Well it's finally 2010. Contrary to my expectations the debris from the celebrations hasn't been too bad. It was suprising that so few fireworks were let off. At the appointed hour, there was a quick fusilade of rockets from the barbarians who live next door, but that shook the windows for only a few minutes before they ran out of ammunition and enthusiasm for standing in the cold night, and cold it was, almost clear skies lit by moonlight.

Officially Noble

Well that's it then. I am from this month the Most Honourable and Noble Lord Caldrail. I haven't made much of it other than writing about it in this blog, but I've noticed a few trends which are both interesting, saddening, and predictable.

Firstly, I had a library computer booked, and my name has already been changed in line withmy new found status. A woman was looking for a PC to use and stared at the display of my booking on the screen. Her face was a scream, it really was. She just couldn't take it in that a real live lord of the realm was about to use the computer. When I turned up and politely pointed out it was my turn to use it, she was even more astnished, expecting a tweed and brown leather country gentleman as opposed to a black leather jacket and military surplus trousers. We nobles have to move with the times too you know.

Secondly, my claims advisor was clearly unimpressed with my warning that my details would have to be changed. She means to make a huge joke of it (you can sort of tell) and has warned me in turn toexpect public embarrasement by way of hints. Actually, I don't think it makes any difference. I genuinely have the title now so if she wants to make a big deal of it, that's up to her. The joke will wear off for her too. I suspect I will always run into people who want to claim social superiority in a sort of reverse snobbery.

Officially Rubbish

For once I ignored my instincts and decided to watch the new years Dr Who special (The one where David Tennant does the right thing for his career by abandoning the role). Has anyone noticed how irredeemably awful that series is? FLASH! BANG WALLOP! Oh no, I've been stationary for two seconds, quick, lets run about a lot!

The music doesn't let up for a second. There's no time to savour the plot (because there isn't one) or consider the drama (because then you'd notice how over the top the acting is). Simply awful. What makes it worse are those prolongued tear-jerking moments when the dying Doctor wanders through time and space saying goodbye to everyone. Do I really want to see it all over again? Oh no, he's visiting someone else... Please, just do the right thing and die...

But of course, the Doctor doesn't. He simply regenerates into someone else every couple of years, so what he's getting all emotional about is beyond me.

Sheer unadulterated rubbish. So what if it's popular? So were Bananarama...

Officially Criminal

On the news last night I hear the government wants to expand it's fining system for minor criminal behaviour. Can anyone see just how loathsome that practice is? Instead of punishing criminals who make life bad for everyone else, the government want to tax them and make more of us liable to those fines. It's so greedy and cynical it's little short of criminal.

Bright End of the Week

It's a nice day. Bright sunshine, birds singing, everyone too wasted from the night before to fill the town with noisy mischief. What a pleasant change. It's been like that for a couple of days now, though this morning we were left with a carpet of snow from the night before.