Ive not had time to really update anything recently but there's a very good reason for that. I think most people know by now but my big BIG news is that I'm going to become a father !!!!!!!!!!!!!! wooooooooooooooo
Oh yes... its true......
scary but true.
Things have been rather distracted but very interesting lately and I'm sure they'll get more interesting. As long as the little thing will like visiting stone circles then we'll be fine.
At least there''ll be no shortage for toys around the house, which there aren't now but there'll be even more for me/he/she to play with !!! HURRAH.
Anyway it's my 30th birthday today which is also scary and fun so I'm off to drink tea then drink other stuff later on.
seey'all soon
ps -the expected time of arrival is 3 june 2003

Just got back from mental week on the southern edge of the Sinai Desert in Egypt learning to dive.Incredibly HOT !!!!! Unbelievably so in fact- and this is the cold end of the season. I couldnt even imagine August !!
Very tired at present so more stories and pics soon but suffice to say many many fish- no jellyfish but as I was diving this maybe not a bad thing. Swam with a stingray and pufferfish and saw an octopus hiding under a rock !!!! cool.....

I'm now a qualified diver which is fun and plan more dives soon. Beccy couldnt dive as she had a cold and her ears woudl have xploded but she had a cool time too. We haggled over camels and taxis as is the norm and fed little crabby things popping out of holes while we ate a meal at a beachside restaurant.

I had a video made of my diving by a guy who worked on the Blue Planet and its very cool so hopefully I'll play it to a few of you folks. If poss it would be ncie to stream it from this site but need techie help to do that but maybe.......

Anyway more stories in a day or so... off to rest and then bring Maisie the dragon back home......

If you fancy reading my review of a beautiful neolithic site we visited today on our holiday on Dartmoor read away !!

We're having a fab holiday and are off to the Eden Project on Thursday of which I will tell all soon...

I've just had the spirit of Peter Gabriel surgically removed from my ear, as it was starting to annoy me with it's quasimystical folk rock vibes. And also, he was forever strapping on bizarre and unwieldy costumes and these were often so large that they restricted my hearing. There came a time when I had to whisper to Gabriel, 'Sorry mate, you've got to go. Move into a B+B or something but you're not welcome in my aural cavity anymore.'

www.sodaplay.com
go here and play with the most incredible artificial intelligence type thing EVER !!
you can create your own creatures from wire framed models then place them in the virtual zoo arena and watch how they sit and move !!!
It isn't the simplest system to use but if you're interested in biology and/or physics you can't fail to be amazed by the system.
I've just spent a happy making a cube with horns that wibbles along the floor (very amateurishly but most enjoyable)
It's all free and very clever stuff.
If you make one please email it to me so I can look at it !!

GIANT SQUID FOUND !!!

Read this for info on a monster squid that's been discovered in the ocean. COOL !!......

Did everyone hear about Maggie Thatchers head being chopped off this week ??!!!
Well unfortunately only the bust was decapitated not the scheming crow herself but it's a start !!
All hail Sir Paul Kelleher who did this fantastic act.

He says he HAS to plead not guilty as he's been charged with criminal damage and he says hes not a criminal so he cant plead guilty; shows that this man has a very shrewd mind and must be saluted !!

I think i f charges of criminal damage were to be brought they should get the head out of the basket, show it on Crimewatch and see what response they get from the general public. I'm sure if we work together we can all track down the apostolic hag and show her what true justice is !!!!!!!!!

I had an amazing experience this afternoon at the opening ceremony of the Imperial War Museum Of The North
I was lucky enought to be asked along to the first day of opening and it's not something I'll forget in a hurry.

Anyone even remotely near Manchester must visit this musueum as it has the most moving and simple exhibits bringing home the experiences of so many people in many different wars from 1900 to now.

The building was designed by the famous architect Daniel Liebeskind and is a bizarre silvery structure with a really abstract and twisted shape. Go along and be amazed and horrified in equal amounts

My Plan for the Big Brother house is that they switch the cameras off as soon as the contestants went into the house then the nation quietly pisses itself ,safe in the knowledge that they'll all be inside looning and gurning with their inane histrionics thinking that the country is

A -Watching their every move with voyeurish fascination
and
B - That we give a toss if they live or die.

Neither of which is true.

When they are finally evicted one by one a taped announcement from Davina (who is actually snorting coke from a midgets left buttock in the Met Bar) comes over the tannoy and they pack their silly little travel case and troop outside to what they expect will be a cavalcade of cheers and whoops but what is actually just an empty compound with maybe a bored cleaning lady sweeping coke cans across the concrete. A Security guard points to the exit and they give them enough money to get the bus back to reality.
This is just an idea. maybe the organisers will be brave enough to try this version of reality tv next year, though I suspect they wont !!!!!!

Welcome to my world. This will just be a place where I can waffle in complete safety, without fear that anyone can say ' Ian, I think it's about time you shut up' or 'Ian, I'd love a cup of tea !'
If you don't wish to read what's here it would be just a click to clear me from your screen and go and do something less boring instead , turn it off's not good to me, WhY Don't you... (oooh went a bit BBC there, sorry)

Anyway... that's the gist, so sorted guvnor. My manifesto is now apparent, however flimsy it may be.