getting together for another extraordinary culinary Christmas adventure, with a visit to Lapland. Could they meet Santa in person?

Those of you who can watch / have access to UK television and ITV, enjoy!

Kari

Day started gloomy and foreboding, weather fogy, all I see is fog thru porch lights. Didn't even want to get up until Aurora woke up to and it looked like morning would come at all but it did at about 7AM.
Checked news on TV and online, drunk couple of coffees and yesterday's doughnut checked mail box and sun shone on me, finally got pension cheques first time since May when they suddenly stopped coming from Canada. I was down to $26CDN and 150€ in the bank and for last couple of month had to pick and choose which bills to pay and which things to start selling off. Couple of antique rifles and sabers I could get over but my metal lathe/milling machine combo I would cry if I had to sell.
Canada still owes me about 3000 bucks but kind staff in Canadian embassy that help me unblock pension said that cheque for it should come soon.
That brightened my day despite weather still being gloomy and cold. Turned on some music that's usually '50s and '60s R&R but after looking thru windows somehow it seemed more appropriate to listen to Caribbean music so Harry Belafonte and Calypso songs worked their magic almost whole day. Watching news was only downer, should kick that dirty habit one of these years.
That reminded me of something long, long time ago. My girlfriend (than and now) came into living room where my father was watching evening news and asked him: "Uncle Milan (my father's name) do you watch news just to get upset ?" as he was commenting and cussing which he didn't do otherwise. Looks like news can get worst out of even most polite gentleman that my father was. Dirty habit indeed.
Well, here it is already 1 o'clock in the morning and I'm writing silly things and trying to make myself psychologically ready to go to bank at 9 o'clock, I think that only going to jail or a funeral I hate more than bank, specially at these conditions when they let only 3 persons at a time in my bank branch, others have to wait outside. If I get there before 9 o'clock I may be first or find a short cue and wait only 15 minutes or so.
Now I'll just get a drink although there's only some Vodka and I don't like it much and turn on some Chopin to softly play in the background while I try to go to sleep with only a cat to make me company hoping I'll wake up tomorrow. .

Kari said:

A funny, somewhat different and refreshing view of my native Lapland: Gordon, Gino and Fred: Desperately Seeking Santa - Wednesday 16 Dec 9pm - ITV Hub

It is available on ITV Hub for on demand.

Quoting ITV Hub:




Those of you who can watch / have access to UK television and ITV, enjoy!

Kari

Looks great but too cold for me Kari.

Wow...2020

A Guy

Ice Eggs, a rare phenomenon occurs when ice is rolled over by wind and water. (Northern Finland) - Imgur

A Guy

This morning I finally "pulled the trigger" and changed my Insider Dev VM to the current version, and went to the Insider site(Windows Insider) and left the program.

I found Microsoft has lost it's way.
They have changed the naming scheme for builds(currently DEV and Beta) and created a convoluted monster.
Also, you get builds with stuff, that never shows up, or is put aways for years(Tabs for example) or only some users get, but not all.

Plus much of the stuff to test needs a real PC and will not work in a VM when it's hardware related.

Lastly they have bloated Windows with stuff I will never use, like your phone and Xbox bar, and Cortana, that you cannot uninstall by conventional means, and need to use PowerShell to get rid of the apps, but cannot get rid of the backbone part.


When an insder for their apps, some of the good stuff is not eventually added, so it's a waste of my time, and also I very rarely get any feedback from them on my feed back, so screw them; they do what ever the heck they want, and only want praise.

A Guy

A Guy