Navel gazing and bad manners

Well I finally got around to doing some tablet weaving at the weekend. It's very easy once you get everything strung up. There was plenty of swearing during the stringing process however. Turning the fan off helped qquite a bit. I've done mypractice bit and I'll maybe post pictures later inthe week. I know it's not exciting, but I got a kick out of it.

We didn't do a whole lot el;se this weekend, mostly due to typhoon strength rain. It has let up today but word ont he street is that it's coming back. We didn't go jogging, so I can't report on my progress this week.

James hasn't shown up for work today. He sounded very down last time I spoke to him and that's quite understandable. Jamie also sems pretty down since Uber Boss John left. James, if your're reasding this, and I know you do, navel gazing isn't the answer. Get back on the horse boy. Incidentally, you should have come on Friday. I know it was expensive but it was a buffet and we ate more than is good for anyone. We also drank a lot of beer. And the Dragon showed up, admittedly it was late, but she was there. And Kally became the wicked witch of the far east because she promised Abba she would take her to 101 and then couldn't because it was closed.

As I type this Jim has actually shown up. So ignore the last paragraph.

I've been thinking about basketball hoops. Why do they need a net underneath? It has a hole in it. The ball just goes straight through. The net is superfluous isn't it? Don (American) says that is all started with fruit baskets. I'm not sure this explains the superfluous net though.

The BBC is reporting today that nearly half of British empolyers are intending to make workers redundant within the next year. Isn't Tony Blair's Britain great?

A man has been found wandering around Kent in the SE England, dressed in a formal suit, very wet and confused. He was taken to a hospital where he has been unable to speak. He did however draw a picture of a piano and the hospital staff took him tot he chapel where he apparently played the piano for serveal hours. The hospital staff still know know nothing about this guy other than the fact that he is an accomplished pianist. This sounds like too good a story to be genuine. The media are already drawing parallels with films. Click.

A school in Bend (Bend!?) Oregon, has handed out a detention to a 14 year old girl for hugging her boyfriend in a corridor and started a row in the process. Now I think this is interesting. I can remember geting caught in the biology lab with a young lady by Mrs Loveday when I was about 15. What's the problem? It wasn't like I had her bent over the desk or anything, we were just acting like all 15 year olds do. The school in question (the one in Bend, not mine), Sky View Middle School, claims, "all we're trying to do is create an environment that's focused on learning, and learning proper manners is part of that". Manners? It's bad manners to hug someone? This must be some cultural thing I'm not aware of. Sounds to me more like 40-something middle school teachers in Oregon aren't getting any, and the sight of teenage affection is frustrating/embarrassing. Mrs Loveday didn't look like she was getting any either. I mean seriously, what's the problem with it? Click.