Hmm. Strangely unsurprising start to October.
Anyway, in other news, it’s yet another gorgeous sunny day. Meanwhile, Mo is busy creating computer programs that agree with him. The man’s a genius.

Several people have come here looking for information about Robert Saint, who has gone missing after meeting another person on his boat moored at Birdham Pool. You can find the BBC news story here.

Purple rain cocktails tonight with Arron, Nathan, Kearn and DA, with sightings of Nikki and Guy. Good fun.
And, at last, some rain. Albeit very light, but rain nonetheless.

Hmm. Not much of a start at all to Wednesday.
Anyway, in other news, more rain overnight. Not much, but a little.

I have an uncontrollable urge to go home and go back to bed. At the weekend, with colder nights now upon us (although it has been mild since then), I swapped EvilDuvet II for EvilDuvet (which is slightly heavier). It has to be said that EvilDuvet is much more evil than EvilDuvet II, and can exert stay-in-bed power over me even seven hours after I got up.

Nick Robinson speculates on whether Edwina Currie and Monica Lewinsky would get along.

Do you agree with this article? I don’t, at least not entirely.
Blogging, and any form of personal publishing, tends to be filled with a lot of reactionary and knee-jerk (or just jerk!) opinion. It is probably true to say that, in the wake of the September 11th attacks, much blogging in the US took a more right wing view - warblogging is/was largely but not exclusively dominated by views and opinions that strongly echoed the views of the right-wing US president.
But I’m not sure that it is reasonable to say that blogging generally is dominated by the right. And I certainly don’t believe that to be the case in the UK. In fact, I think the opposite is probably true - blogging here is dominated more by centrist and left-wing opinion.
I must rush to say that this is only a perception, however, and is not based on any sort of analysis of blogs at large. It would be useful for this debate if someone, or several someones, could undertake some sort of analysis of the politics (or apolitics) of bloggers at large.
Ultimately, it is most advantageous if as broad a spectrum of opinion as possible is represented in blogdom, just as that is desirable (if not always achieved) in other media. And it would do us all well to remember that articles in blogs, as much as in most other media, are usually entirely, or at least influenced by, the opinion of a single author, and shouldn’t really be treated as fact or gospel.

Related: my handy list of news sites from around the world.

TFF: 37 points.
Transfer: OUT: Kelly. IN: Geremi.

Walked down the canal to Hunston tonight, then back via Western Farm and Whyke. 5.5km or 3.4 miles.

To celebrate the fact that it is two months old today, I’ve added six excellent new tracks to radio grayblog and also brought the playlist up-to-date.
It is gratifying to note that quite a few people are listening, too.

Movable Type looks like the best choice for CMS for grayblog. I’ll need to keep BloggerPro going for my other blogs (not least the news page at croftway.co.uk). It offers several features that BloggerPro doesn’t. Comments from current MT users welcome, especially those who have imported a blog from BloggerPro.

Insaniquarium. Thursdays shouldn’t be this distracting. via albinoblacksheep.

Irritation for today: when pro2.blogger.com doesn’t work properly, and there is no warning before I lose the post I’ve just typed.
Anyway, pro1.blogger.com seems to be functioning. Further encouragement for me to sort out MT.
Otherwise, a quiet day online and off.
At least I have the prospect of an attractive woman running her fingers through my hair later (don’t get excited - only Jo).

Blimey! What an evening. And it’s not yet 7.45.
Firstly, I went to the station to get my train home, which duly arrived on time. I got on, sat down. And waited. After four or five minutes, I looked out the door and could see that there was a problem as the signal was still set to red and the guard was on the platform. So I hopped out and had a chat with him.
Turns out that the train ahead (”one of them new sprinter trains to Cardiff” which are at least 15 years old - but that is bang up-to-date compared to our 40 year old slam door trains) had broken down *and* a train going the other way had “failed” as well. So, knowing that this wasn’t going to be cleared quickly, I jogged out of the station, grabbed a couple of other people that wanted to get to Chichester (beats paying the whole fare myself), and got in Barnham’s only waiting taxi. As we were going along, the taxi radio operator starting announcing booking after booking for Chichester from the station.
Not a good start for Network Rail, although I guess the chances of two trains breaking down at the same point is fairly remote.
So then to Buzby and Blue. 45 minutes having a laugh with Jo, talking about my dismal lovelife as usual. In that way that only Jo has, she asked another customer if she knew anyone looking for a boyfriend.

Ummm. How this woman knows that I’m anyway half decent, based on a three second long meeting, I really don’t know, but it’ll be interesting to see what comes of that. And god knows what this poor girl is like!
Anyway, after all that, I headed off for my walk to Fishbourne and the harbour, going a bit further than I usually do (6km / 3.75 miles) because it was such a lovely evening, and there were lots of wading birds on the mud exposed by a very low tide. On this particular route, I cross the railway, and as I walked down, I could see a train waiting at the signal there (a place they hardly ever stop). On the way back, 40 minutes later, the sirens and lights were sounding on the crossing, but there was a policeman there to guide users across as the train was still there, and (the policeman told me) was unlikely to be going anywhere for a while. I feel sorry for the people who have now been sat there for at least two hours, if not more.
As I got further back up Westgate towards the city, I could see more blue flashing lights. There in the middle of the road was a Ford Mondeo estate on its roof. The occupants had clearly been cut out, as there was some blood, and been taken away. There wasn’t any other car obviously involved, and it must have been going at a fair speed on what is a slow road (speed bump central) in order to end up on its roof. And it never ceases to amaze me that some drivers are so stupid - I saw at least two (both elderly women) drive past a very obvious (in the middle of the road) POLICE - ROAD CLOSED sign towards the accident (with panda car with lights on) and then have to turn around in the road and go back. I mean, duh!
Walking back along Mount Lane towards Waitrose, I passed the works on the replacement foot/cycle bridge across the Lavant, which was washed out in the flooding two years ago. The workmen have dammed the riverbed with a bank of rubble and soil to prevent water rushing down through their workings. Let’s just hope it doesn’t rain heavily in the next few weeks, else the city will be flooded, as I don’t think the other channel (that runs past Waitrose itself) has the capacity to cope with a flood.
Waitrose itself was quiet, but as I left I could see a large crowd of disgruntled commuters at the railway station - and two ambulances and two police cars, lights flashing. Goodness knows what was going on there.
So it’s actually quite nice to get home to a nice warm cosy flat. What a hectic evening!

<public service announcement>Those that are just joining us should be warned that the post below is actually very boring.&lt/public service announcement>

Interesting: Railtrack lives on, as it seems that Network Rail is keeping the brand and not killing it off. Given Railtrack’s appalling standing in the minds of users and non-users of the railways, surely this makes absolutely no sense from a marketing point of view?

Ambulances at Chichester station last night explained.

SEND IN THE NUNS!

The whole nuns thing reminded me of Sister Margaret, who was nun-at-large at my catholic secondary school. Imagine the mirth and merriment when, in geography lessons with Mr Rusinek, we started studying the topographical formation known as a nunatak.
Oh, how we laughed!

Took the nursery car in for its service this morning. The courtesy car provided is brand new - only two miles on the clock. Whilst only a poky little Nissan Micra, it has that smell of new car.

Damn. Forgot to do my weekly weigh-in this morning.
I’ll have to do it tomorrow morning instead.

Walked to Hunston and back tonight. Feeling guilty about a pie I ate at lunchtime.

Today received a piece of rather nice paper from the CIM telling me that I have been elected as an Associate, and can officially use the letters ACIM after my name.
So another trip to the frame shop tomorrow.

I have days like this too.

Vodka and slimline last night with Bren, Greg and an ailing Paul F, with sightings of Guy and the Nags away team.
Also seen was the girl who had been put in touch with me through the client at Buzby and Blue. She had sent me a whole heap of text messages during the course of the evening, and, as she was out with friends, had arranged to come into W2 with them. However, I took one look and decided not to introduce myself - just not my type at all, and I didn’t fancy being humiliated in front of all her mates.
There followed further text messages, where I just said that I’d left with someone else (which I had - Bren and Greg!), hoping she’d take a hint. What I didn’t expect was a barrage of text messages going on into the early hours. Ugh - sorry miss, but no thank you. And, whilst I’m not really in a position to offer great style and fashion advice, I do know that people who are only five feet tall really do not look good with big bushy perms.

Amazing news on the weekly weigh in: 13st 6lb!! That’s 3lb lost this week. Yaaaay!

Off to Brighton today, shopping with Bren and Greg.

Absolutely pooped after a long day of shopping. However, succeeded in getting a groovy Peter Werth shirt, three CDs (Quantic, Plaid and Piano Magic), some nightlights and some Lush products (no link, you all know the way by now).
Best of all by far was having lunch with the eternally groovy and wonderful Kate, as she took a brief moment out of her hectic homehunting schedule.

Ken’s right, in my opinion.

Football: getting Geremi into my TFF team proved a wise move. Continuing to be a follower of Brighton is less encouraging though. gah, again.

He’s got balls.

Ever looked at Mo’s gallery? Nor had I before tonight.

Paper airplane flight simulator. A bit buggy, but good fun.

It wasn’t a painful birth, you know. Grayblog has a child.

Met a really nice and pretty girl on the train home tonight, a student at Portsmouth Uni studying marketing. In a way, I’m kicking myself that I didn’t ask for her number or invite her for a drink, as she lingered quite pointedly as we parted after a seven minute chat on the train, saying “I’m not in a rush to be anywhere”. But, let’s face it, she was only 21 or so!
Still, good for the ego to be on the receiving end of some flirting that wasn’t coming from a human loo brush.

Fantastic! Vodka and pong in one handy bite sized morsel!

Nissan can not be the only company that think like this. Even our tiny business would benefit from joining the euro, I believe, as we purchase young plants and seeds from euro nations, and send our plants to customers in those countries.

Interesting. My uncle served with the Royal Navy in the Pacific, and “went over the side” several times when attempting to land on his aircraft carrier (I think he was a navigator).

This makes for interesting reading, although the sample is probably a little too small to be statistically significant. Note that IDS answers no correspondence at all (within the 14 day time limit of the survey), and the PM and Charles Kennedy answer only 40% and 39% respectively. Ken Clarke only matches the LibDem leader’s response rate, whereas my MP, Andrew Tyrie, manages to beat the average with a response rate of 67%. All of which is pretty shoddy when local councils and other public bodies are expected to achieve correspondence response rates of at least 90%.

Amongst other excellent (and, at times, painful to read) writing, Noodle Vague gets subversive, and makes quite a valid point.
I’m often frustrated by people that don’t think. People who just let life wash over them, accept the crap that they are told, fail to challenge the situation they are in, never look beyond the veneer of words. People that don’t use their common sense. They all deserve a good slapping.
How handy! It’ll soon be time for the second annual Common Sense Day (heads off to create groovy logo).

Sense at last in the internet radio debate. Remember kids, it’s RADIO not file sharing! All we need is more deals like this one.

New planet discovered. The question is, why wasn’t it discovered twenty years ago?

via the wonder that is B3ta comes Escher buildings in Lego.

SEND IN THE SPOONS!

Brighton appoint new manager. No surprise there.

I love the Inland Revenue. From the Statutory Maternity Pay rules:

Someone should tell the Revenue that most women are pregnant 11 weeks before their baby is born. As a rule.

Right now, I have this almost uncontrollable urge to eat lots of Mini Cheddars.

Thank goodness it’s Tuesday - cheap cocktail night at W2. I have every intention of going there and getting blammed on purple rains at £2 each. Join me?

Purple rains and even beer tonight with Paul F, Greg, Arron, Phil, Nathan, Nikki, Alex, Kearn, DA and other regular suspects.

Sometimes radio grayblog is just the ticket, even if I say so myself.

Approved, and including an interesting discussion on the links between President Bush’s enthusiasm for military action in the Middle East and Asia and the expansion of American oil interests.

TFF: 52 points, the top weekly score in our Super League. Result!
AFF: 15 points. Not the top weekly score.
Still, no matches until the 19th, so plenty of time to consider transfers once Andi gets the team sheets out.

Time to start plugging this:

Copy the gif to your own site if you want to show your support. And let me know if you do - thanks.

All quiet on the western front.

This promises to be quite an unexciting Thursday. Of course, I’m always ready to be proved wrong.

We haven’t had any Pravda based madness for far too long on grayblog, so here are some recent stories for you:
Evidence of alien civilisation found on the Moon
Cockroaches to destroy the world?
Man names tomato after President Putin

There is too much stuff.

Grrr. This morning’s good mood severely dented by incompetent carriers who have repeatedly failed to deliver parcels on time and to the right address.
I just wish the companies would do the things that they say they will. It would be so much easier.

Weekly weigh-in: 13st 5lb.
So just a single pound lost this week, but that is still in line with my original target. I knew I’d regret the huge pizza I had last weekend, though it was very very good.

Feeling a bit of a plank at the moment. Was walking hurriedly down South Street this morning, towards the station, and as fast as my legs would go as I had been a little late leaving home. Being mentally miles away, thinking about the day ahead and the possible prospect of missing my train, I walked straight past new friend Sally who was looking straight at me and smiling a greeting, and only realised when I was 100 yards further on. This was particularly dumb, as Sally is not only a new friend, but also attractive, blonde and single.
D’oh!
Oh well, I’ll have to buy her a drink when I see her next to make up.

Lemmy hates Tony Blair: “Anybody who smiles that often has something wrong with them.“

For non-UK readers and those that don’t follow politics, this article should explain things.

radio grayblog will be offline for 12-18 hours from 1400GMT tomorrow for server maintenance.

A silly but addictive game for Friday afternoon.

oooo! Nick Robinson answered my question on Newslog.

I’ve just listened to quite possibly the best episode of The Now Show I’ve ever heard. Iraqi Races is just fantastic.

Vodka and slimlines last night with Arron, Bren and Greg, with sightings of Karen, Paul S, Daryl and the W2 crew of course.

How bizarre. For ages, my dear old Nokia on the Orange network has not been working - would not get a signal anywhere, even when I went to work and stood right under the Orange transmitter that is on our neighbour’s land. This has been a mild nuisance, as my newer Nokia on O2 gets no network coverage at West Dean - where I need to have a mobile phone - so I’ve kept my old one.
This morning, I finally decided that I need to bite the bullet and replace it. So I pulled it out of the drawer and switched it on to see if it was charged. And, lo and behold, it works.
Why?

Don’t forget that radio grayblog has some downtime today, although, as I type this, it is still broadcasting, loud and clear.

Vodka and slimlines tonight with Bren, Greg, Paul F, Arron, new Paul, Kearn, DA, Hamish, Ruth, Matt, Nikki and Guy.

The radio grayblog outage has been rescheduled and will now be from 0200GMT tomorrow for 12 to 18 hours.

As anyone who spent any time with me this evening will know, I’m not at my cheery best tonight. Not sure what the answer is - swift kick up the arse or a hug? Either way, some sleep will probably help. And leaving a candle burning unattended whilst spending nearly three hours down the pub was probably not a good idea, but thankfully one that has led to no damage.

Rain. And plenty of it.
Bit grumpy this morning. Be warned.
But succeeding in getting through the early stages of Moveable Type installation (along with mySQL and phpMyAdmin, which may facilitate some other projects I have in mind for the future).

OK - given the radio grayblog is offline for the next few hours, and that the best US-based online radio stations are all offline for fear of outrageous royalty bills, I’m on the hunt for other radio to entertain myself.
flaresound

I’ve just finished reading The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen (instead of working on the changes to this site, which is what I should really have been doing this evening - but hey, I’ve had a relaxing evening, and I needed a little chilltime after getting chilled walking up to Sarah’s in the driving rain). It is an excellent novel, which I recommend highly - I can see why it was awarded the National Book Award. What I can’t understand is how the reviewer from The Independent quoted inside the cover could describe it as “wildly, strikingly funny” and her counterpart at The Observer state that it includes “laugh-out-loud comedy”. There is comedy in there aplenty, but it is as black as pitch. Overall, I found the book to be hugely touching (tear-inducingly so - and I know that isn’t hard for a big softy like me) and desperately desperately sad. Perhaps that is because I identified with the characters, seeing something of all three of the Lambert children in myself, and also seeing my parents in Enid and Alfred. Perhaps it is something to do with getting older, that you start to look at your own family and wonder “where are we going?”, “how did we get here?” and, more worryingly, “what does the future hold for us?” - I just hope that it isn’t the same place that the Lamberts ended up, although I can see us slipping that way quite easily.
And I haven’t even got children of my own. God knows what I’d be like if I did.
Anyway, go buy the book, read it, and maybe you’ll see what I mean.

Two more tracks added to radio grayblog - just three more needed to bring up the first 100 tracks.

itsagoal.com - RIP?

Not very eventful day here so far, although I’ve plenty of work to do.
How’s your day?

I’ve had a steady day, with a reasonable amount of work. Then it goes *mad* at 4pm. Why?

Bumped into Sally on my way home, and managed to put right the rudeness of last Friday morning, as well as persuade her to join the posse for drinks on Wednesday night for Paul F’s birthday, thereby allowing me to buy that conciliatory beer. Which is good.

We really need to sort Charlie out with a blog of her own (see all the comments below).

Been playing with this tonight, and found it to be pretty good, if a little pricey at 50p per shot.
In the course of testing it, wandered into W2 and the Nags, seeing Nikki, Kristian, Paul F, Paul C, Aris, Kearn and DA.

Ick. Damp, rainy and grey out. Not nice for driving up to south east London and back, which is one of my jobs for today.