Postings, intrusions

Dear faraway lady 1 Lets start with the intrusions, as they are everwhere, so it seems, on my screen. The time has come to call upon Simon Clarke for a clear-out of my system. I also want to be able to use the normal function. Otherwise, the day is under way. I've read something of The Times, electronic version. I've said hello to the stream. Shaved, showered, hair brushed. I am ready to go to St S for the calm duty as WSCC collector. I hope I remember. 2 A couple of points. Yesterday, I recall, I was naive enough to wonder if public affairs were part of the adults' conversation. In the family, the adults talk about what they usually talk about. If they talk about David Cameron, of the first leader in The Times at home, that's what they talk about on positing. If they talk about other things, then it's to be expected that the talk, on posting, will be about other things. 2.1 There's a connected point. In The Times, in The Economist, I have been reading about Hollande, about le Front National. In an e-mail to my chums, the Windys, an-email which accompanied my Nightingale News, I mentioned these two phenomena. In his reply, my chum added nothing to what I already knew. Even if he had reported what some people in the village had said, those reports would (in all probability) have added little to what I had read. 2.2 There's a second connected point. (Just read on. It's not infectious.) The second leader in today's Times is about the condition of women in India. There were references to recent cases of rape in Delhi and to the inadequate following investigation. There were references to the burning of women because of disputes over dowries. And to the destruction of female foetuses and to female infanticide. And to the gender of the prime minister and to the Leader of Congress. As I read, I knew it all. I had read about it all before. 3 So back to the matters of moment. After my stint in the parish hall, I will make my way to the library. I'd like to complete the assignment today. If I do, then I can read it tomorrow - I don't think I will be cycling - make any final amendments and - wait for it - submit it. Once it has been submitted, as you know, I can get on with the rest of my life. 4 I met Liam again in Waitrose. I told him the bridge results. Ah, he said, if only we (like Nic and Rod, had made the thirteenth trick in one of the small-slam contracts, then ... . We talked. I wonder what you would have said. Waiting for news. The Ancient