A rhetorical question

I suppose it would be wrong of me to complain (or even expect an apology either publically or privately from the person concerned) when a list I'm on accepts back the person who flamed me for disagreeing with her before she flounced off last time around, despite how she's now posting about wanting to build bridges?

Not holding my breath, me being such a bitch and all. ;)

E.T.A. Before anyone says something to this effect, yes I'm sure I *was* bugging the shit out of her by disagreeing with her histrionic take on things at the time, but she was equally vexing my arse off by pushing her interpretation of matters as The Way It Is and I didn't a) call her rude names, or b) flounce off the list in question.

Ferret update

After my stressing earlier in the week over the Evil Biting Weasel of Doom and his possible problems, he seems much better since then, so I'm holding off on a vet visit for him (for the mental health of both of us!).

Instead, Lily is off to the vets on Monday because she's getting bald patches. She had one on her back leg a while ago, but the hair grew back (though it never came back completely) and I didn't worry too much about it. She seemed fine and was eating okay so I didn't think it was too serious - now, however, she's getting a couple of bald patches elsewhere. She still seems perky enough, when she's awake, but it could be the first signs of something serious.

Thing is, I don't know how old she is - the rescue place I got her from, almost 3 years ago now, thought she was at least 2 years old then. She was, after all, a breeder's mistake - she's a black-eyed white and breeding for those means inbreeding (and she's got the half tail and twisted toes to prove it!). It's possible there are more things to worry about with that than the obvious physical ones...

Books and music...

You know, there's been some very scary cover versions in recent times. If you thought Marilyn Manson's predilection for bad reworkings of well-known songs was puzzling enough, then you ought to hear some of these. My personal favourites, for various and bizarre reasons, some good and some very very bad:

1. Nick Cave does 'Disco 2000' (original by Pulp)
2. eels do 'Get Ur Freak On' (original by Missy Elliot)
3. Ben Folds and Lowdon Wainwright III do 'Careless Whisper' (original by George Michael)
4. William Shatner and Joe Jackson do 'Common People' (original by Pulp)
5. Frente do 'Bizarre Love Triangle' (original by New Order)
6. Johnny Cash does 'Hurt' (original by Nine Inch Nails) and 'Personal Jesus' (original by Depeche Mode)

Also, I have discovered that the people I work with do not know who The Pixies are. This is Not Good.

Meanwhile, in the land of books, I'm currently really enjoying 'The Curse of Chalion' by Lois McMaster Bujold. Frankly, I'd avoided her previous space opera books like the plague but was intrigued enough by the blurb to try this one out and have been pleasantly surprised. Her protagonist is scarred in more ways than one, having lived through horrendous experiences through no fault of his own, and is now discovering more things about himself than he cares to think about. I understand there's a sequel as well, which is good news!

Before that, I recently finished 'A Question of Blood' by Ian Rankin. I always look forward to new stuff by Rankin, because I rarely figure out what's going on until Rebus does. This time round it looks as though he's stepped outside the law to deal with a scumbag who's been threatening one of his colleagues and I really wasn't sure whether he had or not - the possibility that he could have done it is what makes the character so interesting, I think. I can also highly recommend one of the previous books (though they're all great, imo), 'Dead Souls', which manages to have a paedophile as one of the major characters and write him as a semi-sympathetic character rather than two-dimensionally as a monster.

Now, when's the new James Lee Burke novel due out? Oh, it's already in print, excellent! *does her best Mr Burns impression* ;)