No geek
is an island

I’m less than enamoured by the list of funniest British comedians produced by Reader’s Digest (who are natural arbiters on this subject).

I’ll let Tommy Cooper alone at the top (although I wouldn’t have ranked him so high), but Peter Kay second? Looks like a typical example of these polls where people just put down the person they laughed at on TV the previous night.

Chubby Brown at 7? Jim Davidson at 13? And yet, given that the likes of Benny Hill and Les Dawson got on, no sign of Frankie Howerd or the Two Ronnies. No Hancock, no Barry Cryer, no Graeme Garden. David Jason isn’t even a comedian.

Cleese is ridiculously low down the list, and there is a painful dearth of alternative comedy, however mainstream it may be now. No to Paul Merton and Harry Hill but yes to Freddie Starr? It’s just not funny.

Given the recent debate here on wind farms, I thought I’d take a tip from doctorvee and add the Alternative Energy Blog to my blogroll.

Following the literally shaky success of my Argos bed, I have finally got around to assembling my IKEA desk. The flat-packed pieces were much better made and the construction process was relatively painless.

I’m also pleased to report that the desk wasn’t as large as expected so there is plenty of room between it and the bed. The final product looks quite good, even if I say so myself, and is very sturdy:

How evil can you get? Lorraine Kelly’s Baby and Toddler Eating Plan - a very public admission of guilt.

(Via Anders Hanson.)

The school standards minister has launched a pre-emptive strike at the predictive claims of dumbing down that will accompany Thursday’s (almost certain to be) “best ever” A-level results. One quote caught my satirical eye:

“As a nation we like knocking success and it’s bad for us and we should stop it,” he said.

“As a nation we like knocking New Labour and it’s bad for us and we should stop it,” he said.

Venezuelan president Hugo Ch&aacutevez has survived a recall referendum.

It has been called in protest against his tracksuits, slicked down hair, gold jewelry and propensity for nicking hub caps.