It just goes on and on

Following on from the *cough* cheating case regarding “Who Wants to be a Millionaire”, the BBC’s today reporting that Tecwen *cough* Whittock has patented his name in order to stop a company using Tecwen as a brand for cough-medicine. Maybe I’m wrong, but I didn’t think you could patent a name – surely it’s a trademark?

Of course, it wouldn’t be the first time our Tecwen has got his basic facts wrong – the Patent Office’s “newcomer’s guide” might help him out here. Assuming I’ve answered the questions correctly, it certainly looks like it’s a Trade Mark™ that he should have got. Pillock.

Filing

As stated below, I wanted to get the album by Martina Topley-Bird today, an album by the name of Quixotic. Now, note Martina’s double-barrelled name.

Into HMV to look for the album. Look under “T” for Topley-Bird. Nothing. Realise that HMV are cretins, and look under “M” for Martina. Nothing. Decide that maybe it’s not listed under “Pop” (christ only knows why), look in “Urban” (which appears to be the new name for “Rap”) under “T” and “M”. Nothing. Look in “Dance” – again, nothing under “T” or “M”. Inspiration (and cynicism about the intelligence of HMV Staff) strikes – ah, here it is : under “B” for Bird. *Sigh*

Synopsis of a weekend

Utterly manic, yet somehow quite relaxed at the same time. The weekend went (roughly) thus:

• Friday 5pm – Manchester to Reading by train.
• Friday 11pm – Reading to Penzance by car
• Saturday 4am-ish – Arrival in Penzance.
• Saturday – Lands End *shudder*, Minack theatre, back to Penzance and some shopping (including another bloody phone charger!), and a meal in Penzance in the evening.
• Sunday – Lost Gardens of Heligan, back to Penzance, wander around, and meal in the evening with work colleagues of friends.
• Monday 10am – Penzance to Bristol by car
• Monday 1pm – Arrival in Bristol
• Monday 2pm – 11pm – Open Air Concert, see below
• Monday 11pm-ish – Bristol to Reading by car
• Tuesday 1am-ish – Arrival in Reading
• Tuesday 10am – Reading to Manchester by train

All told, about 1,000 miles of travel over four days. Not bad at all.

Arse

After all my banging on about Firebird being able to render Blogger properly, something’s changed on Blogger which now means it looks like shit in Firebird. Fuck it.

Home again

Finally, I’m home. 1,000 miles travelled, minimal levels of sleep, and The World’s Most Uncomfortable Futons™, and a bloody good concert, as well as some gorgeous scenery and so on. But for now, mental collapse is imminent. More later.

Flying tonight

In many ways it’s quite amazing about the blind guy who’s flown across the English Channel in a microlight, and Im impressed that it’s been done, the phrase that keeps coming into my head is of him saying “are we nearly there yet?“

Eeek

Bloody hell – that’s quite a list of places to brand. I’ll need some thinking time – and time to do some research on the buggers – so bear with me. Besides, it’s too nice here to bother with things like work. So sod it – it’ll give me something to do at work…

In other news, there’s a new rant (warning, it’s train-based) sitting over here for your delectation. It’s been a while since a decent one got written, and there’ll likely be another couple of non-train-based ones written on the way home too. As well as photos and the like from the weekend. You lucky people…