Archives for April 2001
My five criteria for success... (April 30, 2001) Having respect for what you do (equals creative input). Doing that thing well (enjoying it to the extent that you don't clockwatch). Being recognised for same. Changing the world in some way (for the better). Getting enough money to...
Today 3.00 GMT: Anti-globalisation protests (April 30, 2001) Today 3.00 GMT: Anti-globalisation protests : Naomi Klein Live Online. Get yourself a comfy seat and a packet of bourbons, as Ms Klein takes on months of media doublespeak. Then go buy her bloody book. If it doesn't inspire aggression...
Yesterday I went to see (April 30, 2001) Yesterday I went to see The Mexican with Meg. But afterwards I didn't do anything creative at all. In fact I wandered into town, had a brainfart and came home again. My mind operates in prescribed orbits at the moment...
As I experience yet another (April 30, 2001) As I experience yet another entirely frustrating battle with page rendering on Netscape, I am forced to agree (for a moment at least) with Jakob Nielsen: Frames Suck Most of the Time....
A while ago I was (April 30, 2001) A while ago I was looking for a site that could simulate how sites would look in other browsers. Well thanks to a co-worker at Avondi, I've found one. The only problem is you have to pay them up to...
As the song says, "Wouldn't (April 29, 2001) As the song says, "Wouldn't a smarter man, simply walk away?"...
Excerpts from 'My Big Gay (April 29, 2001) Excerpts from 'My Big Gay Life' (6): So you're in a shop and you see a magazine, and on the cover is some guy that you wanted to be involved with. And you say to yourself, Good Christ. And you...
Grant to write X-men... (April 29, 2001) Grant Morrison, personal god of mine, and my first and only hero, is shortly to take over the writing of the world's biggest selling comic-book, the X-men. For those of you who promise not to think me a completely ridiculous...
[After Jason] I've submitted a (April 29, 2001) [After Jason] I've submitted a word ('unsightful') to the pseudodictionary. Have you?...
This is possibly the least (April 29, 2001) This is possibly the least helpful article on dealing with a gay teenager that I have ever read. And I can only hope and pray that in ten or twenty years time, comments like "In truth, no parent wishes for...
Excerpts from 'My Big Gay (April 29, 2001) Excerpts from 'My Big Gay Life' (5) So you think you're angry with Big for the way the evening ended the other day, and you'd chucked him a very brief e-mail designed to assess the lines of communication, to which...
If someone said that they (April 29, 2001) If someone said that they were going away for a week, but that they'd give you a ring once they'd got back, at what stage can one start legitimately getting slightly narked? Your answers please!...
Gasp?! Vodka vs. Staying at home... (April 28, 2001) I have a quandary. In my flat, we have (to date) four rules of life. Two of these rules (1 and 4) this evening appear to be in direct opposition with one another. The situation is that I might have...
A tesseract or hypercube is (April 28, 2001) A tesseract or hypercube is a piece of hypothetical four-dimensional geometry that is generated by dragging a cube across a fourth dimension much as that cube is generated by dragging a square across three dimentional space. There's a fair amount...
A fascinatingly political comment from (April 28, 2001) A fascinatingly political comment from the BBC on The UK Census and Big Brother: "Most appreciate that the information is vital for planning the numbers of schools, hospitals and social services. But many will feel a twinge of unease about...
On the peer-to-peer / interconnected (April 28, 2001) On the peer-to-peer / interconnected / web of trust: This is a rough combination of ideas from epinions, dirk and napster (with a little bit of avondi in there as well). We all know about Napster. The principle is simple...
Barbelith: Timothy McVeigh's letter to (April 28, 2001) Barbelith: Timothy McVeigh's letter to Fox: "You may or may not have ethics or beliefs that match up with this man's. Mine do not match his particularly closely. Having said that, if I believed what he did, and could express...
Wow, that really is cool! (April 28, 2001) Wow, that really is cool! A "Mac OS X application that takes a small metadata file, and wraps a lovely GUI around a shell script". Jesus Christ. I need me one of them. I mean, after all, it could be...
Thanks to Andi for helping (April 27, 2001) Thanks to Andi for helping an otherwise slow afternoon at work. And to her companion with the excessively acidic stomach - lay off the coke. If you're not careful, you'll burn right through......
I'm deliberating, after a depressingly (April 27, 2001) I'm deliberating, after a depressingly awful meeting with Big last night, whether or not I should send him this e-card, while making it clear - of course - that it is a joke. Perhaps I could combine it with a...
It's SO not fair to (April 27, 2001) It's SO not fair to write a post about me, include the word Prozac and do it in a language that I just don't understand....
Songs lyrics for a Friday (April 27, 2001) Songs lyrics for a Friday morning: [Nothing Is Good Enough] That nothing is good enough for people like you who have to have someone take the fall and something to sabotage-- determined to lose it all...
Send me head-fibre... (April 27, 2001) Send me e-mail. I want some e-mail. No fluff. Good stuff. Suggestions, ideas, creative stuff. I need to take a brain-dump, but I haven't been getting enough head-fibre recently. So come on kids, help me purge....
A new definition of 'weblog'... (April 27, 2001) A place where people who aren't heard in everyday life can not be heard online....
Turning the tables on DSR: (April 26, 2001) Turning the tables on DSR: a selection of search terms used to find their site, according to their stats page (5.10pm GMT): long dong silver, LITTLE NATURIST, Pokemon Porn, haemorrhoids, the shit files it's just a of shit, sexy iranian,...
I'm slightly surprised that anyone (April 26, 2001) I'm slightly surprised that anyone would be comfortable with being featured in an article called 'From cause celebre to scum of the earth in just three months', but I suppose you have to have a sense of humour about these...
Possibly the coolest thing on (April 26, 2001) Possibly the coolest thing on the net - the complete Anatomy of the Human Body by Henry Gray. Complete with disgustingly anatomical cut-away drawings of the human body....
Tonight: UK webloggers meet up (April 26, 2001) Tonight: UK webloggers meet up again. This time the evening is known as: sick of the parrot. All non-attendees will be executed. Do you understand what I'm saying?...
The question of the moment (April 26, 2001) The question of the moment is whether or not to reboot. I've been meaning to do some tightening work on pb.org for weeks now, but just haven't had the time. Perhaps this is enough incentive - tighten, sharpen, refine, polish....
There's a substantial (and pretty (April 26, 2001) There's a substantial (and pretty well written and thought out) article on weblogs and weblogging over at Yahoo! Internet Life at the moment. I always find these articles slightly annoying since they never mention plasticbag.org (unless I know the author...
Monogamy is suddenly everywhere - (April 26, 2001) Monogamy is suddenly everywhere - or more to the point, discussions of monogamy are. Over at Barbelith, there's a substantial debate raging about Monogamy vs Open Relationships, while the BBC discusses a New Scientist article that suggests that monogamy only...
Tit for tat. I suppose (April 26, 2001) Tit for tat. I suppose it's only fair. I will shortly be appearing on Mo's baby pictures section. I still maintain that only Davo looks exactly the same now as he did as a kid....
The Misheard URL Project (Part Three) (April 26, 2001) The Misheard URL Project (Part three): MoOrgan.com (the inside scoop) -->...
The Misheard URL Project (Parts One & Two) (April 25, 2001) The Misheard URL Project (Parts one and two): BRANsluice (for your bowels) CaptainBEZ.com (dances badly). ...
Conversation with old friend: "You (April 25, 2001) Conversation with old friend: "You see what you need is someone who knows what the fuck they are doing, rather than some fat, hairy sucking butthole with half a brain cell."...
Tomorrow morning at 11am, Meg (April 25, 2001) Tomorrow morning at 11am, Meg will be having coffee. Why don't you join her? The following day around 11am, I plan to visit the lavatory. You may all join me for that too if you wish. Later in the week,...
Speakers Corner for the 21st (April 25, 2001) Speakers Corner for the 21st Century - a place by the side of a road where you can meet people who will beam short-stories, political tracts and other missives to your PDA from their own Palm Pilot. Yet another avenue...
More excerpts from 'My Big Gay Life'... (April 25, 2001) Excerpts from 'My Big Gay Life' (4) And you get home and the television is full of them and you go and check your e-mail and Mr Big has got back to you, and it's a dry e-mail, kind of...
Excerpts from 'My Big Gay (April 25, 2001) Excerpts from 'My Big Gay Life' (3) So someone asks you how you are which was kind of the question that you were dreading (along with 'where are you working at the moment' - as if working were some kind...
Excerpts from 'My Big Gay (April 25, 2001) Excerpts from 'My Big Gay Life' (2) So Mandy turns around to you and says, "He's like you - straight-acting", and that spark goes off in your head again about acting and pretending and 'trying to be straight' and whether...
Excerpts from 'My Big Gay (April 25, 2001) Excerpts from 'My Big Gay Life' (1) So you're in a bar and you bump into some people you used to work with, and one of them has brought a friend and everyone except for Mandy is gay or has...
Pictures from Matt Jones' party... (April 25, 2001) Aside: Pictures from Matt Jones' party. Can't see Matt Interconnected anywhere. I've looked quite hard....
Insight: "Putting your trust in (April 24, 2001) Insight: "Putting your trust in a financial institution other than Metrobank, well, that's like hypnotizing chickens."...
Jack Fear asks the question: (April 24, 2001) Jack Fear asks the question: Are the Gorillaz concept band merely a ripped off Slutcore only with (shudder) actual music?...
Good news for film buffs (April 24, 2001) Good news for film buffs and industry notaries, Screendaily.com has come online once more a mere three weeks after being scrapped. The whole story is available on the BBC....
My family live in Norfolk. (April 24, 2001) My family live in Norfolk. Norfolk is the flattest county in the UK. My family live in an area known as 'Belaugh Hills and Hollows'. We live on top of one of the biggest hills in the area. It can...
International Buffy Day continues with (April 24, 2001) International Buffy Day continues with news from the BBC that the show is to switch networks in the states [BBC News]. The series is to move to UPN for purely financial reasons for at least two more seasons. There is...
Eight episodes in one night. (April 24, 2001) Eight episodes in one night. It's almost inhuman devotion. Noam and Nick C arrived around seven with pizza, drink, cream cakes and muffin mix to find Mella and I ready and waiting for the first of the evening's screenings. We...
Thanks to Ralph for finding (April 24, 2001) Thanks to Ralph for finding me the IMDB's list of Cool Buffy Quotes....
Time and need are connected (April 24, 2001) Time and need are connected in some strange extravagant way with one another. The more desire you feel, the longer seems the time you have to wait to see it fulfilled. The harder you exert a pull, the further you...
If anyone knows where I (April 24, 2001) If anyone knows where I can get a copy of Fireball without paying the extortionate trans-atlantic shipping costs, then could they please mail me?...
It's true. I give up. (April 23, 2001) It's true. I give up. I accept my fate. I am become (geek) god. How else can explain the cravings? Why else would this fill me with such drooling awe? For what other reason would my tongue moisten at the...
I've talked about Grant Morrison's (April 23, 2001) I've talked about Grant Morrison's theories on the relationship between sunspot activity and youth rebellion several times before - but here is another article connected with it: "The Sun Does a Flip". Again the eleven year cycle is mentioned, as...
I confess. It was I (April 23, 2001) I confess. It was I that thought that Dan was a funny bastard. I do not, however, wish to rip his arms from their sockets. I have someone else in mind for that particular treatment....
Last night I found myself (April 23, 2001) Last night I found myself watching The Tailor of Panama with Nick H at the Odeon in Leicester Square. I've been celebrating my return from the brink of madness this weekend - I got paid on Friday and suddenly found...
This evening I am proud (April 23, 2001) This evening I am proud to host the second Maida Vale post-work Buffy marathon, in which my source at Time Out will exchange new episodes for old, and where we shall once again talk about the full range of merchandise...
Are you in a doomed (April 22, 2001) Are you in a doomed dot.com start-up? [again from seethru]: "You're one of the dotcom revolutionaries. It's a career at the bleeding edge of new media. You're well paid. You're in demand. Everything's rosy. But next week, will you be...
The future, as I have (April 22, 2001) The future, as I have said innumerable times before, is wank. My tirade against the mischaracterisation of non-reproductive sexuality has today come face to face with its antithesis - an evil that can only be called the National Wanky Homepage...
I think, all things considered (April 22, 2001) I think, all things considered that we must consider the first foray in the war to have been a complete success. I, certainly, had a lovely time. Although I did spend money, which is, you know, bad....
Quote: I ain't happy, I'm (April 21, 2001) Quote: I ain't happy, I'm feeling glad, I've got sunshine, In a bag, I'm useless, But not for long, The future is coming on. [link]...
Apparently I write things that (April 21, 2001) Apparently I write things that are quote-worthy. Not recently perhaps, but once. On photodude.com/weblog (a remarkably well designed site), there appear to be at least three seperate weblogs in operation. One of them - the quote log - is a...
I can't thank Davo enough (April 21, 2001) I can't thank Davo enough for the new book from Disinformation: "You are being lied to". I've already decided to use it as a basis for discussion over on Barbelith, with each individual article being a basis of discussion. The...
To all the gay people (April 20, 2001) To all the gay people I know. The time has come. Tomorrow evening I declare War. It is time to assemble the multifarious legions of faggotry. Non-attenders will be treaters as deserters and promptly shot on sight. YOU KNOW WHO...
Quote / Theory: "Life's what (April 20, 2001) Quote / Theory: "Life's what happens when you're busy making other plans." I talked about this with Matt last night after the Black Belt Jones party. I've come to a strange accommodation with this quote. One of its many origins...
Quote: I see the sun (April 20, 2001) Quote: I see the sun rise over this wall | I watch it break and slide, See my name | See my name on the wall | I tried to walk on this wall | It fell right under my...
Quote: And if anyone objects (April 20, 2001) Quote: And if anyone objects that they are not worth the effort, I will cite Cioran (not a classic, at least not yet, but a contemporary thinker who is only now being translated into Italian): 'While the hemlock was being...
I'm meeting up with a (April 20, 2001) I'm meeting up with a friend from University who I haven't seen in over five years. Nick Carey was this bearded wonder who used to roam around my old halls of residence, getting drunk and misbehaving. He used to have...
The BBC finally decides to (April 20, 2001) The BBC finally decides to cover the whole ICANN controversy: Domain Dispute Drags On. The whole issue frustrates me - particularly the potential loss of .org domain names as held by individual creative sites (such as plasticbag.org)....
Why said Microsoft didn't have (April 20, 2001) Why said Microsoft didn't have a sense of humour? I'll tell you who - pretty much every single rational and intelligent man, woman or child in the Western hemisphere....
Today I found a page (April 20, 2001) Today I found a page in my referrers log which really quite interests me. It's a Quick Essentials page for a fellow weblogger, which uses simple javascript window.open commands to open all the sites that he wishes to view on...
Malkovich is Malkovich Malkovich. Malkovich (April 20, 2001) Malkovich is Malkovich Malkovich. Malkovich Malkovich's seen the film Malkovich Malkovich and Malkovich it, here is a Malkovich to Malkovich the Malkovich Malkovich Malkovich Malkovich Malkovich Malkovich Malkovich Malkovich Malkovich. Malkovich: The Malkovich Malkovich. Here's what Malkovich.org Malkovich Malkovich Malkovich...
Juicy Slugs! (April 20, 2001) Thanks to Francesca Gavin, London Media Maven, for sending me this particularly ... juicy ... link from the Ottowa Citizen Online: Dead slug was no treat for horrified snackers. It's enough to put you off Rice Krispie Squares for ever....
A signed letter from "Jack the Ripper"... (April 20, 2001) A while ago I was talking about reading Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell's From Hell - a savage graphic novel about Jack the Ripper. Featured as part of the book is the transcript of a letter purporting to be from...
On Helpful Insights... (April 20, 2001) Helpful insight into my work-related quandary? [cf. yesterday's post]...
Meg returns, and with a (April 20, 2001) Meg returns, and with a new design to boot - plus a really long piece of writing about why she went away and why she came back......
Because you can never push (April 19, 2001) Because you can never push an obsession too far: Thanks to Davo for this particular gem:...
On Tom-related nicknames... (April 19, 2001) This ridiculous list of Tom-related nicknames is brought to you via Mo Morgan. It neglects 'Tomato' and 'Tomsk' which are possibly the only two that I remember having been called. Oh, and Thos (rhymes with floss) which is what my...
Today's reading matter of choice: (April 19, 2001) Today's reading matter of choice: An Incomplete Manifesto of Growth. Learn well, my children....
So you are working in (April 19, 2001) So you are working in a start-up company around Regent's Park, and you're only going to be doing it for a month, and it's a very male company, and you're only doing it four days a week, and they keep...
Request: Now I'm looking for (April 19, 2001) Request: Now I'm looking for browser-emulation sites, if such things exist. Meg sent me dejavu.org, but while it is extraordinarily entertaining using all the browsers that I haven't even seen in five years, I need something a little more cutting-edge....
It looks like we will (April 19, 2001) It looks like we will have Apple with us for a little longer at least. Defying expectations to the contrary, they have just announced their profits for the quarter - which are up to 11 cents a share. This is...
I sent an e-mail to (April 19, 2001) I sent an e-mail to Mr Big last night. It read, "So I was just watching TV and saw Simon Le Bon and Guy Ritchie and suddenly thought of you. You back yet?". As usual I don't really expect to...
Another article on weblogs... (April 19, 2001) So it looks like there was an article on weblogs in a recent issue of Yahoo Internet Life. Has anyone scanned this in or transcribed it yet?...
About three hours ago I (April 19, 2001) About three hours ago I had a surprise conversation with Demolition Derby. It was a bit out of the blue - Dan and Matt were going to the Popbitch party and wanted to know if I would go along. But...
I was a Teenage Sexualist: (April 18, 2001) I was a Teenage Sexualist: I went to see the American version of Queer As Folk at the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival a while back, and for me one of the most amusing parts was the peculiar significance...
On a moment of total exhaustion... (April 18, 2001) Last night my complete over-whelming exhaustion caught up with me finally. I went out for a drink with Meg, Luke, Davo and Catherine at the O2 centre on Finchley Road. After precisely two cocktails, I couldn't stand and became gradually...
An interesting article on HTML mail... (April 18, 2001) Thanks to my helpful contact at AOL, I now have access to a really good ArsDigita article on HTML e-mail. This confronts most of the issues associated with the subject, and is very much worth a read. [Another article]...
Jack Straw sees paedophilic imagery... (April 18, 2001) Can someone explain this to me? If merely having images of a paedophilic nature on one's computer is a crime (no matter the context), then how can Jack Straw say, "I've seen some of the exhibits - if you can...
Time Out launch the Paris city guide... (April 18, 2001) So my old employers, Time Out, have finally launched their first city guide in the new style that I had a part in assembling. Certain things seem to have been lost in the shakedown process, but it still just about...
On well-formatted HTML e-mail... (April 18, 2001) Urgent: I'm looking for a site which gives the lowdown on producing well formatted HTML templates, complete with a website's look-and-feel, but which don't break in hotmail, Yahoo! mail and Outlook / Outlook Express. The best I've come up with...
Bridget Jones gone mad... (April 17, 2001) Found in Inbox: Someone sent me this a while back, and I forwarded it to another one of my e-mail addresses because I was at work or something, and now I don't know who did it. If it was you...
How do you mend a broken heart? (April 17, 2001) The Guardian's Ethical Conundrums presents us with the question: How do you mend a broken heart? My favourite answer to this, because it amuses me, not because I'd do it, is: "The best way to get over someone is to...
Eau de Missing Link... (April 17, 2001) Davo is under the mistaken impression that his bizarre Anne Robinson fetish generates an air of sexual mystery around him. The crowds part before him, whispering to each other, "Is he gay? Is he straight? With such a fetish, how...
Oh, Not Another One! (April 17, 2001) People seem continually surprised by each new 'homosexual revelation' in the entertainment industry. The latest one concerns Alec Guinness, who apparently was happily married with a child while simultaneously flirting on the side with a little boy-on-boy action. The plain...
The Palm-sized President that's fun to play with... (April 17, 2001) The Portabush: "The most powerful man in the world is now yours to control! PortaBush is the palm-sized version of Dubya that lets anyone experience the joys and headaches of being President. Pass or veto bills, pig out on Texas...
Looking for ideal man... (April 17, 2001) I've just watch Bring it On again, and would like to announce that if you are anything like the character Cliff Pantone (as played by Jesse Bradford) in any way (but, you know, gay), then mail me. Important criteria for...
Thank you, dear heart... (April 16, 2001) I probably shouldn't be thankful for this, but I'd just like to send a nod to the glamorous Mo Morgan for pointing me in the direction of this admirably clear tutorial on JSP....
Apocalipsticking... (April 16, 2001) While we are talking about Amazon, I just thought I should mention that Apocalipstick, the second book of Volume One of The Invisibles is now available for both UK and US fans. It's not the best section of the series,...
Random Acts of Kindness... (April 16, 2001) Thank you to Paul over at Cuckoo-kid.com for buying me a copy of Snatch on DVD from my wishlist. Little random acts of kindness like this are really helpful at the moment. It's really very much appreciated....
On Being Home Alone... (April 16, 2001) My flatmates are going away tomorrow for four or five days to the Isle of Wight for a bit of R&R. I am hopelessly jealous of their ability to opt out for a week and disappear, but at the moment...
Dynamo vs. Tumbleweed... (April 16, 2001) Be warned, Meg is thinking. Everyone in the know understands that that means trouble is afoot. I, on the other hand, am not thinking. Not thinking at all. My head is a big empty wasteland. There are occasional tumbleweeds. Perhaps...
On Metafilter Scholarships... (April 16, 2001) Again via Prolific.org, Matt Haughey of Metafilter has decided to endow a $500 scholarship to one member who is in University or college at the moment. The contribution is based upon the quality of previous posting plus an essay question....
The Horror of Tax Returns... (April 16, 2001) Poor old Prol is busy fighting with her tax returns this Easter Monday, which fills me with horror, as I am equally inept at such enterprises but find myself gradually dipping more and more toes into the 'self-employed' tax bracket,...
Home of the brash, outrageous and free... (April 16, 2001) Oh, here is London. "Home of the brash, outrageous and free." You are repressed. But you're remarkably dressed. Is it Real? And you're always busy. [lyrics]...
A maudlin moment... (April 15, 2001) In the absence of so you dumped someone over a year ago because you thought it was the right thing to do but regretted it immediately and have so not been able to get over it no matter how hard...
Inquiring minds need to know... (April 15, 2001) Inquiring minds need to know everything about the person who typed "Dammit I'm in love with Meg what do I do" into Yahoo!...
I'm not returning to London... (April 15, 2001) I'm not returning to London tonight. Sod it. Take that, London. One in the eye for you, and no mistake. Ha. I'm going to spend the evening waiting for the Messiah instead. I mean, Jesus. You wait all weekend for...
Trust in the power of magical forces... (April 15, 2001) Wherever you are provides a rather more helpful piece of advice regarding "how to get over a crush" (see my earlier post) - advice that I intend to undertake immediately: "And, of course, it's missing the obvious way to get...
A sequel to American Psycho... (April 15, 2001) So there's going to be a sequel to American Psycho, the Christian Bale movie in which the amiable 80s yuppie did lots of exercise, looked good in the mirror and sat around brooding while covered in blood and cradling a...
How to get over a crush... (April 15, 2001) The most facile answers ever given to the question: "How to get over a crush?" I should point out that this question was today's other strange (and totally inappropriate) search-request and that I didn't just stumble upon this site in...
Decision of the day... (April 15, 2001) Decision of the day is whether or not to return to the big smoke this evening or first thing in the morning. I have to prepare for some contract work I'm starting on Tuesday at a company called Avondi at...
Search request of the day... (April 15, 2001) Search request of the day goes to "Pictures of me I'm good looking", which is not only absurdly ridiculous, but manages somehow to bring up Luke, Meg and me as the top three links. And it is true. We are...
It all turns to crap when it hits the screen... (April 15, 2001) I'm getting increasingly irritated by being linked to by weblogs that are substantially better than plasticbag.org. It's not my fault, godammit. I try to write good stuff, but it all turns into crap when it hits the screen. And I...
The Finchley Three... (April 15, 2001) I am extremely upset that I missed dinner at the home of the Finchley Three on Thursday. This is one reason to wish I was back in London, I suppose....
Horrified by a return to London... (April 14, 2001) I find myself horrified by the prospect of returning to London. Norfolk is providing an incredible escape from all the crap I'm supposed to be dealing with at the moment that I don't really want to have to be dealing...
You know... Scruffy! (April 14, 2001) My brother informs me that my mother says I look like Jamie Oliver. When I ask him in what way, he says, "You know... Scruffy."...
A post-relationship food aversion? (April 13, 2001) My eating habits are all over the place, which is probably not the best thing at a time like this. On Thursday night I caught up with an old friend from Bristol, Dan Brilliant. I met up with him at...
Finally, Angel gets good again... (April 13, 2001) Finally, Angel gets good again. I'm at home in Norfolk with my family at the moment, and so far the best part of the whole experience has been seeing Buffy and Angel back to back on Sky One. I've just...
Why was he fired? (April 13, 2001) Map-making Martyr "Ian Thomas loves making maps. His talent won him respect and a US government job. So why was he fired for putting a chart of caribou calving areas on the internet?"...
My first paid film review on the BBC... (April 13, 2001) This is so cool. My first paid film review. And a page all about me. It's enough to make a man happy to be alive....
You hope for more, but you expect less... (April 11, 2001) I've had my conversation, and it went - I suppose - as well as could legitimately be expected. You hope for more, you expect less, and you pray that you don't get kicked too hard. Today's been generally hectic, but...
Dear Mr Quayle... (April 11, 2001) Dear Mr Quayle, It has come to my attention over the last few months that you bear a certain amount of animosity towards me. As we know from our studies of ancient texts, vengeance stimulates vengeance, and without an external...
Nerves... (April 11, 2001) I'm feeling unhelpfully nervous this morning. I have an important conversation to have which I want to be completely relaxed for, but I'm not. It's an absurd conversation to have - it won't get anything accomplished (or at least I...
Thank you for indulging me... (April 10, 2001) What I did last night: I'm going to let Davo do all the hard work of explaining what happened, so I can just say 'thank you' to him and Nick H. for indulging me and momentarily pulling me out of...
On the Music of Chance... (April 10, 2001) I finished reading The Music of Chance in Bristol on the weekend. It's one of those books about pushing your life all around you until it collapses and you're finally left with nothing of any value. It's an intelligent pornography...
On writing that doesn't go anywhere... (April 10, 2001) On repression: If you don't have anything good to say, then don't say anything at all. That's how the old saying goes, is it not? What if there are things to say, good things, but you can't concentrate on them?...
Sorry about the paucity of (April 9, 2001) Sorry about the paucity of updates. For a variety of reasons I don't really feel like I can talk about much at the moment. Everything will be back to normal in a couple of days. Promise....
I've had better days. (April 7, 2001) I've had better days....
Heart of Darkness... (April 7, 2001) The train from London to Norfolk is like Heart of Darkness - the further you get towards Norwich, the louder beat the tribal drums, the more fear enters your heart. I have to do this next week. This week, however,...
Weirdest coincidences (2): One of (April 6, 2001) Weirdest coincidences (2): One of the guys working at Arehaus at the moment is one half of the circlemakers.org crop-circle collective that won Guardian Site of the Year a while back....
From the... To the... (April 6, 2001) OK. I really have to get my fat arse in gear, so I'm going to kind of write this in a hurry. Warning: Life Recap [If you are not interested in hearing about what I spend my time doing then...
In which I loot interconnected.org... (April 6, 2001) In which Tom continues his attempts to rip off every single last piece of content from interconnected.org: So when we were down the pub the other night, and I was being all crapulent and morbid, Matt was busy thinking about...
According to the BBC, scientists (April 6, 2001) According to the BBC, scientists may have identified genes that lend a higher predisposition towards suicide. An old friend of mine killed herself a few years back. We'd lived together on and off for two years and been friends for...
Our first clue in the (April 6, 2001) Our first clue in the Pickard conspiracy comes with Mo Morgan's feature: "When We Were Very Young". Are we really expected to believe that the picture purporting to be NotSoSoft is anything other than a nameless child of some anarcho-syndicalist...
The conspiracy is afoot. Could (April 6, 2001) The conspiracy is afoot. Could it really be possible that over a year of weblog entries are a complete fabrication? Could it be that the woman behind the posting is not a woman at all, but in fact a team...
On tiny worlds: So I'm (April 5, 2001) On tiny worlds: So I'm working at Arehaus again, and they have a part of their site which has their top-ten sites on it. I found this out last night by talking to Matt, who has another site (upsideclown.com) which...
Should anyone really need yet (April 5, 2001) Should anyone really need yet another introduction to the whole wonderful online mess that is weblog-culture, there's an article on it in the Guardian Online supplement today [online here]....
There are days when it's (April 5, 2001) There are days when it's raining outside when you just want to crawl into a hole and curl up in a ball and go to sleep, and get some peace and quiet, and feel relaxed, and not wake up for...
I went for a drink (April 5, 2001) I went for a drink last night with Matt to cheer him out about some work stuff he's dealing with at the moment. Instead, after scouring Goodge Street for Haddock.org members and Black Belt Jones, I got all mournful in...
Question: This one is for (April 5, 2001) Question: This one is for all the IT professionals out there. I need to know this information pretty much immediately: What is the difference between a 'Sole Trader' and a 'Limited Company' - which one is the cheapest and the...
The lifecycle of a meme (April 4, 2001) The lifecycle of a meme on the internet: Nike shoe personalisation and sweatshop labour....
More film sites courtesy of (April 4, 2001) More film sites courtesy of Matthew Ivan Ford of Time Out: IMDB Short Film Database Screening the past Film Philosophy ReadFilm.com Film Comment Scope film.com Melon Farmers Bright Lights Film...
Is the word "CeWebrity" as (April 4, 2001) Is the word "CeWebrity" as cheesy as I think it is? Because I'm thinking it might be time for badges and stuff. Alternative slogans have included: "I bitch about you on the net" and "Even YOU can be someone on...
A stunningly clever piece (April 4, 2001) A stunningly clever piece of web-tech this, that if developed by some central organisation could completely revolutionise the way in which fonts are handled on the net. The place to go for more information is: ReeveJones.com [via Matt]....
Ok, Mr Brilliant. I know (April 4, 2001) Ok, Mr Brilliant. I know you're out there. Stop being such a fuck-wit and drop me an e-mail. I would love to have lunch. Thank you very much....
I've been sent information on (April 4, 2001) I've been sent information on a few film sites so far - please continue to send me more. In the meantime, here's my spiralling list of wonder: BFI.org.uk Inside.com BBFC Screen Daily film.guardian.co.uk Sight and Sound bbc.co.uk/film popcorn.co.uk Total Film...
Newsflash: Whatever it was that (April 4, 2001) Newsflash: Whatever it was that Ev and Matt were talking about looks to be some kind of Blogger-based directory system - perhaps like the slow, but useful weblogs.com - for more information, read the post on Blogger....
Appeal for help: I need (April 4, 2001) Appeal for help: I need a list of the very best UK and London based and/or orientated film websites as soon as is humanly possible. E-mail me!...
I have a dream. And (April 3, 2001) I have a dream. And in that dream, under a scorched sky, people with nut allergies are playing Revel Roulette. [Other things to do with Revels: Chess Set: Thanks to Simon.]...
I'd just like to say (April 3, 2001) I'd just like to say hello to Ralph. Yes, Ralph, it's quite good. If you keep working on it, you might have something worth reading one day!...
I applied for some freelance (April 3, 2001) I applied for some freelance work a few days back on the basis that it would be a convenient way to earn some money while looking for work and / or writing some freelance journalism. The job I applied for...
Evidence for the debauchery of (April 3, 2001) Evidence for the debauchery of the latest blog meet courtesy of Nick Jordan's Gallery. Filling in for Meg's crushing inadequacy as a photographer (being outside London is not a suitable excuse), he snapped all of us looking at our absolute...
The Stalker... (April 3, 2001) The Stalker: [Game One] I will be at Farringdon tube at 1pm today. A prize to anyone who manages to take a picture of me without my knowledge....
In the 36 hours since (April 3, 2001) In the 36 hours since the Barbelith Underground relaunched, the upgraded site informs me that it has generated around 20,000 page impressions. I had no idea....
Another unprompted e-mail arrives from (April 3, 2001) Another unprompted e-mail arrives from Big. I'm completely fascinated by what might be going on in his head. On a related note I have decided that I don't seem to have any healthy relationships with men which might develop into...
On low-cost fun with friends... (April 2, 2001) So after 2001 last night, my flatmate drove me eight-tenths of the way to Meg's house so I could sell her my printer. I was quite delighted by this since it meant I could either eat for another week or...
Four Webloggers That I Definitely (April 2, 2001) Four Webloggers That I Definitely Would: Katy Matt Mo Mark...
Is it normal to have (April 2, 2001) Is it normal to have a one hour interview for what might turn out to be at most three or four weeks of part-time freelance HTML work? Maybe I talk too much. Your opinion?...
About a week ago, the (April 2, 2001) About a week ago, the Barbelith Underground finally gave up the ghost. But now it's all fresh and new once more - reinstalled and virginal. Reintroduce yourself to the most creative politically futurist subcultural community on the web today....
24 hours too late: Disinfo (April 2, 2001) 24 hours too late: Disinfo acquired by AOL Time Warner "In a surprise move that has already sent shockwaves through the Entertainment Economy, Disinformation Company Ltd publisher Gary Baddeley and creative director Richard Metzger have joined forces with their nemesis,...
I watched American Beauty [] (April 1, 2001) I watched American Beauty [] last night for about the tenth time. In its honour, I keep thinking that I should try to write about one thing that I find beautiful every day. Tonight I went to see 2001: A...
I spent a good twenty (April 1, 2001) I spent a good twenty minutes online with Matt Haughey on AIM yesterday, trying to work out what the French for a certain phrase was, and all the time I knew that the French had a particularly idiosyncratic interpretation of...
I am at Meg's house. (April 1, 2001) I am at Meg's house. I am testing something for her. Read this at your peril. I have encoded it with fnords. If you read it too fast your mind will explode. White Wee Wee....
Is it just me that (April 1, 2001) Is it just me that thinks that Hands Off My .ORG! misses a tremendous opportunity to showcase some of the great creative work that individuals and non-profit organisations have put together across the .org TLD?...
