After the recent horrific heat, now we have charcoal skies, strong breezes and monsoon rain. All hail the English summer…!

So who’s been watching Torchwood? The longer story format works well, I think; better than the one story per episode format, as the plot is much more rounded. I prefer Torchwood to Dr Who--not that with our resident Dr Who fan I don’t end up watching both. Usually, anyway.

I’ve been reading Laurell K Hamilton’s Skin Trade, and there’s only one thing wrong with it--I’ve got stacks of work to do and I keep thinking about what’s happening in that instead. No, seriously, it’s an excellent detective story. The prose is tight and the plot fast-paced, and so far (¾ through the novel) Anita’s kept her knickers on. No doubt they’ll fly off at some point. However, the emphasis of this novel is firmly on hunting down the bad guys. A great read.

I was chatting with someone recently--no names to be mentioned--and she was complaining about the amount of fan art which her novels have inspired. In her shoes, I’d be thrilled to bits! If my characters inspired anyone to create drawings or paintings, I’d be so flattered…!

Soooo…. Now it’s the countdown to Parallel Dimensions, which takes place this coming Saturday (July 11th, 2.30pm, West Kirby Library, Wirral). A couple of trusty volunteers have been plastering MySpace(s) with the poster. So if your page there has been swamped with ‘em, this will be why--*evil chuckles*!!! They’ve also been sending out press releases to every fantasy and sci-fi mag Google can summon, plus local press, TV and radio stations. Thanks go to Taliesin and Kate for their hard work.

Do you like my new LJ layout? This has an RSS feed, which apparently we’re all supposed to aspire to having. Anyway, the old layout didn’t have an RSS feed so I was advised by my techie pal (and occasional volunteer admin help), Taliesin, to swap it for one that did. Anyway, here’s the result.

Much of today was spent in catching up with domestic tasks. Richard did the grocery shopping while I fed a seemingly endless mound of laundry into the machine. I’m about to put a chicken into the oven for tonight‘s dinner. We had intended to roast that yesterday, but after 24-hours “defrosting” in the sub-zero kitchen, we reckoned it had more ice on it than when it had first been lifted out of the freezer.

Richard’s now in his den, listening to another Dr Who audio play. Emily is gazing out of the French doors at the fading light across the garden. Ygraine is curled up by my feet, on a pile of old Arran jumpers--the kind which keep all draughts out but tickle the wearer like a hair shirt. Not that I’ve ever actually worn a hair shirt…

It’s a rare thing for me to praise any TV program, as regular readers of this blog will be all too aware. However, the first episode of the BBC’s History of Scotland was excellently researched and presented. This is the first time I’ve heard an intelligent representation of Pictish history on TV. And for once “the Celts” were treated as the separate (and oftentimes rival) tribes that they were, rather than with the fluffy New Age romanticism that all too often passes for history these-days. Learn more at:- http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/history/

Another interesting program--though I haven’t seen every episode--is Stephen Fry’s tour of America. A country of extreme contrasts, from the fabulously rich to the desperately poor; one moment entirely contemporary and yet also conservative to the point of being approximately fifty years behind we Europeans. America’s dependence on the Xtian church seems strange to most Britons, whose churches stand relatively (and increasingly) idle. Learn more here:- http://www.stephenfry.com/

http://events.wirralglobe.co.uk/m6/disp.asp?i=208246 gives information about my activities this coming Friday.

I've just put the finishing touches to Punch, a 1,500 tale of a seasonal party which is my contribution to Riverside Writers' project this month, which had to be on the theme of a punch bowl.

My puuter won't let me log-on to my Wirral Globe blog. I've been communicating with their techie folk. Either I don't exist or cookies are being pesky. Hmm... And how do you allow cookies on Vista? I haven't a clue, because I've yet to find the right facility to add permissions! Heeeelp!!!

Meanwhile, who's been watching the new version of Survivors on TV? It's not a patch on the old version, which went into far more detail about the practical issues of being one of the few remaining people on Earth. In one (new) episode, Greg put a splint on a man's broken leg, completely missing out the earlier version's purposeful dialogue about how relatively mundane injuries had now become life-threatening, and about the survivors' lack of survival skills. The new version has the characters living off foods and bottled water from shops, whereas the old version introduced ideas about having to rapidly re-learn largely-forgotten skills such as soap-making, growing vegetables, hunting, weaving, living without modern fuels or medical resources.

The phrase, “It’s a simple job; it’ll only take a minute” must surely ring alarm bells with any householder. Perhaps the phrase has been cursed by some long-forgotten sorcerer with a grudge against DIY. Employ this phrase, and you are bound to invoke some form of calamity.

We decided to swap the downstairs furniture around, which also involved moving the TV from one corner to another. It all sounded so simple. However, in doing so we managed to “zap” the TV and wipe its memory. Could we retune it? No! We could get Sky 3 perfectly, but all other stations were half-hidden behind a dense snow-storm effect.

When we originally bought this TV, we tried to tune it in for an entire weekend. In the interests of P&Q (Peace and Quiet), I called out a local technician, a young guy who’s made a business from setting up other people’s electronic stuff – TVs, hi-fi, digi boxes, DVDs etc. So I called him again and, as before, he had everything running smoothly in ten minutes flat.

He also updated our digi box. Did you know that every six months or so, you’re supposed to update the software otherwise they’ll eventually stop working? This was the first we’d heard of it. I wonder how many people have thrown out digi boxes thinking they’re defective, when all they needed to do was press a few buttons.

If it was left to me, I’d be without a TV anyway. I went for seven or eight years without one, before Richard and I met. He enjoys watching films and concerts on DVD, though, and there are a few programs that he loves, like Dr Who, Torchwood and Top Gear.

I find TV gets in the way. Sitting still, while staring at a screen for hours, bores me. I don’t want to view the same films, even films I particularly like, over and over. I usually read – or design teddy bears! – while the tedious contraption is churning out its mind-numbing noise. Or I’ll be roped into a game of tug-o-war with the dogs. The rubber duck lost its head recently. The body went one way with Ygraine, the head went the other way with Emily, both dogs tumbling backwards in a heap. Much more fun…!

Richard is watching the rugby, (England vs. South Africa). At least he says he is. He doesn't generally snore whilst awake.

However, the second I switch the vile machine off (or turn it down) he'll open his eyes and insist he's thoroughly enjoying it.

I have no idea what these men are doing, other than running after a ball then throwing themselves into a big heap. There seems to be a lot of shoving and pushing, and a fair amount of bellowing - though I have no idea what they're rabbiting on about....

Sport is peculiar. I have never understood it - or wanted to, actually. An awful lot of people disagree with me, obviously. That's ok. If they wish to pay upwards of £50 for a spectacularly ugly t-shirt or a silly foam hat, that is entirely their choice to do so.

Imagine if knitting was promoted in a similar way to football or cricket or rubgy. Our city streets might be flooded with drunken grannies chanting, "Knit one, purl one! Knit one, purl one!"

Would crochet teams struggle to pull as big a crowd as the macrame league? Would tiddley-wicks be debated in Parliament for encouraging a nation of bad backs? Would origame be condemned for being environmentally unfriendly (due to folding all that paper)? And who couldn't sit entranced before the international finals of Snap?

Well, me for one, actually.

Taken from sealedwithmyhug

What Your Halloween Habits Say About You

You love the drama of Halloween. You definitely have the best costume around - and everyone noticing you. Clearly you are a master of disguise. You definitely have a dark side. And part of having that dark side means not showing it. Your inner child is intuitive and a bit bossy. You will not find people taking advantage for you. You are always protecting your own interests. You're prone to be quite emotional and over dramatic. Deep down, you enjoy watching others being scared out of their minds... even if you don't admit it. You are a total overachiever and workaholic. You're the type of person who plans their elaborate Halloween costume weeks in advance.

What's Your Halloween Personality?

Yesterday afternoon found us sitting in a solicitor’s office, drawing up details to be included in our updated Will, such as our desire for a Living Will and for certain specific funeral arrangements. We’ve been meaning to update these documents for ages. Enough of procrastination! There’s no point in waiting for one of us to drop dead and then go, “Oops, we really needed to update our legal stuff! Quick, reanimate him/her and wheel us off to the lawyer’s office!”

And today we have glorious sunshine! That’s a rarity this summer. Mostly we’ve had non-stop rain. Maybe you’ve been watching the news, and are aware of the extensive flooding which has swamped large areas of southern England, particularly around the Gloucestershire area. (I used to date a lovely fellow from Stroud in Gloucester….)

Anyway, two little doggies saw the sunshine and came bounding up to me with leads in their mouths. I think we can safely take that as a hint. So off we went, through Ashton Park and onto the promenade, where some brave folk were crunching through their picnics. Sand and chicken sandwich, anyone?

Despite the sun, there was a lively breeze coming in off the sea. The breakers beyond Hilbre could easily be seen even from the mainland. Conditions looked pretty rough out there.

For reasons known only to him, Richard bought a boxed set of Jaws films. So I suspect tonight will see another round of people going “Arrrrrgh!” whilst being attacked by a rubber fish. Hmm, methinks I’ll be reading more of my book pile.

And Rome has finished now. Have you been watching that on TV? It’s unusual for me to be interested in a TV program, but this one was fun. My only minor gripe was with the way Cleopatra was portrayed, as according to recorded history she was a highly educated, multi-lingual woman.

I finished writing Spanish Jones - or at least I’ve finished the 1,300-word section which will be used for the ghost tours at Hallowe’en. Watching the breakers crash behind Hilbre, I realised that I’d only written the first part of a much bigger story. Don’t you love it when stories insist on you adding stuff to them? They acquire a life of their own, I’m sure of it.

Anyway – back to work….

Eternal lovers, perhaps? An archeological dig in Italy has uncovered two entwined Neolithic skeletons. Take a peek at this intriguing link:- http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070206/sc_nm/italy_embrace_dc Thanks to anselmthelost for this link.

My low opinion of television has been echoed in a recent study, which has called for a total ban on TV for all children under the age of three, for a maximum of one hour per day for the three-to-fives age group, and for severe restrictions on time spent in front of the screen for older children. Psychologist Dr Aric Sigman has published a report analysing thirty-five scientific studies about television's effects on viewers, which has identified fifteen negative effects. These include obesity, damage to the immune system due to reduced melatonin levels, eyesight problems, an increased likelihood of Alzheimer's, Autism, diabetes and attention disorders. Read the full article here:- http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=265852007

To these disorders, I would propose that of decreased imagination, as all any television viewer is required to do is to stare mindlessly at the contraption while a constant stream of mediocrity and trash (and who-knows-what subliminal messages) pour into the passive, receptive brain.

Have I mentioned how much I despise television?

The fault lies not with the medium itself but rather with the way it’s used, as a celebration of relentless mediocrity. Who are these unheard-of “celebrities” who’re paraded before us; what have they achieved which is worthy of celebration? How many more 100 Greatest… list programmes or out-takes clips are we expected to endure? And what exactly is this fascination with soap operas, i.e. a bunch of gloomy actors snarling abuse at each other? And don’t even get me on the subject of endless repeats.

Why can’t we have a machine like a computer monitor, which will play DVDs or video tapes but which won’t receive the TV signal, therefore giving people the option to not have to purchase a TV license? Or why can’t a person buy a TV which doesn’t receive the BBC, therefore offering consumer choice? The license is only for the BBC channels; the other channels manage to self-finance so why can’t they? Surely they should stand or fall on their own merits, just as other broadcasting businesses do around the globe?

Apparently, even if you don’t own a TV but own a radio or a computer, you need a TV license. Why? Because they can receive BBC radio stations and/or websites, even if you never use them. The separate radio license was combined with the TV license some years ago.

Actually, I went for many years without owning a TV set. I didn’t miss it one bit. I strongly suspect that if I lived alone now I’d not bother to renew the license. The tedious contraption would find itself consigned to a shed, or more likely the council’s recycling depot. Even when I didn’t own one, I was regularly inundated with legal demands that I purchase a license, no matter how many times I informed the appropriate body that I didn’t own a TV!

This reminds me of a little conversation I once shared with an oddly determined fellow who wanted to know what I watched on TV. I replied that I didn’t own one. He looked a bit confused, then asked, “Well, what do you watch on television, then?” He put extra emphasis on “television” as if I might prefer the unabbreviated word. Again, I repeated that I didn’t own one. He scowled with increasing puzzlement and asked, “Well, what do you call it, then?” Between politely gritted teeth, I calmly replied that I did not own any form of television set. He snorted in contempt and huffed, “Be awkward then!” and stomped off.

When I’d finished laughing, I realised that he’d been so completely brainwashed into focussing a large portion of his life around TV that he simply couldn’t conceive of another person not owning one. The concept was completely outside of his grasp. I wonder how many other people are this way? I suspect there may be many; after all, how many people claim they’ve no time to pursue hobbies or interests, yet spend four or five hours every night of their lives staring at a TV screen?

Squabble, squabble, squabble; I refuse to expend any energy or time on such nonsense. Fortunately my own LJ and My Space sites are blessedly free of cyber-pests. Even though I keep an open-house policy, I’ve rarely felt inspired hit delete during the three years I’ve been on-line. I could have responded by disassembling their remarks with my “devastating logic” (as someone described it) but why give stupidity the compliment of taking it seriously?

Other people seem to attract conflict, however. And some people certainly enjoy arguing, as is attested to by the popularity of TV soap operas whose plots would seem to revolve around actors squabbling. Need I add that I never watch such tedious dross? Actually, I rarely watch TV at all but that’s another issue.

Even in the debatess, the tone here has been one of intelligent discussion rather than heated, opinionated argument. Considering that among my readers are Pagans of several varieties including both left- and right-hand predilections, a Buddhist, a number of Druids and a small number of Christians, as well as people who don’t align themselves with any particular religion (or who have simply preferred not to publicly announce any allegiance) it’s fair to say that peace has reigned supreme.

So what did we do right?!!

We are now the proud owners of a new bathroom window. It’s a vast improvement on the old one. Not only does it look prettier but it closes properly. No more will we endure Nordic draughts whistling over exposed bits whilst reclining in the bath.

Our bathroom looks like a “before” example in a DIY advert. The entire thing needs ripping out, including the floorboards and the gruesome floor-to-ceiling tiles. A small oblong room decorated with a thick stripe of black tiles round its middle is only ever going to look smaller. Add to this the fact that the white tiling was begun at the edges of each wall and worked inwards, resulting in a bizarre jigsaw of oddly-cut tiles in the middle of each wall – apart from where a few tiles have fallen off altogether. Add to that that fact that the white tiles are surrounded with black grout, and you will now have a fairly accurate mental image of our glorious bathroom. Hardly the haven of romance and relaxation which most would aspire to, is it!

The full renovation will have to wait at least another year. If we’re going to renovate the room, we might as well go the whole hog (including the postage, as Mr Gurdjieff might say!) and do the job properly. Meanwhile, we can at least find some consolation as we admire the new window.

While he was off work with flu this week, he sat glumly in front of daytime TV. I strongly suspect he may have discovered why I never switch on the wretched contraption.

If the programmes aren’t about buying and renovating houses, they’re about renovating gardens. If they’re not about gardens or cookery, they’re those shows full of silly people whining about their self-created problems. Your best friend has seduced your unemployed chinless boyfriend and is having his baby? Take him, keep him and good riddance to the pair of them! Your mother-in-law keeps interfering with your life? Change the locks. Your boss is a nightmare? Get used to it (they’re all a nightmare!) or get a new job. You’ve just discovered the one you love has a lifestyle which you can’t accept? Then you obviously didn’t know them very well, did you, so ask yourself exactly who it was you were in love with – the person you didn’t really know or your own imagination. Your darling sister is having an affair with your husband? Send her his laundry.

Arrrgh! These programmes are so boring! How can people stare at them for hour after hour? He joyfully sprinted back to work this morning, declaring that he never wants to view any more daytime TV for as long as he lives.