OOTS

If those letters don't mean anything to you - you've been missing out, but then you have 548 pages of awesome material to catch up on and aren't (like me) constantly checking back for the latest installment.

The funniest comic I have ever read. It's based on roleplaying games and the fantasy genre, but there's enough plot and character led humour that it should be funny for anyone. Find out more about the ineptitude of the 'Order of the Stick' and their battles against the forces of darkness (and each other...and the rules...and law enforcement agencies...and lawyers...) at the link below. Enjoy!

The Order of the Stick:

"Great. he spends skill points on Perform (Kazoo), and now I need to make a Knowledge (Limits of My Own Sanity) skill check."
Roy Greenhilt. Mighty human warrior and long suffering leader of the intrepid band.

"But adding six more adventurers will cut our treasure share down to 8.33% per person per encounter."
Hayley Starshine - Human rogue and the party's hot second in command.

"Well I know SOMEONE who apparently took a few levels in the Mean Old Cranky-Pants prestige class."
Elan human bard. The source of the musical score for the group and most of it's bad ideas and misplaced optimism.

"I love the smell of bat guano in the morning. Smells like... victory"
Vaarsuvius. Elven mage of the party and possessor of magical knowledge that would drive you mad!

"Hey, I'm all for looting the bodies of my fallen allies, but shouldn't we wait for a better time?"
Belkar Bitterleaf halfing ranger - 300 pounds of anger and frustration packed into a 30 pound body.

"I stay 'ere because it's me duty. And bein' a dwarf is about doin' yer duty, even if it makes ye miserable."
Durkon Thundershield. Dwarven cleric the group's sometimes incomprehensible band aid supplier.

...and one quote from the bad guys, just 'cos it's one of my favourites:

"Sacrificing minions: Is there any problem it CAN'T solve?"
Lord Xykon a lich sorcerer with ADD.

Speech Recognition

I'm using speech recognition to write this whole blog. I'm quite amazed at how much the computer understands.

Despite a few hiccups the computer has seemed remarkably good at recognizing what I'm saying though I am having to speak slowly at times.

When all is said and done I suspect it may currently be easier to use the mouse and type rather than this software. However there is something amazingly cool about simply speaking to the computer. I feel like I should be on Star Trek.

I've so far found that I can open word, my Internet browser and the start button and I am keen to discover what else I'm able to do with this new toy.

Returning Home

A month to go until I return to the UK, hmm... It doesn't feel like it's been six months and I know everyone will be asking me the same question, one I've been asked a hundred times since I got here:

"How are you liking the US?"

To be honest I'm still not sure how to answer. There are things I miss about the UK that I know are unavoidable and have nothing to do with the US; my family, my friends, knowing where the hell to buy stuff. Then there are things that I miss that I just can't seem to find here, good chocolate instantly springs to mind. On the flip side I know there are things I wont be able to get in the UK that I've come to love here, decent Mexican food for one.

So the basics, work, home, money:

Work has been good and the new job is more fulfilling, I liked my job in London, but I feel like I'm learning and growing more here.

My accommodation is a massive upgrade, not to sound ungrateful to my brother who let me live in his flat, but I have about ten times the space here for only a small cost increase.

Cost of living here is significantly cheaper than the UK though the fact that all US bank notes are the same shape and size has taken some getting used to.

What else? Okay so I like the fact that I can still smoke in bars in Virginia , but I'd rather be drinking in pubs. I like the convenience and service ethic here, though remembering to tip is still an effort. Making myself understood is sometimes hard as keep using phrases that people don't understand like being pissed; in the UK = Drunk, in the US = Angry, but the girls seem to like my accent.

Finally the thing that has been most surprising. People here (in general) are so much more optimistic than on the average in the UK. There is a sense that the 'American Dream' is achievable for everyone.

When I've told people I'm writing again, with the hopes of actually becoming a novelist, no one has told me how hard it is, that I'll need a good slice of luck as well as talent, that even if I get published the chances are I'll need to keep a full time job or any of the other things I would have expected to hear in the UK. It's refreshing, but I do wonder:

Are people in the UK being realistic or cynical or is it that people in the US are insincere or blindly hopeful?