No maps for these territories

I am not religious; but I am, perhaps, a bit superstitious, a trait that I don’t blame myself for. It is a strange thing to be alive, and conscious; it’s hard to get a real sense of scale pinned down about the world we live in and our particular place in it, which is why [...]

Then the old man dragged his voice up from the bottom of a well and said: “Brandy, Norris. How do you like your brandy, sir?” “Any way at all,” I said. The butler went away among the abominable plants. The General spoke again, slowly, using his strength as carefully as an out-of-work show-girl uses her [...]

more than a few people have asked for updates on what the conference was like; consider these forthcoming, eventually. In the meantime I’m not reading LJ at all, so let me know if anything exciting happens.

home safe. All three of us were sick before and during the return journey; having the flu* on a plane is never fun, but it’s worse when you have two friends coughing on you as well. Oh well. Davis seems temperate and peaceful and thankfully non-humid after Taiwan; I am glad to be back, though [...]

* Is where I am right now * Where I’ve been for the past week and a half * Very hot and very humid * Consequently, very air-conditioned inside; one’s glasses fog up when you go from inside to out * the proud host of Wikimania 2007 ** which came off extremely well, thank you [...]