Category Archives: Daily dose

Uninstall Windows Update KB5063878

Daily dose, , ,

Microsoft has finally acknowledged that it’s looking into an issue affecting Windows 11 PCs where SSDs are disappearing from a user’s PC after installing its latest security update KB5063878. Some users have reported that the update did not only cause their SSD to suddenly vanish from their PC, it even bricked some drives causing serious data loss.

JayzTwoCents has good rundown of the on-going issue:

While waiting for a fix from Microsoft, the best recommended fix is to uninstall the update from your Windows 11 PC. If it’s still not installed, DO NOT INSTALL KB5063878. Turn off automatic updates in Windows Update for the time being. While some users have not been affected, including myself, fortunately, it’s definitely not worth taking the risk.

Forty

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As I write this, typhoon Emong (Co-May) is barreling through Northern Luzon bringing winds up to 184 km/h. It’s the second tropical storm to hit since last week, making the effects of the Southwest Monsoon more severe as today marks the 7th consecutive days of heavy rains.

As with every monsoon season that gets worse by accompanying typhoons, Metro Manila and surrounding provinces suffer from widespread flooding, disrupting school, businesses and making it harder and dangerous to come to work. Obviously, the government has failed to do its duty despite spending billions of public funds in numerous flood control projects throughout the country.

In the midst of it all, I mark four decades of walking this earth. Celebrations have been kept simple and muted, as we all try to shelter in place and ride out the storm. Literally. Since last year, there have been some progress on the ‘goals’ I’ve laid down. It’s not on the blogging, podcasting or pushing out a newsletter side, but getting a better sense of the overall direction I want to go on now that I’ve reached this milestone. There’s a great level of confidence that come next year, we would in a better place. It all sounds a bit exciting, to say the least.

Another milestone that makes this year a little bit more special is it coincides with the 30th anniversary of my favorite Gundam series – Mobile Suit Gundam Wing which first aired in Japan in 1995. It was the first Gundam series to be aired on US television, introducing many young boys and girls of the 2000s to the world of Gundam. It wasn’t the best series in the franchise but the Gundam franchise wouldn’t be as big and popular as it is today if it weren’t for Gundam Wing.

As part of the 30th anniversary celebrations, Bandai has released a ‘clean’ (no opening credits) version of Gundam Wing’s opening theme – “Just Communication” for fans of the series to enjoy:

Thirty-nine

Daily dose,

This is the penultimate year before I hit four decades of being on planet Earth. What a journey it has been. Times have been challenging, especially the last twelve months, but somehow I am stillg it through.

There have been no changes in the writing, podcasting, and building scale models as it’s still a few months away from the target construction date of ‘the cave’. On the other hand, I’ve been meaning to get back to reading books and listening to my podcast subscriptions by August. The time has come to cut back on two notorious time sinks YouTube and Spotify.

Offline, I’ve spent considerable time reconnecting with my high school friends since April as we gear up to get organized for when we host our high school grand alumni homecoming in 2027. Time is ticking away and we are nowhere near our fundraising target.

For the first time in thirty-nine years, I’m seriously thinking of doing a more serious exercise regimen, even doing some weight training to help address my thyroid problems. A recent trip to the hospital reminded me that this needs urgent attention. Just to be clear, I would not be bulking up nor would I start a TikTok account to post half-naked thirst traps or something ridiculous.

Once more, to all those who sent their greetings, a big thank you to each and every one of you!

Farewell Google Podcasts, it’s been fun

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It feels like the time when Google Reader was discontinued in 2013. While other podcast apps may have more features, Google Podcasts had everything I needed – a clean UI, it readily shows the recent episodes from my subscriptions – which for me, is the most important one.

Come June 23, 2024, Google Podcasts will cease to function and on July 29, 2024, users would no longer be able to migrate or export their subscriptions. I have already imported my subscriptions into YouTube Music to see how it fares as a podcast app. Somehow, something feels not right or maybe it’s because I’ve never really used YouTube Music before and had been forced to, because it’s going to replace Google Podcasts.

With Google’s promise that it will ‘increase investment in the podcast experience in YouTube Music’, I’ll give it a try. Although, I’m keeping the door open for other podcast apps out there.

Sarah Fergusson interviews BBM – a masterclass in journalism

Sarah Fergusson of ABC News, Australia interviewed Ferdinand Marcos Jr. It was a masterclass on how to interview a politician – asking the hard questions that, unfortunately, most journalists in the Philippines seem to have forgotten or have chosen to forget

Here’s a portion of the interview:

SARAH FERGUSON: There is one series of questions that comes up in relation to your father’s time which is, which is, of course, the question of corruption which became wholly associated with the Philippines for a long period of time. I think contemporary court judgements acknowledge the atrocities that were committed but also the plunder of the country’s resources.

Why wouldn’t you want all of that money back in the hands of the Filipino people?

FERDINAND MARCOS JR: Well, with the narrative…[laughs dismissively]

SARAH FERGUSON: May I just ask you why that is funny?

FERDINAND MARCOS JR: Why that?

SARAH FERGUSON: Why that is funny. I’m asking you a question about the plundering of large sums of money from the Filipino people…

FERDINAND MARCOS JR: No. I’m thinking that that maintains, that idea maintains because I take exception to many many of the assertions that have been made.

And I think we have been, we have since the cases were filed, the government fell. Cases were filed against me, my family, the estate etc and up to now we have, the assertions that were made, we have been shown to be untrue.

SARAH FERGUSON: Quite a lot of money, I think $5 billion was already recovered. I guess the quetion is …

FERDINAND MARCOS JR: Again, again, again…

SARAH FERGUSON: Do you not want to see all the money that was taken returned to the people?

FERDINAND MARCOS JR: Again, we have signed, this family has signed a quitclaims, we have signed many quitclaims. Any money that you find is yours and finished and everything was taken from us.

We went, we were taken to Hawaii. Everything. Everything was taken from us with nothing, we have nothing left.

SARAH FERGUSON: Not the view of the presidential commission.

FERDINAND MARCOS JR: I’m sorry?

SARAH FERGUSON: Not the view of the presidential commission. This is my final question on this topic.

FERDINAND MARCOS JR: Which presidential commission?

SARAH FERGUSON: In the Philippines? Their view is there is a large amount of money outstanding.

FERDINAND MARCOS JR: I think that having seen the facts, as they have been slowly revealed, further true investigation, not propaganda, but actual true investigation, the court cases and investigations by all kinds of NGOs, different agencies, that has changed and people can see that it was propaganda.