I finally changed the tap, its only a temp one though a cheap 20quid tap that really isn't quite big enough to give the clearance needed to fill the kettle, but at least the drip drip drip has finally stopped.
I wonder if this will also stop the voices in my head...no, I'm not going to do that.. from telling me what to do.
I said no.
Ahthankyew
Wednesday, 28 February 2018
Sunday, 25 February 2018
Shit is getting real
the book is printed, amazon has the cover pic, and a small preview of the 1st chapter...i'm shitting myself hoping people like my chatty style of prose and can't wait to get my free copies so I can send them out to the people who helped make it happen.
Annoyingly there's an error in the preview, which will be in the main book, nothing major, just an extra word, the, in a sentence, but its scary that I missed it before..
Not much I can do about it now though, unless it sells out and they want a 2nd edition.
The Website is up, still looking a bit clunky but its there, and the files are being tested now to go up live.
Going to be a busy few weeks till the 22nd March when it is released but then I'm going to chill....at least until the 1st negative reviews come in.
Ahthankyew
Annoyingly there's an error in the preview, which will be in the main book, nothing major, just an extra word, the, in a sentence, but its scary that I missed it before..
Not much I can do about it now though, unless it sells out and they want a 2nd edition.
The Website is up, still looking a bit clunky but its there, and the files are being tested now to go up live.
Going to be a busy few weeks till the 22nd March when it is released but then I'm going to chill....at least until the 1st negative reviews come in.
Ahthankyew
Saturday, 24 February 2018
toothless old grandpa
Oh I forgot to mention, when I was in Kenya my bloody tooth came out. Both my bottom incisors were compromised because of bone necrosis of the jaw caused by my radiotherapy 7 years ago, the bone has been dying away all that time and exposing the teeth, the 1st one lost its foundations about 6 months ago and has been wobbly ever since. It has been a bit of a pain, the Dentist wants me to go to the hospital, but I was
a) busy
b) not happy about going back to the hospital.
So anyway, after a lot of discomfort and wobbling, biting into some toast one morning I bit down on the tooth and it was very painful, and sure enough a few hours later I realized it was still niggling and tugged it, and out it came. No pain, and actually quite a relief, but of course I now have a gap in my teeth.
Its not obvious really, my droopy lip, also cancer treatment relate, hides it when I smile, but the gap is there to see when I talk.
But I have to say its better out, I can eat again, biting into food, and no fear of biting down on a sore tooth. Now the other tooth will come out in due course, then I will have to go the hospital and see if anything can be done (I know that they can't, there's no bone for an implant) but we'll see how the other tooth manages on its own for now, when, not if, it gets loose I'll talk to the dentist.
Ahthankyew
a) busy
b) not happy about going back to the hospital.
So anyway, after a lot of discomfort and wobbling, biting into some toast one morning I bit down on the tooth and it was very painful, and sure enough a few hours later I realized it was still niggling and tugged it, and out it came. No pain, and actually quite a relief, but of course I now have a gap in my teeth.
Its not obvious really, my droopy lip, also cancer treatment relate, hides it when I smile, but the gap is there to see when I talk.
But I have to say its better out, I can eat again, biting into food, and no fear of biting down on a sore tooth. Now the other tooth will come out in due course, then I will have to go the hospital and see if anything can be done (I know that they can't, there's no bone for an implant) but we'll see how the other tooth manages on its own for now, when, not if, it gets loose I'll talk to the dentist.
Ahthankyew
Sunday, 18 February 2018
Kenya Adventures....lots of contrast
After my mad adventures in Thailand, I decided to take another jump and this time went to Kenya, so I've now been to 4 of the 5 main continents...next on the list is South America, so that's the summer sorted.
But Kenya, well I had wanted to go for some time, there's a strange connection between Kenya and me, with a few of my ex's having come from there.
I have also been chatting on line with someone interesting who lives in Kenya so the chance to holiday and meet up with the lovely Benta, and spend some time was a no-brainer.
It has been amazing, but a land of such contrast, the poverty is tear jerking in ways that made me ashamed of my species, there's also shocking violence and a sense of dread when walking down even the so called posh parts of town, especially at night. but I think its to be expected in such a large city, where such poverty exists. Driving is a death defying experience, combined with a waiting game in the jams. It so wants to be a modern city, but as much as it tries, its not there.
In the daytime though I went on a walking tour with a fun guide, called Gene, who I managed to out geek on the subject of railway lines and steam engines and even African history and art. Lots of interesting fun, and also jaw dropping arrogance of the empire builders who used people as a disposable commodity when building the line.
Out of the city though my fantastic guide Timothy took us to amazing places, wonderful highland forests, where the +2500m altitude had me gasping for air, but still able to show a natural talent for archery (I need to look into taking that up here), and a surprisingly non complicated ability to let gravity drop me down a zip wire while not screaming like a girl.
Also he showed us some amazing views from the edge of the Great rift Valley, and then a chance to walk among the animals who live there at the Hells Gate park...(not the meat eaters, just the usual non tofu eating vegetarian types in their natural habitat).
Timothy was also arranged for us to spend a night at the Sarova Salt lick game reserve https://www.sarovahotels.com/saltlick-tsavo/
Which was out of this world, Lions, Elephants, warthogs, various antelopes, Ostriches, mongoose, zebra and lots of other things trotting down to the waterhole in full view of the terrace, just amazing.
Such wonderful things to see, and such lovely company for the trip, there were so many funny moments and breathtaking awesomeness, it was amazing.
A small downside though was a serious bout of tummy troubles, most of the time there, maybe the water I was brushing my teeth with was a bit dodgy, since I only drank bottled, but it was bad, so much so, that a fart was never undertaken without a lot of careful preparation, and I got to be very chatty with the local pharmacist who's sales of Imodium tripled while I was there. The last day in particular when the Imodium basically stopped working was a strategic mission from toilet to toilet but I got to the plane with no accidents, and in fact in the plane, I had the dubious joy of discovering that happens when the loo flushes when you are sat on it.....interesting sensation.
Another downer was the hotel, the Ibis Styles Nairobi, it was awful, I am well used to Ibis's minimal approach, but this was bad, the room was tiny, of course and kept clean, but the staff were slow, chatting among themselves most of the time, the restaurant was a disaster of inept careless food (who serves unrinsed pasta mixed with a full jar of pesto as a dish). The air conditioning, which was the main reason I chose the place, didn't work most of the time, and even when it did it was crap and dropped only 1 degree, and on my last day, at 4am, they had a workman doing some work in the car park below my window at 4am... fucking a.m....using an angle grinder no less for 15 mins then welding.. I was livid.
But am home, once again confident in my farting and looking forward to a fresh block on Monday.
Looking forward to Benta coming to visit NL soon, and then I can show her our tofu eating vegetarians in their natural habitat.
Ahthankyew
But Kenya, well I had wanted to go for some time, there's a strange connection between Kenya and me, with a few of my ex's having come from there.
I have also been chatting on line with someone interesting who lives in Kenya so the chance to holiday and meet up with the lovely Benta, and spend some time was a no-brainer.
It has been amazing, but a land of such contrast, the poverty is tear jerking in ways that made me ashamed of my species, there's also shocking violence and a sense of dread when walking down even the so called posh parts of town, especially at night. but I think its to be expected in such a large city, where such poverty exists. Driving is a death defying experience, combined with a waiting game in the jams. It so wants to be a modern city, but as much as it tries, its not there.
In the daytime though I went on a walking tour with a fun guide, called Gene, who I managed to out geek on the subject of railway lines and steam engines and even African history and art. Lots of interesting fun, and also jaw dropping arrogance of the empire builders who used people as a disposable commodity when building the line.
Out of the city though my fantastic guide Timothy took us to amazing places, wonderful highland forests, where the +2500m altitude had me gasping for air, but still able to show a natural talent for archery (I need to look into taking that up here), and a surprisingly non complicated ability to let gravity drop me down a zip wire while not screaming like a girl.
Also he showed us some amazing views from the edge of the Great rift Valley, and then a chance to walk among the animals who live there at the Hells Gate park...(not the meat eaters, just the usual non tofu eating vegetarian types in their natural habitat).
Timothy was also arranged for us to spend a night at the Sarova Salt lick game reserve https://www.sarovahotels.com/saltlick-tsavo/
Which was out of this world, Lions, Elephants, warthogs, various antelopes, Ostriches, mongoose, zebra and lots of other things trotting down to the waterhole in full view of the terrace, just amazing.
Such wonderful things to see, and such lovely company for the trip, there were so many funny moments and breathtaking awesomeness, it was amazing.
A small downside though was a serious bout of tummy troubles, most of the time there, maybe the water I was brushing my teeth with was a bit dodgy, since I only drank bottled, but it was bad, so much so, that a fart was never undertaken without a lot of careful preparation, and I got to be very chatty with the local pharmacist who's sales of Imodium tripled while I was there. The last day in particular when the Imodium basically stopped working was a strategic mission from toilet to toilet but I got to the plane with no accidents, and in fact in the plane, I had the dubious joy of discovering that happens when the loo flushes when you are sat on it.....interesting sensation.
Another downer was the hotel, the Ibis Styles Nairobi, it was awful, I am well used to Ibis's minimal approach, but this was bad, the room was tiny, of course and kept clean, but the staff were slow, chatting among themselves most of the time, the restaurant was a disaster of inept careless food (who serves unrinsed pasta mixed with a full jar of pesto as a dish). The air conditioning, which was the main reason I chose the place, didn't work most of the time, and even when it did it was crap and dropped only 1 degree, and on my last day, at 4am, they had a workman doing some work in the car park below my window at 4am... fucking a.m....using an angle grinder no less for 15 mins then welding.. I was livid.
But am home, once again confident in my farting and looking forward to a fresh block on Monday.
Looking forward to Benta coming to visit NL soon, and then I can show her our tofu eating vegetarians in their natural habitat.
Ahthankyew
Thursday, 8 February 2018
More software woes
Fortunately not on the colecovision though, finally I am able to get a few things done on that again, no more missing sprites, its bliss.
And I have been able to do quite a lot due to the fact have had to spend soooo much time installing new software to try to add Android builds to my SBC content....hours and hours spend downloading data. SDK's , tools, platforms etc..but nothing works...what an utter utter waste of time.
Even at the height of the coleco bug, I don't think I have come so close to buying a gun and heading to google HQ...what an utter pile of shit the android dev tools are..I am just too mad to even attempt to try again.
I'm off to warmer climes for a week, escaping the sub zero temps and carnival madness of NL for a week.
I'll take a laptop though, and try to do some more coleco work on the plane.
Ahthankyew
And I have been able to do quite a lot due to the fact have had to spend soooo much time installing new software to try to add Android builds to my SBC content....hours and hours spend downloading data. SDK's , tools, platforms etc..but nothing works...what an utter utter waste of time.
Even at the height of the coleco bug, I don't think I have come so close to buying a gun and heading to google HQ...what an utter pile of shit the android dev tools are..I am just too mad to even attempt to try again.
I'm off to warmer climes for a week, escaping the sub zero temps and carnival madness of NL for a week.
I'll take a laptop though, and try to do some more coleco work on the plane.
Ahthankyew
Friday, 2 February 2018
Well that escalated
The bug is dead, all hail Brian, destroyer of bugs, puller of hair, screamer of screams and smasher of keyboards. Let this day be remembered for all eternity, the bug is dead.
What a total fucker...I mean really, months I've been plagued by this, then it would vanish, then come back, then vanish...I just couldn't get any grasp of what and why it was happening
It was random, no specific routine seemed to cause it, my sprites just vanished, nothing I could do would explain it, code still worked but sprites vanished, stepping through the code showed nothing, moving things around showed nothing, altering data seemed to work, but then it would come back.
Months...I'd leave it, come back to it, leave it, spend a week on it, spend an hour on it, rewrite dozens of apparently working parts, alter data systems, redo everything, apart from the cause of course.
And finally after squeezing a bit of code to let me display some values while the game was running I was able to locate the value that was not as it should be (though it was fine on the emlator)
And it turned out to be a clearing of a flag/location value in an interrupt, which the main code also used to set some things up, normally the interrupt would be done loooong before the code needed it, but if the interrupt happened after the code tested for the value, it would never be reset...and lo...the sprites would vanish
The frequency would be erratic, but once cleared after that test, it would never be reset again.
As the code, grew, shrunk, changed did more or less things, the threshold for when the the test occurred would be later and boom, sprites would vanish for no earthly reason...
It never happened on the emulator/debugger because it handles its interrupts slightly differently, and the test was always after the interrupt. Changing data formats had an impact, but only because it altered timing, so so erratic.
shit...months..really maybe a year on and off, it stopped me dead in my tracks many times....Without a doubt the worst bug I have ever had in 30+ years of coding...I have been mystified.
I can finally clean up the Colecovision game and get it finished and delivered, my poor client has been so patient. He'll finally get his game now.
Ahthankyew
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