Without these things I would have nothing but a stunning view of a castle, some very big hills and a few fields, while sitting in an an 18th century cottage. Bravo for technology so that even in this idyll, I can fill my world with spite and bile and weirdness from the internet and fill my ears with something other than the sound of nesting birds and the gentle mooing of cows and baaing of sheep. Just sent Slug out for some more gin. Sent the kids up a hill. Without the internet this would be fucking hell. What am I meant to be doing? Going for long bracing walks? Marveling in the fact that there are still pockets of untrammeled nature in this septic isle? Standing in awe in the face of the power of nature's structures to fire emotion unbidden through the confluence of imagination and beauty? Fuck that. Thank you wifi hotspot for saving me from all this.