More on the Keyboard
I’ve started a topic in Microsoft Answers to see if I can get further with the keyboard driver.
Crying Foul on Police Cuts
It was inevitable that the Police would say that budget cuts would mean less Police on the Beat.
I can’t see how they can actually achieve that round here, as you never see a policeman. And when you report something, like I did when an idiot nearly caused a serious accident, they refuse to turn up.
I remember when C was a governor of a University, a high profile policeman was also one. He turned up at dinners and meetings with his driver. He was one of the few who could drink. Who paid for that driver?
\And then take Police IT systems. Most are over-budget, every one is different, so they can’t talk to each other. We’ve seen the consequences of that!
Just imagine if say M&S used different methods in different towns and cities.
Before they cut visible policing, the police must get their systems into the twenty-first century.
They should also stop the scandal of early retirement on pensions way in excess of any, that most people will ever see.
And as we’re all in this together, shouldn’t all of their vehicles and equipment be British-made where possible?
Should Tractors be Allowed on Trunk Roads?
I travel the A11, A!4, M11 and A12 quite a lot. One of the hazards is people driving slow-moving farm tractors, on these roads that really were designed for a higher minimum speed.
Yewsterday, a serious accident between a track and trailer and a lorry caused a lot of delays and nearly killed two people.
Isn’t it about time, that slow moving vehicles are banned on trunk roads?
My Left Leg Is Stronger Than The Right
Years ago to try to get some strength and better feeling in my left arm that had been injured in a bullying incident, I went to see a man called Dave Southby at Fitness Works He gave me a set of execises for my shoulders and the left shoulder unfreezed and it felt a lot better. I think too, that my real tennis handicap improved.
I went to see Dave again today and he went round examining the strength and usefullness of my muscles.
Surprisingly, he found that the left leg was in fact stronger than the right. This seemed to apply more as well to the muscles of the upper leg too. Balance ala\o seemed to be better on the left leg. Was this down to the physio started early in Hong Kong, the walking I have done since or some other factor? I was very surprised, as of course my stroke was on the left side. But at least we now know what to work on!
A Better Keyboard
I’ve just installed a Microsoft Wireless Keyboard 5000, which I bought from PC-World in Cambridge for £49.99 as it was on special offer and also because a guy called Simon took the trouble to sympathise with my needs.
It’s a lot better, as the keys have a good feel and the mouse seems properly bal\nced with the keyboard. I’ve also started to use my left hand to do other than shift and control. Now that I’ve installed the special software, I’ve also been able to disable the caps lock key. It’s a pity I can’t do this for control and Windows. So at least one of my problems has been mitigated.
I do hope the next version of the software allows disabling most of control, but retaining those like control-C that I want.
It certainly a lot better than anything else I’ve tried. All the driver needs is a little bit of thought and we would have a stroke-friendly keyboard.
For some reason this post attracts a large amount of spam comments in Russian. Whoever is posting these, could they please Foxtrot Oscar and get back to their vodka. If they are comatose, Isuspect they can’t post. I delete all the comments which WordPress marks as spam, so they are not getting any gain, but I’m getting a bit of pain.
On July 14th I deleted 23 of these comments. On the 16th, 34 hit the dust. 2 so far on the 17th.
The Levington Ship
On the way back from Felixstowe, we stopped for a glass of Aspalls at the Levington Ship.
The Levington Ship
We actually arrived at the time I needed to take my Warfarin, so I asked the landlord for a glass of tapwater. IT was no problem.
But then you’d expect that sort of sdervice from a pub that serves beer in the traditional Suffolk way by gravity.
Gravity Fed Adnams
Darrell’s Day
If you read my last post, you’ll read a little of the story of Nathaniel Darrell, who saved Britain from the Dutch. I just thought I’d search for Darrell’s Day in Google. I then opened a site, which because it had an embedded QuickTime video in it, locked up my computer. I’m running IE8 in Vista and there are many forums that say that QuickTime and Vista are like oil and water. So I then tried to uninstall QuickTime and the uninstall software seemed to get in a pickle.
If I’d written software with those number of problems, I’d have been very ashamed of what I had done!
It’s only when you have had a stroke or have suffered serious injury or disability, that you realise how truly crap some programs are. Perhaps, such people should do most of the program testing. Preferably with the programmers in the same room, so that they could vent their feelings properly. Sometimes, I think various other instruments should be available for use in the testing process, but then I’m against violence and capital punishment.
Just think of the times recently, where software has been released without adequate testing and it has caused true distress and even possibly loss of life.
Landguard Fort
Felixstowe was the last place in the UK, to be invaded by foreign forces, when the Dutch tried to capture Landguard Fort in 1667. They failed due to the efforts of Nathaniel Darrell. That is why the 2nd of July is Darrell’s Day in Suffolk.
It is a place well worth a visit with a reasonable entry charge, lots of things to see and an excellent audio commentary.
I also found it a good place to try out my waling and climbing skills after a stroke. In only a couple of places did I need a helping hand.
A Visit to the Dentist
I must have known my dentist for nearly forty years. I first met him at a dinner party, we hosted at our old house in Debach. I seem to remember he came with a solicitor friend of C’s. But I’m not sure and it could have been that C was one of his patients, but then she wouldn’t have invited her dentist to dinner.
C must have gone to him for well over thirty years and I went back about five years ago, when my dentist retired and I couldn’t find another one.
Since the stroke, I’d had a very sore mouth and I felt that as I was going to the hygenist anyway, that a visit to the dentist might not be a bad idea.
It was, as he gave me a clean bill of health and felt that there were no problems. He thought that to visit your dentist after a stroke is not a bad idea, as negatives from professionals who know you, tick another problem off the list. He also advised staying off tomatoes and spices if you’re on Warfarin, as if you bite your tongue, it can be painful.
I’ve certainly felt better today, with clean teeth and a mouth that is less sore. It was a visit worth doing.
A Walk at Felixstowe Ferry
Afterwards we had a pleasant walk in the sun along the sea wall towards the golf course and the Martello Towers.
There are some more pictures of Felixstowe Ferry here, taken in worse weather.
The Anonymous Widower 