Dexter

I missed episode 1 of this new programme, but it's now become a must-see. I also discovered that the novel on which it is based has been in my very large pile of "books waiting to be read" for some months. I read it really quickly, and found the sequel in the bookshop the other day. The author, Jeff Lindsay, is a new writer, and on this evidence looks like being a very successful one.

Basically, childhood trauma turned Dexter into a psycho serial killer, but the cop who fostered him recognised it, and set him rules to live by. So he only kills serial killers that the cops can't convict. And his day job? Forensic blood-spatter expert for the Miami-Dade police department!

Dexter is played by Michael C. Hall, the gay brother in Six Feet Under.

Siren Call

I was going to cap this today, but I'm downloading the Nero photo programme on to my old computer, and everything is really slow (well it has found over 17,000 pictures to play with so far, and it still has 45 minutes to go!) so I've borrowed these. Unfortunately, when I saved them, I failed to note whose caps they were, so thank you, whoever it was, and please credit yourself so that everyone else can thank you. too.

Naughtiest Creature in the World

Just for a change, I went to London Zoo yesterday. They have a family of Sulawesi Crested Macaques. Last year I noticed the male giving himself a good seeing to while mum was engrossed with her baby. I tell you, if men could get their willies in their mouths, they'd never get ANY work done.

Sadly, I didn't get a picture then - this is a Google image.

This year mum has another baby, six months old. She's obviously been feeding him (has to be a him) E-numbers with Coke, 'cos he didn't stay still for one second. He motored around the enclosure non-stop, grabbing at and swinging from everything in reach. If something was out of reach, he used his parents as springboards. If he needed a soft landing he would drop on to their heads. They had clearly had enough, and kept swatting him away. Which made NO difference at all. Even if the wire on the enclosure had been easier to get a picture through, he just didn't stay still long enough for me to get a shot of him.

I bet they wish they'd left it at masturbation!

Conscience

This is on tonight, so here are some Photobucket slideshows I made earlier. I haven't given up Photobucket (yet) but it's nice to have an alternative that lets me put as many pictures as I want into a slideshow and doesn't charge for the privilege. And the programme only cost £20.

Bedfellows again

I hope everyone can now see my Nero slideshows, 'cos I'm rather fond of this one I just made there. In fact, I'm going to use it as my screensaver. If I can figure out how...

The Thirteenth Floor

Whitney and Ashton both died again last night for our viewing benefit. What I want to know is, why can't we see what happens to Vincent's character in the real world, like we do with the others?

New Toy Alert!

I bought Nero Photoshow Deluxe 4 today and played around with it till I got this:

Golly, I hope it comes up OK after all this!

Bedfellows? Yes Please!

Feast your eyes, then tell me he isn't just as delicious now as he was five years ago.

The Case of the Curious Catflap

I just bought a new catflap, hoping that having the draught-proof strip round the edge of the door might lessen - well, draughts. It hasn't, but there's one thing it has done.

In the evening I lock the flap for going out, so that, as my cats come in, they have to stay in. It has to stay that way all night if one cat is still outside.

When the lovely Beano had his eye removed, he was no longer able to hook the flap inwards to escape and go hunting. He was more likely to lock it up completely. But for some reason, since I installed the new flap, he can do it again.

Last night, tiny Mitzi was the only cat left outside. Of course, she could have been the author of the events that ensued - but somehow I doubt it.



My theory is that Beano (pictured here with Jaspa using him as a headrest) went back out early this morning while the birds were feeding, and helped himself to a pigeon. He brought it through TWO catflaps. When I came down at about 9am, there were enough feathers to point to someone's guilt, but not enough to signify a fatality. I searched under every piece of furniture, in every corner - no bird.

Then I thought - of course not. They would have ganged up on it and finished it off long ago. I raised my eyes and looked at the tops of the cupboards. Then I spotted it - on top of the boiler!
I have to say that it was far harder for me to get it out of the house than it had been for the cat to get it in! It took a mountain climbing expedition with towels to get the bird out of the window I opened inches to the left.

So, having deprived the cats of their chosen breakfast, I could finally start working on mine.

Sherwood Forest

Diane is a much better authority than me on Sherwood Forest, but as some of the US Vixens may not know that it's not just a figment of someone's imagination, here's a little bit of information.


The Normans, after the invasion, designated the Forest a royal hunting ground. It was huge - about 100,000 acres in the time period in which the Robin Hood legend is set.

In his 10-year reign, King Richard I only spent about 6 months in England, preferring to fight in the Third Crusade instead and earn his name of Lionheart. His brother John, who became king on Richard's death, had to raise a ransom when Richard was captured in Europe by enemies he had made in Austria and Germany, and this, added to the cost of the crusade, crippled the country's finances.

The Major Oak is an 800-year-old tree in the Forest, which is supported by huge props to keep its massive and ancient branches from collapsing under their own weight, or presumably the weight of heavy snow or rain.

In the Loire Valley in France, there is a town called Montrichard (for those who speak French, the T is pronounced) with a medieval Keep (le Donjon) and when I stayed there in 1970, I was told the town got its name from the fact that Richard was held in the Keep at some point during his kidnap. I haven't found any information about this on the Net.

Masquerade

In case there's anyone left who doesn't think Bobby was completely edible in Season 6.