Beer with Arron (great chocolates!), Dave, Tim and Clare. Knackered now.

As he promised, the splendid Mo has redesigned/relaunched/regurgitated/reincarnated/refrigerated his blog/journal/site/wibble. And very good it looks too.

You may (or may not) recall that ages ago this blog was featured in ComputerActive magazine. The guy who wrote that article has been in touch again recently, seeking help on an article on blogging for the Daily Mirror (I think it will be in tomorrow’s edition) - in particular, he wanted to get in touch with some female UK bloggers. So I asked around and put him in touch with a few. In return for my efforts, he has very kindly bought a CD from my Amazon wishlist - a compilation: Abstract Jazz Lounge III. And it’s good.
Graybo: pimp to the UKblogging community.

Guess the dictator or sit-com character.

I’ve just discovered that the article that featured me *was* reproduced online. You can read it here.

Total class. via Nico.

comments is down again. I think I may change to a different service provider for the comment function. more soon.

Utterly brilliant - a huge download, but worth it. via Meg.

Comment update: Reblogger still seems to be down, in that no new comments can be added, although old ones can still be read. Jesse was talking about launching his all-new version, so whether this outage is a prelude to that, I don’t know. In the meantime, I’ve investigated a few alternatives, and BlogBack looks most appealing. However, that too is suffering an outage at the moment - or rather, no new accounts are being started until the new version is launched, which is imminent.
So, in the meantime, if you have something to say, mail me.

I guess it had to happen - when the comments are down, my sarcastic anonymous commentator reverts to using the search function to leave messages. Today (s)he asks: “Am I becoming the new Nick Jordan?”
Well, to be honest, there is only enough room in this world for one, and who would want it any other way?

Twat.

Comments are functioning again. Which is nice. Jesse (the guy that runs the comments function) tells me he is working on a stand-alone version of the code which I’ll be able to host myself, which should put an end to all these problems.

My lovely friend Jane G has just popped in to work to see me. Good to see her, especially as she hasn’t been at all well lately. And on such a lovely sunny day too.

It seems I have a reputation for starting arguments. I can’t imagine why. And Nico likens me to this character.
It’s funny in a way. On the web I seem to be perceived as corporate evil made flesh. Yet in my marketing class group, everyone reckons I’m the soft tree-hugging leftie. Strange.

Syphilis scares football players.

Globalisation keeps on truckin’.

hmmm. I’ve just found a large dead rabbit in the middle of the sales area at the nursery. The foxes wouldn’t leave a rabbit laying around. And it seems too big to have been brought down by Seamus. How odd.

Following on from a discussion taking place in Meg’s comments, I present:

My friend Rachel (the one who was supposed to be interviewing Bruce Willis - he cancelled) has had a proposal accepted by Channel 4, and will be seeing the commissioning editor on Monday. How cool is that?

In a minor miscalculation, I missed Paul C’s annual firework display tonight because I thought it was tomorrow. Damn.
However, beer with: Paul F, Helen W, Steve, Stein, Matt, Simon, Ian, Sacha, DA, DAGS, Kearn, James, Jayne, Kristian, Tim, Gary, Alison, Clare, Dave, Malcolm, Phil, Mick and the very gorgeous Cath (diminutive or not, she’s gorgeous).

I wish it was summer.

It is a beautiful clear autumn day. And I’m stuck at work. guh.

It’s very quiet today. Not much going on online, even less around here at work. Just me and the cat, and not many customers - I guess they are doing more enjoyable things on a lovely day like this. Oh well, not long to go before I can scoot home and then to the pub.

The caption of this poster translates as:

Chinese propaganda posters. (via malpractice)

Can’t see this catching on in Chichester.

Beer with Paul F and Ian. Also sighted were Malcolm, Alison, Tim, Dave, Gary and my old landlady Sas.

Visit Visit Venus and listen to good music.

SuperGreg.

Sometimes I think I think too much.
Maybe I think that I think I think too much too much too.

AFF: a very respectable 18 points, rocketing my team 12 places up the league to 271st, and taking my total to 67.

As I am sure you are all already aware, today is:

which, considering that it is also Guy Fawkes night, is quite timely. I’ll be spending the day as sensibly as possible in the office, followed by sensibly going to Waitrose and then sensibly on to college. That’ll be followed by a sensible dinner and probably a very sensible early night.

If find the contents of this story to be disappointing, both that our government isn’t doing more to encourage businesses and consumers to adopt broadband, and also that so many large firms have yet to adopt the internet at all. Unless we are very careful, we are going to be left far behind.

Mouse inventor strives for more, complete with comedy photo and caption.

Schoolboy suspended from classes after attending masquerade dressed as female genitals, even though his costume won first prize.

How come I’ve not seen this reported anywhere else? It would even have an impact on my ickle work website.

Morton, Illinois: pumpkin capital of the world.

I’m considering a redesign. I’m bored with the black background. oh hell - check back later.

Just been to see an impromptu fireworks display at the Nags, courtesy of Paul F, and attended by all the Nags regulars, acting like the big kids we really are. weeeeeeeeeee! oooooooooooooooooo! aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar!

Very cool.

I worry about this girl.

OK, so I might be the happiest man alive. I might not. But anyone who wants to take me on is welcome to try!

Beer tonight with Paul F, Paul C, Kearn, DA, Aris, Julie, Sandra, Ali, Phil, Tim, Teresa and Dave. Before that, college with Dave, Hev, Leigh, Libby, Chris, Lee, Dave, Charlotte and Holly. Much fun, little work.

and yes, I am at the centre of a stream of good news. And no, I can’t believe it either. And, yes, I do have a huge grin. More reports as things become certain.

TFF: a mediocre, but respectable, 29 points this week, taking my total to 272.

Ok - I’ve changed a few of the colours again. The “lovely blue” is back in order to satisfy sis-not-in-law, and the unpopular black background has gone. Not entirely sure that I am happy with this yet, so may tweak it more, but, as usual, constructive comments are welcome.

Bit distracted at the moment, so updates likely to remain irregular. Also, it seems that there are intermittent problems with the comments function - will I ever find a reliable and stable comments service?

Mo ponders life.

I’m abundant in the cheerfulness department tonight. Beer with Aris, Arron, Patrick, Sal, Steve C, Tim, Gary and Malcolm. And a huge grin worn throughout. My warning of sporadic updates still stands.

awwwwww!

Radio silence ends - one of the longest periods without an entry on here since its inception.
Two days of sunshine, good food, nervousness, smiling, fast cars, Berkshire countryside, good music, beautiful sunsets, autumn leaves, warm sweaters, black cats.

It’s all my fault.

A long night in the Nags and W2 last night with Aris, Julie, Greg, Brenda, DA, DAGS, Tanya, Ian, Dom, Emma, James, Matt, Kearn, Arron, Paul F, Dave, Tim, Chas, Bonny, Kristian and Hilje. Nursing a hangover this morning.

This hangover is proving to be a bit stubborn, probably because it resulted from drinking beer, vodka and champagne on a nearly empty stomach. I’m in work today, and not really focused. I should try and tidy my desk at least.

Microsoft in trouble over possible patent infringement.

Beer last night with Clive (briefly), Aris and Paul F. Lots of text messages going on all evening, but I still don’t know if I should be feeling happy, scared or disappointed. I’m hoping that I should be happy, but at the moment I’m just scared.

Matt the Bakiwop has a new project. Go take a look.

I’ve got quite a lot to do today, but motivation is lacking. Thankfully, I’ve been saved the bother of making a comment about student markets at notsosoft by a pre-emptive strike by Meg.

A bit of canny marketing by bol.com?

today is my half birthday. I’m 30½. I’d say that is the perfect excuse to buy me things.

I’ve just heard about a new plane crash in New York, but can’t get any of the online news providers to work. This is not good. Not good at all.

Plane crash: I understand exactly what Vaughan means.

Hmm. For some reason, half of the front page of this site is missing. Excuse me whilst I rush off to investigate.
Update: well, it seems to be back, although the comments have fallen off. I’ll work on that too….

Must…..resist…temptation…to….make………joke.

For some reason, my scalp has been incredibly itchy for the last 24 hours or so. Is this the symptom of something awful? Is there an easy cure? Advice welcome.
Also, for some reason, I seem to often start sentences with the words “for some reason”. I think this is because life is all just a bit strange at the moment. But strange in a good way. At least, I *think* it is good. I *hope* it is good. I’m not really sure.

I’ve just made someone very happy. From sixty miles away too.

This is bad in my view. It is ill-considered, and will probably simply provide extra expense for legitimate business and do little to protect individuals from spam.

For some reason, my scalp has been incredibly itchy for the last 24 hours or so. Is this the symptom of something awful? Is there an easy cure? Advice welcome.
Also, for some reason, I seem to often start sentences with the words “for some reason”. I think it is because life is all just a bit strange at the moment. But strange in a good way. Well I think it is good. I *hope* it is good.

Today I promise not to post the same thing twice. Not sure how that happened, although Blogger was being a bit wappy for me yesterday.
Actually, what I can promise is a paucity of posts here today (as well as an alarming amount of alliteration), as I’m going to be at a thoroughly unexciting growers’ exhibition at Sandown Park racecourse for most of today, then scooting off to London to celebrate Nick’s birthday.
In the meantime, I’d be grateful if someone could explain why I have woken up at 3.15am precisely for the last two nights, convinced that I have heard my mobile make that distinctive ‘beep-beep’ to indicate the receipt of a text message. Not only that, but I’ve known what the text message has said and who it is from. Yet, when I clamber out of bed, stagger to the living room and check my phone, no message has been received. Telepathy?

Beer (briefly) last night with Paul F, Gary, Tim, Paul C, DA and Kearn. Not eventful.

Beer last night in a particularly shabby London pub with Nick, Marcia, Mo, Katie, Jen, Tom, Fraser, Peter, Paul, Davo and the lovely Penn. An evening only briefly interrupted by an incoherent Irish drunkard.

Hmmm. I’m not a fan of smoking, but this does seem to be carrying it a bit far.

Muesli mystery solved. You can sleep easy now.

As quite a few of you know already, there have been things going on over the last week or two that I haven’t spoken about here. I was really optimistic that it would all work out perfectly - in fact, I haven’t felt more optimistic about anything in a very long time - but I found out yesterday that that was not going to be the case. As usual, I think I let my feelings run away with me - you’d think I’d learn really. But the feelings were honest, and I’d hate to lie to myself or anyone else about what is going on inside me.
Whatever happens, if I can sort my head and heart out, I think I have made a great new friend. An amazing, beautiful, funny, interesting, entertaining, patient, intelligent, understanding and caring friend. I would have loved for it to be something more, but it looks as though that’ll not be the case. But a new friend is something to be valued, and this one especially.
I feel a bit sad at the moment - I don’t think I can hide my disappointment, so please bear with me. But I know my friends will help me deal with this, my new friend especially.

Comments are not functioning at the moment. Again. guh.
Also, forgot to say (my mind has been on other things) that there are no TFF and AFF scores for this week because there were no games last weekend.

Ok. Comments are going ok now, but BlogBack users are warned to expect continued intermittent problems, caused by the volume of users. I may look into the possibility of a stand-alone script that I host myself and that does not need support from a third party. Boring techie stuff, I know, but you guys seem to enjoy commenting here, and I like the feedback - so I want it to work!

I’ve got a sore throat and a bit of a headache. Can’t decide if that is because I’m ill or stressed - either is possible. Either way, I plan to go out shortly and drink far too much in the Nags. Join me if you feel inclined.

Beer tonight (Friday) with a huge number of people, including several good sports who had their heads shaved for Children in Need. It seems about £800 to £1000 was raised, which is excellent.
But special mentions to Paul F, Arron, Ian, Dave, Paul (from the band) and his lovely girlfriend, Julie, Greg, Brenda, Phil (top work on raising money), Tam, Matt, Sacha, Tanya, Clive, Kearn, Paul C, DA, Dave and loads of other people.
A text message sent this evening remains unanswered. This is probably a good thing, although…… although. …….urf. damn.

Now it is 1am. At least the Westway isn’t trying to reach out to clutch me back.

ooooopps. too oblique.

maybe sleep will help. Difficult days lie ahead for me, but I’ll battle through, just as I have before.

Dad celebrates the completion of 71 years of life today (Saturday). This still holds true.

Not feeling particularly chirpy, but must make an effort, both for the benefit of Dad and also because I’ve to go to the AGM of an organisation I helped to form several years ago.
When I’m in the sort of mood I’m in at the moment, probably the last thing I need is a horoscope like this:

I am interested in getting to the bottom of things, because by doing so I’ll help myself to understand what is going on, and hopefully help the other person concerned too. But my horoscope is probably right, and I should tread carefully. Much is at stake.
In other news: Sarah gets back from Dubai today. Hopefully I can get the day off work tomorrow, and maybe go for lunch with her and catch up on everything.

Sometimes I wish things were much less complex. And I think that for that to be the case, I’d need to be a much less complex person. And I wouldn’t like that, because even though I sometimes irritate myself beyond belief by being stupid or stubborn or far too sensitive, ultimately I like who I am. So I guess I’ll just have to get used to things being complex. Although things have been complex for a long time, so you’d think I would have got accustomed by now. Perhaps in a way I have.

Beer tonight with Paul F, Ian, Kearn, Matt, Tam, Sacha, Kev and Andrea, with sightings of Tim, Arron, Dave and Gary. Yes, Kev and Andrea were there, and we were social. Times they are a-changing.
Text messages galore this evening. Which made me smile.
And before all that, chinese food and some excellent fireworks to celebrate my dad’s birthday.
Shockingly, I’ve come home in a good mood. But sooooooo tired.

Sundays were made to be spent at the pace I’ve set so far today - getting up late, long soaks in the bath, easy chats on the phone with good friends, strolls through town (bumped into Tim W, who also seemed to be in fine Sunday form), a light lunch of fresh bread and boiled eggs. Unfortunately, the day is now going to be spoilt by having to do homework for my course. Guh.

Seven hours to do a 72 minute exam question? Something is wrong - and what’s wrong is my ability to concentrate. I’ve spent the evening chatting online with various mates, one in particular who I love dearly, but who will not be more than a friend. At least I’ve helped her tonight, which is what friends are good at - so I’m behaving as a friend, even if I need a bit of time to get the hang of it.

Self pity. Not attractive is it?
OK - as of tomorrow, I’m going to be cheerful chirpy Graybo. Which means I’ve got a little less than half and hour left to enjoy wallowing in it.

Anyone got any good jokes? If so, put them in a comment.

Fantastic! In a few years, I can see some dim-witted protestors turning up outside the wrong WTO meeting.

Lisbon zoo finds unexpected training needed for conversion to the Euro.