Big Keys Comparison by TechReady

A small moment of fame! I demonstrate a couple of specialist keyboards for my firm, www.techready.co.uk.

. I'm the sexy dude in the Sweden T-shirt, not him with the baseball hat (that's Gabriel and he's a numpty!!! But we'll forgive him)

Hazell Dean - Heart First

At 14, I had a mild crush on Hazell Dean - my sis used to rib me mercilessly cos of it.

So I was delighted to find this (gently remixed admittedly) gem of a track on Youtube. Soft dance, and a very early Stock Aitken Waterman production at a time when they were more Hi-NRG and creating to the gay crowd than strictly commercial. Like the lead sound in the middle 8.

Britain can't cope with the snow - SHOCKER

I'm sick of hearing how bad our council and transport systems cope in snowy weather.

We can't deal with hurricanes, and we don't have solar panels in our deserts either.

Hardly a surprise as we neither have hurricanes or deserts.

We don't get a lot of snow. Mostly we get no snow year in, year out. Scotland does, and that's why it deals with it as well as Germany and Sweden, countries which also get a yearly kerplunk of snow.

I wish people would stop whining and know that we in England especially, don't deal with snow because it simply isn't there most years to be dealt with.

Enjoy the white powdery stuff. This variety is cheaper than coke.

Snow

Some views from the house last night. The second one is of the back garden, where there are no streetlights. I find the high level of light pollution scary. Looks mightily ominous.

Protesting in Wooton Bassett

Just heard about the planned protest by Muslim groups in Wooton Bassett.

I really don't like the war in Afghanistan and think our government are a pack of deceitful liars with an agenda which as a modern day peasant, don't understand. Not sure if they do, really, either. Just get told by the useless fecks at the MoD and America what to do, and do it.

We should pull out now. We should never have been there at all. I perfectly understand the need for these groups to protest. I feel the same.

But wouldn't this particular protest in this particular town be like pissing on someone's grave at their funeral?

Wooton has become symbolic for the nation as a place of grievance. Its a nice place - I've been there and was called "sir" by someone much older than me. It is rare enough to be called "sir" by anyone. It is also the place where real people, serving real wars get remembers. Not some amorphous group, but John Smith, Sapper.

They really need to think this one through. A protest is fine. But a mark of such blatant disrespect will really nark the vast majority of us who don't support the war, but truly don't want to see our soldiers and airmen blown to smithereens doing a job whose political ramifications they have very little say over. They have families and friends who give a toss for them as humans.

Youth

I'm applying to join the Youth Hostel Association of the UK.

When does one stop being a "youth"?

At 40, I hardly feel "yoof-ful". The church I used to go to, when I did such things, used to extend the concept of "young people" to those whose hair wasn't naturally grey. And I bet even silverhaired dudes could still be counted as young with the help of a bit of Clairol or Just For Men.

There is a reason of course, for this tardy application. Cheap accommodation abroad.

Miranda Hart

The lovely Miranda? Or is she?

I wish I could make up my mind as to whether Miranda's the best thing that's happened to comedy in the last year, or whether she's just a tall bird with an overly plumby accent. If you swapped the Roedean with a Yeovil, she wouldn't sound too far removed from Pam Ayers.

There is something remarkably compelling about her.

Too much food

Forget dieting, I've never bought into the many and varied diet fads which spring up this time of year, with th exception of Atkins - which works but is boring over time, and difficult to integrate into a reasonably active social life (eg, I drink and eat out, er, about once a month, smile).

This time I've just eaten too much food.

So I'm cutting down in order to feel better. I still love food, and I do question anyone who regards food alongside such phrases as "guilt", "oooh, aren't naughty?!" and other puritanical guff.

Not guilty, just uncomfortable having my stomach stretched to the max over Christmas.

Happy new year.