Journal Entries
Happy New Year
Posted Jan 1, 2010
Happy New Year, everyone! Are we still here? Did we make it, come hook or crook (whatever that means)?
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Latest reply: Jan 1, 2010
Radical PS Redesign
Posted Jul 2, 2007
Beginning with a drastic 50 percent reduction in badges 
I wondered whether announcing this in a journal was really necessary, but I didn't want anyone complaining I'd redecorated without warning.
Now - who wants to help me move the sideboard?
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Latest reply: Jul 2, 2007
Ready to Throw the Modem Out of the Window
Posted May 14, 2007
My broadband's decided to stop working again. It's been down for a couple of hours now.
I finally cracked and came on here via pay-as-you-go dial-up. Though I resent having to pay for the internet twice, it's still vastly cheaper than the 'helpline' (Ha ha ha ha *cough* ha HA!)
Deeply p***ed off. This first happened three weeks ago or so and I've already been through a hugely expensive bout of sitting on their technical support helpline to be told, after forty minutes, that they don't really know what it is but, hey, would I like a two-for-one cinema ticket offer and why don't I bugger off and entertain myself for a bit and see if it gets better all by itself.
Which it did that time. I suppose it may this time. But the 'P' in 'ISP' is looking very dodgy at the moment.
I'd encourage everybody to give this particular ISP a wide berth. Though I suppose I'm not allowed to name it for fear this'll get yikesed. So I'll just stay quiet.
Yours,
William the Silent
Tara for a bit 
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Latest reply: May 14, 2007
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaadrian!!!
Posted Dec 30, 2006
Back from my Christmas hols and, as is now a regular Yuletide tradition, am utterly sick from bugs picked up through contact with teeny tiny children *coughcough* Bleurghhhh... Didn't keep everyone up on the plane, though - just the rows nearest to me 
Just before I left, I did something very exciting. Over the years, I've been to a lot of places in the US, but the one where I've managed to go through its airport more times than I can remember but not actually see anything of the place itself is Philadelphia. But, on Thursday, I spent the day there and made it to the city's most exciting tourist destination.
The Liberty Bell?
No (although I did see it through the window, when there was a gap in the queue).
The Rodin Museum?
No (although that was very nice).
So what then?
Da da, da da da, da da da, didi da,
Da da, da da da, da da da, didi da,
Da, da da da, da da, da da,
Da, da da da da, daaa...
Da da daaaa! Da didi daaaaa!
I ran up the steps of the Art Museum and then stood at the top and jumped around with my arms in the air! 
(All right, because I was already more than a bit ill, I jogged up some of them - there was a bit of Chariots of Fire-ing going on at one stage too).
To explain - these are the steps that Rocky runs up in the film. Right at the top of them is a little brass plaque with the imprints of a pair of sneakers and just the name, 'Rocky', marking the point where he stands with his arms above his head and then jumps around a bit. At pretty much any time of the day, there is always someone running up the stairs of the museum (I turned round to watch for a bit when we left and it's true - there's always someone breaking into a bit of a sprint). And then, when you get to the top, you have to strike the pose and get your photo taken.
(Which I did, but it's still on my sister's phone, so I may not be getting it soon or easily).
At one stage, there was a statue of Rocky at the top of the steps too - but the Art Museum were chastened to discover that it was far more popular than any of their exhibits, so they had it removed. It's now been brought back and put at the bottom of the building off to one side. (Photo of self with that? Yep. Also on phone? Yep).
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Latest reply: Dec 30, 2006
Total Immersion
Posted Aug 17, 2006
Well, after a lot of prevarication and a week of really iffy weather, the sun came out for a bit today and I finally went and did it. Threw myself into the sea, so keeping a promise I made to myself while on an incredibly sweaty tube train in central London at the height of last month's heatwave.
And here's the evidence:
http://ttragula.googlepages.com/beach
Top one is the beach in question. Note the complete absence of other bathers. There were some three hundred or so holidaymakers stretched out along the shore and I was, at the point of immersion, the only one in the water. So showing how determined I was and exactly how cold it was too 
Second one is the particular bit of the same beach. The advantage to this beach - which I know pretty well - is the sudden drop-off just beyond the crashing wave: it suddenly plummets from knee height to too deep to stand, so leaving you virtually no time to think about the coldness of the water as it hits each thitherto warm bit of you.
Third one - my feet, with pebbles. Note how the pebbles stick to the feet. Dampness! This is after the plunge (I went in twice in fact, because the first time I didn't get my head under and I didn't want to be accused of cheating).
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Latest reply: Aug 17, 2006
Trin Tragula
Researcher U244483
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