This is really funny!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00vcr38/The_News_Quiz_Series_72_Episode_5/

Here are some things I think are really cool (yeah, I'm supposed to be working):

The Bell Rock Lighthouse
William Tyndale
High speed trains
Blue cheese
Venice
The Name of the Rose
anything Basque

My job is also really cool. Just not right now.

On QI they're talking about how waiters in the US will chase after you if you leave a restaurant without tipping.

This is true!! Happened to me twice in New York. Really bizarre and very annoying. First time we were too shocked to protest and paid more. The second time... I let 'em have it, and I don't mean more cash.

My favourite joke

What do you call a cow with no legs?
Ground beef.

The speed of life

I'm on the high speed train from St Pancras to Kent. It's the first time I've used the line and it's exciting. I love going through tunnels and at this speed it felt like we could come out almost anywhere, Russia or perhaps even China. Dagenham as it happens. I loved the roar of the train as we sped through the tunnel. I wonder just how fast we were going.I love speed, though I'm too afraid to drive more than ninety. Hopefully one day ill get to drive a supercar! The train is smooth which makes a nice change after the bumps of my recent plane rides. And I remember the old Eurostar route along the main line to Dover, commuting back and forth to Brussels. You flew through Belgium and France only to get stuck behind some doddering local service on the English side. We were ALWAYS late arriving. This is brilliant. No brain hemorrhages!

I went to Lord's today. Technically it's the home of the MCC and the Middlesex County Cricket, but really it's the home of cricket (as they announce on their masthead) and rightly so. If none of this is making sense, kindly follow the link provided. I was doing a bit of research on a professional cricketer for a magazine article. Now why specify a professional cricketer, why not just a cricketer? Because, the distinction between amateur and professional is a very important one in the history of cricket. Amateurs were men of means and talent who played for county sides and for England, but only received their expenses. The professionals were the folks who had the talent but not the means. They weren't gentlemen - a big no-no in English society until, well, like not that long ago - and who had to play for money, also a big no-no. It's very complicated and isn't meant to make sense. A few exceptional cricketers somehow managed to be a bit of both. Gentlemen who also made sure they got a share of the gate takings. Amateur in theory, but professional in practice. I'm a bit like that. Still living on other means but trying to get my share of the professional genealogical takings. They say "you can't ride two horses with one ass". Well W.G. Grace and G.M. Bovee have had a go at it at least!

No one can accuse Worcester of having nightlife. I know it's Monday but I had to get my dinner from Mickey D's. And I'm not real big on cardboard hamburgers. Still it's quite a charming place 9-5 so looking forward to seeing it reawaken tomorrow. I've been here at least once before. We stayed with Saudi friends the Wilmers back in the day. Not that I remember much of Worcester. I stayed indoors with Alix - we played seven rounds of Monopoly and made up dances to Kim Wilde records.

Jacob

Old friends run into at JFK: 1 + his newly minted Mrs.

Pairs of boots purchased: 4

Lunches at Chilli's: 2

Naps taken on Auntie Genevieve's shoulder: 6

Peanut butter M&Ms consumed: oh hundreds

Number of hours on a plane tonight: 9, uggh

I have a name!

Andrew has given me a name. I'm Ghee. We've been pointing to me and calling me Genevieve and trying to get him to say my name, and tonight he said, "Nigh-night Ghee". I'm the fifth person to get an Andrew name, after Mummy, Daddy, Goggy, Dad-Dad. And now Ghee.

Happy birthday wishes from Stephen and The Onion and some of our friends at the BBC: