It's nearly 2007

With the end of 2006 now in sight, I think it’s time for a bit of a retrospective. So, here’s some of the things I’ve learned this past year.

Adcortyl is the stuff to use on mouth ulcers
Bonjela is rubbish in comparison
Coke explodes when you add a Mento
David Tennant is a better Doctor
England can have the best footie team in the world according to the pundits, but when it comes to the big stage they suck royally
Funny emails aren’t professional
Global warming means the poorest people are going to get literally washed away
‘How to be Good’ by Nick Hornby is brilliant but depressing
In a galactic war, being on the losing side doesn’t mean you fought on the wrong side (thank you, Mal Reynolds)
Japanese B-Damen instructions are easier to read in Japanese than in the ‘translated’ version
Karaoke is a great way to make a complete ass of yourself
Legoland is great, but you get odd looks if you go there without kids in tow
Mull is a great place to go on holiday, mainly because it’s almost deserted (and it's got lots of quiet, wee places to visit - like this one)
Nizlopi are possibly the coolest live band ever
Office politics means my pay won’t go up, but there’s plenty of money available to create new management positions
Poppycock cashew nut popcorn is so nice I’m salivating as I type
Queen’s Radio GaGa has never been murdered so badly as when Dave and me killed it on the Songster game
Returning to old writing projects means extensive re-writes
Sunburn is a possibility when holidaying in Scotland – no, honestly, it happened to me
‘Thud!’ by Terry Pratchett is the best book to read if you want to understand religious fundamentalism
United 93 is not the best film to watch the night before you fly to Belfast
Vox pops are frustrating, tiring, demoralising and stressful – but doing them still beats a day in the office!
Weevils live in the sewers of Cardiff, and wear boiler suits for some reason
X-Box consoles are insanely large
You can lead a workplace prayer meeting using six stress balls that you’ve ‘acquired’ at a marketing expo to illustrate your main points
Zoids are as much fun now as they were when I was a kid (actually they're more fun now because I can afford to buy the big ones!)