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No, I didn't get lost in the Dales - just somewhat lost in my head with its anxieties about work and other obligations. I'll try to be a bit more present from here on in.
A few things, in no particular order, that have caught my attention recently and not-so-recently:
The volume on my work mobile phone goes up to 11. This amused me.
One of my daily procrastination tools is Dilbert, and something about yesterday's tickled me more than usual. Luckily the house next door is as empty as the rooms in rest of mine, so hopefully no-one was startled by my peal of laughter.
Alex Rider fans (I know there are a few of you out there ;) might be interested in this article about Horowitz's use of foreign villains.
I'm looking forward to the hastily-arranged Obliviate 2009 (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
hp_uk_meetup) in 5 weeks' time. I'll be there from Saturday afternoon into Sunday, though I haven't booked return travel yet.
I was outraged about the US right-wingers slagging off the NHS. If it was the French or Germans or Canadians or pretty much any other civilised country then they'd have a leg to stand on, but any country whose 'health care system' excludes millions of its citizens has no right to criticise others'.
And yes, part of my distaste derives from a fear that, in that system I would be rendered unfit for purpose and outside the system - as much as I try to understand American libertarianism and individualism, it's hard to be dispassionate when its implications are so hostile to me.
Still, I suppose the whole furore has focused people here on how fortunate we are to have the NHS (flaws and all) compared to some alternatives. Hopefully the Tories will remember this when they next get into power.
The next chapter of Invictus is being written, but slowly. I'm working from home at the moment, and I find everything tends to get muddled up so it's actually harder to block out creative time.
A few things, in no particular order, that have caught my attention recently and not-so-recently:
The volume on my work mobile phone goes up to 11. This amused me.
One of my daily procrastination tools is Dilbert, and something about yesterday's tickled me more than usual. Luckily the house next door is as empty as the rooms in rest of mine, so hopefully no-one was startled by my peal of laughter.
Alex Rider fans (I know there are a few of you out there ;) might be interested in this article about Horowitz's use of foreign villains.
I'm looking forward to the hastily-arranged Obliviate 2009 (
hp_uk_meetup) in 5 weeks' time. I'll be there from Saturday afternoon into Sunday, though I haven't booked return travel yet.I was outraged about the US right-wingers slagging off the NHS. If it was the French or Germans or Canadians or pretty much any other civilised country then they'd have a leg to stand on, but any country whose 'health care system' excludes millions of its citizens has no right to criticise others'.
And yes, part of my distaste derives from a fear that, in that system I would be rendered unfit for purpose and outside the system - as much as I try to understand American libertarianism and individualism, it's hard to be dispassionate when its implications are so hostile to me.
Still, I suppose the whole furore has focused people here on how fortunate we are to have the NHS (flaws and all) compared to some alternatives. Hopefully the Tories will remember this when they next get into power.
The next chapter of Invictus is being written, but slowly. I'm working from home at the moment, and I find everything tends to get muddled up so it's actually harder to block out creative time.
