Banned from posting for 511,592 hr and 21 min. This is the message that greeted me when I visited the Wizards of the Coast website in search of inspiration. Is it just me? Is it intended for someone else? Should I take this as some sort of inspiration for a story or scenario? The Wrongly Received Message: JW is an innocent although fairly ineffectual individual hose life takes a dramatic change in direction after receiving a message that completely changes his understanding of the world and of his place therein.

Alternatively, perhaps some part of my psyche has been secretly logging on to the Wizards website, quite unbeknownst to my conscious self, and making salacious attacks on innocent D&D creator Dave Arnesen or issuing virus-laden threats to forum members who deserve, perhaps, better. What else might this Mr Hyde of the brain have been up to without my knowledge? Harassing people online? I noticed in my spam box this morning a message with the title “Did you try to hit me up on MSN this morning?” – which I thought unlikely because if I were to do such a thing then it would surely be in the evening after strong drink had been taken. Then, my evening is morning elsewhere – so I cannot discount this altogether. Dreaming and waking increasingly merge in perpetual nightmare and I do believe that is Bob the Zombie knocking on the door of my office.

It has been quite a slow start to the new working year, not least because the teaching has continued throughout the end of the year period and still takes up a lot of time, a touch of flu (I can handle it) and numerous commitments which I am struggling to fulfill. At least I got a rather nice cheque yesterday for some writing work now completed.

How to Become a Tyrant:

Rule 1: Blame the People

Rule 2: Pose as the only honourable and honest champion of the country.

Rule 3: Marginalise all other voices.

Rule 4: Infantilise discourse and potential dissent (control or at least intimidate the media!).

Contact me, should you so desire, at heavilysaltedcheese@yahoo.co.uk.

Back tomorrow.