vivdunstan: Photo from our wedding in Langholm (martin)
Martin just describing his daily programming practice on the computer for work. “I use vi. I don’t use a GUI.” Yup, that’s him 😜
vivdunstan: Muppet eating a computer (computers)
Now up to 51/53 of the year entries chosen and filled. Was highly amused when I mentioned before dinner to Martin that I'd just added a "certain programming book". And he knew immediately which one it was. Kernighan & Ritchie's The C Programming Language. Which was a life saver in 1991/2 during a particularly problematic (lecturing wise) portion of my computer science undergraduate degree at St Andrews.
vivdunstan: Part of own photo taken in local university botanic gardens. Tree trunks rise atmospherically, throwing shadows from the sun on the ground. (Default)
Very sad to see Pocket is closing down. I've used it for 7 years, to save things I want to read later. At the moment I suspect I'm likely to revert to Instapaper, who I left after their service stopped working for a while in the EU/UK due to GDPR. But musing options. Martin also relies on Pocket on a daily basis.

First cut

Apr. 24th, 2025 06:15 pm
vivdunstan: Part of own photo taken in local university botanic gardens. Tree trunks rise atmospherically, throwing shadows from the sun on the ground. (Default)
Oh my goodness. Martin has just decided to cut the grass before dinner. He's a very infrequent grass cutter. Which is nice for wildlife, including a virtually resident not our cat, and also the ecosystem. But he still needed to do his first cut of the year. Now underway. It will be many many weeks before the second one 😜

Dream

Apr. 23rd, 2025 01:11 pm
vivdunstan: Photo by me of St Andrews Cathedral (st andrews)
Had a very long dream just now, where Martin and I went into a secondhand bookshop in St Andrews - this made up secondhand bookshop in South Street (not the real one as was!) is a recurrent thing in my dreams, at least until now. And this time they were closing down and had a "Pay £15" at the door, then get as many books as you want for no extra cost deal. So I got dozens of books. History books, computing history ones, gamebooks, children's fiction, an amazing bound Dickens, so many Gaelic books, and so much more. It was a very good dream 😜
vivdunstan: Part of own photo taken in local university botanic gardens. Tree trunks rise atmospherically, throwing shadows from the sun on the ground. (Default)
Heads up for fellow academics as well as other authors. I'm not a prolific published academic, but at least two of my academic journal papers (on Scottish book history and library history) have been pilfered for AI training purposes. All done without my permission. You can search for these at https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2025/03/search-libgen-data-set/682094/

Lots of academic papers (co-authored) from Martin on there as well. And loads by my historian and computer scientist friends. It's also amusing seeing author namesakes. I now know which academic with a similar name (my maiden name - I have some early published academic work under my maiden name) is publishing prolifically about healthcare and medical matters! That Academia.edu keeps emailing me unhelpfully about, referring to "Vivienne Dunstan"!
vivdunstan: Fountain pen picture (fountain pens)
Just had my first go using a blunt syringe with a 3D-printed ink miser to load my piston filler daily journal fountain pen. The ink in the big bottle was now too low a level for me to get a good fill directly. But my neurological illness hands were rather terrified of today's process! But it worked brill. Filled the syringe, then the ink miser (almost totally full), then filled through the pen nib using the piston filler. Worked brilliantly, and I didn't knock anything over! Just a little ink left over in the miser, which I poured back into the bottle. Very happy fountain pen user. Martin was around today, but I decided to try to tackle this myself. And it worked.

vivdunstan: Photo from our wedding in Langholm (martin)
On the way home from my bone density scan at Perth Royal Infirmary we called into Gannochy Duck Pond in Perth. Martin was particularly hoping to see their mandarin ducks - a very unusual thing to see in Scotland. The mandarin ducks were there but staying largely under cover, though he got some pictures. But there were lots of other birds to photograph. I especially liked this photo of three mallard ducks, with loads of interesting reflections in the water.

Three mallard ducks swimming to the left in a row across a river in front of reed beds. There are many reflections in the water, of the beige reeds behind, and the three ducks below. The reflections are shaky and wiggly, and quite artistic. The birds at the left and right in the picture are male, brightly coloured, with green heads, brown neck/chest and grey/white body. In the middle is a female mallard, with mottled brown/beige colouring.
vivdunstan: Photo from our wedding in Langholm (martin)
My husband’s birds list from his walk today. This is from his usual Saturday walk to the wooded river valley / old railway viaduct very near our home. I post this list every week on Facebook, but thought I'd post it here too today!

28 species seen, 3 species heard (including tawny owl at 12:50!), grey squirrel, bee heard

blackbird
blue tit
bullfinch
chaffinch
coal tit
collared dove
crow
dipper
dunnock
feral pigeon
goldfinch
great tit
grey heron
herring gull
house sparrow
jackdaw
long tailed tit
magpie
mallard
oyster catcher
robin
rook
song thrush
starling
stock dove
wood pigeon
wren
yellowhammer

grey wagtail heard
tawny owl heard
woodpecker heard

grey squirrel
bee heard

Dreams

Feb. 2nd, 2025 05:56 pm
vivdunstan: Part of own photo taken in local university botanic gardens. Tree trunks rise atmospherically, throwing shadows from the sun on the ground. (Default)
Had a very weird dream this afternoon while Martin was taking books and magazines to the charity shop. It started off as a music theory lesson, in a wynd off South Street, St Andrews. Then the pair of us went to various old bookshops, including Quartos (much missed), and then (very not real!) an academic rare bookshop in South Street, towards Jannettas, which sold occult books. As I climbed higher up the floors the books in the shop got older and older, and on each floor a door would open out onto the street in the past. I then got involved in a mystery about a 17th century book and its owner, while a murderous taxi driver from the 19th century was chasing me through time. Even Dr Dee got involved in the story. And then, rather sadly, I woke up, and boggled Martin with the tale of my dream 😜
vivdunstan: Photo of some of my books (books)
Crikey I so wanted to type 2024 there haha!

I've got off to a flying start this year, partly with 2 books that were hang overs from before, but also a quick read for my book club. But then I also quickly read 3 other books that had been hanging around for too long, and I wanted to pass on to charity shops. I'd previously started reading a couple of them.
  1. An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson
  2. Don't Touch My Hair by Emma Dabiri
  3. Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa
  4. Egyptian Myths: Meet the Gods, Goddesses, and Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt by Jean Menzies
  5. Tutankhamun: The Treasures of the Tomb by Zahi Hawass
  6. ABBA: The Treasures by Ingmarie Halling and Carl Magnus Palm
An Academy for Liars is a dark academia book, with rather a lot of violence and gore added to the mix. It was ok, but I had to push to keep reading it to the end. 3/5 stars.

Don't Touch My Hair by Emma Dabiri was an incredible insight into the experience and history of black hair. A strong 4/5 stars.

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop was another 3/5 star read for me. Ok, mostly, but a rather odd writing style, and an unexpected and lengthy shift away from the cosy bookshop setting mid way through. 3/5 stars.

Egyptian Myths by classical historian and YouTuber Jean Menzies was an entertaining and informative text, full of striking large format illustrations from Katie Ponder. I did find the order and structure a little confusing in places, but I learned a lot. 4/5 stars.

Tutankhamun: The Treasures of the Tomb is a large format coffee table book, filled with huge photographs and details of many hundreds of items from Tutankhamun's tomb. The items chosen are a selection carefully curated by Zahi Hawass, and it's not exhaustive. But for what you did get it was jaw dropping, including multi-page folding out large photographs. Both Martin and I were stunned by parts. 5/5 stars.

ABBA: The Treasures is a large format squidgy book telling much of the story of ABBA in photographs, reminiscences, and reproductions of paper ephemera connected with them, tucked into folders inside that you open up and work through the contents of. It's a nice book, but a rather narrow perspective on their life, focusing mainly on some of their 1970s international tours, which one of the authors accompanied them on. I did feel that I was missing out on the wider story. But the folders of paper ephemera were a delight. I was particularly amused by the customs list, for the Australian tour I think, including a "piano accordion". 4/5 stars.
vivdunstan: Test card (tv)
Just binge watched - at a bit of speed in places! - the last 3 episodes of Wednesday season 1. Martin is also now watching it, though a bit behind me. It's been odd for him seeing snippets that he'd already seen me watching, and learning where they fit into the story! Anyway yes, I'm all watched up. He should be soon. A second season has already been filmed.

It's very much a teen drama, but I liked an awful lot about it. Especially the gothic feel. Jenna Ortega did a great job. I was also surprised just how dark the last few episodes were in terms of content. But yes, very much enjoyed, and looking forward to the second season.
vivdunstan: Part of own photo taken in local university botanic gardens. Tree trunks rise atmospherically, throwing shadows from the sun on the ground. (Default)
One thing I was pleased about today is that I was wheeling myself well around the Kimono exhibition in between Martin pushing me. Definitely better than when I was at Tartan a year ago. I’m often very weak in my arms or otherwise struggling to control them. But this morning my arms and also hand grip were good. I was also coping well with a very packed and busy room. Though sitting down helped with that! Now in bed and going back to sleep!
vivdunstan: Warning sign re risk of being mobbed by seagulls (dundee)
Back home from the V&A Dundee now. Really enjoyed the Kimono exhibition. We could turn up any time to get in, with our new joint memberships, and the V&A staff handled that we hadn't got our member cards in the post yet. I came away from the front reception desk with a freshly printed temporary membership card, and they will look into the missing cards (I'm thinking Dundee East postal depot backlogs!). It was incredibly busy when we got into the exhibition, so much queuing needed to get around the different sections. Slightly anxiety inducing for infection phobic us. We dodged a few obviously coughing or sneezing people ... And we skipped some bits that were of less interest. But I saw all the bits I really wanted to see. I was especially interested in the early history and some of the related artefacts on display. Plus kimono pattern books and drawings and paintings from the 18th and 19th centuries. I was agog at those. I only had a few things I struggled to see from my wheelchair because of height/arrangement. More of a problem was navigating around the fellow visitors, who were so engrossed that we'd often have to very clearly alert them to wheelchair coming through. I needed a horn! But we both enjoyed it and are glad we went. And just outside was the Dundee Tapestry exhibition still, which was also attracting lots of visitors, and we were happy to go round it. Bought stuff in the shop after - which is still a bit too much of a squeeze with a wheelchair, though somewhat improved after my feedback a year ago which they acted on. Then coffee and bagels lunch at the kiosk/van outside. Very glad we made it, though I won't be surprised if the same thing happens as last time we went there, and we've picked up an infection (was Covid a year ago). Fingers crossed not though!

P.S. Martin just said he could have done with fewer physical kimonos on display. I also found some of those some of the less interesting elements of the exhibition. But as he said, if you went to a kimono exhibition and didn't see lots of kimonos you would probably be justifiably disappointed! But overall the balance was good.

P.P.S. Have just emailed the V&A Dundee with some feedback on the Kimono exhibition, including how it was much better for me accessibility wise than Tartan, and also to thank them for improvements they have made re accessibility in the shop. Which they did after my feedback a year ago.
vivdunstan: Part of own photo taken in local university botanic gardens. Tree trunks rise atmospherically, throwing shadows from the sun on the ground. (Default)
Sending early Christmas and Happy New Year wishes to our friends and family. We will be having a very quiet and restful holiday period. Martin is on holiday for two weeks after today, and will be mainly resting. Hope you have a good time too. The picture is "The Shortening Winter's Day is near a Close" painted by Joseph Farquharson. We have had a large framed print of this since the late 1990s, bought from a glazier in Bonnygate, Cupar. It is currently up on our main wall in the sitting room, and very much enjoyed.

vivdunstan: Photo from our wedding in Langholm (martin)
I was awake a little today, so managed finally to go through some old things Mum gave me recently. Including many old photos. Lots of little me at school, especially primary school. Lots of Borders Schools Orchestra things, including a photo of us all. Lots of 1978 Melrose Festival photos - I was a train bearer. And some lovely graduation photos of Martin and me in 1994. Here's one of the more informal graduation photos. And after that is a photo of my granddad at the top of Melrose Abbey. He was the last in a long line of family beadles or church officers. Who, among other things, rang the abbey bell regularly.



Accents

Dec. 13th, 2024 08:18 pm
vivdunstan: Part of own photo taken in local university botanic gardens. Tree trunks rise atmospherically, throwing shadows from the sun on the ground. (Default)
Watching Paul Murton follow the River Dee, and thinking some of the Aberdeenshire folk sound awfully like Scottish Borderers! A uni classmate of mine at Dundee used to think my accent sounded as though I was from Brechin or somewhere up there. Nice to hear folk who sound “local” for me anyway. My accent is a mix of Edinburgh like / Borders cross, and a much stronger version which comes out the more puggled I am or if talking to eg my Mum! The Hawick part can come out really strongly then. Plus perhaps an added Somerset twang thanks to 30 years marriage 😜
vivdunstan: V60 switch coffee maker brewing coffee (coffee)
Starting our week of decaf coffee taste testing with James Hoffmann's Decaf Project. Have our beans (natural + 3 types of decaf processing, all same coffee originally) ready from an Aberdeenshire roaster. And going to be trying over 4 nights. Big YouTube live video on Sunday. We're going to make my usual style of coffee with our Hario Switch machine. And because we have a spare backup Hario Switch (!), that will be in operation beside it, making a coffee for Martin too. Who rarely drinks coffee, but is keen to take part in this decaf tasting. We are starting with the natural caffeinated beans, then working through Swiss Water, Ethyl Acetate and CO2 decaffeinated versions. Aiming to be done by Friday, one way or another!
vivdunstan: (fourth doctor)
Another in this slow going series from me, and this time I'm going for the easiest fandom of all for me to tackle!

I first started watching Doctor Who in 1978, aged 5, very shortly to be 6, with "The Ribos Operation" and the Key to Time 16th series with Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor paired with the glorious Mary Tamm as the first Romana. I was vaguely aware of Doctor Who before, but don't think I'd ever properly watched it. Certainly when I got my first Doctor Who annual, which featured Louise Jameson's Leela, I was utterly baffled. Though happy to go with the flow.

From that moment on Doctor Who was a fixed viewing point in our house, with Dad and me both hugely enjoying it. I loved the first version of Romana, but was shocked by the second - my first experience of Time Lord regeneration. And then we got to Logopolis, and yes, that was a shock too. Though I recognised Peter Davison from All Creatures Great and Small, and quickly took to his version of the Doctor with no problems.

I continued as a fan throughout the 1980s. Dad was often exasperated by some of the 1980s Doctors, especially Sylvester McCoy, but I remained a fan throughout. Loved the often bonkers storytelling. It did feel very much of its time. I continued to get a Doctor Who annual most years, but never joined fan organisations then like DWAS. Though I was generally reading Doctor Who Magazine every month throughout the 1980s.

I do remember trying to see a Doctor Who exhibition at Burntisland. My parents and I travelled the long distance up from the Scottish Borders by car, then got a train near Edinburgh to go over to Fife for the day. And there was supposed to be a Doctor Who exhibition there. But it wasn't there when we got there. I was disappointed. Though I do remember enjoying a helter skelter!

And then we got to 1989, and the end of TV Who. And I fell away. I remember joining a Doctor Who fan club at St Andrews University in 1990, but had a really unpleasant experience as a female fan and immediately left. It's just possible that it was a more generic scifi fan club, though if so I think it was still heavily Who leaning. I never knew about the Virgin New Adventures novels at the time, and completely stopped reading Doctor Who Magazine.

Then, somehow, and I still don't know how it happened, I completely missed that there was going to be a new Doctor Who TV Movie in 1996. I didn't even know it was on. Martin also failed to notice that - he would have mentioned it if he'd seen it. So we completely missed it. I also had no idea for many years that Paul McGann had played the part.

And that was how things remained, until 26th September 2003, and the news that Doctor Who was going to return with a new series. I saw that news on Ceefax, and it was like a total bolt out of the blue. And prompted me to return to the series, check out some books that had come out, start reading Doctor Who Magazine regularly again, and try my first Big Finish audio: The Chimes of Midnight, with Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor I'd never heard or seen before. Listened to on my own in our new home in 2004. Magic.
vivdunstan: A vibrantly coloured drawn image of Matt Smith's Doctor, with sonic screwdriver raised in his right hand (eleventh doctor)
Writing up brief reviews of a couple more stories in my Matt Smith era rewatch, which is nearly over. As I write these reviews it is currently Doctor Who's 61st birthday. Happy birthday to my all time favourite TV show, which I have watched almost continuously (I didn't know about and missed the 1996 TV movie!?) during its broadcasts ever since 1978 and the Key to Time series.

I am going to discuss spoilers, but not put them into spoiler space after all this time. Look away if in doubt though.

These two stories, as well as the Night of the Doctor minisode between and The Time of the Doctor after, provide a quadrology of "of the Doctor" stories. Which is a surprisingly little used title form for the series. Though recently we had "The Power of the Doctor" with Jodie Whittaker.

"Name" provides an answer to the long running Clara mystery, with her jumping into the Doctor's time stream, and scattering into splinters. This was a satisfying resolution for me, and also neatly handled in a way that led in to the mystery of John Hurt's War Doctor.

Not so good was the rest of the episode for me. It felt like it had too many things packed in, and lots didn't get enough depth. I liked the conference call, with Vastra, Jenny, Strax, Clara and River. I liked the farewell between River and the Doctor. But so much else, including Richard E Grant's Great Intelligence and the Whisper Men, was just too much thrown in. Of course without REG we wouldn't have seen Clara jump into the Doctor's time stream. Yes, REG's character was necessary. But a lot felt clumsy, and too thinly spread.

"Day" by contrast has an extended running time. 77 minutes versus 44 minutes for "Night". and it needed that to balance its many elements. There are slower, more thoughtful moments, such as John Hurt's War Doctor's trudge to the barn. But these are matched by numerous hectic action scenes. And just so many ingredients. Elizabeth I and Zygons, UNIT in the present day Tower of London, Gallifrey during the Time War, the High Council of Gallifrey, Doctors and their TARDISes swirling. But somehow, and even though it feels as though it shouldn't, it works. Really well.

Even the three main incarnations of the Doctor on screen are each given sufficient time. It does feel like a Matt Smith episode though. He's at the start and end, bookmarking, and is in no way outshone by David Tennant or the War Doctor. I *love* how the War Doctor effortlessly sums up the other pair in a few words, far from flattering. Billie Piper, this time as a sentient interface to a weapon of mass destruction, works too. And yes, Clara is also well handled. This is by far the best representation of her since The Snowmen, though Steven Moffat writing her again will have helped. It was a little strange to realise there must have been quite a time jump, for her to qualify as a teacher. Of course she's at Coal Hill School. But that's ok too.

Ultimately though the episode is a love letter to the past. The scene where multiple Doctor incarnations appear briefly to save Gallifrey is epic. This was the first time my husband had any clue about the next doctor after Matt Smith, and he recognised Peter Capaldi immediately from just his eyebrows! The best nod to the past for me though had to be Tom Baker's appearance. I'd heard a hint that he might appear, but forgot when watching. And then was in tears seeing it on screen. The doctor of my first years as a fan, and still one of my all time favourites. And played and scripted so beautifully.

So yes, a lot to like. I would also highly recommend the Target novelisation of this, written by Steven Moffat himself. Which plays with the structure and details in a highly imaginative way. A great read, even if you think you know the version from the telly.

Just one more Matt Smith story to go. To quote my all time favourite doctor "I don't want to go ..."

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vivdunstan: Part of own photo taken in local university botanic gardens. Tree trunks rise atmospherically, throwing shadows from the sun on the ground. (Default)
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