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A processing failure

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A strange thing happened when I switched on the TV to watch some sport recently. For a minute I just saw this, a flat defintely 2d shape, with no relation to reality: It was not a problem with the TV, it was a problem with the visual processing in my brain. For a few seconds it had failed to recreate the image at the bottom of this article. I was reminded of the bloke referred to in the title of "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat" by Oliver Sacks. The patient had no apparent optical/physical problems. He just could no longer interpret the signals coming into his brain from his eyes. When he got up to leave he grabbed his wife's head, thinking it was his hat. The shapes no longer made any sense. There was a signal processing failure. And that is what must have happened to me, very briefly, because what I was looking at resolved itself into this, in the end (scroll down): (Snooker and rugby, the only two sports I watch.)

Learning to limp

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The handle of our teapot had an accident. I delayed ordering a new one, though I do love the design and feel of it. So, in the meantime, I got used to making the tea with the broken teapot, cupping the scorching body with my hands. Eventually I did order a replacement and for days I forgot that the new teapot had a handle and held it awkwardly, as if it didn't. In Italian there is a saying: "chi va con lo zoppo impara a zoppicare" A rough translation is "he who hangs around with people who limp, will learn to limp himself." But I had learned to limp all on my own . And I wonder in what other areas I've learned to limp when I'm perfectly able bodied/minded? (The teapot, by the way, is a Ulster Weavers 6-Cup Susie Bone China Teapot.)

Sometimes things come together in a perfect triplet.

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Sometimes things come together in a perfect triplet...  Thing 1 : The cover of this book, designed by Tomàs Almeida, struck me as soon as I opened the package. The plants, the fruits and the flowers. The snake, the fairies, the birds.  Thing 2 : Then by chance I found a golden bookmark. I don't know where it comes from. It is 0.5 gram fine gold 999.9 from Mistubishi Materials Corporation. Gold plate I imagine . If fits perfectly with the book's cover and contents. Thing 3 : The actual novel is wonderful. I not a fan of Neil Gaiman, but his recommendation on the cover is true.  ...Sometimes things come together in a perfect triplet.

Breakfast by moonlight

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Sometimes not being able to sleep has its compensations. I got up at 4:30 this morning and had breakfast on the balcony, under the Moon and under Orion. I heard a train passing, all that was missing was the sound of a dog barking. Then I went downstairs to get the cat from the garden and smelled his fine fur as he purred. Hmmmm. Of course, at work, by 16:00 I was feeling tired, must sleep longer !

When a programmer dies suddenly

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For years I've used a program from a small Dutch company to record audio from web sites, Polder Bits Sound Recorder. It is a great little program that cost about $40. It is ideal, perfect, wonderful, for what I need.   I bought a new computer and I thought that I could support the small company by buying a second license for the new computer (rather than transfering the old license from the old computer). But the Polder Bits site was down. I found out that the author had died in a car crash. According to one forum: "Unfortunately Rudy Kok, developer of the Polderbits Sound Recorder and Editor, died in 2011. No new versions of his software have been produced. His company Polderbits does not exist any more." I hope Rudy had a good life up to then. He knew how to write a good Windows program that's for sure. And I thought about my customers. What if that happened to me? They can buy from my distributor 2Checkout. But if 2Checkout requ

Italian American India Pale Ale

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Recently I've got a taste for IPA (India Pale Ale) beer. It started with Poretti beer: It made me smile to realise that this is an Italian , American , India , Pale Ale invented in England . A pretty international beer eh? Then I thought I'd try another brand of IPA,  how about Moretti? That made me laugh too, they cut through the prolixity and just said that IPA stands for Italian Pale Ale: I love you both! 

Angeli archangeli troni

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I don't know why, but when I was 15 Gregorian chants and early religous music got hold of me and never let me go. I used to go to the library in Biggleswade and borrow LPs of this music, record it onto audio cassettes (piracy!) and listen to the music at night alone in my bedroom. It is often great music, soul touching. That must be the reason. I didn't know Latin then and I don't know Latin now. I heard about this CD (CD? yes I'm attached to physical things), "Lucezia Borgia's Daughter "... ...somewhere and bought it. All the motets are wonderful but the last track Angeli archangeli troni is amazing. I listened to it four or five times before reading the words and translation. I almost wished I hadn't. Just in as the Bach masses it is best to listen to the music of the voices and instruments without understanding the words. The worst thing about Catholic funerals is the recited list of saints who are supposed to pray for the deceased. I