How can I help you dream when all you do is scream?

Last night, arkady and I went to see Deathboy at the Garage. (redcountess was utterly shattered from the weekend's serve of adrenalin and couldn't come out.)

Deathboy had severe laptop problems (remember, no-one ever made it big running Windows on their stage computer), but acquitted themselves suitably during the set. The kids loved it.

They were followed by Mignon, a woman from Berlin who sings and jumps around to a backing track of metal-sounding pop with bad-girl lyrics. Mignon is what happens when people of no talent listen to Nina Hagen and Lene Lovich records.

Rico are a pop band who think they're a rock band. The singer does the precise same screech as Kurt Cobain, every song. If I tell you their current single is a cover of "Psychokiller" by Talking Heads done a bit slower with the screech, you know exactly what all their songs sound like. We stuck around for the number with Gary Numan, which was actually the best thing they did. The electric cello (apparently played by Martin McCarrick, ex-Therapy?) was damn fine too.

markeris applied the Wasp Factory Wallet Hoover and got me for a Faetal CD. hairyears spoke of seeing Tubeway Army first time around. Bastard!

This morning, Liz and Arkady went out to the flat to watch the electrician do his stuff and liaise with the agent. Upshot: the electrics are fucked and need a shitload of work immediately (before we do anything so foolish as to switch on the boiler and try to dry the place out — the carpet still squelches); Liz quoted relevant portions of the relevant Act at the agent; the agent is now enjoying the Butt-Pounding Fist of Legal Requirements. I'm sure we'll receive more information in due course.

This house is not a shack?

arkady's first-hand report on the flat:

The waterlogged Flat of Lemonness continues to be soggy and is likely to remain so for some time. Liz and I went back to the flat this morning to meet an electrician. The heater in the bathroom was illegal, the fuseboard is still waterlogged, the vinyl flooring in kitchen and bathroom is lifting because it's backed by chipboard which is expanding, the cupboards in the kitchen - whilst intact presently - are likely to burst apart as the chipboard inside swells up. At least three electric sockets that I counted in the kitchen had uninsulated, exposed wires. There's a subtly pervasive smell of sodden dirty carpets that will doubtless get worse. The letting agent was truly horrified when he came round to see things for himself. Matters are currently in the hands of the loss adjusters; the flat will require drying out with dehumidifiers, industrial fans and driers over a period of time - and the electrician says the fuseboard needs total replacing before the power can go back on, which means either waiting until power is restored or bringing in generators.

The hall carpet and likely the living room carpet will have to be replaced. The walls and ceilings are waterstained. New flooring needs to be laid in the kitchen and bathroom. I would hate to see the bill for all the work needed to make it rehabitable again....

We're waiting to hear from the loss adjusters with regards to what is going to happen about rehousing David and Liz in the meantime. They will be inspecting the flat tomorrow, so Liz and I will be going back to meet them and find out what they have to say. In the meantime, David's rearranged stuff a little in the bedroom to make it more comfortable for himself and Liz, and Liz and I brought back some more stuff from the flat. We're also making plans to bring the boy rats over to my place where they can stay whilst all the work is taking place.

It's painfully obvious the flat will not be brought back to livable condition in the near future. On the other hand, our remaining instant credit headroom (before next pay) is about £700. Does anyone have solid information on how hard we need to push to break the lease?

I have joked about it being made of acoustically-transparent cardboard ...

When the nest-egg hatches.

The Big Green Taxi Fund, by the way, made it to £2200 from over fifty donors. This should be enough for a half-decent replacement wheelchair, with any extra going to insurance or doing up a car. (Looks like juliann and naughtypixie get some money from the insurance; not enough for a replacement car, but enough for a start on one.)

If you were broke at the time but have suddenly inherited the family fortune or something and wish to pass some on, send it directly to them: PayPal to timmie AT mac.com, labeled "CAR FUND" or something. Or if you can't do PayPal, email him and I'm sure he'll accept any feasible method of transfer ;-)

Congratulations to all of you. And especially to miss_soap, who will not be buying her own drinks for the foreseeable future.