Finally my first non-Belgian Euro coin! I now have an Italian 2 Euro!!

Wish I could remember what I read this morning - some enlightening stuff by Dorothy Rowe. Of course everything makes sense when you read these books, but stuck in a noisy office unable to concentrate on anything, it's so hard to remember.

I think it was something like letting events happen as if I cannot affect them. That includes my response to events. In effect it is all about me not taking responsibility for things. When the office is noisy I just go web surfing because I devolve myself of responsibility of doing my job because I cannot concentrate. I refuse to take responsibility as it is not my fault if I am distracted. I tell myself it's not my colleagues fault for talking or gathering round the coffee machine strategically placed 3m from my desk. I blame the people who decided that we are the only group with open plan offices. Just because we are technical staff and not sales. It's true that this person is stupid and has no idea about efficient working. However, I use this to absolve myself of having to do my work.

The problem is not doing my work, not claiming responsibility makes me unhappy and tired. So I obtain no benefit from my web surfing. Quite the opposite. But to take responsibility is so difficult.

I have this huge and depressing wave of anti-Americanism at the moment. A few months ago I was defending the Land of the Free to my mother, who has always been dismissively anti. The whole Camp X-Ray thing is a PR disaster, but the US just doesn't care. Europe seems to have the moral high ground here, which is what we are fighting for after all. It;s a war of morality.

I do believe islam can be moral, though being an evangelical atheist I would prefer islam to go away. Idem christianity. In my American company's newsletter this month an article about two colleagues in the US who are currently being treated for cancer made me throw the newsletter in the bin. Apparently god has saved them, prayer has delivered them from death. God had a purpose for them in carrying on their working life! Jesus - no mention of healthcare, or just plain luck. I commented today that God didn't seem to be doing much for the share price of the company, still on the floor. Only it's gone up 20% today. Well, that may have something to do with yesterday's announcement that the company is turning a profit for the first time in a year.

Anyway mention of a christian god in such glowing terms is definitely out of order in the company newsletter, especially as perhaps the biggest religious grouping is Hindi.

Radio comedy: I'm sorry I haven't a clue / Humphrey Littleton, The News Quiz / Barry Took

Listening to Cocteau Twins and Harlod Budd at Surprise View near Sheffield. My green Lada "Boris". The distant trains and the similarity with the landscape of the Thomas the Tank Engine bed cover. The Moonlight and the Melodies and Lovely Thunder.

Memories of radio and tv from the 70s:
The Burkiss Way
The Radiophonic Workshop
line 625
Charley says
Crystal Tips and Alistair
Roobarb (roobarf?)

Really must try and find a recording of the Burkiss Way - I remember the Lady Marquisssssssssssssssss Belby(?) sketch. Listening to an episode in the 1999 driving south down the A1 from Teeside to Cambridge.