Too long since the last update. A week, in fact, looking at the previous entry...

Actually, if I really want to put into practice what I've just read, I should be using a lot more semicolons, colons, long dashes... and the odd ellipsis. Basically, it's because lastnight I finished Eats, Shoots & Leaves : The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. (Although I'm sure there should be a hyphen between "Zero" and "Tolerance" there.) The amount of inappropriate laughing that eas elicited by various passages in this book was a depressing revelation in a way: not only am I a professional geek, but — as many of my friends, family and colleagues had long suspected — I am also a grammar and punctuation geek.

Great.

Well, at least now I can claim that I've at least read something to back up my over-zealous editorial stance on other people's papers. And theses. (Sorry, Abi.)

VERY RUDELY, I didn't mention the fact that on 22nd December 2003, Mr R. T. J. McAteer became Dr R. T. J. McAteer! I might stick a reverse entry in to that effect later. He should be very proud, and it was well-earnt (cf thesis standards in February/March 2002). Must not forget to pick him up from Gatwick tomorrow, either... A "collaborative visit" is scheduled.

In other news, my house is broken, I stayed in with the family for New Year's Eve (so there was no Fraser-style pesting going on), I got back to Guildford on Friday, to work yesterday, to swimming this morning, and I haven't done a tap of actual work yet; short of moving the world's biggest crate of photographic plates EVER about five minutes ago. Not on my own, I have to admit. Swimming isn't that good.