jon – Page 62 – Hello Curns

Not Hilarious or Surprising

Strange, zany, generally amusing and very likeable without actually being all that hilarious or surprising, Men In Black II relies heavily on familiarity with and affection for the original. Fans of that film, who are simply content with more of the same, shouldn’t be dismayed or too seriously disappointed by a pleasantly insane bit of nonsense. [Empire Online]

This review tells almost all about my night last night. I went to UCI Sutton to see Men in Black II. I had enjoyed the first in a wash-over-me kind of way. Interest wanes at twenty minutes.

A colleague of mine left work yesterday to go travelling and I was sad to see him go. He’s joining an ever growing list of people I know who are purchasing a back-pack and buying a ticket for six months. Three of my friends/acquaintances are in Australia travelling. One of my clients is off travelling. What am I doing wrong? Is it a coincidence that they all work in new media environments? And this morning I find that over at Jase’s homepage he links to this great travelling blog. The world is trying to tell me something!

Not About Me

I don’t talk about my blog. It’s a private thing I do, but I am not sure why (I would suggest points 2 and 3 here as a starting point to try and answer that question).

Yesterday I went for a very nice meal at Orso when the conversation turned to weblogs. I was somewhat shocked that my dining companions could not grasp the “why” of the blog concept. Why read them? Why write them? But I still didn’t speak aboutListen To Musak. It’s very odd, but I do not feel compelled to actually talk about this. Then I realised I do not talk aboutmyselfto anybody very much. I discuss events that involved me. I talk about other people and tell people about my work. I express options with the best of them. But I don’t really discuss myself too often – at least by this I mean, I guess, emotions and my private life. It’s odd because I think people who know me would say I do talk a great deal, but I know I hold things back. Why is that? So why to I carry on writing this? I have said before that it started out as a challenge to myself. Can I blog for a whole month with no interruptions? I did that. And still I find myself here!

Fast Food Fact Frenzy (1)

I don’t want to play food facts today …

The typical American now consumes approximately three hamburgers and four orders of french fries every week.
McDonald’s operates more playgrounds than any other private entity in the United States

Should we be worried? [Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser] And that’s only from the introduction!

The **** Of All Snacks

Remember the slag of all snacks?

I do like the sensitive side of this country! Today’s Media Guardian website reports that “Pot Noodle’s controversial adverts using the line The slag of all snacks have been banned from appearing on TV after more than 300 viewers complained”.

300 people actually bothered to complain about a television advertisement. I would really love to know why they felt this was inappropriate. I thought they were some of the funniest commercials that I have seen in a long time, and the word was used in a humorous, self-deprecating way. How can calling a plastic pot of fast food be that offensive? Such a shame they were pulled. However, I don’t really see the point, as most people have seen them anyway.

Anyway, here is a gratuitous link to the most offensive words in the English language! Wonder if any of the complainers have a website where they outline their complaints. I’d love to know. [Ref: Media Guardian]

BBQ Frenzy

Well, I’ll eat my words (as well as much of the food). It was marvellous, although I doubt I will convert.

I went to a barbecue today, which is no amazing thing (although spelling barbecue is, for some reason, one of those words that I should not even attempt to spell). Our hosts had a gas barbecue (something I have always been very sceptical of – it’s not real barbecue cooking, is it?). Well, I’ll eat my words (as well as much of the food). It was marvellous, although I doubt I will convert. There is something strangely masculine about fighting with coals rather than turning the gas on.

I suspect my life is turning into a bad episode of an Australian soap opera, for I am constantly saying we should have a barbecue. I am becoming obsessed. Yesterday it was kebabs on the barbie. Today, burgers. Or is it just a sign of summer? G’day.

In Short, Things Are Grim

Sometimes, I find the web addictive. I should be doing something else. I want to talk about this, but I’ll let Metafilter do the job. Saves me typing on a Saturday (for those who don’t want to click:

The World Summit on Sustainable Development, aka “Earth Summit II,” will start soon in Johannesburg, ten years after the Rio Earth Summit. Have things improved at all in the last ten years?[Metafilter].

The Art of the Blog

I have been thinking some more about this whole blogging lark. I have always said that the most fascinating part of the online community has been personal homepages. They have drawn me in like some crazed stalker. However, you put it there for me to read, so perhaps stalker is not the appropriate term (I mean, how many people invite stalkers?). Still, I read them. So, I was interested in the book We’ve Got Blog. Now, here is a handy link to some of the book’s contents.

Elsewhere: When Love Comes To Town

My latest book review!!

When Love Comes To Town, Tom Lennon

There are many fictional coming-out tales to choose from, so why this read Lennons?

Firstly, there aren’t that many set in contemporary Dublin. Secondly, there aren’t many told with the humour and compassion ofWhen Love Comes To Town. Finally, there are not that many that are such a good read.

Let me also be honest. There are few new takes on the coming-out dilemma, so don’t expect total originality.

Neil Byrne is a top-class student who has realised he isn’t like all his coupled-up (straight) friends. The story takes us through Neil’s tentative steps into Dublin’s gay nightlife and his introduction to the characters of The Scene. Neil’s first love and family’s reaction are all covered, and his confusion, pain, hopes & desires are well described.

The family’s response is not a model reaction, so don’t read this book if you are looking for a reassuring, positive take on the acceptance of loved ones to the news that one of their own is gay.

The book’s climax is certainly one of the more surprising aspects of the tale. In a dark moment, Neil realises what he needs to do to survive the next few years of his life in an intolerant community. This ending results in a fine piece of writing that conveys the emotion of the final scene remarkably well and, I suspect, brings a lump to the throat of many readers.

Given a less positive ending than many similar books, I found this to be a refreshingly honest story. It is certainly a welcome addition to the genre.

Click here to but it at Amazon | Click here to see this review at Amazon

Don’t Call Me Stupid

The nation is not becoming less intelligent, contrary to popular belief. Euan Ferguson argues that intelligence is on the rise.

If you believe the old-timers, then the nation is becoming stupid. Perhaps not actually the nation, but then a good proportion of the people are less intelligent than their counterparts in previous generations. Every media outlet is dumbing down because we are all too thick to understand long words. Well, thank goodness for yesterday’s Observer (second reference to it in a row).

Euan Ferguson argues that this is not the case. We are intelligent again!

State Of The Town

Jonathan Fenby’s Observer article critiques London’s state, highlighting the need for a new vision.

Jonathan Fenby wrote an excellent piece in today’s Observer (which thankfully I have found online and can link to) about the state of the British capital. I admit that I hoped Ken would help sort some of the mess this city is in. An integrated public transport system, clean and safer streets, etc. I bought into the whole idea of a new vision for London. But, as Fenby writes, “The snag is the man who should be providing it shows himself better at getting elected mayor than giving his city a new start.” Perhaps it is too much to hope that one man could change the attitudes of the society in this city. Many people just accept the way it is, and perhaps, if most people are OK with the state of London, then this is the way it should be.

I know that I am talking very generally. What should I add to The Observer piece? London transport is overcrowded, dirty and smelly. When it runs, it’s acceptable, but when it doesn’t run, then the whole system falls apart. Last week’s rain brought large chunks of the system to a halt. Rain, for goodness sake, it’s the one thing we know we are going to get here. Yesterday, I was standing on the Northern Line, and there “there is no service” announcements must have gone on for ten minutes.

Ah, and I survived the party quite well – although I did feel a little rough this morning. It didn’t finish until gone two in the morning and ended with us watching old episodes of The Tube. Perhaps I should have left earlier.

Survival

Well, now I know that a champagne hangover isn’t very bad. Or perhaps I took my own advice, for I am feeling OK this morning. The night was good – lots of champagne (bought in advance during the Happy Hour), and only the two bottles of wine at the end were a bad sign (and there were a large number of us). Met a crazy woman with purple nails who kept telling me and PY that we were wonderful (she was, quite possibly, drunk) and handed my business card to her (possibly not the wisest move in the world, as she may be some kind of crazed stalker that tracks people down). Still, another all-day party begins in Walthamstow at three this afternoon. Am I ready for more punishment?

The Night Ahead

I am off to a leaving party tonight in some swanky bar. I know I’ll drink too much and spoil the entire weekend for myself now. Unfortunately, I also know there is nothing I am going to do about it, so I will have to live with that. I think it’s an age thing. They always said you would increasingly become aware of your own limits as you get older, and I know mine. I also know that I am worse-than-awful at stopping when I have hit my limits – whether that’s drinking, staying awake, etc. A weekend in a haze is predicted. On the upside, today has been a lovely, normal working day without too much stress and, for once, it looks like I am about to leave on time. Maybe that’s a good sign.

Water, Water Everywhere

The pictures of cars almost submerged are strangely reminiscent of my home town of Shrewsbury

Last night was an underwater adventure for many Londoners. Apparently, 3cm of rain fell in 30 minutes – which is a reasonable amount of water. The strain on the drainage system was too great, and we had cars underwater, closed tube stations and some very, very wet people walking around. Many people have a perception that London is grey and always raining, but it doesn’t handle rain well at all. I guess it’s all the Victorian sewers (or whatever they are).

The pictures of cars almost submerged are strangely reminiscent of my hometown of Shrewsbury– which is prone to flooding. The town is mainly contained within a loop of the River Severn and, as such, seems to get drowned from all sides in the winter storms and spring thaws.

I guess Shrewsbury is my home town. I was not born there, did not live there for the first fourteen years of my life, and have not lived there for ten years. My parents still live there, and I go to see them occasionally, and I think of it as my home town, but really, it’s just another place I have lived. Of course, I do have very fond memories of the place, which, I assume, helps.

Elsewhere: Where Are You Now, Miss Boo?

My review of the story of Boo – an interesting tale of a business with no financial controls.

I submitted another review to Amazon.co.uk today, and I was quite pleased with it. Having just finishedBoo Hoo(the story of online “active streetwear” retailer boo.com), I thought I would add another review to my small list. I was particularly fond of the last line:“Live hard, die young and leave a beautiful corpse” could almost have been written of Miss Boo.

I wait to see if it published as I wrote it.

My full review submitted to Amazon.co.uk earlier today:

What a fascinating book. Take two Swedes, a desire to be “cool”, and throw $135 million at them! Ernst Malmsten’s story of boo.com is a warning to all new enterprises everywhere: get some strong financial controls and make sure you stay in charge of your costs. Most of all, it tells us that there is no substitute for some experience when running a shop.
I was sceptical that Ernst et al. would hide behind others and not shoulder the blame. However, what comes through clearly is the founder’s vision, belief and desire to build a world-class product, as well as the management’s failings when developing that business. It is possible to read much by what is not said, as well as what story is directly told, and in that, an incredible tale unfolds before you.
The book is well written and highly addictive. As the inevitable end approaches, it becomes one of those books you pick up all the time, even just to read the next two paragraphs. As a story, it is thoroughly thought out, well-paced, and fascinating. As an insight into online business history, it may be one-sided and sometimes lacking, but it remains compulsive reading and a captivating look at a never-to-be-repeated economic boom (and bust) time.
Boo.com became synonymous with the “live the high life, party hard” culture that many cash-fuelled Internet start-ups went through (and spent). “Live hard, die young and leave a beautiful corpse” could almost have been written for Miss Boo.

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Originally posted at musak.org | Wayback – original | Wayback

Author: jon