The reason the latest instalment of the WFG blogodyssey (this is the internet, everybody makes up words...) is that I simply have not had time.

Rather worryingly perhaps, a prediction the Possum of Steel made some months back now seems to be coming true. Under the new scheme, we reporters have been dashing about so much, meeting people and being mobile, that there has in fact been very little time to sit down and do the smaller, arguably less important tasks.

However, as I believe I said when the prediction was made, I will make the time. After all, in a whirlwind week such as this one - or week-and-a-half, I suppose - there is much to be included in what has come to be the usual rundown of local news.

Most notable is the shooting in Leyton over the weekend, which led to armed officers shooting and arresting a man, as well as recovering a loaded weapon. The incident followed an argument between two men in the wee hours of Saturday morning, which turned into an argument among four men, which turned into a shooting.

Both the injured remain in stable, non-life threatening conditions in hospital, but it is a frightening new development in the ongoing problem of street violence. Where previously knives were the biggest danger to contend with, it now seems guns are becoming more prevalent - as those blog readers who tune in on a regular basis may remember, last week saw a huge police crackdown on drugs and firearms, following a 14-month operation.

Street violence, it would appear, is all grown up.

Moving on from there, so as to avoid the appearance of scaremongering, Leyton and Leytonstone are set to get a facelift - or they will in a few years, anyway. It's all part of the Olympic legacy and the council is embarking on a major consultation to see what people want done with the place. This, naturally, meant yours truly went and asked what people want as well - that is to say, I did a vox pop in Leyton High Road/Lea Bridge Road.

Now, I must confess, I am not fond of vox pops. Useful though they may be, they can be tricky beasts and I've found there are certain rules that apply when vox popping. The first is always to go for someone who doesn't look in a hurry and/or isn't carrying anything heavy. The next is to try for pairs or groups - that way, you get a few in one go. The final rule is to make eye contact - if they look you in the eye, they're fair game.

I've also found that people more or less always fit into one of the following categories:

1) The runners - won't even look you in the eye before fleeing in abject terror. Runners are among the worst people to vox pop;

2) The thanks-but-no-thanks - polite enough to stop and say no, before fleeing in abject terror;

3) The stop-talk-then-runners - wax lyrical about their opinions for half an hour but the minute you get as far as asking their name, they flee in abject terror. Possibly even worse than the runners;

4) The willing - tell you their name, have their picture taken and give you their opinion. They won't be as verbose as those in the above category but they won't flee in abject terror. They are, for obvious reasons, the best kind to get.

There we are - words to live by, if ever I saw 'em.