Although I am not particularly superstitious, paranormal or naive, I have for many years felt something akin to a hot "buzz" from a cellphone against my head and ear, whenever I used the thing for more than a couple of minutes. Not a directly physical kind of heat, since my cellphones stayed relatively cool to the touch, never having the chance to get hot, but a weird sensation.

Despite our many imperfections and foibles, we humans are a lovely bunch. Eager to please and to have our brief moment in the spotlight, willing to help, out of kindness or for a tiny bit of gentle recognition, we pass upon this earth for a short instant, less than a blink in Time. In these trying days of environmental mayhem and apparent self-destruction, it is an easy thing to turn to all things negative and cast one's eyes down, in sadness, shame or simple letting go. But I find there is magic in our passage Here, too.

Interesting story in one of our local papers yesterday. Nothing particularly new, but a smirking reminder about the short longevity of home-cooked CD and DVD archives.

The BBC has one of the best and most professional news services in the world. A year or two ago, however, a kind of internal malaise set in, and in an effort to follow current trends of democratising to the lowest common denominator, they began sending out e-mails, monthly at best and bi-weekly at worst, asking for my opinion. My opinion, now, imagine that.