Category: Uncategorized

Thanks for the upgrade!

2013-10-11 23.17.16
Screenshot

Tonight, while out at an Ingress event, I finally made Level 8! I wasn’t certain I’d do it, to be blunt. Recently, getting a GPS lock has been a real chore, with the scanner showing me moving while still and locked solidly in place while moving.  Added to this were the fact that I have spent about a fortnight with no in-game weapons and the inability to get more was making it look tough. And then, a most kind-hearted smurf called zedalphus blew up one of our portals not 40 metres from where I stood shivering in a bus shelter, allowing me to re-capture it and get my new level. Since this is about my most public channel, I’d like to thank zedalphus publicly here for his sterling work on behalf of the Enlightened. He (or she) has a truly green heart and should be granted Honorary Enlightened status.

As an aside, Agent GeekyLou was also able to get a new level and is (I believe), our newest level 7 agent at this time.

A fun evening was had by all, including at the Pizza Express where the food was wonderful, though not as spicy as I was hoping for, and the service was entertaining to say the least. (more…)

Close Encounters of the Kerbal Kind


2013-10-04 07.07.07
Last night, Louise brought a friend home for the weekend! His name is Jebediah, and he’s an astronaut…

Jebediah Kerman is the premier astronaut of the Kerbal Space Agency on the planet Kerbin, and is considered mad due to his all encompassing grin, even in the face of certain doom. This model was 3d printed about 3″ tall in sandstone, and looks truly amazing – except for the price, which is close to £50. And I get to have him on my desk for the weekend to help with my interplanetary (and other) endeavours.

Unfortunately, she’s taking him home on Monday.

Life as a benefit scrounger…

So this weekend I got a letter in the post from Reed. It’s one of those “invitations” one sometimes gets when on the Work Programme – a laughable description, to make one more employable. In any case, I am invited to attend at 10:00 on Tuesday (tomorrow) for an induction, and by the way it’s mandatory and if I don’t attend then I can be sanctioned and lose benefits. Of course, what’s not said is that since I have to sign-on tomorrow morning at 11:40 which is also mandatory, then I cannot possibly attend both and can be sanctioned anyway. That said, I only get £67 a week to live on, so once I pay to get to their mandatory interviews, there’s not a lot left – I used to have savings from when I worked. (more…)