Today I had two comments from pals that are miffed with the absence of anything fresh on my blog. So I thought I might get on and write one.

New stuff: I have finally relented and got an IPhone and I have to say it is possibly the best invention since the mobile phone, MP3 player, Play Station Portable, Internet radio, pocket TV, PDA or maybe all of these things put together. It still doesn't stop me from loathing Apple's personal computers, but if they stick to this portable media stuff they will rule the world. I am worried about it's fragility in a way that I haven't really been about any previous mobile phone. It somehow just seems more personal. The bazillion applications that are on it keep me constantly occupied with news, podcasts, strategy games, books, music. With one of these devices the western world need never trouble itself with time for introspective thought or mental tranquility.





In recent years, well the last two in the UK anyway, I have oft lamented the absence of real seasons. But this year it will be different instead of the grey and rainy season and the very grey and very rainy season, we will have had the "February was 'king freezing!" season. On Tuesday February 3rd I was actually told to work from home. How morose I was, as I beavered away testing the Internet, discussed some reconciliation application bugs with my baby daughter and worked out that if only I didn't have to pay tax for all the people that get to do this every day and all the people in government that might as well do this every day what a happy and less overdrawn chap I would be. This is the first time that weather has ever prevented me from getting to work.
This was the sort of event that I craved every winter as a child when I saw the first white puffs falling in the morning, my nose pressed against the window pane, rubbing away the condensation to see the snowflakes melting against the glass and laying a thin white velvet sheet over the garden. Please don't stop, just another few inches, two feet of snow and they will surely close the school. But it never happened, well not until now. But now I have a taste for it. Once a year, just for a day or so, I could live with a repeat experience.






On to a less pleasant matter. The British Government recently banned Dutch MP Geert Wilders, the maker of the film Fitna, from entering the UK as it was felt that his presence would cause outrage among Muslims living here.

Having watched the film, I think it is sensationalist, but nowhere near as sensationalist as say..... blowing up London buses or flying planes into the World Trade Center. I think perhaps the Muslims that are offended by this film should ask themselves what they really find offensive about it and direct their angst against the fundamentalists that support just the sort of actions which Geert Wilders highlights in his film.

One of my dearest and closest friends, Anas, is a Muslim. One of the things that makes him such a great guy is that his warmth, humanity, decency and honesty come before his religion or any other beliefs. If only everyone was like that.