the pain of technology

I got a c compiler downloaded in rpm format and installed, but I still couldn’t install the software. wtf is up with that? (y’know, this is why I gave up on Corel Linux 4 years ago, although in that case I couldn’t even mount the CD that the software came on! if you can’t install software, what’s the point?)

I had a burst of inspiration about how to fix Magpie for the character encoding problem, then opened up the file(s) and realized I had no idea what the heck I was doing. (this bug seems to point out the same problem I’m seeing; on the other hand, there’s no response.)

my work computer is still MIA, although not for much longer.

on the other hand, I finally have a tentative plan for the kitchen; I’ve gotten back to exercising; I got some digging done in the yard yesterday, and my garden is producing regular lettuce! (the lesson being, I suppose, that the real world is treating me a little better than the virtual one.)