I have entered the wondrous and voyeuristic world of Twitter.

I apologise profusely. It's been a few hectic weeks, I've been working like mad (from home, thank God, and here's another one of my 43 things ticked off), I've set up a new website, and generally done things, been places. Well, done things, mainly -- been nowhere interesting.

Frustrated as I am at having nothing of consequence to write, I reckon I'll just shut up now. Thanks for reading.

Labels: lifestyle, me-me-me

I am endlessly astounded at how, the more you do, the more you want to do. I have now between seven and nine projects running, between work and play (the exact number depends on whether a ten-line description/declaration of intent in my personal organizer actually qualifies as a "project"). And I've been working like a whirlwind for the past few days.

Work is going fine, play is going even better. Really, I can't complain. I just need to persuade myself that I simply do not have the time to add to my to-do list. Pity, as I've just thought of a wonderful idea for yet another website...

Labels: lifestyle, me-me-me

Next person who texts me to say "Merry Xmas", I'm gonna shoot them.

Now, let me get back to work.

Labels: lifestyle, rants

May God Almighty have mercy on us. Italian TV has been colonized by Paris Hilton. (That's tantamount to shooting the Red Cross, basically.)

Here's a commercial for mobile phones featuring Paris, sporting the most hilarious accent ever. Apparently, most Italians love to hear their language butchered beyond recognition by foreign celebrities.

Labels: gossip, Italy, lifestyle

I haven't bought new shoes in four months, but we're almost there. It'll soon be mine.

Labels: lifestyle, tech stuff

Possibly (and if so, luckily) for the first time in my life, I have come to think nobody actually gives a flying fuck about me. Nobody can be buggered to remember I exist, it would seem, let alone actually bothering to HELP when help's needed. Nobody can be arsed to ask ME about ME. Instead, they find it far easier to go and ask less irritable people (i.e. people who are less likely to shout at them) what's up with ME.

Oh well, their problem. I'm long past (a) caring, and (b) Kindergarten.

See? I make my rants very short, I really haven't the time or energy to waste.

Labels: rants

Oh how I love my new duvet cover. Looks quite posh, but it's actually from Ikea.
(The pic was, regrettably, taken with my mobile, hence the blurriness. Soz. I promise my walls aren't, in actual fact, green.)

Labels: lifestyle

If you deliberately ignore the fact that you're actually sitting in a McDonald's restaurant, a remarkably good time is to be had at the McCafé in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, in central Milan.

Yummy soft fruit cake, frothy cappuccino (though in a paper cup, meh) with a dash of liquid black chocolate on top, and today's Herald Tribune.

The next best thing to an actual Starbucks, which we're never going to have in Italy I'm afraid.

Labels: going out, Italy, lifestyle

I've switched to Blogger Beta, and God help us all. If my blogs look funny in Opera or Safari, sorry, not much I can do about it. If you can't comment with your Blogger account, either switch to Beta yourself, or comment as "Other" or "Anonymous" (but don't forget to write your name). Thanks!

Labels: tech stuff

Yeah, long time no see, yadda yadda.

Being the quirky eccentric that I am, I make my new year's resolutions in September.

And being the modest, humble, down-to-earth and unassuming person that I am, I've made only two so far. Here they are:

• (finally) learn German. I've been saying this for five years at least, but hey, I keep trying.
• get more translation work and less editing/copy editing. 'Cos it's funnier, and more creative. And I get my name printed on the copyright page.

Orlando Sentinel - We'll always have Paris... by Rebecca Swain Vadnie

The book most often left behind in hotel rooms is Paris Hilton's Confessions of an Heiress. But the most tragic part of this story is these hotels donate lost books to hospitals and charities. What did the sick and needy ever do to them to deserve such a fate?

Mwahahaha. I read Hilton's book while sitting in an armchair at my local bookshop, a few months ago. Hours of fun. Well, twenty minutes, then I got bored. But I need a Swarowski-encrusted mobile phone. Like, now!

Hey. Be back soon.

Every man can educate himself. It's shameful to put one's mind into the hands of those whom you wouldn't entrust with your money. Dare to think for yourself.

Voltaire

(Now with punctuation.) Oh fuckety fuck. How much worse does it have to get, before it starts getting better? My back is killing me, my head aches, I have no motivation, no drive. I'm wrapped in one big, messy bundle of uncouthness. Can't be more specific, not until next week. I can't even count the days till December, doesn't bear thinking about. What's a girl to do? Just get up each morning, drown her sorrows in something that vaguely resembles coffee, try and keep a smile on her face, try not to be swamped by the enormity of it all.

All this, what for? Don Quixote, windmills and all that jazz. If I'm still where I am now in a year's time, just shoot me.

Here's what I bought:


L-R: Zara cardi, Bershka handbag and court shoes, Zara sandals. All for under 90 euros.

Now, I'm not one to suffer fools gladly. And once again, today, I have collected proof that your average Italian will grab any opportunity to deliberately ignore a law, a custom, a common decency.

All of the American websites we contacted linked to BadTaste and our story on the alleged filming in Italy; even Leaky, who chose not to answer our email but to contact WB directly (and that goes to their credit!), actually took the time to link to us properly when debunking the rumours.

Of which I, while still being a delusional H/Hr shipper blah blah blah, am grateful.

Then we got linked by just about every other HP website in Italy.

No, sorry, I phrased that badly. All other Italian sites reported our news, and some of them didn't link to us or cite us in any way.
At BadTaste, we make a point to cite ALL sources religiously, because, as I said, it's common decency. It was one of our readers, the lovely Whaks, who alerted me to that article in the newspaper. I think he deserves credit.

My 2 cents. Feel free to hurl abuse at me, for all I care.

Link: the latest HP news at BadTaste, in English and Italian