Healers of Experimental Souls,

Sometimes it would be better if I wasn’t such a great guy, it would be better if I could just ignore problems and problematic people, it would be better if I didn’t care and was more selfish. I can be studying away in my quarters and I only have to go to the kitchen for a drink to end up losing half a day to housework. If I see a dish needing washed, waste needing recycled properly, stale bread needing fed to the birds, clothes needing washed, hung out, tumble-dried, folded or put away, I deal with them despite the fact everyone else has ignored these important jobs.

The Canadian called. I stonewalled him with monosyllabic answers. He called me “buddy” despite the fact we have a mutual hatred – this annoyed me. He better not make a habit of it, I won’t let that happen.

Since Google have taken over the running of Blogger, things are more awkward. It’s no longer possible to search all blogs from the toolbar in any blogspot. Also, each post no longer has its own individual http:// address, this no longer allows me to reference specific previous articles in each episode of The Bellyaches.

Football was nice. ManYoo didn’t deserve to win, Celtic deserved a draw at least and that’s what they got. The vile sectarian, bigoted hatred from the ManYoo fans should be noted and they should be punished.

It’s been a difficult week, it’s been physically tiring and I think I have shin splints again. The pain in my legs is constant; it only wears off when I lie in a warm bed. I can’t see a time in the near future when I’ll be able to rest properly. I have to stand up and play football too much.

My favourite news story of the week is the fight of residents of a block of flats, probably now considered a slum, to remain in their homes despite the council condemning the building and ordering them to leave before its demolition. The residents have been led by 69-year-old Stanley Lawson who was seen on the news waving a Confederate flag. He’s also emblazoned on the building “Citizen’s Republic of Pennywell”, “Remember the Alamo” and “No Surrender” in spray paint. Another resident gave an impassioned speech comparing their situation to the Highland Clearances and the ethnic cleansing that has taken place through history in other parts of the world. They’re great and I hope they win against the councillors, who probably sit in plush offices whilst dealing out these aggressive orders, before they go home to their picturesque homes in idyllic neighbourhoods.