WHAT ATTRACTED YOUR ATTENTION TODAY?

[Stanley]

Wonderful service.... Thanks Kev!

[Big Kev]

When I updated the firewall last time I neglected to re add ports 443 and 80. LetsEncrypt needs those open to authorise the domain before issuing the cert. It should do it automatically again in July (it did in February).

[Gloria]

You’re doing a great job Kev

[Big Kev]

You’re doing a great job Kev

Just a shame I didn't do it the last time the site was 'attacked'

[Stanley]

I think we can let you off just this once Kev.....

[Big Kev]

[Big Kev]

Unfortunately, opening up ports 443 and 80 let in some malicious activity and CPU maxed out and disabled the site. I've removed access for the ports from the firewall for now until I can establish which IPs are coming in on them...

[Whyperion]

Flying to the Moon. The BBC didnt really cover it , where has The Sky at Night Gone and Brian Cox ? Patrick Moore studied the moon at great length and advised NASA on landing sites. The 4k images from Artemis 2 have taken a little time to arrive.

Passing through Wandsworth in part error today the former (I think Georgian) terrace houses (4 storey) that were the home to the British Olympic Authority (BOA) offices for many years are up as a Berkley Group of brownfield development , i assume as high class apartments rather than substantive family housing. The buses terminate in the road outside and it is a bit of a shortcut of the One Way system. nearly adjacent was the site of one time Dexion shelving (I think manufacture if not a substantial warehouse) which is another 24 storey apartment block going up with a slightly lower one next door on what for a while was called the Capital Studios. used for videotaping of the first runs of 15-1 quiz show, in part William G Stewart lived not too far away in SW London. Places for the arts always seem to be marginal. though eating up bits of Green Belt as Shepperton Studios seek a bit more space in recent times.

[Stanley]

The site is running normally at the moment Kev......

Meanwhile in another part of the forest I saw THIS....
5 minutes ago
More than 20,000 students have been told they were given maintenance loans and grants in error and now face demands to immediately pay the money back. The students, who are all studying weekend courses, received letters from the Student Loans Company (SLC) or their university saying their courses had never been eligible for maintenance loans or childcare grants. One letter, from the SLC and seen by the BBC, says the student's university provided incorrect information and "unfortunately, they didn't tell us you only attended on the weekend". It states that any "over-payment" will have to be repaid. The BBC understands courses at 15 universities and colleges including London Met, Bath Spa, Leeds Trinity, Southampton Solent and Oxford Brookes are affected. The courses each had in-person teaching at weekends, and some also had online learning during the week. Students had signed up for these courses and taken out loans for maintenance and, in some cases, grants for childcare. In a joint statement issued via Universities UK, the institutions involved told the BBC the issue stemmed from an "abrupt" decision by the government and that they were considering a legal challenge. However, the Department for Education said students had been let down by "incompetence or abuse of the system".
Can you imagine the dreadful shock to those affected? Why should they have to suffer for what must be a staggering level of incompetence somewhere in the system?

[Stanley]

THIS surprised me.....
First Lady Melania Trump has denied connections to Jeffrey Epstein, telling reporters at the White House that any claims linking the two "need to end today". In a surprise announcement on Thursday, the first lady called for congressional hearings for survivors of Epstein's sex trafficking. She also denied online rumours that Epstein introduced her to Donald Trump, calling them "mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation". It is unclear what prompted the announcement. There was no prior indication from her office that she would make a statement on Epstein, and the White House did not share the topic earlier when her remarks were put on its daily schedule. She said she had not been a victim of Epstein, with whom she only briefly "crossed paths" in 2000. "I have never had any knowledge of Epstein abuse of his victims," she said. "I was never involved in any capacity. I was not a participant." She also denied knowing Ghislaine Maxwell, the disgraced financier's jailed associate. She referred to a 2002 email between her and Maxwell released in the Epstein files, calling it nothing more than "casual correspondence" and a "polite reply". An email that appears to be the one she referenced is addressed to "G" - presumably for Ghislaine - and includes compliments about a story featuring "JE" with a photo of G that appeared in New York Magazine. She wrote that she "cannot wait" to go to Palm Beach. "Give me a call when you are back in NY," the email says. "Have a great time! Love, Melania" The New York Magazine article included quotes from now-President Donald Trump calling Epstein a "terrific guy" and saying "he's a lot of fun to be with".

This bubbles on just below the surface and refuses to go away. Where will it end?

[Stanley]

THIS caght my attention....
Published 3 hours ago
As Melania Trump walked up to the White House podium on Thursday, standing where President Donald Trump had just over a week ago made his address to the nation on Iran, there was absolutely no indication that this would be a jaw-dropping appearance. There was curiosity, yes, but no one guessed it would be must-see viewing. Not even those most plugged into the administration had any forewarning of the topic, according to officials. Flanked by American flags, her first sentence jolted those listening. "The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today." With those words, the Epstein crisis that had plagued the president was once again front and centre thanks to his wife. Immediately, US cable channels broke away from their coverage on Iran, given the gravity of what was unfolding. The first lady has always maintained a relatively low profile, strategically selecting her few public events. She hardly shares the same flare for the dramatic, or the desire to shock and awe the press, as her husband. Reading from a prepared statement, she said she never had a relationship with Epstein or Maxwell, was not introduced to her husband by Epstein, and was unaware of Epstein's crimes. She ended by calling for public congressional hearings for Epstein survivors to testify to uncover the truth. If she had stayed to answer any questions, surely the first one would have been why did she feel the need now, seemingly out of the blue, to distance herself from the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and to go on the record for the first time? Rumours swirled that perhaps she was trying to get ahead of something new, given the general claims she referenced have circulated for years and she's usually relied on her lawyers to respond.
Something is going on in the background here. It could be important.

[Tizer]

We heard about this some time ago but it's now a step closer. Proof that he's finally drifted off into his own world. Perhaps it will end up being the biggest tombstone in the world...
`Trump administration unveils 250-foot 'Triumphal Arch' design' BBC
The White House has unveiled renderings for a 250ft (76m) arch that Donald Trump wants to have built in the US capital. The new monument, nicknamed the "Arc de Trump" in homage to its Parisian inspiration, will be "the GREATEST and MOST BEAUTIFUL Triumphal Arch, anywhere in the World", the US president said on social media on Friday. The administration said it has officially filed the plans with the Commission of Fine Arts, a panel made up of Trump allies, which will review the proposal next week. The arch is just one of Trump's controversial projects to give Washington DC a makeover in his signature style, with his plans for a White House ballroom currently caught up in a legal battle...

[Stanley]

I thnk Donald J Trump is the finest living example of a megalomaniac.
Here's the AI answer about examples....
Famous megalomaniacs often feature dictators, emperors, and leaders driven by extreme narcissism, an insatiable hunger for power, and delusions of grandeur. Key historical examples include Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, Napoléon Bonaparte, and Genghis Khan, who all reshaped nations through their ego-driven, often destructive, policies.

[Stanley]

THIS caught my attention.....
Two weeks ago, I wrote a BBC News article about the impact of a severe and often misunderstood skin condition many people have been sharing on social media, called topical steroid withdrawal (TSW). For some, it's a severe case of eczema. For others, it's a condition in its own right. The problem is doctors can't agree on what it is. The article hit a nerve - millions of people read it and 240 got in touch. So what's going on? I have now spoken to more patients and doctors about why this condition remains such an enigma.
There is much more to read in the article. Though not as severe as these examples I see parallels with the skin problems i have been having for months. My condition has been slowly improving and I hope this will continue but I feel these people have a genuine condition and it's not clear how the doctors can help.

[Stanley]

[Stanley]

THIS Live report on the Hungarian elections....
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has conceded defeat after 16 years in power, with the opposition securing a landslide election win. Péter Magyar, a former Orbán ally who became his fiercest critic, swept to victory promising closer ties to the EU, and his win opens the door to more European support for Ukraine. With more than 98% of the votes counted, Magyar's party Tisza is set to win a massive majority in parliament - this is an astonishing achievement, our central Europe correspondent writes. Record numbers turned out for an election which was seen as pivotal to the future of Hungary and Europe - our Russia editor Steve Rosenberg says Orbán's defeat is a blow to Vladimir Putin. Magyar is on course for a two-thirds majority - that means the new government will be able to reverse Orbán's reforms, writes our Europe digital editor
This is potentially good news for the whole of Europe and particularly Ukraine.

[Tizer]

...our Russia editor Steve Rosenberg says Orbán's defeat is a blow to Vladimir Putin.

It's also a blow to Trump and his White House colleagues who are big supporters of Orban's right-wing politics. Magyar's success is even more outstanding when you take into account the efforts that Putin (and perhaps Trump's CIA?) have put in to spoil his image with false news and other attempts to influence the outcome in favour of Orban.

[Stanley]

My thoughts as well Peter. A step in the right direction.... I live in hopes of a reset on so many fronts!

THIS caught my attention this morning.....
Faced with growing backlash, US President Donald Trump appears to have removed a controversial Truth Social post depicting himself as a Jesus-like figure. The AI-generated image, which showed Trump appearing to heal a sick man in a hospital bed, sparked fierce backlash from both sides of the US political spectrum, including from some of Trump's most ardent supporters. The post came just hours after Trump posted a lengthy message criticising Pope Leo XIV, a vocal critic of the US and Israeli military operation in Iran. Trump acknowledged posting the picture, telling reporters he thought it was "me as a doctor".
He lives in his own fantasy world, the problem is the whole world is paying the price for it.
A larger correction needs to be part of my reset!

[Stanley]

THIS caught my eye....
2 hours ago
A 35-year-old ultra-marathon champion from Dumfries has died while running in the Highlands. David Parrish was trying to beat the record for the fastest man to complete the Cape Wrath trail, a 234 mile (376km) route from Fort William to Cape Wrath. The former Royal Marine was found in the remote mountainous area of Kintail in the north-west Highlands on Saturday. Police Scotland said he was found in the area at about 22:25. "There are no suspicious circumstances and his next of kin are aware," a statement added.
Could it be possible to take exercise too far?

[Stanley]

I have noticed that many of the advertisements on Youtube are about taking control of your own money and using financial advisers to tell you where the best returns can be obtained.
Whenever the economy gets tight you get this welling up of people looking for ways of getting money out of clients and wonder if this is another crop of attacks where people are advised to take control of their pension funds and get high returns....
How many of these approaches will end in tears?

[PanBiker]

The two Coal Tits that have spent all day so far trying to come through our front window.