[Les.]

Twice I wrote most of the following, and it disappeared. Probably my fault, so I will write in Writer, then copy. Hopefully.

Anyway, Bob, you have me beaten. I just have 16 left at a quick count.

Aged nine in 1951, I was sentenced to 6 months at his Maj’s pleasure (Hospital, not the other place) as my doctor was instructed to examine me one Sunday by my mother. During that time, I had one (maybe two) extracted with gas. I managed to evade dentists until around 18 years when I had an abscess. At the second attempt, I found a dentist who proceeded to painfully pull two out. A year or so later, one Easter, another abscess saw me at the local hospital where a female dentist, Ceylonese I think, dug three out whilst I screamed with pain. By now my absolute fear of dentists was well established!

Another three years before the third attack, when an almost retired dentist managed to painlessly inject me, then noisily and crunchingly extract one or two, but like the injection, painlessly.

At 26 years, I attended the same practice for treatment, I think a repair to a front tooth, when I was asked had I ever had any of the following, including rheumatic fever. The reply had me told to go away, coe back nxt day after taking antibiotics. Working 40 miles distant, this was most inconvenient, so he agreed to send me out with a prescription and an instruction to go into town and eat a proper meal, as he could see my fear.

After that, I signed up for regular appointments and treatment as required, and after another 20 years or so, I had overcome the phobia.

My dentist here on the Isle of man gave up NHS about a dozen years ago, so I now pay through Denplan.

About three years ago, he stopped giving me antibiotics before treatment as it was now considered unnecessary, but I was to keep some at home just in case.

About two years ago, another abscess, but this time extraction was avoided. Similar treatment 50 or so years ago may have seen me ahead Bob.

Cheers, Les.

[Les.]

Ed, I do agree about reaction times. A quick eye test and reaction time every few years would be a good thing.

So, you play loads of computer games and your reaction time does not fit the graph. Makes sense. I ride a motorcycle, and have done so for 61 years. Quite a few years ago, I went to the annual M/C show, and they had a reaction time test. You sat on a bike, watched the screen, accelerated away, and stopped when the big accident appeared in front of you. It was late afternoon, I was up early, had been on the bike for at least a couple of hours, trudged around the show all day, and was persuaded to have a go. I must have been off the graph with my response time, one of the fastest of the day. Maybe because I rode a bike 365 days of the year. Today I ride less, but still regularly, and I still enjoy speed, maybe that will keep my reaction times short. Maybe years of driving “mini coaches” with the unpredictability of 4 or 6 horse power kept the Duke’s reaction times good.

No seat belt, silly sod, it is against the law and wearing one does give a measure of protection in most acciden5t situations.

I wear a crash hat for the same reason, but do not assume it gives be absolution if something big happens, but then I was around when you learned what fireworks could do by playing about with them. Safety culture is one thing, but completely stifling all learning opportunities is crazy..

The DofE is one bright spark who has been around all my life, and I wish him many more years. I hope I can hang on as long as he does.

I spent an hour with my chain saw this afternoon. Much safer sitting on my a**e in the living room, but where is the fun in that?

Les.

[Les.]

Don’t you think you are mostly being a bit uncharitable? I am not aware of a “bathtub curve” for accidents and age, but there is no doubt that YOUNG drivers have most accidents. This old man until very recently was driving “small coaches” dragged by multiple horses with great skill, probably a damn sight more difficult than a big range rover. Some older people are incompetent, some realise their skills are waning and give up, but I would be most surprised if HRH is not checked over health wise regularly.

I had an accident when I pulled out and was hit by a car. I looked R, looked L, R again and pulled out. I think the car was in front of a bus shelter, providing “camouflage”. I would be late 20’s early 30’ss then. Admitted liability and got on with things. None since then.

I ride my bike regularly (out this morning) and rarely slowly (though slower than 50 to 60 years ago) but I am appalled by the general abilities I see around me. Not just from 97 year olds, and I see no significance to his “status”. The police ARE investigating.

Les.

[Les.]

Ed, Mr DuckDuckGo has a few reports of webcams no longer working with Skype, with similar comments on cheese and VLC.

However, the HP webcam has arrived, and Tamara now has full sound and video once more. Popularity restored.

There will shortly be two webcams listed on Ebay, A Logitech Quickcam for notebooks deluxe, and a Microsoft Lifecam VX-1000.

Not suitable for Linux will be appended. That should see the back of them!

Les.

[Les.]

My pal who had checked the “faulty” Logitech Quickcam for Notebooks De Luxe on his windoze computers called around today bringing it with him. Leaving my good Logitech C270 plugged in, I plugged the “faulty” one in a front USB, then later tried the Microsoft Lifecam  instead. — Same results in each case:-

Cheese. Saw the C270, but remained unaware of the other one.

Skype for linux. Worked with the C270, “Saw” the other one, but blank screen only.

VLC. Both webcams seen, were selectable, and worked!

Obviously linux can see them, but Skype can not use, and Cheese can neither see nor use.

Just waiting for the HP to arrive.

Les.

[Les.]

DDan, no problem, I have ordered one. That means both the Logitech 270 AND the HP 2300 are good to go.

I will look maybe tomorrow to see if the “broken” webcam  can be made to work, in the knowledge that there is a worker on its way.

Cheers, Les.

[Les.]

DDan, is that a slip of the pen? You said two logitech webcams, but your link is to an HP, or maybe they are the same thing in different clothes?

Les.

[Les.]

DDan,  I guess your link explains the loss of support. Perhaps that big, easily accessible list of webcam support or not support that I can no longer find is because much of it is NLA (applicable). I realise it is not all logitech webcams. I currently use a C270, and it gives very good sound and video. The problem with those however is quite expensive, and not very reliable. My current one is No. 3 over a 4 year period or thereabouts.

However, I think I will be getting another if I can’t find anything else suitable.

Which ones do you have.

Les.

[Les.]

Ed, been there. Cheese is my go to when any queries. When I tried it with MY computer, skype “saw” a black screen, but did not recognise it as anything (including no sound). Surprisingly, cheese saw nothing.

Les.

[Les.]

Dave, they say if you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind.

Think there will be more to follow.

Happy Christmas all,.

Happy new year all.

Happy Brexit all.

Les.

[Les.]

About a month ago, I called in on a pal, but he said he had flu, and he really was bunged up, so he sent me away. Connected or not, I started a cold two days later. In recent years, I have had three colds, one lasting 18hrs, one 24hrs and one about 36 hours. This went on for a week. Maybe purely coincidence.

However, I now find that the Pal’s flu had got worse, affected his stomach, then his lungs. Then he found he was constipated, going for a pee every couple of hours, but barely passing a teaspoonful. Feeling worse, he went to his doctor, she examined him, administered oxygen, whilst sending for an ambulance. Yes, Stevie, sepsis. This is the third of my group of contemporaries in the last 12 months who have had sepsis, two of whom were almost gone. One has very damaged kidneys now, another (my B in L) who now has a bag, hopefully temporary.

Not good. Until a couple of years ago, apart from knowing it was once called septicemia (sp?), I had barely heard of it.

Les.

[Les.]

12 to 15 years ago  we had some PC cases c/w PSU’s which turned out to be CARP (Thanks CPC) as the PSU would fail with uncontrolled voltage on all rails. Once I fully recognised the problem, I advised all owners to have a new PSU. (Difficult conversation, but the boss would not consider FOC replacements), though I did not charge for labour. If not replaced, failure usually killed off most or all of the boards plus the HDD.

Is it possible you have a PSU fault? There is one 12v supply frequently required for the graphics card, which may not be used elsewhere. Before fitting any GPU, I would check all supply rails whilst running.

Les.

[Les.]

Richard, I have said it before here, but if you are waking for a pee more than once (twice at a stretch), it may be because you are NOT drinking ENOUGH water.

I take a litre upstairs. I woke at 4:45 this morning, took 20 large mouths full from the tit on top (almost one pint), lumber to my feet, and off for the pee. My eyes are always dry, so I navigate with them closed, my aim is good, and by the time I have finished, the water seems to have reached my eyes, and I can open them without problems.

I think too many men cut down on water thinking it helps, but in my case it causes overheating, crazy dreams, and repeated waking, often returning to the same crazy dream. With plenty of irrigation, I MAY get a mini-dream before the 4:30ish wake up, but rarely any more..

Les.

[Les.]

Ed, I do now have access using the big old dongle (I may retry the small new one again). From that link which I posted I now realise that WiFi can be toggled on and off using Fn + F5.

Dave, I am intending to install the next Mint (in a few days maybe), so I will see if that can find the “hidden somewhere” on board WiFi hardware. I MAY have somehow screwed it up in the OS somewhere, though it may have just died of its own accord just when I was playing with Skype.

If it is really dead, I will consult the white list and get one that is suited, then hope it works with the “existing on board” one not interfering. However, it may not make any financial difference if I tried that extender. I have read the user guide, and could probably set it up. I notice the info sheet says 110v supply, but I assume that is a typical 110 -270v SMPSU requirement.

Of course it is “something else” that SWMBO will complain about.

That is not a problem when she insists I get the “electric Santa” from the loft, so it can shine its bulbs in the window, together with two battery powered LED strings she has acquired.

Cheers, Les.

Edit, Sp.

[Les.]

I will throw in a couple of comments here. If you buy one of the Win XP-SP3 editions off Ebay, you can install it, and 28 days later, reset your PC’s clock to the starting date again. All the above objections still apply though.

Hardware. I also have an AMD Athlon-X2 based rig, bios date 2009, though it was 2 years later when I bought it. On it, I have only ever used Linux (Ubuntu 10.4 originally, but later Mint), now Mint 19. The on-board graphics could not keep up with probably,  Mint 16, so in went a GT620 (now 720 I think).

Like you I had 2Gb of ram, but watching motoGP playback through “Simplescreenrecorder” failed on me this year (OK last year). An upgrade to 4Gb ram fixed that.  — I think the programme must have been upgraded and “complexificated”.

So, in my opinion, nothing wrong with your hardware –YET. And when yours is too old, so will be mine.

Les.

[Les.]

I have just been looking again at Backintime, here

https://www.howtogeek.com/110138/how-to-back-up-your-linux-system-with-back-in-time/

He seems to give clear instructions, but can you clarify? Scrolling down to almost the bottom, he mentions the snapshots (Graphical) then shows his snapshots, their desktop location, and the individual files (screenshots not snapshots???) with the bottom one being his latest.

Assuming a crash and data loss, I suppose you click on the final one and instruct it to restore, but does it then put ALL the snapshots together to rebuild the whole shebang?

I want to be 100% clear before the need arises.

I have already thought how it could help me with a long standing “lost emails” problem.

Les.

Ed, on the planning thing, I have to apply for ANYTHING, being in a conservation zone. The same thing happened to me 30 years ago in Staffs, but when I applied for outbuildings, they made an objection to my brick choice. I argued strongly, pointing out that their suggestion was to use bricks that were soft enough to eat for breakfast. I had my way and used decent Staffs bricks (I know my bricks!), however, they made some suggestions that actually saved me time and money and gave a better result. I had not applied that way as I thought they would say no due to proximity of the mill stream.

Les.

[Les.]

Ed, I have looked at backintime, and it looked very suitable. I will be trying it, but I am waiting for the Mint19.1 full release (The Beta is out now, my pal installed it last night).

I now have the replacement 240GB SSD, but decided to wait the likely short period, then go straight to that with the 19.1, rather than going through the process twice. I may try the backup before then, if Xmas permits. All yesterday fighting with cards, and only half done. That is just the most urgent of dozens of jobs staring at me. Busy with a planning application, done most of drawings, using a convenient scale of 1:40 in Libre office Draw, only to find they insist on 1:50 or 1:100. More time wasted. Since my last application for a porch, it seems as if they want twice as much stuff. I think the motive is to convince people they need to employ a surveyor, so there are plenty of extra retirement opportunities when they take their early retirements with big pensions and new easy employment. Cynical? Moi? Non!

Les.

[Les.]

Not sure what happened, but I (thought I had) posted here yesterday?

Anyway,  I installed Photorec (Testdisk) and attempted some undelete.

A modicum of success. I recovered about 20 – 25 photos, just 7 of which were “missing”. Of those, three were from the “Very Wanted” ones, and four were of a little motorcycle for sale (Sold!). Looking through my “Pictures”, I have xxx68 and xxx90, so there were just 20 missing, so it would seem my success rate was about 30%.

Testdisk  finds a deleted, named -xx78, obviously corresponding to an original xxx78, but it is not possible to rename it. (Of course it probably CAN be renamed, but not by me just yet). What I did manage was to open each one in Libre office draw, rename that, and export as a jpeg if required.

Some you win, some you lose, this has been a curates egg experience.

Les.

[Les.]

SSD went back to suppliers (Picstop) so this afternoon I had the bright idea of asking if it was still available. I also asked about replacement. Quick reply. Replacement sent, tracking No link. Nowt else, so no access. I went through every other drive that I might have copied it to, but nothing. I had saved a full copy a few days before, but when I reinstalled on another drive (which MAY have had a copy) I copied across .thunderbird  .mozilla and .kodi. I recopied all of docs, but probably did not do pictures, thinking already up to date.

I will get another SD card and clone it there, then see what can be done. This was all evidence, having started foundations without sending for building regs people. Idiot me.

Les.

[Les.]

I really could not work it out. It allows various folders to be “not excluded” leading me to think it would be OK, but then deeper reading of the previous link left me uncertain.

I will search for a Plan B. I will look at our link next. Have looked at a few but then got involved with Timeshift.

Thanks.

[Author]

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