So, the Lemmings Elections are on! Contrary to my weekend position on this ("I'll write a procedure but I'm damned if I'm standing") I now find myself a candidate...
My non-IRC friends won't be surprised, for someone lacking utterly in self-esteem and desirous only of a quiet life, I seem to have a need to expose myself to public opinion at every possible chance - in one humourous contributor's words: "Mike will stand for anything except the National Anthem".
As I grow older, my faith in democracy weakens with every passing poll. The chance to vote via new media seems wearisome - another escape route from real-life brought firmly down to earth. But strangely this one seems to matter. I care very much about how things happen in the land of the Lemmings.
Think global, act local - as they say...
Lots going on at work, and most of it feeling pretty positive. My involvement in the APR review has increased somewhat, which means I get to contribute at a public meeting tomorrow. The appeal season approaches with its chaos and rare sense of working together, all of which makes this worth doing.
One last day off for the year planned - the very last day in fact on 31st March. Despite my last experience with Virgin Trains, I've booked a trip to Wakefield to visit George Gissing's birthplace. Vaguely concerned about trying to actually squish myself onto the 0829 from Weston, which appears to usually be something of a cattle-truck.
Notice that after my 'So...' rant, the Campaign for Plain English is on the warpath regarding cliches. I don't often agree with them, but on this one I'm with them.
Thanks to stffn I've overcome my phobia for Black Box Recorder, and I'm enjoying them surprisingly quite a bit...
I can't explain why, but I find it incredibly strange and irritating to read blog entries that begin with "So...". I'm not sure why people do that - in conversation, you do it to call for attention and fill time until you get it. In written text, having someone's attention is implicit.
Perhaps it just annoys me because it reminds me of Seamus Heaney's attempt to translate "Hwæt" in Beowulf? Perhaps I just spend too much time thinking about this stuff?
The plan was that, having been in Edinburgh I'd be just about ready for a short blast out to Westbury on the 31's - of course I didn't end up in Scotland at all. Made the best of yesterday with a circular trip to Great Malvern out via Worcester and back via Hereford (yesterday's movebook). Despite a wet start, the sun came out in time for my brief wait in Malvern, and I got some great views of the hills.
Today started equally damply. Set out to get a haircut, then directly to the station and then to Westbury. Noted a 'Wessex Trains' plate on the front of 31454 today. Interesting. Another 31 on Westbury, but too far away to see which one. Back on a packed 153 and a busy 150. Decided to do the Highbridge run (customarily a Monday task) today also. A weak but persistent sunshine had descended, making it a pleasant evening to do so.
Fixed a Movebook bug and built Mozilla 1.7b plus Epiphany 1.2.0.
Lost::MikeGTN
I've had a home on the web for more years than I care to remember, and a few kind souls persuade me it's worth persisting with keeping it updated. This current incarnation of the site is centred around the blog posts which began back in 1999 as 'the daylog' and continued through my travels and tribulations during the following years.
I don't get out and about nearly as much these days, but I do try to record significant events and trips for posterity. You may also have arrived here by following the trail to my former music blog Songs Heard On Fast Trains. That content is preserved here too.
