I'm desperately sorry to hear that Pete Fenelon, who the discerning livejournal reader will have known as blue_condition, died a few days ago. I can't say I knew him well, but I enjoyed our interactions immensely; we first made contact during the Lib Dem leadership campaign in 2006, and he posted sardonic and occasionally wistful entries and comments which made ( Read more... )

Three stories that have hit my radar screen in the last few days about the rights and obligations of internet users.

1) bridge_troll got fired for blogging about his workplace, describing his employers as "mental" and "Jesus freaks" on his first day in the job. I'm afraid my sympathy is limited, and I am astonished that he is astonished that his ex-employers ( Read more... )

A very nice day at Discworld yesterday, mainly for catching up with lj folks, some of them (kelvix, sierra_le_oli, ailbhe and especially uitlander) for the first time in the flesh; good to also see watervole, natural20, bellinghman, bellinghwoman, clanwilliam, gmh, rmc28, fanf and Charles, and anyone else I've failed to mention. Also I actually attended two panels, Jacqueline Simpson talking about the folklore of Discworld and Jack Cohen on sex ( Read more... )

The books came through! Thank you so much!!!!!

Kudos to purple_pen, who for the first few months of this year was publishing as a blog the daily entries of the diary of her ancestor, mid-nineteenth century Birmingham surgeon James Fraser West, on LJ as jamesfraserwest. It did not run for very long - his medical work was interrupted by a long trip to Italy for the sake of his health; this did not have the desired effect ( Read more... )

Christmas and Who:

Paul Cornell's Doctor Who story

Solstice:

The Newgrange sunrise webcast as people gather where their ancestors did 5000 years ago (live at 0830 GMT this morning, but you can already watch yesterday's on the archive) - see also Kieran Healy on Crooked Timber.

Charity:

_rand0m_ donates his hair to charity.

Tragedy:
ailbhe on Omagh
loveandgarbage on ( Read more... )

rparvaaz finds a solution when her car breaks down.

Glad to chat to coth, matgb, swisstone, ladymoonray, drplokta, flickgc and others at the Tun last night. Sorry that my energy ran out before talking properly to hawkida or dougs, or indeed anyone else who I know who was there. I'll be back.

A shorter visit today.

( Read more... )

A great day at MeCon yesterday - I post these pictures and a video to make you all feel jealous that you weren't there.

( MeCon X )