In a previous life, I was a development DBA. Sorry that’s not quite true. My job title was ‘Persistence Architect’ for a J2EE application. The Oracle database wasn’t really considered to be a database. In fact, it wasn’t even considered to be a repository either. The database was merely a means of persisting objects. There was a swear box for the terms ‘Table’, ‘Column’, ‘Database’, ‘record, ‘schema’, ‘SELECT’ and bizarrely, ‘PMON’. This meant I had to resurrect the word ’tuple’. ...

A kind gentleman (on The Chameleons forums) once reviewed ‘Interpol’s ‘Antics’ thus: No thanks. If I want to listen to Joy Division, I will put ‘Unknown Pleasures’ on. A worthy review which introduced me to one of my favourite bands. He also followed up more recently by reviewing ‘The Back Room’ by The Editors as follows: No thanks. If I want to listen to Interpol, I will put ‘Antics’ on. The jury is still out on this one but worth listening to, I think. Thanks again. ...

I had a beautifully crafted draft that said… So MySpace has a staggering 55 million users (well 54 million angst ridden, teen blogs with garish colours, dodgy photos and flash animations galore) while the more recently launched WordPress.com has a mere 110,000 blogs but a far more discerning, perceptive, technically minded and intelligent user base. Quality not quantity. …but now I see the most popular WordPress tag is ‘LECTURES’ so maybe WordPress also has 109,998 students, a Microsoft blogging evangelist and me. ...

To the good people who were searching for answers and somehow blundered onto my blog, here is my considered response. excuse for no homework Sorry but please stay behind after class and write out 100 times ‘There is simply no excuse’. However, I sincerely hope you did indeed try your luck with my suggestion and would dearly love to know the outcome. robbie fowler four times fingers Hmm. Don’t tell me you turned off at half-time too ? ...

When you find typos in Dave Allen’s ‘Getting Thing Done’ book, it’s a little deflating. Your mind which was starting to feel like smooth, unrippled water, becomes more like a dripping tap. Why, I haven’t felt like this since I discovered Paul McKenna is losing all his hair despite the power of mind over matter. p46. ‘At at’ -> ‘And at’ p49. ‘intution’ -> ‘intuition’ Any may your God go with you.