The Top Gear Tour

Clothing
Toiletries
Sleeping Bags
Blankets
Emergency Car and Medical Kit
Kettle
Food
Drink
Passports
Paperwork
Tickets
Camera
Drawing Pad
Pens
And a ton of other stuff packed
Alarm set for 1am GMT

...Oh my God we're going to Europe O.o

~ Chaszmyr

32 Today

Or 100,000 in Binary.

Or by the Power of 2, I'm five. Which sounds a bit more preferable to being a six-figure age.

Enjoyed a meal at Yo-Ji Sushi, ate a lot of fish and rice and drank a bit of cider too. Dinner even came with a magic act on the part of the chef, who decided to do some party tricks. Spent a chunk of dinner, bizarrely enough, discussing Drow dietary requirements and how to overcome the lack of Vitamin C in the Underdark. Got a lovely present from my sister, made (I'm guessing) by Mother; a home-made drawing pad that's definitely going to see some use in CP this year. Tonight we're gaming and there's going to be a cake and snacks.

The best thing anyone can have on their birthday is a good bunch of friends to share it with.

~ Chaszmyr

Well, Fuck!

My sister was 10 when she was picked by her class in school to read a news article out in an Assembly ~ the theme was Current Events, and she was asked to read about the elections in Pakistan in 1988.

She spent ages learning how to pronounce the name Benazir. In her first efforts it came out as 'Ben-a-jeer' but with practice, perseverence and encouragement from Mother she did it. I felt about 10 foot tall when she read out her news item loud, proud and clear.

I had little recollection of the significance of the election itself, I had very little perception of or interest in world-changing events then; what I've learned since has only been recently. The only time that India and Pakistan had been in my thoughts in nearly 20 years had been when both countries had performed nuclear tests in the late nineties, and I had genuinely feared for the world upon hearing the news. I remember coming home depressed and getting drunk that night.

Well she's dead now. Benazir Bhutto, politician, prime minister, mother and tie-er of my 10-year-old sister's tongue back in the day has been assassinated. By a suicide bomber. I know very little about her beyond this little bit of nostalgic whimsey but the news has still pissed me off.

Here's the links, courtesy of the BBC;

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7161590.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/2228796.stm

~ Chaszmyr

Quote Of Christmas

Schedule;

The Queen's Speech ~ 3pm GMT

Christmas Lunch ~ 3:10pm GMT

The Doctor Who Christmas Special ~ about 6:50pm GMT

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So Lunch is cunningly sandwiched between the Queen and Doctor Who." ~ Ogrek

"That's a mental image I could have done without..." ~ Chaszmyr

Merry Christmas to all

And to all a good night.

With any luck, normal service will return to www.columbusthecat.co.uk when Chaszmyr gets off their arse and draws some more comics. The spouse has been throwing creative ideas left, right and centre and there's a new art desk about to be ordered. In addition to that HEX has been upgraded with a new power supply and NeverWinter Nights has been hidden by Gizmo.

Merry Christmas, Happy Midwinter Solstice and have a damn good New Year. Mine will involve the results of the consumption of Gaymers' Cider.

Words Of Wisdom

Never watch CSI: Miami whilst stoned.

Oh Wonderful

There is a history of Acid Reflux and related conditions on your mother's side of the family.

Nice of your sister to tell you about it 3 years after you originally told her you'd got a Hiatus Hernia.

Glad you fled the Underdark, Drizzt?