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Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7205004.stm" target="_blank">Is there life on Maaaars?

Many of you are, I know, fans of good music. This is why I reccommend listening to this here radio show from 6Music t'other night*. I haven't heard it yet, due to my home computer being busted and Dell being lazy, but you all should, because my friend Frank got played there, and she's lovely.

Then, if you wanted, you could vote for her to be played again. Just something to think about.


* Not a guarantee of the music on this show being good, bar the one track I'm pimping. Even then, it might not be your sort of thing. Why not? What's wrong with you?

Link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/shows/tom_robinsons_introducing/tracklisting_20080113.shtml" target="_blank">'Introducing' with Tom Robinson

Submitted without comment:

Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/7172016.stm" target="_blank">The Avengers aren't exciting enough, apparently.

Anyone else got this yet? If not, you all should, damn you.

Anyone who has, stick yer friend codes on here and we'll have a jam. Quickly, mind, before the cramp in my fret hand renders me a useless husk of a man.

It's been a while since we've spent our Fridays posing one another deep and interesting questions, so I thought I'd revive the tradition while I digest me lunch. Here's today's mind bender, then:


What's the biggest animal you could take in a fight, assuming said fight takes place in a Roman-style amphitheatre and you're unarmed?
Please note that naming sharks, whales, and other aquatic creatures doesn't make you clever.


Myself, I reckon I've got a decent chance with a giraffe; there's so much neck there, my chances of grabbing something to strangle or snap are much improved.

Yes, folks, it's another of them there 'my day's a bit rubbish and it's only 11 o'clock threads.'

I'm sat here on the last day of my current job here at ITV, with no future job lined up. I've also got a shocking case of food poisoning which I'd normally take the day off with, except I have an interview for a new position this afternoon, at which I'll doubtless be an absolute wreck.

Not only that, but I have tickets to Madame Butterfly tonight, and the Scarborough Jazz Festival tomorrow, which if my digestive tract maitains its current course, I won't be able to attend.

And if it makes me miss my holiday to Noo York next week, I'll kill it.

Turns out it's me birthday today, and I only realised last night. Crikey. Who'd've thunk it?

The only thing cooler than this will be when X-Wings go on the market...

Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6925533.stm" target="_blank">Start Saving, Kids...

The only thing cooler than this will be when X-Wings go on the market...

Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6925533.stm" target="_blank">Start Saving, Kids...

The only thing cooler than this will be when X-Wings go on the market...

Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6925533.stm" target="_blank">Start Saving, Kids...

Well, after my trusty ol' generic-brand mp3 player coughed and retched its last, I've decided to join the future-tastic community and get one of those swanky ones that costs more than fifty quid.

Any gizmo nerds out there feel like advising me on which I ought to go for? What I'm looking for is something capable of holding a nice chunk of music without having any nasty firmware which will force me to convert all my files to .aac or only play music bought from their own online shop or what-have-you. I've heard that ipod firmware can be defeated in this way. Is it easy and worth the bother? Should I consider waiting about for the Zune to come out?

Help me, Hive Mind! You're my only hope!

Saw a chap in ASDA in Leeds on Saturday sporting a shirt advertising our blue chum. As I'm at work, and heinously bored, and also beset by the paranoia that you'll all forget who I am if I don't keep posting, I just thought I'd mention it. Possibly, he was one of you lot. Also, possibly not.


I do despise being at work at 6pm...

It's a total pain in the arse. Especially since, what with comedy leases and things, I have to pack up and move to a mate's house today and tomorrow, stay there 'till Saturday, and then move to my real new home. And the first move is made without the help of a motorised vehicles.


I just thought I'd rant at you all. Carry on.

One of the category titles appears to have buggered off the face of the earth. Or at least the board. What's going on there, then?

Right, then. A complaining contest is in order for this crappiest of days. Perhaps someone who's having a non-shit Monday would care to donate a prize to the winner, I don't know. I'll start:


Having not got a wink of sleep last night thanks to an essay I'd neglected to write sooner, I was less than impressed when my bay window started developing leaks faster than Boots develops photos. Pretty soon, half of my kitchen is taking up position under my ceiling to catch drips. By the looks of it, the plaster might start collapsing soon if this goes on. My landlord would be able to sort out the problem with a simple tarp... but he'll be unavailable till at least 5, which might actually be too late, depending on how the rain continues.

Meanwhile, on my quest to hand in that essay I mentioned, I succeeded in mysteriously yet painfully pulling a muscle in my leg, resulting in my walking speed halved for the two mile round trip between here and university. In the rain. The pissing down rain.

The water bill's arrived, in a nicely ironic touch. I have no alcohol in the house. Finally, lacking in any real people to vent my spleen to, I'm forced to do it to some internet people who might not exist.


This is a truly shitty Monday. Anyone who feels theirs is worse may step up to the plate.

This is all good stuff, but just fast forward to about 3:30 in and piss yourself laughing.

Link: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5479410612081345878" target="_blank">Just like a soda can...

Hello. Thanks to a huge organisational cock-up on the part of some people I'm certainly none-too-chuffed with, I and three of my compatriots will be stuck in Dublin this coming Saturday with nowhere to stay. We've tried all the usual hostels and hostel-finding interweb sites, but to no avail. If anyone knows of some lesser-known place we might be able to get in on, you'd win my eternal gratitude. And maybe also a picture of a fish.

That's right, I know the female form of the male  noun 'doctor'.

Stories are being bandied about to the effect that RTD wouldn't be averse to having a female Doctor at some point! Is this true, or just some overblown, early-starting april fools' prank?

If it is true, isn't it a really bad idea? There's no precendent, dammit!

Picked this up along with my weekly dose of thrill-power today, and I'm more than a little impressed. Each issue seems to be a look at the lives and philosophies of three top-class thinky persons in tasty bite-size chunks. It's funny... yet it makes you think.


Also, it makes me want to try and lever a reference to it into my dissertation somewhere.

Link: Their website. Has some preview strips on it.

Saw this yesterday, and I have to say it's worth seeing. Could've done without a rather graphic scene early on, and, to be frank, most of the second quarter of the film, but after that I got all interested and stuff. Ang Lee's successfully made up for the cockup that was Hulk, although he should've been at the cinema handing out pillows so that everyone could kip for twenty minutes during the repetitive 'isn't it rubbish being a gay cowboy in the sixties' second act.