Robert Hampton

I know you’re a man, but I’m gonna treat you like a lady.

I haven’t yet managed to form a coherent opinion on the Muhammad cartoon controversy, but I just wanted to acknowledge it here, to prove that I’ve been following the news over the last few days, and not just watching two straight guys repeatedly kissing each other.

Also, I wanted to slip a Homer Simpson quote in.

Ah, Hornby Class 60 in Loadhaul livery, you are just one number 68 bus ride away from being mine.

There’s a surfeit of good second-hand model railway kit on eBay at the moment. Soon (pending PayPal payments permitting) I shall have in my possession a limited edition “Hornby Railways 1996” wagon — Hornby have issued a different special wagon every year since 1992, and I’m trying to collect them all. So far I have… er, two.

I do go outdoors sometimes, you know.

OK, here’s the £36,753.12 (at today’s exchange rates) question:-

Cute or just fat?

This is either stupendously brilliant, or the product of someone with too much time on their hands. I opt for the former.

(found via uk.railway)

I have a patch of dry skin on my right hand, and I’ve been picking at it and now it’s turned red and sore.

This is as exciting as my life gets right now.

Route 4 is renumbered 4A, Route 4A is renumbered 4B and Route 4B is renumbered 4.

“That’s customer-friendly and not at all confusing!”

Tom Baker Says… this is immature and a complete waste of time. Quite funny though.

In other news, I finally got to see an episode of The IT Crowd. It’s actually quite good, isn’t it?

I’m in a really good mood today for some reason. I’m not sure why — I have no cause to be more or less happy than usual. Work is as dull as ever (and I’m getting static shocks from every metallic surface in the office), but even there I was bouncing around the place, happy as Larry (whoever he is). Town was full of scallies, but I walked past the gang of swearing, spitting yobs outside McDonald’s like they weren’t there. The de rigueur whinging in the pages of the Liverpool Echo failed to depress me. Firefox crashed while I was writing this blog entry, but that cannot dull my spirits.

Maybe it’s because the right film won the BAFTA Award. The BAFTAs were actually quite inspiring this year, with a gaggle of real, worthy, intelligent (but not dull) films winning the awards.

Stephen Fry was a great host as always. For me, the man epitomises everything that is great about Britain — not the flag-waving, Daily Express-style faux patriotism, but actual proper, decent, reserved, urbane gentlemanliness (is that a word? it should be). If I ever get a chance to meet him, I will gush uncontrollably… and then I’ll pay him some compliments.

Whatever the reason, I’m feeling full of energy and creativity tonight. I need to channel it somewhere. Maybe I’ll even finish that about me page that’s been sitting around undone for some considerable time.

Oh, and I found this on eBay, which might interest you if you’re the sort of person who’s interested in those types of things.

On Monday I waxed lyrical about how happy I’ve been feeling. Well, the euphoria waned slightly by Friday, but even so, this week has been really good all round.

Every night I’ve been pouring my energy into writing, something I haven’t done much of recently, despite everyone telling me I should. I had a script sitting on my computer that wasn’t anywhere near finished and I haven’t touched for months. I had about 20 pages completed, but could never find the energy or inclination to do any more. By the end of Monday night, I had about 45 pages. And they were actually good. The rest of the week didn’t quite reach those dizzy heights of creativity, but I’ve still more or less finished a first draft.

I love writing. I should have been a writer. I should have done English for A-Level, instead of letting other people push me into the sciences. I can be a writer. I think know I can be.

In other news, I ordered the timber for my model railway baseboard and it’s being delivered on Monday! In the few days I will finally be able to begin construction, after waiting over 2 years.

It may well be the early stages of bird flu, but I am unusually cheerful. Yes, life is sweet right now.

Who else could invite respected film critic Roger Ebert onto his show, and end up discussing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and The Magic Roundabout film (which has apparently been renamed Doogal for its US release)?

Here’s the video. Watch for the bit about 4 minutes in where he tries to explain the concept of Zebedee.

This should be fun:-

One of the world’s most powerful women, Condoleezza Rice, will be treated to a tour of Blackburn and Liverpool later this year.

I just want to give advance notice to any anti-war protesters: I respect your right to peaceful free speech, but try not to get in my way while I am shopping/working/enjoying life to the full. Oh, and if you’re going to wave placards, get something more original than “no war for oil” or “Bush war criminal”.

Radio 4 devotee that I am, I was very saddened to hear (via Seb) that Linda Smith has died. I’ve always been rather fond of her comedy, ever since I heard her on Just a Minute, describing colonic irrigation as being “like CenterParcs for sweetcorn”.

Apparently she’d been battling cancer for 3 and a half years but never discussed it publicly. Now that takes true courage and determination, to just get on with it and not complain or whinge about it.