Itch

PP_Filter_Code_Jquery

Finished a long day of haggling, spending the last few hours tussling with bugs and unhandled exceptions (API rate limits!!) in 2 of my Chrome projects.

And then, playing with some css in those moments between git push and posting the updated zip file to Chrome Web Store, came the idea for this one line of code. And now a big (for me, in usefulness) feature idea is pumping adrenaline all over my body.

It’s 3 bloody AM, and I need to get some sleep before tomorrow’s run. Yet, all I can think of is implementing this one feature :)

Race, Hate & Flags

Just over a week ago, I was wondering on the ideological significance of someone displaying an apartheid era flag.

Today, the same flag appeared on the jacket of a guy who goes on a mindless killing spree at an African American church in the US.

I’m still judging.

Yet another refused blood donation due to low haemoglobin :(

Last time I was refused, I’d run a 5K that morning, and half marathon the weekend before. This time I took 10 days off running and cycling (except for a 5K last evening).

Last time I was drinking 5ml of an Iron supplement, Feroglobin, 3-4 times a week. Now I drink 15ml of that supplement every day.

I’ve also increased spinach intake – both in my smoothie and in regular diet, through lentils and other dishes.

And yet, the haemoglobin count actually fell from 133g/l to 131g/l. It isn’t unhealthy, but under the threshold, 135g/l, below which NHS doesn’t accept donations.

I’m confused (and pissed at myself) – my first donation had a count of 142. My last accepted donation had a count of 136. My exercise levels have gone up substantially since then, but so has my Iron intake, both as supplement and in form of iron-rich foods.

What else could I do? :(

P.S.: If I test low haemoglobin count at my next donation as well, I’ll be struck off NHS’ donor list for good :'(

We rescued a cow

Yesterday, Chewie and I rescued a cow.

While walking on the mount, we noticed the cows were congregated around one of the bottom gates, and there were a couple of ladies on the other side of the gates. Initial suspicion was that the ladies wanted to get on the mount, but the cows were blocking them. Soon, it became clear – as the walkers had exited the mount, one of the greedy cows had followed them through the first trap gate to get to the vegetation in the middle. As the gate closed behind her, the cow got trapped between the twin gates – meadow on one side, the heavy traffic of A31 on the other.

On realising its predicament, the cow started getting agitated – not letting the walkers back in to release the inner gate. Other cows too congregated around the gate out of concern.

Once the situation was clear, I put Chewie on lead, and we calmly walked down to the gate. As the other cows saw us approach, they quietly dispersed, leaving the gate access free. I stood on far side of the gate, Chewie calmly stood next to me, and opened the gate. The trapped cow, quickly scampered through – to the meadow, to other cows, to freedom!

The ladies thanked us, the cows gave us a grateful smile (I’d like to believe), and we walked back up the mount. Halfway up, I released Chewie off lead. He found the ball that he’d dropped earlier, and we merrily carried on home, happy1,2.

  1. I was happy at having helped a cow, but more so at Chewie’s composure – he stayed calm all through, acting mature, never showing any concern towards or against the herd of cows, let alone bark or growl.
    Chewie was happy because he had the ball, and we were headed home to his food – the two loves of his life :) ↩
  2. The scenario as it’d have happened if Raghs were with us: I put Chewie on lead, to go rescue the cows. She starts protesting, getting concerned at how he’ll behave, and how the cows will react to us. Chewie senses the anxiety in her body language and tone, and starts getting anxious himself. His anxiety passes on to the cows – through body language or barking. Unsure if we’re friendly or not, we get charged by a dozen, heavy cows. My remains may right now be splattered, mixed with cow dung, on the mount. ↩