Back online, no damage

Just a quick note to say thanks for all the comments, prayers, good wishes and posts in various places about the typhoon in Philippines.  We are back online today for the first time since that event and I'll post something more substantial in a day or two.

Stephen Wingates's diagram explaining some life stuff - highly recommended, visit his site (link at bottom)

Copied from http://livinginpeace-thenaturalstate.com/http://livinginpeace-thenaturalstate.com/

Since I am socially inept, I took an online test for Aspergers syndrome a couple of weeks ago. I tested quite positive for this. I test high on IQ tests too, by the way.

Although giving a  mental condition a name doesn't really explain it, and may in fact give a misleading impression, still it's quite interesting.  When I make a comment on someone's post, or in a live conversation, it usually falls flat because the points I pick out are those that most people don't find interesting; conversely, what interests most other commenters and probably the original poster too, are not that interesting to me.  In real life, if I happen to be one of a group having a discussion, I may make a comment and it is either ignored or the conversation will stop while others look at me for an explanation as to why I should make an apparently irrelevant remark.  But to me, what I said was very relevant and perhaps even more so than most of the rest of the conversation (although it is true that I often try to lead the conversation in a direction that is more interesting to me - kind of going off at a tangent.)  It's quite puzzling really, and leaves me somewhat isolated.  I'm used to it, as I have had this experience so often.

I got interested in this through reading "Mick and Lynda's Place" a couple of months ago, then coming across a blog written by a man who laboured under the symptoms of Asperger's syndrome, much more so than me.

The fox guarding the henhouse?

Seems Edward Snowden has a job in Russia - protecting data for a social website.  I'm pleased to hear this.  I applaud his actions in exposing NSA surveillance, since my early youth I have been a fan of Russia and Russian culture (though not of the Soviet Union), my favourite literature is Russian literature, I love the euphonious language and regard Putin as a very sensible man - especially since he allowed Snowden to stay in Russia and even more so when he suggested disarming the chemical weapons of Assad.  I guess the US never thought of suggesting that because the American reaction is usually one of violent military retaliation to anything it doesn't like.

Admittedly, Assad probably felt forced to agree because Russia is his friend and protector, and if US had suggested it his reaction might have been different. I guess Assad might have felt his chemical weapons were more  of a hazard than an asset, seeing as how they had already been used and no-one is quite sure who used them.