Since the demise of the Ariaz and the ascent of the ipod, I have been re-engaged with podcasts. Is there anything better than walking in the Mountains whilst listening to a witty discussion of American politics(such as Slate's Political Gabfest) or an eridite exegesis on culture or history, such as BBC 4's In Our Time? Well, yes, of course there is. It's all about personal taste. It's just what I've been doing lately and enjoying immensely.

Last night's Carols went well, being in every sense a community event. The sound system wasn't very good, it was almost impossible to hear announcements, children and adults moved and chatted throughout, and um, my solo was cut short, but, these points actually prove my argument. A lot of work went into the event, but that sense of matters percolating in and out of competent reality persisted. There is a kind of joy in things not being quite right, of things being a little loose at the ends.

Why? I don't know. There is no sense of the phony or pretentious. Nothing is airbrushed or overly scripted. It's really a community thing unmediated by special interests with something to plug.

Something like that.