You know, if it weren't for the fact that my cats are at war with each other, my feline situation would be perfect right now. Tabitha's terribly sweet and friendly - almost too sweet and friendly, since she gets up on my desk and demands attention when I'm doing stuff on my computer - and I have a cat I like again.

A few minutes ago, when I got out of the shower, she was waiting to come see me again when I opened the bathroom door. Right now, she's on the desk next to me, stairing at the door and growling. Of course, if Spike came to the door, she'd run and hide under the bed.

I told Julie about the inter-cat war. She took Spike's side. It's probably unsurprising - she's always had a soft spot for the little bastard. I view it as a character flaw, but what do you expect - she's Canadian. Of course she's soft in the head.

Earlier Tabitha got brave. See, in her old home, she lived with a cat named Harley. Tabitha and Harley used to eat out of the same bowl - they each had their own bowl, mark you, but when I was housesitting and fed them, I would watch them eat, together, out of Harley's bowl, then move on and both eat out of Tabitha's.

So tonight, when Tabitha heard food being poured, and ran to get in on the food action, and saw Spike eating, she slunk up behind him, snaked around him, and was headed to share the bowl when he had a heart attack discovering her next to him, and chased her off.

Hostilities continue.

The Simulation Argument - two papers, one arguing that we're probably living in a computer simulation (a la Permutation City or the Matrix), the other discussing the implications and proper lifestyle choices of a person living in a simulation.

Weird. Stupid. Surely he must realise - as those of us who've sunk too large a chunk of our lifespans into The Sims already do - that a simperson has no free will, a simperson has only the commands of the god-like Player, who may let them thrive, may let them loaf, or may let them starve to death just because they're surplus to requirements.

I live to abuse my power.

News roundup.

I could only find one link for this. For some reason, despite the fact that the West Australian attributes this story to Reuters (and since it's in pretty much the same words as the version I've linked to, I'm willing to bet Reuters wrote it), Reuters' website doesn't seem to have it.

Anyway. Sesame Street South Africa - Takalani Sesame - is getting an HIV+ muppet. According to the article in the West - same article, less abbreviated - Schneider said that "This character will be fully a part of the community", but "not every show will deal explicitly with HIV/AIDS". Fair enough. And I have to say I like the idea of putting a positive role model there for the children, since, you know, 40% of women of childbearing age in South Africa are HIV+ and all, and the government still isn't supplying antiretroviral drugs, so there's an awful lot of HIV+ children.

I hate that it's come to this, though. One in nine South Africans is HIV+. 40% of adult deaths in 2000 were due to AIDS. Also in 2000, the year Durban hosted the International AIDS Conference (and the Durban prostitutes reported that many of the delegates wanted unprotected sex, and what the hell was THAT about), 60% of hospital beds were taken up with AIDS patients. (I have no idea what the figures are now. *Probably* similar. Possibly worse.)

To borrow a phrase from my history tutor, I more or less think of myself as a "rootless cosmopolitan". I don't think of myself as South African, and I don't really think of myself as Australian either, most of the time. But I was born in South Africa, and on some level it's still home to me, and my home is dying, and it shouldn't have to be this bad.

But when the government's refusing to invest in antiretroviral drugs, and the Health Minister is making the AIDS council turn down international grants because she's playing petty power politics, what chance do the people have?

What can they be thinking?

Wonderful. Immunity from prosecution for war crimes. Not only am I bothered by the fact that the US has been given this, but I'm bothered that they're anticipating being that brutal that this is a 'necessity'.

Believe the pretext that this is about American sovereignty? I'm compelled to remind you of America's glorious past.

- Starting from the beginning: deliberately introducing alcoholism, chicken pox, typhoid, and other such things to the native population.

- The various atrocities committed by US troops pretty much anywhere they went. Few of these get mentioned in history books. I learnt things I really would have been happier not knowing from a woman who was in Italy at the close of World War II. The Fascists had their flaws, but they didn't (for example) establish rape camps, and for some that counts for a lot.

- Exactly one nation has attacked another with nuclear weapons. Guess which. Nobody ever prosecuted the US for war crimes against Japan for that, despite the fact that hundreds of thousands of civilians were killed despite the fact that the Japanese were already willing to surrender. The only condition they wanted was the immunity from prosecution of their Emperor; on the pretext of this resistance, the US dropped two atomic bombs on populated areas.
Then they accepted Japan's surrender, with that condition intact. There was no reason to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki except that they could, and they wanted to prove they could.
The thing is, the US have a fairly strong lever for getting this kind of concession: they're a United Nations veto power. This is a reason why actions of censure against the USSR and China never got anywhere, either.

I won't actually be even vaguely surprised if the existence of veto powers eventually destroys the UN. They shouldn't be there; it weakens the entire structure, and the reasons behind them (the five veto powers were the only nuclear powers at the time of the formation of the UN) are no longer valid. It's going to cause increasing unrest and dissatisfaction; the UN polices the world, in theory, but five countries are untouchable. And the US is currently on a rampage which would be checked were it a minor nation, and China's human rights history is a sick joke. France tested nukes on an unsuspecting Pacific atoll without threat of reprisal, the Soviet Union did, well, most of what they're accused of and more besides, and Britain...

Well, I'm sure if the Empire hadn't collapsed, they'd be causing more trouble than they are.

One power I'd like to see the UN's replacement body have is that of constitutional supervision. It's like this: Australia is a constitutional monarchy. Pretty much the only power the sovereign has is the power to disband the government and call for a general election if the government gets out of hand. This is better-placed in Britain than it is here, since there it's the Queen, here it's the Queen, according to the recommendation of the Governor-General, which is a political appointment, and shouldn't be.

Why is it good for this to be the Queen? Simple. She has no political affiliations or interests to speak of. Her position is hereditary. Charles doesn't have to maneouvre to get to be next in line for the throne, he was born to it. No vested interests in specific political allegiances.

For those who think Britain should be a republic: I'd like to point out that England has had the most stable and generally successful history of any nation on this planet. She hasn't been invaded since 1066 - and those invaders are locals now. In World War II, for more recent history, the value of the royal family was incalculable.

Why?

Morale.

First of all, fighting for "king and country" has a better ring to it than most. But most of the soldiers were fighting for Vera Lynn - the royals' influence was more at home. During the Blitz, England was absolutely hammered. By rights they should have given up. They didn't. They just refused to, and part of what helped strengthen the will of an admittedly wilful people was that the King and his wife and children stayed in London.

Things might have gone very differently if the previous king had still been on the throne - that was not a man of resolve. But the Windsor line is interestingly self-correcting; they're a very duty-oriented family, it seems, and the one member who wasn't neatly removed himself from the royal line. (The only English king ever to abdicate, as it happens.)

Saturday: Semi-coherent politics 101.

There's a cat on my desk, and everyone's invited.

Well, despite Spike's hostile attitude, Tabitha is settling in - to my bedroom, mostly. She spends almost all her time in here, as the one room in the house where she's safe from him. Leaving my room is an adventure in which she appears to prefer to have my company. Right now she's sitting on my desk, next to my computer, begging shamelessly for attention.

And stealing my chair if I stand up.

Still, she's comfortable enough in here at least that she's reverted to her purr machine self, so that's good.

Anyway, last night I went to Tommo's 21st, which was fun. On the way home I thought about things, and got so occupied in my thoughts I nearly got myself crunch between two 4WDs. This is bad. Don't do this.

But I realised that a big part of the reason why I stress about some things is based on how I know they fit into my emotional structure, and how terrified I am of that being altered. For example, I know certain behaviours in me are warning signs that I'm slipping into depression, which I really don't want to do; if something encourages that behaviour, it's bad, and I stress. I know other things are a part of what keeps me clear of depression, and I stress if they're threatened.

See, in some ways, my present social circle at uni is a little odd. Most of them have known me for a couple of years - but to me it almost seems as if I've known them only a few months, because I've changed so thoroughly in that time that I'm not really the same person.

For example, I got drunk a few days ago, in public. I've not done that with this crowd before, and hadn't done it in front of anyone in about four years until my sister's birthday party. That wasn't based on any particular moral objection to drinking (although for a while I didn't drink because my then-girlfriend didn't like me to), but more because I knew I wouldn't be an amusing drunk (as I was at both these occasions, apparently) but would be a very dark, unhappy drunk sitting in the corner getting further and further down.

Anyway, cues. The trouble is, I don't always spot them until afterwards.

For instance, this week I've been stressed, irritable, edgy. Part of this is the after-effects of drinking, no doubt, because it's hardly good for you, but part of this has been being tense over my History grade.

Got it last night.

I'm trying to tell myself 75 is a perfectly good mark, but it doesn't help, because I really should have done better. *sigh*

Tabitha's exploring my room right now - I'm glad it's a mess, it gives her something to explore. That bastard Spike has her afraid to explore the rest of the house, still.

Well, Tabitha came to live with us today. Spike hasn't impressed me - he's been incredibly hostile to the poor thing. I ended up bringing her to my bedroom - where Spike is not permitted to trespass - and settling her on my bed.

Or rather, in it. She crawled under my comforter. I suppose at least she's keeping warm.



Poor thing. When she comes out I'm going to give her some tuna or something. Spike's been horrible.

I'm getting a new cat.

The latest of many hand-me-downs from my sister, really, because Tabitha used to be Arwen's cat. However, Arwen's developed an allergy to her, which means that she has to get rid of her - and we're taking her.

I'm very excited, because I'm fond of the little ditz - Tabitha, not my sister. She's a cute little thing, but a quintessential blonde bimbo.

More Tabitha-Is-Cutely-Stupid stories will probably follow.

I had a very odd dream last night. I dreamt I was tired. The truly odd part is that I actually wasn't - when I awoke I felt fully rested, but while I slept I felt I mustn't wake up because I was desperately tired.

But tomorrow, I get Tabitha!

Terracon Image Gallery

Just so I can be the first to get Terracon photos out.

For those who simply must have it, my Terracon report is here.

The Art of Bathing

There's a beauty to the ritual of taking a bath.

Step one, of course, is heating the room, critical in winter, especially for those of us coming away from cold cold Terracons. The room becomes warm and inviting; while this is happening, other preparations are made.

A book, of course, is essential. Actually, when I'm all tired and sore and cranky as I was tonight, I take several, in deference to my potentially wandering attention span. I also like to take a cool drink, particularly water or apple juice.

The hedonistic may take a small dish of chocolates.

Then we run the water, savouring the first splash of steam as hot water hits the cold surface of the bath. Bubble bath is added during this process; tonight I used dewberry glitter bubble bath, because I had some lying around, and it was good. I also used a juniper bath tablet thing, and smell wonderful right now.

Then we soak, and enjoy, and relax.

I'm feeling much better for the bath, actually. The warmth soaked into bones that hadn't really thawed since the first night at Terracon, which was good; reduced the intermittent trembling that's been plaguing me all day, although hasn't dispersed it utterly. I think that too is an effect of major overindulgence last night. Occasionally it's nigh-impossible to type.

There's also the relaxing effect of ritual; the ritual of preparing and having a bath.

Terracon report will be forthcoming in the morning. Probably so will righteous outrage at my parents.

Ralph is the official Monday UberCool, as well as one the weekend UberCools, because hugging him helped keep me from shaking for most of the trip back to Perth.

Well, I'm back from Terracon. Despite having to do worklike things for it, and stressing, and things going wrong at the last minute and having to improvise solutions, I had a really good time.

Anecdotes will probably come; right now I'm tired and only just recovering from the faint edges of alcohol poisoning, I think.

New discovery.

Drinking games are non-compatible with my usual method for assuring myself that I'm drinking responsibly. A game of Never Never and too many people nice enough to give me alcohol (I would have had my own, but I'd been planning not to drink, dammit) combined to pole vault me past the cutoff point where you stop caring.

I got trashed last night. The only time I've been drunker was the very first time, about six years ago - and I couldn't eat for two days after that.

Props of affection go to all the people who actually thanked me for the fact that I spent a substantial chunk of my Terracon labouring to make sure everyone had food, and suchlike minor detail. I realise that I'm committee and it's my job, but I still did work my ass off most of Friday and intermittently for the rest of the weekend, and it felt so nice to feel appreciated.

The weekend UberCools are as follows:

Nicole, Oliver, James, and anyone else who helped out with things/did things entirely to make Terracon not become a train wreck of a con.

The Day Trippers, Lisa and Davyd, for being insane enough to drive from Perth to Tone River for the afternoon.

The number 1,333.

The entirety of Hut 14 (the Cool Hut) for being so fantastic to live with.

Ralph, for being cuddly and snuggly and wonderful the whole way back from Terracon, because it helped me not be carsick. Besides, Ralph's wonderful.

I know, it's a long list, but it was a busy weekend.