Another glorious sunny day reaching 28C in the afternoon. I awoke to news of a major Microsoft internet outage, making corporate systems using its Azure Cloud services crash worldwide. It was caused not by a cyber attack, but a faulty core system update and compounded by a separate flawed anti-virus update from a service provided by a back office business service I've never heard of called Crowdstrike.
These faults didn't take long to remedy, but the impact was far reaching, as networks running hospitals, airlines, banks and businesses were required to re-boot networks manually the net result being chaos. Cancellations appointment booking and payment systems not working. It reveals how vulnerable the world has made itself by over dependency on Microsoft and its Cloud computing products. It may have shown us the shape of things to come, when things like this happen not by accident but by design.
Since Azure is for enterprise networks, much of individual domestic computing services have been untouched, but this is going to set alarm bells ringing. Apple and Linux based systems were not affected. It makes me even more determined to get replace Windows 10 with Linux Mint when Microsoft stops supporting it next year. First I must work out how to free myself from dependence on the one app I do still need for making my weekly video prayer slideshow, Windows Photos (Legacy), as Microsoft calls it, dismissing in effect its value to those who use it, as something they regard as outdated.
President Biden has covid and is self isolating, many of his allies are openly appealing to him to step down. It's not clear who would replace him. In the meanwhile Trump's support continues to rise. The King's speech on Wednesday was one of the longest on record since 1945, spelling out an ambitious programme of new policies for which the government will be proposing legislation.
Apart from following the morning's spate of interesting news stories, I sat and wrote a poem inspired by seeing a birthday party held yesterday afternoon in Thompsons Park. Then I cooked lunch. A pork steak for me, hake for Clare, with quinoa carrots and a tough spring cabbage, requiring more cooking that I gave it. Better luck next time.
When I walked in Thompson's Park after my post-lunch siesta another birthday party was going on under the trees. People seizing the opportunity to make the most of the weather to have fun. It's also the end of term today. I expect the parks will even busier in weeks to come.
After supper, I responded to an email about the Azure Cloud outage from by dear friend Valdo. He has recently replaced his 2004 Macbook with a 2013 Macbook Air and converted it to Linux Mint. Quite an achievement. It works perfectly. I think he's pleased with the result. Then a brief walk for a breath of fresh night air before bringing the day to a close.
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