Such are the vagaries of our dear plain alphabetical order...

I'm at present translating a very learned article about Switzerland's and the Netherlands' self-image and mutual image in 17th and 18th century encyclopaedias, as I may have mentioned? This just made me laugh out loud:

The „Groot Algemeen Woordenboek“ (1725-1733) by David van Hoogstraten, Matthæus Brouërius van Nidek and Jan Lodewijk Schuer was the first Dutch universal encyclopaedia to present a separate lemma on Switzerland, even though it was already the second encyclopaedia to be published in Dutch. The editor decided to prefer the political term 'Confederation' (Eedtgenootschap) over the vernacular, neutrally geographical term 'Switzerland' (Switserland) used by the first Dutch encyclopaedia published by Abraham George Luïscius. Even though both encyclopaedias started publication within a year, their articles on Switzerland were published years apart: when the last volume of the „Algemeen Historisch, Geographisch en Genealogisch Woordenboek“ (1724-1737) containing the article 'Switserland' was published at a time when the third volume of the „Groot Algemeen Woordenboek“ containing the lemma on 'Confederation' (Eedtgenootschap) had been available for ten years.

I love Lucifer!

The most amazing thing about 'owning' a cat (or rather, getting one to live in my flat with me) isn't even the special funny things he does (expect a vid next weekend of Lucifer standing on his hind legs to get treats from my fingers, though), it is simply this:

I turn from the work I am doing at my computer to grab a sip of cold mocha, and this large, prone bundle of fur comes into sight, and I realise,

"There's a puma on my sofa, and he is mine!!"

Even after almost half a year, that sense of joy and wonderment hasn't dimmed.

ETA: Now with 100% more ( pictorial proof! )

And without the silly f-locks, because really, no reason to be private about how cute my cat is, is there?