I like things to be quiet, which is why I’m dreading summer. All the kids run out in the street to play, and the noise they make is just plain oppressive. There’s no other way to describe it: downright oppressive. Then we have the ultimate party house next door, which just drives me to insanity when they open all the windows and blare their horrible tunes. I’m tempted to buy them an air conditioning unit and leave it on the doorstep anonymously, just so they’ll keep all the windows closed. Might get some peace. I’ve never been into sport, but I have a friend from my school days who’s repeatedly asking if I can come along on one of his[…]

Had a spare evening, so I thought I’d see what this television thing is that people keep going on about. Yes, I know what TV is, but I just haven’t been interested since I got back to Earth. It was rubbish programing when I left, and I doubt things have improved. Up in the space station we made our OWN entertainment, often with bits of string and faded playing cards. They weren’t the best games, but it didn’t matter. Our fun threshold was way down. Funnily enough, something on television did hook my interest, although I’m fairly sure that it was a children’s programme so perhaps that’s a bad sign. Power Rangers it was called, about these park rangers with[…]

One of the things you notice when you’ve spent time away from earth is the amount of noise everywhere. When I talk about noise, I am not referring to sound waves emitted as a byproduct of life as it occurs, I’m talking instead about interference. Clutter. Unnecessary messages that we are subliminally bombarded with every time we step outside. In space, there’s no advertising, no careful positioning of labels or cues to make you say ‘yes, I need this’. Up there, all you know is that you need to eat and you need to sleep, you have no choice in products and so it doesn’t matter. What I have to admire is the immensity of colour and talent that goes into[…]