Food, Interlood, and Improoved Mood.

I was supposed to work on JS's computer yesterday, but he never turned up, and still hasn't switched on his phone. Today, I did yet another re-install of Windows 2000 on SM's elderly 3rd hand system - it took 3 hours, mostly getting the USB ports to work for internet connection.

SM is broke, but a wonderful cook, and we sat down at 1600 to eat with two of his friends. His take on tagliatelli with cabonara was, like all his food, utterly sumptious and astoundingly high in fat. The two friends were Jaza - an Iraqi engineer who I think works as a hospital porter - and a lovely young slovenian fellow who's name I can never recall.

It was a very cheering experience to converse with people who actually understand politics through experience, instead of absorbing whatever idiocy is the current newspaper fashion. Living here in Portsmouth, where the lumpen proletariat are more lumpen than usual, it's easy to forget there are plenty of decent people around.

We spoke of the Russian mafia, the British conservative party, Kilroy-Silk, and (a particular favourite of SM and myself) Ayn Rand. And the Australian Temple of Set. Something else SM and I have in common is unsuccessful exercise regimes - according to his fancy high-tech bathroom scales, I have 44% body fat. Not ideal, as I should have about 22%.

Right. Now I just have to finish work on the backing music for Man Speaking German. I'm not sure there's time to make it as lavish as intended.