Reading an article on the BBC website which seemed to  have very little point to it has prompted me to blog my thoughts on numbers.

The article in question was about The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy, which I happen to love, and the answer to life, the universe and everything being 42.

A BBC reader did point out in the comments underneath the web article that the answer was 42 but it was the question which was unknown, prompting Deep Thought to take another few million years out to think about it.

Being a journlist I tend to rationalise in words and use the medium of English to describe the things around me. But what if I were more of a mathematician at heart and used numbers to fulfil the function of language?

I watched the film Pi last night about the mathematical genius (and all-round nutter) who was trying to work out a pattern in the stock market.

I wonder if he thought in numbers. A friend of mine (a physicist) once expressed a desire to communicate using only numbers.

Would this work? I don't think so. The only way I could see to do this would be to replace letters with digits, maybe a=1 b=2 etc, but then they would merely become the new way of writing.

Or perhaps we could make it dog=1 cat=2 table=3 but, in my opinion that would be stupid too.

I wonder if there are people in the world who see things like the people in The Matrix do. A great idea for a film but I don't think it would make life any easier for anyone.

So there we have it. I read a pointless article and now so have you.

ALL is not well with the Wailing Banshee. She has a splitting headache and has returned to work after a long holiday (the one in Glasgow) unrefreshed and needing another one due to the large alcohol intake over Christmas.

But we know that the post-Christmas blues do not last forever - just until April - and that things should get back to normal quickly.

Regarding the front page of today's Driff Post - what's a "hang out zone"? Sounds like something from the Crystal Maze.

"Congratulations to Team B who have completed the Aztec zone and now move into the challenging Hang Out Zone."

I assume this is some kind of attempt to make what is, in effect, a playgroup for adolescents, sound cool and trendy.

That is not to say it is not a good idea, some of them do need a certain amount of supervision, and the planned facilities are impressive but organisers need to make sure they do not patronise the young.

A youth shelter is one feature - it sounds rather like a bus shelter but without the virtue that the youths aren't really meant to be "hanging out" there.

I would go so far as to draw comparisons with a dog kennel which is, in essence, a place to keep pets which are not wanted in the house but ought to be kept dry nonetheless.

I expect it will be the same youngsters who generally keep out of trouble who will benefit from the experience and the ones who desperately need the boost to their self-esteem will be ignored and excluded and will, if they stay true to their youth label, cause havoc.

And one other thing, what the heck is a Community Play Ranger? Footballs and catapults create exciting play opportunities in my mind.

 

Our boss fancies Ann Widdecombe!

Good Lord - it takes all sorts, doesn't it? I wonder if he prefers her pre or post-bowl cut.

I am at this moment hoping he doesn't check the blogs this week - or he might not be so keen to advertise them on the front page of Friday's paper.

I must profess a soft spot for Ralph Fiennes who is quite senior to me and also, if I had to choose a politician, it would be Gorgeous George Galloway. I also have a 'thing' for Johnny Depp but that's quite normal.

I should mention at this point that the boss does not fancy Ann Widdecombe but jokes about it - a marvellous testament to his wicked sense of humour.

But we do have a pin-up of a certain Driffield person on the wall of the Driff Times office but I don't feel able to divulge a name.

What news that the East Riding of Yorkshire Council planning committee refused the two planning applications for Driffield which had been recommended for deferral before approval.

And the two applications which were expected to be refused were deferred for further consideration at a later date. So now there are three due to be considered together (one each for the Cattle Market, Tesco and Viking Centre).

Around 30 Driffield residents attended the meeting (the public seating area was pretty much full) on Thursday in Beverley and there was applause when the committee returned its decision to refuse one of the Cattle Market applications.

And it was great to hear that one of the reasons was the lack of provision of a community facility and things for the younger Driffield residents to do.

One of the committee members mentioned the 'vocal' youngsters who had made their feelings known at the protest at the Cattle Market car park on Wednesday. They had taken notice of the people of Driffield who turned out that day and seemed impressed that some people under the age of 50 had got involved.

Victory for Driffield? Well, the town has won the battle but will it win the war? Time will tell and if things keep crawling along at the rate they have been then I will have grey hair by the time we learn the fate of the Cattle Market.