I like to consider myself a pretty easy-going sort of a person, but there are one or two human affectations and idiocies which annoy me beyond all reason. Political posturing and effluence is given its own particular pigeonhole (see previous).

But first, apols for lack of contributions, due entirely to lack of anything meaningful upon which to reflect, including birdsong which is singularly lacking in or around my place of work.

I do not consider it in any way meaningful, just sufficiently irritating to make me yell at the radio while driving to work, but in the news I see Zara Philips' horse has an injury and a spectacularly pointless sports commentator (but then, aren't they all) described the four legged beast as 'fragile'. To quote a voice recognition mistranslation: fur fox ache.

In the world of work in which I am sadly still obliged to operate, the thing which irritates me on a par with grit in the eye or Thought for the Day is the vacuous and utterly insincere enquiry after one's wellbeing upon taking any phone call or upon any encounter, unfailingly. They don't even bother listening to your response and assume you have asked them the same and reply accordingly when you haven't actually said anything because you couldn't give a flying tinker's cuss.

One day I might say I've just been diagnosed as HIV positive and I've got dreadful piles, as you asked, and see what response that elicits. But I probably shan't because frankly my dears ....

As I believe I have tried to assure everybody before, generally, I am of a sunny disposition, really I am.