New toys...

Back after over a month of work is far too long in blogging land. After playing Bestival on the Isle of Wight, I quickly found myself in a warzone. NATO forces play war games twice a year in the North Atlantic on an exercise called Neptune Warrior and I was fortunate enough to be invited along to play simulation embedded press on the warships. From futuristic scanning devices used by crack boarding forces to full Lynx helicopters, there were enough big toys to keep me happy and enough intrigue around the excellently detailed faux political scenario to keep me in awkward questions, "just what is an acceptable level of collateral damage" for the whole thing. In fact, it was a journalist's dream and brought me to an understanding and an admiration of the people that make up our armed forces that I think very few people have. It's much too tempting to look at the whole bulk as some brutish beast of political power, whereas the sharp and thinking people I met are a world away from the either lunkish or sycophantic visions of a military person one usually encouters. Although, it might be just the navy lads and officers I met.

While I was away I celebrated my birthday, ably helped by HMS Lancaster's stellar officers (wearing my cap as I type!). Orange and I are to part company later this week - we're back connected but it conks out every two days and I have to manually reset the modem and change all my IP addresses. So to treat myself, a new phone and contract, sod the cancellation charges.

BUT OH THE CHOICE! After the iphone brick debacle, I had a rather sour taste in my mouth about the jesus phone. But then today I finally touched one and boy did it seep into my conciousness, the smooth lines, the shiny screen, the mmmmmmmulti touch. And yet, nags the practical killjoy in my head, wouldn't the N95 be a much more sensible choice? 3g, 5mp camera, open to all the natty little third party apps I can shake a brick at. I've got two weeks until I'm paid. Two long, dark weeks of soul searching....

Course, I could just go and blow it all on a new processor refitted Xbox 360 (codename falcon so much awesome)... Halo 3 and ROCK BAND out later this year.

Sleep on it, I think.