The schmaltzy Seasons in the Sun was based on a loose translation of a Jacques Brel song called The Dying Man, or Le moribond. Compare a translation of the Brel lyrics with what Westlife and others have incanted... let's just say, there's genius in only one of the versions. (Babelfish is good for a rough translation.)

Sometimes it's amazing where conversations take you, and sometimes it's amazing where the internet takes you. Put them together and you have magic. I was, quite innocently, pondering the question "What is the plural of the word 'scrotum'?" when I discovered both the answer (it's "scrota") and this amazing gift shop. I love deviation and discovery.

"Smile please" said the sign on the scales at the Weighhouse. With a result of -2, taking me to -46 total, I was quite happy to smile. Mid-week massometry mayhem and madness!!!

For years I've been reporting that Mork and Mindy had a character in it called "Arnold Wanker". Well, I was right (do a quick search for "Wanker" on the linked page). Not only that, but there was also an "Annie Wanker". Isn't the internet great! First broadcast in September 1978, the lovely Pam Dawber and the ebullient Mr Robin Williams spent an entire episode talking about wankers... what were they thinking? Surely the word had more than just a hint of Onanism about it back then? It was only 24 years ago for goodness' sake!

Good full day-trip to London yesterday... managed to catch not one but TWO west-end shows...

Darius, the baby hamster, is singing of his teenage anxt bless him.

Talking of BBC2 comedy - Look Around You was excellent - and I'm saying this having seen little more than one episode and their website. You can enjoy their fantastic Water Quiz to find out how funny it was - I nearly wet myself.

Today was the day of the mid-week mass measurement moment. A result of -2 is something to be pleased about, taking the aggregate to -44. However, it's a shame that the last month or so has been something of a plateau in the whole weightloss arena. Two and three weeks ago, I measured -46. At least I'm heading back towards -50, rather than returning to the lesser -40.

Today is a day for remembering obscure BBC2 sitcoms. How about The High Life?

If you need any excuse to visit the hilarious MC Hawking website, check out this fantastic picture:

If you want to read the Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, then I suggest you buy it. However, if you need to search the text for people like Veet Voojagig, then find it online here.

Worrisome woes on the weekly wednesday weigh-in. Today's result was an increase of +4. This is not desirable. Taking the aggregate back to the recidivist level of -42 which is still progress, but is not getting me closer to the attempted year end total of -50. This is no excuse to give up, lick wounds, moan or otherwise lose faith in the process. However, it is difficult to remain positive. I can take the renewed challenge to put more effort in to balancing the diet and exercise, what I can't take are the excuses that my mind keeps offering to try to get me out of the stark reality that things have not gone to plan for the last two weeks. Excuses include:

• I'm wearing a long-sleeved shirt, which weighs more than the normal short-sleeved ones... yeah, but not a quarter of a stone more!
• I should visit the toilet and unload as much as possible before being weighed. Except that I did and look where it got me
• My hair needed cutting and hair weighs heavy. Right... I just had my hair cut and it did not take very long... male pattern baldness is no laughing matter and no source of excessive mass
• The scales are wrong, or are being read incorrectly. NO!
• It's a random fluctuation. Whatever!
• The phase of the moon... ENOUGH!

There are some real reasons why I have not lost weight and have, instead, gained:

• I have been eating more - albeit fruit, but more quantity.
• I have not been exercising as much as I needed to - not walked to work since Thursday last.
• I have eaten out a few too many times over the last two weeks.
• One's metabolism cannot continually lose weight without more effort than I've been putting in.

The conclusion: do more. Try to re-lose the 4 pounds for next week.

A few minutes spent perusing the very wonderful Bonsai Kitten website is time well spent!