A few things happened this weekend: NASA flew the X-43A at over seven times the speed of sound or a shade over 5000mph. It’s significant not just because of the speed but it’s the first aircraft to use a ‘scramjet’ rather than a conventional turbine. Some posh blokes beat some other posh blokes in a boat race. As a spectator sport it’s probably as disappointing as watching someone mow a lawn. Hours of build up, people crowding the banks of the Thames, huge amounts of beer drunk, people who have never been to either Oxford or Cambridge waxing lyrical about the weight of one or others cox, and it’s all over in about 30 seconds as the boats race past like someone has surreptitiously added a Mercury 150 to the back. Some friends came round for dinner. Last night I watched Judge Dredd for the umpteenth time and wondered again what might have been. Never has a production team taken such well defined source material and dropped a bullock in quiet so spectacular a way. Did anyone involved in the movie actually read a copy of 2000AD? Well someone did because on occasion it teases you with images lifted straight from the original comic strip but then the script forgets what’s going on. And can some shoot Rob Schneider!

As an adjunct to the entry about certain gadgets giving you sex appeal, it looks like working for the right company has the same effect. I don't think anyone has polled the ladies in Reading yet....

Is anyone surprised to find that many chicken tikka masala dishes contain potentially dangerous levels of colourants, especially tartrazine and sunset yellow? Some of ones I've seen couldn't possibily have come from nature, almost like someones added Sunny Delight or empted a childs chemistry set.

Izzy the Hungarian Vizsla is one year old today. Happy birthday!!

This morning I thought that rather than using the car to get to Reading I’d take the train. A change is a good as rest as they say and it gives me the opportunity to catch up on some reading, relax with some tunes and write this blog. At the Barnes end I’m ten minutes walk from the station and today the sun was shining, also I don’t have to worry about getting from the station at the other end as there’s a free bus. The downer though is the time it takes, about 2 hours door to door which for 35 miles seems a bit silly but is par for the course for in this part of world. A return ticket is £9, which isn’t too bad and the M Coupe will easily use that much petrol without too much encouragement. At £35 a First Class ticket is frankly ridiculous, but I suppose it keeps the riff raff out… Oh and check this out. If you watch Channel 4 you’ll understand. Seeing Richard and Judy use the F-word is class.

The BBC have just announced who the new Dr Who will be. Inspired choice I reckon.

Imagine my surprise this morning when I got a letter from previous employer proudly telling me that I've been enrolled in their company health scheme for the next twelve months, as a valued member of staff you understand. Whilst I have no problem with them being generous (odd how it only happened once I'd left) they must be a bit suspicious as I haven’t turned up for work for the last eight months. A number of possibilities strike me. They feel so guilty about driving me away they want to make sure my health isn’t affected. Someone forgot to complete the paperwork or their internal systems suck. Bets anyone?

Oh dear. It looks like anyone in the UK using an iPod in conjunction an iTrip is breaking the law. As a short range (make that very short range) FM transmitter it contravenes the 1949 Wireless Telegraphy Act.

Interesting. After typing that I realised you might not find it interesting at all.

For those of you who don't know yet, a Spot Watch can make you sexy.

As the dollar is cheap at the moment I picked up an iPod Mini from Apple. It is by far the the sexiest portable player you can get, even more so than it's bigger brother and shows that good design is key when making small devices, a lesson some manufacturers have yet to understand. The Click Wheel is genuis and 4Gb is more than enough space for morals like me. I also splashed out on an iTrip as well so I can use the iPod in the car, especially useful as I keep forgetting to change the CDs in the boot.

After reading Ed's blog entry about the MS Exchange team and their blog (it can get really confusing in the blogsphere at times), I've been thinking about the position companies will take as more and more of employees get the blogging habit. Personally I've not had anyone at MS question my use of blogging and I think anyone who reckons MS uses it's employee personal blogs as a secret PR tool has been sniffing way too much Columbian Marching Powder, besides I'd give up blogging tomorrow if someone told me what I could and couldn't say. Companies should not be scared of employees conversing with people via blogs. If the conversations are honest, balanced and fair what's to be frightened of?

After 24 hours of travel the skiing party has successfully returned to Blighty. Fortunately all the luggage turned up this time as Debs was sans baggage for 36 hours on the way out. All eight of us had a fantastic time and the plan is to return next year with probably a few more people in tow. I'm going to need to get some practise in as I suspect that after six years my feet are not made for ski boots and I'll probably switch to the single wider plank, the boots are much more comfortable. As is the tradition with such auspicious events the last evening was "Kangaroo Court" night with the handing out of various awards and citations for all things snow related. So without further ado here are the winners: Wipe Out of the Week Award Ironically that was me. I crashed particularly well on the first run down Whistler, but the corker was when I went down one section of piste on my arse for about 50 yards. Saves skiing down it I suppose. Best Air, or Best Phat Air Award Dave C spend most the week traversing across the slopes looking for any bump he could find in attempt to leave the ground. No bump or lump in the snow was too small in Dave's search for 'Phat air'. Tallest Story Award Good 'ol Steve L. Fresh from a contract to front a new series of 'Jackanory' he never missed an opportunity to regale us with his tales of 'derring do'. Black runs, off piste, you name it he did it. Strangely there were no witnesses. Best Dressed Award Jeremy D famous for is stories about Concorde is also now famous for his lack of dress sense. 1970 purple ski pants anyone? Fastest Ski-Dooer Award Due to Steve and Jeremy's propensity for over embellishment this has to go to Dave G. The mere mention of his name brings back the heady smell of two stroke. Best Off Piste Award As Steve L excluded himself from this award (see above) this has to go to Karen G and Debbie G (no relation). How they missed the trees no one knows and no one dare ask, this includes rumours of a porno shoot. Sian Lloyd Award for Judging the Weather No matter what predictions he made they were wrong. Directions, cost, time spend it didn't matter Paul B was always wide of the mark. But this was naught compared to how wrong he got the weather. Git Award This goes to the 'Twat in the Tandoori' who due to his appalling singing and inability to hold his shandy giving us Brits a bad name. Wanker! The Law Breaker Award Jeremy D's competitivness always lands him in trouble and I'm sure the Police Officer on the I99 will agree after pulling him for speeding. Will he never learn? Excuses Award This was obviously going to either Jeremy D or Steve L for their wobbly grasp on reality and it was a split decision for Jeremy's "I actually have adjustable bindings" after Paul B had shown him the way home down the slalom (twice) and Steve's admission that "I can only use one edge". Both truely feeble. Class fellas. The 2004 Whistler Ski Holiday Award This has to go to Jeremy D for organising the trip and his ability to weave Concorde, trains and his Subaru into every conversation regardless of subject. Nice one chap.

Who said America was an irony free zone? Who next IBM?

Whistler Here I am effectively in the Canadian hinterland and I can still find DSL access to the information interstate, yet some towns and villages spitting distance from London can’t get better than 56K dialup. Someone at BT should hold their heads in shame. Anyway after throwing myself down a hill for four days I thought I spend sometime in Blogland to let you know what a fantastic place Whistler is. Lots of snow…it started snowing last night and hasn’t stopped since, cheap prices, friendly locals and some of the best views in the world at the top of Whistler and it’s sister mountain Blackcomb, when it’s not snowing of course. My skiing is still as crap as I remember and on one occasion I fell and slid all the way to the bottom of the section of piste I was on, much to the hilarity of my fellow skiers. It didn’t help that I still believe that ski boots must contravene at least a dozen human rights conventions on torture or somesuch and the person who invents comfy boots will make a fortune…maybe I’ll give it a go. I still in half a mind to give it up and try snowboarding, at least the boots are kinder on your feet. There’s always ski-dooing (if that’s the way to spell it) which is great fun, especially when on a frozen lake and there’s no trees to crash in to. You do end up smelling a little of two stroke but what a small price to pay for such a great experience. After a week in Seattle and a week here I’m beginning to wonder what the appeal of England is especially in and around London. It’s got me thinking that’s for certain. Mars As a complete change of subject I’ve seen a few pieces on the proposal by the Bush administration to put a man on Mars. Whilst for some it’s nothing more than attempt by Bush Junior to catch a few column inches (it is an election year after all), it has set off a debate that will run for sometime or at least until a man leaves a footprint on the Martian surface. What ever the technological hills that need climbing it’s for nought compared to the financial one, which is currently estimated to be in the region of $600 billion. However anyone with even a fragile grasp on financial planning knows that this is a monstrous underestimate, the International Space Station has for instance soaked up about $100 billion on a initial predication of $8 billion with nothing to show for it. Using that method of booking keeping NASA’s Martian plans could run into the trillions of dollars which even for a president desperate to look good in the run up to the November bun fight would find hard to swallow, although as one commentator points outs any promises Bush makes now about Mars it won't be his administration that picks the bill.