Maundy Thursday. Never heard of it...but it means I get a half day which is a winner. I'm off to play golf at Urban Golf in Soho which looks pretty cool.

I can't take the credit for this, as it was emailed to me at work, but this is ridiculous....just look at the name of the author and the irony of the article title. Yeah...I know...ridiculous.

Just imagine the editor dishing out the stories:

Editor: Roger we need you on the sex abuse story..

Roger Boyes: Are you fucking serious?

Editor: Yes

RB: Look at my name...

Editor: Ben Dover's in Israel, get over yourself.

Thank god.

The f-ing rail unions were threatening to ruin my Easter by striking and stopping me from going to Cambridge. Instead, they've kindly delayed their strike to April 6th (when Brown is thought to be calling the election) and will end after April 9th. You can still travel on those days as long as it's between 10am and 6pm. Even better for me, as I've taken that week off work. Cheers guys!

Off to breakfast at Simpsons In the Strand on Monday in the world famous Divan, which has been serving the discerning gentleman his breakfast for over 150 years. Cracking start to the week.

Well, apologies for not blogging for a while but things have been busy at work thrashing out this years budget, briefing ministers and generally ironing out policy. I wonder whether Alistair will be my boss come May 7th?

I have no idea why, but I've recently just been watching Father Ted on 4OD. It's brilliant.

It's amazing how when you normally read the comments on an article or video clip they look cobbled together by a shaved monkey. And then you click on an article about Shakespeare and suddenly it attracts a ludicrous class of 'comment-er'.

Enjoy the various offerings below:

Lucius Malfoy wrote:
"How funny!

I just read a book called the "Shakespear Code" or some such which hypothesised Cardenio's veracity as a fictional mystery plot a la da Vinci Code."

Kevin Flanagan wrote:
Forsooth;Gadzooks!
What Gold-treasured tome here cometh forth?

E. F. wrote:
Wow. How long will I have to wait until the printed Arden is available? Somewhat excited!

Scott MacMurchie wrote:
Give few thy voice and many thine ear.works for me, and all this petty bickering is for Twits and also lived types and those showing their stuff,my answer is "put up or shut up" Scottie MacmMurchie at PO box198. Bow WA 98232, USA

Bugger.

"The Treasury attracts the cream of the Civil Service and is home to the intellectual elite of Whitehall. Former Treasury staff are highly sought after in the City because of their knowledge of the public purse, their parliamentary contacts — which are valuable when pitching for lucrative government contracts — and their brain power. There is significant kudos for a City bank or private company to poach a civil servant from the department."

The Times (Monday 15th March 2010)

Always nice to open the paper on a Monday morning for a splash of self-indulgence and to remind yourself why you're working your hands to the bone.

Winslet is single again. Score.

I don't understand the logic behind striking when your company could potentially hit the wall. British Airways used to be a good airline - to be honest it still is. You know what you get when you fly BA; good pilots, decent enough service and it's never been horrendously expensive. Maybe their business model isn't fitting anymore but I don't want to get into that.

If you strike for more money, and the company can't make any as a result, I'm not sure how you're achieving your aim. The executive board will not cave because they cannot cave. Unfortunately, the fate of the company is not in the hands of the board, nor is it in the hands of the shareholders, but in the hands of the baggage handlers, cabin crew and customer service staff. If this work was carried out by a CEO and people lost their life savings in the company, that CEO would be arrested for malpractice, or at the least voted out and lose his job. That cannot happen in this scenario as a striking workforce is legal under EU law and the majority of the Western world. That's fine when the shoe is on the other foot, when the profits are soaring and people need action against exploitation. When we're in a recession, when profits are falling and companies are scratching around for survival, the actions of your workforce are essential. They are, in effect, you're only flexible constant whose output can increase with little adjustment other than desire and damned stubborn effort. It's what separates the winners from the losers. Unfortunately, stupid people tend to be losers.

Saturday I went to see Enron at the Noel Coward theatre, which was excellent. I was intrigued as to how you can project a fairly complicated story based on pretty dull accounting principles onto stage, and well. Despite a two-page glossary provided in the programme, you could follow the production pretty easily. Even if you weren't following the complex issues, the general gist was potent enough for the layman.

Bocca di Lupo was amazing. Sitting up at the chef's counter we had a bit of banter with the chefs, asking what was what, how it was made and generally seeing how the engine room of the restaurant works is entertainment itself. Or, as my mum said, they can't get away with dropping something on the floor.

Going to see the new Enron play and then to Bocca di Lupo tonight for dinner which I'm really looking forward to.

Pink Floyd - Great Gig in the Sky

Probably one of the greatest vocals of all time, it blows the shit out of some of the nonsense lyrics in tracks these days.

Hostage Peter Moore talks about a planned escape...

Just watched Moon with Sam Rockwell. Brilliant movie although really odd, I'd definitely recommend it.

"You're supposed to be Officer Class. Don't do this....don't make fucking waves"

- Malcolm Tucker

Awesome. I want to be Officer Class.

Coldplay - Yellow
Uploaded by Hakunamatata67. - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.
Can you BELIEVE Coldplay's breakthrough album Parachutes was released a DECADE ago? Disgusting.

I'm going through a phase of listening to music I listened to about 10 years ago. Here's one.

"They're making how much? God, I'm in the wrong business..."

"What business are you in?"

"Oh...I'm a student"

Cringe

Welcome to the West London Free School from Toby Young on Vimeo.

Walking to work this morning I bumped into one of my heroes - Toby Young. I've blogged about his ideas on setting up Free Schools based on Scandinavian Academies and other examples from around the world. His project page is here and in the video above. He had, I'm guessing, just been for a meeting at Portcullis house, where the MPs have offices. Awesome.

I have a board next to me at work to stick ideas up and 'blue sky' things. However, it's testament to my lack of creativity that, instead, people put 'Ben's word of the day' up.

Today was 'irk'. Great word.

Argentina,

Some lessons in life are learnt the hard way, but most people will pick themselves up having suffered a blow, and move on. You obviously can't.

The Falkland Islands are sovereign British soil and always has been regardless of where it lies in relation to your country. The residents of the islands are proud to be considered British and don't want that to change. When in 1982 you decided to invade our sovereign soil, you opted out of diplomacy and forced our hand. We reacted firmly, and it seems you have failed to learn that while we are a peace-making nation, our bite is worse than our bark. As long as there are those around the world that embrace their membership to the old empire, we will protect them.

If you fancy yourselves again, we're waiting. Good Night Buenos Aires.

Britain.

I've started a new blog about my half marathon training. I'm certainly not giving this one up, as this tends to appease my twitches for creativity. The other blog will be focused on running routes, diets and fundraising.

You can get to it here, take a look.