No update for a while. Sorry I've just been a lazy so-and-so...so I'll do a quick update in bite sized chunks or if I'm feeling lucid maybe more. Christmas was quiet for a change, no relatives and no hassle. I think I might be on to something. Which gave me the chance to finish Dan Brown's The Da Vinci code. It's full of great ideas all nicked from other places of course, but that's not the problem, it's the writing. Dan forgot he was writing a novel and wrote a film script (well a synopsis anyway) and a poor one at that as the plot sign posting is appalling. And the final puzzle if you don't solve it about twenty pages before the characters, and boy are they slow at times, then you should hold your head in shame. I can see what the fuss is about as the central ideas are really rather good but I can't help feeling it could have been sooooo much better. But hey what do I know...Dan's minted as a result of this book. As a Christmas treat I purchased a Denon DHT 500 SD home cinema based on the cracking reviews it's had, and lets be honest the price. Top piece of kit and without doubt the best all-in-on currently available. Which gave me the chance to watch all three extended versions of Lord of the Rings, which by my calculations weights in at almost twelve hours. But it is good, actually it's better than good, it's a Tour de Force. None of the extra bits seem casually bolted on and it answers some of the questions left unanswered by the theatrical releases, namely what happened to Sauruman for one and why was Boromir so keen to lay his hands on the Ring. I also found in the loft an old Squier Bullet I'd long since forgotten about and haven't strummed for about twenty years. Well some new strings and a good clean has changed all that and as I speak the fingers on my left hand are rather sore. Another chum of mine joins me and the growing number of ex Lotus employees at MS towers, now I'll have someone to play table football with. Welcome Mr Hollands. And lastly but by no means least the Indian Ocean disaster. If you haven't already given generously please do, and make sure the company you work for does so as well.