Snippets

[thessalian]

I am roasting a chicken for proper Sunday lunch. Really it was supposed to be last night's dinner, but last night was sort of a "Oh, we're out and look how late it's got" meet-up with dodgyhoodoo and weaselbitch so we went to Bengal Bertie's instead. Of course, that was slightly marred by the fact that the people next to us were talking utter shit about Saudi Arabian politics in the face of the London tube bombings (?), something about the value of virgins in Saudi Arabian society (??) and similar topics. I resisted the urge to tell them to go fuck themselves quite admirably, I thought.

Question for my American friends: are any of you seeing any news reports about the armed police on the Tube? Or anything about how scared we Londoners are? Because corone recently posted an entry alluding to this and it strikes me as a little bit ... um, inconsistent with the number of Americans I know who've been saying how much they admire the stoic manner in which London is dealing with the situation. So clear that one up for me, please?

I'm trying to think of the next writing project. I think I have an idea for the recent non_plot challenge, I still have to finish Wormwood and Chamomile (or else dodgyhoodoo is going to glare me to death), there's the Aidan/Pietro conversation dealing with the sinking of Caligari Island to do and a few story snippets to divide up the sections in the Affils book. I'm seeing that taking another couple of sessions to go through the scenario -- I think I've proven that it has long-term playability by now, no need to stretch it out. Then, of course, there's the other stuff -- I think I'd miss the Thursday gaming if we stopped just because Affils was tested. Anyway, I've got an hour and a half or so before my chicken's done so I can give it some thought.

7th Sea day today. I am trying to stay off the anti-inflammatories so I can at least think straight in tonight's game. Pain I can deal with. Doped, not so much.

[Edit: Narrow escapes being the non_plot challenge, I can combine that with the Aidan/Pietro scene. Baka Thess!]

Comments

[prettyarbitrary.livejournal.com]

Armed police, no, not so much. You must remember, though, that all our police go armed as a matter of course, so the image of police carrying guns in public thoroughfares doesn't have the impact with us that it does with you. Thus, it might be partly a cultural misfire. It's entirely possible that most Americans are overlooking that as being nothing unusual.

I have read some statements from people to the effect of, "I hate the thought of riding the tube now," or "I think I'd rather walk than use public transportation." But they stand in distinct contrast to most of the reporting, which on the whole is depicting the British as being fairly calm, organized, and rational about the entire thing.

My personal impression is that the authorities are handling it calmly, and the investigations are thorough and methodical, but that doesn't make most men and women any less frightened to consider how close they could be to death every time they go outside. Probably much the same as it was here--except that, frankly, the US attacks were dramatic and unlikely to be repeated, while the British are forced to realize that their day-to-day activities are distinctly in harm's way.