(no subject)

This morning there was a thunderstorm, so I pulled the 'phone line out of my modem as I usually do under the circumstances so there's no risk it might get fried by lightning coming up the 'phone line.

And lo and behold, after I'd been doing this for years without any evidence of this happening, lightning did come up the 'phone line and fry my microfilters. Oh well, at least that's only £8 to replace rather than £60 for the modem/router/firewall. But in future, boys and girls, make sure to physically disconnect your microfilters as well as modem when there's a thunderstorm.

(no subject)

I'm with Michael Quinion in thinking that the runner-up of the latest Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest should have won:

"Hmm . . ." thought Abigail as she gazed languidly from the veranda past the bright white patio to the cerulean sea beyond, where dolphins played and seagulls sang, where splashing surf sounded like the tintinnabulation of a thousand tiny bells, where great gray whales bellowed and the sunlight sparkled off the myriad of sequins on the flyfish's bow ties, "time to get my meds checked."

Some of the other entries are quite good too.

Fashion sense? What's that?

[Poll #1251222]