Tuesday, May 31, 2005
 | The much speculated about Live Aid anniversary event is going ahead. Live8 will comprise at least five concerts in the G8 countries on 2nd July. I watched the news conference - here's some key bits of information that may be of interest to readers. |
Bob Geldof said that the aim of the event was not to raise money but to, "tilt the world a little bit on it's axis in favour of the poor." This ahead of the key G8 summit to take place at Gleneagles, Scotland in July. Despite his reservations about trying to recreate the spirit of the original Live Aid concerts he was now convinced that "we could gather together again not for charity but for political justice."
The assembled journalists watched again the harrowing footage of the 1985 Ethiopian famine with the soundtrack, 'Who's gonna drive you home tonight?' [The Cars]
Geldof used this to set the agenda for the Live 8 event:
"That's still continuing - that must not stand."
Richard Curtis, who is one of the key organisers went further.
"About 50000 people die unnecessarily each day as a result of extreme poverty. If that were to happen in Europe they would find the money to solve that particular problem. It's a tiny amount of money".
"70 million dead of AIDS in Africa - that's more than died in the holocaust. We're asking for 100% cancellation of unpayable debts, a doubling of aid and serious progress on trade justice.
Debt, Aid, Trade".
Harvey Goldsmith - the promoter, confirmed that the concerts would be free of charge and revealed the names of some of the artists who had already agreed to appear.
London - Hyde Park
Mariah Carey, Coldplay, Dido, Keane, Elton John, Annie Lennox, Madonna, Paul McCartney, Razorlight, REM, Stereophonics, Scissor Sisters, Sting, Joss Stone, Robbie Williams, U2, REM
Philadelphia - Museum of Art
Will Smith, Bonjovi, Dave Matthews, Stevie Wonder, Jayzee, Puff Daddy, Il Divo.
Berlin - Strasse 17 juni
A-ha, Lauren Hill, Brian Wilson, + others tba
Paris - Tuileries
Craig David, Jamiroquai, Youssou N'Dour, + others tba
Rome - Circus Maximus
Faith Hill, Duran Duran, + others tba
There are also tentative plans for events in Japan and Ottawa. Geldof also gave some cryptic references to legendary bands possibly reforming for the event.
He emphasised time and again that Afican poverty could be solved,
"we know what it costs, we know what to do. Do it"
Elton John spoke about the work of his Aids foundation and said that he was deeply committed to Live8. "I would go on a dangerous mission for Bob, I trust him with my life." He revealed that Geldof had met with and written to the new Pope, Benedict XIV, and that he may visit the G8 summit which will be the focus of Live8's attempt's to achieve change. Geldof was equivocal here and commented, "I think he should show up. It should be his first gig."
UK tickets will be by competition.
People will be invited to text the answer to a question to a given number from Monday morning at 8am - all radio stations and newspapers will carry details. Texts will cost £1.50 each and there is no limit on the number of texts that can be sent = proceeds will go to charity. The text line will remain open for seven days when winners will be selected at random.
The website, www.live8.org is currently under construction.
Geldof's signature line:
"If any of them won't come to our party, and believe me it's going to be some party, they can Fuck Off".
Applause.
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 3:05 PM
The ID card bill is being resurrected.
The more that the implications of it are thought through the more insidious it becomes. Not content with imposing a totalitarian system it became apparent that we would be charged for the privilege.
Original estimates of c.£90 for a card have now been 'adjusted' to around £300. Nice.
The upper estimate for the cost of implementing the scheme, [not maintaining it ever after - which will be more], has a figure of £18 billion on it. Think of the number of specialist anti-terrorist, anti-immigration fraud and anti-identity theft police that could be trained and paid for with this sum - wouldn't that be a more effective use of that money if combatting those problems is the real reason for the identity card scheme?
The thing is, I don't think it's the real reason for the scheme. It's a massive data collection exercise which will, no doubt, lead to all sorts of wonderful 'new applications' once the nightmarish database has been set up. Furthermore it now seems that the US wants to have access to UK ID card data. Fancy having all your biometric and personal data shipped off to the US for analysis and profiling? Nicer.
The planned technology has so far been unreliable in up to 30% of people tested. This is on a small control group. There are around 60 million people in the UK so it doesn't take much imagination to realise that the potential for error with this scheme is enormous.
Like I said before, I definitely, 100% don't want it and what it represents.
If you feel the same why not tell your MP where you would like the ID card scheme to go - send a fax now.
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 12:08 AM
Sunday, May 29, 2005
About 7 years ago, when I bought my first PC, the big thing was processors. The Pentium MMX processor had been launched in 1997 and Intel were just beginning to establish a strong public profile. I still think it's exceptionally clever that their product is largely invisible and yet with the 'Intel Inside' slogan and millions of those annoying little stickers all over the place, they have permeated into consumer consciousness. Where was I? Yes, processors were the thing. MMX was technology to change lives [hasn't every technology promised to do this?]. With hindsight it was just another step on the ever escalating Microsoft / Intel spiral of upgraditis. Intel invent some new faster whizzier processor then Microsoft evacuate their corporate bowels and excrete some hideously bloated upgrade which demands four times more processor power, memory and disk space simply to enable you to type a letter to your granny. It's progress. [Insert Gates Disciple Module]. We've been going along like this for quite some time. Microsoft are presently preparing for their next big flush with the Longhorn project. [gawd]. But it's all gone a bit quieter on the processor front as far as I can tell. When I bought my PC it was 'normal' to have a hard disk size of about 1gb. The gigabyte had not long been reached as a widely available disk size - it still had a cutting edge, 'out there' frisson. You were someone if you had a gigabyte. Two gigabytes was positively rockstar. Imagine the face of the PC shop man when I told him I wanted a 13gb disk in my new PC. It created a real buzz among those geekboys. They had to order it from a 'special supplier' and it cost more than the rest of the PC components put together. They thought I was a bit strange wanting so much storage - but I had a plan.
Last week my plan reached it's end phase with the appearance of the message, 'Disk space is running low'.
We're now in an era when 13gb is almost laughable. 40gb is 'normal' and you can go up into the hundreds for not very much dosh at all. Developments in disk tehnology have increased space and reduced price. Massive growth in digital media - audio, image and video, not to mention ever more sophisticated games have provided the driving force. It took me seven years to fill 13gb. I've been careful to archive stuff as I've gone along - [Thankyou Lord CD-RW] - but I've now reached the point where I have in excess of 10gb of what I consider to be essential applications and data on my drive. 38k was enough to land on the moon yet somehow I will soon need more than the 13,631,450 above this I currently have to run my life. Shocking but I'm not alone. I decided last week that I wanted to know where all that disk space had gone. Part of the 'Wintel' upgrade conspiracy is to make it difficult for you to find out. There is nothing within the Windows system for you to easily determine what is using your disk space. [Wonder why that is?] Most people just go and buy bigger disks or even a whole new computer. A bit like throwing your car away when the ashtray is full or the petrol tank empties for the first time. I needed to find a way to visualise what was eating all that space.
The solution came in the form of SequoiaView. This is a great little program that scans your hard disk and draws a pretty diagram of all the files on the disk, representing them as pillow like squares on the screen. [See today's pic above right]. You can see instantly the relative sizes of every single file on your hard disk and spot immediately any large monster files that may have been lurking unnoticed and unused for years. The other powerful feature is the facility to colour code different file types so that you can see at a glance how much space is being taken up by different sorts of files. In my case the problem was images. Ever since I bought my digital camera I've gone snap happy. Why take one shot when you can take twenty and throw away the duff ones - only I never throw them away. The hoarding instinct is too strong. SequoiaView was produced in the Computer Science Department in the Technical University in Eindhoven - they've done a good job. It's a straightforward, highly functional program that needs very little space [under 2mb], is designed to be intuitive to use and allows you to see your digital world in a whole new way. Highly recommended. I've even found those screenshots of singing gerbils I thought I'd lost years back.
I'm being a banker and taking a day off tomorrow.
See you next Tuesday.
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 7:27 PM
End of an errorLast week my plan reached it's end phase with the appearance of the message, 'Disk space is running low'.
We're now in an era when 13gb is almost laughable. 40gb is 'normal' and you can go up into the hundreds for not very much dosh at all. Developments in disk tehnology have increased space and reduced price. Massive growth in digital media - audio, image and video, not to mention ever more sophisticated games have provided the driving force. It took me seven years to fill 13gb. I've been careful to archive stuff as I've gone along - [Thankyou Lord CD-RW] - but I've now reached the point where I have in excess of 10gb of what I consider to be essential applications and data on my drive. 38k was enough to land on the moon yet somehow I will soon need more than the 13,631,450 above this I currently have to run my life. Shocking but I'm not alone. I decided last week that I wanted to know where all that disk space had gone. Part of the 'Wintel' upgrade conspiracy is to make it difficult for you to find out. There is nothing within the Windows system for you to easily determine what is using your disk space. [Wonder why that is?] Most people just go and buy bigger disks or even a whole new computer. A bit like throwing your car away when the ashtray is full or the petrol tank empties for the first time. I needed to find a way to visualise what was eating all that space.
The solution came in the form of SequoiaView. This is a great little program that scans your hard disk and draws a pretty diagram of all the files on the disk, representing them as pillow like squares on the screen. [See today's pic above right]. You can see instantly the relative sizes of every single file on your hard disk and spot immediately any large monster files that may have been lurking unnoticed and unused for years. The other powerful feature is the facility to colour code different file types so that you can see at a glance how much space is being taken up by different sorts of files. In my case the problem was images. Ever since I bought my digital camera I've gone snap happy. Why take one shot when you can take twenty and throw away the duff ones - only I never throw them away. The hoarding instinct is too strong. SequoiaView was produced in the Computer Science Department in the Technical University in Eindhoven - they've done a good job. It's a straightforward, highly functional program that needs very little space [under 2mb], is designed to be intuitive to use and allows you to see your digital world in a whole new way. Highly recommended. I've even found those screenshots of singing gerbils I thought I'd lost years back.
I'm being a banker and taking a day off tomorrow.
See you next Tuesday.
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 7:27 PM
Saturday, May 28, 2005
Bignjuicyville will never be the same, for today Mogadonmart has shut it's doors for the very last time.
The closure was announced a few weeks ago via a barely noticeable blue poster on the door alongside all the others.
"Buy two Cheese n Onion Carte D'Or bulk tubs and get one free!"
"Double Mogadon points for OAPs on Wednesday mornings!* [*conditions apply]"
"This store will close forever at 8pm on Saturday 28th May 2005 - thankyou for your loyalty"
"Join our Christmas Club!"
I've watched these last days as the store has been steadily emptied and become a shell of it's former self. An air of sad resignation descended across the staff.
The queues have grown ever longer as one by one the staff were laid off until only Big Becky remained. Big Becky's eyes point in two different directions which gives her the ability to smile at two people simultaneously. This made her popular with the smokers who queued at the bureau de fags where she could often be seen working. Her double barrelled smile seemed to calm their twitchy nicotine spasms while they waited for the punters in front to cough their guts up before paying.
The shelves gradually emptied of vital consumables. Not a Kettle Chip to be had. Not a Chateau de Moga 75cl Chardonnay in sight. No more cut price orange face towels [made in China]. My local supply of Tunnocks Tea Cakes has now dried up. [I bought the final legit pack last week. Now I may have to go to a dealer in the Tea Cake Den round the corner].
All that was left when I called in for the final time this afternoon was an assortment of Mogadon sliced white loaves reduced to 12p and a variety of bizarre garden items such as organic slug pellets [I'm sure the slugs will be relieved to know they've been poisoned organically]. Only two very tall staff remained, Bill and George both wearing their distinctive Mogadonmart blue check uniforms - a sort of tartan / gingham hybrid - 'tartam / ginghan'? - more like mingan. I was lucky enough to spot two enormous containers of skimmed milk left in the fridge reduced to 38p each. They're in the freezer now.
Now that the only local shop for local people has lost it's precious things for ever it feels like the heart has been torn from my corner of Bignjuicyville. I blame Dracula [check out the disembodied hand on his picture - creepy]. Things were fine until we lost our Labour MP. Still, at least I won't need to buy milk again until Halloween.
PS: You'll be relieved to know that checkouts 3,4,5 and 6 remained closed until the very end. The Mogadon singers were awarbling that old Stylistics number, 'You are everything' as I left:
"Then I took a drink and I didn't think what was in store for me".
Linkage
Has been bestowed by Mr Keen which also happens to be the name of one of my favourite teachers from school. Shurley this is a good omen? I'm grateful for the linkage to Mr K which I have duly reciprocicated in a wholly mutulastic symbiosis man. I've also removed two links which pointed at defunctive bloggage. It's sad when that happens. I need ever more linkage - how should I prostitute myself to achieve this?
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 11:32 PM
The closure was announced a few weeks ago via a barely noticeable blue poster on the door alongside all the others.
"Buy two Cheese n Onion Carte D'Or bulk tubs and get one free!"
"Double Mogadon points for OAPs on Wednesday mornings!* [*conditions apply]"
"This store will close forever at 8pm on Saturday 28th May 2005 - thankyou for your loyalty"
"Join our Christmas Club!"
I've watched these last days as the store has been steadily emptied and become a shell of it's former self. An air of sad resignation descended across the staff.
The queues have grown ever longer as one by one the staff were laid off until only Big Becky remained. Big Becky's eyes point in two different directions which gives her the ability to smile at two people simultaneously. This made her popular with the smokers who queued at the bureau de fags where she could often be seen working. Her double barrelled smile seemed to calm their twitchy nicotine spasms while they waited for the punters in front to cough their guts up before paying.
The shelves gradually emptied of vital consumables. Not a Kettle Chip to be had. Not a Chateau de Moga 75cl Chardonnay in sight. No more cut price orange face towels [made in China]. My local supply of Tunnocks Tea Cakes has now dried up. [I bought the final legit pack last week. Now I may have to go to a dealer in the Tea Cake Den round the corner].
All that was left when I called in for the final time this afternoon was an assortment of Mogadon sliced white loaves reduced to 12p and a variety of bizarre garden items such as organic slug pellets [I'm sure the slugs will be relieved to know they've been poisoned organically]. Only two very tall staff remained, Bill and George both wearing their distinctive Mogadonmart blue check uniforms - a sort of tartan / gingham hybrid - 'tartam / ginghan'? - more like mingan. I was lucky enough to spot two enormous containers of skimmed milk left in the fridge reduced to 38p each. They're in the freezer now.
Now that the only local shop for local people has lost it's precious things for ever it feels like the heart has been torn from my corner of Bignjuicyville. I blame Dracula [check out the disembodied hand on his picture - creepy]. Things were fine until we lost our Labour MP. Still, at least I won't need to buy milk again until Halloween.
PS: You'll be relieved to know that checkouts 3,4,5 and 6 remained closed until the very end. The Mogadon singers were awarbling that old Stylistics number, 'You are everything' as I left:
"Then I took a drink and I didn't think what was in store for me".
Linkage
Has been bestowed by Mr Keen which also happens to be the name of one of my favourite teachers from school. Shurley this is a good omen? I'm grateful for the linkage to Mr K which I have duly reciprocicated in a wholly mutulastic symbiosis man. I've also removed two links which pointed at defunctive bloggage. It's sad when that happens. I need ever more linkage - how should I prostitute myself to achieve this?
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 11:32 PM
Friday, May 27, 2005
In other news:
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Brian Ferry was once one of the coolest men in the world. How come he gave birth to a total twat?
I heard a rumour today that somebody won a football match last night. Anyone heard who?
Killer Hamsters
They look all cute spinning on their little wheels but there's a darker side to hamster love. Wear rubber gloves or you may die...
In car excretion - at last a solution
"Simply zip up the bubble for an instant, hygienic and private sanitary sanctuary."
Paula Radcliffe are you reading?
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 11:24 PM
7 of 9I heard a rumour today that somebody won a football match last night. Anyone heard who?
Killer Hamsters
They look all cute spinning on their little wheels but there's a darker side to hamster love. Wear rubber gloves or you may die...
In car excretion - at last a solution
"Simply zip up the bubble for an instant, hygienic and private sanitary sanctuary."
Paula Radcliffe are you reading?
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 11:24 PM
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
 Dad and Mum were standing guard. In perfect symmetry of course. They were all having a bit of a kip. Apart from one... | |
 There's always one isn't there? He was having a little wander around.. |  first to the left.. |
 bit of a sit down.. |  then to the right notice the 3 bottom left - cute |
 Mum moved in to keep an eye so he decided to do a bit of preening |  Here's a bystander who was looking all golden in the sunshine. |
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 4:31 PM
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Where has all the interest gone?
Long time clearing
Where has all the interest gone?
Long time to clear
Where has all the interest gone?
Gone to bankers every one
When will it ever clear?
When will it ever clear?
"A donkey could deliver cheques faster than banks can put money into customers' accounts."
So says Ed Mayo - a man after my own heart. Finally, finally the banks are going to be forced to come clean and speed up cheque clearance.
Presently it's estimated that they make £25 million a year from the scam whereby they take up to 5 days to move money between the payer and the payee. I reckon it's actually more than that figure. Whatever amount it is, it's a rip off. Remarkable how if you are overdrawn for one second they have the resources to instantaneously remove one of your gonads and sell it to a chicken mcnugget factory yet it takes them days to even realise you've paid in a cheque - let alone give you the money.
B******s.
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 11:21 PM
Monday, May 23, 2005
People have been moaning about the BBC strike. The strikers have been moaning about the BBC. The BBC is overmanned and wasteful. It operates in a way unlike most commercial organisations. That's why it's so good at what it does. They need all those extra staff to do pointless things like choose the right colour for Fiona Bruce's eyebrows, precision synchronise the football footage with Coldplay tracks, dream up those cheesy continuity announcements and massage Jonathan Ross's galactic scale ego. It's all important. No mind that the annual BBC budget exceeds that of many underdeveloped nations or would pay for quite a few lifesaving operations. We need media frivolity to distract us from the emptiness of our lives.
My PC has had so many enhancements and add ons it's starting to resemble Anne Robinson. Today I installed a USB 2 card - now I'm cooking with gas.
Birthdays are weird polarising moments that somehow bring to you the notion that you are very special and worthy of celebration and at the same time how utterly insignificant you are in the lives of almost everyone else on the planet.
Yesterday I saw Mr Dan Cruickshank [ actually it turns out he is a Professor ]. Wandering around Spitalfields looking very domestic and very bouffant.
Celebrity Shag Island is utter bilge. And I never knew that Jayne Middlemiss used to be a topless modelle. Why am I not surprised?
I'm pleased to note that my swanny neighbours have had seven babies. I took some photos today but they're a bit blurred owing to lots of preening action. Another attempt tomorrow.
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 9:50 PM
43 thingsMy PC has had so many enhancements and add ons it's starting to resemble Anne Robinson. Today I installed a USB 2 card - now I'm cooking with gas.
Birthdays are weird polarising moments that somehow bring to you the notion that you are very special and worthy of celebration and at the same time how utterly insignificant you are in the lives of almost everyone else on the planet.
Yesterday I saw Mr Dan Cruickshank [ actually it turns out he is a Professor ]. Wandering around Spitalfields looking very domestic and very bouffant.
Celebrity Shag Island is utter bilge. And I never knew that Jayne Middlemiss used to be a topless modelle. Why am I not surprised?
I'm pleased to note that my swanny neighbours have had seven babies. I took some photos today but they're a bit blurred owing to lots of preening action. Another attempt tomorrow.
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 9:50 PM
Sunday, May 22, 2005
1. You only live once. [ I think ]
2. Therefore better make the most of it - as circumstances permit.
3. 43 South are flower growers in Tasmania.
4. 43 percent of all mobile phone text messages in the United States are now spam.
5. The number of languages available on the BBC World Service web audio news service is 43.
6. The number of folders in a manilla tickler file.
7. Which inspired the name of a geeky website.
8. The number of Stabucks located within a five mile radius of this blogger is 43.
9. 43 of the world's best poems.
10. Britain's most northerly fighter squadron.
11. Section 43 of the Canadian Criminal code allows adults to bop naughty children.
12. A lovely four star B&B in Edinburgh - only £25 a night. 43 Esslemont Road.
13. National Route 43 connects Swansea with Builth Wells.
14. 43 South Molton - a new institution on the London social circuit.
15. I decided what I wanted to do for a career.
16. 43 stars on the US flag between 1890 and 1891.
17. Forty martyrs.
18. The age I was when I was able to realise an ambition and change my life.
19. Forty percent of IT workers have been sick at their Christmas party.
20. Fertility at forty.
21. Received several silver plastic keys.
22. Wonderful sticky notes from Forty Software
23. The enigma.
24. Forty boy scout knots.
25. Laments for Iraq.
26. Forty flowers.
27. The age I was when I first started to feel I was ageing.
28. The Association of Forty - the association for the recognition of the Arab Unrecognized Villages in Israel.
29. Be holy - pray for forty hours.
30. The Three Hares Project.
31. The international dialling code for The Netherlands.
32. Forty plus cycling club,
33. There are 43 police forces in the UK.
34. His thoughts on life after forty have convinced him to accept uncertainity and nobody believes he is more than forty years old. I do.
35. Brown, smelly and a serious health hazard.
36. Sergey Brin and Larry Page are 43rd richest men in the US.
37. Bloggers over forty webring. [gawd]
38. I crossed the planet for the millennium.
39. Steps - first published in 1915.
40. Really bad 1970s sitcom - Life begins at forty.
41. Forty off: Inviting & Disinviting Comments, Behaviours, Environments and Signs.
42. I changed my life again.
43. The number of years I have been alive. [gawd]
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 9:43 PM
Older2. Therefore better make the most of it - as circumstances permit.
3. 43 South are flower growers in Tasmania.
4. 43 percent of all mobile phone text messages in the United States are now spam.
5. The number of languages available on the BBC World Service web audio news service is 43.
6. The number of folders in a manilla tickler file.
7. Which inspired the name of a geeky website.
8. The number of Stabucks located within a five mile radius of this blogger is 43.
9. 43 of the world's best poems.
10. Britain's most northerly fighter squadron.
11. Section 43 of the Canadian Criminal code allows adults to bop naughty children.
12. A lovely four star B&B in Edinburgh - only £25 a night. 43 Esslemont Road.
13. National Route 43 connects Swansea with Builth Wells.
14. 43 South Molton - a new institution on the London social circuit.
15. I decided what I wanted to do for a career.
16. 43 stars on the US flag between 1890 and 1891.
17. Forty martyrs.
18. The age I was when I was able to realise an ambition and change my life.
19. Forty percent of IT workers have been sick at their Christmas party.
20. Fertility at forty.
21. Received several silver plastic keys.
22. Wonderful sticky notes from Forty Software
23. The enigma.
24. Forty boy scout knots.
25. Laments for Iraq.
26. Forty flowers.
27. The age I was when I first started to feel I was ageing.
28. The Association of Forty - the association for the recognition of the Arab Unrecognized Villages in Israel.
29. Be holy - pray for forty hours.
30. The Three Hares Project.
31. The international dialling code for The Netherlands.
32. Forty plus cycling club,
33. There are 43 police forces in the UK.
34. His thoughts on life after forty have convinced him to accept uncertainity and nobody believes he is more than forty years old. I do.
35. Brown, smelly and a serious health hazard.
36. Sergey Brin and Larry Page are 43rd richest men in the US.
37. Bloggers over forty webring. [gawd]
38. I crossed the planet for the millennium.
39. Steps - first published in 1915.
40. Really bad 1970s sitcom - Life begins at forty.
41. Forty off: Inviting & Disinviting Comments, Behaviours, Environments and Signs.
42. I changed my life again.
43. The number of years I have been alive. [gawd]
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 9:43 PM
Saturday, May 21, 2005
Did I menshun it wush my birthday tomorrow?
Not that it's important or anything or I expect anyone to remember or buy me presents or snog me or owt. Not that I'm at all seeking attention by publishing my innermost thoughts on the interweb.
Hic.
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 11:20 PM
Friday, May 20, 2005
Guess who.
Rather glad
That it's my birthday on Sunday. Cakes and gushing comments gratefully received. [There will be reminders].
Rather mad
Mr Verdonck the Belgian artist, another Birdman. This one is going to live in a nest halfway up the Rotunda in Brum [see Wednesday's post] for 7 days. Thankfully, 'he won’t actually be crapping on car windscreens from up there'.
Rather sad
Gingerism hits eurovision as Ireland are knocked out - Ireland being natural eurovisionaries by birth.
Rather interesting
Weapons of mass destruction are all around.
Rather lovely
The cygnets I saw peeping out from a nearby swan earlier.
Rather silly
"Best when peeled" - printed on my bananas bought today.
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 10:37 PM
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Keeps getting better and better.
The Ikon has a great show, 3 rooms with ceilings of coloured clothes line stretched across just above head height. Cool. Plus there were monitors all over the building playing looping footage of cute cats licking bowls of milk! Plus I love the Ikon building itself - Victorian terracotta gothic meets hi-tech steel and glass.
On the skyline I spy a large sexy looking tower being constructed. I must investigate. Close up it is even sexier. A sheer smooth curving glass wall with rounded corners. The glass is printed with patterns giving it an animalesque quality. I notice that it will be apartments and a hotel - the apartments are £500k+. I like the fact that across the road are two council tower blocks. Nobody is ever allowed to get too far above their station in Brum. The building reminds me a lot of Urbis and, sure enough, it turns out to be the same designers. This tower is going to be landmark. Not as good as Urbis architecturally tho.
The city is full of confidence - there's a new Tesco Metro in New Street and an Adidas superstore - never seen one of them before. The Bull Ring still looking good - tho I don't like the glass ballustrades around the 3 level atrium - I fear of falling. Excitingly, the Rotunda is being turned into flats by our old friends Urban Splash. Imagine, living in the Rotunda - I want one.
More Brummy buildings here.
Escape from Bignjuicyville
It's the perfect day to make a new years resolution allegedly.
Me? I'm off to Birmingham to escape the prison of my mind.
Behave yourselves.
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 12:00 PM
ToxicThe Ikon has a great show, 3 rooms with ceilings of coloured clothes line stretched across just above head height. Cool. Plus there were monitors all over the building playing looping footage of cute cats licking bowls of milk! Plus I love the Ikon building itself - Victorian terracotta gothic meets hi-tech steel and glass.
On the skyline I spy a large sexy looking tower being constructed. I must investigate. Close up it is even sexier. A sheer smooth curving glass wall with rounded corners. The glass is printed with patterns giving it an animalesque quality. I notice that it will be apartments and a hotel - the apartments are £500k+. I like the fact that across the road are two council tower blocks. Nobody is ever allowed to get too far above their station in Brum. The building reminds me a lot of Urbis and, sure enough, it turns out to be the same designers. This tower is going to be landmark. Not as good as Urbis architecturally tho.
The city is full of confidence - there's a new Tesco Metro in New Street and an Adidas superstore - never seen one of them before. The Bull Ring still looking good - tho I don't like the glass ballustrades around the 3 level atrium - I fear of falling. Excitingly, the Rotunda is being turned into flats by our old friends Urban Splash. Imagine, living in the Rotunda - I want one.
More Brummy buildings here.
Escape from Bignjuicyville
It's the perfect day to make a new years resolution allegedly.
Me? I'm off to Birmingham to escape the prison of my mind.
Behave yourselves.
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 12:00 PM
Monday, May 16, 2005
David Baddiel and Anthony Worrall Thompson contaminated with toxic chemicals.
Stop clapping at the back there - this is serious.
Several of our beloved celebrities have been found to have imbibed dangerous amounts of injurious agents into their precious bodily precincts. It's part of a new Chemicals and Health campaign from the WWF.
Worthy of a special issue Guardian, "We're all going to die" supplement n reader tablemat offer - the news is not good. Most disturbing is the revelation that Pouting Property Goddess, Sarah Beeney is contaminated with 30 chemicals in worryingly high concentrations. Regular viewers may have puzzled over Sarah's ever changing hair colours and fluctuating breastage. Well now it's all clear - she's been having it large with the vinyl matt a bit too much. It would be cheap of me to comment about my surprise over celebrities having sniffed dodgy substances or being full of toxic crap wouldn't it?
Stay in your homes, don't panic.
If 20 tonnes of highly radioactive liquefied uranium and plutonium fuel had leaked out of a reprocessing system you'd think there might be a bit of a fuss wouldn't you?
Screaming news broadcasts with hourly updates on BBC news 24? Hysterical headlines in the Daily Mail [what's new?] Maybe a few questions to the PM? A bit of unfavourable international attention? Nah. None of the above.
Never mind that a huge campaign to prevent the opening of the THORP plant in 1994 was ignored - eventually going to the High Court. I remember the reassurances given at the time, 'It's safe - we know what we're doing', was the general tone. Now its all gone rather pear shaped [or should that be mushroom shaped?].
And it's all been terribly underplayed all round.
Cover up? News blackout? Shurely not?
Update
Thanks to Alda, who left a comment on the Sellafield post above.
She has a fascinating three part account of recently touring the plant. Interesting to read how much trouble, and expense, is dedicated to creating a favourable impression with high profile visitors.
Most chilling phrase: "The smell of radiation".
Go read it.
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 11:50 AM
StuffStop clapping at the back there - this is serious.
Several of our beloved celebrities have been found to have imbibed dangerous amounts of injurious agents into their precious bodily precincts. It's part of a new Chemicals and Health campaign from the WWF.
Worthy of a special issue Guardian, "We're all going to die" supplement n reader tablemat offer - the news is not good. Most disturbing is the revelation that Pouting Property Goddess, Sarah Beeney is contaminated with 30 chemicals in worryingly high concentrations. Regular viewers may have puzzled over Sarah's ever changing hair colours and fluctuating breastage. Well now it's all clear - she's been having it large with the vinyl matt a bit too much. It would be cheap of me to comment about my surprise over celebrities having sniffed dodgy substances or being full of toxic crap wouldn't it?
Stay in your homes, don't panic.
If 20 tonnes of highly radioactive liquefied uranium and plutonium fuel had leaked out of a reprocessing system you'd think there might be a bit of a fuss wouldn't you?
Screaming news broadcasts with hourly updates on BBC news 24? Hysterical headlines in the Daily Mail [what's new?] Maybe a few questions to the PM? A bit of unfavourable international attention? Nah. None of the above.
Never mind that a huge campaign to prevent the opening of the THORP plant in 1994 was ignored - eventually going to the High Court. I remember the reassurances given at the time, 'It's safe - we know what we're doing', was the general tone. Now its all gone rather pear shaped [or should that be mushroom shaped?].
And it's all been terribly underplayed all round.
Cover up? News blackout? Shurely not?
Update
Thanks to Alda, who left a comment on the Sellafield post above.
She has a fascinating three part account of recently touring the plant. Interesting to read how much trouble, and expense, is dedicated to creating a favourable impression with high profile visitors.
Most chilling phrase: "The smell of radiation".
Go read it.
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 11:50 AM
Saturday, May 14, 2005
I've decided that I'm a pathologic hoarder. Last year I spent about a week de crapping cluttering my house. Tons of stuff was extracted, sorted, recycled / shredded / fed to next doors cat / sold to passing children.
I felt purged, cleansed and at-one with the neighbourhood watch coordinator. Less than a year later, although I've not gone forth during the intervening period for Crap Replacement Therapy (CRT), I still seem to have about 20 tons of stuff I'll probably never use again. Yet I cannot bring myself to dispose of it. I'm reminded of a line from a play wot I once appeared in where a dung beetle proclaims it's joy in possession, "My pile, my treasure!" Why am I keeping that tourist map of Milan from the 1980's? Why does that broken CDROM drive remain in a prime spot on my bookshelf? Why can I not bring myself to dispose of three low energy lightbulbs that flicker on and off epileptically when plugged into the mains? Three of many items that are overdue for retirement. This week I have been quite good. I've been clearing space rather efficiently. I now have a more controlled environment in which to work. A lot of stuff has been removed. I've invited several cats round to swing. The only problem is that the loft now looks like the inside of Aunty Wainwright's - [no relation to Rupert] - drawers.
Recommended - especially episode 5 when Stevie gets a look in.
Horror of war
"How can you decide to have a war if you are not fully informed? You need to know what the end result will be, what the middle result will be."
Photographer, Ken Jarecke on the shocking image of a burned Iraqi soldier he took in the 1991 gulf war. Link
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 11:59 PM
In da hoodI felt purged, cleansed and at-one with the neighbourhood watch coordinator. Less than a year later, although I've not gone forth during the intervening period for Crap Replacement Therapy (CRT), I still seem to have about 20 tons of stuff I'll probably never use again. Yet I cannot bring myself to dispose of it. I'm reminded of a line from a play wot I once appeared in where a dung beetle proclaims it's joy in possession, "My pile, my treasure!" Why am I keeping that tourist map of Milan from the 1980's? Why does that broken CDROM drive remain in a prime spot on my bookshelf? Why can I not bring myself to dispose of three low energy lightbulbs that flicker on and off epileptically when plugged into the mains? Three of many items that are overdue for retirement. This week I have been quite good. I've been clearing space rather efficiently. I now have a more controlled environment in which to work. A lot of stuff has been removed. I've invited several cats round to swing. The only problem is that the loft now looks like the inside of Aunty Wainwright's - [no relation to Rupert] - drawers.
Recommended - especially episode 5 when Stevie gets a look in.
Horror of war
"How can you decide to have a war if you are not fully informed? You need to know what the end result will be, what the middle result will be."
Photographer, Ken Jarecke on the shocking image of a burned Iraqi soldier he took in the 1991 gulf war. Link
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 11:59 PM
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Bloody weirdos. With their hoods covering their faces. Never done a decent day's work in their lives. Hanging around doing bugger all. Half of them act like they're on drugs. As for the language, you can't understand half of it - talking like they're foreign. Some of them barely look out of nappies. How their parents must feel with what they get up to? And the jewellery. Big gold chains and crosses round their necks. Shaved heads - frightening. Where do they get the money from? People cross the road when they see em coming. And the girls - where are they? Very suspicious if you ask me - all them blokes hanging around together all the time - it's not normal. They don't fit in, that's for sure. Up at all hours of the day and night. All that weird music and god knows what they get up to.
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 11:59 PM
The nuclear optionfreshly squeezed for you by drD at 11:59 PM
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Q: When is nuclear power good for the environment?
A: When it helps to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
This is the argument beginning to emerge as UK energy policy is reviewed. Expect increasingly to hear the view that we should begin building a new batch of nuclear stations in preference to the oil and gas fired equivalents. Mr Alan Johnson has been appointed as the new Minister for Productivity, Energy and Industry. [ Sounds very bee like ] The change in title from 'Minister of Trade and Industry' has to be significant - energy is going to figure strongly in politics and soon. Greenpeace are opposed to the nuclear option whilst James Lovelock, he of the Gaia Principle is, surprisingly in favour. Lovelock argues that 'eco friendly' power sources cannot address the emissions problem in either scale or timing.
The choices thus appear to be:
1. Build more conventional power stations - and increase CO2 emissions and thus accelerate climate change.
or
2. Build more nuclear stations - stabilise / reduce emissions and arrest climate change [unless it's already too late]. Create increasing quanitities of highly toxic waste that nobody quite knows what to do with.
or
3. Massively reduce the need for electricity - seemingly unlikely, especially as developing nations industrialise.
I can see this one increasing the popularity of TB eh?
Better go and switch some lights out...
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 9:11 AM
Woof woofA: When it helps to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
This is the argument beginning to emerge as UK energy policy is reviewed. Expect increasingly to hear the view that we should begin building a new batch of nuclear stations in preference to the oil and gas fired equivalents. Mr Alan Johnson has been appointed as the new Minister for Productivity, Energy and Industry. [ Sounds very bee like ] The change in title from 'Minister of Trade and Industry' has to be significant - energy is going to figure strongly in politics and soon. Greenpeace are opposed to the nuclear option whilst James Lovelock, he of the Gaia Principle is, surprisingly in favour. Lovelock argues that 'eco friendly' power sources cannot address the emissions problem in either scale or timing.
The choices thus appear to be:
1. Build more conventional power stations - and increase CO2 emissions and thus accelerate climate change.
or
2. Build more nuclear stations - stabilise / reduce emissions and arrest climate change [unless it's already too late]. Create increasing quanitities of highly toxic waste that nobody quite knows what to do with.
or
3. Massively reduce the need for electricity - seemingly unlikely, especially as developing nations industrialise.
I can see this one increasing the popularity of TB eh?
Better go and switch some lights out...
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 9:11 AM
Monday, May 09, 2005
OK OK, I've slapped myself around a bit with a large haddock and made a comeback. We all need a break now n agin don't we? Take it as it comes etc etc. I'm grateful for all those fine messages of support - important to know there are hooman beens out there reading my ramblings - so taverymuch for taking a moment to say what you said. Feedback is v.important to me right now. Call it a crisis of confidence - I'm feeling in need of making some changes. My recovery from employed status continues apace. It's a bit like dry rot; just as you get one bit under control there's an outbreak somewhere else. Anyway we'll see how it goes eh?
Neatly, my absence spanned the election. All those missed opportunities...frankly I don't mind. Post election, Bignjuicyville has been assimilated into the evil empire and is now represented by a non-stereoptypical [ yeah right ], overweight, middle aged freemason with a bad hairstyle and golf club membership. And all for the want of about 50 votes - bugger and thrice bugger. Could be worse (see above) but also could be much better. I'm staggered by the rampant national animosity to our Tone. Thinking back to 1997 and the years that preceded it my view is that the country is immeasurably better governed now. It aint perfect, there are things that have happened that shouldn't have happened and there are things that should have happened that haven't [ integrated transport system anyone?] - how is that different from any period in history? The thing is, thinking back to 1997 Tone promised us it would be different and now people reckon he conned them. The love affair is gone sour. It reminds me a lot of when relationships break down irretrievably. No matter what is said or done to try and repair things, it only makes it worse - there's no way back. I think we've entered downhill mode now. We Brits love to topple the mighty when they get too big for their boots. The better metaphor is one of swollen head which is far more conducive to toppling. The thing about Tone is that he cares. He likes to let people in, he likes to give the appearance that he listens and is in touch. This is a problem for him because, almost above everything else, he wants to be liked - approval is key. In this he's different from his rival in the record books. She didn't care, shut people out and liked to give the appearance she wasn't even aware of others. 'There is no such thing as society'. And yet she got away with it for eleven years, war n all - how things have changed. I think Bush would have invaded Iraq with or without the UK - Tone was opportunistic, seduced by the prospect of US indebtedness and delusional over dodgy intelligence - [now there's a misomer ]. He's done well in the US - they love him over there. Now he's paying the price - which is far less than those who've died. I'm not sure what I'd have done in his situation - probably not have stuck around for more of the same.
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 7:09 PM
Decisions decisionsNeatly, my absence spanned the election. All those missed opportunities...frankly I don't mind. Post election, Bignjuicyville has been assimilated into the evil empire and is now represented by a non-stereoptypical [ yeah right ], overweight, middle aged freemason with a bad hairstyle and golf club membership. And all for the want of about 50 votes - bugger and thrice bugger. Could be worse (see above) but also could be much better. I'm staggered by the rampant national animosity to our Tone. Thinking back to 1997 and the years that preceded it my view is that the country is immeasurably better governed now. It aint perfect, there are things that have happened that shouldn't have happened and there are things that should have happened that haven't [ integrated transport system anyone?] - how is that different from any period in history? The thing is, thinking back to 1997 Tone promised us it would be different and now people reckon he conned them. The love affair is gone sour. It reminds me a lot of when relationships break down irretrievably. No matter what is said or done to try and repair things, it only makes it worse - there's no way back. I think we've entered downhill mode now. We Brits love to topple the mighty when they get too big for their boots. The better metaphor is one of swollen head which is far more conducive to toppling. The thing about Tone is that he cares. He likes to let people in, he likes to give the appearance that he listens and is in touch. This is a problem for him because, almost above everything else, he wants to be liked - approval is key. In this he's different from his rival in the record books. She didn't care, shut people out and liked to give the appearance she wasn't even aware of others. 'There is no such thing as society'. And yet she got away with it for eleven years, war n all - how things have changed. I think Bush would have invaded Iraq with or without the UK - Tone was opportunistic, seduced by the prospect of US indebtedness and delusional over dodgy intelligence - [now there's a misomer ]. He's done well in the US - they love him over there. Now he's paying the price - which is far less than those who've died. I'm not sure what I'd have done in his situation - probably not have stuck around for more of the same.
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 7:09 PM
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Expense accounts
Monday, May 02, 2005
Interesting to see that UK bank, abbey is now to be known as 'Abbey'. The bank's Spanish owners have decided that the current corporate image is not quite what they want. abbey/Abbey was acquired in November 2004 by Banco Santander. abbey had been conducting a rebranding exercise since September 2003 when, as well as changing it's corporate image, it changed it's name from 'Abbey National' to 'abbey'. Implementation of the new logo is estimated to have cost £11 million. A programme of branch refits was also underway and remains incomplete with the announcement that abbey - now Abbey - is to be rebranded again and branches refitted again. The new identity gets it's first airing tonight with a commercial on ITV3 during 'Hells Kitchen'. [ not the best of Omens ]. The new logo uses a stylised flame and fits with the group identity for Banco Santander. This will be the third logo and company name that abbey/Abbey customers have seen in as many years. Confused, they may be - not only about the constant changes but also about the fact that their bank can waste so much money in this way. Money of course, that has been generously donated by it's customers. If I was one of them I might consider finding an alternative bank with a crap logo and no branches. That's why I'm with The Bank of Toytown.
Abbey National used to have a perfectly good logo with a square umbrella and a heterosexual couple walking purposefully beneath it. Red n green should never be seen - unless you are a Christmas Elf or a 70's style building society - so they rebranded and went all funky n soft focus.
This, in my view, had the effect of making them disappear from the high street - like they were embarrassed to be a bank. Thinking about it, if they spent 11 million quid on a logo then they have reason to be ashamed. Now they've gone all standardised.
It's bright red, badly designed - like Jose at HQ was let loose with Photoshop while the rest of the office was taking a Siesta. It reminds me of what HSBC did to Midland Bank a few years ago when first they obliterated the classic Midland Bank griffin logo
and then shortly after obliterated the name 'Midland Bank'. Now it's 'HSBC'.
Sounds like an antiseptic and thats how their branches look - at least the ones that weren'tclosed down rationalised. Watch out Abbey National/abbey/Abbey/Banco Santander employees - you may not have long. If past perfomance is anything to go by it may be the best measure of future job prospects. Better get a new habit - the Abbey one may injure your bank balance.
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 9:31 PM
MaydayAbbey National used to have a perfectly good logo with a square umbrella and a heterosexual couple walking purposefully beneath it. Red n green should never be seen - unless you are a Christmas Elf or a 70's style building society - so they rebranded and went all funky n soft focus.
This, in my view, had the effect of making them disappear from the high street - like they were embarrassed to be a bank. Thinking about it, if they spent 11 million quid on a logo then they have reason to be ashamed. Now they've gone all standardised.
It's bright red, badly designed - like Jose at HQ was let loose with Photoshop while the rest of the office was taking a Siesta. It reminds me of what HSBC did to Midland Bank a few years ago when first they obliterated the classic Midland Bank griffin logo
and then shortly after obliterated the name 'Midland Bank'. Now it's 'HSBC'.
Sounds like an antiseptic and thats how their branches look - at least the ones that weren't
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 9:31 PM
Sunday, May 01, 2005