bits & bobs & deportations

Happy Birthday emjayne! 25 is a good year, as I recall.

Day 4 of new haircut. I washed it this morning and am cautiously pleased. It's sad to be still getting the hang of hairdryers and circular brushes at the age of 29, but what are you gonna do? Actually I leapt out of bed at 5 to 8 when I remembered I had a conference call at 9 (Tuesdays are always like this -- at least it took my mind off my freezing cold bedroom). Had to take a taxi; the driver didn't quite seem to grasp the notion that if I wanted to be stuck in traffic on Sherbrooke, I'd have taken the bus! Finally cracked at Drummond at 5 to 9 and said "Monsieur, je suis un peu en retard -- c'est possible de prendre Dr. Penfield?" He answered to the effect of "Sure, you have to be there by 9?" Um, YES.

Today's Dilbert is all too hideously relevant. Also very funny.

Maher Arar is home and doesn't seem to bear a grudge. So far. Forbearing guy. What has bugged me (and apparently Amnesty International) about this whole case is, why the hell hasn't Foreign Affairs been raising a ruckus about the States shipping a Canadian citizen travelling on a Canadian passport off to Syria? And, um, NO INQUIRY? Why the hell not? It may be time for me to write my MP...

oh right, time to work now.

no purchase necessary

Hm. That was a day. My deskmate and partner in crime went home early -- she's feeling lousy and everything was thwarting her today. Hope things improve. Network was hellishly slow. Outlook went down for half an hour. But I've been getting compliments on my hair, so that's nice. Shallow, me?

Now then, be it known that in a fit of low-price madness a couple weeks ago I bought a never-opened 2003 Discworld calendar at the used bookstore across the street from me, before remembering that I don't collect such things. It's large and lovely and features the Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents on the cover, plus lots of (OK, 12) nice pics inside. So, if anyone out there wants it, tell me why; best answer wins. I'll even spring for postage.

It's probably not too good that I'm sitting here deleting stuff from my Hotmail account and not actually reading any of it, is it?

Think I'll go home and veg now.

Book update

What I've read lately:

Nelson Mandela's autobiography (for book club -- only managed half by Thursday night, but read the rest on the weekend). Absolutely compulsive reading, I recommend it wholeheartedly. I didn't know half this stuff; fascinating to watch a just revolution being put together from the inside. South Africa is damn lucky to have had people like this fighting on its behalf. Although, that said, it's necessarily a bit one-sided and personal; I would like an outside viewpoint on a lot of these events, because I simply don't know enough about them.

A College of Magics -- I got a craving. (Mostly because when I've had my bag sitting around gaping open for several weeks, I start chanting Jane's line: "One is either packed or unpacked. There is no middle ground.") Still love it. It threw me the first time because it took such sharp turns, but now I know what's coming, it works for me a lot better. This time around, having been there, I realized that Aravis is based on Edinburgh. I suspect that Greenlaw is more than likely based on Mont St-Michel. She has taste.

Tell Me Lies, by Jennifer Crusie (a girl needs some light reading and it was at the used bookstore for comparatively cheap)

Time Lord (no, it's not a Dr. Who tie-in, it's the biography of Sir Sandford Fleming) -- reading this on the bus in rather disjointed fashion. I'm enjoying it, but it's rather puttery after Mandela.

Naked Brunch, by Sparkle Hayter (crankygrrl lent it to me); good fun although I felt she devoted a bit too much attention to her secondary characters towards the end. But a neat premise and a happy ending and a (disguised) New York setting make me forgive her.

Heard Margaret MacMillan on Ideas last night and she was a riot. Now I really have to read Paris 1919 -- I think Mummy has it.