Weather: Sunny, with a bit of punch in the sun at last. 7.

Travel: Out is marred by a driver who goes very slowly into every single station, as if there's no grip at all. We appear to go behind the London train, but it turns out to be stock to form the 0733; the real London train follows 15 behind us. Apart from two weeks in early October, the 0733 hasn't run since Euston reconstruction began in early May. Normal service may just be resumed.
Break the journey home at Northfield to talk to a mortgage broker, so home on the 1810 stopper. Could be the train back all week, as there are roadworks at Bristol & Priory.

The death toll from last week's Indian earthquake is set to reach 20,000, with hopes fading for the recovery of many more survivors. Visiting Gujarat today, Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said India was "not ready to face such disasters". More than 500,000 people were made homeless by the catastrophe. India has asked for £1bn from the World Bank and Asian Development Bank.

Thousands of rock-throwing demonstrators storm the gates of Indonesia's parliament in the largest protest against President Abdurrahman Wahid. Police fired tear gas and warning shots at the estimated 10,000 protesters, and three students were badly beaten in clashes outside the building. The protesters were demanding that the president resign over two recent corruption scandals.

A Chilean judge reorders the arrest of former dictator Augusto Pinochet for involvement in torture and kidnapping during his 1973-1990 rule. An earlier indictiment was struck down because he had failed to question the Gen Pinochet before charging him. Judge Juan Guzman complied with the supreme court's requirements when he questioned Gen Pinochet at his Santiago residence. Mental tests were carried out mid-January.

Stop.con Walt Disney closes its go.com web site and folds its money-draining Internet effort back into the parent company -- moves that will result in 400 layoffs. The web brand, best known for absolutely nothing, will still exist as abc.com, espn.com, disney.com and mickeymouse.com

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: Foggy for most of the day, sometimes a spot or two of rain. +4.

Travel: With the Aston Distressway tailing back through the city, it's the train. The 1702 turns up 7 late, and it's a squeeze to catch the 1722 running 14 late, behind the Stafford stopper.

49 per cent of voters say Labour is very sleazy and disreputable. That figure has jumped from just 19 per cent shortly before the 1997 election. The rating for the Tories, then reeling from a series of scandals surrounding John Major's government, has dropped from 63 per cent to 47 per cent.

Health secretary Alan Milburn today told the Commons that Dutch professor Dick Van Velzen "systematically ordered the unethical and illegal" stripping of children's organs at Alder Hey hospital in Liverpool. A report into the scandal revealed Prof Van Velzen lied, stole and falsified medical records and encouraged others to do the same. The report recommends the pathologist never practise again and police are considering criminal charges.

So I was thinking, while waiting for a train. Why is the British government like a bunch of overgrown teenagers?

Could it be because Peter Meddlesome, the Minister for The Party, has resigned for the cabinet for the second time in just over two years? Both times, he's done something fairly innocuous, but lied through his teeth to the press. He's not got to be clean, he's got to be seen to be clean.

Twice in two years. Heck, pop careers have come and gone in that period. Britney Spears has risen from highest new entry on the Hot 100 to international superstar, singing "Oops I Did It Again." I'm waiting for the duet with Mandy...

But then I watched tapes of last Saturday's "Tribe." In which the self-proclaimed leader of all people has spent most of the last month rubbishing the memory of someone who he's now cast off. "A fraud! A charlatan!" proclaimed his spin-tanks. "He was a semi-detached minister," claims Blair's spin-doctors.

Now he's taken to wilfully misinterpreting his mandate to further his own personal ends.

So, with the British government like a cross between a Kiwi drama and a Yank pop star, what next? Flowerpot men in Downing Street? Tweenies for Prime Minister? We've already got the unintelligable ramblings of Teletubbies in the House...

Weather: Misty all day. +5.

Travel: Fine out. Back is the bus ride from hell. It just misses a connection with the 1649... then gets caught in traffic at Northfield... and the uni... and the driver takes 5 minutes to fail to change a ticket roll. The last item means I miss both the 1722 and a connection in Wolverhampton. WMPTE sucks. Big time.

A spymaster (right) for Colonel Qadaffi is sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted of the Lockerbie bombing. Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi was expressionless as three judges unanimously found him guilty of killing 270 people in Britain's biggest mass-murder trial. His co-defendant was cleared.
Lord Sutherland, Scotland's longest serving judge, condemned the "horrendous nature" of al-Megrahi's plan to kill all 259 passengers and crew of the flight to New York in 1988, which also claimed the lives of 11 people on the ground. Despite having the power to impose a "life means life" term, he ruled that 20 years would be the minimum the 48-year-old Libyan must serve before being considered for parole.
"But for the age you will have obtained by the time of your release and the fact that you will be serving your sentence in what to you would be a foreign country, the period of recommendation is substantially less than it would otherwise have been," said the judge. As al-Megrahi has been in custody for nearly two years, he will be able to apply for parole in April 2019. On his release he will be deported.
His lawyers are expected to appeal but if their case fails in the same court later this year, al-Megrahi will serve his sentence in Scotland under monitoring by United Nations observers.

Football:Manchester United stretched their premier league lead to a massive 15 points with a 1-0 away win over third-placed Sunderland in a game that saw three players sent off. Andy Cole scored the only goal a minute into the second half but was red-carded 10 minutes later after a flare-up with Alex Rae, who was also sent off. Sunderland, previously unbeaten at home this season, had already lost Michael Gray for arguing about Cole's goal.
United now have 59 points to the 44 of Arsenal, who beat Bradford 2-0 on Tuesday. Sunderland remain third on 43 with Liverpool fourth on 41 after a 1-1 draw at Manchester City. Chelsea's recovery continued with a 3-1 home win over Newcastle United, Leeds United beat Coventry City 1-0 and Southampton's good home form continued with a 1-0 win over Leicester City. Everton and Middlesbrough drew 2-2 in their relegation battle at Goodison Park while West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur were goalless at Upton Park. Charlton beat Derby 2-1 in Tuesday's other match.

That was January, then. Started to buy a house, and stop travelling. Got cold, got a cold. Spent a long time on the "Southside", saw the "Inner Smile", and pondered life "When You're Gone." Meddlesome quit, so did Clintern. No replacement of significance for either. MUN lost their treble, and "Losers!" quoth the ravens no more.

"The Mole" was a fabulous time-filler, and I'm torn between Sara and Ollie. "It's Not The Answer" and "Jet Set" were tediously dull, and "Millionaire" finally jumped the shark. "Buffy" remained gripping, even though I can see seasons 1, 4 and 5 in the same week. Tres confusing. "Friends" 7 seems promising. The Corrs come to Radio 2 this weekend - real audio on www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/ at 8pm UTC Saturday for those interested.

Next month... get mortgage, pack, make gift, send same (and, being honest, it's as much to calm the sender's soul as to enhance the recipient's), eat slice of humble pie, get milk.

Weather: Cold. Fog for most of the day, but turning to snow later. +1, but rising through the night.

Travel: Good. Fine going out. Back looks dodgy, as the transport police are at Longbridge. They may well be connected with the late 1642, which itself is closely pursuing the train before. All good stuff, letting me catch the 1722 (7 late leaving, 1 late at Wolverhampton) without fuss.

Armed police have stormed a flat in Ealing alleged to be a bomb-making factory. Officers from Scotland Yard's anti-terrorist squad burst into the ground-floor flat and recovered a large quantity of equipment.

Five were taken to a central police station for questioning. Police said they believed they had foiled an imminent attack on a target in London.

Officers swooped after police received information about bomb-making activity at the flat in Sutherland Road and feared it was being used as the headquarters of a terrorist group. Later, the Yard said its investigation was now focusing on "criminal activity". "We are looking at the possibility of some kind of gangland feud and that these bombs may have been intended for use against a rival group."

Two major collapses of the White Cliffs of Dover have taken a lozenge-shaped bite, 15 yards wide and 150 yards long, out of the cliffs at St Margaret's Bay, just east of Dover. As a result of the falls, one yesterday and one today, Britain and France are now just a little bit further apart. Or closer together, depending on the tide.
The rubble, a pile of dazzling white chalk estimated to weigh anything between 100,000 and 250,000 tons, lies spread out on the flat rock platform at the foot of the cliffs. The cliff edge now comes perilously close to the coastal footpath. The cliffs are inaccessible from below, except by an extremely perilous hike across slippery, weed-covered rocks exposed only at low tide, so the full extent of the fall could not be seen until late this morning, when the thick overnight fog cleared enough for passengers on cross-Channel ferries to get a view from about a mile and a half away.

Libyan leader Muammar Qadaffi has evidence that intelligence officer Abdel Baset al-Megrahi is innocent of the Lockerbie bombing. Britain has said Libya must accept responsibility for sanctions to be lifted. Libya's ambassador to Britain earlier indicated his country would pay compensation to relatives of the 270 bomb victims, if Megrahi's conviction is upheld on appeal.
1) How about an apology and compensation for those killed when the US shot down an Iranian Airbus plane earlier in 1988?
2) Or charging those French agents who killed one man and committed major criminal damage when they sunk Greenpeace's MV Rainbow Warrior in 1985?

Former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic is under police surveillance by new Serbian interior minister Dusan Mihajlovic. The measure has been taken because Milosevic is wanted by the UN war crimes tribunal, as well as being investigated by local justice authorities. Yugoslavia has refused to hand over Mr Milosevic to the tribunal but has hinted at the possibility of a domestic trial.

The US Federal Reserve cuts interest rates by half a point for the second time in a month, warning deterioration of the economy demands a "rapid and forceful response". As US growth eased to its slowest pace in five years, the US central bank said it would be willing to cut rates further to prevent a recession. The Belgian finance minister said Europe was "armed" to resist an American slowdown.

... E4, the new entertainment channel for young people, has adverts. This is good. It's for young people, the kind that watch "Friends". So, commercials for bog roll and denture fixative it is, then. Fer cryin' out loud, this is E4, not Countdown!

... Speaking of E4, the ratings figures are in, and it's beating BBC CHOICE already. "CHOICE Beaten By Tape Loop", reads the headline in Anorak Fortnightly. These figures are for the first fortnight in January, when CHOICE was showing its usual run of stuff and guff, while E4 was airing nothing more than a ten minute loop of coming attractions.

... Still with audience figures, the latest radio research figures are out. Brendan's old station, Ocean CCLII, has lost 26% of its listeners in just three months. At this rate, its listening figures will fall off the map by summer next year, and will be reduced below 100 at some point during 2003. By that time, Brendan FM will have an estimated 16,285,000 listeners, according to research by the Florida Electoral Commission. Radio 2 is up again, other stations remain less good.

... Britain's Strategic Rail Authority was due to publish its Grand Plan yesterday. It's now due to be published in September 2002. Eighteen months late. Like the trains.

... The national media has finally picked up on Sheffield Uni's ban on Eminem records. Come on, people, some of us went with the story *last year*. The blond bomb is scheduled to be in the country later this weekend, and I have my stout wooden box and packing tape at the ready.

... Buffy 5:5, and that is one *heck* of a way to set up a plot line. And a way to explain a *lot* of other events. Season 4 is turning out to be a bust, at least as far as the *official* line is concerned, but 5 is looking far better. Still not sure about Angel, though. *Far* too much Cordelia for anyone's taste.

Weather: Foggy for much of the day, though some sun around lunchtime. +7.

Travel: No problems either way. Coming back during lunch doesn't hurt matters.

Early finish is to go through the mortgage interview, and discuss what I'm going to do with any surplus. Perhaps six weeks to the move...

John Prescott has suspended his proposed partial privatisation of London's Underground. The Deputy King invited Bob Kiley, the transport commissioner appointed by Mayor Ken Livingstone, to work "together with him" on modifications to the controversial proposals and produce a genetically modified offspring of the public-private partnership, or PPP.
Kiley will now be given complete access to all documents previously denied him on the PPP proposals, and will work with Prescott to agree "mutually acceptable changes." Companies will submit new bids for long-term maintenance and refurbishment of the tunnels, tracks and other infrastructure. This will probably be organised on long leases, though the essential difference is that the companies, and possibly the order in which work is done and timescales by which it must be completed, will be under a new direct London Underground management system.

The Mole

Week Four on The Mole, and who are the Suspicious Seven:
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, of black-sheep.com, London
Sara Lee, 24, financial recruitment, Droitwich
Oliver Norman, 22, trainee lawyer, Glasgow

Yes, I've done the homework, and found David Buxton listed as a contact on the Contacts page of black-sheep.com. He's genuine, at least from that POV, and Paul's suspicions were a little out.

On my theory to look out for games easily tilted to the mole, the tilt of the week came in the opening minute. The choice of teams - they won't re-unite till the finish.

John and Ollie go to sea, as sea-scouts. Come to them later.

Challenge 10: The rest are on a fishing trip - Jennifer, Zi, David go out to deep sea fish, five miles offshore, fishing with rod and line. Sara and Jo shallow fish, hauling heavy pots from the sea bed. Between them, the two teams have three hours to catch 7kg of fish.

"Heave! Heave!" go Sara and Jo, just like the mice from Bagpuss. It's an exhausting task for trained sailors, and it's no wonder that Sara and Jo are flagging after two hours. Jo praises Sara highly. The deep sea squad are less happy to go touching their fish, leaving it all to Zi. He's not happy about that at all.

Results: Deep sea squad: 6.5 kg; lobster potters: 5.75 kg. Winners all round.

Challenge 11: Ollie and John have to construct an overnight shelter for five people from equipment provided. They're not doing well. At all. John keeps pulling down the shelter. Ollie seems to be letting him. Does either have the faintest of a clue? No, basically. Somehow, they manage to get something up. John claims it's a good job. Not really.

Ollie and John join Glen on the boat overnight. Our fab fishers have to spend the night on the island, with the fish they caught earlier and the luxury hotel constructed by Bob and Diggy - er, Ollie and John. However, the group also has a phone. One of them can call for rescue, and secure safe passage to the next episode. If no-one does, and they're all there at dawn, £10,000 in the kitty.

Sara's cooking is popular - is there *anything* she can't do? David and Sara split the mobile phone - he has the battery, she has the case. Zi is unhappy, but does have a change of clothes. Jo has the Pocket Survival Handbook in her rucksack. None of the group is happy that the champagne got drunk by John and Ollie. Hope they left the chocolates.

There's a recap of the week's events
Jennifer - is that the best you can do, producers? No evidence
liver - socks, the maze u-turn, the food game.
David - again the wine, losing it in the rally.
Zi - the wrench
Sara - what happened at the golf?
Jo - took the rap for the hostage
John - where is he going in the hostage, who founded the zoo, and speaking out of turn in the food challenge.

5am. Sunrise. Two hours to go on the island, and they're all still there. More fish, anyone? Anyone care to knock down Hotel Splendide? Cue the yacht! £10,000 in the kitty.

Challenge 12: Get off the island. Reach the boat within two hours without getting wet above the waist within two hours. Jo and Jennifer are prone to decline, but come round. The team has to search for things on the island.

Zi has found an inflatable boat. Heavy, and with a number of large rips. Sara has found glue, requiring 12 hours to set. Jo ignores the "apply to dry surfaces only" instruction. Another hole, but they're going to go anyway. The theme from Hawaii 5-0 plays. I think the "It's A Knockout" theme would be more appropriate. "Oh! It's shipping water! It's getting wet! Ha ha ha ha ha! They're at the boat! They're on the boat! They're on the boat!"

Another £5,000 in the pot, bringing the total to £70,000.

Nominations, with survivors from previous weeks also noted.

Zi - Oliver [John]
Jennifer - Zi, clothes [Zi, Zi]
John - Not enough evidence [Zi]
Jo - John, over David and Ollie
David - Zi, he must have camped [Zi]
Sara - Zi, camping [Oliver, Zi, David]
Oliver - Zi and John [John or Zi]

Lots of votes for Zi. He and Jo look most at risk. Zi survives. So does Jo. It's goodbye to John. Being apart from the group has done him no favours.

Mole Hunt Clues

11: The mole would not make the call. They wouldn't need to - they have safe passage through to the finale, and this would be attracting too much attention. Ollie knows a lot about the challenge awaiting the others - has he been primed in advance, or just by the producers en route to the island.

12: Good team-work all round, calculated risk-taking proves a good result.

Your nomination, Weaver?

John is not the mole. This is also evidence against Oliver being the mole, as John's had most chance to observe him at close quarters. I'm still suspicious that Sara is too good to be true, but Zi seems to be making things up as he goes on. Jennifer has had a very quiet week, which would fit in with my theory that the mole will start quietly. Zi over Jennifer and Sara for my money.

Weather: Cloudy, with some rainy bits.

Not feeling too good, a mild attack of bronchitis leaves me very tired.

Football: Manchester United took advantage of a Steve Watson own-goal early in the second half to win 1-0 over Everton at Old Trafford and maintain a commanding 15-point lead over second-place Arsenal. The league-leaders, unofficially awarded the Premier League title a few days ago when British bookmakers paid off all bets on the Reds repeating the title, didn't deserve the victory.
Arsenal picked up only its third league away win of the season, winning 1-0 at struggling Coventry on a second-half goal by Dutchman Dennis Bergkamp. Sunderland dropped into fourth place with a 1-0 loss at Derby, and Ipswich held fifth in the face of a 2-1 home loss against Leeds.
Chelsea was a 2-1 loser at Leicester as Gary Rowett got the winner for the Foxes in the 76th minute. Liverpool blanked West Ham 3-0 at Anfield. Bradford lost 3-0 to Aston Villa 3, Middlesbrough tied Manchester City 1-1 and Tottenham drew Charlton 0-0.
Southampton at Newcastle on Sunday was postponed due to snow.

League tables:
1 (1) Man Utd pl 26 - 62
2 (3) Arsenal    26 - 47
3 (4) Liverpool  25 - 44
4 (2) Sunderland 26 - 43
5 (5) Ipswich    25 - 40
6 (9) Leicester  25 - 39

15 (15) Everton        25 - 27
16 (17) Derby          26 - 27
17 (16) Middlesborough 26 - 26
18 (19) Man City       26 - 23
19 (18) Coventry       26 - 21
20 (20) Bradford       25 - 16

Tracker points:
1 (1) MUN 1223
2 (4) ARS 1091
3 (3) LIV 1085
4 (2) SUN 1062
5 (5) CHE 1051

16 (16) DER 948
17 (17) EVE 929
18 (20) MCY 891
19 (19) COV 857
20 (18) BRA 856

Cory:
I haven't gotten list mail from anyone but Iain in like, a week. What's up?
Good question. What *is* up, everyone?

I mean, I could fill out space by reposting questions from a fly-by-night mailing company. But that would be bad; not only because it breaks the copyright, not only because most of the questions are so inaccurate that it's laughable. But mainly because they're not *my* questions, they have little relevance to me.

Or I could run cheap and tawdry rolling quizzes promising huge prizes for anyone who can win twenty weeks in a row. But then I'd have to come up with something new, inventive and entertaining each day for twenty weeks in a row, and that doesn't really happen.

So, you get what you get. Ruminations on the greater and/or lesser plan of life, what's happening in mine, hurrahs and boos (but mainly hurrahs) for yours.

So, dear reader, what is happening?

Weather: Wet with dank interludes. Just the weather to have a bad set of lungs ):

Chart News

Personal Airplay Stats: 40 contemporary hit records passed my radar this week (43 last), for a total of 69 plays (76 last.)

Debuts:
"I'm Like A Bird" - Nelly Furtardo (top40, feb)
"Leaving Town" - Dextre Frebish (aaa)
"Shining Light" - Ash (mr, Jan 29)
"Snow" - JJ72 (mr, Jan 29)

Adds:
"Back Here" - BBMak (ac, Feb 12)
"It Wasn't Me" - Shaggy (r+b, Mar 26)
"I'm Like A Bird" - Nelly Furtardo
"Last Resort" - Papa Roach (mr, Feb 5)
"Leaving Town" - Dextre Frebish
"Pure Shores" - All Saints (Feb 2000)
"Things I've Seen" - Spooks (Jan 15)

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