Now think about this...

So, after I blogged about 1,000 true fans here, here are the bits that I didn't think about. It's interesting when you get blinded by an idea, how you become completely unfocused on the actual practicalities of how to achieve it. It's a good job there are people like Scalzi around to remove the blinkers.

I have done my glads and Colosseum assignment now, thank Spartacus! I am almost sure there are areas that I could improve, and other points I could include (using the Pliny bit, and mentioning how gladiators and gladiatorial shows were important for senators and Emperors for currying favour with the citizens and for keeping them on side generally). But hey ho, I'm kinda happy with it, I'm just sick of looking at it.

In sports... James Toseland is still doing well in the MotoGP, fixing another 6th place today at Jerez despite being ill. In other bike related news, the British team is doing fantastically well in the World Cycling Championships, having already secured 9 gold medals. Woohoo!

Tennis... Well, Andy Murray is pretending to be a deflating whoopee cushion. He was ousted from the Miami tournament by Mario Ancic. Ah poop!

Allons-y, Alonzo!

I am really enjoying watching Big Bang Theory. After studying the basics of philosophy on the OU course it made me laugh last night when they were going on about reductio ad absurdum. I feel all the more geeky for it! And the Doctor Who mention! I think I punched the air! So sad am I! But what do I care? Hehe!

And speaking of Doctor Who... It's that time of year again. The anticipation is building... Only two more weeks to wait! Oooooohh, excited! Not only because it's new Doctor Who, but because I'll be able to watch something other than 'Daleks and Cybermen', 'Chips and School' and 'Shower Doctor Who', all Principessa's favourite season 2 episodes. I think I must know the script for them off by heart now!

I can't believe how unafraid Principessa is of Daleks. When I was her age, and watching Doctor Who, I was petrified of them. So much so that when we went to an exhibition in Blackpool I ran crying and screaming from the room where the Daleks were! But Principessa, well, she sits there and giggles at them, and when they suck brainwaves with the sink unblockers she thinks that they are eating people like chocolates! She is one scary little girl! I think she's going to like horror films when she is older.

How dumb am I?

This morning the Postie posted an evelope through the door for me. Oooohh, I thought, I haven't ordered anything recently. I opened the envelope curiously and pulled out a thin book - 'Gladiators, The Bloody Truth'. Perplexed, I was, let me tell you! I searched the envelope for any tell tale sign of whom it was from, but only discovered it had been posted from Swansea. I began wondering where this person had got my address from, and how they knew I was studying the gladiators. Argh! Paranoia was running rife!

I decided to check Amazon, just in case I had ordered it and forgotten. I'm glad I did. I had ordered it from one of the marketplace sellers over three weeks ago. It had completely slipped my mind. I kicked myself for being so silly!

Now I have another book to read, so I may be doing more work on the finished essay. What am I saying? I WILL be doing more work on the essay, as my brain was kicked into action after the forum chat last night. So I will take a break from studying today and do some stuff with Principessa - if I can separate her from her computer!

Site searches.

I love Feedburner. It makes having a blog or a site much more interesting. I love being able to see how people have found my blog, and what they have searched for to find themselves on the clicking journey here. The one thing that puzzles me though, is why 'bloody snot' is the search term that I find is most used to lead people here! It makes me laugh sooo much!

On TMA stuff... I ripped apart my gladiators essay last night and spent this morning reconstructing it. I'm still not sure if I have answered the question fully, but hey ho, it's done. I've also completed the Colosseum part, coming in right on the nose of the 300 words limit. Woohoo! I just hope, when the time comes to send it off (yep, I still have about a week to mull it all over) to be marked that I get a good result.

Anyways, 'tis more or less boe-boes time, so night night. Xx

The Cinemark.

I ventured out to the cinema with Principessa today. Grandand and Kirst came along with us, and we went to see Dr Seuss' Horton Hears A Who.

We stopped off at Pizza Hut first to have lunch. For the most part Principessa behaved, but she was given a small box of crayons and a little activity book when we walked in. Yup, she tried drawing on the walls, but was more successful at drawing on the table under the cover of her book. Then she saw some balloons and insisted that she had to have one. The girl on the till gave her a balloon, so she then ran around the place saying that balloons were her favourite. It completely distracted her from her meal until the girl came to take the pizzas away to be boxed. Principessa grabbed the girl's leg and said:

• My pizza! My pizza! Don't you dare take it!

Yup! Just let me crawl up into a ball and die here! Well, we managed to get out of Pizza Hut and Principessa decided it would be fun to leg it all over the foyer of the cinema. Argh. Poor Kirst had to chase her more than once. Then once in the screen room she started calming down. Too good to be true... Just a bit. About half way through it seemed that she had found some pent up energy and started running up and down the steps and up to the screen. At one point she even crawled under the curtain below the screen! I had to ask Kirst to retrieve her. When I asked Principessa if she enjoyed the film she said:

• Yes, it was a great film.

Little pain! I enjoyed the parts of the film I had the chance to watch, apart from the dictator kangaroo.

I am now starting to worry that I haven't answered the gladiators question properly now. I think I might sit down later with the print out and hash it out, then finish the write up for the Colosseum part. Or I might just have an early night. Mmmmmmmmsleep!

We are your overlords!

Viking kittens rock! Click the link to see. I kid you not!

And yay! Done the gladiators essay. Just got the Colosseum one to finish now.

Going to the pictures.

So, this weekend, I am planning on taking Principessa to the cinema for the first time. Ooohh, I'm so dubious about this! I am hoping that the huge screen will completely grab her attention and encourage her to stay in her seat.

She has been talking a lot about going with Nanny, and this morning she told me what was happening;

• "We are going to Betsycar to go to the cinemark and eat popcork."

I love the way she talks! Except when she makes me feel guilty. I was trying to clean up the bedroom earlier and Principessa was jumping around, making a general nuisance of herself. I threw a t-shirt onto the bed, but she was so engrossed in jumping about that she jumped in the way of it and I think it shocked her. She started crying and saying;

• "Mummy, you hurted me and broke me into lots and lots of tiny little pieces!"

I mean, come on! I spent the next five minutes hugging her and saying sorry!

Her latest favourite phrase tickles me though. Whenever something happens, whether it is something with Principessa or something with someone else, and you say, "That's so funny," this is how the conversation goes;

• Me or whoever: "That's so funny!"
• Principessa: "It is not funny."
• Me or whoever: "It is funny. It is really funny!"
• Principessa: "Well, I suppose it is a little big funny!"

I know. How cute?

Well, time to get back to writing about gladiatores. Yes, I know, but that's how it was originally spelled. So there! Only got another 600 or so words to write about them. Then I can finish writing about the Colosseum. Half way through that one, just letting the combat foxes in my brain work around the order and work out what elements I need to include.

Not a good day...

In the entertainment industry yesterday. Not with the death of British film maker Anthony Minghella and the Grand Old Man of sci-fi Arthur C. Clarke. A sad, sad day.

I think I was more affected by Arthur C. Clarke's passing as I love to read, and anyone who has taken any notice in sci-fi over the last 40 odd years cannot have failed to be influenced in some way by him. The last time I felt upset by someone dying that I didn't know was when I heard that the fantasy author David Gemmel had died. It's such a strange feeling to have emotions for people that you didn't know but had touched your life through their writing. Huh!

I've noticed lately that there has been mention on some blogs I read about an essay written by the author Robin Hobb about blogging writers. I blogged about it here, last September. It seems that there are lots of people getting riled by it (though not Scalzi, whose blog this link directs you to). Now, firslty, it's been up on her site for ages. Secondly, it does have words of wisdom for slacker writers like me warning against the perils of blogging and how it could eat away your writing time. I really do not understand why, if they think it is offensive, they just don't ignore it. Silly people.

We who are about to die salute you.

Bloody Romans and their bloody classist attitudes. My attitude to the Romans: pee'd off! How many times can you say gladiators were despised because they were scummier than prostitutes and actors, yet were adored because they survived after fighting for their lives? A 300 words essay on gladiators I could handle, but a 900 words essay? Nah, having trouble I am!

Feedburner

I sorted Feedburner on this blog account the other day, and while I was going through the set-up I noticed that they had a tick box 'Email the author'. Woohoo, thought I, and promptly clicked on it thinking that I would be able to receive email. All I can say is; that'll teach me for thinking. I found out this morning when checking the site stats that the link doesn't work properly. Grrrrr. I've tried fixing it, but to no avail. So, from now on, it's no emails just comments. Bah!

Romans and headswaps.

Well, after the post yesterday and going to bed and reading about the Romans (again!), my angry, churning brain started ticker-taping.

The Romans were a notoriously blood thirsty society, we all know that, but maybe they had it right where it comes to crime and punishment. Murderers, arsonists and the like were condemned to death and had all their human rights stripped from them. Most of the time there would be no way out for them and their death would be assured, mainly by being stuck in the arena with wild animals. If I've read correctly, sometimes they would be allowed to fight other gladiators. It was only then that a 'dead man' would have a chance at being 'granted life' again, albeit life in the arena, and then they would only be granted it by the audience in the amphitheatre if they proved themselves to be courageous. Maybe we should introduce something like this? I mean, it's not like we don't have our violent, controlled sports. You only have to turn onto Bravo or a channel like it to watch Ultimate Fighter, and there are proper 'taste my fist with the back of your head' cage matches now, so what's the difference (apart from the animals)? It's not like society today is completely against it!

Anyway. For some reason I have been thinking about Doctor Who. I do that occasionally. But then, while watching Neighbours with Linds, we started talking about head swaps when the character Darren appeared. This started the combat foxes in my brain to twitch and fight. No wonder there are no more Timelords out there to bother the Doctor (or the Master, when he pops up every now and again), they're all in Australia working on soaps! It's the only rational explanation for the head swaps. So, I have bad news for you all. Jason Donovan is a Timelord!

Turns my stomach.

I just can't believe what scum some people are. Just because another person dresses differently to someone else does not give them the right to kill, maim, attack that person for the way they look. I'm sorry, but this is something close to me as years ago, when I used to go out frequently, I was the person, with my friends, the scum chose to target.

I'm bringing this up in light of the Sophie Lancaster murder. Her and her boyfriend were targeted as they walked through a skate park by a group of teenagers just because they dressed in the Goth style (just as I did 15 years ago). Now, okay, some might say that I have no right to comment because I didn't know her or know anything about the background of the situation. Talking from experience here, a person will attack another person just for the fact that the first person is not wearing a Lacoste tracksuit (or whatever other tracksuit is 'in'), because the scum can't handle someone not following what they do. I was frequently targeted by idiots because I would wear Para boots with a mini skirt, bullet belt and skinny t-shirt or a long, black skirt, band t-shirt and leather jacket. Or just simply for using a characterised cow backpack when I went out. I really feel for Sophie's parents and boyfriend. Sophie's murder turns my stomach something chronic.

Weekend Sports.

Here I go again. Blogging about sports. I hadn't realised how much sport I watched until I started writing about it.

Well, first off, Biathlon. It was good to see people winning who haven't won before. Kathrin Hitzer finally came through and showed the German team what she's made of by winning the 12.5km mass start event and the 10km pursuit event. I enjoyed watching that. It also means that the cup is still up for grabs. The fight there is between Bailley (FRA), Henkel (GER) and Neuner (GER). It's going to be an interesting fight to the cup. In the men's event there is no such fight. It is all Bjoerndalen's. No-one can oust him from the top of the table.

Now to MotoGP in Qatar. This was an intriguing watch. The 125CC was very interesting. A 15 year old Brit, in his rookie race, finished 5th. I don't think anyone was expecting him to do so well. But well done to him. Then in the actual MotoGP, James Toseland did exceptionally well for his debut race in this class. He also finished 5th, and I think he even astounded himself. He did have one very dodgy moment when he overtook Jorge Lorenzo and the bikes touched. It was lucky he didn't take the both of them out.

Well, that's enough with the sports. Principessa has found herself a new game; catching her Dora football in the washing-up bowl. She is a little loon! So, while she is occupied I think I might finish up here and go and do some more reading.

Noctem Aeternus is no more.

Poo! I enjoyed the first, and last, copy of this e-mag. Bah! Just goes to prove, you can't give anything away for free.

There is supposed to be a big storm heading in tonight. It's being billed as the worst of the winter. Doesn't sound good, does it? At the moment we have blue skies and sunshine, but I expect this is the calm. If the wind is as bad as it was the night after the quake then it's going to be scary. If the wind is worse then I think I should sleep in a wooden box! It always feels like the wind is going to put the windows in when it is gusting.

Hmmm, I hope Principessa is being good for Grandand. They have gone to the swing park this morning, and I am having a little breathing space. I should really use this time to study, but it's Sunday. Saying that though, I'm not feeling too certain that I am going to be able to get my head around the architecture part of the Colosseum block. That's what I've been reading up on since I gave myself a break from the glads! I'm wondering if my tutor received my TMA too. And if she has, if she's marked it. I don't know if I can wait until next week to find out what my mark is. But I'm going to have to.

Brain + Overdrive = Schroedinger's Lolcat

So, yeah. I don't know why I suddenly started to think about this thought experiment, but it sufficiently piqued my interest to have a poke about on the web. And I found this picture. Fantastic, isn't it? I love it! I don't know if what I'm thinking about regarding the experiment will come to anything,

Picture (c) dantegeek
but my imagination is playing games with it.

I've been having a skim through David Crystal's blog lately too. Very interesting stuff. Though the post about well good had me thinking. At the end he says something along the lines of "Look out for well better." Hmmm, I'm sure we were using that phrase when I was in school in the late 80's, early 90's. For example, going back to those days; "New Kids On The Block are well better than Bros." Nevertheless, it's fun reading his observations.

Attack of the Muse!

For months now I have had a block where it came to story writing. On very few occasions something would click and I would have a lightbulb moment, though these occasions have been sparse. But last night, while the combat about attitudes to gladiators and how in the hell am I going to write this essay fought away in my head, and as I watched BBC's Worlds of Fantasy programme, my Muse appeared and slapped me in my creative face with a wet kipper.

Okay, so I have been able to hash out a few poems, but for stories, short or otherwise, my Muse has been giving me the bird. I've obviously not been letting it play enough. So, last night, to grab my attention, it put my brain through the wringer. Ideas started flowing for two of the novel length stories I have been stuck on with the possibility for some deeper characterisation for one of them. Not only that, but a short story that has been floating just out of reach, shone brightly with the full plot outline scribbled in super-shiny letters so I couldn't ignore it.

Why now? Not that I am complaining, but why now? I am too caught up in researching gladiators and the colosseum to take the time out to write my stories. I have had to compromise by writing the ideas for the novels down, and by making a loose outline of the short story. At least now I know my brain hasn't completely dried up!

Also, this is a very interesting article about living as a creative type called "1,000 True Fans" by Kevin Kelly. Check it out, it makes for some very thought-provoking reading.

Principessa's got a problem!

She can't say it! She keeps saying:

• "And the ploblem is..."

She's so funny!

Pianist Principessa

Who'd have thunk it? Yesterday Andy Murray beat Roger Federer in the first round at Dubai. I thought he might have cracked after loosing the first set, but no! I see Federer wasn't too impressed that Murray had won, saying something along the lines of 'Murray will have to work hard to get wins if he continues to play the way he does - waiting for the mistakes of the other player'. (Paraphrased there, but it was something like that.) Surely that's a valid form of play. After all, to play that way means that you can't make the mistake first otherwise you lose the point. Bah! Tennis players!

Forget Bah! Tennis players. Bah bleeding galdiators! Or rather the attitudes of Roman society to them. I'm getting my brain tied up in knots trying to work this one out. Well, not to work it out, but rather to write anything down that makes sense and stays on topic. I keep finding myself drifting away and writing about what goes on in the arena rather than the status of the gladiator. Argh!

Well, off to do some more reading to see if I can clear my head!

Calling Dr Principessa!

Principessa received her very first dress-up outfit today. She has never really been interested in dress-up before, apart from every now and again trying to wear my clothes (very funny!), so when I was ordering clothes for her I asked her to pick her pyjamas and she also picked a doctor outfit.

Over the last couple of weeks she has also been trying very hard to work out how to write her letters (see above). I am so very proud of her. I am amazed that she wants to try these things now, at such a young age. Saying that, she has been interested in words and letters since she was a little baba! (I was made up when she started having a go at the letters, and saw her when she did the letters above. On getting the book out a day later to clean it for her so she could do it all over again, I was amazed to see that she had gone through the whole book. She had tried to work out how every letter was written, succeeding on the majority of them. Clever little clogs!)

Heart melted!

Awwww, Principessa was so beautiful this morning. I was having a sleep in, something that hasn't happened in aaaaaaaaagggggggeeeeessssss, when she ran into my room.

• "Wake up Mummy. Mummy, wake up. Please Mummy, wake up. Happy Mother's time!" she shouted.

Heeee, that is the first time she has actually tried to say Happy Mother's Day without being prompted. Made me smile. Lots.

Going to watch Peppa Pig with her now.