Well, Survival Sunday turned out to be nothing of the sort, although you'd be pushed to sense Saints had been relegated from the expression on Jon's face. Depressing? Apparently not, apart from the sheer number of police in town recommending that the pubs lock their doors, preventing us from having a consolation pint. 

Well, there it was.

I handed in my dissertation yesterday. Hooray! Myself and a few friends thought that was as good an excuse for a celebration as we were going to find (on that particular day) and so we hit the town for eleven hours of fun and games. There was a lot of talk of anticlimax, expecting to feel more elated, much like New Year's Eve, but I was having none of that. I've spent too many hours hunched over a keyboard to let the day pass without a bit of fun. And that's what it was.

Just a short one today.

I've just been playing with some new software (new to me anyway...)trying to increase my range of 'skills', as it were. Found a good tutorial on how to do clever things with web menus and so on and then had an insight seconds after setting up a document. It reminded me of asking for directions when you're driving. You need the directions, you pull over and ask someone. But the moment they start talking you lose interest. By the time they get to the second or third turn ("...if you pass a hospital on your right, you've gone too far...")you've actually begun to resent them so you drive away knowing how to get another 100 metres down the road before you have to stop and begin the whole sorry process over again.

Needless to say, I didn't get through the tutorial.

What? 

Well, here's a thing.

I started this way back when I began my degree. Here we are a few years later without a great deal to show, at least as far as this blog is concerned. Looking back at one of the early posts and I see Saints were in the FA Cup final. Now battling relegation two seasons later, although a good result aginst Norwich lifted us out of of the bottom three today. Not that it's going to change anyone's life, although survival would mean a good day out for a few of us. No doubt.

The degree's nearly done too. Whether it will help me with my own ongoing relegation battle is another matter. It's been a busy, nutty few months. A lot has happened, what with moving, cobbling together a dissertation (still sounds like a surgical procedure to me. Feels like it too some days...) and all the other goings-on. It feels like I've come a fair old way, which has got to be what it's about.

I discussed with Gabi what I'd do when I accepted my degree at the ceremony. Something along the lines of kissing my shirt, like footballers do. Maybe a peace sign for the assembled masses. After all, I am the self-apointed spiritual leader. Should make a mark. Gabi pointed out that I would serve only to make myself look like a complete prick, confirming the suspicions of many present. Good advice in there somewhere, I thought.

Finally, a use for a blog. Procrastination. Today could be a great day for writing an essay. The research is done. I have an essay plan. Dammit, I've even written the bibliography already. It's just the easy part left which is actually writing it. Which is why I'm here typing this instead. Everything else seems more appealing. I even attempted to tidy my 'study' although that's a bigger job than any of us could handle. Even on a motivated day. And this is Sunday after all.

The work ethic. What the hell is that? Discuss.

Short sentences. The way. Forward.

Great. Winter nights. 

Ah, The Simpsons. Only a lunatic would deny that this is the greatest television show ever made. Or people who need to get out much more and have no reference points built upon normal human interaction and even a passing interest in what goes on in the world.

Before I get carried away, I suggest you take a look at this site It'll make you love the show even more.

Amsterdam in September 2004. What else do you need to know? I had a great time.
 

Well, here we are again. Lets ignore all that went before. Oh, you already did. So, another fresh start. To what, we may all well ask. And I won't know the answer. But I'm damn sure I never understood the question anyway.

The Festive season is almost upon us so this is as good a place as any to post rampant speculation, gossip and compromising photos of friends, colleagues and relatives.

Let the games begin.

In the absence of anything interesting to talk about, here is a man with pegs on his face. 

Guess who? 

Guess who? 

Here we are again. College is finished for the summer. Hugely anti-climactic. Now it's time to think about getting a job for a few months. Or something. That certainly isn't going to happen in the next couple of hours though.

So, today's thing. 50 quid bloke is well worth your time. Reasonably sober and open-minded commentary on music and other subjects. Talking of which, Delays album is rather fabulous. And it just so happens that they're supporting Pixies in June. Good to see they've both dropped the 'The' prefix.

Well, the sun shines on Southampton today so lets have a look outside...

Kilroy. Whatever the motivation behind his comments (you know, the one about Arabs), and without wanting to appear glib, the fact that the BBC have suspended his programme is a good thing. A very good thing. (To be fair, the quiz he briefly hosted was so execrable that even ITV axed it...)

That show is the most insulting, patronising, painful 30 (or more) minutes imaginable and, without getting too personal, the less I have to look at his smarmy, perma-tanned face and listen to his ingratiating 'I'm-one-of-you-guys' tone, the happier I'll be.

Just thought it was worth a mention.

Here we are again. Harold Shipman has hung himself in prison, which reminds me of something a friend said recently: Shipman is described as Britain's worst ever serial killer. Surely someone who killed 200 people must be Britain's best by anyone's standards. Or was he missing the point?

Meanwhile, I came across mediacarta today and thoroughly recommend taking a look.
Here's a taster:

"Here’s how it plays out. You can use sex to sell beer. You can use psychological tricks to sell junk food to kids. You can use hype to sell cars. You can use lies to sell war. What you cannot do, however, is turn the tables and speak out against the companies that are doing the selling. In a totalitarian system, you aren’t allowed to talk back to the government; in the capitalist system, you can’t talk back to the sponsor."

Get over there and sign the manifesto, then read the history of freedom of speech. That's my advice.

Hello, good afternoon and welcome.

Woke up today with a fuzzy head, doubtless the result of too much wine last night. Made plans for global domination but subsequently realised that I didn't have the energy to go through with it and I'm meant to be going to a birthday barbecue anyway. So I ate some cream cakes for breakfast instead. Never contemplate taking over the world on an empty stomach, as a wise man once said.

Other interesting things that have happened today? I bought a newspaper. And some juice. There you go.

I suppose it's only polite to put a link here. How about some kid's TV from way back? That'll do it.

CIA - The World Factbook 2002 -- Sudan

Workers 'close to leaving' over irritating colleagues
This article in the Guardian highlights the fact that we are getting increasingly pissed off with our workmates. Well (and I know this has been over-used) duh! I've been involved in the world of work for nearly 14 years, on and off (insert diatribe about the legacy of Thatcherism here...) and I always thought that getting annoyed with people was just part of the whole experience.

Having said that, polls like the one that came to this conclusion create jobs so that a whole new bunch of people can allow the petty, mind-numbing trivialities of their working day to grind them down, slowly but inevitably. Unless of course you're Colin from the Fast Show.

The other thing is that constant moaning creates a culture of negativity. One of the best things about the work parties that I've been to in the past was the fact that moaning actually brought people together, the whole 'us against them' thing. It was probably the only thing any of us had in common. This new survey could actually inspire witch-hunts as everyone turns on each other. Having said that, I stopped going to works parties precisely because I couldn't stand being around most of my 'colleagues' for a minute longer than I had to.

It always seems like I'm starting from scratch every time I attempt to write this. I'm still trying to work out if it's a bit sad or not. Of course I won't let that get in the way. Why start now?

My thirtieth birthday is just round the corner (10 days away if you must know...). I'm bound to come up with some insights into what that's going to feel like. Now there's something worth looking out for. Sold!

Another day, and all that.

Welcome!

Here it is: the new home of my rants. But don't let that put you off. I have so many wonderful things to share.

It's an exciting time right now. Let's have a quick update: Saints have made it to the FA Cup final in May, which is great if you like that sort of thing. Which I do. And I'm enjoying the last few months of my twenties, which has it's own...merits, I suppose. And I have it on good authority that a weblog can be a good way to avoid writer's block, which is great for me because I've had that nearly all my life.