Friday comes around again, and I feel that special feeling, driving off into the cold night, leaving work, the chaos far behind me, until Monday morning at least. Not sure, where this urge to celebrate the minor passing of yet another working week. Afterall, five days in an office, is hardly an achievement, compared to some of the more challenging occupations, I could be involved in. Suffice to say, I am happy that my line of work, is both rewarding and demanding, in almost equal measure. The moment, that balance tips in favour of one before the other, that is the moment, I seriously need to look for a new job. the big freeze that has gripped most of the country, came as a surprise, particularly those of us expecting Spring. On Wednesday, I drove past two of the most successfully and distinguished schools in the county, if not the country. In your school days, your elders will often remind you that your school days are the best days of your life. Just like everything you don’t realise it at the time. Many years later, you recall how much possibility lay before you at the time and much you squandered the chances. Time to time, people ask me, do you ever wish you were back at school? With a firm response, I explain how happy I am with my life now, as an adult. Yet, on this morning, for a second I wanted to step back a few years and join the kids making their slow journey to the classroom. Most had built up a large supply of ammo, in the form a big ball of snow, rushing to find a gullible victim. As I drove closer to the school, the number of pupils out, making the most of the snow grew and I saw some magic moments, as the snow balls went flying across the cool wintry morning air. Fun. For a split second, I wish I was out there, covered in icy snow, regardless of the pain or shame, I would have faced. Coming out of my day dream, I continued driving, headed off into the distance. The reality of work had set in.

Time waits for no man, or music pirate. I prefer to use the term, coinsure of digital music, rather than a word which has connotations of ships, major sword battles, and talking parrots. So it appears that the same sort of litigation which swooped across the United States as landed on this side of the pond, but is this the final nail in the coffin? I think not, providing legal alternatives for music downloads has helped but how can they ever continue to compete with free? My personal opinion is that no matter how much they hammer the large peer-to-peer share users, a dark era of the web will exist for anyone, should they dare to get hold of any track they desire. Copy protected CDs and even Digital Rights Management are not fool proof. What big blue chip companies fail to understand, is that every system, any system is pregnable. There is always a back door, and our friends on the fringes of the internet fraternity, are more than happy to find the keep and open the door. Thank God that people like this are out there. My personal view on this heated topic is that if the artist is good enough, I will always go and buy their album, DVD, t-shirt and concert ticket. The digital revolution has enabled me to listen to a wide range of material, which in other cases I would never have been exposed to.

I have always been a patient person, but then somethings are worth waiting for. What makes things extra difficult in the current circumstances, is that I have put it upon myself to wait. Deep down, I know I have made the right decision, but this is difficult when your heart longs for something that is just outside your reach. The pain I feel is difficult to describe, particular when every day the media is almost fueled on the latest revelation, from a land far far away. Not the ideal circumstances to be holding on for, but there is little I can do to change that. Oh, why do I feel so powerless, so invisible right now? What more could I have done? What more can I do? Just as I write this (23:23) MSN Messenger flashes up with an e-mail alert. My heart leaps, and the small traces of a smile appears on my face. Hope. There is always hope.