Good afternoon bloggers seasoned and unseasoned alike. Hoping this day finds you well, despite the somewhat awful weather many of you are reporting. I myself rather enjoy a good rainy day, it allows me to sit inside and marvel at the weather, safe in the knowledge that I'm nice and dry. It is days like these where I'm quite sure I should be doing something with myself, mayhap relaxing with an improving book, or expanding my knowledge on subjects of interest such as philosophy, the arts, or how the perform the perfect side-parting without looking too much like a Bavarian fascist.

Instead I witnessed my younger brother complete The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess for a second time, and slept until an unnecessary hour.

One notes that the media circus which is the death or Mr M. Jackson has taken a new turn with The Guardian reporting that Jackson may have died of an anaesthetic overdose, of which he is one of only three people outside of the medical profession apparently. Now it is my opinion that it would be too easy here to make jokes about his addiction to anaesthetics and children etc. etc. however, feel free within the comments section to do so yourself.

I might point out at this interlude between rambles that I don't like celebrity nonsense, and reel in horror and disgust at the fuss that is being made over this particular death. People flying half way across the world to lay flowers at a conference centre is somewhat ridiculous. People claiming to have had their lives personally affected by Jackson, equally so.

Anywhom, rant over, I just felt that my thoughts on the matter needed airing out...

What else?

So my dissertation on the effects of Schizotipy on Executive Functioning looms ever closer, and my own personal research has, thus far, been minimal. I think it's time I started to get stuck in, and that's why as of Monday I shall be entering into a period of working, going to the gym (in preparation for next years rowing which I've foolishly promised to do) and trying to earn some more money, which will go towards furniture next year. Not to mention filling out Student Loan applications and the like. This week promises to be a busy one when mixed with the impending trip to Cambridge, where we intend to view houses. I anticipate your sympathy reader while I sigh in exasperation.

On a lighter note, the FTSE this week closed up high and has recently topped 4'600, perhaps a sign that a bull market is on the way. With investment fund sales on the rise and six-year high in investment ISA sales, is this a sign that we're on our way out of the recession? There are a couple of opposing cases, of which I know little enough about economics to understand so I won't comment on. Instead I'm going to merely remain optimistic!

I'd like to take this opportunity to plug Gordon Brown for a moment or two also. For a man who was dropped into the hot seat at a rather unfortunate time by his predecessor, he's done rather a good job. Left with a both morally and tactically difficult war on his hands and the looming threat of global recession, Gordon Brown has handled both rather stunningly. His cooperation with world politics golden boy Barack Obama has resulted in strong ties to a new USA not being cut, and has only helped his own approval ratings. The measures taken by Brown and Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling have resulted in this country being the first major nation to have made any headway in rising from the fall of the global markets. Frankly I think he's given something of a bad press due to a combination of a less-marketable personality than Blair or Cameron and an unfortunate timescale. Had he been in power when the recession was coming to an end (which fingers crossed he may yet), then I think he'd be more likely seen as a hero, whether he had much of a part in it or not.

Sorry if this post has seemed a little too serious but as a burgeoning blogger I'm struggling for topics and so combed the Guardian for a couple of items to talk about before writing.

Light-hearted service commences soon.

In the mean time if anyone knows where I can get hold of a cheap boating jacket (blazer style) then I'd be glad to know of it.

Cheerio all!