Weather: Drizzle and fog turns to heavy rain over lunch, but clears by nightfall. A lot warmer. +6.

Travel: Fine coming out. Slow back - miss the usual bus, and the WM shooter has a long stop at the Uni for no obvious reason, then picks up a lot of people. Just miss the 1729, so make the 1734 which is diverted via Bescot for no reason at all - it holds up the Stafford train on the way in. This is no way to run a railway.

Say what? The Party's Spokesmodel on Health, speaking of vaccinations. "We want to separate the myths from the truths"
Dr Wordsmith chokes on his beer.

Say what? The Party wants to make it illegal for UK ISPs to let people access websites promoting international adoption. The Party claims to be in favour of the internet in general, and e-business in particular. The Party claims to practice joined-up thinking.
The Party also believes that it can impose its values and morals on the rest of the world. Will The Party be providing a fleet of airbourne pigs to every ISP?

The US will no longer fund groups that offer abortion counselling overseas. The policy decision, imposing the moral view of a very small element in US society on the rest of the world, comes on the 28th anniversary of the Roe v Wade supreme court ruling confirming the legality of abortion.

Things They Don't Know On The Weakest Link:
* Alexander Graham Bell's name.
* Who wrote Peter Pan.
* 2000 was a leap year.
* "Pod" doesn't begin with "L".

Take five, recover some form of composure. An urge to twat people over the head with the business end of an axe does not make for cogent writing.

Jaeda:
[major snippage]
"When you feel like being a real sister call us."
When you feel like being a sister, call me.

This pair makes me puke. Eric, say something sensible while I calm down.

It is none of their business who she decides to spend her life with.
It is the business of those involved in the relationship, and *no-one* else. Interfering busybodies - even if they get proven right in the end - tend to have their own problems.

You made some very hard choices, but I think that you told them exactly the correct things.
Absolutely. They have the problem. They need to deal, or treat, or whatever.

It's odd, I must have rehearsed answers to that kind of nastiness a zillion times before coming out, and I've not really needed them. There may not be a man in my life (yet..?) but the unease is theirs. Not yours.

If your family can see you two together in those difficult circumstances maybe they will realize that she is not a bad person. If yor family cannot be polite and respectful to her tell them to leave.
Who is more important; the love of the life, or some accidental strangers who share some of the same DNA? This is *not* Heather's fault. This is a problem for your relations to deal with. Of course Heather should visit you - you need her around more than usual.

In the meantime, be strong and remind Heather that you love her.
Be strong. Be brave. Be the warrior woman of legend.

Jaeda:
Why do people who claim to love me so much hate everything about me?
Maybe they're jealous of you. Just maybe.

Heather and I are planning to move somewhere near Boston soon, as it is close to Provincetown Mass, and very gay friendly.
Computer, more info?

Wow, the far side of Cape Cod. The whole Atlantic Ocean thing again (:

It's a very painful surgery and I react badly to anesthetic, so they are concerned about my recovery.
You shall have my best wishes, and constant good thoughts.

I not only want heather there but I need her there. I'm a big baby at this stuff, and I need her.
While I may have quite a high pain threshold, the thought of this gives me the creeps.

Whatever happens, we're here for you.

[bigbighugs]

Weather: Wet around lunchtime and early evening. 8.

Travel: A trouble-free day, with the Mid Red turning up roughly on time. 1718 to Edinburgh gets my custom.

Downing Street grudgingly admitted that Northern Ireland secretary Peter Mandelson made a phone call. In this controversial telephonic balancing act, the dog-loving NISEC conversed with an immigration minister about some chums' application for citizenship. It had earlier been denied. Mr Meddlesome said: "An innocent inquiry was made. There was no discussion of the merits of giving a passport or endorsement by me of any application." Mr Mandelson was responsible for the Millooneyum Dome when the Hindujas, now in India over a bribery case, contributed �1m.
Two years down the road... Peter Meddlesome is arrested over charges of murder and extortion. "There's nothing to answer," claimed a Downing Street spokesmodel. "The money was merely resting in Mr Meddlesome's account, and the fingerprints on the gun are definately not his. Even though they match."

The high court rules that twins at the centre of an international adoption furore should stay in care. The judge said the twins would remain where they are pending research and a decision as to what would be best for them. Mr and Mrs K. had gone to court to fight to regain custody of the girls after they were taken by Flintshire county council on Thursday.

Turkey scraps a �102m deal with a French firm to launch a satellite after France's national assembly recognises the Ottoman empire's killing of Armenians as genocide. Turkey's defence ministry said the agreement was nullified following "undeserved allegations against Turkey". Alcatel had agreed in principle to build and launch Turkey's first remote sensing satellite by 2003, but had yet to reach a final contract.
It was genocide. Deal.

Louise gets dropped by EMI records. As a member of Eternal and later as a solo artist, Ms Nurding enjoyed almost one successful minute at the label and celebrated 16 consecutive Top 200 hits, most of which failed to make any lasting impression at all. Last album "Elbow Beach" spawned two flop singles, Two Faced (#11) and Beautiful Inside (#57). A spokesmodel said "there's still new and exciting things to come from her." That would be a novelty.

The news coverage of the inauguration seemed rote. It reminded me of my local cable access channel, which replays the same prom footage over and over and at odd times. It's odd to channel surf and come across high-schoolers decked out in tuxes and gowns, standing awkwardly on lawns, getting into limos, walking into a dance hall over and again. I'm sure the kids in the video might like the event, and must love seeing it.

So too this inauguration. The hard core Plankts and the hard core Clinton-haters were likely cheered and moved by the whole coronation process. But really. It was so forlorn.

Every time Shrub speaks, even when the rhetoric's lofty, I can't help but hear the C- student, the one who describes or explains things by restating the obvious I'm a uniter, not divider, and that means I try to bring people together, not push them apart. I'm so used to circular logic that I'm on edge whenever he speaks.

Clinton's 7.5 minute farewell, it seemed to me, had more oomph and staying power than VV's 14 minute at bat. VV pales not only because he's dim, but also, in this case, by comparison to Clinton's superior oratory style. There's someone who can open his mouth without inserting his foot.

From Slate's "The Fray".

Weather: Sunny for most of the day, but showers around nightfall. 7.

Travel: S-l-o-w traffic into the city, right the way through. Bloody car drivers. You [snip]. 1722 goes totally AWOL, and is not even on the board when I hit Wolverhampton on the 1729 to Stafford at 1757. 1804 takes me home, but with a brief stop for no adequately explored reason at Codsall signal box.

Minister For Hokey-Cokey Is Out (Again) Peter Meddlesome (right), erstwhile Northern Ireland Secretary and one of Tony Blair's closest confidantes, resigns from the Government again. The Prime Minister concluded that Meddlesome's position had become untenable, following revelations about his intervention on behalf of a passport application from a Dome sponsor.
The twice-ousted ex-minister continues to maintain that he had not acted "improperly in any way" over his call about some rich brother's quest for British citizenship. "I do accept that when my office spoke to a Sunday newspaper at the weekend I should have been clear that it was me personally, not my official, who spoke to the Home Office minister. As a result of that, wrong information was given to the House by the Culture Secretary and by the Prime Minister's spokesman to the Press. I accept responsibility for that."
In a final twist, Medleyman fulfilled a last ministerial duty, and answer his regular Northern Ireland question time in the Commons this afternoon, and that he would stay alongside Mr Blair for the following session of Prime Minister's questions. After that, at 3.30, he would leave the front bench, for ever. Or at least until the cabinet reshuffle after next, expected at 4:07 PM on Friday week.
Medallionman was previously resigned just before Christmas 1998, when details of a �373,000 home loan (at 0% APR) he had received from Lord Moneybags Robinson became public.
Toy Bair told the Commons that Northern Ireland had Mr Mumbleson to thank for sustained peace in the province. Responding to an attack on by the Tory leader, William Vague, Bar retorted: "He's a bigger man than many of his critics."
It's very nice of the PM to say that, but he has no grounds for that statement. He's surely never seen the size of William Vague's manness.

Two escaped Texas convicts, the last of a gang of seven on the run since December, give it up in Colorado after denouncing the penal system. The other four surrendered and a fifth committed suicide on Tuesday after a massive manhunt. They are accused of killing a policeman during a robbery in Irving on Christmas Eve. The intensive search for the "Texas Seven" was compared to the hunt for Bonnie and Clyde by newspapers with nothing else to write about.

In football, Leeds beats Villa 2-1 in a match twice postponed due to European commitments.

Weather: Sunny most of the day, a few passing clouds. 7.

Travel: The out gets held behind the London train. Back is Edinburgh's 1718, leaving 9 late. It crawls to Wolverhampton, for no explored reason, arriving 1753. 1742 comes 6 later.

News breaks that my offer for a house is accepted. The sellers would like to complete asap, which means moving in around two months. In turn, that puts the kybosh on my plans to visit the States in late March. Ah well. Jae should keep. Absence makes the heart grow fonder...

Before we begin, I seem to recall that Jae's a Microsoftie. She leaves work for one day, and the company's web sites have a router problem that isn't resolved for 36 hours. Coincidence? I don't think so. Sabotage? Of course not. This is fate's way of telling Mr Gates that if Jae's not working, neither is the company. More important that you, Bill.

Jaeda:
So the surgery went ok,
I didn't need to read much beyond this without going - hurrah!

they took out 2 less teeth then they thought...it hurts REALLY bad and with the tooth in front missing a la Jewel I'm looking like borderline white trash, but that's only for about 2 weeks.
And she'll still be as charming and beautiful all the time. Don't argue. I've seen the pictures.

mom went and SAT WITH HER! and started a conversation, asking heather about her classes and all! Very cool huh?
Indeed. *Someone* has her head screwed on. *Someone* is not making a drama out of a crisis. *Who* might be the level headed family member? It's time to vote for... The Strongest Relative.

[/annie]

But mom left early that evening and told Heather to take care of me, so it was ok.
Like looking after a wounded soldier, or something.

Anyway, [hugs] and all best wishes. The worst is over. Yay.

Weather: Cloudy, with the odd sunny spell. 8.

Travel: Great stuff both ways, including an on-time four-car 1722.

It's Song For Eurosong Day, and I seem to have Fly On The Wings Of Love (last year's winner, by the Olsen Brothers) running around my head. Along with Rome Wasn't Built In A Day (Morcheeba's rather too small hit from last summer), for no obvious reason.

A long, tiring day, with things just building and subsiding, leaving me dog tired.

Week Three of The Mole, and we're down to the Elusive Eight:
Paul Wallace-Sims, 35, teacher, Bognor Regis
Zi Khan, male, 32, restauranteur, Doncaster
Jennifer Waller, 37, medical rep, Darlington
John Church, company director, 53, London
Jo-anna (Jo) Corlett, 34, artist, Isle of Man
David Buxton, 35, merchandising company, London
Sara Lee, 24, financial recruitment, Droitwich
Oliver Norman, 22, trainee lawyer, Glasgow

Take this for what it is worth. Last week, an Australian reader who has already watched their version of the show, mailed with a hint to watch out for any challenge that could be easily rigged in favour of The Mole. Could week 2's golf challenge - or week 1's baggage escapade - be an example of what he was talking about? If so, that helps narrow the field.

While the US version has moved from Nevada through France and into Spain, the UK version (Channel 5, smaller budget) has spent two episodes in Jersey. We move this week the fifty miles to France. Dinard and the Rance estury, to be exact.

Challenge 7: Jump off a suspension bridge over the river mouth, using a normal rope, and swing till you're let down to the boat. One hour for all eight to jump, �20,000 if they make it.

Jennifer goes first, keeping her eyes firmly closed. She later confesses to being scared of jumping into the swimming pool. Jennifer's accompanied up by Zi... who would like to do it all again.

Sara wonders what the blazes she's doing... and - if we're to believe the captions and editing - spends ten minutes preparing to jump. David follows her down, shouting "Geronimo." Oliver wears out the bleep machine.

Paul goes - he was worried by the waiting around. Jo sings "Always Look on the Bright Side" while she waits on the ledge. Which leaves John, who is pleased with the tactics. "We thought about it, put the least confident first, and left me till last." He has six minutes from stepping onto the bridge, then wobbles with less than a minute to go. Then he jumps.

�20,000 in the kitty.

For Challenge 8, the eight splits into three groups.
David, Oliver, Jo have good taste. (Or so they claim.) They go wine tasting.
John, Paul, Sara have a good nose. (Is it good for mole detecting?) Off to a goat's cheese farm.
Zi and Jennifer can stand the heat. (Really?) To a chateau cuisine for a lesson in French cooking.

We see a lot of what the groups got up to during their day out. No clues there.

That night, it's a black tie dinner. Cocktails and three courses. Bear with us, there *is* a challenge in here. Glen asks a question to each team. 2 of the 3 teams must get it right to win �5000.

Cooks Zi and Jennifer see six ingredients. What order are they added to the dish? Jennifer and Zi decide on: Cream, egg, sorrel, peas, stock, chalotte. That's wrong: peas and sorrel come before cream and egg. John shouted out during the thinking time, in spite of a warning not to confer outside the teams. The answer would have been void anyway.

David, Oliver, Jo have three wines. One of them is not from the chateau. Oliver swallows his wine, naughty chap. They say C, we don't find out.

John, Paul, Sara also have three cheeses. Again, one is not from that day's work. They immediately plump for C. It's C.

The other wine? Was A. Challenge lost.

During the meal, Paul says he's figured out the Mole, and later identifies him as David, who owns blacksheep.com.

After the meal, the team are shown to shared sleeping quarters. Two and a half hours of sleep, they have to dress and be outside in ten minutes. UK challenge 9 is US challenge 6 - now get out of a maze carved out of maize. Get in the maze, get out of the maze, avoid being caught by two hunters. Aggregate five minutes between the teams without being captured, gain �10,000. Any one team gets out - �15,000. No-one has yet escaped the maze, claims Glen.

This is *the* most spectacular challenge yet - the maze is in the shape of "The Mole" thumbprint, and with night-vision cameras and headlights it makes for gripping viewing.

Pair off - one to enter the maze, one to navigate. First named will run.
David & Jennifer
Paul & John
Zi & Jo
Oliver & Sara

Oliver gives Jennifer advice before she begins. David manages a very creditable 1:31, and came close to out-running the trackers. Jennifer knows she has trouble with left and right.

John steers Paul straight towards a hunter, Paul misses a turning, and it's all over in 0:20.

Zi starts well, but Jo steers him into the middle of the maze. David managed a minute there, but Zi falls after 0:32.

Oliver, therefore, has to survive for 2:37, or escape. He gets a bum steer from Sara, down a dead end. He goes round the back and behind the trackers, one of whom seems to miss him down a line of sight. After a minute, he's almost at the exit... and then spends an agonising twenty seconds confused by the exit. Only 1:23 in the maze, but he's escaped.

�15,000 with the team, to a total of �50,000.

Nominations, with survivors from previous weeks also noted.

Paul - David - blacksheep.com, est 1994 [Jo, Oliver]
Zi - Paul - too cocky [John]
Jennifer - Zi [Zi]
John - Paul or Zi, not Ollie, David
Jo - Paul - she's been dowsing [Paul, Paul]
David - Zi [Paul]
Sara - Oliver - also been dowsing [Zi, David]
Oliver - John or Zi, possibly Sara

Paul and Sara seem to be most at risk.

Sara survives, Paul goes. That's a lot of theories blown out of the water.

Mole Hunt Clues

Challenges 8, and to a lesser extent 9, are easily swung towards the mole.

7) Logical tactics for the mole: lie low and wait for someone else's mistake. Sara says she's not confident again, yet pulls out a bravura performance.

8) Mole tactics: persuade the rest of the group to go wrong. Point to Oliver and David, who didn't seem to take the tasting seriously. Or to John for interrupting during another question.

Paul's claim: I've not had a chance to visit blacksheep.com, or .co.uk, or black-sheep (etc) and await reports from someone else who has had that chance. If it turns out that David is not involved with this outfit, count strongly against him. If he is, this becomes a red herring.

9) Mole tactics: get your runner caught quickly, and hope no-one else does exceptionally well. Jenny got her left and right muddled, but made the best of a bad job. John and Paul went down quickly - suspiciously quickly. Sara went for a dead end, and there's Oliver's wait at the exit. "Too easy," he claims.

Your nomination, Weaver?

Pending clarification on David's dotcom, my nomination is Sara. A long time on the bridge - ten minutes at least, compared with 5 minutes for John to jump - looks bad, as does the bum steer to Oliver at the start of the maze. To distract suspicion, she maybe had to make the best of a bad job and steer Oliver out.

Weather: Frosty start, sunny after. 7.

Football: Liverpool reached the fifth round of the FA Cup on Saturday with a 2-0 victory at Leeds with goals from Nicky Barmby and Emile Heskey. Premier League rival Arsenal hammered First Division Queens Park Rangers 6-0 to join Liverpool in the final 16 of England's cup.
The major casualty in the fourth round was Premier League Everton, which lost 3-0 at home against First Division Tranmere. Non-league Kingstonian scored a surprising 1-1 draw at Second Division Bristol City to force a replay. Leicester also continued Aston Villa's woes. Villa, winless in five straight league games, lost 2-1 to the Foxes.
In other fourth-round F.A. Cup games Saturday, it was: Blackburn 0, Derby 0; Crewe 0, Stockport 1; Manchester City 1, Coventry 0; Southampton 3, Sheffield Wednesday 1; Sunderland 1, Ipswich 0; and Wycombe 2, Wolverhampton 1.
Much of the suspense took place in two third-round replays. Premier League Charlton needed 30 minutes of extra time to beat a stubborn non-league Dagenham & Redbridge 1-0. In the other third-round replay, First Division Wimbledon - playing with 10 men at the end - also scored in extra time to oust Second Division Notts County 1-0.
[more tomorrow...]

Into town, get outline approval for a mortgage. And find the names of some handily-placed solicitors.

Angela Bigos:
Can anyone come up with alternates for Brian?
Top Two Alternate Lame Excuses For Brain To Visit The Chase Household:
1) He popped out to discuss an Indian biology textbook with Angela.
2) The cat had gotten into the Krakow basement.

... and two more...
1) *Someone* has to sell Girl Scout cookies with Danielle.
2) Patti invited him round to sample her home-made bee conserve, and it dripped everywhere when he couldn't control the spoon in the jar.

Cory:
This looks like a cue for the return of something I for one have missed greatly around here -- Top Ten Lists!!! So, anyone want to write them? no, i'm kidding. Let's see. . .
Well, seeing as how someone persuaded me to watch Hallowe'en last night...

Top Ten Costumes For Hallowe'en...
10) Amber as The City Slicker. Sharp suit, mobile phone...
9) Patti as The Chef. All white coat and big hat.
8) Delia as The Skinhead Punk, with safety pin through her nose.
7) Graham as The Football Player.
6) Brian as James Bond. Suave, dapper, with a loaded pistol.
5) Rickie in a dress. Like that would ever happen usually.
4) Rayanne in a dress. Like that would ever happen usually.
3) Danielle as The Invisible Man. Like - oh, you get the drift.
2) Sharon as The Model For Swimsuit Monthly.
1) Angela as leather-clad motorbikin' bitch from hell.

Weather: Stays foggy and frosty all day. +2.

Football: Bolton thrashes Scunthorpe 5-1, Chelsea triumphs 4-0 over Gillingham. But it's West Ham's defeat of Manchester United that grabs headlines. Outplayed for much of the game, the goal comes when MUN goalie Fabian Barthez is the only person appealing for an offside decision. Though he takes part in injury time attacks, it's to no avail.

Chart News

Personal Airplay Stats: 43 contemporary hit records passed my radar this week (46 last), on a total of 76 plays (75 last.)

Debuts:
"Butterfly" - Crazy Town (mr)
"If I Ever Feel Better" - Phoenix (Feb 5)
"Jaded" - Aerosmith (mr, March)
"Nobody Wants To Be Lonely" - Cricket Aggie (country)
"One Step Closer" - Linkin Park (mr, Jan 15)
"Things I've Seen" - Spooks (rap, Jan 15)
"You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This" - Toby Keith (country)
"Without You" - Dixie Chicks (country)

Adds:
"Baby One More Time" - Britney Spears (Feb 99)
"Buck Rogers" - Feeder
"Butterfly" - Crazy Town
"Jaded" - Aerosmith
"Life In A Northern Town" - Dream Academy (Apr 85)
"Without You" - Dixie Chicks (country)

Most Heard: 5 plays for "If You're Gone" - Matchbox Twenty, and "Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of" - U2.