I've been a RealVNC user for years, it's how I access and use my RPIs both on my LAN and remotely. I received an email today from them telling me that they are scrapping the free home plan (17 Jun 24) and offering various subscription services. Of course, being a tight git, I started looking for alternatives and while there are ways to have local LAN access, remotely is a rather more complex and complicated matter. Bums.

So I googled the text of the email and found this https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/05/realvnc-is-dropping-its-home-plan-and-barely-noting-its-free-lite-option/?comments=1&comments-page=1 . So buried away and barely noticeable is a lite (free) plan. It requires creating the new plan and therefore having to add the RPIs to the new 'Team' through the licensing on each VNC Server running on the RPIs. Anyway all is good and I'm back running (free) again. I know these companies have every right to charge for their services and I probably would have paid the subscription eventually - but it was a bit sneaky not mentioning the lite version.

:EDIT: I've just been reading the comments on the post above. They are flying in thick and fast  lol

A Channel 4 documentary about Joe Pasquale's son Joe Tracini who has borderline personality disorder - Voice in My Head. Terribly sad at times it was incredibly well done. I knew nothing about this condition before, but it shows the effects these illnesses can completely take over a life as it follows Joe through his day-to-day life. Really, just watch it.

The Flower Kings - Stardust We Are (LP, 1997)
4.5 stars, SPO


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I have a 1 part-year shortfall of National Insurance contributions to get the full state pension at 67. I thought I'd pay it as it's only £205 (for an extra £3 a week woohoo). Should be easy right? Nope it's virtually impossible. To pay you need an 18 digit payment request number that you can only get from HMRC. Except there is absolutely no way to get through the automated questions on the help line to even get into a queue. I tried every combination of answers I could think of but it always ended the call due to one reason or other. So I looked on the MSE forums and a lady there had described over 30 attempts to get into a queue. So, the automated call kept directing me to on online chat (yeah, we all know about those). Again whatever I put in the chat would ended with a redirection to the online tools - aaahhh. Anyway after about the 100th attempt I eventually got a reply saying an advisor would be required - click here - YAY. Erm no, no advisors are available - end chat. Fuck. So I just kept asking that same question over and over again, clicking on the advisor required. Holy shit I eventually got onto an advisor queue. After that it took a few minutes to get the 18 digit code and pay the £205. It really should be easier than this to pay money TO HMRC - it took me 2 hours and I think I was very lucky in the end.

It seems the whole system was to be rejigged to make it easier to pay any shortfalls and the tool was to launch 01 April 24. I can't seem to find out when it's going to go live though. Anyone needing to do this give me a shout and I'll give you my tips to get to a human at HMRC.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6430325/how-do-i-actually-pay-voluntary-national-insurance-contributions-for-a-shortfall

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdCxCExS_NU

An actual CD lol

Echolyn - The End is Beautiful (LP, 2005)

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The second series of Them. It's not a sequel rather an: "Anthology horror series with varying characters and locations by season, featuring different aspects of the horror genre."

The first season was dark, traumatic and suffocating at times. This time it's more of a serial killer-type story. But I've only watched 2 episodes thus far and it could go anywhere really as the weird events unfold - all chilling and very strange stuff indeed.

Oh mate I hope you make in on time - bummer.

^Turned up today and now spinning it. This is The Tangent for One - All music and vocals by Andy Tillison.

Sanguine Hum - The Weight of the World
Echolyn - The End is Beautiful

Only £2 each delivered. Bargain.

New vinyl:

The Tangent - To Follow Polaris (LP, 2024)
BC, SPO


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Quote from: Matt2112 on May 12, 2024, 07:19:15 PM

Quote from: pxr5 on May 12, 2024, 03:59:34 PMGhostbusters: Frozen Empire  Wow, how could they mess up such a solid movie franchise? Well they did - massively. Extremely disappointing all round. The old guard were there, but mostly unused and the new team were insipid and dull. Awful really 3/10

Oh dear - disappointing to hear this as its predecessor was very good.

I love Ghostbusters and after the decent Afterlife I was really looking forward to this one. Maybe my anticipation was too high, which is why I disliked Frozen Empire so much. Carrie Coon and Paul Rudd are both actors I really like and they seemed wasted in this effort which is a real shame. Of course I may seem over harsh and my wife thought it wasn't as bad as I did. YMMV.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire  Wow, how could they mess up such a solid movie franchise? Well they did - massively. Extremely disappointing all round. The old guard were there, but mostly unused and the new team were insipid and dull. Awful really 3/10

Zero points for the UK from the public vote. Which is really very odd considering the amount of expats around Europe. I also thought they would attract the gay vote too. Personally I didn't like the song at all but it was better than quite a few others, which isn't saying much I know. The staging of the acts was stunning but way too much for what the shitty songs deserved. A lot of voice processing going on as well, which a little unfair. I do think too that any band should be playing their instruments live.

This is the first year when we haven't bothered with any sort of party. In fact after watching last night it's clear everyone is taking it way too seriously these days and a lot of the fun has gone out of it. I probably won't watch it anymore.

Big take of the night for me is how many of the acts are singing in their own language. I actually prefer it this way. Some bonkers stuff as per usual - I quite liked Ireland, a Marylin Manson vibe; Finland too haha. UK - meh.

I think Matt really did mean Alan Davies