Lonely Outcast

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This is kind of depessing. Digital Trickery is running a poll to discover what proportion of UK bloggers are in a relationship or otherwise. Results as they stand suggest that the bulk of us are lonely, disfunctional, social outcasts. And I’m happy to count myself amongst their number.

ICQ Craziness

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A genuine conversation on ICQ today (name changed to protect this innocent). Bear in mind that this is someone I don’t actually know.

xxxxx: is london w1 a cool place to live?
blogjam: It’s mainly Soho, so yes.
xxxxx: ahahha bitches…
xxxxx: s it old london? industrial kinda thing or somthing traditional???
blogjam: It’s in the centre of London, quite sleazy, very expensive. You’d like it.
xxxxx: ahahahhahah i prefer no pay sex eheh and what about a 40k/year rate??? is that good?
blogjam: Yeah, 40K is very good.
xxxxx: ow much a packet of cigarettes
blogjam: ?4.20
xxxxx: fuck it! i would stop smoking!
xxxxx: owever tell me a band you like… possibly somthing new.
sarcastic blogjam: There is no good new music.
xxxxx: then tell me an old band! every genre, even dj’s… everything! i’m open minded regarding music… i could listen to korn, roni size, portishead, van halen… i love folk music as well..
blogjam: Try “La Musica Della Mafia” (compilation album on PIAS). Or anything by Huun Huur Tu (Tuvan throat singing)
xxxxx: ahahha whassup? are u drunk???
blogjam: Nope, just working.
xxxxx: yes, with a dozen beers in front of you!
blogjam: I wish….
xxxxx: eheheh i have just cakes beside me…
blogjam: Very healthy
xxxxx: hahah i dont think so… they’re supposed to be good for children… and 4 chemical hunger… ahahha
blogjam: Right. I’ve got to go now. Enjoy your evening.
xxxxx: ehehhe it’s late at night …yes yes, you think you can fool me around… maybe you cant realize whom you’re dealing with…they call me “th3 foX” ahahah byebyebye.

Now who says that the Internet has killed the art of conversation?

Frederic Madre

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Frederic Madre was born on a Monday and instantly knew that he was French…

Sometimes I feel like a child baffled by his surroundings. I built this site to get more of an understanding of HTML, and keep it updated for no other reason than I’d like to be able to write well (believe me, I don’t harbour any illusions about my literary ‘talent’). So, I have a few spare moments, and I surf. And keep coming across sites and writing that make me wonder why I bother at all. The event that prompted this line of thinking was meeting a man called Frederic Madre last weekend. A couple of days later I delved into Google to see what might turn up, and was launched without warning into Frederic’s World, a startling and wondrous place indeed. This is a man who seems to have more amusing ideas and come up with more lateral humour than is natural for any human being. He even has great taste in music. Read some Frederic, and then find out a little more.

Another man I’ve been lucky enough to meet is David Hudson, who writes (it seems to me) without any effort it all. The words tumble onto the page in such a beautiful way that I wonder if I’ll ever come close to achieving a similar level of excellence. Apart from writing the the best piece on last year’s US election that I’ve read, David also authored the most irreverent yet astute history of the Internet to hit the shelves. These days you can keep up with Mr Hudson’s prose most often at The Industry Standard’s European Media Grok section.

My favourite of all is probably Greg Knauss, who is behind one of the few online columns that I absolutely have to devour every day. I usually check out An Entirely Other Day first thing in the morning, and inevitably return later in the day just to remind myself how good it was first time round. Knaus also writes for Suck, Teevee and Fray, but can be found elsewhere if you look hard enough. Here’s some background.

I really can’t compete – all of this makes me feel like an absolute amateur – but I’ll keep trying.

Blogger Struggling

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not working

Blogger is obviously struggling under the weight of it’s own success, as Ev eloquently and honestly explains. It’s a shame – I really want to stick with the service, as when it’s up and running the system is a joy to use. Blogger Pro is still in the pipeline, and I’ll be happy to pay when it’s available, but when? I hope Ev can hold it together and that he receives the help and funding Blogger desperately needs. Further reading at Haughey, Saturn, Megnut, and Metafilter.

Bloggie Winners

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I’d like to thank the academy… the results of the Bloggies are in. Congratulations to the winners, commiserations to everyone else blah blah blah yawn who cares etc etc. Now let’s have a little more research done before the next awards, instead of listing the same old predictable names (however worthy some of them are). There are tens of thousands of blogs online (blogger itself is claiming 11,000 new accounts per month), of which I’ve probably visited several hundred, but the ones I do know include every single nominated blog. So, there’s a vast swathe of bloggerdom out there that isn”t being taken into account. Of course I’m as guilty as any (my list of links on the left is pretty predictable), but then I’m not organising awards that supposedly represent everyone. End of speech.

Marvin Pontiac

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Crikey. I’ve just been to our company’s annual meeting in Milan, and I’m exhausted. Too much drink, too much work, and waaaaay to much risotto. All the same, a big shout out to my fellow Editors – Claudia, Franza, Dave, Dewey, Goran, Peter, Paco, Eva, Stine, Frederic, Michael and Joerg. You’re all lovely.

To be honest, I’m too tired to surf and just about incapable of writing. So instead I’ll recommend you buy something by this guy, which is the best thing I’ve heard in an age.

and this is how I feel...