I consider myself a patron of the arts

First unconnected piece of news: WEB FOUL-UP CAUSES TICKET CHAOS
In an attempt to buy a Eurodomino five-day rail pass for my impending trip to France, I ran across a little thing called a HTTP 500 error. Those of you who have met these curious creatures know that they like to playfully scamper in the middle of the most sensitive and vital part of me sending £138 down an unreliable 56K modem. As such, I'm going to have to phone someone tomorrow. I really hate doing that.

The other main consequence is that my MSN name now has the suffix "J'adore le web-site SNCF, mais quelquefois je despaire a cette internet stupide". That sums up my mood, and shows my approach to languages.

Second unconnected piece of news: COWHERD JOB GOES SMOOTHLY

My one-day stint as a vet-associated cowherd has come to an end. Subtle wage enquiries may follow. On the whole, it was easy. True, at one point it was as if the farmyard was some kind of Chinese puzzle made from galvanised steel and nervous Aberdeen Angus, but happily we wroked it out. The only downside is that now I smell distinctly of cow.

Third unconnected piece of news: WEBCOMIC CALLS FOR DONATIONS

For a long time now, I've been a fan of a certain webcomic called 8-Bit Theater. The episodes are long enough to satisfy, updates are like clockwork, and it's (genuinely) very funny. Go there, read it. Read it from the start, it's continuous. When you've finished reading it, consider making a donation.

The man in charge goes by the name of Brian Clevinger and normally, he doesn't ask me to vote on some stupid popularity meter, or pay him money, or anything. I appreciate that. He's done well with his webcomic. He more or less lives off it, now. Trouble is, now he wants to move house, a process which is expensive and painful. So go on, citizens, spare some cash for a jolly nice fellow who does so much to entertain.

That link again: 8-Bit Theater.

I like to think of myself as a patron of the arts.

Having said that, most arts patrons don't smell of cows.

Song in my head: "Alpha Beta Gaga" by Air