Big Brother 4, y'say....?

In the least obsessive way possible... I've bought my Celebdaq shares already. No photos up yet, no birthdates, etc., but the shares are bought.

Now, if I can just gazump Chris with his multimillionaireness, I'll be set.

Um... is anyone else disturbed that this is the real definition of MILF?

One eejit enters the country, another one leaves. There's a pleasing symmetry to it.

Neilo is off to Crete; not to be confused with being "off Tikrit", although I believe tourism in the popular Iraqi centre of apopleptic fear is down on last year's numbers, despite a substantial recent influx of tourists from the USA.

Conversely, James has just returned from the USA, and reports that he is "broken" (unquote). Clearly, this is in no way related to the likely alcohol consumption adopted by himself and the second second coming.

Also, where's my fvcking cigs holiday in Dubai?? What's all this business about having to wait till November?

Couple this with Chris' recent discovery that Newbie is in fact MOSES (although it was on the group's webpage for anyone to see, really), and it's been a week of News. Now fact me till I fart!

Frankly, I'm stunned that -- after a weekend that involved watching the first 17 episodes of 24 (1st season), I didn't mention it at all in yesterday's blog. Mustn't have been feeling well. Still, if you watch 17 44-minute episodes of anything in a weekend, that presupposes a certain non-wellbeing. I'm guessing...

I'm up to the end of the second-last DVD now, so only 4 hours to go to find out how things really ended up the way they did before the current season kicked off.

I've also taken to Kazaa-ing (verb, present participle?) hits from the 80s. I think that means I'm no longer a teenager, and am very actually heading towards the milestone age of 26¼. I love 19xx can fvck off, too...

Random thoughts update: heard that Nada Surf lot on Bill Bailey's show when he filled in yesterday on 6music for Clare McDonnell. What a very lovely song Inside of Love is. (Particularly like the last lyric.) And the choice of music on the show was a joy to behold. If only my car had doubled in value with the addition of a digital radio. Then I would drive to work, not get out of the car, or possibly just not drive to work....

Clearly I wouldn't seriously think of not going into work. Anyone who knows me, knows I love my job, most days... and hardly ever rant about it...

So... the right result came up in the FA Cup. Although I've always had a soft spot for Southampton, so bad luck to them, then. More on the gooner victory from He Who Never Sits Still, I imagine.

In other news, the Return to Dubai is on! Although the chances of staying at that exact hotel are obviously zero, and we're much more likely to end up in Spice Island with a repeat -- or worse -- of the ensuing blunders of last year. It'll all be fine, etc.... All we have to do now is hope and pray that the Wise People Above don't issue any kind of threat warning to us tourist-types.

Right....

That was a very bizarre night. I ended up drinking single malt whisk(e)ys with my boss, and my boss's boss's boss, till the wee small hours. (ish). And I got to see my elders and betters fighting... just like a wedding -- hurrah!

AND, it was even quite a good meeting. You probably know how much I enjoy meetings... And a certain lab near Oxford... Blimey! What next?

Better now. Neilo is not going to be a happy man for this reason. James and Shaun are finishing up being up a mountain. And I think we get 24 back on BBC Two tonight. I'm just hoping it's not the episode I saw on RTE a few weeks ago when I was visiting the parents. Can someone just shoot Jack Bauer's daughter and have done with it, please?!

Sorry...

Jeezus... my guts still hurt. You'd know I was out on the tear with Neilo, Mrs Mills and Hanah Bin Kuk lastnight... Even Sarita Bin Jagpal was there! And it was all gravy Guinness.

This morning -- around 8:45 -- however, it had all gone wrong. I haven't been that hungover for some time. Even when I felt like shite in Dublin (which was very shite indeed) last month, it still wasn't as bad as the post-Guinness+champagne+Aftershock after-effect that greeted myself and Neil. Mrs Mills being in a shite mental state when he turned up meant that I felt like less of an anomaly (am I talking a different language?). Options 1 and 2 of the above list headed off on their Tour at lunchtime; in fact, they're doing that right now. I, meanwhile, am sitting in front of a computer with a bottle of red wine (very showbiz, me) and a health-conscious glass of water to one side, just in case the tremors kick in..... too late: there I go.

And James keeps sending me plots with science in them and my head can't do thinking today. Must fix that...

Random thought*: Does anyone else really miss X-style copy'n'paste, even in the very lovely WindowsXP(TM)(C)(R)(MCMXCIII) ?

*okay, very random. I need more sleep... obviously...
Also: need food NAR...

I am going to be very sore in the morning... just paid a visit to the local swimming emporium. If there's such a thing as pre-pain, I've got it now. It's probably usually described as Severe Acute Unfit Bastard Syndrome, but pre-pain is snappier.

Also, if anyone fancies writing a 15-minute presentation for me, send it on an e-mither and I'll give it on Friday at about 12 o'clock. If you're in London, why not come along? It'll be fun! Or the opposite of fun. One of those two...

If anyone knows the location of Eoin, please can they send me his location by e-mail, carrier pigeon or warhead-free al-Samoud missile (you must be within 150km). Seeing as his brother hasn't a clue -- other than that he's probably in London(!) -- tip-offs regarding his whereabouts would be greatly appreciated.

Reports of him being seen riding a donkey in Islamabad remain unconfirmed. The Tora Bora cave complex is another possibility. (I hasten to add that, at the time of last sighting, Eoin was not a terrorist, Arab or Irish.)

Does it strike anyone else that the Personality Identification Playing Cards are the thin end of a huge niche-market wedge...? What about customised cards of you and your mates? Fuck it: what about custom card hierarchies full stop?! Wanker (W) of Hearts beats a pair of one-eyed Cunts (C); trump card's the Git (G) of Twats.

And if you nick this idea -- I'm looking at YOU, Bloomfield -- I know where you live...

Finally got around to getting my odd hairstyle pruned today. I am no longer blonde.The rationale was that I would no longer be stupid... Not so easy to prove, that bit, but it's early days. Soon l'll be adding two numbers together on a calculator with the best of them!

Also, I'm not at a sporadically-working telescope in New Mexico (cf James and Shaun), so I should be grateful for small mercenaries.

Once upon a time, the now-defunct oversite was used for just this purpose: i.e., keeping two people on the face of the Earth informed about what I'd been thinking and drinking for the past week. Now this Blogger thing has stepped in to save me the Hassle (TM) of writing a script to so exactly the same. Hurrah!