IIRC, the weatherman episode is a bit twee, but worth sticking with for several amusingly surreal moments, if nothing else.

Wouldn't dream of it. But I assure you there's nothing to feel sorry for - I had lots of fun and travelled to some great places, and as I said, that sort of thing holds its value.

I don't get that either. Also, as someone with sensitive ears (yes, I wear earplugs at concerts, deal with it), it's fucking painful if someone bursts into a high-pitched shriek inches from your ear as you stand in the queue.

Because it's fun? I used to follow bands around, and know plenty of other people who have done the same at one point or another. It's perfectly possible to hugely enjoy seeing the "same" show every night (plus if you're a big enough fan, the differences from night to night can be interesting), you meet people with…

He's even in the trailer (very briefly)!

My sympathies on that one. I too appear to be expanding, despite maintaining a limited but steady exercise regime and trying to keep away from the biscuits. I guess the fact that I fail a lot at that last has something to do with it… and for me, the discovery that I can only just zip up my beloved goretex jacket was…

For this particular purpose, you could always click the dreaded "newest first" thingy. The "the TI is here" post would then be among the first batch, which usually load, no?

I've been away for the past two weeks, and don't carry books with me when I travel, so I'm still somewhere half-way through Tigerman by Nick Harkaway. Picked it up again this morning and got back into it fairly well, but I'm still just liking rather than loving it.

Well, I can't say I've ever felt all that enthusiastic about it myself. But I don't like the rather imperial attitude of just expecting others to speak English, even if in Dutchland they apparently all do. So my own peace of mind will require the acquisition of some basic language skills, even if they involve a lot of…

(I'm in trouble here, aren't I? Is this Hannibal Lecter seasoning his dinner, or more of an alien 'Under the Skin' type thing?)

Now if only I hadn't seen that bit in John Oliver's segment where this journalist basically says he's a bit dim…

Oh, I sympathise. I am clumsy as fuck and have performed that type of emergency landing many times. And not even doing something as virtuous as jogging.

Well, there's a mental image I didn't need.

I have, to my vast irritation, become allergic to strawberries in my twilight years. And raspberries are full of little things that get stuck between your teeth. Blueberries on the other hand are a fantastic little fruit. So that, please.

we're getting close to the second year of the second term, which is traditionally when the wheels come off

My mum's only in her late 60s, but she too lives by herself, and 3000 miles away from me. And we don't get on at all well, but that doesn't mean I don't worry.

Homemade jam? What are you doing over there, studying or running a granny-style kitchen (all goodies, all homemade, all the time)?

Nope, neither. The closest I could offer is that I was in Rotterdam for the weekend a few weeks ago (and to my own dismay ended up doing the whole utterly detestable "just speak English, they'll understand" thing at everyone. To Do: learn some Dutch for next time).

Picking just one is obviously an impossible task, but the Marty Jr scenes in part II come to mind - I always love seeing an actor play two different characters.

I was in Toronto the other day, where they succintly (and possibly homing in on my accent) explained the Presto card to me as "it's like an Oyster card". (It's not, exactly, as they're still phasing it in with all the attendant "FFS now what?" SNAFUs, but it got the idea across).