the winter of our discontent

I couldn't help but feel a little odd as I watched Geoff Hoon announce the deployment of Black Watch troops to central Iraq on TV last night. A very sad, strange feeling that this was the end for Tony Blair, and good god what or who was going to come next. I would guess the best we could hope for would be a coalition, but it's difficult to see the Libddems, Scottish Nationalists or Plaid Cymru weighing anchor with either ship of fools.
Meanwhile in America, votes are waiting to be cast. Can it be too cold for snow?
'Outside in the distance a wildcat did growl,
two riders were approaching, the wind began to howl'

all along the watchtower, Bob Dylan

click click plonk

I had no idea how big the UK online wine industry was becoming, but writing an article for my nano-magazine site thanthou.com soon put me right. I'm often found in supermarkets staring blankly at the rows of reds, wondering which label looks the most authentic. Now I can type in 'nose like a dingo's ampit' on a winesite search engine and come up with a crate of the good stuff.

why worry?

It's an insidious habit, don't you know. (domestic blog-day blues)
This morning I got worried about a wasp stuck somewhere in the lounge and the delivery of my mother's new washing machine. Lunchtime, and I realized that although the wasp was now flying free, and the washing machine delivered safely, I was still worrying about both. How many long-past events are still filling my subconscious mind with dread and worry, I asked to no-one in particular.

i still haven't found...

...what i'm looking for.
Where do search engines rank themselves? Typing 'search engine' into the following produced some interesting results...
Google - ranks itself 3rd
lycos - gives itself not a mention
altavista - seems not to self-rate, although google is ranked 9th
yahoo - ranks itself top, with google 2nd and altavista 3rd
excite - does not excite itself, although rates altavista 6th and google 7th
First page only, you understand. My god, it's full of stars.

when I was young (part 45)

When I was young a big mac used to be a large raincoat.
Now anyone who tries to live for a month solely on fast food deserves everything they get, so why is the Western World surprised at Super Size Me Up (or something)?
America is a big country, populated by big people eating big meals. 'The American Gene' is how Michael Nesmith describes it in his excellent 'The long sandy hair of Neftoon Zamora'. He always was one smart Monkee.
Unlike Elvis, the (burger) king.