Lancashire Woman bitten by Rabid Bat - Chris Morris couldn't write them weirder. Feel like a teenager today. Visited, explained eBay, fixed a dodgy floppy drive, talked. Told I was smiling a lot. Tonight, walking home I could smell the winter.
Some days are impossibly strange. Started today with some apprehension of a work meeting. It turned out better than expected. Prepared myself for the usual quiet Friday evening. Thought a great deal about justice and freedom today - the result of a long saga, now thankfully ended. My feelings about democracy again take a battering, but all seems to come good in the long run. Summonned to duty by an early call. Met people out and about. Ate far too much (very good) food at the Britannia. A slight interruption from outside is prevented from ruining things by the staff and regulars, which restores my faith in humanity a great deal. Later things take a turn for the incredible - first meeting someone I haven't seen for maybe eight years, which is great. Later, meeting one of the happiest, sweetest and most determined people I ever hope to discover for the first time. Rumours about public dancing are probably highly exaggerated. A truly odd, long, tiring day which I won't forget for a very long time.
Its been an odd week - mainly quiet, generally not interesting at all. The GNOME Foundation stuff became yesterday's news, which was a good thing. The Board spoke of it yesterday, but the minutes aren't out yet. I'm certain I'm not going back though. Work has been odd - again its a lull, so its misleading. A noteworthy purchase on Saturday of a seriously comprehensive treatise on Bristol's history, which should keep me employed for a while. Elsewhere in the world, news which would otherwise be fantastic is disappointing. Its hard to understand I suppose - but falling short of your own expectations is harder than disappointing someone else.
Its very strange to re-read yesterdays positive entry after today's events. I woke up pretty determined to use the energy of last evenings IRC debacle positively. However, on logging in I discovered a mailbox full of the most ill-informed, offensive and generally just stupid crap. Amusingly, much of it was not from GNOME Foundation members. Disappointingly one message was actually from a Board Member (albeit cast as a 'personal view'). After some coffee and some pondering I decided I'd had enough. I also wanted the Board to do something to save the Committee and help them to make some sensible guidelines. I mailed a comprehensive resignation letter and did the administrative stuff necessary to remove myself. Pretty immediately things got crazy. Friends woke up and went into bat on my behalf (which was very reassuring - and I feel priviledged to know such good folks). Discussion began, and lasted for much of the day. I was planning to disappear for a while, but ended up sticking around and responding to the huge volume of mail. I wrote a small FAQ to address the flames. Its been a very odd day. I think it's going to be quieter now, but I think some good things have been achieved as a result of today.
Lost::MikeGTN
I've had a home on the web for more years than I care to remember, and a few kind souls persuade me it's worth persisting with keeping it updated. This current incarnation of the site is centred around the blog posts which began back in 1999 as 'the daylog' and continued through my travels and tribulations during the following years.
I don't get out and about nearly as much these days, but I do try to record significant events and trips for posterity. You may also have arrived here by following the trail to my former music blog Songs Heard On Fast Trains. That content is preserved here too.
