Daily-Column

I live! Just. Stuff has been happening, but nothing blog-worthy (or blog-able), and no ponderous thoughts have been appearing either, which leads to a general twiddling of thumbs. So what does one do when one has nothing to discuss? One… talks about the weather. And can I just say once more, it is bloody freezing up in this joint. When the footpath is covered in a thin layer of frost-ice in the morning, and your breath mists instantly even during midday, it’s cold. When you’re walking to work at dawn and the sun sets shortly after lunch, you know it’s not exactly cheer-inducing. ...

(Ed: backdated for lack of internet access) Perhaps the best demonstration that England was the place where the train was invented, pioneered, is the sheer number of lines and stations that criss cross the capital - the Underground aside, there is at least 10 ‘main line’ stations just within the Underground’s ‘Zone 1’, nominally the centre of the city. How is this proof? Only early on would the unplanned, disconnected system have been sensible - the better for the many nascent companies to compete; allowing our customers to change to a competitor simply a way of throwing money away. The evolution of thought is reflected in the ‘grand central’ stations of the colonies - Sydney Central, Melbourne’s Spencer St Southern Cross, Delhi Central, New York’s Grand Central - single stations marshalling points for the assorted destinations serviced. ...

There is a chill in the air that is undeniable now, a distinct snap to the edge of the wind that makes it much too tempting to stay indoors at all times. It was exactly a year ago that I was leaving London for home, glad to be escaping the creeping cold and dark that I’d experienced for the first time - this year though, there’s no such quick escape. ...

May contain spoilers! Heroes Heroes is back! I had a fear that this would be somewhat like the second season of Lost, where more and more plot elements were going to be added until it was all an addled mess that wanders around and goes nowhere; up until this week’s episode, that fear wasn’t too far from being proven true. But this week, they bought it back, and threw in a cute little twist to boot. I likey. There was no sign of the Alejandro-Maya-Sylar plot thread, which was a relief (can a character get more annoying than Maya or a plot thread more predictable than theirs?), but it inevitably means an extended sequence next episode. ...

Think some celebrations are entirely random? You wait till you see Bonfire Night (a.k.a. Guy Fawkes Night) in England. Remember, remember the Fifth of November, The Gunpowder Treason and Plot, I know of no reason Why Gunpowder Treason Should ever be forgot. The last four days or so - since Halloween really - fireworks have been going off around London, from various spots. Tonight, they’re celebrating in earnest, with fireworks going off pretty much everywhere, even from backyards. ...