Category: misc

Mine’s a big one

Just as the lady with the frankly massive puppies who lives at the end of the street has finally trimmed her bush I asked for and thus received a big one earlier today.

It ended poorly.

Now chai latte is an awesome drink but, as I believe I discovered earlier, only in moderation. I asked for a big one before we watched the film ‘Missing Link’. Unfortunately it appears it’s just too much for my otherwise iron constitution.[efn_note]A barefaced lie![/efn_note] So, yeah…

My stomach, it gurgles, a portent of doom down below; my wife advised me to bring a spare toilet roll up, just in case.

Whereas daughter 2 offered up 4-1/4, I’ll give ‘Missing Link’ 3-1/2 of 5 stars. Maybe my judgment will improve once I’ve…

Chess 3

I actually won a game vs the Chess.com computer, still at level 1 but it’s nevertheless a win![efn_note]To my unending chagrin, I wasn’t logged in.[/efn_note]

Computer Level 1:

1  f4  Nc6

2  c4  b6

3  e3  d6

4  d3  Qd7

5  Nf3  Nd8

6  Bd2  e5

7  g3  b5

8  Ba5  bxc4

9  dxc4  Ne7

10  Nc3  exf4

11  gxf4  Ne6

12  f5  Nxf5

13  Bh3  Nc5

14  Nh4  Bb7

15  Bxf5  Bxh1

16  Bxd7+  Ke7

17  Bf5  c6

18  Bc7  f6

19  Qd4  Bd5

20  cxd5  g6

21  a4  Re8

22  e4  g5

23  Nf3  Kf7

24  h4  h6

25  Rb1  gxh4

26  Nxh4  Nd3+

27  Kd2  Nf4

28  Rf1  c5

29  Qe3  Kg8

30  Rxf4  h5

31  Ng6  Re5

32  Nb5  Bh6

33  Nxd6  a5

34  Ne7+  Kg7

35  Ne8+  Rxe8

36  Nc6  Bxf4

37  Qxf4  Rxf5

38  Qxf5  c4

39  Qd7+  Kg6

40  Qxe8+  Kg5

41  Bg3  f5

42  Ne5  h4

43  Bf2  h3

44  Nf3+  Kf6

45  Bh4+  Kg7

46  Qe5+  Kg6

47  Be7  f4

48  Qxf4  Kh7

49  Bf6  h2

50  Nxh2  c3+

51  Kxc3  Kg6

52  Ng4  Kh5

53  Qf5#  1-0

Thwarted

Today, and for the first time in years, the local LibDems candidate visited and leafleted. Amazing; a refreshing change.

Speculating from my amazement and my opening comments that I might be amenable to rejoining the party, he… well I’m honestly considering it, and I have the urge to use my vote wisely[efn_note]This did not end well.[/efn_note] this time around.

Your and my previous scorn, though not entirely misplaced, has… Let’s just say, although neither of us expect a win, both realise after the disappointment of recent years allied to the Nasty Party, there’s a long game to be played here.

At the time of writing though, no-one in Rochdale can know much about any of the candidates; fewer than 15% of the candidates offered up any background information about themselves, see the link below:

https://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/elections/candidates/31

Oh, the title’s ‘Thwarted’ simply because I’ve been prevented from winding myself up for a good old-fashioned moan.

Chess 2

Playing against the Chess.com computer at the lowest difficulty level I’m getting a lot of games ending in a ‘stalemate’, including one where only the computer’s king remained.

Ok, I’ve read the stalemate rules but it seems just wrong that I’ve not won anything yet. I’ll be honest though, as a newcomer to the game I’m happy enough when I last more than 25 moves without being soundly thrashed.

Podcasts?

This is a placeholder post to celebrate the very best audio posts from the previous incarnation of my blog. Both of them![efn_note]Linked, not embedded, because it’s quicker and easier.[/efn_note]

The first ‘Audio file’ was recorded on 24 January 2016 and ‘Bins’, the second and my most recent, 5 days later.

Not podcasts though, for I am not a podcaster.

AgeID

First question of the year: have any of you managed to register with AgeID?

Given the simple fact we’re 2 weeks away from the implementation of this significant part of the UK government’s Digital Economy Act 2017 it seems indicative of a wider ineptitude stifling our country that “Registration is not available in your country yet.”

How very ‘English’.

(Of course it might work if I wasn’t so reliant on doing everything on my phone.)