Half Blogging and Half watching this tv prog now.

The Internet. Wellington Boots. Stomp Stomp Stomp.

Here's one for you to get stuck into as we approach '07. Who can write the most convincing sentence, couplet or mini poem casually throwing in the word syzygy.

Shoppers are likely to abandon a website if it takes longer than four seconds to load, a survey suggests.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6131668.stm

An interesting article about cheese tv from the BBC.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/6214443.stm

Z:I took with a small decorative Indian gift. My part of London is all Indian you see, so I give Indian gifts.
whistler: yeah... and Diwali was a few months back.
Z: as a kind of joke or 'homage'
Z: yup - fireworks for 7 nights straight
whistler: is that any fun? lol.
Z: + Nov 5 more fireworks
Z: no, it is v loud and annoying
whistler: that's guy fawkes?
Z: yup
whistler: we do ours mostly on the fourth of july.
Z: one of my Indian pupils (I have about 15) gave me a Diwali gift.
whistler: that's sweet.
Z: of some dessert cake things
whistler: literally
Z: which I re-gifted to my sister
Z: yup LOL
whistler: lol.
Z: as I don't touch stuff like that
Z: she doesn't either
Z: so her bf ate the whole lot
whistler: you didn't "re-gift" you "shared."
Z: ha ha ha ha ha ha
whistler: lol.
Z: I "share" a lot, then
whistler: see that would have been a re-re-gift.
Z: i.e. every gift that sucks
Z: gets shared
whistler: if they know you got it as a gift it's sharing. if they don't it's regifting.
Z: which in the course of a year, is a lot
Z: ah OK - it's most enlightening chatting with you about these things!
whistler: lol. i have very specific ideas, based on nothing but my own logic.
whistler: i'm also the "queen of rationalization"

(Yahoo soubriquets changed to preserve anonymity)

I send someone an email. No reply. I phone their home number, get an answerphone, after the (silly) OGM comes many beeps then a space. I leave a message.

Just to be doubly sure, I dig up their mobile number and try to send them a text.

Either I have got an old (or stupid) phone, or everyone experiences this. I find it very hard to get my texts through. About one in 5 just will not go through and I am asked if I want a 'definitive abort'.

Is this a common experience?

They are going to try to break the record (which stands at 14) soon in Pennan, Banffshire.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/6203845.stm

An interesting French-led idea to look for Earth-like planets will be launched on 27/12.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6203161.stm

Why didn't I think of this before?

The ice caps are melting, the sea levels are rising and yet we have drought.

Simply introduce desalination plants all over the place in as many countries as can get organised with the project and bingo, no more disastrously high sea levels.

Not sure what do about all of the Polar bears and penguins though.

This story made amusing Xmas reading at BBC News today.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6208295.stm

I'm sure the next week will see a lot of rethinking going on!

What changes would I like to see happen in 2007?

Oh, the usual things, World Peace an end to the drought and people not being in a bad mood 7/24 (without herbal assistance).

Today will be a nice test for those of you playing happy families. If you survive the day without upsetting anyone, give yourself several hundred brownie points (and a dolphin sticker).

I thought I was doing well today, but I realise you are meant to eat like this for a week (or so) to do any good... and it's not quite as simple as that, either.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/healthy_living/your_weight/eatingwell_detox.shtml

A nice piece written for BBC News by Caroline Wyatt in Paris about a new 550 page book by Frederic Rouvillois.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/6205403.stm

Henry Winkler & Patrick Duffy are both appearing in British Panto this year.

Link ~

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6193090.stm

Apparently, the drought situation in Australia has been going on longer than in the UK. More than five years according to the BBC.

Another headache for the scientists and the money men. Are we looking at more desalination plants in the longer run?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6204141.stm

I was handsomely entertained by Stoppard's latest offering at the Duke of York theatre earlier this evening.

Themes: England 1968-1990, Politics (focus on Communism), The former Czechoslavakia, Love, poetry, romance, rock music... and the quest for the individual to have his own voice in society.

Strongly recommended.

http://www.royalcourttheatre.com/whatson_reviews.asp?play=422

The world doesn't want Iran to have nuclear weapons. Nuclear is an anagram of unclear (which are both 7-letter words in Scrabble).

Generally speaking, I can think of better ways of dying than being mushroomed to death by a nuclear weapon.

Let's face it, we were all doomed as soon as the wheel came along. Mr Dyson did not improve things. I think Newton had it about right when he proclaimed that F=ma.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6205295.stm

'Naughty Krishna' was the title given to this small decorative item by the man in the shop. The man in the shop is Mr Fairworths of the Fairworths shop company unlimited, Edgware, specialising in the sale of dubious Indian decorative objects.

I will be travelling by road from Edgware to Throckmorton via Oxford and Gloucester on 27th Dec to visit a Piano Showroom. Does anyone want to be invaded on the way?

Honesty is a very fine policy, it's something to aspire to like the perfect physique. I always wanted to emulate Russian gymnasts from the physique point of view. However, someone told me to go for the Australian swimmer look. Something must have been lost in translation.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6201797.stm

How many of you were smugly enjoying a slice of Schadenfreude over the plight of the poor passengers at Heathrow?

I first noticed the Dickensian Smog on Tuesday night.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6203239.stm

Stephen Wright (48) is being charged for the serial killings. Tom Stephens (37) is being released on police bail. I assume they are shadowing Stephens.

One question. Why give Stephens' name at this stage, esp. if he is 'totally innocent'.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/suffolk/6194351.stm

Here is your hilarious website for the day:

http://www.myholidaysweater.com/

Does anyone have a few minutes to help me adjust a photo?

I just played a game of scissors, paper, stone at a German website where the game (to English speakers) has a rather comical soubriquet - "Schnick, Schnack, Schnuck". For other titles of this game, check the Wikipedia page (always known for it's great accuracy).

German game -

http://www.schnick-schnack-schnuck.de/indexpopup.html

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330063974245

IMHO IMHO IMHO yoho
yoho yoho yoo hoo yoo hoo
yoo hoo uhu yoo hoo Yahoo
Yahoo yoho yoho Yahoo
Yahoo Yahoo YouTube YouTube
YouTube Google Googol Bugle Flugel
IMHO yoho IMHO yoho
oh no IMHO oh no oh no
Oh Yes.

http://znethru.blog.co.uk/2006/12/17/imho_yoho~1450555

I'm far too busy to blog right now, please put all of your comments on 'hold'.

Thanking you in advance for your co-operation at this stressful time of the year.

So sayeth the goose of doom.

Everyone seems to be posting at a high rate of knots. But where is the meat? Most of what I am reading is trivial frivolity of a candy floss nature, or worse...

Anyway, I am having a serious day over here and doing lots of busy and important work. Which leads me to one of my evergreens. Why is it that you don't get too many top bosses blogging on this website?

Most of the regulars here (with one or two notable exceptions) are very much on the fringes of society. I am trying to be as matter-of- fact as I can with the previous comment, esp. as I also consider myself to be somewhat of a fringarian.

Is it a good sign
To howl at the moon
And chase butterflies
Run around in circles
And eat three different types of cheese?

Is it a good sign
To jump up and down
For butterflies to chase you
To stand quite still
And make sure that you never freeze?

How chaotic is the world normally?

I think we all try to make sense out of the chaos to the best of our abilities. (I do not include those of you who are reading this from a room that requires a good Spring cleaning).

There are many different types of talents/careers in (Classical) music. Playing an instrument, singing, composing, conducting, teaching, accompanying, orchestrating & arranging to name the first few that spring to mind.

A musicologist is a kind of all round music connoisseur who has studied music to a very high level at a University and is either training to become a University lecturer/professor or already holds a post such as this.

A person of this type would be able to analyse music from notation and make insights into it understandable to more general musicians (and even the general public if the 'approach' of the writer was broad enough).

In short, a musicologist is a Classical music expert who doesn't (easily) fit into any other category. He is someone who is capable of writing learned articles (or even books) on Classical music (or these days, even on Jazz).

I've had a mixture of good and bad news over the last few days. I will save the bad news for another day though.

On the plus side, I have heard through the post from my new (music) publisher again after a gap of 3 months. To me, it is always spooky when a publisher (or other contact) 'goes quiet' i.e. stops responding to emails/letters/phone calls etc. so this parcel came as something of a shock/surprise.

I actually thought I was never going to hear from this publisher again!

Anyway, one of my compositions is '12 Jazz Piano Pieces' which will be released on a CD (at some point, but that's another story). I sent the publisher a copy of the programme notes (i.e. detailed description in words of the music) that had actually been commissioned from a musicologist in USA.

He immediately assumed that he could use this priceless and original text when he brought the composition into (sheet-music) print! Not exactly. It's the property of the record company! I offered to jot a composer's scribblings on the same subject and that seems to have satisfied him for the time being.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140066263958

Be the first person to visit my new eBay auction!

IMHO IMHO IMHO yoho
yoho yoho yoo hoo yoo hoo
yoo hoo uhu yoo hoo Yahoo
Yahoo yoho yoho Yahoo
Yahoo Yahoo YouTube YouTube
YouTube Google Googol Bugle Flugel
IMHO yoho IMHO yoho
oh no IMHO oh no oh no
Oh Yes.

'If there's any justice in this worl