Most writing tips start at the point at which you pick up a pen.

My question is: How do you convince yourself that now is the time to write? Writing tips are all well and good if you can actually get sat down and started.

Does anyone have any good techniques to get to that situation?

Does it involve timetables? Does it involve coffee? A brisk walk? A room of one's own?

Just how do you get your time to write and just how do you make sure you use it for writing?

Having surveyed the paper and seen that Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Cuba have offered aid, I think what the fuck is going on? The only city I would ever visit (If I would fly) would be New Orleans is; in every way gone. Bummer! 250.000 to Texas about the same to Arkansas many saying that they will never return. This is Biblical stuff. I see on another thread about Fats Dominoe, thankfully he's safe, but what about The Meters? Surely one of the great funk bands of all time. Is Joseph Modeliste OK?

Whitmore Publishing, a company based in Pittsburgh? I stumbled across their website and they seem to be a little too good to be true. has anybody had any dealings with them?

Here's a little question for you:

What is the best book in the world that only you seem to have read?

You know the situation: You're having a discussion about books and everyone is reeling off stuff they really like, to appreciative 'nods' and 'hmmms' from those assembled. You manage to elbow your way to the forefront of the conversation, take centre stage, announce the name and author of a persoanl favourite of yours and then...

Nothing. Silence. For agonising seconds before someone picks up the baton and gets the conversation moving again.

Did anyone watch the progamme on Channel 4 the other night on Islam and its history? How up to about 60 years ago it was extremely tolerant of other religions women did not have to wear the hijab etc.. That is a very modern construct by the way. Also that suicide in Islam is viewed very much as in Catholicism, it's a crime. Then along came the Brits and the Yanks and threw money at them for their oil. Oh dear I can almost hear RD rattling his colonial pram as I write.

I have got a dumb but funny joke

Q. How is race car driver Dale Earnhardt related to rock band Pink Floyd.

A: Their last hit was the wall.

City versus country is a well-worn theme but I think Bellerophon handles it beautifully and originally and with lots of lovely descriptive touches and well-observed detail from the duckling's feathers down to the curry in Bristol.

Parts of this poem made me laugh because of its madcap humour.

How does one re-boot a computer? It seems that it's the only way to get rid of the Dyfica virus.