From the Orient

I’ve been a bit dumb. How else can I explain how I’ve missed listening to the wonderful “6 music”:http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/ ?

Of course, now they’ve got the Hapless One, I’ve tuned in and found a wealth of good stuff. And if you missed the first Marc show, you can listen to his show, Rocket Science any time you want (until tomorrow I guess). It sounds very odd, him fronting the show, but he can play cool music, unlike the crud that was on Radio 1.

In other media news, Microsoft saw the threat that was “lugradio”:http://www.lugradio.org/ and tried to go one better with “Channel 9″:http://channel9.msdn.com/ (Scorchio!). Shame it’s crud and doesn’t work very well. The videos won’t play in my browser; I know the reason but don’t even want to bother to fix it. The ones I have seen are blokes talking to the camera. No point in that, might as well be radio show.

I’m filled with some springtime joy at the moment. I can’t locate the source (except for the demise of “Arsenal”:http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/champions_league/3593083.stm perhaps) but maybe this year my garden is showing real signs of promise and the sunshine/showers combination bring light and freshness. Last night I planted 150 little plug plants. I shall carefully tend them of the next couple of months. They are my new babies.

Here is a little of something I see everytime I leave my front door. The colours are stunning in real life.

Our next door neighbours still have their concreate yard and brown 6 foot fence. I’m just happy I can’t see it.

Sci-Fi is “bringing back Farscape”:http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/art-main.html?2004-04/05/17.00.sfc

bq. SCI FI announced it will be bringing back Farscape with an all-new miniseries — called Farscape: Peacekeeper War — slated to air in the fourth quarter of this year. The four-hour miniseries picks up where the cliffhanger series finale left off and will reunite John Crichton (Ben Browder), Aeryn Sun (Claudia Black) and the rest of the Moya crew.

“Every American I’ve ever met has been, without exception, polite, interested, tolerant, thoughtful and sensitive.” He stabs his steak with a hint of venom. “It’s a very forward-moving, scientifically rigorous, challenging, adventurous, exploratory nation. And it’s suddenly ruled by this narrow band of inward-thinking, self-regarding, anti-intellectual idiots who live entirely for money. I hate that.” [via "Mad Musings":http://www.madmusingsof.me.uk/archives/007437.php]

“Bill Bailey”:www.bill-bailey.co.uk, part troll, part very intelligent thoughtful human who I’m going to have the priviledge of seeing live in June

A good day for sport.

Firstly, and most importantly, United beat Arsenal in the cup semi (still unbeaten in my lifetime) in a typically tense game. It came down to who wanted it more, and I was never sure Arsenal wanted it at all; resting Henry, missing clear sitters at the start of the game and spending more time arguing with the referee (shouldn’t dive so much and then refs will give you more). After 30 minutes I was confident we would win. Confident until they brought Henry on, that is. Arsenal ended with 5 forwards, we ended with none.

Then, Reading beat Pardew’s West Ham 2-0 (at the same time so I couldn’t go or watch it on TV), and finally on a tip from John Madejski, I picked Clan Royal each way in the Grand National and it came second. Pretty soon, I’ll have lost my shop in a gambling orgy.

Episode 4 is out now. I made a lovely little button for it, and you can use it to show your appreciation of the show.

btw, I can neither confirm nor deny that Aq knows me, it depends whether he is willing to forgive me for stealing all his ciggies that time.