This should have been posted on Sunday - but today is equally appropriate.

There was something incredibly moving about commemerating Armistice Day, with NATO forces, in the middle of Germany. There were arround 600 troops from all the NATO countries, plus about 60 of us civilians assembled in front of the memorial, singing "Bread of Heaven" (which is apparently called something completely different) and listening to the Irish chaplain talk to us about remembering the fallen. Knowing that it is practically a statistical certainty that arround 30 of those assembled on Sunday will not return from war in the next 12 months, made it even more poignant. Then the last post was played, and we then could hear on the wind, the echo afterwards, presumably of it also being played at one of the other nearby bases.




Wilfred Owen: Anthem for Doomed Youth

Desperately seeking people to be internally displaced people (like refugees but no national boundary involved). Gig is on wed 23rd sept, in wellingborough, northamptonshire. Need to be there from about 10.30 to 5pm. Involves setting up camp, and then being in character for 2 slots of about 45 mins, when the participants (who are all relief workers, or want to be releif workers) get to that part in the simulation.

Can offer:

Eternal gratitude
A fun day out.
Refugees the musical broke out last time.
£20 payment for the days work, and then up to £20 expenses to cover your costs.
A lift if you are from Brighton (although you will have to hang arround til about 3pm on thursday for me to get back - over night accomodation and a place to hang out provided)


If you are available and interested please let me know. I need 3 additional people as a matter of urgency.

Please propogate to anyone you think might be interested!



Raise funds to save lives in childbirth, and have an adventure at the same time, with our 2 very different bike ride challenges:
1) Ireland Scenic Bike Ride
Friday 12th June to Sunday 21st June
With 6 days of cycling of a total of approximately 240 miles (from Belfast to Sligo), this trip will be perfect for those only able to take one week of holiday and will suit those who also enjoy some sightseeing and evening socialising as well as cycling.

2) Ethiopia Bike Ride Challenge 2009
Friday 30th October to Friday 13th November 2009


This is a trip of a life time. You will be able to make a real difference to the lives of women in Africa, whilst at the same time having an incredibly fulfilling and enjoyable personal experience. You will also be able to visit our project in Gimbie and see where the money you raise goes.

For further details please see the events pages of our website


http://www.maternityworldwide.org/pages/events-.html

Have you forgotten it is Mother's Day on Sunday? Have you no time to go to the shops? Never fear - i can solve all your gift problems, and make you feel the warm glow of giving to charity all at once.

Yes i'm promoting our mothers day gift campaign again. Please go and do it.


This year for Mother’s Day, treat your Mum to the Ultimate Mother’s Day Gift: a Maternity Worldwide Safe Birth Certificate.

For just £15 you can help save a mother’s life at our Safe Motherhood Project in Gimbie, Ethiopia, and we will send a certificate directly to your Mum telling her that you have made this donation in her name, to thank her for being so great!

All monies raised from the Safe Birth Certificates go directly to the Project in Gimbie.

Flowers and chocolates will last only a few days at most; this gift will truly last a lifetime.

Online
Go to http:// www.maternityworldwide.org and follow the Mother's Day link . Make a £15 donation securely online and enter your name and your Mum's name and address.

http://www.maternityworldwide.org/pages/mothers-day-appeal-09.html


Post
Send a cheque for £15 payable to 'Maternity Worldwide' with a note of your name and your mum's name and address to:

Unit 9 Level 4 New England House, New England Street, Brighton BN1 4GH

When we have received your donation we will send a personalised certificate of sponsorshp directly to your Mum before Mother's Day (22nd March 2009). To be delivered by Mother's Day, last orders must be received by 18th March 2009.

If you’re already organised for Mother’s Day please forward this to your friends, family and colleagues to help spread the word. This way you are still contributing to saving lives and raising awareness.

We're selling safe birth certificates online as the "ultimate mother's day present"

Want to help a small charity save lives in Africa, and solve your present giving problems this Mother's day. If so we have an ideal solution to offer you - instead the usual ‘throw-away’ Mother’s Day gifts of flowers and chocolates why not spend your cash on a more sustainable gifts such as Maternity Worldwide’s Safe Birth Certificates.

Mother’s Day is all about showing your mum that she’s treasured, loved and appreciated and in a credit crunch that also means showing her that you’re financially stable.

For just £15 Maternity Worldwide will send a personalised Safe Birth certificate straight to your mum and everything - from the hospital bed to the training for the midwife – to give a woman in a developing country the chance to be a mother.



The certificates can be bought via the website


http://www.maternityworldwide.org/


Please propogate and spread the word!

AGM went well yesterday - am very relieved that we got everything ready in time, and i managed to find things to say, and the feedback was really good. Got up at 5am to take mother-creature to airport, and then have spent today in crumpled heap, mainly watching season 2 of sugar rush.

Now you too can help save lives:



we also have a facebook group:

http://www.facebook.com/groups/edit.php?members&gid=2352148409#/group.php?gid=2352148409

I'm seeking a donation of oc tents for the charity i work with (www.maternityworldwide.org)

We're sending a group of intrepid adventurers on a sponsored cycle ride to Ethiopia in November and 6 of the tents we normally use have broken. Was wondering if any larpers/festival goers who are thinking of up-grading OC tents for next season would be able to donate their old tents to us.

Looking for 2 + man capacity. Relatively lightweight, and they still need to be functional and waterproof.

If you're in the London/south/oxford/sussex/surrey/harrogate area - i may be able to collect - otherwise will need to sort out postage

If you can help out please let me know - either here or via my work email (lucy at maternityworldwide dot org). If any body has contacts within tent suppliers/manufacturers etc and could secure us new tents please pass this one.

I'm also looking for T-shirt sponsorship (couple hundred quid to buy t shirts for the bike riders- the sponsoring company will get their logo on the t shirts, and mention on our website and in press coverage but that might be too much to ask here!)


As the cyclists leave on 1st Nov, i need to get this sorted asap.

If you can help, you will not just be helping me and the cyclists but helping us save lives in childbirth in the developing world

Am still rather daunted by my new job - which necessitates doing everything and anything with no staff, in 3 days a week. So this is my plea for help, prompted by the wonderful Flannelcat, who already did it on my behalf the instant i started wingeing today...


Two main pleas - one for volunteers - people who could make a regular committment to help us (arround 4 hours a week for each role below, though more is also possible) - can either be from home, or we have space in the office. The second is more of a "once off"

Number One:

http://www.maternityworldwide.org/

Maternity Worldwide, a Brighton based charity, that funds maternity projects all over the world are looking for volunteers (an IT assistant web/graphics assistant, volunteer press officer faith groups liaison officer in particular, as well as people to get involved in fundraising but many others, too.)

If you know somebody who would, quite simply, like to be a small part of changing the world for the better, then please get in touch: Lucy@maternityworldwide.org


Number Two:

mainly for Brightonaughts.

We're having an office clearout - either Monday or Friday next week. I'll supply those that help with Booze and/or chocolate. If you can help let me know which day works best and we'll decide accordingly. Looking at starting arround Lunch and will continue into early evening - so post work joining in is also possible....

Even if you can't help out. (And you really could, if you think about it.) then please propogate this message.

Many thanks.

Laptop advice.

My HP Pavillion laptop, that has plagued me with problems since i got it two years ago, is still being a pain, with an intermittent backlight fault.

Rather than faffing around with repairs, i'm thinking of relegating it to be a housebound machine (as it works when it feels like it, or plugged into a monitor) and getting a new one, as i need something reliable to take with me to Africa in 2 weeks. This means i need to start looking early next week, especially if i am to get one online

But i don't know what to get - I guess i want something sturdy but light, that doesn't mind being lugged around the world, and getting hot and dusty. I'd like about 2GB, and all the normally snazzy stuff. Mainly would be used for MS office, internet, file storage, dvds, powerpoint presentations etc. Needs to be wireless enabled, and a built in webcam on my old one was a really nice feature -v though not essential. Oh and i want it to be cheap!


Nothing by HP please as i hate them right now.

Advice please!


In other news - AM off to Africa for 22 days work in july/august - hurrah for proper consultancy work.

Oi you lot - Want to dress up in masks and fabulous costumes and prance arround having fun?

Well then get off your backsides and buy tickets for the Salisbury Midsummer Nights Ball.

Your hosts, Oberon and Titania, cordially invite you to enter their magic hall with your best finery and indulge in mischief, glamour, and magic in historic Salisbury, a few miles from sacred Stonehenge.



The ball is taking place on 20 June, 2008, Midsummer's eve, from 7:00pm till 1am. We truly wish to make this an evening for our guests to remember: be whisked away by a horse and carriage to the marble steps of the Salisbury guildhall, where the Oreo String Quartet will be playing music for the season in the Foyer. Fine wines and casked ales are being provided by Shipseys for your enjoyment. Puck and Attendant Faeries, courtesy of Firecat Masquerade, will be making an appearance to entertain our guests while DJ duo Sexbat and The Ingenue and DJ Andy Ravensable keep the trad-goth and industrial music going until the early hours. Photographer Dylan will take photos so you can have momentos of your special evening. Expect a surprise or two as well along the way, as this is a night when nothing is as it seems, and anything is possible!


http://www.midsummersnightball.com/

Wow, that was a fantastic event. Many thanks to electrokin and Andy and the crew, for such organisation, planning, fabulous food and creating a Milenese wedding atmosphere.
I'd been a bit nervous about "player event with all Pshaks old friends and not being Pshak", but all dead wemic angst flew out of the window, as my secondary managed to flirt outrageously with both Captain Weaver and Major Van Kloof, and unsurprisingly deciding that the Major was the better prospect. All nearly went horribly wrong with her carefully laid plans though when her Aunt & Uncle Quigley ("it could be worse love, we could be Artemans..") decided to interfere, along with Lady Ansellina, and eidelon and several others.

Thanks to all - especially John and Rob for interacting with Jenny.

There may well be some Jenny fic soon *bounce*

Knackered now

I have just dropped a roulette wheel on my face....

that was not very lucky.


However i will now have pouty bee-stung lips and a fetching black eye.

My newly repaired laptop is making evil whiring noises (very loud like a moped) on start up. SO loud that i am scared not to switch it off when this happens as it sounds like it is trying to take off....

any ideas?

Well that was a strange Maelstrom. I'm not quite ready to give the finer details, but the short stroy is overal it was a fabulous event, with some excellent role playing opportunities. The game has been upped and so much stuff happened.

For me personally though it was fairly shitty due to character death just beofre time out on Friday. Which was fine, and i got to say the words c**tf**ker alot which helped. However i then did not expect on Sat to be hit with a combination of adrenalin come-down, non-existence and feeling utterly emotionally bereft. Couldnt really get into Malomar the avian i had upgraded to primary as a result, so will not be playing her again.


The a nightmareish car journey involving the new cars gearbox falling out, and 5 hrs waiting and getting home at 5am sealed my emotional state.


Beginning to recover now. Advice on coping with emotional consequences of character death & hugs gratefully achieved. I can actually feel the programme emotional & pysiological responses of real life grieving processes taking place which is a real head f**k

Possibly some posthumous fic when i can cope with it.

That was a fabulous event. I'm utterly exhausted from it all though.

The best bts.

- Gnolls. Grumpf Kikito and the boys from Bantustan ROCK. Obviously pshak does not quite think that - but such fun roleplaying,
- Blood capsules in surgeons kit. A last minute addition which then allowed me to wander arround dramatically with FOIP's blood all over my hands after the FOIP kicked off.
- That particular bit of FOIP turning out in a way i hadnt bargained for...
- The plot stick from last event, turning round and imploading in such a cleverly crafted way. IC and OC i wish i'd been a witness to those negotiations.
- Whisper my new hero
- Mesa my old hero
- The play....weimics in human masks, and getting to do the "6 year old in the navity thing"
- Somehow blagging my way IC in to the nobles ball and being proud about it.
- oxfordgirl's eyepatch and eye and hand, and the back from the brink attitude.
- violin's
- the scholars taking over the milenes commoners enampment.
-getting to hiss and spit "traitor" at FOIP



The not so good bits

Being ill, going to lie down for a few hours, and waking up with a chest infection.
Being OC due to the above, at something my character would have not missed for anything
Deciding as a result that i had to time in again, and then getting so caught up in her need to see things through that i kept going (actually thats probaby a good thing)
Knowing many things OC that i dont know IC

Me go back to bed now...

My lovely lap-top which was working fine this morning, now appears to have gone insane on me.

When i switch it on, all the lights flicker on as if it is starting up, and then it even makes the "accessing windows fanfare noise" However the screen is blank. Now i've checked the user manual and it suggests that either it is in standby ((which it doesnt appear to be) or its an FN problem and by pressing FN plus F4 it will toggle back on. This does not work.

There is also a light above the nouse board that looks like a computer symbol whihc goes blue when logging on but then changes to red, and i think it might be normally blue.

I also at some point in the proceedings pressed nearly every button on the keyboard in blind despearation which may not have been useful

My laptop is an HP Notebook...please make it go?

EDIT:</i> It seems the screen is there, but so dark as to be almost black. Pressing FN+ Brightness Up/Down doesn't seem to make any damn difference.

What a weekend that was. Its taken me til now to recover, and to have time to write anything about it. House is still covered in unpacking and i'm on about load 10 of the laundry.

My main character - Pshak was much less annoying and teenage/angsty than last event, and even though she still has a lot of growing up to do, she did seem to be getting a bit more rounded, and may even have an admirer....which would be very amusing *grin* I also managed to squeeze in my secondary - Malomar, a blue alkonian in corset and top hat, and was delighted at just how different from Pshak she was -and at the fact that i think so many people did not recognise me *yay*

The best bits:

- Our group, the wayward scholars now being really established and well known
- Being hit over the head with the plot stick and some great role playing moments connected with that
- Being stranded the *wrong* side of the 4 way battle with Artemans/wasps/flambard/fidelia and not being sure which way to jump/who to treat, with some amusing FOIP consequences
- The huntress game
- Fra Cardini, the reasonable face of the church of the Huntress
- BOTH types of wasps *grin*
- The Hive of the wasp "runt"
- The Doctors' group of facets and their unison movements
- teaching facets *tag*
- the rift/end of the world/not end of the world
- Dracosian politics and dragoncide.
- Hero worship of a certain Gnoll
- the Celestial Gala (just WOW....so much praise for all involved)
- The wedding
- Being hit over the head with plot right at the end, and having to storm arround with rage for alll the FOIP drama.

Looking forward to the next one.

Thanks to all of those i interacted with for a great roleplaying experience

If anyone got a hyperlink url via msn from me DO NOT CLICK ON IT

as if you do, it wil operate an .exe file, that will then do the same thing to ALL your msn contacts, infect your computer, and drive you nuts while you try to resolve it.

I suppose i should be honoured that several people trusted me so much, that they assumed i wouldnt be sending them anything nasty and thus had the same problem. *wry*

Thankyou to chaosdeathfish and flannelcat for patience and help in sorting this out, as i broke my brain and i was unable to think of anything more constructive to do that throwing the computer out of the window.

Go on - now that the mega-organisation stuff is done, i can exercise the creative side of my brain a little on this.

From </a></b></a></a></b></a>blackcurrants and </a></b></a>oxfordgirl -pick two or three of the words below and I will write a short segment(drabble, paragraph, whatever) about your LARP character and mine.Neither canonicity nor accuracy is guaranteed, and I may not do all ofthe requests if I can't think of something good. First come firstserved, each word only to be used once.

(This is mostly Maelstrom, but if you know other RPG characters of mine, do feel free to specify which pair.)

I've used </a></b></a>oxfordgirl's changed list of words.




001. Beginnings. 002. Middles. 003. Ends. 004. Insides. 005. Outsides.
006. Hours. 007. Days. 008. Weeks. 009. Months. 010. Years.
011. Red. 012. Orange. 013. Yellow. 014. Green. 015. Blue.
016. Purple. 017. Brown. 018. Black. 019. White. 020. Colourless.
021. Friends. 022. Enemies. 023. Lovers. 024. Family. 025. Strangers.
026. Comrades. 027. Parents. 028. Children. 029. Birth. 030. Death.
031. Sunrise. 032. Sunset. 033. Too Much. 034. Not Enough. 035. Sixth Sense.
036. Smell. 037. Sound. 038. Touch. 039. Taste. 040. Sight.
041. Shapes. 042. Triangle. 043. Square. 044. Circle. 045. Moon.
046. Star. 047. Heart. 048. Diamond. 049. Club. 050. Spade.
051. Water. 052. Fire. 053. Earth. 054. Air. 055. Spirit.
056. Breakfast. 057. Lunch. 058. Dinner. 059. Food. 060. Drink.
061. Winter. 062. Spring. 063. Summer. 064. Autumn. 065. Passing.
066. Rain. 067. Snow. 068. Lightning. 069. Thunder. 070. Storm.
071. Broken. 072. Fixed. 073. Light. 074. Dark. 075. Shade.
076. Who? 077. What? 078. Where? 079. When? 080. Why?
081. How? 082. If. 083. And. 084. He. 085. She.
086. Choices. 087. Life. 088. School. 089. Work. 090. Home.
091. Equinox. 092. Solstice. 093. Tomorrow. 094. Yesterday. 095. New Year.
096. Alternative 097. Luck. 098. Gamble 099. Past. 100. Future.


I do however reserve the right to take my time over this, as this weeks priority is interview prep. Meeting the people from the CEO job informally on Tues eve, interview on Fri, and have other interview on Thurs.

Just had really lovely meal with family flannelcat. Slightly drunk now

Yeah, yeah, crossposted, spamming you all, See Spot Care.

Ticket Tout Chris has Ten Masquerade Ball tickets to sell last-minute. Check out the </a></b></a>dark_masquerade community for details.

If you don't have one yet and don't at least try and take this opportunity, you lose all whinging privileges.


Given that we sold out within 2 weeks, i have no idea why people are being so last minute-ish here!

I am also VERY glad that we the organisers decided to have nothing to do officially with last minute returns!

But yes, the ball will be spectacular (it had better be given the effort that has gone into it) so rush for this last minute opportunity.