https://metalinjection.net/news/alex-lifeson-on-performing-together-with-geddy-lee-as-rush-that-would-be-just-a-money-grab

"There's no chance that we're going to get a drummer and go back on the road as the rebirth of Rush or something like that. And if we wanted to write new material, nobody cares about new material anymore. They just want to hear the old stuff from guys like us." 

and

"Maybe the feeling is that it's just really about taking people back to an earlier time in their lives that they have very fond and vivid memories of, and I get it and that's great. And then you do it for the money. And that's not what we were ever about or what we would want to do."

and, perhaps most surprisingly, on discussing the idea with Geddy:

"He knows that I do have issues both physical and emotional with this whole idea. And he respects that we have so much respect and love for each other. I would do something like that, that he wanted to do because I love him and I want to make him happy. But he knows that I wouldn't be happy."

https://metalinjection.net/news/alex-lifeson-on-performing-together-with-geddy-lee-as-rush-that-would-be-just-a-money-grab

Quote from: The Picnic Wasp on May 20, 2024, 10:19:31 AMOr is it dilemna? Never quite figured that one out.

It isn't

When I worked for a Japanese bank in the '90s, I took Japanese lessons. I had two consecutive Japanese girlfriends, which also helped. The next company I worked for, an American investment firm, sent me to Tokyo for a few weeks.

So I turned up after a long flight from Heathrow and a coach ride into the city to get the key to my apartment at Ebisu Garden Place. The young lady at the front desk was having a bit of trouble with her English, so I gently prompted her in Japanese, just to clarify a couple of points. Unfortunately as soon as she heard the first Japanese word come out of my mouth she refused to utter another word of English, and I understood about 5% of what she said after that.

Some folks in Tokyo quite understandably don't speak English at all. I was quite proud of myself for asking a railway worker "Do trains from this platform go to Ginza?" and fortunately the reply included a positive nod of the head, which is easily decipherable in any language.

Wordle 1,066 3/6*

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Less than a minute. Four greens on the second go, effectively.

Just started Pete Townshend's autobiography, Who I Am, published in 2012.

It's actually quite similar in tone, and format, at least so far, to My Effin' Life. The same sort of account of a troubled childhood, an eccentric family and a difficult adolescence, and being in a band with like-minded individuals the same age. Except that all that takes place about ten years earlier. Pete mentions that he was born on May 19th 1945, so by coincidence I started the book on his 79th birthday, ie today.

I'm consuming it in audiobook form as usual, and like Geddy he laughs and chuckles from time to time while he's reading the text. Quite endearing.

I planned to do a long ride today, to take advantage of lovely weather. The wind was coming from the east. Too early in the year and a bit too cold in the extremities of the day for Sutton Bridge and back, but I hoped to do at least 100 miles, depending when I woke up this morning.

I woke up sufficiently early and was pedalling away from the garage door at 0705. The basic idea was to do some variation of the route to Norfolk, but turn back for home somewhere in Lincolnshire.

I made it to the village shop at Buckminster at about 10:30. Stopped and had a feast there. After Buckminster there are two options to go eastward, one route goes directly east from there and the other dips south first. Today I did the lower version. I haven't done this one so often and I missed a turn after Castle Bytham. But that was fine, I was happy to go exploring. After a while I came to a sign for Stamford so I headed in that direction. Well surfaced roads, decently quiet (although it was a Sunday of course).

I went right into Stamford. As it happens one of my brothers lives there, and I did briefly consider paying him an impromptu visit. Then I thought to myself - what would my reaction be, if he did that to me one Sunday? It wouldn't be positive. So I didn't. I turned back at a convenient roundabout. As I made my way back I wasn't 100% sure I was coming back the right way. I'd tried to memorise the turns. Fortunately I got them right.

There's a handy little village shop / cafe at Castle Bytham, but annoyingly it had closed by the time I passed it on the way back. But I found a handy shop at South Witham and bought some more stuff, including a Mars Bar drink. Ideal fuel for the return leg of a long ride.

At Buckminster I turned east again to take an excursion along the "upper" route eastward as far as Colsterworth, just to add a few miles before turning for home.

Came back via Burton on the Wolds and Stanford on Soar. I'd gone through Rempstone and Wymeswold on the outbound leg. I also had a bit of an excursion through Sutton Bonington and Kingston on Soar.



It was a beautifully warm, sunny day. Cool in the morning but I wrapped up decently warm. I'd backpacked my tights and two upper layers and was down to minimal clothing by 1100. Caught the sun on my arms and topped up the tanlines on my legs.

Listened to 6 Music, the first few chapters of Pete Townshend's superb autobiography, read by the man himself and then coverage of the final Premier League games of the season, on 5 Live.

Back on 127.17 miles. Probably should have done more given that I was back more than two hours before sunset, but I limited my options by going to Stamford I think. Lovely day out on a bike anyway and especially nice to do a bit of exploring in that bit of Lincolnshire. Lovely over there.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11450009463

Quote from: David L on May 19, 2024, 07:52:58 PM30 miles on the road bikes today. Absolutely lovely day for it. However, the ride didn't end too well. Stopped at Lynwoods cafe in Bampton for a sausage roll and a coffee where I removed my cat eye computer to check our average speed. After setting off, I realised I'd not put it back on the bike. Looked everywhere for it back at the cafe but it wasn't to be found. Pissed off.
I've actually located what looks like a used one on Gumtree for £12 so if I can get that it will be an easy fix using the existing sender unit. If not it will have to be a different model.......costing a lot more. Grrrrr!

Which particular Cateye model, David?

Wordle 1,065 X/6*

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Failure. Two minutes.

Thomas describes himself as middle-aged, but no-one lives to 131.

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Surprised my third go turned out to be the solution. First word I thought of to fit, and I was too idle to try to find something more promising. About a minute.

A beautiful afternoon and I wanted to escape from work at about 1500, and do a fondo. Then someone thoughtfully invited me to a meeting at 1700.

So instead I thought I'd take an extended lunch at about 1300 and do maybe 35 miles or so. A light wind was coming from the east, roughly, so the plan was to do about 18 miles of the eastbound route, then come back.

After about four miles, I entered Loughborough Road as usual, only to find that it had been "resurfaced", if I can dignify what they've done with the term, by having a huge quantity of dusty, sharp gravel piled onto it. I tolerated it for about 150 metres or so then decided to turn back. My tyres were liberally coated in grey dust.

I'll have to avoid Loughborough Road for a while, but fortunately there are other options for that part of the route.

I went west along the Coalville bypass then past Sinope and north through Peggs Green and Griffydam, up Top Brand. Rather than pursue the eastbound route I did a sort of loop through Belton, Long Whatton, Diseworth - just following my nose - and came back down Top Brand. Then west along Alton Hill, to Ashby then Packington, then Normanton Road to Heather, which I don't think I've done for at least two years. Back home via Ibstock, on 37.81 miles, in plenty of time for the meeting.

Really nice out there, warm and sunny. I trialled a pair of cycling shorts in a garish black and green colour scheme that were a Christmas present from Stepdaughter 2. You'd think I'd get a bit of credit for this from her mother but no, she just wanted to point out that they look ridiculous with a black and red cycling top. I suppose I need to buy a new top, I don't really have one that goes with it.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11432305648

Quote from: Slim on April 16, 2024, 07:35:29 PM

Quote from: Slim on March 21, 2024, 03:35:16 PMJust had a call from Vision Express. They've broken my Oakley cycling frames.

Cross-posted that from the "grumpy" thread with happier news. They refused to replace them, but offered a new pair of frames up to £80 in value (ie inferior). After an argument in the store - their manager lied to my face, claiming I'd been told they were likely to break and this would be at my own risk - I gave up and accepted, but I put a powerfully negative review on Trust Pilot.

Their complaints department contacted me to apologise, offered to replace the Oakleys with the original Oakley frames and told me I could keep the ones I'd already accepted as replacements - which actually I quite like. So I've ended up with a free pair of specs.

Just picked up my free Oakleys from Vision Express - very nice! Same as the old ones except black instead of blue / grey.

Wordle 1,063 4/6*

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2 mins exactly.

I haven't used VNC for a long time, I only ever used it to access Windows systems at work. As a desktop VNC client I used Remmina, worked well enough.

For my own Linux VMs I only use command line (SSH) now but when I did need a GUI environment I used virt-viewer, which is the built-in remote desktop solution for KVM VMs.

There was a really good Linux remote desktop solution that I used to use to login to my home Linux desktop from work in the noughties called NoMachine, https://www.nomachine.com/

Haven't tried it for years but it was really quick and responsive.

Wordle 1,062 4/6*

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25 seconds. And it still took four goes.