Suzy Jackson

@iknowthezarbi.bsky.social insists the correct order to watch the Star Wars movies is Star Wars, empire strikes back, an American werewolf in London, then return of the Jedi. Gotta say American werewolf is a bloody good film.

Trying a baguette recipe. I’ve made more bread than I can count, but usually the same way: Mix dough, knead the crap out of it, proof, form, wait for it to rise to fill form, bake. The baguette recipe starts with a really gooey dough that you don‘t knead at all.

This is the latest in the line of Freebee Microbee compatibles. I've broken both my "no PLDs" and "no SMD" rules to make a Microbee compatible that can do a full-colour 320x264 display, rather than the usual 2-colours-per character that Microbee Premium did.

I've done the board in KiCad, as usual. It's getting pretty dense do I had to resort to using some PALs (still period correct for mid eighties) and I also used MELF resistors and diodes, and 1206 chip resistors, which are again period correct. Alas I had to go to 6 layers to route it.

This is the latest in the line of Freebee Microbee compatibles. I've broken both my "no PLDs" and "no SMD" rules to make a Microbee compatible that can do a full-colour 320x264 display, rather than the usual 2-colours-per character that Microbee Premium did.

If I combine that as four x 4 bit colour fields, that gives me 4 pixels with individually definable 4 bit colour in the time where we normally output 8 bits of character info. Sure that means we need to halve the horizontal resolution, but we still get a respectable 320 x 264 display.

This is the latest in the line of Freebee Microbee compatibles. I've broken both my "no PLDs" and "no SMD" rules to make a Microbee compatible that can do a full-colour 320x264 display, rather than the usual 2-colours-per character that Microbee Premium did.

Mounted the driver board on the back of my old 5k iMac display. This thing drives the LCD in full glorious 5k, complete with backlight from thunderbolt. It’s even got a DAC, which I’ve connected up to my speakers, so no need to plug into the headphone socket on my mini. Kapton tape FTW.

Took Max for a 15km walk today, including being passed by a whole flock of sheeps who were being mustered. Farmer commented on how good Max was with the sheeps. He thought they were awesome, and asked where to apply for the job. Still pulling hard after 14km, so we ran home most of the last bit.

15km in 2:45. That’s 11 minutes flat per kilometre. He has endless energy. I am totally stuffed.

Getting the bike in a fit state to ride. My choice of rubber is: Nice Michelin pro3 race HPs in a 20mm width. Even nicer Veloflex Masters in a 23mm width (I’ve already got a set mounted). Slow as a wet week Michelin Carbons in a 25mm width (I used to commute on these).

Shiny new M6 Mac mini shows up to replace my 2017 iMac. This thing is a beast. After playing for a bit, we have a blackout (very common here) and my speakers die. Fearing for the Mac, I try with my old HD595 cans, and only one channel works. Next I try my PXC450s. Nothing. Works with my momentum 2s.

Also, this new Mac mini is way too small to put my ancient monitor on, so I’ve gotta use a 2014 one as a monitor stand. I’ve got a board on its way that will allow me to gut the iMac to use the screen on the mini.