Only a few days now and everything will be back to normal. I've got eleven letters waiting to be posted to poetry editors and an upcoming interview at the jobcentre on Jan 10th.

It's been a bit quiet on the blog site during the holiday period. For the most part I've managed to maintain the twice daily regularity of my posts; apart from a couple of occasions when I only did a single entry because I was out of the house for most of the day.

The 'A' Team
Auf Wiedersehen, Pet
Babylon 5
Banacek
Battlestar Gallactica
Bergerac
Bionic Woman
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
Catweazle
Charlie's Angels
Citizen Smith
Columbo

There's still a lot of the alphabet left to explore.

I've been spending some time online accessing the video libraries of National Geographic and The History Channel. The videos tend to be short clips designed to entice you into subscribing to their premium services. Nonetheless they are still interesting and informative, and there are a lot of them.

Walking in virgin snow or autumn leaves.

Walking barefoot on the beach.

Feeling the texture of different surfaces.

Lying on the grass, looking up at the passing clouds and imagining seeing all sorts of different shapes and images.

Holding a well-balanced pen in my hand.

One of the highlights of the year has been my five month long employment placement at the boating and educational charity at Thorne. I know I was in effect working for significantly less than minimum wage, but I enjoyed my time there, having several training opportunities to go on the barge.

My other personal highlight was, of course, getting online and starting blogging.

However, at the beginning of the year I was lost, lonely and unemployed: unfortunately nothing has changed. In 2005 I haven't been hugged, or kissed or held hands with anyone. No-one has said she loves me and no-one has congratulated me on a job well done.

I wonder what 2006 will bring.

I've been spending quite a bit of time on the ABC Lost Forum again and have finally found out what crime Kate committed which resulted in her becoming a fugitive.

In the US they are well into the second series of the show and viewers over there have already seen that there are other survivors from the crash on the island, there are more enigmatic disclosures about the mysterious hatch, the likelihood of a connection with a strange religious cult and even possibly what caused the plane to crash in the first place.

After watching last night's show I have only one more episode of the first series to watch. I hope Channel 4 have already purchased the rights for the second series.

1...The installation of speed cameras and general traffic calming measures - they do reduce the numbers of accidents and fatalities at the specific locations where they're sited, but I don't believe they have any postive effects on overall numbers nationally. The locations of accidents are just moved to other sections of the road network.

2...Fish quotas - what's the point of conserving fish stocks when there'll be no fishing industry in the future to exploit the replenished seas?

3...Policies to counter the effects of global warming - I'm not convinced that global warming is actually occurring, and even if it is it won't necessarily be detrimental to mankind. Additionally I don't think that climate change is caused by human activity (and anyhow there's probably nothing we can do about it anyhow.) Governments have a duty of care for people alive now and shouldn't be worrying about the concerns of future geneartions; there are enough problems to contend with in 2005.

I woke up this morning to the first significant snowfall of the winter. Already there are news reports coming in of blocked roads and public transport delays and cancellations. This is nothing unusual; if it weren't for the fact that we're in the middle of the Christmas holidays there'd be details of all the local schools and community centres closed as well.

Of course, because heavy snowfall is such a rare occurrence in this part of England it's a difficult decision for the authorities in deciding how much money, time and resources to invest in snow-clearing equipment which might only be used very infrequently. None the less though, a lot of people are severly inconvenienced by the bad weather.

At the moment I'm defragmenting the 'C' drive on my computer (10% completed). I don't really understand the concept but have been told that I need to do it every few weeks in order to maximise efficiency. The process takes quite a long time though. Fortunately I've not had any major problems since getting this computer six months ago.

At the moment I'm defragmenting the 'C' drive on my computer (10% completed). I don't really understand the concept but have been told that I need to do it every few weeks in order to maximise efficiency. The process takes quite a long time though. Fortunately I've not had any major problems since getting this computer six months ago.

The Unknown Hancock - he died nearly forty years ago.

Under The Greenwood Tree - written by Thomas Hardy in the middle of the nineteenth century.

True Grit - a western made in 1969.

Celebrate Oliver! - songs from the musical based on the Dickens novel, Oliver Twist.

Robin's Nest/The Morecambe & Wise Christmas Show/George & Mildred/Tommy Cooper's Christmas Show - dating from 1973 to 1981.

It's enough to turn you to drink!

At least I'll be able to watch 'Minority Report' though, a decent sci-fi film.

Yes - The Rolling Stones
No - The Beatles

Yes - Paul McCartney
No - John Lennon

Yes - Rugby union
No - Rugby league

Yes - Dark chocolate
No - Milk chocolate (I'll still eat it though)

Yes - Tea
No - Coffee

So, it's Christmas Day and I'm up for 05:30 again; pretty much the same as any other day of the year. In a few hours' time I'll be walking to my friend's house for Christmas lunch. I won't be staying too late though because he's got to work the nightshift tonight from 08:00 p.m. until nine o'clock in the morning...thirteen hours, arranged at little more than twenty four hours' notice.

I was walking around town the other day and I noticed how important the use of models is in advertising. Clothes, glasses, toiletries and cosmetics; even food, are all promoted using the human form - and all the models are very handsome/beautiful. Personally I don't relate to advertising this way (at least, not positively); I can only visualise the product and its features, and not what its purchase could possibly do for my image and social status - maybe I'm unusual in my reaction and attitude. I don't know.

I was watching a music TV channel a few days ago when Kate Winslet appeared on screen singing a song. she was pathetic, she's got a voice like scrawny seven year old girl. Why did she need to do this? It's not as though she needs the money.

Mason-Dixon Line - separates the Northern (Unionist) from Southern (Confederate) states in U.S.A. ...one of the possible origins of the word 'Dixie'.

Oder-Neisse Line - The border between Poland and Germany as drawn up at the Treaty of Versailles in 1919.

Thirty Eighth Parallel - the line of control established between the two halves of Korea in 1945. After the Korean War of 1950-1953 the de facto border between the two countries runs along the approximate line of the thirty eighth parallel as it crosses the peninsula.

Maginot Line - French eastern border defences; easily overrun and circumvented by the Germans in 1914.

Siegfried Line - German western defences. 'We'll be hanging out our washing on the Siegfried Line.' was the opening line from a popular music hall song of the Great War period.

Well, in terms of my boring life it was. I was out of the house for twelve hours. My friend left it too late to arrange home delivery of his groceries and so I met up with him at the supermarket and helped with locating the items on his shopping list and the bagging up (all eighteen bags). We then had a cup of tea in the cafe whilst waiting for the taxi.

Back at his house we had a bit of something to eat and watched a couple of videos, then walked down to another friend's house for her to look at some photos that had been taken the previous day.

It's always good to be spending time with other people.

Probation officers
Lawyers
Most of the jobs advertised in The Guardian newspaper.
Anyone who works for the BBC
Many Civil Service posts
Social workers with degrees rather than practical life experience.
People who manufacture or install speed cameras.

Sheffield - steel/cutlery
Nottingham - lace
Leicester - hosiery
Northampton - footwear
Grimsby - fish/fish fingers
Tadcaster/Burton-on-Trent - brewing
Barnsley - coalminimg
Pontefract - confectionery (liquorice)
York - confectionery (chocolate)
Crewe - railways
Stoke-on-Trent - pottery
Coventry - motor vehicles

As a child I was always aware of this industrial heritage, but most of today's children have completely lost any direct contact with a period of history that helped to make the modern world what it is now.

Saying 'headed' instead of 'heading' - a U.S. import.

Saying 'bought' instead of 'brought' - I don't know where this trend originated.

Failure to distinguish between count and non-count nouns - hence the incorrect use of 'less' instead of 'fewer'.

Whenever I watch news reports from Iraq the state of the roads and general infrastructure seems to be better than most areas of Doncaster, where I live.

Wherever in the world a camera crew turns up there's always someone who speaks English (and a fair chance that this person is a Manchester United supporter.)

I'm forty three years old. I was born in 1962 and people such as myself born in this year have experience of both metric and Imperial weights and measures, and both Sterling and decimal currencies. There's no surprise that I'm confused; certainly when it comes to the measurement and approximation of area I haven't got a clue. I'm slightly better with metric measurement and am comfortable with decimalisation. No more change though please! No Euro. No kilometres replacing miles, and no more imposition of politically correct language and practice...and definitely no more human rights tyranny.

Yesterday was the first really cold day of the winter; the temperature hardly reaching above freezing point. Consequently the house was cold and damp all day and the computer room so chilly that I had to sit at the keyboard actually wearing a coat.

HAIKU

rain pearled panes
transmuted bulb
an inside out dominion

Yesterday all three news channels that broadcast on Freeview seemed to be obsessed with the competing reality TV programme finals, The X-Factor and Strictly Come Dancing. How on Earth is this rivalry between two competing TV channels classified as important news? I've never watched either show and so don't know, or care about who the winners are.

Early yesterday evening I was walking to my friend's house and I noticed a very bright star in the south-western sky. I don't know what it was, most likely Venus I suppose...but it could have just as likely been the Star of Bethlehem or even the Star of David. A few hours later when I was walking home it wasn't there any more.

I needed to buy some batteries this morning, my wall clock stopped last night. For someone who's unemployed, has no regular schedule and plenty of time on my hands I seem to be obsessed with punctuality. Maybe I just need routine and order in my life.

I sent two email Christmas cards yesterday, one of them even with a musical accompaniment. I'm not sure how the process works because I didn't need to open my email account; I just typed in my email address. I hope they're not registered as junkmail in my friends' inboxes though.

All the adverts for cosmetic products with the outrageous scientific terminology and the women faking orgasms.

Jamie What's-his-name advertsing his bloody shaker (it's just a jam jar with a marble inside.)...is this actually a real advert though?

All the adverts for video games based on the latest cinema releases.

Generally speaking, the derogatory and sexist manner in which men are portrayed in some adverts.

DESERT ISLAND DISC

Late summer afternoon,
Walking along a path
From where I can't see the birds.

How tall I am in metric measurements.
How much I weigh in either metric or even just pounds (as used in U.S.)
What really motivates me.
What frightens me.
What my personal limits are.

I've just returned from a visit to the dentist; my regular six-monthly checkup. I required two fillings: the actual dental work didn't hurt at all but my jaw muscles are really aching. Because of the problems with my facial muscles, I struggle to open my mouth more than an inch and so it makes it hard work for both me and the dentist, and means that I'm dosed up with paracetamol and will probably end up lying down for an hour or so later this afternoon.

When I was in my twenties, as the result of a childhood accident, I needed extensive and prolonged dental procedures undertaking and so a regular scheduled appointment doesn't worry me in the least bit.

8 tins of baked beans
2 tins of new potatoes
2 tins of stewed steak
2 tins of rice pudding
1 tin of mushy peas
1 tin of processed peas
1 tin of garden peas
1 tin of broad beans
1 packet of instant mashed potato
gravy powder
powdered milk
salt
sugar
vinegar
a home-baked Christmas cake (baked by my mum)
a box of mince pies

So, I'm all prepared for Christmas.

Additionally I've also got food stored in my fridge/freezer.

I'm an avid follower of various conspiracy theories; they're great fun, but for the most part totally fabricated. However, I think some conspiracy theories may well have a grain of truth in there somewhere. Here's my list of subjects I'm keeping my eye on.

Dr. David Kelly (the government scientist working on the weapons of mass destruction report) - I'm not at all convinced he committed suicide, or, if he actually did, for the reasons stated.

Princess Diana - I don't know what the truth is, but I'm convinced what happened is part of a much larger conspiracy or cover-up.

Ancient history - we are not being told the truth; there are far too many anomalies and inconsistencies.

I spent about an hour in an online chatroom yesterday; the first time I've actually actively participated in one; previously I'd only ever visited forums. I was 'chatting' to people in the US, Canada and New Zealand. The service was easy to use, although I did need to ask people to explain some of the acronyms and short cuts they were using.