I suppose it's like blowing your nose, cleaning your teeth or having a shower. Or even like just taking a bloody deep breath. I need a good blog to clear out all those horrible thoughts and ideas that have got...



... stuck in my head recently and probably left. But one of the ones that I've thought about for tonight is one that's very close to the centre of my personallity.

What are rules? Well, the dictionary says they are A subordinate regulation governing a particular matter. True? Yes. Perhaps - but do you have to follow them? Do we really need to be told them.

Now in some cases - perhaps we do. Let's take an example: the very thing I'm doing now has to have rules. I mean, the 19 rules about using a comma are all very important. And as any journalist, writer, etc.. should know about them to be good at their job I guess you could say that rules are important.

But then again - are they? Rules surrounding writing aren't really that firm, and they can change. Let's use a comma a different way to normal, perhaps - language evoles and perhaps one day those irritating people who are yet to find the apostrophe on their keyboard will add a 20th rule - one of posession. Because I'm sure we've all seen people who use them like this:

Josie,s Blog

Yes, believe me. I've edited so many articles with that in, it's stupid. Never ever ever let the public near a keyboard if you want. I think we can safely say that perhaps the word "convention" might be a better way to describe the bits that tell us how to write. I mean, even spellings can change - so they can't have rules either can they? And what about the rules about vowels? Well there are psuedo-vowels anyway. H, for example. and Y.

(I can sense some of you shouting "Niiiiiiiiiicccccc" at your screens...well, I don't care.)

What about in a school? I've just watched the last two parts of a programme on c4 called The Secret Life Of The Classroom and it reminded me of the Golden Rulesthat are regulally part of life in a reception classroom. Things like "talk in a quiet voice," and "always be nice to everyone."

Now forgive me for being the evil horrible twisted one. But those are just stupid rules. It's natural that you're not going to be nice to everyone always. And so it's stupid to set it as a rule - perhaps we should better say that they are "guidelines?" No? Well, you can't break guidelines and there were people "breaking" these Golden Rules.

Which brings me on to my point and the way I live. I have a very basic set of rules for myself which I think are common sense. And I exercise "self control" and this wonderful asset called common sense around the rest of life. And it seems to get me through. And by following my own rules, and sometimes (ignorantly) breaking the proper rules I've never actually had a negative problem with it.

Sometimes, rules are constraining - and nothing can be cover-all. Things like "don't hurt people" are sensible things to say and think about - and if you do hurt people you should probably regret it, or at least know that it is deffinately better to have hurt them than not to have. And that's something that a few people (I'm calling your name Kingz) would probably disagree with.

But enough of my babbling - we have more important issues to talk about. Does (H) work?

Until next time - Have fun!
N xx

Well, after Josie, Lucy and my trip to Wales two weeks ago, I got home to find one of my relatives in hospital, my bedroom in a mess and most worrying and disturbing - I came home to find our...


... toaster had been replaced.

Now, no big deal right? Well, yes, in this case the toaster is a big deal. Because in a way that probably no-one would expect from me, I don't like it. Because it is too technically minded.

Toast is a rather simple thing to make. Why the hell do I need a toaster with progress lights, a re-warm function, and the ability to cook a small goose in 2 months?

There are some things in this world that really don't need to get any more complex. Shopping Lists (yes, Tris, stick with paper - it's still around like that for a reason: because it works without fault.), tv remotes (no buttons and a backlight? are you mad!) and most of all - toasters.

We coped perfectly well knowing tha the toast would arrive quite well done if you turned the little knob to 6. Now we have to select using two up and down arrow buttons, adjusting a number displaed on a segmented-LCD screen. Oh yay! Toast has never been so much fun.

And most confusing - I put something in on 3 last week. It came out not done. So I did ti again- that makes it a 6 right? Well you'd have thought so. But it came out white again. Back in it goes! Aha! With a 9 we finally have some nice toast.

And yet yesterday, when I wanted to 'lightly toast' a piece of bread for a fried egg sandwich - a 3 made the bread become charcoal.

And do you know what's annoying me the most about this new device? I can't find the crumb tray.

Anyhow - enough about food and the simplicities of toasters. Today's blog was brought to you by the lovely people at FOX. Or, not. It was brought to you rather late - and for that I am sorry. On Tuesday, I promised the blog about toasters "tomorrow". But it never turned up. It is here now, although it is technically Thursday if I claim to be in TV land, it's actually still Wednesday.

Because in the broadcasting industry, days start at 6am. And if you will believe that, then you are welcome to comment this post. If not - get out. My blog, I say when days start and end. And If I want to call Fridays 'Peppermint' then I shall.

Have fun!
N

Well, by popular demand I have decided it was about time to blog. A whole new load of readers, and some lovely new members of the actual blogging team here at rv:blog network, and there is a great demand.


Yesterday, we...

... passed the first 100 blogs to be posted on the system. But onto the news of today.

My Mac arrived! TNT brought me the mac, had the nerve to tell me "you ok with that?" (as if I couldn't pick up a 12kg box!) and they turned up about lunch time. The Nathan came round, installed Tiger and generally made it all pretty. And now I need to steal all of his discs so I can copy them.

And I've even started using Adium and Mail as well. It's all very nice and stuff and I've fallen into it nicely. Although I'm not exactly a Mac virgin.

Tomorrow: I will blog about toasters. Look forward to that, won't you. It's set to be very informative.

Oh, and I've been asked to mention my new shorts - apparently they cost £40. Not sure if I believe them though.

Have fun!
Nic x