Don't worry, I got this one too

So remember that thing in Lyon last summer? Well I have to go to a
follow up thing in Strasbourg. I know, you can get the next one!
Actually you could have taken this one if you'd said. It's going to be
way scarier! And I've about 80 pages of documents to read on the train
before I even get there! Sheesh.

With work, essays and exams I haven't blogged in ages and worse still
I haven't put on my photo a day up in two months. Upon my return I'll
make it up to you.

Yes, I might have said that before. But travelling does bring out good
stories!

Coalition

I'm coming out of this mini blogging break (I know, just call me Stephen Fry) because it seems like on a day when your government changes you should. Three years ago I watched as the helicopter followed the Prime Minister as he made his way to resign to HRH. Today I watched it again (but this time on the glorious BBC).

Poor old Gordon eh? I always remember the joke Ian Hislop made, maybe about a year after he became PM, that it was terrible to have waited all your life for your dream job only to discover you're crap at it. I hope history is kinder to him than the media have been.

I think tonight he showed a lot of dignity. And in the last few days of the election he showed way more passion than I'd ever seen in him. And fair play to him for keeping his children out of it all, because I'd say they could have won a votes by themselves.

It looks like there's going to be interesting times ahead. For me it's starting on a positive note - I've always liked the name David.

But you still better handle us with care.

Sad news indeed

It was rumoured to be happening for a while but this week Adrian Chiles announced he was leaving the BBC and The One Show. I'm more than a little sad about this. I think the BBC messed it up rightly with their obsession with Chris Evans and I can hardly blame Adrian Chiles for leaving. It just makes it worse that he's going to ITV. For four years! This made me even sadder because I realised that he wouldn't be involved in the BBC coverage of 2012. I know, I'm a long term thinker about the Olympics, but he was brilliant on Olympic Breakfast in Beijing.

Can't help but feel you will be updating this page soon BBC. Or maybe just deleting it.

I prefer to remember Adrian in happier times. (Once again, I ask that you don't mention my shoulder abnormalities.)

I did it, but I did not do my essay (yet)

Hopefully you're reading this on my all new layout? Do you like it? I think I do, although there are a lot of things that need sorting out. Like in the archives, pink is still the colour for my early posts. And I'm not sure about the columns, I might go back to two. But otherwise, I like the change to blue, I like the photo and I like the little tabs at the top. Blogger in draft is pretty cool.

So what say you?

Volcanoes were one of the few things I understood in Geography

Did anyone see this coming? I mean, anyone? I for one have never heard that planes can't fly through volcano ash. I mean they can fly through thunderstorms where lightning can actually hit a plane and nothing. No big deal. But apparently a bit of volcano ash can bring the whole thing down. Who knew? Yes, ok, air traffic people and airplane people. But what ordinary, non-geek knew that?

At the start it was all a bit of a lark, but now, with no real end in sight, it's just annoying for everyone trying to get somewhere. You kind of forget how reliant we are on planes. And it's everyone that's affected. Even me. I'm not trying to go anywhere, and I'm not stuck anywhere. But my Time magazine, my much loved Saturday morning read, did not arrive today. Sure, some would argue it's not quite being stuck in an airport with no money, no bed and no idea when you'll get out, but I like to think I took one for the team too this morning.

This BBC article tells of the areas affected and it mentions how Obama has had to cancel the trip to Poland and Merkel had to get a bus from Italy back to Germany. But then it just throws in the fact that Whitney Houston had to get the ferry from Britain to Ireland. Hilarious.

You can just see her running up the stairs to try to get a good seat, one with a clean window and chewing gum not worked in to the upholstery. Having to listen to where her nearest muster station is. Then going for a walk out on deck with her big Hollywood oversized sunglasses. Then going to the shop to get a deal on some perfum. Or a big bag of M&Ms, then discovering that they have all the colours in them, not just the brown ones as is per her rider.

Oh come on, who doesn't love a Whitney Houston/ferry joke once in a while?!