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I knew the answer to this question the instant I read it! (most of you are probably thinking, “Who the hell is Ian Paisley?”)

This time last year I was sitting in a crappy concrete house in Farnham, Surrey, playing Zelda: Windwaker on Nick’s Game Cube and watching celebrity panto highlights on BBC2 in between reruns of Bargain Hunt and University Challenge. I would eat half-packs of Waitrose brand digestives and drink really strong tea with far-too-much sugar. And I loved every minute of it!

Taking the BBC’s annual quiz was kinda like a year-in-review for my life in Britain, 2005. Obviously, I missed the tail end, but I kept current, you know. Its funny to see how many things actually happen in a year that you would otherwise forget so completely without consequence. In other words, the news is so amusing, but its so fleeting. Here today, gone tomorrow. Quite literally.

I miss the Channel 4 News. SO much better than any network in the US including CNN, MSNBC or any other the other bullshit cable outlets. Save us, John Snow! Save us! (and while you’re at it, run over to the BBC and grab Fiona Bruce and Hugh Edwards and of course Sir Trevor from ITV. And Lorraine Kelly, because of her accent! And Kirsty Gallacher because she’s just fit.)

Take the BBC Quiz of the Year’s News.

Today, we bid adieu to John Spencer, the actor who played Leo McGarry on The West Wing.

So, why am I writing about this on my website? Why has this event given me the motivation to post after more than a month of not doing anything? Because Leo, (and John) was the man! While I feel a strong connection to nearly all the characters of The West Wing, I can say without a doubt that Leo was my favourite character. Leo was a bad-ass. A retired fighter pilot and aerospace contractor, Leo knew his shit. And what’s more, he knew people. Credited as the “best political mind in the party” he made sense of the ever-chaotic world that is Washington and inspired his staff on the show, and people in real life, like me.

Whether or not Leo represents acutal people is irrelevant. In my eyes, he is a man who was educated, witty, dedicated, loyal, astute, gutsy, and quirky all at the same time. Not without fault, Leo was also a recovering alcoholic, showing his character depth and posessing another invaluable human trait, the ability to face up to mistakes and rise again. And again. And again. Leo has inspired me over the past few years, and my own WWLeoD thought process has gotten me through more than one tough decision.

So the question now, what will become of the Santos/McGarry campaign? Who will replace Santos on the ticket? Will he see a bump in polling numbers from the sympathy vote, or will the new running mate mean voters will scramble to Vinnick. And when are these episode to be filmed? Damnit John, why did you have to die!

I’m crying now.

Lower East Side for a party with Mischa and her mates. Love to feel young hanging around with 30-somethings. Of course, on this particular night I was a bit knackered and therefore, it wasn’t terribly fun.

However, the supermarket across the street, in classic NYC fashion, is stacked in such meticulous precarious order with rows upon rows, of canned and bagged products. A bit claustrophobic, but still a sight to see. And photograph.

Cousin Emmanuel’s first birthday. You know how children’s birthdays are, a lot of dirty jokes and mish-mash of ethnic foods. And Playstation.

The weather outside is frightful. And by frightful, I mean bloody shit terrible!

Nothing makes a commute like a a foot of snow! Parents had the day off, I made the journey in to work.