Doctor Who.
It's back. And I must say I enjoyed tonight's episode. I was looking forward to a tie-in with the end of Torchwood, but I have a feeling we won't see that until later this series.

This new companion, Martha, I like her. She's different and, if I'm brutally honest, as long as there is no love interest this time, then I think I will thoroughly enjoy watching her alongside The Doctor. I just worry that if the show goes all romantic again then I'll just lose interest. After all, it isn't a love story is it?! Well, that's not why I watch anyway.

So if somebody came to ask me what I would rate it out of 10, I would have to give it a 7. Great acting, some impressive CGI and a strong storyline but far too short if you ask me. But perhaps I should increase the mark to 8 - after all, it's good to leave the audience wanting more - isn't it?!

Cloak and Dagger.
My posts seem to be getting more and more suspicious everytime I write something! I assure you, no cults are involved.

I must tell you of an event that occurred recently because as a blogger, I feel it is my duty. Indeed, I feel I have an obligation to tell the world.

There was an attempt to curtail my civil liberties. Obviously I do not intend to allow this. This country is (more or less) a free country where I have the right to conduct my life how I see fit. If this breaks any laws or other rules, then the appropriate democratic procedure should be followed.

I further feel I have a right to live without fear and without threat of punishment when I have broken no laws.

Erm, due to the vague nature of this post I have just realised that this sounds extremely suspect. Unfortunately, I probably would be breaking laws if I gave any further detail. It's like when the media say that they have found something but have been banned from telling anyone exactly what it is they have found.

And so the details of this, along with the 2 other matters I want to share, will have to wait. The original two matters contain good news in case you were wondering. If you have my email address, then I will gladly tell you in confidence.

Late Night Tales of the Unexpected.
Yes, the unexpected happened this evening.

After 2 weeks of not being able to go to choir practice, I finally turn up and the normal rehersal room is completely empty. Well, I say completely, there was the piano and some chairs, but no people. So I drove home.

I also found where the local radio station is broadcast from and actually saw one of the presenters working away in the studio.

I have two big stories at the moment but they need to be kept quiet. I hate keeping secrets, so I thought it only proper if I told you I was keeping secrets even if I don't tell you. I do realise this may drive some people to the brink of insanity with curiosity - but you'll just have to wait won't you.

Hehe.

Well I'm off to bed now. Night night all x

Mothers' Day.
What an emotinal weekend it has been. I managed to lose control of my emotions (if they were ever under my control in the first place). Lets start at the beginning.

There is a man I have been sitting next to at work for the past few months. He has provided stimulating conversation and entertainment - not just for me, but for the whole office (if not the entire company). Well, he has decided that he has had enough and has quit his job.

I was suprised at how upset I felt - after all, I've only known him a few months, others have known him for years. So when it came to his leaving do, I didn't feel I had the right to be upset or the right to talk or do anything. I wanted to tell him how I'd miss his company but feared it wouldn't be received as honest.

As a compromise I allowed myself to stick around with a few of the 'hardcore' stayer outers. This was all going very well until we went to a particular bar. I have made a mental note not to go in there again but no doubt I will forget in a few weeks time.

Lets just say (as I'd rather not go into details) that fate decided to try and take advantage of my emotinal mood that day. So I just got up and left. Fast. Shaking. Probably pale as a sheet and sweating. The world had kind of gone fuzzy as my brain steered me out of the building and into my car (note that I had been drinking coke so I may have been high on caffeine). I felt so rude but I could not stand being in that building any longer. Through no fault of the people I was with.

When I got home I felt so rude - I felt such a mess. I cried for a bit, texted one of the people who was there to apologise for me running off and tried to relax / distract myself.

So then we got to yesterday. That was a bit of an emotinal disappointment too. And now we're on today.

Today, Mother's Day. Another marketing exploitation of love. I don't need a special day to tell the people I love that I love them. If I did then why don't they have "Friend Day" too? That way I could get cards for the male and female friends to say thanks for being my friend without looking like some emotionally unstable fruitcake.

But of course, if you don't get a card there'll be hell to pay. Just my luck then that I missed the postman and now the card will arrive late.

Then there's a few stresses at work at the mo - don't ask as I can't tell you. I'm glad I have holiday booked for soon though.

When I have a rough patch like this, I am always reminded of what one suprisingly-terrifying-for-her-age woman said to me once in that tone of voice that goes straight to your inner child. She said something along the lines f "some people have their bad luck spread out, some get it all at once now shut up and get on with your work".

Anyway, I shouldn't just come on here to moan - though I have to admit, it does help me to put things into perspective.

I do, in fact, have other things, less whiney things, to say. I have just finished reading a book by Mark Thomas called "As Used on the Famous Nelson Mandella". It was about the arms trade and I found it very interesting. I wouldn't say I disagreed with anything he said, but some things were a little lacking in substance here or there. But on the whole, it was enlightening. It was also rather scary just how easily front companies can be set up and trading in arms to 'dodgy' countries can be carried out. So thanks for bringing this to my attention Mark.

And on that note I shall depart. I am afraid I have run out of energy. Take care all x

Ask a Stupid Question and You'll Get a Stupid Answer.
A few days ago I received this message on a family history research site:

Hi,

Do you know who the parents of Edith were?

Kind regards,
Pat

This is fairly typical of the standard of email I receive. I should mention that the subject of the email gave a surname too, but that is all. No date of birth or anything. How am I supposed to know who this is about if there are multiple Edith's with that surname?! So, fed up with these stupid emails, I replied with the following:

Hi,

To answer your question, yes.

Can I assume that you would like to know who they are? If so, then would you kindly like to supply me with sufficient information to allow me to actually figure out who you are talking about?

For example, John Smith (b1833, Henley, Oxfordshire) will allow me to pinpoint exactly who you are on about and will enable me to rule out multiple John Smith''s.

It would be a nice courtesy if you were to suggest names for, in this example, John''s parents. For instance, "Do you have John''s father as Edward (b1800, Droitwich, Worcestershire) ?" would be an excellent question when used in conjunction with the first example I have given.

Regards,
Lee

Then today I received this email:

What an arrogant individual you are!

I have been doing family research for around 10 years helping many people along the way and I have never seen such a rude reply in my life.

I am not going to respond to this directly. I have made my point but unfortunately it appears to have gone right over the head of this person. I was expecting a reply along the lines of a justification. Instead I got a completely unfounded attack on my character. It was a rude message from me but that is not the same as me being a rude or arrogant person. But, to be fair, I did assume that this Pat wrote all their emails in this way - which may well not be the case.

Even so, I do not think it that unreasonable a request. I could have used far less sarcasm, but I had had enough. So, Pat, it's nothing personal. If it hadn't have been you, it would've been someone else.

An Update
15:41 Mainland Wales

Move has taken place slowly and inefficiently. However, all is now settled and, on the whole, well.

Car window (rear screen) got broken again during a storm on Monday night. Part of the exhaust dropped off today.

Attempted to carry out some business in town but there was a power cut. Lights were flickering everywhere.

To calm down I have been playing on the flight sim until it crashed. I flew from Caernarfon to the Isle of Man, then to Belfast and was just on my way to Dublin when it crashed.

Sky has got on my nerves this week. Their ongoing bickering with Virgin is only making me sympathise with Virgin - a company I couldn't really have cared either way for prior to all this fuss. I could write a huge rant but sufficed to say, I think it has all been planned well in advance by the folks at sky.

Take care all.