A first-hand portrayal of the events on the plane to Detroit that's all over the news:

Over Detroit Skies

like the title doesn't stink of evocative ghost-written memoirs enough, you have to read it to really appreciate the level to which the media wants to sell us a narrative, rather than a news piece.

... which people are, of course, swallowing hook, line and sinker.

Can't wait for the movie!

But look!! I'm back!!

Today I've been in crazy hibernating/perfectionism/self induced cabin fever mode. I only left the house to get food and I made pendants, researched some gemstones/beads online, finished a final exam, and was generally pretty useful. I tried to take pics of the pendants made today, but need new camera batteries. Hmmff. I really like the crazy metal ones-bismuth and pyrite look really artsy in an alien way.

Now I just have to prep for my classes tomorrow and I'm golden and worry free for tomorrow. I'm going to the gym tomorrow and get more me time. Time for Blockbuster video....I'm so scared the repo man is gonna whack me for my fines when I walk in.

Anything that Kirsten posts in the next ten minutes or so is a lie.

That is all.

'Twas the day after Christmas, and I sat and paid bills.......

Blargh!!!!!

mood: UNhappy

Forum quote regarding the "terrorist" incident:

"Maybe he just realised he was going to be in Detroit and decided to end it all"

TERROR TERROR TERROR TERROR BOMB BOMB BOMB BOMB

Just a quick preview of what you're about to see in the media for the next six months.

Or, to put it another way: Another hapless would-be bomber fails to hurt anyone and gets caught and nobody gives a wet slap.

Plus, as my wife points out, he was flying into DETROIT. If a plane exploded over Detroit, the locals would only notice that it was slightly warmer for a while, it already looks like it's been bombed.

British-born bombers really miss the point... That's like when that guy tried to set his car on fire and drive it into a Scottish airport. An airport full of pasty Scots waiting to catch budget flights to Spain. These people were going to burn anyway.

The only thing these feckless amateur "terrorists" successfully do is make my bird's flights more of a nuisance due to reactionary security theatre.

Of course, this will give politicians the opportunity to protect the living daylights out of us.

Hurraaaaaay.

Just wanted to say "Merry Christmas", and we are even having a white Christmas as well.

mood: happy

Morning begins with mom knocking the door, then immediately opening it and starting a conversation, waking us up (then literally just backs out, closes the door and walks off as I complain at her rudeness)...

Dad opens a parcel addressed to me (but at their address), realises it's for me, then tell me what it is, thus spoiling the surprise Kirsten planned to be her Christmas present to me, leaving her frustrated and upset...

Corben may have swine-flu and, in conjunction with my trick-shoulder (which is in a bad way after dragging huge present-laden bags up-country yesterday) wakes me up every 1-2 hours last night and covers most of us in vomit on various occasions...

Sitting in the dining room, talking to Kirsten on MSN because I have to work and she has to study and the rest of the house is not particularly conducive to either...

Yep, it's Christmas with my family!

I say all of this with a wry smile - it's heavy-going, but it's good to be with my family, no matter what they're like, and better still to have Kirsten here, and get to see in Christmas with the nipper.

I'd love to pretend this wasn't how they advertised adulthood in the brochure, but I'm from the midlands, where this is considered the deluxe package :)

hoooooboy :)

Wishing everyone a blessed Solstice and all the best for the new year!

Tags: holiday
Current Location: home on vacation
mood: joyful

 
Meet Graylordling, who after living outside for the past two years, has finally tamed down enough to come inside. He is the younger half-brother of my Cassira-boo.
Graylordling has another brother *,LBC, who still lives outside, and an older brother (Cassira's full brother), Orion, who is owned by my little sister Jeanne-Annette and is one of the most beautiful cats I've ever seen.

Pic below


Isn't he a beauty?! And he is sweet, sweet, sweet, or at least Jeanne-Annette says he is and I'll have to take her word for it, since he has the Graylord family failing in being scared to death of everything!!!! I think I've touched him once, maybe twice. Mostly when I see him, if I see him, it's veeeeeery briefly as Orion high-tails it out of whatever room I'm in..... And true to family form, Graylordling has spent most of his time since we brought him in either hiding under the table or behind a chair....sigh. But he sometimes comes out for pets, and he's very, very gentle. He's just a bit--skittish. Luckily, since he is so mild-mannered, he hasn't messed with any of the other cats, but then they don't mess with him, I think since he is nearly double the size of all my cats. And that's another trait of the Graylord family line. They are HUGE. Orion is 22 pounds, and he's not fat--well not very fat, just, well, HUGE!

* Graylordling also has a gorgeous sister, who we named Little Charlotte, but she was adopted a loooooong time ago. Little Charlotte was a stunner as well!  And Cassira has 4 other brothers and sisters that all got adopted. I'll say this for Old Graylord, (where-ever he is) he was certainly prolific and all his many, MANY babies are lovely.
I have a supsicion that two beautiful black long-haired stray cats--Domino and Valentino are his babies, and I think Butterscotch and Taffy are his grandkids. Cat geneology, or rather MY stray cat geneology fascinates me to no end for some strange reason.....

Sorry for rambling on...

Tags: cats
mood: contemplative

Just picked up an Android G2, what's the essential software for such a toy?<sup>*

* "bluh bluh bluh, I have a tiny dick, your phone is shit haw haw haw" fuckwits need not bother answering, cheers.</sup>

Am currently in a lovely little island of calm between on-going house-moving logistics (all papers filed, waiting for references to come back, thinking about which days will have be be curtailed from my family visit to make the move once I get the keys) and keeping to the deadlines I have racked up for the "holiday" (which is increasingly becoming a misnomer).

I mean, yes, I'm awake before 8am on a saturday, having had about 4 hours sleep, but importantly, I went to sleep in and woke up to a bedroom containing my wife and my son.

I am big ape in his techno-cave, with his family.

Sleeping sounds and blinking LEDs and plasma screen with illustrated, anthropomorphic, singing animals entertaining the little one.

This makes big ape happy.

Plus, big ape should be getting a shiny new gadget-phone and a pocket-sized HDMI divx player delivered between now and lunchtime. Which also makes big ape quite pleased.

Nothing like fulfilling Maslow's hierarchy of needs from both directions at the same time :)

Later today, a last bit of Christmas shopping, a little work, and another evening with Corben visiting.

I'm cautious not to jinx things - my metaphorical knackers are still sore from the collective kickings delivered over the last week - but a bit of determination and the reassurance of having my wonderful wife and extended social circle there for some back-up is going a long way.

If i can get away with a nap or two without Corben playing the bongos on my head, I shall consider the weekend quite successfully begun.