I forgot to say. A man collapsed on the pavement on Monday afternoon as I was walking from work. Some other passers-by got there first, fortunately because I don't have a mobile phone. I hung around uselessly (another less shy first-aider had turned up by that point). The guy smelt of alcohol; he was barely conscious, eyes open and attempting to speak. Grubby, scruffy clothing. Unshaved. He'd been seen staggering before keeling over.

In due course I went a little way along the road to watch out for the ambulance, guessing that it would go to the wrong place on the basis of the number of times the guy with the mobile had had to repeat our location. (What's hard to find about "on Oxford Road opposite the Cornerhouse"? Don't ask me.) Ambulance duly turned up, sirens a-go-go, and screamed... right past the knot of people, two of whom were waving at it, pulling instead into the train station nearby. It was fetched back, the paras picked up the guy and we dispersed.

This sort of thing doesn't happen often in this immediate area, in my limited experience. There are a few seemingly homeless guys I've seen irregularly begging along Oxford Road, but that's the first time one's fallen down. And it was good to see that plenty of people stopped immediately, and others asked in passing if they could help.

The cheerful blonde paramedic recognised the guy at once. Which was quite sad, actually.

[edit: This was written yesterday and I forgot to publish it. Whee!]

Rent-a-dog! Fantasy Fuff: about as close to a real relationship as hiring a prostitute, imho. Inclined to agree with the RSPCA person.

Cloned sniffer dogs are after your Mary-Jane!

Arrest warrant issued for Darth Vader

Birdie

I was reading this (short) experimental report on chimpanzee grooming. It's from 1958 and laughably patronising, not to mention a bit unimaginative. (Didn't E. ever think of grooming Malcolm in return?)

Also, these things. PRATCHETT things. (David Tennant is involved, for all those who inexplicably find him attractive.)

And finally, a sad tale. Because it's official: I can't hear that damn Metallica song without my fingers twitching. (I'm not a guitarist or guitar-gamer, I point out; I would probably hurt myself if I attempted this track on Easy.¹)

Slen has five-starred almost everything in GHII and III's career modes on Expert (with only that Slayer auditory fart and Misirlou left to go, I think—not counting DragonForce because that is solid damn.) All this has had the effect of making me vaguely itchy to play an actual instrument.

Also, we only have a righty bass guitar, but I'm strongly lefty by instinct. Boo. >:( (cf achirality, which I have in heaps, but I'd really really rather not pluck with the hand whose fingers seize up. Oh well, sucks to be driving this body, I guess.)

¹ Well, my claim to the realm of not suck can be that I got 70% into TTFAF on my first attempt at the game, on Easy obviously. I attribute that to beginner's awesomium coupled with knowing the real song very well. I also epically failed Slow Ride mere minutes beforehand.

[also, edit: must stop air guitaring to Cliffs of Dover in lift.]