Why I hate this week

• I have to get up stupidly early 4 days this week for work and am absolutely knackered
  
• I have, in fact, to do a stupid amount of work full stop, most of which is grim and depressing
  
• HMRC have actually taken all of last month's pay away from me so I have no money, even though I wasn't the one who cocked up (although I can still have fun on the joint account!)
  
• Nik bought fizzy strawberry laces and ate them all before I got home
• tea prices are going up (linky)

Please send gin!

Hmmmm

Dear Facebook,

Using 'unlike' as a verb has really given this descriptive linguist pause for thought.

Yours sincerely,

Fighting-my-inner-grammarian (Berks.)

Another boring tax return post

The ongoing saga of the only real down-side to being self-employed continues... HMRC have helpfully sent me a letter telling me I overpaid in tax last year (which I told them on my actual tax return). This letter kindly explains, in great detail, how I should go about paying my tax, but is surprisingly unilluminating on how to reclaim money from them.

Harrumph.

Well whaddya know...

Apparently I 'lack [...] a sense of humour (citation needed)'.

http://www.conservapedia.com/Feminist_style

Dear lord... Go to the main article on feminism, if you dare. It starts by essentially saying that the suffragettes were more-or-less okay because they were 'predominantly pro-life' and, y'know, wanting to vote is probably just about acceptable, then starts blathering about co-ed submarines and then cherry-picks loads of all-sex-is-rape quotes to illustrate that all feminists are man-hating, bra-burning weirdos.

On 'pro-choice':

The "pro-choice" position in the abortion debate maintains that the decision to give birth is entirely a personal one for the mother, literally a "matter of choice" with no one else, including the father or child, having a say. A doctor may advise, but only in a limited capacity. He ought not try to influence the pregnant woman, even if she's just a girl. He should not inform her about the long-term medical harms of the operation, or the emotional or social consequences, but simply let her make up her own mind. Advocates justify this position with the materialistic idea that a human being does not exist until after his complete birth (see partial-birth abortion).
(my emphasis)

And at the bottom: 'Categories: abortion, deceit.'

Also, 'The atheistic worldview has a variety of effects on individuals and society at large...'

On Barack Obama: 'Obama used his Muslim middle name when sworn in as president and chose not to use the Bible for his real, private oath. Elected by claiming he's a Christian, Obama has since avoided attending church on Christmas and Sundays.' Really? I thought Obama was elected by, mainly, winning the election... 'Obama refers to America in the third person, as a foreigner would.' (As a linguistics geek, this is interesting - do they mean, 'that is what a foreigner would do and, since he is a foreigner, he does this,' or, 'if he were a foreigner, which he is not, that is what he would do'?)

Oh, oh, I could go on, but it's too painful. Please someone tell me this is a piss-take...

False economy

Walking an extremely circuitous route back to Waterloo, in four-inch heels and carrying my enormous laptop and overnight bag, to avoid paying for the Tube, only to be too tired to walk home from Wokingham station and having to take a taxi.

Snow in Northumberland

I want to go hooooooooooome........