Date:	2003-10-24 10:21
Subject:	Stolen from draconid
Security:	Public
Mood:	cranky

Okay, you take a list of 10 books that grace someone else's bookshelves and remove the ones you don't have. Then add some that are on your bookshelves!

draconid's list:
J. R. R. Tolkein
Stephen King
Anne Rice
J. K. Rowling
Shakespeare
Terry Brooks
John Grisham
Bernard Cornwell
George Orwell
Edward Gibbon

My list:
J. R. R. Tolkein
Stephen King
J. K. Rowling
George Orwell
Charles Palliser
Arthur Golden
Umberto Eco
Michael Faber
Margaret Atwood
Jeffery Eugenides

Date:	2003-10-21 12:03
Subject:
Security:	Public
Mood:	creative

The BBC's Big Read has reached the final 21 books and you can now vote for your favourite from the 21 here. This probably only applies to people in the UK, but nevermind.

The List is:

Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks
Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
Catch 22, Joseph Heller
The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling
His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis
Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë

I actually struggled to find one book that stood out above all the others, because so many of those books have meant something to me in different ways. Books that I've grown up reading, books that should be read before you die and books that unexpectedly grab you.

In the end I voted for His Dark Materials. It was that or 1984 by George Orwell. But overall I think that HDM inspired me more, in recent times. Although 10 choices would have been much better.

Date:	2003-01-28 17:34
Subject:	An idle day.
Security:	Public
Mood:	lethargic
Music:	Silence

Tomorrow I go back to work after my little break. I have actually managed to get my head together and conquer this latest bout of depression. It was tough, I just hadn't realised how tired I had become from working without any significant holidays since August. The break has revitalised me and I actually want to go back to work tomorrow! That has to be a first.

Coping with my depressive episode has put strain on Graham. He had never experienced a girlfriend with it, and I have to say he has been amazing. He's tried his damn hardest to understand [although there are aspects of depression that no-one can understand] and has been supportive. I really don't know what I would do without him. My one true love.

Spent the majority of the day working on my website. It has two pages now, so it's doubled in size. It needs alot more work before it is uploaded. It could be a slow process as I'll be busy with work again. The rest of the time was spent reading various Harry Potter theories. Some people really analyse every word that J.K. Rowling has written. It's amazing. I don't think I could devote that much time to it.

Date:	2003-01-25 22:45
Subject:	Personality Test - I am an INFP
Security:	Public
Mood:	contemplative

Life as an INFP
(Introvert, Intuitive, Feeler, Perceiver)

People of this type tend to be: quiet, reserved, and kind; deeply passionate, sensitive, and easily hurt; loving and dedicated to those close to them; creative, original, and imaginative; curious and flexible in small matters; nonconforming.

The most important thing to INFPs is their deeply held beliefs and living in harmony with their values.

***

How to Love an INFP

Appreciate my uniqueness and sensitivity.
Be a patient and supportive listener.
Respect my privacy and my need for emotional intimacy.
Be reassuring and gentle in your words and actions.
Try not to force decisions too quickly, or bug me about being messy.
Above all - respect my feelings and never demand that I compromise my values.

***

How to Spot INFPs:

idealistic with deep yet private passions
creative and imaginative
initially hesitant and cautious
original, even funky dressers

Tips for Communicating with INFPs:

Share genuine beliefs and values to establish rapport
Respect their slower warm time and need for privacy
Emphasize the ways ideas will benefit others

Date:	2003-01-20 17:59
Subject:	Troubled times
Security:	Public
Mood:	crazy

Another crap day. I am having a real downer. Sometimes it is just to difficult to explain to loved ones exactly how exhausting depression can be. Not just physically exhausting - but mentally and spiritually. I am drained of all my reserves, and am thrashing around for answers. I have been diagnosed as suffering from depression since I was 16. 11 long years of recurring situations, paranoias and self-hatred. I really want it all to end. If only it were as easy as switching on or off a light bulb..

The situation is Iraq is worsening. Tony Blair has deployed more troops and there are rumours that George Bush intends to hunt down and kill Saddam Hussein. Finding the empty nuclear warhead was the last straw. Yet Bill Clinton attempted the very same thing and failed. Unfortunately it would seem that Saddam is more wily than we all wish he was. I hope we don't have another war. It always seems so futile. How much is this weapons inspection about power and control of oil than any humanitarian reason that may be muted.

Helen wants to take me to the coast for a day away. Time for us both to recharge and lift our spirits. I am so lucky to have so many caring people around me. Denise understands everything I tell her about my depression, whilst Dranda gives practical and emotional support. Work friends are so important as you spend so much time with them. I am lucky to have them.