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Thanks for the box
I meant to say yesterday - someone had kindly sent me something in a small square cardboard box which arrived while I was away.
However someone had emptied the box before it even reached me so I don't know what was in it - or who to thank for it.
Does this ring bells with anyone? There was no clue on the box itself as to who it was from!
A mystery indeed.
Reunited
Some of you may remember that we published a picture of an imposter picking up ANS' Channel Award last month.
Happily the award has now been reunited with its rightful owner Scott Fletcher of ANS - see story here.
Thanks to Giles at Broadband Buyer for coming forward!
Aaah. I do love a happy ending at Christmas.
Bizarre headlines
I know news is very scarce at this time of year but some adventurous PR firms have resorted to unusual tactics to grab our interest.
In particular there was a press release sent out today mentioning 'farts' and 'poo' - you know who you are.
Now I admit most of us IT journos have a strange sense of humour, but even I think this is taking the toilet humour a slight step too far.
However it still makes me laugh every time I read it. So thanks guys.
Eggs!
Well - it is definitely strange being back in the office after a week away. I am only just beginning to catch up with everything.
My week off was pretty uneventful - I spent most of it trying to stay warm but the good news is my chickens have started laying eggs! So no more eggwatch is needed - they are bona fide chickens that can actually produce eggs.
Only one or two of them are laying at the moment and the eggs are tiny - but it is a breakthrough - quite literally on two mornings as the dozy creatures managed to step on the egg and crush it.
I feel like my children have finally grown up.
Feeling smug
I have just come back from Oxford Street on a rare lunchbreak and am proud to say I have finished my Christmas shopping. Completely. Done. Dusted. Over.
Now all I have to do is wrap all the stuff - one of my least favourite jobs. It starts off all nice and neat, but by the end I am so bored I am literally stuffing things into wrapping paper and winding sellotape round it. I think my boredom threshold is at its lowest when it comes to wrapping presents at Christmas.
Every year I vow not to get caught up in the Christmas nightmare. But every year I fail miserably.
I have a week off next week and it is going to be a week of utter dullness. But I cannot wait! Wrapping presents, icing Christmas cakes and just messing about the house. Oh and praying that my lazy hens lay some eggs.
See you in a week!
Eggwatch
Nothing. I even think the chickens are laughing at me.
In whose interest?
Now, I'm not deliberately trying to be contraversial here - but am I the only one to be annoyed at yet another interest rate cut?
I'm one of those rare creatures that actually tries to save a little money now and again and all I get in return is punished by the banks with ridiculous drops in the interest rate - rending the pathetic amount I do get in interest hardly being worth the bother. Thanks Gordon (not Alistair or should that be Mervyn?) yet again - you truly are a genius.
Is this truly fair?
How about actually rewarding people that have tried to be sensible over recent years rather than living way beyond their means and getting into debt?
The really annoying thing is that the people these interest rate cuts are supposed to be helping, who have got themselves into debt by maybe buying a house they couldn't really afford, or taking out a loan because times were so good, aren't actually benefitting anyway because the cuts don't ever seem to affect mortgage rates, or loan interest rates.
The only winners seem (yet again) to be the banks themselves.
Mice all over the place
Congratulations to Logitech which has recently sold its billionth mouse.
The milestone coincides with the 40th anniversary of the first computer mouse ever made by Doug Engelbart.
One billion mice is quite a number - but I would like to know who the poor sod was that had to count all the sales. Imagine if they lost count halfway through.
(only joking for those super sensitive types out there - I know it is done by elves)
Eggwatch
Still absolutely no sign of eggs - I think i have the laziest chickens on the planet.
Does anyone have any tips?
It has started....
I was cycling home yesterday evening and heard it for the first time.
Christmas music blaring from all the shops along Oxford Street. Now I think some of them have been playing it ultra quietly until it turned December, but once that magical date appeared - turned the volume dial to full.
Considering there is supposed to be a credit crunch, the streets in London are still surprisingly busy and people are carrying large amounts of shopping.
There is even a Santa's Grotto at St Pancras Station this year - with various prices on offer depending on whether you want to buy your child a gift, or just take their picture with the bearded one. Another offer is breakfast with Santa - £8 for a child and £5 for adults - unusual for children to be more expensive!
For me Christmas just means a good week off work, catching up with friends and family and remembering those that are no longer with us. All the commercial stuff just doesn't matter.
However I will be digging my 'Now That's What I Call Christmas vol 3,000000' out of the cupboard and playing the songs at full volume on Christmas morning - just for old time's sake of course.
Silly observation
I've been meaning to write about this for a while and as usual it has nothing to do with IT - but why do men and boys on BMX bikes have their saddles so low?
It really does annoy me for no logical reason whatsoever. It doesn't matter how tall the guy is, the saddle is so ridiculously low that a child of 3 could touch their feet to the floor.
If they do ever sit down and peddle, their knees usually end up smacking them in the chin. WHY?
Also I find the 'BMX pose' really annoying when they are coasting along the road. Do you know the one I mean? Leaning to one side, one leg bent ridiculously and the other straight.
If anyone has the answer - please do share!
Eggwatch update
Nothing.
Chicken stew anyone?
