To me, the only kind of magic is that which you see on stage and on TV - simply about fooling an audience into believing something has no explanation, when in reality it has.

I think most people on this site would define it as something which cannot be explained, but if that is the case, I cannot understand the urge of people to attribute so many things to magic, as though that explained things, when by their definition, it does exactly the opposite.

For UK readers, it's encouraging to see that M&S are running a special offer at the moment: Ten pounds off off when you spend fifty pounds or more in women's wear.

I shall get dressed up, then go buy some food and ask for my discount.

Should be interesting!

No one with any sense of curiosity could have ignored the three journals in the old chest, which Tim came across whilst helping to clear out his aunt's house. So why did Aunt Mickey want him to destroy them?

Well, I'd never have believed this could originate from the Daily Telegraph website!

http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/columns/belinda-white/TMG8285...

It's been ages since I played any game on my PC apart from the standard Solitaire and Minesweeper, as I find the violence that seems to accompany most as pretty mindless.

I recently came across Iron Roses, an adventure story which I really enjoyed, played in the 3rd person, featuring guitar playing Alex trying to reform her group. Set in a US city in the middle of a garbage strike, there was lots of realism far removed from the fantasy worlds of many games. She even had a gay friend! To experienced gamers, the tasks were probably pretty trivial, but they were just right for me.

In experiments in Spain, men are being put into virtual reality as girls to determine their reactions when, as virtual girls, they experience violence. An interesting story.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/click_online/8918282.stm

It can surely be only a matter of time before we are able to use such software for our personal use.

My first reaction when I come onto the Home Page is:

As a CD, my dream ambition would be to totally pass as a woman - not just on a casual encounter, but in a work or social situation on a day to day basis. I'm realistic enough to realise that this is unlikely to happen unless some of the devices I read about on this site really become available.

You know those people, who within thirty seconds of you first meeting them, are giving you their life history.

I know there are a lot of readers like me who only read completed stories, so I have always been surprised that so few authors of completed stories use the "Complete" tag, as it would make finding their stories simple - a valuable "selling point" in most authors' desire to get more readers.

It's just not British to complain about things. Other nationalities may do so but it's not the done thing in Britain. Of course, if you are prepared to complain, it's amazing the results you can get.