o
v
e
r
y
o
u
r
h
e
a
d
.
.
.
|
|
|
| |
|
Crawling through technology, life and love Contact me: hotmail gmail home 
Listening: 
Playing: Donkey Kong Jet Racing - Wii iTuning: Podcasts - Russell Brand, Chris Moyles and Mark Kermode Reading: The End of Mr. Y - Scarlett Thomas Bits and Bobs: Wish List Gerry's Lyrics Pop Quiz Minipops Quiz Sites I like: Marc Almond Top 40 Singles News IMdb The Register Hacks Sainsbury's Recent GBlogs Arsenal FC Some blogs I enjoy: bboyblues2000 bitful blogadoon brainsluice chig groc minkered scally sparky troubled diva Books recently read: I Never Knew That About London - Christopher Winn The Arsenal Miscellany - Adam Gold Young Hearts Run Free: The Real Story of the 1970s - Dave Haslam Magical Thinking - Augusten Burroughs Veronika Decides To Die - Paulo Coelho Time Out Guide - Amsterdam Lillian's Story - Kate Grenville The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins Schott's Original Miscellany - Ben Schott Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J K Rowling A Gay History Of Britain - Matt Cook Time Out Guide to Madrid Time Out Guide to New York Kingdom Come - J. G. Ballard The Hours - Michael Cunningham Mutants - Aramand Marie Leroi A Young Man's Passage - Julian Clary Growing Pains - Billie Piper The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath Wild Swans - Jung Chang Highbury: The Story of Arsenal N.5 - Jon Spurling Red Carpets and Other Banana Skins - Rupert Everett Affinity - Sarah Waters Lighthousekeeping - Jeanette Winterson Tipping The Velvet - Sarah Waters The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini Of Human Bondage - W Somerset Maugham Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier Lucky Man - Michael J Fox Labyrinth - Kate Mosse Fingersmith - Sarah Waters The Night Watch - Sarah Waters The Pedant's Revolt - Andrea Barham The Republic Of Trees - Sam Taylor Written On tbe Body - Jeanette Winterson Untold Stories - Alan Bennett The Plot Against America - Philip Roth Read All About It - Max Clifford The Folding Star - Alan Hollinghurst Thursbitch - Alan Garner Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim - David Sedaris Staying Alive - Matt Beaumont The Bookseller Of Kabul - Asne Seierstad Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince - J K Rowling A Short History Of Nearly Everything - Bill Bryson Count Karlstein - Philip Pullman The Shadow Of The Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood The Spell - Alan Hollinghurst The Double Life Of Daniel Glick - Maurice Caldera The Smoking Diaries - Simon Gray Straight- Boy George Digital Fortress - Dan Brown Deception Point - Dan Brown The Ladies No. 1 Detective Agency - Alexander McCall Smith Angels and Demons - Dan Brown Sydney - Time Out Guide Oryx and Crake - Margaret Atwood Eleanor Rigby - Douglas Coupland The Scarecrow and His Servant - Philip Pullman Tha Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown The Perks Of Being A Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky Planet Simpson - Chris Turner The Line Of Beauty - Alan Hollinghurst Barcelona - Time Out Guide The Closed Circle - Jonathan Coe The Clerkenwell Tales - Peter Ackroyd Copenhagen - TimeOut Guide The Butterfly Tattoo - Philip Pullman The Broken Bridge - Philip Pullman In Search of the Pleasure Palace - Marc Almond Brick Lane - Monica Ali Vernon God Little - DBC Pierre Last Exit To Brooklyn - Hubert Selby Jr You Shall Know Our Velocity - Dave Eggers Touching The Void - Joe Simpson Life Of Pi - Yann Martel Istanbul - Time Out Guide Millennium People - J G Ballard The Duchess Who Wouldn't Sit Down - Jesse Browner Hey Nostradamus! - Douglas Coupland Eats, Shoots and Leaves - Lynne Truss The Wind-up Bird Chronicle - Haruki Murakami Our Man In Havana - Graham Greene The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Mark Haddon Lyra's Oxford - Philip Pullman Doran - Will Self Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides the book, the film, the t-shirt - matt beaumont High Society - Ben Elton Man And Wife - Tony Parsons I Was A Rat - Philip Pullman Harry Potter: The Order of the Phoenix - J R Rowling Great Apes - Will Self Barrel Fever - David Sedaris Round Ireland With A Fridge - Tony Hawkes Close Range - Annie Proux The Third Way - Anthony Giddens dot.con - John Cassidy The Salmon of Doubt - Douglas Adams One Hit Wonderland - Tony Hawkes The Thief Lord - Cornelia Funke The Corrections - Jonathan Franzen The Cloud Sketcher - Richard Rayner Keane: the Autobiography - Roy Keane A Wasteland of Strangers - Bill Pronzini The English - Jeremy Paxman How to Lose Friends and Alienate People - Toby Young Dead Famous - Ben Elton The Amber Spyglass - Phillip Pullman (again) The Subtle Knife - Phillip Pullman (again) Northern Lights - Phillip Pullman (again) The Bear and The Dragon - Tom Clancy 101 Reykjavik - Hallgrimur Helgason Forward The Foundation - Isaac Asimov Carter Beats The Devil - Glen David Gold The Tin Princess - Philip Pullman Atonement - Ian McEwan The Tiger In The Well - Philip Pullman The Rotters Club - Jonathan Coe Generation X - Douglas Copeland Perfume - Patrick Suskind All Families Are Psychotic - Douglas Coupland The Shadow In The North - Phillip Pullman No Logon - Naomi Klein The Dirt - Motley Crue Miss Wyoming - Douglas Coupland The Amber Spyglass - Phillip Pullman The Subtle Knife - Phillip Pullman Northern Lights - Phillip Pullman The Ruby in the Smoke - Phillip Pullman The Sandman - Miles Gibson Blood and Gold: The Vampire Marius - Anne Rice The Actrocity Exhibition - J G Ballard Shameless - Paul Burston Sing Out! - Boze Hadleigh Brilliant Orange - David Winner New Boy - William Sutcliffe London - Peter Ackroyd Wonder Boys - Michael Chabon One For My Baby - Tony Parsons How To Be Good - Nick Hornby White Teeth - Zadie Smith Lust - Geoff Ryman Tulip Fever - Deborah Moggach Dead Souls - Ian Rankin The House Of Sleep - Jonathan Coe A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius - Dave Eggers What a carve up! - Jonathan Coe The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay - Michael Chabon The Grapes Of Wrath - John Steinbeck Heartwood - James Lee Burke Cryptonomicon - Neal Stephenson Man and Boy - Tony Parsons The Map Of Love - Ahdaf Soueif e - Matt Beaumont The e Before Christmas - Matt Beaumont  
Archives: September 1971 February 2001 March 2001 April 2001 May 2001 June 2001 July 2001 August 2001 September 2001 October 2001 November 2001 December 2001 January 2002 February 2002 March 2002 April 2002 May 2002 June 2002 July 2002 August 2002 September 2002 October 2002 November 2002 December 2002 January 2003 February 2003 March 2003 April 2003 May 2003 June 2003 July 2003 August 2003 September 2003 October 2003 November 2003 December 2003 January 2004 February 2004 March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 
|
Thursday, January 31, 2002
It came to me in a dream...
I've finally fixed the media streaming for the 12 minute bootleg that Osymyso mixed so it can now stream using HTTP i.e. through company firewalls. It's funny how you learn more from tinkering around than reading a book. And the expression 'sleep on it' was never more true than in this case. The solution actually came to me in a dream. Weird.
Can you do this in your head (I had to)?...
My boss came to ask my advice today. They are trying to put together a package to retain certain staff (not me I might add) and he wanted my feedback. So he asked me this hypothetical: Which would you rather have: EITHER a 3% salary increase per year plus a 12% salary bonus OR a 7% salary increase per year? How long would it be before both offers amounted to the same cumulative total? I guessed most people would take the first option - a 12% annual bonus would be too tempting an offer to turn down. It took a spreadsheet to prove me wrong. The answer all depends how long an employee was going to to stay with the company (compound interest and all that). Can you guess how long someone would have to stay in the company before the second option was the better one? I was surprised.
Golden Jubilee...
Queen Elizabeth II has been on the throne for nearly 50 years. She ascended the throne when her Dad, King George VI popped his clogs on 6th February 1952 but wasn't crowned until 2nd June 1952. The slight delay was to get the Coronation party planned. This year will be no different. There are BIG PLANS for this year's Golden Jubilee.  As well as doing a whistlestop tour of the Commonwealth and buzzing up and down the country we can expect:-
• The lighting of at least 455 beacons – over four times as many as during the Silver Jubilee. • 70 towns and cities taking part in Music Live Street Festivals organized by the BBC. • Over 100 other confirmed public events in the searchable calendar on the Golden Jubilee Office website. • A Toolkit containing practical advice is available to help people plan their local celebrations. Now I've had a look at this toolkit. It's a hoot. In the 'decoration' section there are wonderful instructions as to how to make your own bunting and how to put it up. It even tells you how far to bang the poles into the ground with "your sledgehammer". Like we all have one of those lying around. Priceless.  It's yet to been seen whether the 'common folk' will embrace the occasion as they did on her 25th anniversary back in 1977. In fact the Silver Jubilee was such a big thing it even inspired a full-blown anti-Jubilee backlash spearheaded by the Sex Pistols. I remember going to a local street party back then. They were all the rage. A few punks turned up and spat at some of the children. Ah, memories.
One thing that may help us get into the party spirit is that we have all being given an extra day off to celebrate for Golden Jubilee. The usual second May Bank Holiday had been moved back a week to Monday 3rd June and an extra Bank Holiday on Tuesday 4th June added. So we'll have four days to 'part-Tay' : 1st - 4th June 2002. The tube will run all night on the Monday evening (in case you're wondering you can find out why it doesn't usually run a 24 hours service here). There's going to be a massive firework display planned for the late evening on the Monday and then a State Procession the following day. Despite being vaguely republican at heart I think it'll be fun. Wednesday, January 30, 2002
Out of this world...
I've always had a bit of a soft spot for Blur. But I didn't realise that their popularity spread to Mars. Blur are to record a special tune to be included in Beagle 2, a British craft that will land on Mars in 2003. "The tune has overtones of the Dr Who theme music and tracks taken from Blur's 13 album, including No Distance Left to Run." What next? A Steps tune for Saturn? New Order for Neptune?
Throwing the baby out with the bath water...
Not only that but putting a dead one on a 95°F boil wash is going a bit far. Baby soup, anyone?
Pop Quiz...
Last night's Retro Bar teaser pop quiz was wonderful. David, Ian, Sarah, Marky, Dave, Marcus, Nikki et al were all in attendance. The quiz was simple - name the artists. Prompted on from the CD compilation that David and I gave to Wendy and Leslie they decided to use one of the tracks, a 7 minute Stars On 45/Jive Bunny style mix created by Osymyso (real name Mark) in the quiz. As Osymyso had DJed at the Retro Bar before Wendy got in touch to make sure he was happy that she used the track in the quiz. Not only was he happy for it to be used but he offered his new 12 minute version instead. This 12 minute version contains 101 different intro to famous tracks all multilayered and intermingled into one fabulous extravaganza. Osymyso is hoping to release the track as a single so I'll not be making it available for download. However you can listen to the full 12 minute version here if you want to know what we had to face in the quiz last night (if you use a firewall you will need to open the ports for MMS). If you like what you hear then watch this space for news of where and when the track is available. The 7 minute version is available for download however which you can do here. Wendy repeatedly pointed out David and I as the people responsible for the track being used in the quiz in case of any complaints! They played the track four times all the way through. Each time we picked up more of the one's we missed the previous time. I was a little nervous that if we won then people might accuse us of cheating. Afterall we had heard the 7 minute version before so we had a bit of head start on the other teams. We needn’t have worried though. Despite getting a very respectable 88 out of 101 we were pipped by a team getting 89. Wendy had guaranteed the money would go (£61 of it). I'd suggested that even if we had won we should have given the money to charity. For second place we were offered free tickets to Popstars which we gratefully accepted to add to our growing collection. Tuesday, January 29, 2002
Jamie Theakston...
I'm at a loss for words. How could you do it? I'm gutted. I
Pop Idol...
The three surviving Pop Idol hopefuls are reported to have each recorded a version of the same single. The debut release by the winner will be a double A-side featuring two ballads. Gareth Gates, Will Young and Darius Danesh have already recorded their own vocals. The last two finalists will both sing the secret tracks for the Pop Idol final on February 9. Simon Fuller, the man behind the Spice Girls, has helped to choose the songs. "The single will be a double A-side with two songs - both ballads. We think these are two of the best songs we have ever worked on." One of the songs has been written by Cathy Dennis, who wrote Kylie Minogue's Can't Get You Out Of My Head. The winner's version of the single is likely to be released on Simon Cowell's BMG label on February 25.
Buzzcocks...
It was amazing how the three hour meander that we witnessed being filmed last week could be condensed into the pithy half hour show that was screened last night. It made it seem quite funny. Which was not my exact recollection of the night itself. But I guess that's the wonders of editing. And dubbing. Ben was good. But he's made for better things I feel.
Bafta nominations...
Moulin Rouge has got twelve and so has The Lord Of The Rings. Let's hope there's some room for Shrek too. Monday, January 28, 2002
Well, she is my favourite...
You love being the centre of attention. You're a life and soul of the party kind of person. But if you're having a bad time, you'll make sure everyone knows about that too. You have an unswerving devotion to your family. And you know that if you're in trouble, they'll be there for you, whatever it takes. 
Which Eastenders character are you? Should be a good one tonight too: Frank's "funeral".
Nintendo Gamecube...
Nintendo has announced that the GameCube will launch in Europe on May 3. I am too excited for words. Has anyone got one already? Is it brilliant? Is it? Is it?  Sunday, January 27, 2002
Blogger Pro...
Yippee! I've signed up to Blogger Pro. For a measly $35 pa (discounted at the moment from $50) I get lots of extra features that will make life easier for me (OK, OK, I admit it. It's the spellchecker that swung it for me). Sign up now!
What nonsense...
I always suspected David was prone to moments of gibberish. Now I have the proof. Oh, and it seems Ian is talking nonsense too. Eeeks! It's spreading! I've gone loopy as well. Do you suspect madness in others? Have your fear confirmed here. [Thanks to Mo] Saturday, January 26, 2002
Friday, January 25, 2002
Misheard lyrics (animated)...
Thanks to Dave for pointing me in the direction of B3TA. It's a great site and well worth a visit. They have some great links. Special mention goes to their list of top ten web games. However their best list is their top eight run down of misheard lyrics put to animations. Be sure to check them all out:- 8. Destiny's Child, "Independent Woman" 7. Bronski Beat, "Hit That Perfect Beat" 6. Madonna, "Erotic" 5. The Beatles, "Ticket to Ride" 4. Elvis, "Blue Suede Shoes" 3. Simply Red, "Holding Back the Years" 2. Toni Basil, "Mickey" 1. Simply Red, "Money's Too Tight (To Mention)"
The Second Annual Weblog Awards...
Go and vote for my friend Sparky so he wins a Bloggie at the Weblog Awards 2002. Why? Well, read hear why he deserves it.
Gay Abandon...
I read that the Tories are set to abandon their anti-gay stance. "Apart from the British National Party, I don't think there is a party that is excitable about people's personal sexuality" - says former Tory vice chairman Steven Norris. Well Steven, I do want a party that is excitable about people's personal sexuality. I want a party that actually does something to redress inequality between gay and straight relationships in the eyes of the law. So three cheers to the Lib Dems today (see below). Civil partnerships... Friday sees the second reading in the House of Lords of a bill that would give gay and unmarried heterosexual couples many of the same legal rights as married people. The bill, proposed by Liberal Democrat peer, Lord Lester, would see the establishment of "civil partnerships", provides for the registration of the partnership and sets out the ensuing legal consequences. Backed by gay rights group Stonewall, the bill also contains a provision for terminating such partnerships. Currently the rights enjoyed by married couples, such as the automatic right of inheritance in the event of a spouse dying in testate or the right of succession to certain tenancies and to pension funds, are denied to non-married couples. - from BBC online Thursday, January 24, 2002
Was it good for you?...
I got a letter from the London Mayor, Ken Livingston this morning. He wanted to know what we'd both thought of the London Partnerships Register that Marky and I signed up to two months ago. He was asking for any suggestions for improvement in the procedure, what a difference it had made to your relationship, what were our reasons for registering and how we were intending to use the fact that we had registered now we had done so. 
All easy questions to answer: The procedure was fine thanks, Ken. Mark and I are closer than ever. By registering we have acknowledged to ourselves and to others our commitment to each other, it may help prove the status of our relationship for formal or legal matters and it general terms it supports a wider campaign towards equal opportunities. We are going to include a copy of it to go with our Wills. I can honestly say that 3rd November 2001 was the happiest day of my life. I couldn't stop grinning.
Mouse Trap...
Carl, Drew, Sarah and I all played Mouse Trap last Saturday. All day. Here are some of the highlights. Things were going OK at first. 
And then someone thought they'd won. 
But then the tables were soon turned.  Wednesday, January 23, 2002
Government Health Warning...
[ex smoker mode on] I confess. I puff the odd cigarette sometimes when I'm drunk. I hate myself for it but there you go. What can I say? I'm weak. One thing I will never do though is start up again full time. I see that Marcus is giving up. Good for him. Go give him some encouragement. It's a tough thing to do. I've given up three times over the years. The last time was four years ago and it was hell. It took three weeks for the nicotine to go. Then three months for the craving to stop. But it was worth it. Medically, socially and financially. I felt so much better. I realised I could take control of my life. People who smoke stink. They smell of ash trays. Their breath stinks, their clothes stink and their hair stinks. Smokers can't smell properly so they don't even know if they smell of something else they've eaten. No one wants to kiss a smoker. Smokers lose their sense of taste. Smokers lose feeling in their mouths and their faces. They have yellow nicotine-stained fingers. If you are giving up remember how lousy you feel now. Remember it clearly. It'll help you to stay stopped when you're tempted to "just have one" later on. Get you partner / friend / colleague to tell you now much nicer it is now you don't smoke. Save the money from your ciggies and buy yourself something at the end of two weeks. Treat yourself. You're breaking an addiction. My parent's best friends used to smoke. They're both dead now. Lung cancer and breast cancer. Do you smoke? Well stop. Stop now. It'll kill you if you don't. [ex smoker mode off]
Wonderful...
Someone just told me I am wonderful . Turns out that he's wonderful too. Why don't you tell someone they're wonderful? It feels good.
Long and drawn out...
TV shows are fun things to watch being recorded. In general that is. But with comedy TV shows there is something extra that's needed. They are meant to be not only fun but also funny. Now it's a given that the only reason why a live audience is there at a recording at all is to provide laughter and something for the people down on the set to react with. It obviously helps the program makers no end if there is genuine laughter and a degree of bonhomie in the studio that they can transfer to their final edit. It makes for a better show. And so it was with last night's recording of Never Mind The Buzzcocks. We were there to have a good time. To laugh. And we tried. We really did. We laughed at all that we could - and then some. We laughed at the Liberance gags, we laughed at the Stephen Hawking gags, we laughed at the My Fair Lady gags and even the fisting gags. The problem was that they needed to keep that momentum going while they recorded the whole show. But there were long pauses where nothing happened and inevitably people began to get a bit restless with all those stops and starts. For example, Round One took just over an hour to record. Frankly we were all getting a bit bored by the end. Certainly after three hours I think we'd all had enough. When it first started to flag Mark Lamarr tried to pick things up by starting his usual routine of insulting the audience for not laughing at his jokes by claiming we didn't understand them. "Have to never heard of Japan, you morons?", "Einstein? No? You thick or something?" No Mark, we understood the jokes - it's just they weren't that funny. Ben was good and got to make some witty quips. He wasn't really allowed to shine though as the established trio of comics had been working together on the show for some time. Towards the end of the recording something strange happened though. It may have been the hot lights, or the fact that they had all been on the set for too long or simply that desperation was setting in. But they all started to trip over their words. Or say things in gibberish. Or make really surreal comments. Basically they all went a bit loopy. Now none of them had left the set to get "some refreshments" or "powder their noses" so it was rather hard to fathom what was going on. When I spoke to Ben afterwards he said he hadn't noticed it but we sure did. Maybe it's a phenomenon that helps to explain Suzi Quattro and Cathy Denis's bizarre behaviour on the show in recent weeks. Ironically there were a number of American TV producers in the audience. Apparently one of the US networks is buying up the format to produce it across the pond. Maybe it'll work, maybe it won't. But if you live in the US my advice would be don't go and see it being recorded. Watch it on the box when it's hopefully been distilled into something worth watching. Tuesday, January 22, 2002
Never Mind The Buzzcocks...
I'm going to BBC Television Centre tonight to go and watch Never Mind The Buzzcocks (NMTB) being filmed. My friend and comedian Ben Norris is one of the panelists. Started in 1996 on BBC2 NMTB isn't so much a pop game show, more a comedy vehicle for the two regular team captains and four guest panelists. The four rounds are usually 'indecipherable lyrics' where the teams have to work out what it being sung , 'intros' where two members of each teams have to do an impression of a famous intro, 'identity parade' where an old band member from a popular band from the past is put in a line with other lookalikes and 'next lines' which is the quick fire where the teams have to say the next line of a lyric.
Monsters Inc...
I downloaded Monsters Inc last week and we watched it on VideoCD over the weekend. It's a very funny film albeit aimed fairly and squarely at kids. However Disney/Pixar have added all the usual touches you'd expect to keep adults amused - as they did in Toy Story, A Bug's Life and Toy Story 2. You can watch the new trailer here or the outtakes here. None of this linked footage appears in the film you'll be pleased to hear.
An oldie but a goody...
 Monday, January 21, 2002
Who needs vodka jelly?...
Amongst all the drinking, dancing, chatting and general hubba-bub of last night at the RVT one moment that stood out for me is when a small circle of six gay bloggers all formed a hugging ring in the middle of the heaving dance floor. As spontaneous as it was sweet. Sunday, January 20, 2002
Games Day...
This weekend we have three house guests staying with us. As the five of us had had such a heavy night on Friday we didn't feel much like moving off the sofa on Saturday so we simply played games. Lots of games. Board games, computer games and word games. For 14 hours (with the odd break for food and Pop Idol). I was in Heaven. The games we played were:- - 4 way Mario Kart on the N64 [I came second] - The Weakest Link (the annoying speaking version) [I won] - Grand Theft Auto III on the PS2 [everyone watched me play and made suggestions as to what to do] - Ker-plunk [I came last] - Buckeroo [I won] - Mouse Trap [I came last] - Who's In The Hat? [We lost - just] - 4 way Super Bomberman 2 on the SNES (my favourite console game ever) [I won] It was the most fun I'd had "doing nothing all day" for a very long time. It brought back memories of our Sunday games afternoons that we used to hold. Lunch then serious game playing till the we small hours. Bliss.
Sunday moaning...
What the hell am I doing in work today? Saturday, January 19, 2002
Last night in one sentence...
It was Colin's birthday so 16 of us went for a meal in the Crown, carried on drinking in the Ram Bar, moved on to a pool session in the Artful Dodger, came back to ours and played Mario Kart 64 until 5am. Friday, January 18, 2002
I Love Technology: Bluetooth...
Since buying a Bluetooth enabled digital video camera I've gone Bluetooth mad - both at home and at work. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, Bluetooth is a wireless technology that basically allows phones and cameras and computers to talk to each other. No cables required. So keen am I on this technology I've been buying Bluetooth PC cards, Bluetooth USB adapters... you name it. I'm using it to set up Personal Area Networks (PAN) everywhere.
I Love Technology: Memory Stick...
Since buying a digital video camera with a Memory Stick I've gone Memory Stick mad - both at home and at work. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, Memory Stick is a really small piece of portable memory. It works in cameras, walkmans and computers. So keen am I on this technology I've been buying 64Mb Memory Sticks, 128Mb Memory Sticks, MagiGate Memory Sticks... you name it. I'm using it to store images and video clips I shoot on my digital camera.
I Love Technology: [Insert Name of Technology Here]...
Since buying a digital video camera with a [Insert Name of Technology Here] I've gone [Insert Name of Technology Here] mad - both at home and at work. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, [Insert Name of Technology Here] is a really [Insert Marketing Blub Here]. It works in [Insert Names Of Any Device Here]. So keen am I on this technology I've been buying [Insert Technology Implementation #1 Here], [Insert Technology Implementation #2 Here]... you name it. I'm using it to [Insert More Marketing Blub Here].
Top Night...
Both events I went to last night were great fun. Marky had finished his end of term essay so he came too, as did another house guest we have staying with us over from Chicago. Ben's Doodlebugs show at the Amused Moose Club was fast, anarchic and wildly funny. Each team comprised of a cartoonist and a stand-up comedian. Ben was the host. The air was turned a deeper shade of blue for most of the night, but hey, what do you expect from a bunch of semi-drunk stand-up comics! The format was fine, although it needed a bit more work to make the scoring fairer and some of the rounds needed to be a bit tighter i.e. shorter. Sometimes the exact aim got a little lost. Had they drawn what they were supposed to or not? The funniest times were when the comics were given free reign to have their wild ramblings drawn in real-time. Hilarious. After it all finished Marky and I hot-footed it over to the Retro Bar to help celebrate Wendy (picture on the left) and DJ Lush's 5 years at the helm.  
The place was packed and we spent a lovely final hour of the night listening to Darren spin the tunes and mingling with various low-lifes of the gay blogging community. Namely Iain, Ian, Dave, David (+ Rick) and, of course, David. 
We had a great time there and it was made especially nice as Wendy and DJ Lush (picture above) really liked the present that David and I gave them. We mocked up an affectionate Pet Shop Boys album cover containing some pop songs mixed together. Lush was so enthusiastic she rushed to put it on straight away!  
Neat, huh? Thursday, January 17, 2002
Lord Of The Rings...
I went to see LoTR at the cinema last night with Sarah. I'd seen the first part of it on a postage stamp sized download last year but nothing had quite prepared me for what I saw. If you've not seen it. GO! GO NOW! Before it ends it's cinema run.
Retro Bar's 5th Birthday...
After Doodlebugs tonight I'm going to Wendy & DJ Lush's charity 5th birthday party at the Retro Bar. All the usual suspects will be there no doubt. Darren is DJing from about 11:15pm so I've definitely got to be there by then. 
A bunch of Retro Bar regulars have taken out an ad in the gay press to say thank you to them both. Also David and I are planning something special to give them too. They deserve it. They're fab.
Doodlebugs...
Tonight my very good friend, Ben, is launching a new game format called Doodlebugs downstairs at Bar Code (a.k.a. Amused Moose Soho). I shall be there cheering him on. Here is what Time Out has to say this week. 
Frequent sex...
Middle aged men can have sex as many times as they like without increasing their risk of having a stroke, according to research. Scientists also discovered that frequent sexual intercourse can actually reduce the risk of suffering a fatal heart attack. Professor Shah Ebrahim, who led the University of Bristol team, said men should be heartened by the research, which dispels fears that there is a link between sex and strokes. Welcoming the findings Dr Ian Banks, president of the Men's Health Forum, told BBC News Online: "I think the news for everyone is that sex is an important part of our normal human existence and we should encourage people not to be ashamed of having sex." Something we always knew of course. Frequent sex is good for you. Do you think we could get frequent sex through the NHS as part of some Health Intervention Scheme? [Full story here] Wednesday, January 16, 2002
Soft Cell European Tour 2002...
The following dates are all Soft Cell concerts: 15 & 16 February - Moscow. These dates are confirmed but the promoters haven't told us the name of the venue! 20 April - Dublin Olympia 23 April - Offenbach Capitol 24 April - Munich Babylon 26 April - Zurich Kaufleuten 27 April - Vienna Pepsi Music Club 29 April - Stuttgart Theatrehaus 30 April - Hamburg Docks 2 May - Bremen Modernes 3 May - Amsterdam Paradiso 4 May - Brussels A/B 18 May - Leipzig Wave Festival 1 June - Winchester Homelands (festival) 30 June - Roskilde Dance Stage (festival) I've been to Vienna, Amsterdam and Brussels before but none of the other cities. Do you recommend any of them as places to visit?
Pop Quiz Goes Digital…
Last night David took his digital camera and I took my digital camcorder to record the weekly event that is the Retro Bar Pop Quiz. Sadly I didn’t capture on film the magic moment when Wendy apologised that DJ Lush (her ex-) was uncharacteristically slow at changing the CDs with the immortal line, “she’s usually much better with her fingers than this”. Cue: much laughter and Wendy blushing. Being Pete Waterman’s 55th birthday spurred Wendy to concoct a PW quiz last night. We had a full team of David, Darren, Ian and myself. David and Dave sat opposite us and pulled faces while forming a ickle team of their own. Our team name was Stocky, Aching and Vorderman. All questions relate to Pete Waterman productions. 1. What are the names of the three original members of Bananarama? Bonus point if you can get the ‘fourth’ member who joined when one the original number left. 2. What are the 17 words that start the chorus to Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up? 3. Famous at fourteen, married a Rolling Stone and crap singer. Name her. 4. Cover versions of Baker Street and Never Let Her Slip Away in 1992. Name the band. 5. Name the year that Never Stop Me From Loving You, Especially For You and Hand On Your Heart were all hits. 6. Jive Bunny, Cliff Richard, a Grease Megamix. Which of these did PW not produce? 7. Name the five members of Westlife 8. Who had a hit with It’s A Fine Day in 1992? 9. Who had a hit with Roadblock? 10. Big Fun had a hit with a Jacksons song. Can you name it? 11. Westlife covered an ABBA song. Can you name it? 12. Bananarama and the Jackson 5 both had a hit with the same name (but not the same song). Can you name it? 13. Can you name two other artists who have recorded songs with the answer to #12? (NB: not cover versions) 14. Fill in the Jason Donavan blanks: Too Many XXXX XXXX 15. Fill in the Jason Donavan blanks: Every XXXX (I XXXX You More) 16. Fill in the Jason Donavan blanks: XXXX With A XXXX 17. Who had a hit with Say I’m Your Number One? Who had a hit with Stomp!? 18. Who had a hit with Wouldn’t It Be Good? Who had a hit with Whatever I Do, Wherever I Go? 19. Who had a hit with Pass The Dutchie? Who had a hit with Showing Out (Get Fresh At The Weekend)? 20. Who had a hit with No Limits? Who had a hit with Nothings Gonna Stop Me Now? How many can you get? We got a measely 16.5 out of a possible 21. The winners got 20/21 but didn't win the £33 prize money. Tuesday, January 15, 2002
Diet...
For the past two weeks I've been on a diet. Not that I think I'm incredibly overweight of anything it's just that since turning 40 a few months ago I've noticed that it's a little bit tougher to fit into my jeans than it used to be. My trousers are all 32" waist and it seems that my waistline seems to think it's 33" pushing 34". I used to be able to slip two fingers in between my waist and my jeans. Now I can't even slip one finger in. Not that I've any issue with gaining the odd pound or two but since I'm guzzling beer and eating chips and chocolate all the time I guess things could only get worse. So something had to be done. So on January 1st 2002 I started my low-carbohydrate diet for a month. So no pasta, no bread, no potatoes, no beer, no sugar. And definitely no chocolate. What I can eat is protein and fat. So it's all steaks, roast lamb, pork, chicken, turkey, cream, eggs, cheese, full-fat mayonnaise, butter, vodka, white wine and salad. Quite an easy diet to stick to really. And the results? Well, they speak for themselves. I've lost over 2kg in under two weeks. Already I can slide into my G-Star's as easily as the day I bought them. So it's back to slipping in those two fingers I guess too. Missus.
Fab Gadget...
On Saturday I went a bit mad. Firstly I bought a new Samsung DECT phone / answering machine for the house (our old Philips one was getting a bit ropey). It's a fab little gizmo that does all you would expect a digital cordless phone to do. I spent about 5 minutes playing with it and got bored. Phones are just phones, right? The second 
So sitting in front of me now is my shiny new Sony DCR-PC120E PAL Digital Video Camera. It is a wonder to look at and a dream to use. It has 1.55 Mega-pixels, 120x digital zoom and 10x optical zoom, that 'super steady-shot' thing that keeps the picture steady when your hand shakes, 'super night shot' which actually can see in the dark (I tried it out and it is incredible), a Memory Stick (for photos and MPEG movies), firewire, USB, Bluetooth, support for POP3 and SMTP (to send and receive e-mail with pictures and video) and also HTTP (yes, I can browse the web from it and possible even blog). It'll take me ages to get to grips with all the features I expect. But that's the fun of new gadgets, right? Monday, January 14, 2002
I'm just wild about Harry...
 |