The UK government's war on the disabled...

reaches a new low of bizarrity: Man born with no hands refused a visa because he can't give fingerprints. Apparently the UK authorities are unaware that footprints and ear-prints are equally individual alternatives.

http://www.eurasianet.org/node/66926

I really had to resist putting the 10Doc "what what what" icon for this cos it's so fucking bizarre

The USS Enterprise... in space!

For real!

Sort of.

Basically, for the first time ever, a model of the Enterprise (JJ Abrams movie version) has been, well, launched into actual fucking Space!

Why were the Beat Generation all guys?

They weren't

Why do we only know guys like Burroughs, Kerouac and Ginsberg from the "Beat Generation" of writers, and not have a female equivalent? The answer's fucking horrifying.

http://thepersonalispolitic.tumblr.com/post/49839283251/a-woman-from-the-audience-asks-why-were-there-so

RIP Ray Harryhausen

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22441567

Well this sucks, but he had a good run. His Jason And The Argonauts was always a great favourite of mine, and it was an honour thyat he actually painted the cover for the last issue of the sequel comic, which I wrote, back in 2005 or so. Guess I'll be watching the original movie again in tribute...

House day 3

So, more "before" pictures taken, paint colour charts acquired, some kitchen tidying done, and laundry.

I had also grabbed some cistern blocks and upholstery shampoo, yay. Which Lesley immediately declared to be shit that she's allergic to and made me throw out. So, money wasted and upholstery not cleaned.

It turns out it's the limonene she's sensitive to. And the only upholstery shampoo (and carpet shampoo, but that's less of a problem, as the carpets are swapped) stuff sold in our local supermarket has that shit in it. This is a bit of a problem.

However... I didn't get those A grades in chemistry for nothing. I mean, people cleaned stuff before there was this modern shit, didn't they. It occurs to me that since soda crystals break up stains, and act as a foaming agent (and upholstery shampoo is generally foaming), it should be possible to mix my own, with a non-limonene/citrus fragrance element. White orchid or ylang ylang, maybe. So, that I'll do in the morning.