Rick's b.log - entry 2022/04/25

Averting a disaster...for now

Sadly, Macron cannot run for a third term. So it will be up to him to try to fix a deeply divided country. My personal feeling on this is that the hated pension reforms should be kicked down the road a little. Let it be somebody else's problem, his successor. Because if everybody hates him and it's a battle between the far left and the far right in 2027... neither option will be good for France, or the world beyond.
I'm not entirely certain why the traditional parties have collapsed so badly. I don't watch French TV, but I can't help but feel that unrestricted social media and foreign meddling might be why people are looking for answers from the extremities of the political sphere.

I feel that I ought to point out... the guy that said "may you live in interesting times", it was neither a wish nor a blessing, it was a curse (usually attributed as an ancient Chinese curse).

And soon another tablet!

I wanted to exchange Mon Jardin for Que choisir (sort of like "Which?"; €3,75 a month), which I thought might be interesting to keep up with all the sleaze and scams in the world of commerce, and also to know rights and such.

I called the customer support number and, amazingly, got through to somebody instead of an engaged tone. That was a good start.
After spelling my name phonetically and giving my address, he was able to find my information. So I told him the exchange that I wanted to make.

"No, you don't want to do that", he said.
"I don't?"
"You received an offer from us, didn't you?"
"Uh... yes...?"
"So what you want to do is cancel the Mon Jardin and take out a new subscription to Que Choisir for a minumum duration of a year. Then we can send you your gift."
"Oh..."
"Are you happy to do that, sir?"
"Yes, okay."

I should receive a confirmation in about ten days, and it'll take about thirty days for everything to be processed. I think he said I'll get the first issue around the 25th of May... or something like that. It probably means I'll get another Mon Jardin too. Oh, well, more scenery porn to look at. And wonder how much effort goes into making gardens that immaculate. Well, judging by the homes featured, I think we're looking at people who "have a staff", rather than one Rick with a crapped out mower and various hand tools and nowhere near enough time, energy, or chocolate to make it look that good.
Hell, I only recently mowed and the grass is already about two inches tall with buttercups everywhere. Thankfully it's quite pretty. But it only looked tidy for, well, a day...

This isn't the same tablet as the one I have as it looks like this time the buttons are on top. Perhaps more useful than on the side where I keep accidently prodding the off button when holding it to watch Netflix...

It has a 25.5cm (10 inch) screen, 16GB memory, and a quad core processor running Android 11. It claims an HD screen.
All sounds familiar, probably more or less the same specs as the tablet that I am using to write this on, except this one is Android 9, GO edition.
Where you're likely to be screwed is with the RAM. If it has a mere 1GB onboard, as this one does, then that will quickly become cramped. I don't imagine the camera(s) will be anything other than "functional, sort of". The display, if 10 inch and HD, will likely be the same 1280×800 as this tablet.
You can read about the current tablet, if you like.

Don't really need another tablet, but if the guy insists... ☺

The current tablet and the bumph for the new one.

Potatoes!

Rows of potatoes.

In the previous potato patch... disaster!

Lots and lots of unexpected and unwanted but familiar looking green leaves.

Just a little bit will grow.

Just little pieces left smashed up by the rotovator as it passed by. That's enough to start growing. I mean, it would be pretty useful, if it wasn't for the whole "don't grow stuff in the same place twice" thing.
You can see I'm holding up a mere piece. And notice all the green on the ground.

Still not seeing anything from the leeks or the carrots. I'll give them another week or so, and if still nothing, I guess I'll need to rake the ground over and buy replacement seed. It has been warmer, and rained recently (though I do water it too), so... no excuse not to see something soon!

Reminds me, I ought to pot up the melons to get them started. Well, not tonight. It's quarter past eight. Time to upload this and go brew some pasta. Then, see if I feel like watching Outer Range on Prime, or Lucifer on Netflix. I have also noticed something called Riverdale. Any good? (no spoilers!)

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J.G.Harston, 30th April 2022, 21:42

I potted up some rosemary cuttings a couple of months ago. They have ikkle roots now, so I planted them out in what's becoming my herb patch. The mint and sage survived the winter, so I came back inside with my hands smelling Wonderful! Darhling. :)

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