Some people have expressed their happiness about the BBC's decision (possibly, maybe, perhaps) to put its archive online, but the BBC already puts the very best of its output, IMO -- its radio programmes -- online. You need a broadband or cable connection to get hold of them, and Real Player to play them, but they're worth it.

Radio 4's basic archive site is here

My favourite five things on the site:
(1) I Have A Cunning Plan, which is about 20 years of Blackadder

And let us speed swiftly past the fact that it is 20 years since the first episode of Blackadder because it SCARES ME. I can remember me and my best friend Sam sitting in Physics lessons, quoting lines from Blackadder. Which is probably why we both got Bs.

(2)Music and Memory in Mostar

(3) We've Been Here Before, which is not as good as the News Quiz but was very funny a week or two ago.

(4) Nature's Magic. Because science is just cool, okay? And it's jellyfish and genetics and leeches and fireflies. What's not to love?

(5) Five Numbers. lilydale might like this one. It's presented by Simon Singh, who wrote The Code Book and even a maths dolt (points to self) can understand it.

I can also recommend tonight's Front Row, which has an interview with Douglas Coupland about his new book on a school massacre, in which he uttered the immortal phrase "When I was pregnant with the book..."

* * *

Today was my first day off in heaven knows how long and I got nothing much done. Spent a lot of time waiting for the bus, trying to work out in my head whether you could map the Hobbits onto the Beatles.

I don't think you can; there's maybe three Ringos and a George. But if you map it onto the actors then Sean Astin is probably Paul MacCartney. He has the same look of crazed over-enthusiasm. These thoughts led me into scary head-land so I abandoned the Hobbit-Beatle nexus and spent the rest of the time looking at the great unwashed in the bus queue while attempting not to catch anyone's eye. You don't catch people's eyes here in bandit country. Not if you feel strongly about the retention of teeth.

* * *

I would like to thank the state of California for providing us with much amusement this summer. Ahnuld, bless him, and his little friend Gary Coleman have provided us with many innocent hours of pleasure, imagining cheesy slogans and Terminator-like policies.

I realise that it is less amusing if you actually have to live in California, given that the state finances are up excrement creek without the necessary means of propulsion, but we amused you with Margaret Thatcher and the inbred, marble-mouthed, gothic soap opera that is the royal family for bloody years.

We've paid our dues.