For my new super-hero identity, I'm going to be....Biography Man! I feel like other people's life stories are taking over my own at the minute - I've *finally* managed to finish Stephen Fry's Moab Is My Washpot, and am but pages from the end of Mark Almond's Tainted Life, while at the same time, circumstances have driven me to return to the Kenneth Williams Diaries. The reason for the latter, when me dislike for them is well-documented, I may post over the weekend.
Gentle reminder - tomorrow is World AIDS Day - please take a moment to reflect on the lives that continue to be lost to the disease, as well as the ongoing prejudice which affects those infected. Perhaps it's also worth spending a moment, in between the bombing and 'War on Terror' rhetoric, to consider the words of Jacques Fame Ndongo, Cameroon's Communications Minister "If the international community can mobilise the same effort and solidarity, we can win the war against HIV/Aids, which is a worse killer than terrorism."
ChrisR's latest run-in with a supposed 'voice of authority'. I suspect the Scientologists are scarier.....
Well, Mr Smith (senior) is out of the hospital, and looking remarkably bright (though that may entirely be down to just *being* out of hospital). the pub on the corner of his road does remarkably good Thai food in the evenings. Hopefully this latest operation will get him back to full health.
The press and news sites are already full of AIDS-related stories, which I think is good, since World AIDS Day is on a Saturday this year, and so people may not be reading on the day itself.
The BBC ran an item yesterday about HIV prejudice which ties in with the National AIDS Trust's campaign against that very phenomenon.
World AIDS Day looms again on Saturday. I've been working on suitable material to link as part of my participation in the Link and Think project, as well as modifying the stylesheet to 'darken' the site. Times like this - you have to love stylesheets.
On the same subject, I've been surprised and impressed by the number of kids heading into my local school each morning with red ribbons on their uniforms. I remember it being not that many years since the kids of someone I used to work with weren't allowed to wear them because they were 'political'.
On another subject altogether, Chris got some bad news yesterday, so I'm sending him positive vibes and virtual hugs.
A few Metafilter links I've noticed recently:
The ChildCare Action Project's review of the Harry Potter movie. A slightly less rabidly narrow view (not to mention one with better spelling and grammar) is available here as a remedy.
The Human Equine. Not any kind of reference to horse-like physical attributes, I can assure those of a more sensitive nature. All the size-queens in the audience can sag with disappointment now.
x-men: speed mutation. Interesting (though again, badly-proofread).
Dave is going back into hospital today, because his leg isn't healing properly. He's got to have some screws removed, because the pole in his thigh is a little too long and is keeping the parts of the bone just too far apart to knit right.
He's somewhat understandably depressed about the whole thing, so do make cheering contact if you can (just don't expect a reply for a day or two....).
If it's Monday - it must be time for another online character test (via Swish Cottage).
According to The Sorting Hat I belong in Hufflepuff.
Which looks like it should be at least half right....
I've had a couple of text messages from Alison to let me know that she and Philippa are having a great time in Egypt. I'm glad they are, but I'm also glad that I decided I didn't want to go. I've decided that I don't want to holiday in places where homosexuality is punished by the state, and cases like this make something of a nonsense of Egypt's supposed lack of anti-gay laws.
Still, coming out of the tube on a Monday morning in South London to a text about the good time they're having was momentarily jealousy-inducing.