It appears my keyboard is suffering from problems at the moment – they seem to be power related as if I hold it closer to the receiver (yep, it’s a wireless keyboard) I’m able to type quite normally. However, if I place the keyboard on my desk it doesn’t. Well – it didn’t until just then. Hmm, I’m now typing this on my desk wondering what’s going on…

Aargh! I’ve just noticed not one, not two but 10 fully charged batteries in a box in front of me so I needn’t have worried about finding a shop selling batteries at nearly 11pm at night. Ignore this post, I’m just rambling on a bit here (blame a small f-ck up at work and me not feeling 100%: haven’t eaten properly for 3 days since I’ve not felt that hungry, and I’ve been sleeping quite a bit as I’ve been feeling tired – yet bags under my eyes exist still). Blarg

Kak! I’ve just need to revive some code that I created in a week for a developmental site over 4 years ago (3 computers, 1 house move and 2 server moves ago). Since the site was only on the internet for around two months, it’s not in any of my “recent backups” (I’ve managed to check as far back as August last year without problems), but I know I kept a copy somewhere. Problem is: is it on CD (I think it is) or Iomega Zip disc or on a computers hard drive? And which format will it be in? Back then, I was coding on an Acorn RISC PC which has its own Disc Filing System (ADFS) and the hard drive and Iomega discs won’t be readable on either my Windows XP machine or Linux machine.

Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem as I’d just pull my old Risc PC out of the attic, hook it up and somehow get the data off it (as I suspect it’s stored on the hard drive: either that or on one or more of the 12 Zip discs). However – the machine won’t boot (it’s 10 years old and by looks of things the CMOS battery on the motherboard has corroded). It’ll turn on, the power light will come on, the hard drive will spin, the keyboard LEDs will briefly flash and that’s it

Thing is, I can get a replacement RISC PC a lot quicker and cheaper than getting the current machine repaired (just buy a second hand one off Ebay). But I need the data by Monday morning(!).

*gulp*

I’m ill at the moment (so ill I left work 4 hours early). I’m feeling a bit better now, but I don’t like the symptoms. Symptoms were stomach ache and thirst. Symptoms went away after lots of Coca Cola (2×2 litre bottles and 2 cans) and 4 pancakes with lots of sugar.

I know that a) baring a “turn for the worse”, I’ll be at work tomorrow, and b) I’ve I’m still feeling “odd” on Saturday, I’ll try and get a blood-sugar test done..

Bummer.

Those Natwest adverts on TV are really getting to me now. Why? Well, the way they advertise “You can contact your local branch” and “You can speak to your own business manager” – erm, aren’t all account details stored in a central computer location which can be accessed via all branches: therefore making it a little bit pointless to make you contact your own “individual” branch? Perhaps back in the days of paper records and “passbooks” (I’ve still got my old “Leicester Building Society” book by the way: the Building society is now known as Alliance and Leicester Bank PLC!) where only one branch had records of your details, but nowadays…

And the “own business manager” – at work, I deal with around 40 SEO clients and even then I occasionally forget which ones I deal with. How is any bank manager going to remember “you” as an individual when they deal with several hundred different accounts every couple of weeks? Unless you pop into the branch every week, they are unlikely to know you from Adam (unless your name does happen to be Adam – in which case substitute Adam for Bob Dole as Bob Dole just likes hearing Bob Dole talk about Bob Dole) – and, like any well run business, they will need to keep notes of the last conversation you had with them, your account number, your needs/assessment, your “value” to the bank etc. And where are they likely to keep these nowadays?

Yep – on computer records which will be stored in a central location and can be accessed by any branch of the bank….

Coincidentally, for the last year or so – there have been plans to convert the old very large Natwest branch in Leicester city (near to St.Martins Square) to a trendy wine bar