I'm Back - And I'm Still Angry

Weell hello, I'm back! It's a new year, the Mayans were wrong or at least inaccurate, and we're all still here so I've decided to resurrect this moribund monologue and inflict my random thoughts on an unsuspecting cybespace.
When I first began aerosoling on the cyberwall little did I know that my scribblings would elicit a response and when they did I rapidly scuttled away to lick my wounded ego and do some study into quantum physics. During this exercise I realised that, while some Marvins with planet-sized brains might indeed understand this subject, the majority of us mere mortals can only take their word for it and hope that Marvin monitors are checking their homework with sufficient diligence to ensure the planet doesn't disappear down an inter-dimensional plughole somewhere in the vicinity of Geneva. I still have thoughts on the whole quantum physics thing and how at it's most fundamental level it begins as an act of faith but that's way too complicated a stream of heresy to begin 2013 with.
So, what's been happening since my self-imposed exile in June 2009?
Well we've lost Steve Jobs for a start which for me was a major blow. Opinions on Mr Jobs are myriad and I don't know which of them is correct, perhaps all of them are, but I do know that the company he founded, lost, won back again and built into one of the biggest on the planet has provided me with tools and toys in equal measure for nearly 35 years and for that I'm personally very grateful. In the process of providing me with playthings Steve coincidentally changed the face of computing and how the human race interacts with technology. With the help of both design, sofware and technical innovators he has shifted the emphasis from the programmers to the public and made the power of computers available to all. All this earth re-shaping is, of course, only a side effect of keeping my toy box full to bursting but, hey, no body's perfect. I hope that in whatever form Steve Jobs' constituent parts have been reassembled he's bringing as much joy and hope to his new dimension. I for one miss his presence. And another thing...

What a little ray of sunshine the Olympics were in 2012 - both streams. The poor old Queen tried to brighten up the country with her shiny jubilee but, between the weather and the God-awful BBC commentary the whole shebang was enough to give you a bladder infection. But just when we though all was lost and the doom and gloom merchants were revving up for another bout of whining, lo and behold the sun came out, the athletes arrived and little old UK knocked one into the back of the net in some style. It was all helped by an amazing opening ceremony created by Danny Boyle. I don't know what we expected but I'm sure we were all holding our collective breath after the Bejing extravaganza which was both awesome and unrepeatable. How could it be followed? Well Danny boy certainly brought home the rashers with a show that was avant garde, spectacular with references that were tangential but not so obscure that our bewilderment was permanent. No mean task that and it all went off like clockwork. Most un-British. Also most un-British was the unbridled enthusiasm that the opening ceremony released among the populatioin and from the soggy trail of the Olympic flame round the nooks and crannies of the UK to Boyle's potted history encompassing all that's good about this little nation it all went to swell our enthusiasm to a perfectly timed crescendo. Brilliant.

But you knew it was too good to last. True SPOTY has attempted to breath new life into the fading corpse of our national pride but the unending doleful news of financial shennanigans, bloated bankers, tax-dodging fat cats and so on ad infinitum soon had us back in the doldrums waiting for the next bad thing.

But hey, we had two glorious weeks where we consistently punched above our weight and a further two when the paralympians, not to be outdone by their more able bodied colleagues, again raised our spirits and emotions with their strength and determination. What a year it was.

And so to 2013.