John Ronald Reuel Tolkein was born on this day, the 3rd of January, 1892.

 

Today will be his 120th birthday, and we cannot let this day pass without raising a glass in his honour!

It's 00:36 ... and were a half hour into the New Year

 

Anyone want to share their resolutions? Mine are to lose some weight and start work on my thesis!

Having pent the entire weekend consistently running at over 10 mmol/dl (180 mg/dl), my shorl-lived cold is finally over and my blood sugars are back down in a more manageable 4-6.5 mmol/dl (72-115mg/dl); but now I feel lethargic and depressed.

Does anyone else find that bg fluctuations can royally fuck with your emotions?

Its strange what you get used to!

 

On the 24th of February, social workers's turned up on my ex's doorstep and pre-emptorally took our kids from her care (at about 5pm - they NEVER do overtime in Ireland!!!). She contacted me before 6pm, but there was noone in the Social Work office to contact, so I could only get them out of care the following day after sitting around in court all frickking day!

 

Now, 12 weeks later, the head of the Social Workers team in Dublin has admitted that they had no reason to do that at all, so as of Today - the kids are back in her care. I dropped them off today @ 8pm. It's now 3am, and I still can't go to bed. the house is just too quiet.

 

Don't know why I'm writing this, but the silence in the house is just spooky. Even when they are (were) asleep, the two kids always seemed to have something going on - even if it was just checking in on tem and making sure they weren't having nightmares.

 

And of course, tonight, when I finally brought them home, my daughter started crying when she realized that i would be leaving because she was afraid that the social workers would come back and take them away again.

 

God, I miss them

When I was growing up, my sister suffered from anorexia and occasional "self harm", and the song "She's Falling Apart" by Lisa Loeb has always struck me as being very close to home ...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RqUTLkpIAc - youtube link

 

They pull up their chairs to the table
She stares at the food on her plate
At the toast and the butter, her father and mother,
She pushes away

And they rise in the morning
And they sleep in the dark
And even though nobody's looking
She's falling apart

She gets home from school too early
And closes the door to her room
There's nothing inside her
She's weak and she's tired of feeling like this

And they rise in the morning
And they sleep in the dark
And even though nobody's looking
She's falling apart

They call her for dinner, she makes up a reason
She looks at her arms and she rolls down her sleeves
And her mother is starting to see through her lies
And last night her father had tears in his eyes

And they rise in the morning
And they sleep in the dark
And even though nobody's looking
She's falling apart

Buying a House in the land that God forgot (or rather didn't provide broadband too) sucked royally ... but all is fixed now :)

I like this because it's actually remarkably accurate.

Your Score: Independent Soul.

You scored -18 Extroversion, 1 Sensitivity, and -2 Openness!

You are calm and logical, but not unemotional. You are an introvert, at heart, preferring to read alone than be subjected to the crush and noise of a big party or bar. You have a few friends and family, whose presence you welcome - to a point. Even they can wear on your nerves eventually, and you need to retreat back into your personal space for a while so you can recharge. Your energy comes in bursts, after which you need a long nap or a couple of evenings at home to recuperate.

You are comfortable with yourself, and reasonably confident. You want the friendship and goodwill of others, but you are not willing to sacrifice your principles in order to get it. If your close friends need something that you can provide, however, you will be the first to offer it.

You are a good and sympathetic listener, and are aware of your friend's emotional states. With your very close friends, you will open up, but rarely - you don't like to burden people with your problems. At the same time, though, you are honest and are not willing to alter the truth for the sake of convenience. Among strangers you are reserved, and may resort to making jokes to disguise your true feelings.

While you are not afraid of conflict, you do not seek it, either. When you are hurt or insulted, you feel that you have a choice to make. You can choose to take the up on it and defend yourself, or you can let it pass. Your decision may depend on how well you know the person, how personally you take the insult, or simply what mood you are in that day. Your friends may not always know how you are going to react, for that reason. Whatever you reaction, though, you will be logical, rational and unnervingly accurate: a measured strike.

Your daemon's form would represent your calm, introverted nature, your cool logic, and your impatience with crowds of people. He or she would probably whisper ironic comments in your ear, give logical advice and try to hide his or her soft side from everyone, even you.

Suggested forms:
Peregrine Falcon, Snowy Owl, Snow Leopard, Siberian Tiger.

Link: The Golden Compass Daemon Test written by wolfcaroling on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test
View My Profile(wolfcaroling)

Especially if you have to perform.

Concert was sold out, and broadcast live by the National broadcaster ... here's the media stream (Realplayer handles it fairly well) - as far as I know it will remain available for at least a week on that URL ... after that, I'd have to see how to persuade them to convert it into a podcast/mp3.

Listen via Realplayer

What was it?

First Half is Dedicated to Goethe ...

Beethoven's Overture (Op. 84) for Goethe's Egmont; followed by Proserpina (a melodrama written by Goethe, and scored by Eberwein).

Second Half is still German, but dedicated to a later century ... Orff's Carmina Burana.

Do let me know if you think it went well ...

In response to For OKC's Consideration: by atomicturtle:

OK, most of you know me as a cold, cynical, arrogant son of a bitch
that never has anything nice to say about anything, except for
maybe comic books and alcohol. Can you put that aside for a second,
because I'd like to make a suggestion, and I'd like for you all to
take it seriously and give it some serious thought.

It seems like every year, right around this time (or, maybe more
accurately, about a week from now), all across the world... well,
at least, all across America, Europe, and Austrailia... we fall
into a certain routine. And every time we do, it's always the same
people doing the same thing. And every year, we all go at it and
then as soon as the time has passed, we all forget about it and go
back to status quo. I'm tired of it. I really am.

This year, I'd like to propose that we not fall into the same
trap. This year, let's all of us, for just one year... can we NOT
bicker about Christmas? Can we please put a moratorium on any
debates about Christmas in a modern and secular world?

Can we please not fight about whether one should say
"Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays" in shopping centers and
workplaces?

Can we please not bark at each other about Nativity
scenes in a public place?

Can we please not go on and on about how Christmas was
originally a pagan holiday?

Can we please not spend time worrying about whether
telling a child that Santa is real is going to emotionally damage
him?

Can we please not get worked into a frenzy over the fact
that a public school play has some remotely religious imagery in
it?

Can we please not lament the fact that the "Christ" has
been progressively taken out of Christmas?

Can we please not discuss the merits of calling them
"Family Trees" instead of "Christmas Trees" (a newcomer to the
Christmas debates this year).

Can we please spare ourselves the indignant outrages over
what might offend whom or why someone else shouldn't be offended by
something?

Can we please, just for one month, not go LOOKING for
reasons to be all pissed off and offended and all the time?

Please?

I'm so tired of those discussions. I'm sick of spending a month
that is supposed to be about celebration - whatever your beliefs -
by going at each others throats about these stupid little nuances
that someone is always getting needlessly bent about. Every year
it's always the same, and I'm sick of it.

I'm already starting to see it sprout up across the internet.
The Aussies are complaining that "Ho ho ho" might be offensive to
racial minorities and women. Business owners are trying to guess
what innocuous decoration will instigate a Complaint from the ACLU.
Atheists are already starting to take jabs at the Christians, and
the Christians are plotting up ways to tick off the atheists, while
the Jews complain that Hanukkah doesn't get enough face time.

I LIKE Christmas. It's a trait I inherited from my mother.
Granted, I'm a bit of a grinch who resents shopping malls and
loathes Christmas music and doesn't decorate his house and can't
stand the way the charities come out of the woodwork to hit you up
for cash - but I like Christmas. I like the trees and the lights
and the time you spend thinking about what you want to give to the
people who mean something to you. I like wrapping a present for the
girl I really miss, antsy in anticipation as to whether she'll like
it, and then seeing that exited look in her eyes as she tears it
open and hearing the way her voice goes up a few octaves as she
squeals with glee. I even like the religious people's Christmas. I
like the unity and togetherness amongst the faithful - even if it's
just twice a year lip-service. For a guy who almost never smiles
anymore, the Christmas season tends to put a smile on my face now
and then.

I never ask you guys for anything (except, of course, to stop
being so goddamn stupid and touchy-feely all the time). Can we
PLEASE try this this year? Please? Pleeeeease? You guys can
make it my Christmas gift if you want. It'd really make my
month.

Anyway, think about it.

Thanks.

Now here's a Christmas Campaign I can really get behind !

Thanks AT :)

Silence
Why am I awake?
I sit up, slowly
There's something I should be doing
There always is
The thought of facing another day fills me quiet dread
I stumble through life like an outsider
Observing a dull monotony through a miasma of hurt
I look around my room, the emptiness filled with clutter
A doll, lovingly left on my pillow
The figurines still fighting their war to capture the sofa
The books scattered on the floor
We will play with them when they are here again
Until then I step over them
To move them means acknowledging that the flat is empty
The alarm clock drones it's reminder of Work
It's time for another day of pretense
I smile at the world and it rolls on
No one looks in your eyes
No one sees the tears beneath the laughter