Musing about the weather, and about sleeping rough

Every now and then I start thinking about what the inception, brokering and delivery of masses of event-driven asynchronous “services” would look like, and, for some inexplicable reason, somewhere along the line I start thinking about the weather.

Particularly since I came to the UK, I have been fascinated by the weather. When I got here, I could not believe just how much media time was devoted to the weather, be it TV or print or radio. After staying here for a bit I could not believe how much people actually talked about the weather, how much the caricature of English people always talking about the weather turned out to be true. Once I’d been here for a few years, I could not believe how changeable the weather was, how often a day that started with bright windless sunshine could end in wet and windy.

Talking about people talking about the weather reminds me of one of my favourite Mad Magazine cartoons, I think it was Don Martin who did it. Titled Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions, the first frame showed a person walking in from the outside, completely drenched from head to toe. And an observer asking “Is it raining outside?”. The cartoonist then proceeded to suggest a series of answers, ranging from “No, I always get into a shower fully dressed” to “%@*£”. Incidentally, while recuperating over Christmas, I treated myself to this: the entire Mad Magazine oeuvre available on disk. Fantastic stuff. Sergio Aragones and his Marginal Thinking Department never failed to amuse me, whatever my mood.

Talking about the changeability of the weather. I am gently tinged with trepidation as to what tomorrow night holds, as we try and raise funds for homeless youth. Do try and help us, you will find the link here and in my sidebar. My thanks to all of you for your incredible generosity, we have already raised nearly £10,000.