Below are the most recent 14 friends' journal entries.

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009
lm_jillybean	2:51p	Hogswatch Eve. Eve. Woo, internet! The move went very well, all things considering. I'm pretty much unpacked but not exactly tidy or organised. I figure that will happen next month. My flat is cold, but considering it's apparently been -5 degrees (celcius) last night, I'm not surprised I was chilly! A couple of blankets and a hot water bottle fixed that problem. Virgin came around today to hook me up to the web. No wireless as of yet but I have a phone and I have a modem so I can't really complain. Sitting watch the Hogfather and checking up on lolcats. The Hogfather is such a brilliant film. I didn't enjoy the Colour of Magic as much, but this one is fabulous. Tomorrow I'm going to head home for Christmas, and I'm debating figuring out how to turn the water off to avoid burst pipes. Supposedly Christmas eve will see the west coast getting temperatures of -16 degrees. This flat is in a tenement so I don't think there's much danger in leaving for a few days - internet, any thoughts on the subject? Anyhoo, I'm cold enough to need tea to warm me up now - possibly some malt loaf too, we'll see how greedy I feel. Hope you're all enjoying Hogswatch! (Comment on this)
Monday, December 21st, 2009
lm_jillybean	11:10p	See you on the other side Tomorrow is the moving day. So very stressed. Furniture is in piles. I have endless Ikea bags full of stuff and multiple boxes of books. So yeah. I'll let you know how it goes, I should have internet back on Wednesday. (5 Comments |Comment on this)
anton_p_nym	9:10a	I should just live in the shower or something. There's a reason that "I thought of it in the shower" has become cliche... what is it about showers/baths that get the brain running like that? In any case, before I forget, a SFnal idea. There have been shows/stories with the term "standard hour", and that got me thinking about timekeeping on other worlds that don't have a 24 hour cycle. How would we mark this? Fractional hours would be weird, but changing most time units would fundamentally break standard measures like the Metric (mks) system. So, how about introducing the concept of a standard 3600 second hour as distinct from a "local hour"? One would define a local hour to be a certain number of seconds that divide evenly into a diurnal period to create divisions of between, say, 6 and 48 local hours to a local day. -- Steve wants to refine this further, but similar ideas have been fermenting in his head since he read Brian Daly's "Floyt/Fitzhugh" novels and the "Calendar Wars" that formed part of the backstory for them. Current Mood: contemplative Current Music: none (1 Comment |Comment on this)
anton_p_nym	8:22a	Ave Sol Invictus! Well, 'tis the solstice whose short day and long night has engendered light festivals around the northern hemisphere of our planet. (Seriously, I do think that the lack of light triggers some sort of basal need to put up lights and party hardy in us naked apes.) It seems to be a very snowy one to the south, and a chilly one to the west, but oddly seasonal here albeit with a fine haze that might be an extremely light and fine snowfall rather than fog. I wonder if what little snow we have will last until Christmas... -- Steve's keeping his wassailing down this year... he's a bit too dragged out. Current Mood: contemplative Current Music: CTV Canada AM (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Saturday, December 19th, 2009
lm_jillybean	7:50p	The Reads of 2009 This year I made a conscious effort to try and catalogue what I've been reading. I've always loved stories and a good book, but in 2007 I really got back into devouring books because I had no internet and I kept up with it as best I could in 2008. So, with no further ado: ( The reads of 2009 ) The Awards of 2009 Best newcomer: Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin. It's such an eye opening book, very personal and it really revealed a lot of Rwandan life to me. Surprise brilliance: The Coma by Alex Garland was not what I was expecting it to be. It's a modern day fairy tale, a parable of good triumphing even through hardship. Returning to the subway train is heartbreakingly beautiful. Most awful book: There are a few contenders but Canal Dreams by Iain Banks. It wins this title because it started with such promise. An older woman falling in love, being strong despite the racial prejudices against her, before it descends into hideous torture porn without rhyme or reason. It's done without sensitivity, without care - it's truly awful. Best book: Nation. I was betrayed when Terry Pratchett chose not to write another Discworld, especially when the threat of his mortality loomed large this year. However, giving Nation a chance, it completely bewitched me with the most charming romance, philosophy and world that I could have hoped for. I wish I could have read it as a child because it would have been a defining book in my life. Recommended wholeheartedly. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, December 17th, 2009
lm_jillybean	11:59p	The film wot I made I managed to drag Ruth to see Avatar. ( Slightly spoilery review ) Yes, I loved Avatar. I loved it as someone who loved the Dragonriders of Pern and Anne McCaffrey. As someone who loves freediving and snorkelling. As someone who is a zoologist and has a passing interest in xenobiology (the geek out scene Sigourney Weaver does with the tree is so underplayed and 'boring' for the other characters, that I had to laugh). As someone who is inclined to believe in Gaia theory. As someone who loves James Cameron's strong female characters - I really loved Avatar. Sadly, I don't think other people will love it as much. It's not going to be 'on-message' enough for the greens. It's too preachy for the capitalists. There's not enough action for the boys and not enough romance for the girls. It seems to miss on about every single thing. But it was the film I would make. (6 Comments |Comment on this)
anton_p_nym	4:05p	All wealth is fleeting, Grasshopper. Only knowledge endures. Shaolin monks are considering rolling out an IPO. It seems that the travelling shows of martial artistry have been successful enough that the monastery is looking to make improvements to handle more international tourism, and perhaps launch a film studio. -- Steve sorta likes this version of high-flying financiers. Wall St. could probably do with a few more vaulting bicycle kicks. Current Mood: curious Current Music: Muted office chatter (Comment on this)
Wednesday, December 16th, 2009
lm_jillybean	1:45p	Lists, loss Ok, relative to yesterdays to-do list I still have to: [ ] Finish trimming and re-writing report. Not to play Left 4 Dead with sister the moment she comes in because I'm moving soon and we won't be able to play for ages and we'll miss each other, etc. etc. etc. [ ] Call up Scottish Power about flat. [ ] Start packing up books. I think that's everything. I've sorted internet, contents insurance, my matriculation forms. I'm struggling a bit with my new address since it can either be Flat 6 or 2F2, but considering that the flat itself has only got numbers on the doors, not 2F2 or 1F4 or whatever, I've been going with flat six. And then on internet forms the suggestion is 1/6 and since there's no option for 6/1 I've had to just go for it. All very confusing for poor simpleton like me who lives in a house. So, yeah. I'm probably not doing too badly on the stuff to do front, except for this bleeding paper that I can't seem to concentrate on. I hope you've all bought your copy of Rage Against the Machine's 'Killing in the Name'? I know I have. (Buying music! I know! Usually I'm a Spotify girl). I'm anticipating a big icon shake up soon. None of my icons are really speaking to me at the moment. Time to start trawling the icon makers I reckon. In some tragic news though, I heard that the big brother of one of the kids I used to look after died very recently. He was fifteen, it was sudden and inexplicable. It's horrible to think of, for a lovely, charming family. If it's your thing, think good thoughts their way. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, December 15th, 2009
lm_jillybean	11:23a	A manny used to bring me bills, he was the postman Oi! So, at the Spike Video Game Awards, Bungie previewed Reach. So far, so good. My pet forum however has exploded with Teh Rage. It actually gets worse every time Bungie releases something. Spartan 6 hasn't been referred to before in the novels, why do they always retcon? Spartan 6 didn't thank his driver, I don't want to play as an asshole (which I assume means they do enough of that in real life?). Spartan 6 isn't as cool as Ghost. That dude looks like Forge. Moan, moan, moan, moan! Personally I think the trailer looks cool, looks like it might be a different atmosphere to Halo. Like ODST was all Game Noir, Reach looks like it might be Game Grit, which doesn't hugely excite me, but I'll reserve judgement until I've seen more than two minutes of pre-rendered cutscene. Katja looks frigging awesome. Good looking, tough, (short haired!). Let's hope she manages to continue with Dare's legacy and they can atone for Cortana. Asides from all that. I am now renting my flat in Gorgie. I need to go through to Edinburgh on Friday as Virgin will be coming any time between 7 and 3 to hook up teh interwebs. I'll also have to go through another day this week to matriculate. I loathe the drive from Edinburgh to Glasgow so I expect I shall be quite grumpy. Today I need to: [ ] Sort out the power [ ] Make mince pies [ ] Collect a parcel from the post office [ ] Edit my dog obit paper [ ] Sort out contents insurance. But before I do that, I read Outlander ( by Diana Gabaldon ) (7 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, December 14th, 2009
anton_p_nym	5:04p	Almost Over. Amalgamated Transit Union Local 741 has ratified the tentative contract offer with the London Transit Commission. So the strike is over. The bad news is that they won't hit the roads for at least 4 days while the skilled trades inspect and recertify the idled buses as well as catching up on deferred maintainance. So don't get out your tickets or bus passes just yet. Also, after that (Friday or Saturday) return the service will be limited due to the limited availability of coaches... so it'll be at least another two weeks after that before full service returns. On the plus side, though, LTC will refund students and others with season passes for the idled time, and will credit that amount to people buying monthly passes for next January (such as moi). It's a meagre plus, but I'll take what I can get. -- Steve was hoping for a faster resumption of service, but at least now we know when things'll be back. Current Mood: relieved Current Music: Distant office chatter (Comment on this)
Saturday, December 12th, 2009
anton_p_nym	3:33p	Pertaining to the Watts Case The Peelian Principles of Policing The basic mission for which the police exist is to prevent crime and disorder. The ability of the police to perform their duties is dependent upon the public approval of police actions. Police must secure the willing co-operation of the public in voluntary observation of the law to be able to secure and maintain the respect of the public. The degree of co-operation of the public that can be secured diminishes proportionately to the necessity of the use of physical force. Police seek and preserve public favour not by catering to public opinion, but by constantly demonstrating absolute impartial service to the law. Police use physical force to the extent necessary to secure observance of the law or to restore order only when the exercise of persuasion, advice, and warning is found to be insufficient. Police, at all times, should maintain a relationship with the public that gives reality to the historic tradition that the police are the public and the public are the police; the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent upon every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence. Police should always direct their action strictly towards their functions, and never appear to usurp the powers of the judiciary. The test of police efficiency is the absence of crime and disorder, not the visible evidence of police action in dealing with it. Radical pinko blither? Perhaps, but consider that Sir Robert Peel enunciated these principles in 1829, was the guy whose name became synonymous with "police" for citizens ("Bobbies") and criminals ("Peelers") alike, and was one of the founders of the modern-day Conservative Party in Britain. What does it say about us, today, that almost two centuries later we can't measure up to the ethics of an old Tory? -- Steve would also like to direct folks' attention to Peel's prison reforms; there are more ways of dealing with crime than becoming more brutal than the criminals, even for those of conservative bents. PS: I grew up in the Region of Peel, which may have been named after Sir Robert. Strange that I never thought of that before today... Current Mood: disappointed Current Music: Other peoples' phone calls (4 Comments |Comment on this)
anton_p_nym	7:44a	I think I can see a light up ahead. Tentative deal reached between the London Transit Commission and the Amalgamated Transit Union last night. The deal, whose details have not been disclosed, faces ratification votes on Monday by both sides but both seem to be recommending acceptance. That doesn't mean that buses will run on Tuesday, though; it could take up to three weeks to restore the fleet to full operation as many of the buses now require safety recertification. No schedule for the restart is announced yet, but LTC says they'll release plans on Monday. (After ratification, I guess?) -- Steve'll be out of town for much of the restart period, so if this goes ahead he'll miss most of the teething pains. However, this does mean that he still needs to take cabs to work; it also means that buses won't be running for Christmas shopping, dangit. Current Mood: relieved Current Music: CBC Radio One's "Fresh Air" morning show (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Friday, December 11th, 2009
anton_p_nym	12:53p	US Border Security Accused of Assaulting Canadian Dr. Peter Watts was pepper-sprayed, arrested, and charged with assault on the night of December 8. Dr. Watts and the passenger of his vehicle both vehemently deny the charge, but the charge alone will prevent him from crossing the border (unless it is dismissed) and will cost him greatly; BoingBoing is coordinating a defense fund of sorts. -- Steve's had some unpleasant moments at the US/Canada border, but nothing this egregious. Alas, though, they were grim enough he can't discount Dr. Watts's account off-hand; there are some very peculiar people on that service. spotted via a sizable portion of my Friends list Current Mood: angry Current Music: Silence (5 Comments |Comment on this)
anton_p_nym	11:44a	US Health Insurers Resort to Virtual Payola Blue Shield, along with US health insurance industry trade groups, now offer bribes in virtual currency to Facebookers to write letters to the US Congress opposing health care reform. What a peculiar and vile form of astroturfing... -- Steve never did view Farmville and Mafia Wars with much warmth, and that cooled even further after learning of this. spotted via theweaselking Current Mood: angry (1 Comment |Comment on this)