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Sunday, November 12, 2006
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Even more adventures with a Rover 114
I had to go to an AutCAD training course a couple of weeks ago.
That was a 45 mle round trip and on the Thursday I got flagged down and told my brake lights were not working.
I ran around three garages to find some stop and tail bulbs, put one in and still no brake lights so I knew the brake light switch had gone.
The brake light switch on this car is a spring actuated by pressing the brake pedal. This is my third Metro and they have all broken that spring. It's at the top of the pedal in the bulkhead between the engine compartment and the drivers bay and the manual says first remove your steering column. I searched for a replacement part and got responses by the Friday but they wanted £23 for delivery and it was a used item so no idea of the life span.
I rang Kwik Fit who suggested an auto-electrician for the job so I rang the auto electrician who'd replaced my alternator and battery last month and asked if they could do the job. Got the car down to them Saturday morning bright and early and left it with them. By 10:30am they had concurred with my diagnosis and had a new part on the way. I went to town, got the bus out to them and paid just over £35 for the full repair.
It's really funny how much space you get behind you when you start using hand signals to indicate braking and I am happy the car is fixed.
That was a 45 mle round trip and on the Thursday I got flagged down and told my brake lights were not working.
I ran around three garages to find some stop and tail bulbs, put one in and still no brake lights so I knew the brake light switch had gone.
The brake light switch on this car is a spring actuated by pressing the brake pedal. This is my third Metro and they have all broken that spring. It's at the top of the pedal in the bulkhead between the engine compartment and the drivers bay and the manual says first remove your steering column. I searched for a replacement part and got responses by the Friday but they wanted £23 for delivery and it was a used item so no idea of the life span.
I rang Kwik Fit who suggested an auto-electrician for the job so I rang the auto electrician who'd replaced my alternator and battery last month and asked if they could do the job. Got the car down to them Saturday morning bright and early and left it with them. By 10:30am they had concurred with my diagnosis and had a new part on the way. I went to town, got the bus out to them and paid just over £35 for the full repair.
It's really funny how much space you get behind you when you start using hand signals to indicate braking and I am happy the car is fixed.
Tek Fun
MsP is doing well .. at least she's a little less pink which shows her allergy is subsiding under the effects of the steroid injection she had on Friday. I have also decided that no matter how much she nags, walks so well on her lead and is norty about not going out, she is going to have to become a totally indoor cat.
Mother came for a visit this week and Tuesday we went to see The Devil Wears Prada. We got back late that evening and I went to check emails. Nada ... zero ... zilch was happening. No graphics signal at all. Ho hum. It's a Athlon XP 2000 on a Asus A7V333 mobo in an ITee case. The case is pretty and was mooted as a great new design but I think it got beat by the lack of modability and the Shuttles plus some design issues. More about those later.
I did a hard reboot - switched the whole thing off and then back on again - still nada. I swapped the KVM cables. That didn't fix it. So I opened the case up and took out all the RAM took out all the IDE drives and tried booting it with just the graphics and 1G of RAM. Still nada. Figuring it was something nasty I went to spec up a new machine.
After a few hours speccing up a nice little number, a friend encouraged me to try a different power supply so I borrowed a 250W and plugged that in. Hey presto! life!
So I have ordered a new case and a new PSU. The ITee case is an orginal design but, in my opinion, it has some flaws. The case is very well well constructed but
This case was part of my first build and I bought the maroon one because I liked the availability of different colours. The case could be much improved by a deeper recess for the mobo - or a longer bay for the drives, some better cable management for the IDE cables, and a lot more case meshing to improve airflow but I don't think even that will get this case up to spec for the heat some of todays CPUs kick out. I don't yet know if a standard PSU will fit in the case without any mods to the case itself.
Good bits were excellent build quality, the colour - which has never scratched, the different design and the clip in drive bays. This was one of the first cases I came across with clip in drive bays; necessary for this design and so easy to use. But the heat issues mean I am getting a new case. I might take down my old Celeron and see how that does in there with a 250W PSU but I will mod the base of the case and cut/ream/drill holes underneath to get some air to it. Be a shame to see it go after all these years.
Mother came for a visit this week and Tuesday we went to see The Devil Wears Prada. We got back late that evening and I went to check emails. Nada ... zero ... zilch was happening. No graphics signal at all. Ho hum. It's a Athlon XP 2000 on a Asus A7V333 mobo in an ITee case. The case is pretty and was mooted as a great new design but I think it got beat by the lack of modability and the Shuttles plus some design issues. More about those later.
I did a hard reboot - switched the whole thing off and then back on again - still nada. I swapped the KVM cables. That didn't fix it. So I opened the case up and took out all the RAM took out all the IDE drives and tried booting it with just the graphics and 1G of RAM. Still nada. Figuring it was something nasty I went to spec up a new machine.
After a few hours speccing up a nice little number, a friend encouraged me to try a different power supply so I borrowed a 250W and plugged that in. Hey presto! life!
So I have ordered a new case and a new PSU. The ITee case is an orginal design but, in my opinion, it has some flaws. The case is very well well constructed but
- air flow is a problem
- the PSU is at the bottom of the case with no meshing around it to give it some air
- the PSU is non-standard- the mains socket is on the side of the machine with a lead to the PSU from that socket so you'll have to mod up a replacement PSU
- you have to be aware of the power leads when shutting the case; if you trap them, the steel case will cut the leads so use the cable tidy that comes with the case
- heat rises and that PSU always got hot in there, so much so that I ran it with the case open for years
- long IDE cables allow you to lay the back of the case down, but long or short they clog up the innards of the computer when the case is closed causing airflow problems
- space for two 8cm fans but you have to fit a 6cm because an 8cm fouls on the IDE cables as they come off the board
This case was part of my first build and I bought the maroon one because I liked the availability of different colours. The case could be much improved by a deeper recess for the mobo - or a longer bay for the drives, some better cable management for the IDE cables, and a lot more case meshing to improve airflow but I don't think even that will get this case up to spec for the heat some of todays CPUs kick out. I don't yet know if a standard PSU will fit in the case without any mods to the case itself.
Good bits were excellent build quality, the colour - which has never scratched, the different design and the clip in drive bays. This was one of the first cases I came across with clip in drive bays; necessary for this design and so easy to use. But the heat issues mean I am getting a new case. I might take down my old Celeron and see how that does in there with a 250W PSU but I will mod the base of the case and cut/ream/drill holes underneath to get some air to it. Be a shame to see it go after all these years.
Friday, November 03, 2006
Further Adventures with MsP
Yesterday, I noticed a lump under MsP's chin. She objected to it being touched.
I checked it this morning and it had got a lot bigger and the objections a bit louder so I took her off to the vet's again.
She's had a lightweight steroid injection - she had a full strength one on Oct 9th so it's just running up to four weeks and we decided the lighter jab would be safer. She's also got 10 days of Antirobe to take in case it is an infection.
Poor little baby looked a bit queasy once I had got her home.
The vet also said to continue feeding her the Hill's Prescription diet z/d Low Allergen dried food so she is back on that after a bout of diarhea this week too.
We go back next Wednesday.
I checked it this morning and it had got a lot bigger and the objections a bit louder so I took her off to the vet's again.
She's had a lightweight steroid injection - she had a full strength one on Oct 9th so it's just running up to four weeks and we decided the lighter jab would be safer. She's also got 10 days of Antirobe to take in case it is an infection.
Poor little baby looked a bit queasy once I had got her home.
The vet also said to continue feeding her the Hill's Prescription diet z/d Low Allergen dried food so she is back on that after a bout of diarhea this week too.
We go back next Wednesday.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Adventures with MsP
I have a cat I got as a rescue from Thornberry Rescue centre.
Her name is Precious and she is beautiful.
However, the Chinchilla Persian breed as a whole is an allergy cat. And no I don't mean one of those poor creatures manufactured in a laboratory. I mean the Chinchilla Persian Breed as a whole suffers from allergies.
These can be anything from food allergies to hay fever allergies to allergies to materials or carpets or anything else on the planet.
When I got Precious she was in a very poor way and came to me as a simple semi-long haired white cat. The reason I chose her was because of the way she ignored me, had a urine stained coat and was obviously very very fed up.
So I thought I'd rescue the cat from the rescue centre and bring her home. It was touch and go for the first week while I discovered this breed cannot tolerate most ordinary cat food. I had tried various types of dried food and tinned cat foods and she went from bad to worse with diarohea and vomiting in the first week.
I took her to the vet who identified her as a Chinchilla persian diagnosed the lump on her chin as a rodent ulcer and gave her a steroid injection plus a course of synulox and prescribed a diet of boiled chicken followed by careful introduction of small amounts of various foods to find what suited her.
I went to the Yorkshire cat show and had a chat with a breeder of Chinchilla persians. That conversation plus reading around on the web helped me realise these are very very tender animals indeed. I even read of one breeder so proudly telling of the story of one kitten they had bred that couldn't even tolerate its mother's milk. If you have two Chinchilla Persians it is highly unlikely they will tolerate each others food so you will be clearing up diarohea and vomit and washing the cats down every day of your life.
The Chinchilla Persian is a man made breed - developed by Princess Alexandria, one of Queen Victoria's daughters. Being a nam made breed it has its problems - the most typical being the stomach problems and food allergies. Naturally The GCCF specify nothing in their breed standards about the health of the cat. Normal Persians are know to have reduced life expectancies because they can't breather properly yet their standard is pushing for flatter and flatter noses. And that's without considering the eye problems the Persian suffers from. This is how much all these breeders care for the animals they are creating. They purposely and deliberately breed animals with significant health problems and then sell them on.
So .... back to Precious. She impoved greatly after the initial treatment at the vets. I subsequently removed the collar because she was reacting to it and she began to blossom into a happy little cat.
That was until May this year when she started to scratch herself bald. It didn't happen progressively at all. Just suddenly one day she scratched a lump of fur off from between her shoulder blades.
She then proceeded to pull lumps of fur out above her eyes as well and I finally got her to the vets in early August. I'd managed to repair the damage done on two of the three sites that were irritating her but she still had crusty legions above one eye. I couldn't see my usual vet because she always seemed to be on holiday when I rang to make an appointment so I elected to see another vet at the same practice.
They immediately prescribed skin scrapes and skin biopsies to check for the presence of mites and I asked for a FelV/FiV blood test to be taken at the same time. That's when all hell started to break loose.
I have never experienced an animal suffering so much after an operation. I have had five cats in all and none of them have reacted in the way Precious has reacted to any operation. From that point on she would urinate and defecate anywhere in the bathroom except in her litter tray and it wasn't until two weeks ago when I tried some Feliway that she stopped urinating on the floor and returned to using the litter tray at least for urinating. She is still not using the litter tray for defeacting but at least she has returned to the bathrrom for that and is not using the hall for it.
The operation itself didn't cure anything but at least we knew it wasn't a mite infestation and she turned out to be FiV and FelV negative. The stitches from the biposies were taken out 10 days after the operation and you should have seen the pleasure on her face from being free of the collar and the bandages at last.
Unfortunately this freedom was shortlived. I went into the kitchen to clean the collar and put it away. I cam back into the living room to be faced with a cat with blood pouring out of one of the wounds that had not healed properly. Now some vets will tell you the cat must have a dleicate skin and be allergic to the stitches and any other b******t they can think of to get themselves off the hook.
Luckily I know two people who don't know each other but happen to be clinicians and both independently said to me that she hadn't been sewn up properly. The vet had only sewn the top of the wound so the underneath part had not been able to granulate and would have been as itchy as any wound can be and driving her potty.
She had to be rushed back to the vets where she sat quietly while two staples were put in to seal the wound. She was so very very good while those staples were being put in. The wound subsequently healed fine and the staples were removed some 10 days later.
So this poor little dear had been in her collar for 20 days and I had to maintain a melolin patch with bandage and stocking top around her upper body to stop her scratching the patch in between her shoulders.
When the stitches were taken out she was prescribed a course of Synulox antibiotics to help clear the skin infection which had been diagnosed as a bacterial ionfection. The Synulox didn't touch it and she reverted to diarohea again.
I took her back to the vets again to have the staples removed and she was prescribed some Fuciderm to act as a topical steroid. This did work and the skin cleared up but she started to scratch other areas of her face and pulled a chunk of fur out from near her whiskers.
So I went back to the vet and she said it could be stress it could be food it could be anything but to continue with the Fuciderm.
I continued with the Fuciderm but I could see the whole thing was simply starting up again. So two weeks ago I transferred to another vet and she was given a steroid injection and a different antibiotic called Ceporex. I could see this cat visibly improve due to the steroid injection. The inflamed parts of her skin started to look less sore and she visibly relaxed.
The Feliway arrived through the post the day after and we achieved pee in the litter tray at last. The cat pee on the floor was driving me round the bend because she'll go at least three or four times a day and so it has to be cleared up three or four times a day. Going to the lavatory in the night had often meant a footwash plus floor wash if she had gone across the doorway. The reief Feliway bought us both cannot be underestimated.
She also started playing more and engaged in kitty fishing and beating up Pingu. I was so glad to see my little girl getting back on her feet and being happy again.
Until last night everything was doodling along reasonably well. I have my reservations about her excrement - it's soft for her but reasonably well formed and not diarohea. However it does look reddy brown so I am wondering if the antibiotics such as Synulox and Ceporex themselves upset her tummy and she is in fact bleeding slightly inside.
However, last night she scratched herself again - 10 days after her steroid jab and she's up with problems again. So it's another visit to the vet this morning. He was surprised to see her again so quickly.
Her antibiotic has been changed to Antirobe and she now has some more Fuciderm which will act as a topical steroid. I'm hoping the Antirobe will help her but I've just looked it up and it states there could be diarohea and vomiting. Nothing I can do but wait and see.
Her name is Precious and she is beautiful.
However, the Chinchilla Persian breed as a whole is an allergy cat. And no I don't mean one of those poor creatures manufactured in a laboratory. I mean the Chinchilla Persian Breed as a whole suffers from allergies.
These can be anything from food allergies to hay fever allergies to allergies to materials or carpets or anything else on the planet.
When I got Precious she was in a very poor way and came to me as a simple semi-long haired white cat. The reason I chose her was because of the way she ignored me, had a urine stained coat and was obviously very very fed up.
So I thought I'd rescue the cat from the rescue centre and bring her home. It was touch and go for the first week while I discovered this breed cannot tolerate most ordinary cat food. I had tried various types of dried food and tinned cat foods and she went from bad to worse with diarohea and vomiting in the first week.
I took her to the vet who identified her as a Chinchilla persian diagnosed the lump on her chin as a rodent ulcer and gave her a steroid injection plus a course of synulox and prescribed a diet of boiled chicken followed by careful introduction of small amounts of various foods to find what suited her.
I went to the Yorkshire cat show and had a chat with a breeder of Chinchilla persians. That conversation plus reading around on the web helped me realise these are very very tender animals indeed. I even read of one breeder so proudly telling of the story of one kitten they had bred that couldn't even tolerate its mother's milk. If you have two Chinchilla Persians it is highly unlikely they will tolerate each others food so you will be clearing up diarohea and vomit and washing the cats down every day of your life.
The Chinchilla Persian is a man made breed - developed by Princess Alexandria, one of Queen Victoria's daughters. Being a nam made breed it has its problems - the most typical being the stomach problems and food allergies. Naturally The GCCF specify nothing in their breed standards about the health of the cat. Normal Persians are know to have reduced life expectancies because they can't breather properly yet their standard is pushing for flatter and flatter noses. And that's without considering the eye problems the Persian suffers from. This is how much all these breeders care for the animals they are creating. They purposely and deliberately breed animals with significant health problems and then sell them on.
So .... back to Precious. She impoved greatly after the initial treatment at the vets. I subsequently removed the collar because she was reacting to it and she began to blossom into a happy little cat.
That was until May this year when she started to scratch herself bald. It didn't happen progressively at all. Just suddenly one day she scratched a lump of fur off from between her shoulder blades.
She then proceeded to pull lumps of fur out above her eyes as well and I finally got her to the vets in early August. I'd managed to repair the damage done on two of the three sites that were irritating her but she still had crusty legions above one eye. I couldn't see my usual vet because she always seemed to be on holiday when I rang to make an appointment so I elected to see another vet at the same practice.
They immediately prescribed skin scrapes and skin biopsies to check for the presence of mites and I asked for a FelV/FiV blood test to be taken at the same time. That's when all hell started to break loose.
I have never experienced an animal suffering so much after an operation. I have had five cats in all and none of them have reacted in the way Precious has reacted to any operation. From that point on she would urinate and defecate anywhere in the bathroom except in her litter tray and it wasn't until two weeks ago when I tried some Feliway that she stopped urinating on the floor and returned to using the litter tray at least for urinating. She is still not using the litter tray for defeacting but at least she has returned to the bathrrom for that and is not using the hall for it.
The operation itself didn't cure anything but at least we knew it wasn't a mite infestation and she turned out to be FiV and FelV negative. The stitches from the biposies were taken out 10 days after the operation and you should have seen the pleasure on her face from being free of the collar and the bandages at last.
Unfortunately this freedom was shortlived. I went into the kitchen to clean the collar and put it away. I cam back into the living room to be faced with a cat with blood pouring out of one of the wounds that had not healed properly. Now some vets will tell you the cat must have a dleicate skin and be allergic to the stitches and any other b******t they can think of to get themselves off the hook.
Luckily I know two people who don't know each other but happen to be clinicians and both independently said to me that she hadn't been sewn up properly. The vet had only sewn the top of the wound so the underneath part had not been able to granulate and would have been as itchy as any wound can be and driving her potty.
She had to be rushed back to the vets where she sat quietly while two staples were put in to seal the wound. She was so very very good while those staples were being put in. The wound subsequently healed fine and the staples were removed some 10 days later.
So this poor little dear had been in her collar for 20 days and I had to maintain a melolin patch with bandage and stocking top around her upper body to stop her scratching the patch in between her shoulders.
When the stitches were taken out she was prescribed a course of Synulox antibiotics to help clear the skin infection which had been diagnosed as a bacterial ionfection. The Synulox didn't touch it and she reverted to diarohea again.
I took her back to the vets again to have the staples removed and she was prescribed some Fuciderm to act as a topical steroid. This did work and the skin cleared up but she started to scratch other areas of her face and pulled a chunk of fur out from near her whiskers.
So I went back to the vet and she said it could be stress it could be food it could be anything but to continue with the Fuciderm.
I continued with the Fuciderm but I could see the whole thing was simply starting up again. So two weeks ago I transferred to another vet and she was given a steroid injection and a different antibiotic called Ceporex. I could see this cat visibly improve due to the steroid injection. The inflamed parts of her skin started to look less sore and she visibly relaxed.
The Feliway arrived through the post the day after and we achieved pee in the litter tray at last. The cat pee on the floor was driving me round the bend because she'll go at least three or four times a day and so it has to be cleared up three or four times a day. Going to the lavatory in the night had often meant a footwash plus floor wash if she had gone across the doorway. The reief Feliway bought us both cannot be underestimated.
She also started playing more and engaged in kitty fishing and beating up Pingu. I was so glad to see my little girl getting back on her feet and being happy again.
Until last night everything was doodling along reasonably well. I have my reservations about her excrement - it's soft for her but reasonably well formed and not diarohea. However it does look reddy brown so I am wondering if the antibiotics such as Synulox and Ceporex themselves upset her tummy and she is in fact bleeding slightly inside.
However, last night she scratched herself again - 10 days after her steroid jab and she's up with problems again. So it's another visit to the vet this morning. He was surprised to see her again so quickly.
Her antibiotic has been changed to Antirobe and she now has some more Fuciderm which will act as a topical steroid. I'm hoping the Antirobe will help her but I've just looked it up and it states there could be diarohea and vomiting. Nothing I can do but wait and see.
Friday, September 29, 2006
Further Adventures in a Rover 114
I do some volunteer work for a charity and left there about 5.30 pm after an afternoon of putting leaflets in envelopes.
Got to the car and put the key in the ignition. It went clickety-clickety-click and didn't start.
Luckily I am a member of the RAC so I called them from my mobile - which merrily told me there will be a charge for an 0800 number but there you go - such are networks these days that they cannot let you get to an 0800 number for free.
The RAC man turned up in due course and assessed the problem. He diagnosed a flat battery and nipped under the hood to check the alternator output. He connected up my battery in parallel with the one on his car and charged mine up. I revved the engine and he deduced the alternator was not only not charging, but after I had switched the engine off, noted the alternator was actually draining the battery.
He followed me all the way to my 'usual garage' and I left the car there overnight. The RAC man even took me home. The next day I rang the garage only to find the repair bloke was away on holiday and they suggested another garage I could ring that was near them.
I rang that garage and they said they were fully booked out until Monday and then said 'Not sure where we'll get an alternator from, though'.
Last time I replaced an alternator on a car, it was a fairly simple task of removing the alternator, going to Lucas and getting a recodnitioned replacement unit, then returining to the car and fitting the new alternator.
My previous cars had been Minis and Metros and the alternator on those was readily accessible at the top of the engine. The alternator on a Rover 114 is in a different place, below the exhaust manifold and above the oil filter. This makes it a fiddly job to get the alternator out and and even fiddlier job getting the replacement unit in. As I have a back injury I decided it was worth paying a garage to do the job.
Anyhow not only did my 'usual garage' not have any repair work capability they also did not have so much as a booster box or jump leads to start the car. So I had to ring the RAC again and the same man came out to help me.
We charged the battery up again, which by now was fully flat, and took the car to an autoelectrician who was able to repair it that same afternoon. It cost me £160, a day lost to repairing the car and I now have a brand new Bosch battery and a shiny reconditioned alternator.
I don't think I'll be bothering with my 'usual garage' ever again. I can get the car MoT'd elsewhere and I'll find other garages for doing any repairs.
I was already wary of them after I booked the car in for a service the day after I bought it and asked them to change the fluids and check the brakes. Three weeks after that a water pipe burst and I found out I had no anti-freeze in the water system. I also had to have the rear brake rubbers done recently despite him saying they were ok two months ago.
Anyway, the car is fine now.
Got to the car and put the key in the ignition. It went clickety-clickety-click and didn't start.
Luckily I am a member of the RAC so I called them from my mobile - which merrily told me there will be a charge for an 0800 number but there you go - such are networks these days that they cannot let you get to an 0800 number for free.
The RAC man turned up in due course and assessed the problem. He diagnosed a flat battery and nipped under the hood to check the alternator output. He connected up my battery in parallel with the one on his car and charged mine up. I revved the engine and he deduced the alternator was not only not charging, but after I had switched the engine off, noted the alternator was actually draining the battery.
He followed me all the way to my 'usual garage' and I left the car there overnight. The RAC man even took me home. The next day I rang the garage only to find the repair bloke was away on holiday and they suggested another garage I could ring that was near them.
I rang that garage and they said they were fully booked out until Monday and then said 'Not sure where we'll get an alternator from, though'.
Last time I replaced an alternator on a car, it was a fairly simple task of removing the alternator, going to Lucas and getting a recodnitioned replacement unit, then returining to the car and fitting the new alternator.
My previous cars had been Minis and Metros and the alternator on those was readily accessible at the top of the engine. The alternator on a Rover 114 is in a different place, below the exhaust manifold and above the oil filter. This makes it a fiddly job to get the alternator out and and even fiddlier job getting the replacement unit in. As I have a back injury I decided it was worth paying a garage to do the job.
Anyhow not only did my 'usual garage' not have any repair work capability they also did not have so much as a booster box or jump leads to start the car. So I had to ring the RAC again and the same man came out to help me.
We charged the battery up again, which by now was fully flat, and took the car to an autoelectrician who was able to repair it that same afternoon. It cost me £160, a day lost to repairing the car and I now have a brand new Bosch battery and a shiny reconditioned alternator.
I don't think I'll be bothering with my 'usual garage' ever again. I can get the car MoT'd elsewhere and I'll find other garages for doing any repairs.
I was already wary of them after I booked the car in for a service the day after I bought it and asked them to change the fluids and check the brakes. Three weeks after that a water pipe burst and I found out I had no anti-freeze in the water system. I also had to have the rear brake rubbers done recently despite him saying they were ok two months ago.
Anyway, the car is fine now.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
That was good ..........
I went for a great ride out on Sunday and covered about 140 miles. It was good to be out on the bike again.
Monday was a busy day. I started a furniture making course and a Psychology A level. Looking forward to more next week but it was a very busy day.
The A level is now divided into two parts - the AS level and the A2 level. The AS level represents the first year of an A level but you take an exam at the end of the year and you have the AS qualification. If successful with that presumably you can continue on to the A2 level.
We sat and watched the Aversion Therapy part of Clockwork Orange while a thunderstorm raged outside. Quite surreal.
Tuesday was a busy day too. I went to a course to show me how to fill in a self employed tax return. In the UK we have to file by 31st January after the close of the tax year. If we file paper records before 30th September then the tax office will calculate how much we owe.
Then I took the cat to the vet and showed her the bald bit MsP had created on her cheek bone. We are back down to boiled chicken - she won't touch the roast chicken I cooked Sunday evening so I am boiling chicken fillet for her. I have to decide how long to keep her on the boiled chicken but it will be at least four days and I am tempted to keep it going for at least a week to make sure any allergy is out of her system.
Then I will reintroduce the Royal Canin Persian 30 dried food and see how she goes with that for at least a month. I shall take the cat food I have got to one of the cat rescue places.
Monday was a busy day. I started a furniture making course and a Psychology A level. Looking forward to more next week but it was a very busy day.
The A level is now divided into two parts - the AS level and the A2 level. The AS level represents the first year of an A level but you take an exam at the end of the year and you have the AS qualification. If successful with that presumably you can continue on to the A2 level.
We sat and watched the Aversion Therapy part of Clockwork Orange while a thunderstorm raged outside. Quite surreal.
Tuesday was a busy day too. I went to a course to show me how to fill in a self employed tax return. In the UK we have to file by 31st January after the close of the tax year. If we file paper records before 30th September then the tax office will calculate how much we owe.
Then I took the cat to the vet and showed her the bald bit MsP had created on her cheek bone. We are back down to boiled chicken - she won't touch the roast chicken I cooked Sunday evening so I am boiling chicken fillet for her. I have to decide how long to keep her on the boiled chicken but it will be at least four days and I am tempted to keep it going for at least a week to make sure any allergy is out of her system.
Then I will reintroduce the Royal Canin Persian 30 dried food and see how she goes with that for at least a month. I shall take the cat food I have got to one of the cat rescue places.
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Screaming into the empty bowels of subsistence
It's just gone 7 am on a mild September Sunday morning.
Since I last posted I have spent about £320 on vet bills for the cat.
She started scratching herself bald in three specific areas in May this year and I initially thought it was because she was an indoor cat so started trimming her claws and washing the lacerations with salt water - one thumbnail of salt to a pint of water in case you need to know.
The home based treatment continued for a while until she was simply left with crusty legions on one bit that wouldn't heal and wouldn't regrow fur.
I took her to the vet and he prescribed skin biopsies and scrapes. I had her tested for FiV/FelV at the same time. The results showed an increase in normal skin bacteria and no mites or other nasties.
So we tried Synulox and that didn't work. I paid out for Fuciderm and that seemed to work at clearing the crusty legions except that this morning she proudly scratched bald another spot on her cheek. I've fucidermed it to avoid bacteria etc and she is back on boiled chicken but she'll have to have the collar back on to prevent her scratching anymore.
On top of that, due to post menopausal night sweats I haven't had a decent night's sleep in about three or four weeks and I am supposed to be going on a ride out this morning.
Since I last posted I have spent about £320 on vet bills for the cat.
She started scratching herself bald in three specific areas in May this year and I initially thought it was because she was an indoor cat so started trimming her claws and washing the lacerations with salt water - one thumbnail of salt to a pint of water in case you need to know.
The home based treatment continued for a while until she was simply left with crusty legions on one bit that wouldn't heal and wouldn't regrow fur.
I took her to the vet and he prescribed skin biopsies and scrapes. I had her tested for FiV/FelV at the same time. The results showed an increase in normal skin bacteria and no mites or other nasties.
So we tried Synulox and that didn't work. I paid out for Fuciderm and that seemed to work at clearing the crusty legions except that this morning she proudly scratched bald another spot on her cheek. I've fucidermed it to avoid bacteria etc and she is back on boiled chicken but she'll have to have the collar back on to prevent her scratching anymore.
On top of that, due to post menopausal night sweats I haven't had a decent night's sleep in about three or four weeks and I am supposed to be going on a ride out this morning.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Adventures in a Rover 114 Part IV
Rule No 1: Do not annoy the driver.
Rule No 2: See Rule No 1.
Well, that was fun that ... but better was yet to come.
My swimming companion was a little worried about the car having a problem because we had planned to go to another festival as stewards and we were due to set off on the last Friday in July. She asked whether the car would be fixed and I said I should think it would be but perhaps she might want to check coach and train prices and think about it.
Now it's a long time since I had a Rover and the repair person at my usual garage was off on holiday at the end of the week and had no time to fit the job in. Neighbours recommended another garage so I went down there. They quoted me for the job but said the part would take four working days to get to them, so I booked it in with them to have the water pipe replaced on the Wednesday two days before our departure date.
I let my swimming companion know there would be a delay and that the car would not be in the garage for repair until two days before our departure date. Again she sought reassurance and again I said it was up to her and that she might want to check coach and train journeys and availability. She declined to do that.
Naturally enough, things are never plain sailing. I rang the garage on the Wednesday to be told there had been an error in the order and the part had not arrived. They would reorder but the earliest they could guarantee part arrival was Friday afternoon.
I informed my swimming companion of the delay and that the car would be in the garage by Friday at the earliest but I could not guarantee that it woud be ready to go on Friday at all. Again the topic of her getting a coach or train was discussed. She again declined that option.
Thursday evening I got a text from her and I didn't bother to reply to it. I should have done really because she was seeking reassurance that all would be well. I could have taken the opportunity to make it absolutely plain to her that I couldn't give her the reassurance she sought. At that time I had no idea whether the part would turn up on Friday let alone whether the car would be fixed. There was no reassurance to be had for either of us.
She texted me a number of times on the Friday and I said I would let her know progress, if there was any, as and when it happened.
I started to get very annoyed with her. It wasn't until her sixth text that she actually remembered I existed at all or that I might be feeling some stress over the subject - most of which was being generated by her texts!
Finally the part arrived late Friday afternoon and the car was repaired. I ran around that evening, paying rent to my landlord and getting some tins of food in so that I had something to eat at the festival. I popped round to the landlord's and dropped off the rent and had a good chat, got home about 10.30 pm with a chinese and did some work.
I texted my swimming companion to ask her to consider us running about 24 hours over. I rang her at one point and said I would have everything packed and be round to her about 3pm.
I then got an earful of demands and complaints about the car. So I told her she could get the coach and that I wasn't going. I wasn't prepared to spend five minutes in a car, any car, with her let alone four hours travelling on motorways.
I had simply had enough.
I'm not overly proud of my behaviour ; I'd let things ride until she'd annoyed me enough for me to lose my temper and then lost it right at her - very bad people management; damaged my relationship with her and stayed at home instead of going to a festival, camping out and generally having a good time.
I hope she got there ok.
Rule No 2: See Rule No 1.
Well, that was fun that ... but better was yet to come.
My swimming companion was a little worried about the car having a problem because we had planned to go to another festival as stewards and we were due to set off on the last Friday in July. She asked whether the car would be fixed and I said I should think it would be but perhaps she might want to check coach and train prices and think about it.
Now it's a long time since I had a Rover and the repair person at my usual garage was off on holiday at the end of the week and had no time to fit the job in. Neighbours recommended another garage so I went down there. They quoted me for the job but said the part would take four working days to get to them, so I booked it in with them to have the water pipe replaced on the Wednesday two days before our departure date.
I let my swimming companion know there would be a delay and that the car would not be in the garage for repair until two days before our departure date. Again she sought reassurance and again I said it was up to her and that she might want to check coach and train journeys and availability. She declined to do that.
Naturally enough, things are never plain sailing. I rang the garage on the Wednesday to be told there had been an error in the order and the part had not arrived. They would reorder but the earliest they could guarantee part arrival was Friday afternoon.
I informed my swimming companion of the delay and that the car would be in the garage by Friday at the earliest but I could not guarantee that it woud be ready to go on Friday at all. Again the topic of her getting a coach or train was discussed. She again declined that option.
Thursday evening I got a text from her and I didn't bother to reply to it. I should have done really because she was seeking reassurance that all would be well. I could have taken the opportunity to make it absolutely plain to her that I couldn't give her the reassurance she sought. At that time I had no idea whether the part would turn up on Friday let alone whether the car would be fixed. There was no reassurance to be had for either of us.
She texted me a number of times on the Friday and I said I would let her know progress, if there was any, as and when it happened.
I started to get very annoyed with her. It wasn't until her sixth text that she actually remembered I existed at all or that I might be feeling some stress over the subject - most of which was being generated by her texts!
Finally the part arrived late Friday afternoon and the car was repaired. I ran around that evening, paying rent to my landlord and getting some tins of food in so that I had something to eat at the festival. I popped round to the landlord's and dropped off the rent and had a good chat, got home about 10.30 pm with a chinese and did some work.
I texted my swimming companion to ask her to consider us running about 24 hours over. I rang her at one point and said I would have everything packed and be round to her about 3pm.
I then got an earful of demands and complaints about the car. So I told her she could get the coach and that I wasn't going. I wasn't prepared to spend five minutes in a car, any car, with her let alone four hours travelling on motorways.
I had simply had enough.
I'm not overly proud of my behaviour ; I'd let things ride until she'd annoyed me enough for me to lose my temper and then lost it right at her - very bad people management; damaged my relationship with her and stayed at home instead of going to a festival, camping out and generally having a good time.
I hope she got there ok.
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Adventures in a Rover 114 Part III
Having damaged my passenger door we then proceeded to enjoy the rest of the weekend in fine style.
The Guildford festival was it's usual self but we were much aided by the presence of Angie and her car. She has a club foot and so has a ticket which allows her special parking privileges. We exploited this, using her MPV to move us all to and from the festival en masse. On Sunday, Rosie described the Guildford festival as a festival of one hit wonders and we all greed.
Monday morning I drove Tom back to Brighton, looked up a mate that wasn't in and drove up into London in the sweltering 34 degree centigrade heat.
MsP seemed fine and we headed off back up North in the cooler evening temperatures getting home about 1.30 Tuesday morning. Even at night there are traffic jams on the M1.
All well and good and a fortnight to go to the next festival ... or so I thought.
Had a sleep got up and nipped out to book the car in to have the timing belt done and then get a quote or two on the door repair. My usual garage couldn't do the timing belt until the 16th August and the first estimate on the door repair was for £250!!! I decided to nip to Sainsbury's and then get some more quotes after a gym and swim.
I just could not believe when I pulled into a parking bay in Sainsbury's with steam pouring out from the bonnet. I parked the car and got out to look at the expanding pool of rusty boiling water spreading out from the front of the car.
I am a member of the RAC and so I rang them using the store's public phone. It's an 0800 number so you get your money back at the end of the call but you have to have 30p to make that call in the first place.
The RAC came out within about twenty minutes and we discovered it was a water pipe that had corroded. So mercifully at least it was not the radiator itself but simply a metal water pipe that had corroded in one part. The RAC man pulled the hose that fitted over it further on, to cover the hole in the pipe and make the vehicle road worthy again.
I grabbed the cat litter and other sundries I needed from the supermarket and dived off home. Got to the swimming pool late and let my swimming companion know I had a problem with the car.
The Guildford festival was it's usual self but we were much aided by the presence of Angie and her car. She has a club foot and so has a ticket which allows her special parking privileges. We exploited this, using her MPV to move us all to and from the festival en masse. On Sunday, Rosie described the Guildford festival as a festival of one hit wonders and we all greed.
Monday morning I drove Tom back to Brighton, looked up a mate that wasn't in and drove up into London in the sweltering 34 degree centigrade heat.
MsP seemed fine and we headed off back up North in the cooler evening temperatures getting home about 1.30 Tuesday morning. Even at night there are traffic jams on the M1.
All well and good and a fortnight to go to the next festival ... or so I thought.
Had a sleep got up and nipped out to book the car in to have the timing belt done and then get a quote or two on the door repair. My usual garage couldn't do the timing belt until the 16th August and the first estimate on the door repair was for £250!!! I decided to nip to Sainsbury's and then get some more quotes after a gym and swim.
I just could not believe when I pulled into a parking bay in Sainsbury's with steam pouring out from the bonnet. I parked the car and got out to look at the expanding pool of rusty boiling water spreading out from the front of the car.
I am a member of the RAC and so I rang them using the store's public phone. It's an 0800 number so you get your money back at the end of the call but you have to have 30p to make that call in the first place.
The RAC came out within about twenty minutes and we discovered it was a water pipe that had corroded. So mercifully at least it was not the radiator itself but simply a metal water pipe that had corroded in one part. The RAC man pulled the hose that fitted over it further on, to cover the hole in the pipe and make the vehicle road worthy again.
I grabbed the cat litter and other sundries I needed from the supermarket and dived off home. Got to the swimming pool late and let my swimming companion know I had a problem with the car.
Monday, July 24, 2006
Adventures in a Rover 114 II
Yep well there we were ... in London
MsP had been appeased for her twials and twibulations and we'd all slept a bit. I am finding it really difficult to sleep in the heat of the night but I was up at 7 am and so caught the flat at one of it's better times of day. The sun was up and shining and there was no traffic noise.
A nice cup of tea and twenty minutes later the rumbles of the city rush hour start.
I was promised breakfast but never got it. I fed the parking meter just before 9am and caught up on my sleep, getting an extra two hours of snooze time on the sofa. I woke and realised the meter had run out so lept up threw my overnight stuff together and went off in the car, leaving MsP to be served by yet another human.
I got to Horsell about 1230 picked up my mate and off we went to Guildford.
"It's only a sapling", he said. That's what he said. It's only a sapling.
Never trust an accountant - especially when it comes to trees - and especially when they are directing your pride and joy into a tight parking space delineated by a tree and an edge down to the next parking space.
I now need a new passenger door for the Rover because the 'sapling' was a cut down tree with young off shoots covering the door level stump that was left.
So we went to the pub where he bought the food and the drink and I drowned my sorrows in a pint of lager.
MsP had been appeased for her twials and twibulations and we'd all slept a bit. I am finding it really difficult to sleep in the heat of the night but I was up at 7 am and so caught the flat at one of it's better times of day. The sun was up and shining and there was no traffic noise.
A nice cup of tea and twenty minutes later the rumbles of the city rush hour start.
I was promised breakfast but never got it. I fed the parking meter just before 9am and caught up on my sleep, getting an extra two hours of snooze time on the sofa. I woke and realised the meter had run out so lept up threw my overnight stuff together and went off in the car, leaving MsP to be served by yet another human.
I got to Horsell about 1230 picked up my mate and off we went to Guildford.
"It's only a sapling", he said. That's what he said. It's only a sapling.
Never trust an accountant - especially when it comes to trees - and especially when they are directing your pride and joy into a tight parking space delineated by a tree and an edge down to the next parking space.
I now need a new passenger door for the Rover because the 'sapling' was a cut down tree with young off shoots covering the door level stump that was left.
So we went to the pub where he bought the food and the drink and I drowned my sorrows in a pint of lager.
Friday, July 21, 2006
Adventures with a Rover 114
I had the Honda Civic crushed but knew I had to get another car. I had a new tyre put on the front of the bike and used that for a while. Luckily the weather was good. Located a Rover 114 with automatic transmission in Wakefield and went and bought it. 23.8K on the clock and in average condition for the year.
Last weekend I drove to London and dropped the cat off at her London wesidence then proceeded on to Guildford. Off we went, down the M1 and I kept an eye on the fuel gauge because I was starting off with a 3/4 full tank. The Rover is certainly more gassy than the Honda was. I stopped en route to give Pwecious and myself a short break and then we toodled on. I knew I would need petrol but wasn't sure how much longer that 1/4 tankful would last as I shot past Toddington thinking I'd be ok for getting to London Gateway if I get desperate.
Then we hit a traffic jam. The outside lane went to a dead stop with the inner two slowly edging forward. I watched the petrol guage and the cat and the cat and the petrol guage and pulled off into a service station at Flamstead where I fueled up, parked in the shade and rang to let him know we were a bit stuck with traffic.
Decided to try to navigate into London using A roads and headed off in the wrong direction. Turned round and toodled back, saw a really nice B road going to Hemel Hempstead and took that; getting a reasonable turn of speed and air flow through the car to keep me and the cat cool.
Said B road goes under the motorway which is now moving freely so I followed signs and checked roadmaps and found my way to the next junction down, stopping off for 10 cigs at a petrol station. Have you noticed the price of cigarettes in these places? Outrageous. I really should deal with this nicotine addiction before it bankrupts me!
Anyhow, MsP and I managed to get safely back on the M1 and continue our journey safely to MsP's London wesidence where much fuss was made of her and she was happy to be out of the car.
Various sundry tweats fwom Sainsbuwy's were offered in appeasement of her ordeal.
More anon ....
Last weekend I drove to London and dropped the cat off at her London wesidence then proceeded on to Guildford. Off we went, down the M1 and I kept an eye on the fuel gauge because I was starting off with a 3/4 full tank. The Rover is certainly more gassy than the Honda was. I stopped en route to give Pwecious and myself a short break and then we toodled on. I knew I would need petrol but wasn't sure how much longer that 1/4 tankful would last as I shot past Toddington thinking I'd be ok for getting to London Gateway if I get desperate.
Then we hit a traffic jam. The outside lane went to a dead stop with the inner two slowly edging forward. I watched the petrol guage and the cat and the cat and the petrol guage and pulled off into a service station at Flamstead where I fueled up, parked in the shade and rang to let him know we were a bit stuck with traffic.
Decided to try to navigate into London using A roads and headed off in the wrong direction. Turned round and toodled back, saw a really nice B road going to Hemel Hempstead and took that; getting a reasonable turn of speed and air flow through the car to keep me and the cat cool.
Said B road goes under the motorway which is now moving freely so I followed signs and checked roadmaps and found my way to the next junction down, stopping off for 10 cigs at a petrol station. Have you noticed the price of cigarettes in these places? Outrageous. I really should deal with this nicotine addiction before it bankrupts me!
Anyhow, MsP and I managed to get safely back on the M1 and continue our journey safely to MsP's London wesidence where much fuss was made of her and she was happy to be out of the car.
Various sundry tweats fwom Sainsbuwy's were offered in appeasement of her ordeal.
More anon ....
Monday, May 29, 2006
The Adventures of a Honda Civic
I have a 1994 Honda Civic Automatic. It's ok for a 12 year old car to be honest.
Yesterday a friend, my cat and I set forth in said car on a long trip south. Just over halfway, cruising along I slowed down and flashed a car to come in off the hard shoulder.
As I did so I lost all drive; it was very strange. So I coasted onto the hard shoulder wondering what on earth had gone wrong. I tried restarting the engine and had no joy. The engine was turning over but there was no one home. It sounded a little different to usual too. As we had coasted to a halt the automatic transmission cogged down through the gears but the throttle had no effect.
I got my friend out the car and over the barrier and lifted the bonnet. I couldn't see anything obviously wrong so I looked underneath to see if any oil or water was escaping. Nothing there either.
I called the RAC for the second time this year. With the help of the Highways Traffic Agency, I managed to persuade the receptionist of our location and we got help within 20 minutes.
We were towed off the motorway and into Toddington Services. I discussed the options with the RAC rescue man. We could turn round and go back to Sheffield or put the car into a local garage and continue on. I had paid for the full monty on the RAC package but didn't have my driving license with me. It being a Bank Holiday Sunday, DVLA wouldn't be open until Tuesday so no chance of a car until then. We had been heading to a friend's in London to drop the cat off while we went on to the Kingston Green Fair for the stewards' briefing.
Once we had been towed to the garage, I rang that friend and he came out to pick us up. We managed to get everything from my car to his car and set off again.
The motorway was now clogged with traffic so we took a scenic route to an A road; experienced two hold ups due to accidents but otherwise reasonably plain sailing for London on a Bank Holiday Sunday.
Eight and half hours after we had set off we arrived at our destination.
The cat behaved impeccably throughout. I let her out the cage for a little while inside the car but she began to overheat so I put her back in her cage, brought her outside the car, poured some water on her and she stayed outside the car from then on. Other than that, she was a little fed up with being in her cage all the time but never significantly distressed. I am amazed she travels so well.
I won't know til Tuesday how much the car will cost to repair.
Yesterday a friend, my cat and I set forth in said car on a long trip south. Just over halfway, cruising along I slowed down and flashed a car to come in off the hard shoulder.
As I did so I lost all drive; it was very strange. So I coasted onto the hard shoulder wondering what on earth had gone wrong. I tried restarting the engine and had no joy. The engine was turning over but there was no one home. It sounded a little different to usual too. As we had coasted to a halt the automatic transmission cogged down through the gears but the throttle had no effect.
I got my friend out the car and over the barrier and lifted the bonnet. I couldn't see anything obviously wrong so I looked underneath to see if any oil or water was escaping. Nothing there either.
I called the RAC for the second time this year. With the help of the Highways Traffic Agency, I managed to persuade the receptionist of our location and we got help within 20 minutes.
We were towed off the motorway and into Toddington Services. I discussed the options with the RAC rescue man. We could turn round and go back to Sheffield or put the car into a local garage and continue on. I had paid for the full monty on the RAC package but didn't have my driving license with me. It being a Bank Holiday Sunday, DVLA wouldn't be open until Tuesday so no chance of a car until then. We had been heading to a friend's in London to drop the cat off while we went on to the Kingston Green Fair for the stewards' briefing.
Once we had been towed to the garage, I rang that friend and he came out to pick us up. We managed to get everything from my car to his car and set off again.
The motorway was now clogged with traffic so we took a scenic route to an A road; experienced two hold ups due to accidents but otherwise reasonably plain sailing for London on a Bank Holiday Sunday.
Eight and half hours after we had set off we arrived at our destination.
The cat behaved impeccably throughout. I let her out the cage for a little while inside the car but she began to overheat so I put her back in her cage, brought her outside the car, poured some water on her and she stayed outside the car from then on. Other than that, she was a little fed up with being in her cage all the time but never significantly distressed. I am amazed she travels so well.
I won't know til Tuesday how much the car will cost to repair.
Monday, May 22, 2006
and following on ....
...from my last topic ....
I dispensed with a wolf spider today.
I had to find it first.
I saw it first thing this morning, on the bathroom floor. By the time I had got hold of the glass it had disappeared. So I left the glass ready and went away, figuring it had got into that pile of clothes I'd left on the floor.
I went back later on and shook each piece of clothing carefully. It fell out of the T shirt and scuttled about, seeking shelter. It found the slatted wood and hid in that but I encouraged it out and finally got the glass on it.
I went and got an envelope and slipped that underneath, took the whole thing to a window and showed it to the cat. She was most amused.
I shook the glass out the window. I hung out the window, took away the envelope and watched it sail downwards.
I was left wondering what it thought of it all. Do they come round, stunned, at the end of their journey, thinking 'just what the **** was that?' And how many of them like it and start working out ways to get back so that they have the experience again? Do they call it a mystical experience and have a religion about it? Or do they just get up and go about their business?
I dispensed with a wolf spider today.
I had to find it first.
I saw it first thing this morning, on the bathroom floor. By the time I had got hold of the glass it had disappeared. So I left the glass ready and went away, figuring it had got into that pile of clothes I'd left on the floor.
I went back later on and shook each piece of clothing carefully. It fell out of the T shirt and scuttled about, seeking shelter. It found the slatted wood and hid in that but I encouraged it out and finally got the glass on it.
I went and got an envelope and slipped that underneath, took the whole thing to a window and showed it to the cat. She was most amused.
I shook the glass out the window. I hung out the window, took away the envelope and watched it sail downwards.
I was left wondering what it thought of it all. Do they come round, stunned, at the end of their journey, thinking 'just what the **** was that?' And how many of them like it and start working out ways to get back so that they have the experience again? Do they call it a mystical experience and have a religion about it? Or do they just get up and go about their business?
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
The persecutor, victim and rescuer triangle.
I came across this concept while chatting with someone studying counselling. We were talking about abuse and what behaviour patterns allow people so inclined to think that an individual can be a victim to their bullying.
What I found fundamentally interesting about Lynne Forrest's article is the introduction of the Rescuer into the Persecutor-victim interaction. The discussion about the drama triangle is also good stuff but the inclusion of the Rescuer in the Persecutor-Victim dialogue caused a fundamental shift in my perception of the various abusive systems that occur in life.
Have you ever been in the situation where a workmate or colleague 'only wants to help' but you cringe at their being involved at all. Are you muttering under your breath 'no all you really want to do is balls it up!'. Could it be that Lynne's article is relevant in this situation?
It's also very interesting that a lot of Rescuers don't see themselves as fitting into that triangle at all.
What I found fundamentally interesting about Lynne Forrest's article is the introduction of the Rescuer into the Persecutor-victim interaction. The discussion about the drama triangle is also good stuff but the inclusion of the Rescuer in the Persecutor-Victim dialogue caused a fundamental shift in my perception of the various abusive systems that occur in life.
Have you ever been in the situation where a workmate or colleague 'only wants to help' but you cringe at their being involved at all. Are you muttering under your breath 'no all you really want to do is balls it up!'. Could it be that Lynne's article is relevant in this situation?
It's also very interesting that a lot of Rescuers don't see themselves as fitting into that triangle at all.
Saturday, April 08, 2006
or maybe Miss Piggy ;)
| You Are Miss Piggy |
 A total princess and diva, you're totally in charge - even if people don't know it. You want to be loved, adored, and worshiped. And you won't settle for anything less. You're going to be a total star, and you won't let any of the "little people" get in your way. Just remember, piggy, never eat more than you can lift! |
But I am not sure about her attitude ... 'little people' no that's not me
yes I like to eat
Is this the *only* female role model in the Muppets?
I'm an Animal !!!!
| You Are Animal |
 A complete lunatic, you're operating on 100% animal instincts. You thrive on uncontrolled energy, and you're downright scary. But you sure can beat a good drum. "Kill! Kill!" |
Fortune
Well, since my last blog I have been handed the whole teaching project to run and am working with the admin staff to manage the budget. Which reminds me, I must put that invoice in.
Anyhow, that doesn't eradicate the time I have spent being depressed about human behaviour. Again. It's a family trait; we seem to expect the best from everyone and are always disablingly disappointed and angry when the human race shows itself to be what it is.
I watched some TV last night. David Bowie in his Ziggy Stardust and Diamond Dogs phases and Pink Floyd with Dark Side of the Moon. It was amazing to find out that Dark Side of the Moon was in the charts for 741 weeks - 14 years and 3 months. I'm glad Pink Floyd created Dark Side of the Moon but the thought cropped up that these people - these band members - had made an awful lot of money out of that album and I wondered what they did with it all. It's obvious they used some of it in setting up their own environments to their tastes but after that - what? During the program they honestly declared that their intention was to be rich and famous when they made that album and they sit there with the air and attitude of people who have been successful in their aim.
But I wonder what they do with all that money? Invest it to make more money? Do they invest it promoting technical and musical education for people? Do they do that for people in deprived places or do they simply have high profile schools that only those with advantage can access? Do they invest in ecologically sound projects? Do they fund projects outside music or do they limit themselves to music projects only? Do they limit themselves to creative projects or do they help fund disaster relief like the Boxing Day Tsunami ?
What would you do with billions of pounds, dollars or whatever an unimaginable fortune is in your country?
Anyhow, that doesn't eradicate the time I have spent being depressed about human behaviour. Again. It's a family trait; we seem to expect the best from everyone and are always disablingly disappointed and angry when the human race shows itself to be what it is.
I watched some TV last night. David Bowie in his Ziggy Stardust and Diamond Dogs phases and Pink Floyd with Dark Side of the Moon. It was amazing to find out that Dark Side of the Moon was in the charts for 741 weeks - 14 years and 3 months. I'm glad Pink Floyd created Dark Side of the Moon but the thought cropped up that these people - these band members - had made an awful lot of money out of that album and I wondered what they did with it all. It's obvious they used some of it in setting up their own environments to their tastes but after that - what? During the program they honestly declared that their intention was to be rich and famous when they made that album and they sit there with the air and attitude of people who have been successful in their aim.
But I wonder what they do with all that money? Invest it to make more money? Do they invest it promoting technical and musical education for people? Do they do that for people in deprived places or do they simply have high profile schools that only those with advantage can access? Do they invest in ecologically sound projects? Do they fund projects outside music or do they limit themselves to music projects only? Do they limit themselves to creative projects or do they help fund disaster relief like the Boxing Day Tsunami ?
What would you do with billions of pounds, dollars or whatever an unimaginable fortune is in your country?
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Kitty Fishing
is, after a hard day's work, a great way to destress . All you need is a piece of string, a cat and room to play in.
I teach a basic course for women on computers using Mandriva Linux. We start off with the hardware and they get to build a computer up from parts. Then we install Mandriva and then we introduce them to the Desktop and some of the software on the machines.
Because the place that has achieved the funding from this is an arts venture the software components of importance are the GIMP, digital imagery and vector graphics applications such as Inkscape.
Delivering the course is great fun. All the women enjoy the hardware side of it because they are presented a challenge and they don't often get the opportunity to muck about with hardware in a non-comptetitive all-female environment.
This evening I found out from an acquaintance that she had been asked to do the next run of the course which is to be in the evenings. She had also been asked to do it on a voluntary basis, which she can of course afford to do because she has a full time day job.
I don't. That's the only job I have got and I was enjoying it.
I had to sit there with her going on about how she hoped I didn't mind if she did it because it would be so good for her career and her CV.
Well, girls, she certainly isn't going to make it onto my Christmas card list. We'll skip over the crushing defeat, bewilderment and general level of upsetness I felt over being left to find this out in this manner. And how stupid I felt.
A women's organisation is funding the course and the person who is holding the funds is getting women to work for nothing delivering a course for which they have paid him training funds. It must be really good for him if he can get the money and not spend any of it on delivering the course; zeroise expenditure on the course and he'll have the money to spend on something else.
The computers used are all recycled chuck outs from businesses and are delivered by the businesses to the site where the course takes place. The place has charitable status and is on a cheap rent from the council with the rent, heating, lighting and other running costs already funded.
Such is life. I so hate being at this end of the food chain.
So very lucky to be able to go kitty fishing.
I teach a basic course for women on computers using Mandriva Linux. We start off with the hardware and they get to build a computer up from parts. Then we install Mandriva and then we introduce them to the Desktop and some of the software on the machines.
Because the place that has achieved the funding from this is an arts venture the software components of importance are the GIMP, digital imagery and vector graphics applications such as Inkscape.
Delivering the course is great fun. All the women enjoy the hardware side of it because they are presented a challenge and they don't often get the opportunity to muck about with hardware in a non-comptetitive all-female environment.
This evening I found out from an acquaintance that she had been asked to do the next run of the course which is to be in the evenings. She had also been asked to do it on a voluntary basis, which she can of course afford to do because she has a full time day job.
I don't. That's the only job I have got and I was enjoying it.
I had to sit there with her going on about how she hoped I didn't mind if she did it because it would be so good for her career and her CV.
Well, girls, she certainly isn't going to make it onto my Christmas card list. We'll skip over the crushing defeat, bewilderment and general level of upsetness I felt over being left to find this out in this manner. And how stupid I felt.
A women's organisation is funding the course and the person who is holding the funds is getting women to work for nothing delivering a course for which they have paid him training funds. It must be really good for him if he can get the money and not spend any of it on delivering the course; zeroise expenditure on the course and he'll have the money to spend on something else.
The computers used are all recycled chuck outs from businesses and are delivered by the businesses to the site where the course takes place. The place has charitable status and is on a cheap rent from the council with the rent, heating, lighting and other running costs already funded.
Such is life. I so hate being at this end of the food chain.
So very lucky to be able to go kitty fishing.
Monday, February 27, 2006
Wherever you are it's always worse somewhere else
I watch Middle Eastern politics. I'm not Jewish, nor Palestinian and I have no interests in the area other than it's a newsworthy topic. It is such a troubled place. This blog in the Guardian today gives an idea of what life is like there.
The same woman blogs on here too.
I wonder whether Yousuf will survive and what he will think of the world if and when he comes away from such a place. In his future, how will he be able to integrate into a modern society which doesn't have the problems he is growing up in?
It's easy to see how, years down the line, the Intifada still grows. And that's how all things as the Israel/Palestinian conflict develop and influence us all for generations to come.
The same woman blogs on here too.
I wonder whether Yousuf will survive and what he will think of the world if and when he comes away from such a place. In his future, how will he be able to integrate into a modern society which doesn't have the problems he is growing up in?
It's easy to see how, years down the line, the Intifada still grows. And that's how all things as the Israel/Palestinian conflict develop and influence us all for generations to come.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
I feel so much better
Today I did something stupid and posted something where I shouldn't have.
Fortunately the attachment didn't get through but the body of the message did. I still feel a complete plonker about it. I feel sure it will come back to haunt me.
However, I sensed schadenfreude when I read of someone who has deleted their kernel.
Not that I haven't done such a thing in the past myself. Managed to tar over my kernel. Which is effectively similar.
Accidents happen, so get a life. The thing is to manage to save one self from them.
Fortunately the attachment didn't get through but the body of the message did. I still feel a complete plonker about it. I feel sure it will come back to haunt me.
However, I sensed schadenfreude when I read of someone who has deleted their kernel.
Not that I haven't done such a thing in the past myself. Managed to tar over my kernel. Which is effectively similar.
Accidents happen, so get a life. The thing is to manage to save one self from them.
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
The Motherboard
is an ASUS A7V333 PCB Rev 1.04 and, according to Asus's faq in the support section of their site, this board doesn't support 1665MHz CPU frequency with a 333MHz FSB so I can only run this at 1250 MHz./260 MHz FSB.
Well that's all sorted then.
I had a look for new Socket A boards and found a cheap one with good reviews. Check costs and requirements while toddling along at 1250 I think.
Well that's all sorted then.
I had a look for new Socket A boards and found a cheap one with good reviews. Check costs and requirements while toddling along at 1250 I think.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
The BookCase Incident (edited)
Well, here I am again
I have been in the wars over the last month , damaging my ribs in a fall while out walking, and then having to rescue my workroom when a 6ft tall BookCase fell over.
That was a real nuisance. It's about 4.5ft or so wide and had thrown all the books, LPs and CDs around, now teetering over a 17" monitor and a box of research papers, divested of its load. I had to work my way through the room wreckage on one side and try and haul the BookCase back upright.
The BookCase kindly chose to dig into the wall and skirting board at the farthest corner from me it could manage. That really hurt, leaning over awkwardly lifting the BookCase off the wall and then the skirting board. I couldn't go to the middle of it, too much 'stuff' was lying between the monitor and the box of papers propping the thing up and moving anything from underneath it while it was in that position was a dangerous proposition.
So, BookCase up, I started picking up all the 'stuff' and transporting it to the living room. Books, CD's loudpseakers, LP'sm all manner of 'stuff' that gets put on BookCase shelves.
I had been thinking about reorganising the room out for a while. There was stuff everywhere and I could only move the seat a fraction even when the books, junk and BookCase where they should be. The time had come.
I got shot of that BookCase. I'd been thinking on doing it for a while and now seemed, apart from my ribs, as good a time as any. The BookCase had always leant forward far too much; it was far too unstable. It was an old freebie from someone moving to London. It had served its purpose.
I dismantled the BookCase and hauled all these pieces of metal BookCase up to the dump. The refuse management agents weren't going to lend a hand so I had to get it all in the metal only skip myself, ribs aching and all.
I moved the desk under the window, and found the LCD screen poor competition for the February sunlight. So I moved the desk again, against the wall with the sun to my right. There is still competition with the sunlight, when it streams in again so I still need a thicker curtain or blind.
The desk is a simple arrangement, a piece of paper maché from Ikea with wood blocks at each corner. measuring about 160x80cm. Cheap and it works. It carries books, teacups, the keyboard, mouse, printer, VDU and various other paraphenalia.
At the time of the BookCase Incident, I had all my machines in the room. I was working under the desk taking a good look round the motherboard of an Athlon XP 2k that was having heat problems running at 1667MHz, hunting for information on how to tweak the CPU speed in the manual which I was looking at on my laptop. The Athlon 2k box was opened but underneath the desk. The laptop was underneath the desk. I'd just gone through to feed the cat and make a cup of tea. The two BSD boxen were in slight disarray at the end of the desk but still going. Nothing dead, damaged nor disconnected. How lucky can you get?
Anyhow, little Miss FussyBoots here moved the desk round twice. That included moving all the machines and the laptop and the Athlon box.
I ordered some new fans, some silver thermal paste, more RAM and an LG DVD RAM for the overheating box and got on with moving stuff in and out of the room.
I had lost a place to put the books but had a cupboard which I emptied of cardboard boxes and polystyrene. I decided my computers, CD player and other stuff could move without their packaging next time I have to move. The packing cases had to go. I was fed up with running stuff up the dump, getting in and out of the car hurt, picking stuff up and throw it in the right skips and my ribs were hurting badly so I decided the cardboard could go in the recycling bins downstairs. I filled a wheelie bin of that up and added the polystyrene to the weekly household rubbish.
All the paperwork and books went there and with the new desk placement I can get to them easily. Initially I put the LPs in there, but when I sat down in the living room, I looked over at my bureau and decided the fun stuff in the bottom of there could go in the work room and the LPs could go where they were because the LP's were a fun thing and the stuff in the boxes was a work thing. So I gave myself a piece of extra work, moving the LP's twice.
The BookCase Incident happened on Monday. By the Thursday I couldn't move and was really fed up with the mess and the pain. My Mum phoned. Friday my case fans arrived so I put those in. Flowers arrived Saturday and I ran the box for 8 hours straight until the motherboard's thermal cutout kicked in.
The other parts for the Athlon box arrived on Monday. The old CPU fan came off more easily than I expected and the new one went on with a very generous dollop of the silver thermal paste. I had been worried about replacing that fan but got plenty of debate and advice in a chatroom, #linuxchics on irc.oft.net. I got the methylated spirits from the garage to clean the base of the new heatsink and cleaned the top of the CPU very carefully. At this moment, I have a bottle of meths on the table but it will be put under the kitchen sink or back in the garage very soon.
My sound, which I had got working just before the BookCase Incident, isn't working now.
I am considering a sound card instead of the onboard chip, a C-Media chip which Suse 9.2 identifies as C-Media PCI CMI8738. I have no clue what this means.
The new RAM didn't like working with the old RAM so I am using just the new stick. That doubles my memory capacity. I'll see how it goes.
The fans are definitely working. The CPU fan is very quiet and the only noise I can hear from all three of them is a low buzz but I can also hear the hard disk and feel moving air near them. One of the old fans had been making a bit of a noise; probably the bearings wearing out. I also suspect the old case fans were on the wrong way, pulling air into the box instead of out. I can feel air movement when I put my hand to the bays at the top of the machine and it's cold air. The new fans are pulling air through, the new CPU fan with it's sexy heatsink using that convection to conduct the heat away from the CPU and drive the warmer air out.
The CPU cooler is a drop dead gorgeous Speeze VultureSpin and that heatsink is very Krell.
I am concerned about the top case fan because that abuts the secondary IDE connector and ribbon. I wonder how long the 80-pin IDE cable will hold up against any fan vibration.
So, how's your week been?
I have been in the wars over the last month , damaging my ribs in a fall while out walking, and then having to rescue my workroom when a 6ft tall BookCase fell over.
That was a real nuisance. It's about 4.5ft or so wide and had thrown all the books, LPs and CDs around, now teetering over a 17" monitor and a box of research papers, divested of its load. I had to work my way through the room wreckage on one side and try and haul the BookCase back upright.
The BookCase kindly chose to dig into the wall and skirting board at the farthest corner from me it could manage. That really hurt, leaning over awkwardly lifting the BookCase off the wall and then the skirting board. I couldn't go to the middle of it, too much 'stuff' was lying between the monitor and the box of papers propping the thing up and moving anything from underneath it while it was in that position was a dangerous proposition.
So, BookCase up, I started picking up all the 'stuff' and transporting it to the living room. Books, CD's loudpseakers, LP'sm all manner of 'stuff' that gets put on BookCase shelves.
I had been thinking about reorganising the room out for a while. There was stuff everywhere and I could only move the seat a fraction even when the books, junk and BookCase where they should be. The time had come.
I got shot of that BookCase. I'd been thinking on doing it for a while and now seemed, apart from my ribs, as good a time as any. The BookCase had always leant forward far too much; it was far too unstable. It was an old freebie from someone moving to London. It had served its purpose.
I dismantled the BookCase and hauled all these pieces of metal BookCase up to the dump. The refuse management agents weren't going to lend a hand so I had to get it all in the metal only skip myself, ribs aching and all.
I moved the desk under the window, and found the LCD screen poor competition for the February sunlight. So I moved the desk again, against the wall with the sun to my right. There is still competition with the sunlight, when it streams in again so I still need a thicker curtain or blind.
The desk is a simple arrangement, a piece of paper maché from Ikea with wood blocks at each corner. measuring about 160x80cm. Cheap and it works. It carries books, teacups, the keyboard, mouse, printer, VDU and various other paraphenalia.
At the time of the BookCase Incident, I had all my machines in the room. I was working under the desk taking a good look round the motherboard of an Athlon XP 2k that was having heat problems running at 1667MHz, hunting for information on how to tweak the CPU speed in the manual which I was looking at on my laptop. The Athlon 2k box was opened but underneath the desk. The laptop was underneath the desk. I'd just gone through to feed the cat and make a cup of tea. The two BSD boxen were in slight disarray at the end of the desk but still going. Nothing dead, damaged nor disconnected. How lucky can you get?
Anyhow, little Miss FussyBoots here moved the desk round twice. That included moving all the machines and the laptop and the Athlon box.
I ordered some new fans, some silver thermal paste, more RAM and an LG DVD RAM for the overheating box and got on with moving stuff in and out of the room.
I had lost a place to put the books but had a cupboard which I emptied of cardboard boxes and polystyrene. I decided my computers, CD player and other stuff could move without their packaging next time I have to move. The packing cases had to go. I was fed up with running stuff up the dump, getting in and out of the car hurt, picking stuff up and throw it in the right skips and my ribs were hurting badly so I decided the cardboard could go in the recycling bins downstairs. I filled a wheelie bin of that up and added the polystyrene to the weekly household rubbish.
All the paperwork and books went there and with the new desk placement I can get to them easily. Initially I put the LPs in there, but when I sat down in the living room, I looked over at my bureau and decided the fun stuff in the bottom of there could go in the work room and the LPs could go where they were because the LP's were a fun thing and the stuff in the boxes was a work thing. So I gave myself a piece of extra work, moving the LP's twice.
The BookCase Incident happened on Monday. By the Thursday I couldn't move and was really fed up with the mess and the pain. My Mum phoned. Friday my case fans arrived so I put those in. Flowers arrived Saturday and I ran the box for 8 hours straight until the motherboard's thermal cutout kicked in.
The other parts for the Athlon box arrived on Monday. The old CPU fan came off more easily than I expected and the new one went on with a very generous dollop of the silver thermal paste. I had been worried about replacing that fan but got plenty of debate and advice in a chatroom, #linuxchics on irc.oft.net. I got the methylated spirits from the garage to clean the base of the new heatsink and cleaned the top of the CPU very carefully. At this moment, I have a bottle of meths on the table but it will be put under the kitchen sink or back in the garage very soon.
My sound, which I had got working just before the BookCase Incident, isn't working now.
I am considering a sound card instead of the onboard chip, a C-Media chip which Suse 9.2 identifies as C-Media PCI CMI8738. I have no clue what this means.
The new RAM didn't like working with the old RAM so I am using just the new stick. That doubles my memory capacity. I'll see how it goes.
The fans are definitely working. The CPU fan is very quiet and the only noise I can hear from all three of them is a low buzz but I can also hear the hard disk and feel moving air near them. One of the old fans had been making a bit of a noise; probably the bearings wearing out. I also suspect the old case fans were on the wrong way, pulling air into the box instead of out. I can feel air movement when I put my hand to the bays at the top of the machine and it's cold air. The new fans are pulling air through, the new CPU fan with it's sexy heatsink using that convection to conduct the heat away from the CPU and drive the warmer air out.
The CPU cooler is a drop dead gorgeous Speeze VultureSpin and that heatsink is very Krell.
I am concerned about the top case fan because that abuts the secondary IDE connector and ribbon. I wonder how long the 80-pin IDE cable will hold up against any fan vibration.
So, how's your week been?
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Me and my interests
OK, I suppose I should post a bit about myself so that you get an idea of who and what I am.
I run Linux and OpenBSD at home, have some years experience in software development and electrical engineering and I have a cat.
I am currently looking at Elisp, the emacs version of the programming language Lisp, mostly use LaTeX for document processing. I have Debian 3.1r1, OpenBSD v3.8, SuSE Linux and a homebrew of OpenBSD 3.6 on four different boxes.
I haven't used Windows in years.
Do I think Linux and OpenBSD is better than Windows? From a personal level I prefer Linux and OpenBSD. I get all sorts of software available to me and the hard part, the really hard part, is deciding what to use.
Decisions, decisions: like when writing letters do I use the standard letter class in LaTeX or do I use the Koma-script scrlttr2 class. I've been using the standard letter class until recently but then came upon the issue of writing out an invoice.
Initially I used the longtable package, then tried the invoice package which produced better results but I couldn't get the top of the page to have the recipient and sender's address quite where I want them. I tried using article class to no avail.
While using the invoice package I found mention of the Koma-script set of classes so I took a look at those. It produces a better output; looking at it this morning it definitely produces a better output than I had previously but I want more.
The book I use to help with LaTeX is A Guide to LaTeX by Helmut Kopka and Patrick W. Daly. I am thinking of buying another book which might help me understand classes and packages and how to write my own because I nearly always find limitations with the packages and classes I have at my disposal. Again, there may be something out there on CTAN which will do what I want it to do but my present issues are :
To be honest I haven't a clue why. I like the output from LaTeX. Once something is set up I don't have to worry about what it looks like, I can just worry about the content. Yes there are templates in Microsoft Word and in OpenOffice but they don't quite do it for me.
When you consider longer documents which might need cross references and mathematical typesetting, LaTeX produces really good output. I have set a thesis in electromagnetic field theory and finite elements using Microsoft Word, and it was hell to do. Move any figures, tables or equations around and it was a hunt through the whole set of documents comprising that thesis to find all the cross references and check they were ok. Sometimes things didn't line up quite right and getting that alignment correct was really really time consuming. And then Word would sometimes realign on various metrics that I had no control over so I'd be sitting there doing all that work again and working out how to get around that newly discovered metric.
With LaTeX, this typesetting is separated from the activity of looking at and considering the content. The way the two tasks are broken down, it's easier.
I run Linux and OpenBSD at home, have some years experience in software development and electrical engineering and I have a cat.
I am currently looking at Elisp, the emacs version of the programming language Lisp, mostly use LaTeX for document processing. I have Debian 3.1r1, OpenBSD v3.8, SuSE Linux and a homebrew of OpenBSD 3.6 on four different boxes.
I haven't used Windows in years.
Do I think Linux and OpenBSD is better than Windows? From a personal level I prefer Linux and OpenBSD. I get all sorts of software available to me and the hard part, the really hard part, is deciding what to use.
Decisions, decisions: like when writing letters do I use the standard letter class in LaTeX or do I use the Koma-script scrlttr2 class. I've been using the standard letter class until recently but then came upon the issue of writing out an invoice.
Initially I used the longtable package, then tried the invoice package which produced better results but I couldn't get the top of the page to have the recipient and sender's address quite where I want them. I tried using article class to no avail.
While using the invoice package I found mention of the Koma-script set of classes so I took a look at those. It produces a better output; looking at it this morning it definitely produces a better output than I had previously but I want more.
The book I use to help with LaTeX is A Guide to LaTeX by Helmut Kopka and Patrick W. Daly. I am thinking of buying another book which might help me understand classes and packages and how to write my own because I nearly always find limitations with the packages and classes I have at my disposal. Again, there may be something out there on CTAN which will do what I want it to do but my present issues are :
- Envelopes - there's a package that will print envelopes and I have had success with A5 and D1 size envelopes but these are designed toward the American postal system so use a sans serif font. A barcode of the address can be printed, which apperently the American system requires and these two factors hlep the machines in American read where the mail destination. But, for the time being, in England, we don't have such restrictions. I want the envelope to use the same font as I use in my letter and it would be fantastic to be able to create the .dvi output
- Invoices - there's a package that does invoices and does them quite well, but I want to be able to have recipient and sender address on there, and maybe the opportunity to do have a fancy header of some sort in there.
- While using the invoice package I had a really neat invoice table and the recipient's address on the right lined up with the start of the table on the left but no matter how I tried I couldn't get the sender's address to line up with the right hand edge of the table. I wasn't happy with that at all.
To be honest I haven't a clue why. I like the output from LaTeX. Once something is set up I don't have to worry about what it looks like, I can just worry about the content. Yes there are templates in Microsoft Word and in OpenOffice but they don't quite do it for me.
When you consider longer documents which might need cross references and mathematical typesetting, LaTeX produces really good output. I have set a thesis in electromagnetic field theory and finite elements using Microsoft Word, and it was hell to do. Move any figures, tables or equations around and it was a hunt through the whole set of documents comprising that thesis to find all the cross references and check they were ok. Sometimes things didn't line up quite right and getting that alignment correct was really really time consuming. And then Word would sometimes realign on various metrics that I had no control over so I'd be sitting there doing all that work again and working out how to get around that newly discovered metric.
With LaTeX, this typesetting is separated from the activity of looking at and considering the content. The way the two tasks are broken down, it's easier.
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
This is a test
Ok so I've logged into blogger.com and created a blog.
Why do I want a blog? ... And can I change my template once I've chosen it?
Why do I want a blog? ... And can I change my template once I've chosen it?
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