rowanlangley's Journal
[Most Recent Entries]
[Calendar View]
[Friends]
Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in
rowanlangley's LiveJournal:
[ << Previous 20 ]
| Wednesday, July 8th, 2009 | | 7:25 pm |
linux still rocks
Because i dropped my computer and the hard drive, but thanks to the magic of "Live" DVDs we are still going with the DVD and a USB stick backup. | | Tuesday, June 30th, 2009 | | 5:33 pm |
Linux Kicks Ass
Bill's especially. Picked up new hard disk this morning. Fitted to machine at lunch time. Booted from the live CD. Set the language to English,(menu comes up automatically) then keyboard to UK (simple selections with the F3 key), then the option titled "Install Linux" Followed the defaults. The installer went to work. Supplied some user data such as time zone, created my account and watched the progress bar. Linux installed by the time I had eaten, with another 13 minutes to copy all my data back from the USB stick. THis is a seriously good piece of software. | | Wednesday, June 24th, 2009 | | 9:35 pm |
LINUX ROCKS
The knocking noises from the hard disk were indeed its death throes, and eventually response became treacle. A reboot came back with a message that there was no filesystem to boot from Then a reboot came back with no hard disk found - check cable. Then the disk made a few knocking noises and went quiet. Panic ye not. Chat with Bob, who looked up how to spring the discs from these machines, success, so an item for the shopping list tomorrow Dig out a live DVD of Ubuntu 8.10 Post into the drive post USB stick in the back plug into the router Here we are back in business. The nice to have stuff, (some photos and music) are no more, but everything which is important, my notes for a course I give in three weeks time, my records etc are all there on the stick, we can carry on as if nothing happened. Also I hear that one of the Linux mags has a more recent UBUNTU release on the cover disk. No I wont be going to Windows 7. Too many business continuity and disaster recovery issues. Current Mood: smug git | | 8:50 pm |
The computer has been making the most interesting noises this evening, sounding a bit like the old fashioned floppy drive going thunk thunk thunk thunk. Made a backup of critical data onto a stick. However it seems to have quietened down now and the response has improved. Of note is that Linux's native file system EXT/3 fettles itself on the fly and keeps a journal of everything it does rather than waiting for the user to get hacked of with slow response and launch a defrag programme so what may actually be happening is that the noises are from the EXT/3 file system giving the disc a good fettling | | Monday, June 22nd, 2009 | | 10:18 pm |
Back of the net
Complete loss of touchscreen control to rather a lot of equipment : Down to a switch which had hung. one power cycle and one 15 minute session with open office to knock together a drawing for the information site should the fault happen again. One dead monitor, must be around 20 years old. "Throw it in the bin, they are very cheap these days ! " No chance. Test through the power supply department, mains switch (double pole) open circuit on the line side. Remove, dismantle, clean, re-assemble, switch now a nice closed circuit on both line and neutral. monitor safety tested and back into service. waste : nil Cost : nil My time is paid for whether I fixed it or condemned it and bought a £100 cheapy so the firm is £100 better off "We fix to sub component level" | | Tuesday, June 9th, 2009 | | 9:36 am |
Tuesday Up early, last bit of packing and to Kings Cross Station and the train to Berwick on Tweed. It is a bit of a shock to the system, but worth it to be leaving London at 0800 as most people are travelling in grudgingly to work. Bless the reservation computer,a table seat and power socket, and as England sped by I was able to do more work on the renewable energy cabin, this time laying out the panel of meters to keep track of the renewable energy systems in the cabin. Mid day, and leave the train at Berwick on Tweed. A quick trundle down the main street to sniff out a café for lunch, but first to St Aidan's Peace Church. The church was founded by retired Church of Scotland minister George Mitchell and his wife Joy in 1987, bringing a disused and derelict church back into use. As its title would suggest its focus is on peace witness and environmental witness, Cafe lunch then onto the road at last, finding a cycle route threading its way round the bypass road and into the B roads westwards, following the North bank of the River Tweed to Coldstream. New housing has sprung up in recent years, but Coldstream retains its basic shape of buildings along one high street. Setting out after tea and cakes to the south of the river one crosses back into England. The trackbed of the railway along the south of the tween can still be seen; two lines converged just to the south of Coldstream , one along the course of the river to Newown st Boswells and the other swinging south towards Wooler and Alnwick. Never generating muh in the way of revenue, the line rose briefly to importance in 1950 when severe floods closed the main east cost route and by 1955 was looking a closure. The terrain is mixed farming in the valley botoms with hills rising aound given to sheep farming ans as one goes south into the Cheviots moorland. Kirk Yetholm and Town Yetholm are some 8 miles beyond Coldstream. Town Yetholm still retains some shops; a general store and a butchers, and both hamlets have a bus every two – three hours to and from Kelso, the nearest town of any appreciable size. Kirk Yetholm has a degree of fame as the north end of the Pennine Way footpath, and the small youth hostel sees a good percentage of its patronage from walkers of this demanding footpath. Certainly there were no civilians and plenty of cycling and walking shoes in evidence. | | Monday, June 8th, 2009 | | 3:36 pm |
Some cycling done this weekend, setting out Thursday afternoon after a big job list - voting, paying bills and sorting out overdue repairs to the bicycle. Nothing major, but over the years nuts and bolts rust, bolt holes wear and enlarge and other such deterioration. Some very pleasant sunset clouds to be seen clearing the ridges at the end of the Chiltern hills ready to drop down onto the plains south of Bedford, where i looked up old frinds and spent the night. The Friday was a little disappointing, with cloud and a cold wind for much of the day for the route northwards from Bedford, tanking a cafe fried breakfast, coffee and cakes six miles later, light lunch in the small cafe which is part of a riding school near Sywell and into the hidden parts of Northamptonshire. The railway line which once ran between Northampton and Market Harborough looks as if it has been claimed for a Sustrans route, and it may be sampled on future rides. This trip, however, stuck to the gated narrow lanes through woodland which eventually reach Naseby and the long drop down to Market Harborough for coffee and the train to Chesterfield. | | Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009 | | 9:05 am |
Democracy : The Grunt work
Election Agents' meeting last night with Harrow Electoral Service Manager. preparation for the count for the European Elections. A very thorough plan in place, firstly for verification, and ensuring the number of papers in the count matches the number of ballot papers issued in the polling stations, then the mechanics of sorting by candidate, of which there are 19 on the ballot papers. Electronics can count without error, but it cannot be watched while to counting, which is the greates argument against voting by machine, whiloe humns make mistakes, drop papers and so forth, but a team of humans sorting and bundling ballot papers can be watched sorting and bundling ballot papers. The process can be verified to be a true count. | | Saturday, May 30th, 2009 | | 4:54 am |
An Engineer in Hell
An engineer died and reported to the pearly gates. An intern angel, filling in for St. Peter, checked his dossier and grimly said, "Ah, you're an engineer; you're in the wrong place." So the engineer was cast down to the gates of hell and was let in. Pretty soon, the engineer became gravely dissatisfied with the level of comfort in hell, and began designing and building improvements. After a while, the underworld had air conditioning, flush toilets, and escalators, and the engineer was becoming a pretty popular guy among the demons. One day, God called Satan up on the telephone and asked with a sneer, "So, how's it going down there in hell?" Satan laughed and replied, "Hey, things are going great. We've got air conditioning and flush toilets and escalators, and there's no telling what this engineer is going to come up with next." God's face clouded over and he exploded, "What? You've got an engineer? That's a mistake; he should never have gotten down there; send him up here." Satan shook his head, "No way. I like having an engineer on the staff, and I'm keeping him." God was as mad as he had ever been, "This is not the way things are supposed to work and you know it. Send him back up here or I'll sue." Satan laughed uproariously, "Yeah, right. And just where are YOU going to get a lawyer?" Source : http://www.basicjokes.com/djoke.php?id=526 | | Sunday, May 24th, 2009 | | 7:55 pm |
Grattitude
I have just put out a plate of steamed vegetables which smell fantastic I have enjoyed a day cycling in the countryside with my local cycling club. I have been able to draft a comprehensive report for the board of trustees on which a serve covering progress to date with revising our trust deed, the advice just received from the Charity Commission and a way I believe will square up what we need to do with the deed and the advice received on how best to go about it. Plus the sun has been out all day. I used a lot of electricity yesterday with a machine wash, two meals cooked, several brew ups and four hours or more on the computer and todays sun has put it all back into the energy store free of charge. | | Saturday, May 23rd, 2009 | | 7:53 pm |
Chillout day
Woke with the alarm and realised that today was a day I needed to settle various invoices presented by mind and body. Tell tale sign is being able to lie in bed, putting attention on the outbreath and feelon descend comfortably and away off for s short sleep, often with dreaming. Showed off the solar electric system to on of my neihbours and a friend visiting him from Jamaica. Visitors well impressed when told the house runs without the grid between March and October and only takes top up energy off the grid over winter. We started doing back of the envelope stuff for a system for our visitors house which he had built back home in Jamaica. I confess a little envy over the site - steady sea winds and sunshine nearly every day apart from the hurricane season where there are spells of a couple of days wind and rain followed by power outages until all the overhead lines are put back together. Spent a dozy afternoon as well, which has done me much good, and I anticipate being on good form for going out with the cycling club tomorrow. | | Thursday, May 21st, 2009 | | 11:54 am |
Home again
The week in Scotland was busy, being a working holiday doing consulting engineer type work on a Pro Bono basis followed by plumbing and electrical works to put right some of the many faults and design defects in a five year old solar hot water system which hadn't worked since installation. It was an interesting example of how a big construction firm and firm of consulting engineers can score fine in the big overal scheme of getting the buildings up, but fall down badly if taking on unfamiliar technology, where things would have been better subbed out entirely to a smaller specialist operation. There is a write up over on http://community.livejournal.com/green_power_gen/ | | Sunday, May 10th, 2009 | | 10:39 pm |
Cute photos
Here is the cat who sometimes come to visit (Usually when her staff are out)  Current Music: Renaissance "Secret Mission" | | 1:29 pm |
Somedays I think I am losing the plot
Went to work on wednesday, tube plus bike for speed and was bang on time. Rummage in pocket for ID card which will open the gate. No ID card. Lock bike to railings, go to main reception, sign in there and get temporary pass. Unlock bike. go to another entrance wher security can let me in the first gate, so i at least don't have to leave teh bike on the street. Lock bike up, look down and see my ID card has been clipped safely on a belt loop, where it tends to live all the time on my work trousers. Curse then laugh, but at least can now bring bike through all the levels of gates and lock up in the bike shed inside the site. | | Monday, May 4th, 2009 | | 9:51 am |
Bank holiday
No work today. Lay in bed till nine, then up and the daily meditation period. Daily update to the online journal,while Ubuntu Update manager is updating bits of the computer. Hazy sunshine outside, being enjoyed by my next door neihbour while on the phone. Tea to start the day, brewed as usual on solar electricity. Music "Carpet of the Sune " by Renaissance (appropriate to play in a house taking its electricity from the sun rather than the grid) and "Openning Out" also by Renaissance" Various songs by Stan Rogers | | Sunday, May 3rd, 2009 | | 10:21 pm |
| | Tuesday, April 28th, 2009 | | 9:05 am |
Cold now on the wane. The cat seems to want to stay, though she did go home for her food yesterday evening. Possibly her staff have a busier and noisier house, while here she has a very cat centred staff of one and some peace and quiet. Civilised start to the day with Dvorák on radio three, fuss with the cat, checking how much energy is coming in from the solar array, and some more tidying as the first gas fitter /plumber is due to call today to quote for a new boiler and tank. | | Sunday, April 26th, 2009 | | 9:38 pm |
Still have a cold. Slept for the afternoon. The cat has paid another visit today. Washing day in the glorious sunshine : Solar electricity to run the machine and sunshine to dry the cothes on the line. | | Friday, March 6th, 2009 | | 8:35 am |
End of the night shift last tea of the day let the rush hour subside | | Saturday, February 21st, 2009 | | 7:36 pm |
Home again
Back into work today. Some toys bought at lunchtime, two diamond core drills for waste pipe, fan ducts or boiler flues : I have some upgrades in mind for my home. Returned from the monastery via a favourite spot in the Lake District then the slow trains to the home of good firiends in Chesterfield for a gentle eveining's unwinding, including being gently and kindly roused from adoze with a sheet and duvet to bed dwon in comfort on the sofa. All in order on my return home, with no burst pipes or any such mayhem, and the sundry areas of mess and disorder no one's responsibility but mine. The flat ran itself quite happily on home made solar electricity while I was away, taking care of the fridge, security lighting and running up the heating boiler twice a day to drive out any cold damp air wanting to freeze up the plumbing. May spend the night at the london branch of the Monastery, as I took a call yesterday - couldn't get the alarm to properly reset after a break glas was broken by accident. |
[ << Previous 20 ]
|
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
rowanlangley's journal