My job is a total waste of time, say academics...

I read this, was worried for a second until I realised the study was done on 1001 people from Wales and the West Country, for whom any learning initiative is probably too late anyway.

Argos know their customers...

Read carefully...

More music, not quite Brian Wilson...

Mrs Miller. Scroll down and listen to the samples - Downtown and Hard Day's Night are particularly interesting...

Something very close to musical perfection...

Beach Boy genius Brian Wilson's Smile, is finally recorded and released as he intended after a 37-year delay. An absolute joy from start to finish.

Nothing...

I'm afraid there's not been anything of spellbinding interest to write about lately, so here's a little compilation from the last few weeks.

- I've bought a webcam. Getting it set up on the Apple using ichat AV between me and Stig was very easy indeed. There's been a successful 1-way video chat to Bottesford, shortly to become 2-way (Apple delivery times depending). I've had picture working very well through MSN messenger on the PC, but I've not been able to get audio to work yet, which is a trifle irritating.

- The Star Wars original trilogy is out on DVD, which gave me the perfect excuse to finally wire up the rear speakers. They really are great films, despite the odd changes which keep on being made to them.

- We've joined a gym, in an attempt to get into shape before next May. It is very posh indeed as it should be for the money. So far we've been swimming, on some of the 'cardio' machines (bike / cross-trainer / treadmill / crazy step thing), and we went to a 'body pump' class last night. Which was full of people much fitter than us!

- I think we're buying a 'nova-power' car from Chris. This is going to make golf, scottish vienna horns, squash and seeing more of this lovely country much more easy.

- Speaking of squash, I had a very enjoyable first game of 2004 post-neck and knee injury, with Charlie. Who has just bought an apple imac G5 the git.

- Speaking of apple imac G5s, I saw one in the flesh yesterday at the Apple stand at the SETT show, and I can confirm it is the most beautiful computer in the world and I want one. It doesn't look like this.

- We're going to see three Scotland rugby matches this Autumn, against Australia (with mum), Japan and South Africa (with William and Fiona). Very exciting, Scotland may even beat Japan!

That is all.

Pikeycam...

Shipley Station, yesterday...

Shatner is back in the studio...

Captain Kirk himself has broken his 30-year musical exile to record a new album. With Ben Folds. His remarkable version of Pulp's 'Common People' can be downloaded from here.

Norway snaps...

Are here.

Pikeycam...

Glasgow Central Station, 1st Sept.

And about time too...

Some Leicester pubs have banned our country's finest, the Burberry-toting caphead pikeys.

Apple iMac G5...

Read all about it!

No kittens...

Hello, back from Norway, had a lovely time, photos will be up as soon as my laptop is back from being repaired AGAIN. Grrrrrrr... naughty Apple.

IN the meantime, something silly.