Nostr notes by 🆎

Oh and, this is EXQUISITE. ...

2026-10-21T19:26:12Z

Oh and, this is EXQUISITE.

our migration lawyer ages ago said it like this : “you’re ...

2026-10-13T17:21:03Z

In reply to nevent1q…3yjy
_________________________

our migration lawyer ages ago said it like this : “you’re always reliant on *someone* be that employer, or spouse, it’s someone”

It’s crazy and it results in good people who would benefit the country being unable to stay

To be fair to Kemi, had she not got a husband, she'd have ...

2026-10-13T16:03:23Z

In reply to nevent1q…fulz
_________________________

To be fair to Kemi, had she not got a husband, she'd have been able to stay on a Skilled Worker Visa. We did not "need" to get married for her to stay.

But broader "hostile environment" totally agreed.

My wife @npub1xca…eglk was just granted "Indefinite Leave ...

2026-10-13T13:35:07Z

My wife Kem💙 (npub1xca…eglk) was just granted "Indefinite Leave to Remain" (which is also known as "Permanent Residency") in the UK.

I lot of people think that getting married is somehow the end of it. But we have still had to apply for (and pay for) multiple visas since marriage, costing a small fortune.

ILR application costs another small fortune, but does bring to an end the recurring visa costs.

Next step: Citizenship.

It's a good day, though, for sure.

not a plastic one though

2026-10-09T14:23:01Z

In reply to nevent1q…qnlh
_________________________

not a plastic one though

Talking to a parent... Apparently grapes now need to be quartered ...

2026-10-09T14:13:32Z

Talking to a parent...

Apparently grapes now need to be quartered to be "allowed" in packed lunches at school.

And blueberries are forbidden.

Because choke hazard.

Am I, as non parent, with no skin in this game, being terribly (unintentionally) anti-woke by feeling that this might be overreach?

This is an iPod something. It’s almost 20 years old. It is ...

2026-10-09T08:29:47Z

This is an iPod something. It’s almost 20 years old. It is small and thin and light. It can fit in any pocket.

If Apple, today, made an iPhone this size and shape (happy for it to be a bit fatter) I think I’d buy it like a shot and I think many others would too.

Phones have ballooned. This wasn’t what we were promised.

Can we please have a new era of miniaturisation? I think the technology is available to make it feasible.

The difficulty level is the point, really. To make mesh* hopeless ...

2026-10-06T17:12:00Z

In reply to nevent1q…8ysm
_________________________

The difficulty level is the point, really.

To make mesh* hopeless and useless one merely needs comodity hardware and a small script.

To make all ham bands unusable in the same way would be practically impossible. Or at least insanely difficult, expensive, and prone to a visit from Ofcom.

I would also say that "pricks ruining it for everyone" ...

2026-10-06T17:10:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…9sl4
_________________________

I would also say that "pricks ruining it for everyone" isn't even the worst I've ever seen in this case. There was a time when ham radio repeater abusers got so bad that repeater sites were boobytrapped with explosives. I promise I am not making this up. This mesh* fracas is tame by comparison. I am categorically not saying ham radio is immune to "pricks".

But with ham radio, loads of spectrum, loads of modes. Choice. Options. etc.

I was talking about CB/ham radio. Not mesh stuff. My point was ...

2026-10-06T17:05:54Z

In reply to nevent1q…6juv
_________________________

I was talking about CB/ham radio. Not mesh stuff.

My point was that on ham/CB you have the option of changing band/channel etc if some berk is ruining it for everyone.

You don't have that option on mesh*.

-- I am a licensed ham since the late 90s.

Americans! I recently passed this carved rock when on a walk and ...

2026-10-06T12:58:38Z

Americans! I recently passed this carved rock when on a walk and it turns out it's older than your nation.

Also: "Winton" is another name for Winchester, apparently.

I predict this will definitely been properly planned out and ...

2026-10-06T11:53:59Z

I predict this will definitely been properly planned out and definitely won’t have any unforeseen consequences. /s

they key to both those comparisons is you can change channel. ...

2026-10-06T11:45:08Z

In reply to nevent1q…c8ka
_________________________

they key to both those comparisons is you can change channel. swap repeater, change band even etc.

There is also (looking at the wider situation with bad faith ...

2026-10-06T09:23:24Z

In reply to nevent1q…uuql
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There is also (looking at the wider situation with bad faith trademark shenanigans) a broad feeling that some people might have brought this on themselves.

The downside to that view is there are innocent bystanders. Which, again, are not at fault and should not suffer.

yeah i can get that bit. the means is better than the end. ...

2026-10-06T09:22:08Z

In reply to nevent1q…q273
_________________________

yeah i can get that bit. the means is better than the end.

I'm not enjoying the ruination. That's not really fair.

I'm saying it was utterly predictable, for systemic and also behavioural reasons. I also think, perhaps some people who were thinking of using it in an emcom situation might think twice now. So that is a sort of upside.

But, no, it's not right that one person is spoiling the fun of others.

I think a lot of people felt it was like licence free ham radio. ...

2026-10-06T08:57:54Z

In reply to nevent1q…f0pe
_________________________

I think a lot of people felt it was like licence free ham radio. But the thing about ham radio is, it isn't mass marketed - you generally pass an exam etc. So the group of users is somewhat thinned. This has turned into a much much worse version of CB in the 1980/90s.

I think it was always kind of bullshit TBH. And gigantically ...

2026-10-06T08:56:10Z

In reply to nevent1q…ydy7
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I think it was always kind of bullshit TBH. And **gigantically** overhyped.

It's not fun that this is happening. But it was always going to, either by deliberate abuse or some misconfig/screwup.

Too many meshcore/meshtastic/etc users : "Omg this network is ...

2026-10-06T08:23:07Z

In reply to nevent1q…rhx7
_________________________

Too many meshcore/meshtastic/etc users :

"Omg this network is so fucking great because it's decentralised and it's not like the Internet and you can say whatever you want and nobody can stop you hahahaha omg it's so free, ISPs will go bust hahaha!!!!"

Also too many meshcore/meshtastic/etc users :

"wait why are they saying stuff over and over, that's not what this is for, please stop now"

Oh wait now I see what all the messages are about : ...

2026-10-06T08:21:52Z

In reply to nevent1q…lktx
_________________________

Oh wait now I see what all the messages are about :

I definitely think this post will 100% have the intended effect, ...

2026-10-06T08:20:10Z

I definitely think this post will 100% have the intended effect, oh yes.

/s

It is interesting that something of a meaningful grassroots ...

2026-10-05T14:29:28Z

It is interesting that something of a meaningful grassroots backlash is happening towards AI generated imagery.

A cafe did an entirely AI generated "poster" on facebook, and 50% of the comments were like : "AI slop", "can't you do photos of real food?", "wouldn't trust this place if they can't get real photos". etc

Interesting change of winds.

We (A&A) have added to the text of the autoreponse that is ...

2026-09-25T07:02:47Z

We (A&A) have added to the text of the autoreponse that is sent when a new sales or support ticket is opened.

I don’t think most people will read it, but we will see. We have surprisingly already had at least one positive response to it.

It would be improper not to acknowledge the influence the blog of Mythic Beasts (npub1wy5…64vc) had on this action, and text.

I think that previously there were people with ideas, but without ...

2026-09-23T14:06:24Z

In reply to nevent1q…jqc3
_________________________

I think that previously there were people with ideas, but without the skill to implement them. Whereas now, they perceive themselves to have the skill to implement them, using AI to actually do the work.

I think this probably results in a customer we (or anyone else) might actually assertively not want. When things go wrong, they will possess no actual domain knowledge, and we will end up saying one thing, and their AI will say something different. And who/what will they trust?

I have noticed an increase in the number of emails A&A is ...

2026-09-23T14:04:56Z

I have noticed an increase in the number of emails A&A is getting from "new potential customers" where it is slightly clear their enquiry has been partially, or entirely written by (badly prompted) AI.

As a result of this, when we get back to them sometimes the whole idea has changed, or they paste our reply into AI and then paste back AI's reply to us.

So far, 100% of these have been a complete waste of time.

I honestly think Email is my favourite form of comms. It ...

2026-09-22T09:56:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…sctp
_________________________

I honestly think Email is my favourite form of comms. It isn't ephemeral, for one thing. Which almost all other types of comms at least behaves as though it is.

I grew up in the era of writing letters. And once email arrived, ...

2026-09-22T09:33:06Z

I grew up in the era of writing letters. And once email arrived, I treated it, and still do treat it, largely as a digital medium for the same shape of communication.

I (think I; say if I'm wrong) notice a trend amongst the young - I'm talking late teens into twenties - where their frame of reference was SMS, or another form of IM.

As such, even when some of them email, they will write one short sentence, send it. Get a reply, send another single sentence.

Has anybody else noticed this? 1/2

Take any food product. Now ruin it by "adding protein" to ...

2026-09-21T12:53:53Z

Take any food product. Now ruin it by "adding protein" to it.

Where "adding protein" basically seems to involve taking whatever tasteless protein source is available on hand, grinding it into a sand-like substance and stirring it in.

Fucking awful.

We live in an idiotic and reactionary age, don't we? Most ...

2026-09-17T11:28:30Z

We live in an idiotic and reactionary age, don't we?

Most recently, a kid sadly drowned. And now a (shockingly large) group of parents is campaigning for 6ft high fences to be erected around EVERY body of water in the UK. I had to double check it wasn't some really dark satire. But no. That's what they are campaigning for.

Fuck the wildlife. Fuck the aesthetics. Fuck the practicalities or costs. Fuck the idea of responsible adults, oh, I don't know, "supervising children adequately".

New welding / plasma cutting trolley who dis? ...

2026-09-16T21:12:00Z

New welding / plasma cutting trolley who dis?

Shocked that with all their brains and knowledge Meta seem ...

2026-09-15T22:09:42Z

Shocked that with all their brains and knowledge Meta seem blissfully unaware of a substance called … paint.

pritt-stick, photocopy, tipped the edge lines, photocopy again. ...

2026-09-03T08:07:40Z

In reply to nevent1q…lvn9
_________________________

pritt-stick, photocopy, tipped the edge lines, photocopy again. Wooooo

My wife thinks I am an elite hacker that I managed to fix it from ...

2026-08-29T12:10:37Z

In reply to nevent1q…ezkf
_________________________

My wife thinks I am an elite hacker that I managed to fix it from my laptop whilst sitting in an airport lounge.

Woops. Probably a bit of an outage on my mastodon instance there, ...

2026-08-29T12:06:01Z

Woops.

Probably a bit of an outage on my mastodon instance there, caused by an expired tls cert. Renewed now, so all good, and re-federating.

I thought it had been quiet.

This should only be used for “you’re in immediate danger”. ...

2026-08-14T18:04:46Z

In reply to nevent1q…psly
_________________________

This should only be used for “you’re in immediate danger”. And yet, here we are.

Essentially a PSA. Dreadful.

I feel this was a poor use of this facility. And indeed may place ...

2026-08-14T18:03:21Z

I feel this was a poor use of this facility. And indeed may place certain unfortunate people at increased risk.

I just finished writing a book on antennas. In retrospect it ...

2026-08-14T11:59:16Z

I just finished writing a book on antennas.

In retrospect it would probably have been easier on paper.

I am sorry but the usability of this thing is just utter fucking ...

2026-08-13T20:57:28Z

I am sorry but the usability of this thing is just utter fucking garbage compared to the old “twiddly knob, with a meter that shows SWR” MFJ original.

The manual is fucking trash also. Literally 99% of folk who buy these all they will want is an SWR plot, probably one one of no more than 15 bands.

Is there any part of the manual that says “SWRing an 20m antenna? Do *this*”? No. There isn’t.

I’m an averagely intelligent person. I passed exams to get my radio licence. This is shit.

This, and I mean this in a 100% positive way, sounds like the bit ...

2026-08-11T20:22:19Z

In reply to nevent1q…u7nq
_________________________

This, and I mean this in a 100% positive way, sounds like the bit of the full version of Susan's House by the Eels that was cut out for radio airplay.

I got all my Covid jabs and boosters. Several years later, bam, ...

2026-08-10T20:54:25Z

I got all my Covid jabs and boosters.

Several years later, bam, bad SWR on one of my antennas.

It really makes you think.

RE: https://chaos.social/@jonty/117070795105000202 I feel seen. ...

2026-08-10T10:43:58Z

RE: https://chaos.social/@jonty/117070795105000202

I feel seen.

quoting
note1uzw…7hh2

It should not be possible to have so many new half finished projects when nearly all of your belongings are in storage

All the forecasts said no rain due. AND IT IS RAINING.

2026-08-05T08:51:02Z

In reply to nevent1q…x5nv
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All the forecasts said no rain due.

AND IT IS RAINING.

Nostr event nevent1qqs0gjy7z50qcg4r4xqmafhyn7r92yutsuktdhdqupzumwqxma0624szyqf2957pxau8y5tl80auq2ysa6ql2raafaxk3qvqfup9a9a6fgujxf00nqa

2026-08-05T08:50:45Z

OMG IT IS RAINING HERE

It’s a tragedy that traditional cinema is dying. BUT. Film ...

2026-08-01T11:02:11Z

It’s a tragedy that traditional cinema is dying. BUT.

Film scheduled and advertised start time 11:55am. Arrived 8mins early.

11:55 adverts start.

Most people are aware of the shortages in components; ...

2026-07-28T11:15:10Z

Most people are aware of the shortages in components; particularly high speed RAM; caused by the demands of AI companies.

I think a smaller number of people are aware of basic raw material supply issues also being caused by the same.

FR4 - the material PCBs are made from is reportedly in shortened supply, leading to less CCL (copper clad laminate). This hits EVERYONE who makes electronics.

Some reports show a monthly supply gap of 8 million square metres of this stuff.

Email into A&A technical support 7th July entitled : ...

2026-07-17T15:24:25Z

Email into A&A technical support 7th July entitled : "Unable to access my Home Insurance policy".

Wrote back on the ticket, letting him know, wrong AA.

He emailed again **ON THE TICKET** 13th July : "As I have not had any communication..."

Wrote back again on the ticket, restating that he had the wrong AA.

Another email from him : "I have not had any updates from AAISP Technical Support Team since 07 July". So now he is asking AAISP for support for a home insurance policy. WILD.

My reply:

I hope that when it's the World Archaeology Cup and the ...

2026-07-05T12:40:32Z

I hope that when it's the World Archaeology Cup and the Mexican National Archaeological Society team go up against the England National Archaeological Society team, schools here let their students arrive late in the day because they stayed up late to watch the one single night of speed archaeology on the TV at an unsociable time.

Because if they don't, that'd just be ridiculous, wouldn't it?

#worldcup

Anyone able to definitively speculate on what this thing is? It ...

2026-06-27T00:43:08Z

Anyone able to definitively speculate on what this thing is? It is 8mm diameter.

ChatGPT was reasonably sensible and probably accurate, but I’m still mystified that it should just materialise in my kitchen. I thought it did fairly well, and confirmed some of my own thoughts, or at least confirmed they were vaguely sensible.

FYI: The ChatGPT conversation is here : https://chatgpt.com/share/6a3f1be7-3de4-83eb-9ebb-279859841417

I feel this has the potential for mischief. I have not decided ...

2026-06-24T09:12:24Z

I feel this has the potential for mischief. I have not decided what manner of mischief, yet. But eBay might be involved.

No, it seems the Elegoo Neptune max claims to be able to resume ...

2026-06-17T21:55:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…y6wd
_________________________

No, it seems the Elegoo Neptune max claims to be able to resume but then makes no serious attempt; not heating anything up. Fuck. And I think I used too much of that reel to start again. Fucking fucking fucking fuck.

ARGH power interruption. I switched on an aircon and the breaker ...

2026-06-17T21:50:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…hcul
_________________________

ARGH power interruption. I switched on an aircon and the breaker popped. I think we have too many things with slight leakage on one side of our old split load board. Fuck. It’s interrupted the print. The printer is offering to continue where it left off, I’ll be impressed if it really can.

21% done. ...

2026-06-17T19:42:58Z

In reply to nevent1q…w9y4
_________________________

21% done.

This is a 168MB Gcode file. It's so big it won't load ...

2026-06-17T14:51:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…nylm
_________________________

This is a 168MB Gcode file. It's so big it won't load into Fluidd's web progress monitor thingy.

11% done. ...

2026-06-17T14:50:01Z

In reply to nevent1q…kv7j
_________________________

11% done.

I am sick and tired of my workshop vacuum cleaner's filter ...

2026-06-17T12:25:22Z

In reply to nevent1q…4c09
_________________________

I am sick and tired of my workshop vacuum cleaner's filter filling up and ruining performance. It's also an unpleasant job knocking the dust out, then jetting it with compressed air to fully clean it. This (should) just drop 90+% of the dust into an air tight bucket. What a win, if it works!

Five percent done. It’s a 40+ hour print. ...

2026-06-17T12:24:08Z

In reply to nevent1q…vdjh
_________________________

Five percent done. It’s a 40+ hour print.

Today my 3d printer will mostly be quietly printing.... a dual ...

2026-06-17T12:23:26Z

Today my 3d printer will mostly be quietly printing.... a dual cyclone dust separator.

I am lucky to have a workshop to do these things in. But I ...

2026-06-16T07:17:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…2n9s
_________________________

I am lucky to have a workshop to do these things in. But I suspect there are physical-domain hobbies that almost anyone could do, without needing much space and tools.

I find I feel better about “digital” once it is a smaller component of a wider life.

Perhaps an unintended consequence of governmental fiddling will be a return to an approach more like dialup days, where you sat down for a contained amount of time, used “the internet” then stopped and went back to doing something else?

For a mix of reasons I perceive the digital world getting worse. ...

2026-06-16T07:11:29Z

For a mix of reasons I perceive the digital world getting worse.

Not just the services and applications but also all the regulatory things coming down the pipeline; likely wider-spread mandatory age verification, a recent example. Many others.

Though it can be sometimes frustrating, I have found “real world” domain stuff very relaxing and cathartic. You will have noticed my DIY game rising lately.

Rounding over the edges of a bit of oak is wonderfully “analogue”.

And tangible; physical.

DOH

2026-06-15T15:51:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…gpwa
_________________________

DOH

is ringing the supplier up quickly and trying to get the ...

2026-06-15T15:48:32Z

In reply to nevent1q…57yn
_________________________

is ringing the supplier up quickly and trying to get the necessary bits added last minute not an option?

2/2 - more photos ...

2026-06-12T13:30:21Z

In reply to nevent1q…aprj
_________________________

2/2 - more photos

This thing is a bit interesting. It isn’t mine, but I saw it ...

2026-06-12T13:27:45Z

This thing is a bit interesting. It isn’t mine, but I saw it working. It is a V2X receiver, plotting cars on a map, as they pass by, including their speeds, locations and some other stuff. Many modern cars broadcast this stuff. It feels like my TPMS thing of a few years ago, but almost more potentially problematic.

1/2

So I find various M2 interfaced devices up to about 2TB listed as ...

2026-05-29T11:49:42Z

In reply to nevent1q…v4sc
_________________________

So I find various M2 interfaced devices up to about 2TB listed as SSD not NVME. Soooo I assume those are compatible.

Just to assure myself I opened the case up (whilst still live, naturally) and there is an unexpected label on the interface.... It SAYS NVME 2280, but everything I know about machines like this suggests that is wrong, and whoever printed and stuck the label on is just mistaken or confusing it...

Anyone know for definite?

The 500GB storage in my BeeLink mini PC (A Beelink Mini S) is ...

2026-05-29T11:45:03Z

The 500GB storage in my BeeLink mini PC (A Beelink Mini S) is starting to feel a bit poky and inadequate, or at least, risks becoming so.

I knew it had an M2 slot, so thought "great, I'll move the 4TB NVME from my old desktop into it". But then I started looking. It seems the current M2 slotted device is not an NVME but a SSD. I did not realise there was a difference. Then I looked at the original spec which to be fair doesn't mention NVME.

(continues)

If you're ever wondering about the future perception and ...

2026-05-29T08:28:01Z

If you're ever wondering about the future perception and impacts of technology and how they relate to public perception now, think about the fact that in 1994, in an "Invention of the Year" competition, the public voted The Internet in at position #2.

What was #1?

The widget in a can of Guinness.

It's such a shame. Every time I see a headline about ...

2026-05-27T21:48:17Z

It's such a shame.

Every time I see a headline about "Makerfield" I momentarily fantasise that it's some EMFCamp-esque event in a field with people using lathes, and welders, and glue guns, and soldering irons.

But then it turns out it's something to do with an election between someone who seems to be an utter cunt, probably at least one other utter cunt, and then some other candidates.

What a shame.

Just one letter too many, then. "L".

2026-05-19T12:53:15Z

In reply to nevent1q…kl5t
_________________________

Just one letter too many, then. "L".

To return to an old hobby horse.. ...

2026-05-18T13:54:28Z

To return to an old hobby horse..

https://www.crowdcube.com/companies/what3words/pitches/qWkmPq

This is wild.

Another almost four thousand gullibles parted from their hard earned, and "investing" into a company with a P&L at MINUS £150,000,000 with a total turnover of barely £2m a year.

Interestingly though, this round only raised £1.5m and that is WAY below any previous round. So perhaps people are catching on? IDK. Wild that people don't see what a shitshow it is honestly.

2/2 A discussion earlier concluded with a thought about how ...

2026-05-18T12:35:45Z

In reply to nevent1q…0zq3
_________________________

2/2

A discussion earlier concluded with a thought about how useful it would be to have a generally understood mark that articulated this greyness of applicability. To at least let people know that this ambiguity was there, and known on the part of the maker.

I'm pretty sure I've come up with the perfect candidate for this and present it here now :

"Module boards", such as some of my friends make and sell ...

2026-05-18T12:33:21Z

"Module boards", such as some of my friends make and sell on sites like Tindie and Lectronz, live in a slightly grey area with regard to product safety and EMC conformity testing and markings.

Essentially they are not a consumer product, low voltage, and use components for RF that are already CE marked. Arguably they don't need their own CE marking as they're installed INSIDE another product. But even if they do, self certification would probably be non crazy.

1/2

golly it’s early in the day to have already reached that ...

2026-05-06T07:25:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…nh32
_________________________

golly it’s early in the day to have already reached that conclusion.

I hope it improves before the application of ramen, or, failing that, improves as a result of the application of ramen.

Never let anyone try to talk you out of a quick half hour DIY ...

2026-05-03T23:35:29Z

Never let anyone try to talk you out of a quick half hour DIY project. Those three hours will be the best six days of your life.

RE: https://hachyderm.io/@alisonw/116416887186716164 I don’t ...

2026-04-17T08:42:19Z

RE: https://hachyderm.io/@alisonw/116416887186716164

I don’t know? I assume “no”?

If SQL is pronounced "sequel" then surely DNS is ...

2026-03-19T16:57:42Z

If SQL is pronounced "sequel" then surely DNS is pronounced "Dennis"?

Huh, I see the firm of solicitors, Wright Hassall LLP, went bust. ...

2026-03-09T09:50:09Z

Huh, I see the firm of solicitors, Wright Hassall LLP, went bust.

I bet that was a ...

Nostr event nevent1qqsv585scl5vq3wsw7ucyw0233ys30s4jgha9sn9eyl008r74dasppgzyqf2957pxau8y5tl80auq2ysa6ql2raafaxk3qvqfup9a9a6fgujxqhges4

2026-02-28T19:16:50Z

Holy fuck. I think I migrated my mastodon? No fucking way? WHAT.

It’s worse than I thought. I don’t blame Masto.host for this, ...

2026-02-22T07:06:21Z

In reply to nevent1q…rhgw
_________________________

It’s worse than I thought. I don’t blame Masto.host for this, but everywhere on their site it said 29 dollars. But now the email has come through from what I assume/guess is the payment processor it’s actually $34.80, I assume due to VAT that hasn’t been properly indicated at earlier stages. So I am paying £25.82 a month (at current exchange rates) to be on mastodon with my own instance.

That really does feel expensive.

Again, not criticising Masto.host.

Hrmm due to filling up my database allocation I have had to ...

2026-02-21T15:47:16Z

Hrmm due to filling up my database allocation I have had to increase my Masto.Host subscription to $29 a month. Which for what it is is fine value. But is still a fair bit more than I ever meant to be paying for a social media thingy. I'm back to pondering going self-hosted.

ta - that is handy to know!

2026-02-12T10:42:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…j4rv
_________________________

ta - that is handy to know!