This is a simple blessing today... and it involves the holidays that have just passed...

My blessing is the smiles of your loved ones during the holidays.

I do hope you all had a similar blessing as I did this season for yourselves!

Blog Your Blessing Sundays is a creation of NeoBluePanther... who may or may not be the famed Luchador!

The eleventh Doctor is Matt Smith... not Matthew Didier... but such is life.

Here's his IMDB entry.

Could be goodly... of course, I will be watching.

Egads! From The BBC...

New Doctor Who to be announced

The name of the actor who will replace David Tennant in Doctor Who will be announced on Saturday.

Tennant said in October that he would stand down from the show after filming four special episodes in 2009.

His replacement - the eleventh Doctor of the TV series - will be revealed in a Doctor Who Confidential programme on BBC One at 1735 on 3 January.

The casting was confirmed over Christmas and filming for the 2010 series begins in the summer.

Tennant is due to begin shooting the first of his four specials this month, just weeks after surgery on his back.

The last of these episodes is expected to run in early 2010.

The casting decision has been a priority for the show's new creative team, led by executive producers Steven Moffat and Piers Wenger.

The BBC said that in Saturday's Doctor Who special "the actor playing the new Doctor will be giving his or her initial reaction" to becoming TV's most famous time traveller.

Wenger, head of drama at BBC Wales, said: "We believe the actor is going to bring something very special to the role and will make it absolutely their own.

"I just can't wait to tell everyone who it is - it has been a nail-biting Christmas trying to keep this under wraps!"

Shortly after Tennant's announcement, bookmakers were tipping several well-known names as the next actor (or actress) to step into the Tardis.

Murphy's Law and Cold Feet star James Nesbitt emerged as one of the favourites, along with Paterson Joseph, John Simm and David Morrissey - who appeared in the 2008 Christmas special.

Paterson Joseph, who recently starred in Survivors and appeared in two Doctor Who episodes in 2005, has said "any actor would love the challenge" of playing the Time Lord.

Bookmakers made him an early favourite - offering odds of 3-1 on him becoming the first black Doctor.

Comedian Jennifer Saunders, former Doctor Who assistant Billie Piper and film star Catherine Zeta Jones have also been mentioned in connection with the role.

The show's outgoing executive producer Russell T Davies said last month: "Whoever becomes the Doctor has got to take on a whole life. It's not just becoming a part of a TV show."

In October, when Tennant was asked who he thought should replace him, he joked: "Well, I've always been a big supporter of Wee Jimmy Krankie!"

Doctor Who began in 1963, and seven actors played the Doctor before the show was dropped in 1989.

After a TV movie in 1996 - starring Paul McGann - the TV series returned in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston in the lead role. Tennant took over the role the same year.

So... I think I'll be doing a blog post tomorrow...

...and despite rumours to the contrary, it will NOT be my name they announce.

...or will it?

I'm not one to make New Year's Resolutions... but when I do, I have about a 75% track record of keeping those promises!

That said, allow me to share with you, on this FIRST DAY of 2009...

#13: If nominated, I will not run... If elected, I will not serve... as Pope this year.

#12: I will not attempt to break the land speed record using a unicycle powered by an unstable nuclear reactor.

#11: I will end my letter writing campaign to bring back the television program "Manimal".

#10: I will not write an opera based on the life of George Francis 'Gabby' Hayes.

#9: I will resist the urge to appear on Jerry Springer's show and shout at the audience, for no discernible reason, You don't know me! You don't know me!

#8: I will give up my attempts to control the world's canned tapioca pudding market.

#7: I will not dress up like Santa Claus in July and wander the streets reminding people that there's only six more shopping months until Christmas.

#6: I will not streak (buck nekkid) past the podium during the U.S. presidential inauguration this January.

#5: I will not telephone every reader of this blog at 5:30am on Monday mornings as a "courtesy wakeup call" from the bus guy.

#4: I will not challenge the Dalai Lama to a bare knuckle street fight.

#3: I will avoid getting breast implants.

#2: I will break the deal I've made with the Martruthian Battle Fleet currently orbiting Venus... thus sparing the Earth from a destructive invasion by an alien race that WAS due to happen at 10:47am today... Check back at 10:48am and see that indeed, I've kept my word.

#1: I will not seek higher political office by winking at every given opportunity, dropping the "G" from any word ending with the letters ING, dropping the words You Betcha! into as many responses to questions as possible, or entering the "Ms. Wasilla" competition.

Yup! I bet I'll be batting about 75% this year too!

I was tempted to say my New Year's Resolution was 1280x1024... but that would be so geeky!

Sigh... Gone is my youth where I used to celebrate the changing of the calendar in a liquid state of inebrium... yes... Sue and I are both teetotallers. As Churchill once said, someone who denies pleasure to themselves, but not others.

THAT SAID... my REAL "Wordless Wednesday" (sorta kinda maybe) image below was... um... "appropriated" from a blog long ago and saved to my hard drive... (so, sorry for the "non-credit", but I honestly know not whom I retrieved it from!) but I feel it demonstrates the goodness and fortitude of my personal shunning of the bottle...

SEE! I'm in good company!

For a list of other Wordless Wednesday participants, please click here.

The last half of 2008 was not, for most people, a happy time... Sue and myself cannot think of a single friend or family member who was not already touched by the hard economic times... and one has to wonder if the worst is yet to come?

Remie Geoffroi @ artizans.com (via CBC)

Pundits, politicians, and economists are actually divided right now... has the worst already happened? Is there still more to come? Can anyone come up with a plan to help get the ball rolling and put people back on a fiscal and employment path? Should we expect anyone to help... or help ourselves and expect nothing... or a combination of both?

To be honest, despite on occasion having a good "political rant" on the ol' blog here, this is not what I wish to touch on...

Nope...

It's about one thing... that can seem impossible for many that are currently feeling the pinch and pain of a shrinking economy...

Look at this blog. Look at what made it happen. A dream, sure... but where did that dream come from? What spurred it into being?

I was laid off from my old workplace in April of 2002... and, thanks to a generous "package" (termination payments,) I took time to not only relax... but even have a few health issues dealt with that I'd pushed aside and "worked through" because I couldn't take the time (while working) to have them looked after. I thought that there'd be NO problem... I was skilled... I was (and am) VERY good at what I do... I'd be employed in no time.

A year passed... and nothing. I couldn't find work. Sue was supporting us both... and things got horrible. We were literally having often to decide to pay rent or eat. During this time, we went without... and with a pre-teen, doing "without" television or music is a nightmarish experience... but we persevered... and we did "dream" and "fantasize" about what we WOULD do when money was better... and hence, the idea of the "bus" was born AND YES, still lives despite not being mentioned here on the blog as much as it used to.

What this boils down to is that we KNEW times wouldn't stay tough forever... we knew there would be better times...

I did find some work eventually with a "temp" company... and although Sue did get ill and have to leave her job to get better, by the time she had to stop working, I was back in my old field of work... making a decent enough paycheque to carry our home... and in a way, give back to Sue for carrying me all those months.

We didn't get our bus... granted, we never gave up... and still haven't... but what is important is why the dream came to be... what it did... and what has been the outcome so far...

• The dream kept us happy and together as a family. It took our mind off the troubles we were in.
• Eventually, despite the dream not coming true, times got better... and things began happening.
• Even with any issues (and they are minor) we may have now, they too are fleeting... and we will end up better that we are now.

...and that's true for ALL those affected by the time we are currently in.

Recessions and even depressions do end... no matter who is in power and where. This is the nature of our society.

Bad things can happen now... but they won't last... and when things improve, as they will, many of the bad things can be undone.

"We", Sue and myself, are living proof that things will improve... Our lot did.

Aside from the current political sound bite it has become to some, my blessing to those who are dreading a hard year ahead OR are already feeling the times in which we live... is hope. Things do get better... hold on... don't lose hope... and don't be afraid to dream.

Nothing lasts forever... and bad times and things will not be with us always... weather the storms... and you'll be okay in a short bit of time.

Allow me to add a blessing to this... and that's for us, Sue and myself, to send our prayers and thoughts to our friends who are struggling that their lot in life improves sooner than expected. We're pulling for you!

Blog Your Blessing Sundays is a creation of NeoBluePanther... who may or may not be the famed Luchador!

The Merriest of Christmases to you ALL!!! I do hope you're all having a FANTASTIC holiday this year however you celebrate it and that this blog post finds everyone hale, hearty, happy, and safe this year!

I know that I'm kinda infamous for doing MOSTLY comedic turns on the blog, but allow me this one dalliance to greet you in a festive way...

#13: Shenoraavor Nor Dari yev Pari Gaghand - Armenian

#12: Kala Christouyenna - Greek

#11: Mele Kalikimaka - Hawaiian

#10: Gledileg Jol - Icelandic

#9: Linksmu Kaledu - Lithuanian

#8: Noeliniz Ve Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun - Turkish

#7: Naya Saal Mubarak Ho - Urdu

#6: Sawadee Pee Mai - Thai

#5: Meri Kirihimete - Maori

#4: IL-Milied It-tajjeb - Maltese

#3: Natale hilare et Annum Faustum - Latin

#2: Glædelig Jul - Danish

#1: Joyeux Noel - French

Now, I do have a reputation as being "inclusionist"... and I certainly don't mean to tarnish this... because I do have friends who don't celebrate this holiday, but long ago, I did think of you! Have a read of this post here for some ideas on how to spend your day...

And if... some of my more militant Humanist (read: Atheist... the warm and fuzzy version of Atheist is now Humanist...) and are OFFENDED by such a secular greeting from me (in which case, you're proving Bill O'Reilly RIGHT and that's unforgivable!) read this post and argue me there.

To everyone else, The Merriest of Christmases and My Whole Family's Best Wishes on this Wonderful Holiday!

Okay, I stole more stuff for todays... but I HAD TO!!!

To give proper credit, I found it on io9 who grabbed it from a flickr account owned by this person... and it's so brilliant, I HAD TO SHARE IT... Sorry...

...'cuz it's our kinda Christmas tree!

If you don't recognize this, click here to be enlightened...

Oh, and I had to steal the image below from the Stuff On TV Blog because it makes Sue VERY happy...

Yes, it's a picture of me of the once described "Impossibly Handsome John Barrowman"... who, again, if you don't know him, click here for info on him... well, the character he plays that got Sue hooked.

For a list of other Wordless Wednesday participants, please click here.

I'm going to be bucking a trend this week I think... Mostly because I already did several blessings about the season... Most notably this one from a couple of weeks back.

I got to thinking about "Blog Your Blessings Sunday"... and realised, I hadn't actually addressed... that being Sundays themselves.

Now, I could get all "historical" on you and discuss the whole majesty of the ancient's knowledge base in realising that a seven day week, twenty-four hours in each day, 365 days in each year, etc., etc. is a marvel and a blessing in itself in showing a deep understanding of our orbital situation on the Earth... or I could get "preachy" and prove that, although I do not practise any dogmatic principals aside from the standard ethics of most religions in doing no harm, and talk about "The Lord's Day of Rest"... but my point is not nearly so lofty...

MOST of us (not all,) have Sundays free... to do with as we please... no work, few commitments... and it allows us to rest, recharge the batteries, accomplish tasks that are difficult to do when other things are taking precedent... and that whole idea... a day of rest... in itself is a blessing.

For most people I know, today will be filled with either frantic shopping to prepare for Christmas... wrapping... perhaps certain religious services... but in the end, it is a day of rest... one which for the majority of time, we aren't ruled by a clock or authorities at a work place.

My blessing today is the concept of a day of rest.

However you see it... even if it isn't Sunday for you... you have to admit, we as a species take our rest and relaxation reasonably seriously if we, since time in memoriam, have ensured that we do have days... like Sundays.

Happy Sunday to you all... and I hope that indeed, at some point, you get to celebrate this day of rest in some fashion.

Blog Your Blessing Sundays is a creation of NeoBluePanther... who may or may not be the famed Luchador!

A while back, I blogged about the new "Routemaster Design Competition"... This was a competition set up by Transport for London and Mayor Boris Johnson to "replace" the grand lady of the London double-decker fleets so ruthlessly yanked off the streets a few years back... and act that in no small way set off this blog...

That said, the designs are in... and a winner declared...

Aston Martin, Foster, and Partners Design Winner

(BBC Video Report Here... and regular report here...)

Dear Adam Giambrone,

Please partner on this deal. Toronto could use something like these... and let's face it, double-deckers are the wave of the future in North America... ask your counterparts at Go Transit... amongst many other places...

Toronto's had a heritage of double-deckers, believe it or not, so why not beat the rush and get on board... and express interest to TfL and Aston Martin... Perhaps Toronto NEEDS it's own Routemasters! It would add to our already wonderful character in terms of transit...

Sincerely, on behalf of your riders,

Matthew James Didier

Hopefully, Mr. Giambrone or his staff "Google" his name now and again...

'Tis the season to watch my blood pressure skyrocket! Below is a list of stuff that is actually a combination of days and "gifts" of Christmases past... I'm reasonably sure most of you who celebrate the season can comprehend the "spirit" with which it's given...

Oh, and don't assume this means I'm personally unhappy or grumpy for this special time of year... Not at all, in fact... my shopping is done, and I'm looking forward to December 25th quite a lot! Besides, I have ONE MORE "Thursday Thirteen" to be a touch more "in the proper spirit"... this is simply a vent... a tiny rant if you will about some of the special aspects of the season...

So, without further adieu...

On the first day of the weeks before Christmas my fellow commuters on the bus gave to me, a hacking cough and runny nose... if you're sick people, STAY HOME! I don't want your bugs!!!

On the second day of the weeks before Christmas fellow shoppers gave to me, five bruised ribs as we lunged for the same thing to purchase at the store.

On the third day of the weeks before Christmas Mastercard gave to me, terminals down forcing me to run to an ABM/Bank Machine to make my purchases with cash... a slushy, not-needed delay in the Christmas shopping experience!

On the fourth day of the weeks before Christmas nature gave to me, a wicked wind chill and four inches of snow and slush... followed by rain.

On the fifth day of the weeks before Christmas and the passing cars gave to me, a face full of the above mentioned slush as they drove by at warp speed... oh, and some extra laundry!

On the sixth day of the weeks before Christmas and a busy cashier gave to me, a long delay while she checked a price on an item missing the tag... which apparently, at the rate of speed which the price was found, consisted of her calling to a rooftop coop to ask for a carrier pigeon to be launched to seek out the information... which, in turn, made the mood of the people behind me EVER so pleasant!

On the seventh day of the weeks before Christmas and my kid gave to me, the knowledge that I had indeed bought the right thing by telling me she wanted it badly... but of course, I have bought it in the wrong colour making sure it will be met with scorn on Christmas day or, worse yet, forcing me back to return it and ask for the other colour... which will include prayer that there are any left in the shop... Ah, thirteen year olds!

On the eighth day of the weeks before Christmas and my creditors gave to me, every bill DUE NOW despite the holidays fast encroaching... Question: Heart, do you have one? Guessing: Not!

On the ninth day of the weeks before Christmas and my sweety gave to me, much grief about being impossible to shop for... which I realise is correct... I do suck to shop for.

On the tenth day of the weeks before Christmas my pets gave to me, much chewed wrapping paper I was hoping to use, facilitating the purchase of more paper... which my absence to return to the store briefly facilitated them finding a few gifts which apparently also needed chewing.

On the eleventh day of the weeks before Christmas my freezer gave to me, the knowledge that the Christmas turkey would never fit into it... well, not without breaking several laws of physics.

On the twelfth day of the weeks before Christmas some acquaintances gave to me, a guilt trip about "the commercialization of Christmas" while I was looking for commiseration due to the above instances.

On the thirteenth day of the weeks before Christmas and I gave myself... the same lame promise to accomplish all shopping and whatnot FAR earlier than I have... which I darn well know I'm going to break that promise... but hey, it always SEEMS like a good and viable idea at the times I make it.

BONUS: Hey, at least I don't own a car... lest this list be filled with complaints about winter traffic, snow shovelling, and parking!!!

There's a bright side to everything!