Tour: Stanmore (or some random thoughts after being back for three days)

1. It took half an hour to be able to get on a northbound Northern Line train this evening. 30 minutes! Who knew it was emptier when going south?

2. I think CiF is draining me of, if not the will to live, at least a lot my creative juice. Plus it is endlessly dispiriting to read endless posts that pounce upon well any form of celebrity, or brand, or attmept to do something. Turns out that Graun readers do just want to wait for a perfect world and not get their hands dirty. My overwhelming reaction has been: I resolve to take a more waspish attitude, and sting with only humour/lateralisms now. And the nakedness with such some regular posters want/need their columns, well, somehow cheapens their posts - if it's being treated as an extended job audition, who exactly can be trusted and is being sincere?

3. Made my first Skype call. Woo-hoo! Even if quality was a bit patchy though.

4. Why has Uruguay been left out of the BBC's excellent World Cup Stories show? History doesn't deserve to be treated so contemptuously, just because they're no longer sexy/interesting etc. I mean, they've won it at least once more than England.

5. According to the New York Times, even Leonardo Da Vinci is a brand. I mean, I almost cried. As Bill Hicks did despair, "Quit it." And hell, I work in the industry. Even if I can't afford a Red Amex.

See, told you they were disjointed.