Diana Ross, who used to rule Supreme, once confessed to being in the middle of a chain reaction. In spite of the concomitant radiation and explosion, she escaped injury-free. As we all know, sometimes one thing can lead to another.

I don't understand how the last card is played
But somehow the vital connection is made
— Elastica, Connection

1. Reading in Britain's Evening Newspaper Of The Year 2002/03, your local Star, about a new 16ft high sculpture unveiled this past week in (warning: cliche alert) downtown Ipswich. Apparently destined to become a new landmark for the town, me and the boy, who has no say in these matters, set out on Sunday to take our first look at it.

   Directions in the paper weren't too precise — "near Princes Street bridge" — but I figured that we'd spot a giant metallic object easily once we were on said bridge. Not so. Couldn't find it.

   Popped back early evening today and had more success. It's off the cycle path between the bridge and West End Road, by the way, close to the old railway bridge that crosses the river. Big rusty steel object. I like it. By a guy named John Atkin, BTW. Ironically, given our failure to find it first time, it's called The Navigator...
    

2. ...which is also the name of an odd film I saw some years back on telly, most likely as part of a Moviedrome season. Briefly, it tells the tale of a mediaeval tribe who, fearing the plague, dig a tunnel out of their village, only to emerge in present day New Zealand...
    
3. ...which is home to lots and lots of sheep. Remember poor Dolly, the clone, who died a few months back? She's been "prepared" and has recently gone on display at Scotland's Royal Museum in Edinburgh as part of their permanent collection. Photo in the paper looked like something by Damien Hirst...
    
4. ...who's contributed a "spot painting" to the tiny new British spacecraft that should land on Mars at the end of 2003. Part of the Mars Express Mission, and not based in Slough, the mission is called Beagle2, named after the ship on which Charles Darwin sailed...
    
5. ...who lived in Down House, owned by English Heritage and open to the public since 1998. Well worth a visit for a glimpse inside the mind of the man who famously went to the Galapagos...
    
6. ...which is the name of a novel by the same man who wrote Slaughterhouse Five (so it goes), Breakfast Of Champions (great phrase), and many others, the talented Kurt Vonnegut...
    
7. ...who was wrongly credited with providing the words for Baz Luhrmann's hit, Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen): "Floss. Do one thing everyday that scares you. Stretch. Get plenty of calcium". Was really a columnist named Mary Schmich. Inspirational track, which I got hold of through ebay...
    
8. ...where my best sale to date has been the debut CD single by Radiohead...
    
9. ...who are doing a UK tour later this year. Tried to buy a pre-release ticket online Friday, and was too late, but managed to secure one over the phone on Saturday morning: yahoo! Now have to wait until November for the gig...
    
10. ...like the one by The Pogues that I went to in downtown Ipswich (oops!) back in 1985. This was shortly after they'd brought out the fantastically titled "Rum, Sodomy & the Lash", an LP which included a track called Navigator...

Isn't this where we came in?

Be seeing you!

Ed