The Patent Dragon's Zone of Soul Retraction

In The News... This is the first time in YEARS that I've missed the Budget on TV (hey, I was working), but surprise surprise, there's nothing to smile about. Except for another round of tax hikes for the popular addictions, of course, which are always welcome. No change in the bite "Darling Alistair" is due to inflict on me soon, though - guess we're still going to get counted as "rich" because someone died...

And just where, pray tell, are the NHS going to find £4.35 BILLION to cut by 2013 (a measure sneaked out the back door with a pillow case over its head, like a convicted child-abuser, in a post-Budget "press release")? Didn't New Liebour get into power on the basis of the warning that "you have twenty four hours to save the NHS"? Another lie, just like "Education, education, education", "Tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime", "We have ended the cycle of boom and bust", "We are ideally placed to come out of the recession early"...

All New Liebour can do is play the class game over and over again, going on endlessly about the Tories being "the party of the rich", steering us towards a hung Parliament that will kill the pound - just a hint of that knocked about twelve cents off the pound vs. the dollar, and that's a financial figure that very much affects me. The pain is far from over...

/ rant

Now, what else is there... ah yes, Mission 101 Updates...

9 - Cook dinner at least once a month (3/33 +2)

...add one spicy Szechuan pork stir-fry to the list, and...

67 - Start a new personal tradition

- how about "'Go Stick Your Shop Up Your Arse' Day"; a thorough venting of frustration...?

Development News... Progress had been made on "Comes... THE CHALLENGER!", and that "Meanwhile" for The Secret Adventures of Mane-of-Night I had in mind yesterday. The former could be done by close of play tonight, and the "Meanwhile" will follow shortly after, the way things are going. I even got some entirely unexpected writing in after lunch!

Update... ...and then Armageddon gets another airing, tonight of all nights. When "Comes... THE CHALLENGER!" goes live, all will become clear...

Development News... Chapter 7 of TDD-605 "She Returns" continues its production cycle, and it could be finished by the end of the day. I'll be posting Chapter 6 before day's end, in any case - to paraphrase "Convoy", looks like we got ourselves a "Mini-Push"...

Thinking I'm needing more earlier starts, in keeping with Task 6

6 - Save lie-ins for weekends only

- the sooner I get started on the day's work, the more I can get done. Talking of Mission 101 tasks...

Mission 101...

9 - Cook dinner at least once a month (1/33)

was going to become 2/33 tonight, but plans got a bit torpedoed by a lack of ingredients. I'll give that another shot early next week - The Mission certainly ratchets up your enthusiasm a few notches.

Just wish the weather would do the same!