I was just quietly unloading the dishwasher this morning, when my 10 year old daughter enters the kitchen and screams: ‘HE’S DEAD, DAD, HE’S DEAD. LOOK DAD. HE’S DEAD !’ Sure enough, Chewy, the 18 month old gerbil had got himself wedged in a Xmas wrapping paper tube. Being slightly narrower than a toilet roll, the poor thing had wedged himself in and was absolutely motionless with his bottom sticking out of one end. ...

Well it’s been a while but tomorrow I will be resuming my battle with BAA security staff as I pack my thermal underwear for a chilly Stockholm (near Sweden) where I am hoping the Queen’s husband will greet me at the hotel reception. I am giving a presentation (sorry, facilitating a workshop) imaginatively titled ‘Managing Siebel on Oracle’. This should be fun as this is completely new material and should include a lots of hands on practical work which inevitably will provoke a lot of questions and discussion. ...

Djibril Cisse (tattooed neck, ridiculous shaved head) celebrating his superb, individual, match winning goal (err, well, a converted penalty) in front of the Gallowgate End at St James Park by removing his shirt to remove a grubby white vest declaring his undying love for his wife, his cat, God, Robbie Fowler, his late gerbil and dearly departed Lady Diana, Queen of Our Hearts. After all, I mean, his last goal was last year (28 December 2005) so that vest must absolutely stink.

Since the Regulus theme was added to WordPress last November, I have stuck with it through thick and thin, for richer for poorer, through sickness and in health. Lots of themes have subsequently been introduced to Wordpress and I always preview each of them but none of them look as easy on the eye and as functional as Regulus. However, I must say that the recently added ‘Andreas04’ theme is very attractive and had me dithering for a moment. You can see this theme in action, down under, at squash.wordpress.com, by Phil Sim, who was obviously similarly impressed.

I am not going to report on the “Starting From Zero” meme again until day 666, with no more intermediate steps along the way. I am tired of the project, personally, and it’s obviously driving others mad, too.