I tried, I really tried. But the headline of yesterday’s Daily Mail didn’t start us off well. The leader screamed, "A lesson in hypocrisy" and went on to describe the alleged double standards of Ruth Kelly (cabinet minister) who’s is sending her child to a £17,000 a year private school. The rights or wrongs of…

I like this post on the Howies blog about songs to makem you run faster, and the selection was good too. I can’t run anymore (thanks to worn out hip cartiledge) but I do swim, so I demand someone makes a decent personal music player for the pool. Or is there one already?

Her indoors has her birthday four days before me, so we had a big birthday bash at the weekend , leaving yesterday as a nice quiet day. I finally got to watch The Thick Of It, which was absolute genius. I got lots of books, CD’s and stuff which was jolly nice. Mrs Hovells is…

So the first experiment in truth. . First of all, it’s a broadsheet, something I’m no longer used to. It felt a bit unwieldy at first, I wouldn’t read it on a train, but it felt delightfully grown up to hold an old style serious paper again. The Telegraph in brilliantly written. Apart from maybe…

Next northern planning summit is in Leeds January 18th. It’s at Arts Cafe and we’ll have grown a bit. 7 While everyone else is having coffee, we may indulge in something a bit stronger. Simon Griffin from Love in Manchester will be joining us, which may mean an expedition over the pennines in the near…

Scott’s got these mini city models in the office. I’ve gone on about architecture before, as has Famous Rob. It’s funny how no matter the high street’s may get homogised up close, the individual character shines through when you step back a bit. It’s just a bunch of shapes, yet you instantly recognise: Paris New…

Before Mr Agassi came along, my favourite tennis player was Lendl. Odd, when there was the delightfully mad John McEnroe or Becker’s Wagnerian serve to choose from, but there you are. I admired about the way he always worked on his weaknesses. He had an endurance problem so he modified his diet to become the…

The two Robs have got me thinking as usual. See the post below, The Kraken has awoken and they’re  getting all agitated about the media and politics. Quite rightly in my opinion. BUT, who am I to comment as someone who only reads the Guardian every day. Am I objective? Doubt it. So in the…

Sometimes a few numbers can throw up all sorts of juicy questions and directions. Here are some excerpts from the 2007 edition of the wonderful Schott’s Almanac: Foreigners within populations as a percentage of total population, which maybe sheds some light on the emotional immigration arguments in the UK: Luxembourg  38.6%, Australia 22.8%, Canada 18.2%,…

Helen’s started the ball rolling with her thoughts on Tuesday’s ‘This Life’. Beeker’s joined in the comments as has Paul. Opinion seems divided, but go and have your say. I thought it was too contrived and forced.