Yearly Archives: 2004

Gym Buddy

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In a fit of self deprecation, I mentioned in my last entry that you don’t care what I say here. So you won’t care if I turn you into an invisible friend (but unlike the version I had as a five-year old who was the excuse for opening the car door while traveling at speed) you, my imaginary friend, have a purpose. You see, you are going to be my gym buddy.

Ha, I hear you cry, you can’t find the time to go to the gym. Your busy social life precludes you from even contemplating exercise. Well, my trusty invisible friend, that is but a weak excuse and I am going to take you with me. I will not tolerate that lazy and unhealthy attitude. You see you are gaining the pounds (don’t tell me you only deal in kilos) and I am going to be the one to make you go and exercise and lose the flab. I won’t listen when you say you’re going to the pub (you should have joined me in giving up drink) and I won’t tolerate you going to sit in the sauna rather than working out. I won’t stand for your nervousness when entering the gym and I won’t listen when you say ‘but everyone’s looking at me’.

No, my invisible friend, we are commencing a journey and it’s for your own good.

And we start next Monday.

UPDATE: The alternative to you becoming my gum buddy was posting a picture of my ever-growing stomach on the site as a motivation. But then I thought I might be visiting you in hospital as you recovered from the shock so you can’t get out of it that way.

On this day…

2004: Love Revolution

Love Revolution

I know you don’t care at all but I was incorrect (here and here). The new Phixx single is not out until March 8th according to the newly designed Phixx official web site (which, to be honest, needs some work to work with Mozilla). See, I am launching a campaign for the acceptance of pop as a musical form with people over 16. You must chant ‘pop is good, pop is cool’ every morning and before you go to bed.

While on the subject, Caroline Cooper of carolinephotos.com has some great pictures of the Phixx boys including our favourite Man of the Moment, Andrew.

If you also look at Caroline’s site you will see some photographs of Liberty X taken in November 2003. They are labeled ‘Coronet’ which means they must have been taken at the one-off exclusive gig for World AIDS Day at The Coronet, London SE1 on Sunday 30th November 2003. Which means Caroline must have been one of the people wielding a big lens on that day. How do I know? I was there!

UPDATE: 9 Feb 2004 – I see the Phixx web site now works in Mozilla. Great.

On this day…

2004: Gym Buddy

Janet’s Malfunction

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Janet Jackson Wardrobe MalfuncitonIs it just me or is most of the world laughing at America’s reaction to Janet Jackson’s ‘wardrobe malfunction’ at the Super Bowl? It really amazes me the way people can get so worked up about a little bit of flesh. Shouldn’t we be celebrating our bodies? It’s not as if Janet showed off a great deal. I would agree that people deserve better but not because I disagree with what what shown but because it’s such a cheap stunt.

One of my current favourite reads, The London News Review, has one of the best pieces written on the subject

By thunder, America is one fucked up country. With one eye it ogles the antics of Trousersnake and his bootilicious buddies, while the other eye is screwed shut in disgust.

[Source]

Exactly. Calm down people and don’t buy the record. Of course, had it been the Trousersnake having a wardrobe malfunction it would all have been different.

On this day…

2005: On Microsoft And Windows Digital Media
2004: Colourful Pages
2004: Alcohol Free
2003: Online Advertising Technology Issues
2003: An Email From Space

Colourful Pages

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You may notice that the colours on the site have changed. I’ve lost the duller beige/brown/gray colouring in favour of something a little more colourful. I am not sure it really works at the moment but I will play with the colour settings over the next few days. As you can probably tell, I do not have an eye for colour so I used quick colour to help me. It’s quite useful to find colours that are supposed to work well together but I wish it could find a greater range of colours. I’ll see if I can get used to it. I am pleased to have lost the harsh, bold red that was used for the links.

On this day…

2005: On Microsoft And Windows Digital Media
2004: Janet’s Malfunction
2004: Alcohol Free
2003: Online Advertising Technology Issues
2003: An Email From Space

Alcohol Free

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consumption of alcohol is not permitted signI didn’t mention this before but I am rather pleased with myself for having given up alcohol for the whole of January. I don’t want you to think I’ve been craving drink or anything like that, but I decided it would be good for me after the all the alcohol you tend to consume over Christmas.

The interesting thing I learnt was that the most difficult thing was nothing at all to do with the actual drink. The hardest part of the exercise was dealing with other people. To start with people question your reasons. A test of will power became my default answer. Then there was their behaviour when I was around. It seems that having a wholly sober person in the room while you drink can be very difficult or un-nerving for some people. I had no idea people would react in that way – perhaps it made people face up to the amount they were drinking.

I also found some social situations very difficult because, deep down, I am quite shy. Drink is certainly a social lubricant and without it some situations where a little awkward. By the end of the month I was definitely feeling better about meeting people in pubs and at parties without drinking, but it wasn’t easy. It’s also not easy to be in those situations and find an alternative. London pubs do not have the greatest of choice. After an evening drinking colas and orange/lemonade drinks your stomach feels worse that it would have done on double the beers. My top tip is to drink Virgin Marys.

As to my health, I honestly don’t feel any better or any worse for the lack of drink. I guess it proves I never really over did it anyway but I expected something to change.

I imagine that I will have a beer tomorrow.

On this day…

2005: On Microsoft And Windows Digital Media
2004: Janet’s Malfunction
2004: Colourful Pages
2003: Online Advertising Technology Issues
2003: An Email From Space

January Interest

Traffic to this site in January 2004 seems to have taken a little bit of a leap. I see that Justin Timberlake was the most searched term. Unfortunately, dear Andrew Kinlochan hasn’t scored any comments. February is supposed to see the release of the new Phixx single so I’ll wait to see if traffic to the Man of the Moment section follows other trends where the visits raise with some outside public event concerning the individual. It’s not science but it is interesting to watch.

On this day…

2004: Scrabble Name
2003: Shuttle Lost

Maybe Somebody Was Listening

At the start of December I wrote again about spam in my mailbox and suggested that my ISP, Demon, should do something to allow server-side filtering of mail messages. Hoorah, my January post brought good news and spam filtering is to be introduced. Maybe some of those email addresses will become useful again!

On this day…

2004: Forgotten Credits
2004: Supporting Greg
2004: Where In The World
2004: Desert Drag
2003: January Snow? A Surprise to Transport Chiefs

Forgotten Credits

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I had totally forgotten that I have some credits left at MSN Music Club. Having to use IE and that interface grates quite a lot (especially when I get a pile of certificate warnings) but nonetheless I’ve downloaded some great tracks by Outkast and Justin Timerlake today.

In the US Pspsi are giving away music via the iTunes product. They’re running an interesting ad campaign featuring some of those charged with illegally downloading content – it’s really quite an interesting creative execution.

On this day…

2004: Maybe Somebody Was Listening
2004: Supporting Greg
2004: Where In The World
2004: Desert Drag
2003: January Snow? A Surprise to Transport Chiefs

Supporting Greg

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It’s been on the news for most of the day and Tom mentions he contributed to the advertisement (which I haven’t seen) in The Telegraph from Greg Dyke supporters within the BBC. I’m impressed that such support exists but it’s not surprising. Everything you read about Greg was that he cared about the programmes and the producers more than the politics of broadcasting. Perhaps that was his downfall; a little more care with the original complaints and he might still be leading. Maybe, at last, journalists will forget about that blasted rat (see my entry for 8 May 2003).

I note that Andrew Gilligan has also resigned; I do not know what else he could have done. He is, however, widely regarded as a good journalist and – I hope – it’s not long before he is reporting somewhere. His resignation statement is an interesting reminder of where all this started.

Many have commented that it’s going to be an interesting time for the BBC as it searches for both a new Chairman and Director General. I strongly believe that the next chairman will be one of the final to chair a board of BBC governors. In a multi-media mix it has long seemed odd that the BBC should be held to a different interpretation of standards than the rest of the broadcast media. It is about time self governace was ended – although we have yet to see what Ofcom will actually do.

I do, however, hope that some of the great work that comes from BBC Online is maintained. In a fight for it’s broadcast reputation I fear that the online presence may too easily be diluted for the guns are out for that part of the BBC.

On this day…

2004: Maybe Somebody Was Listening
2004: Forgotten Credits
2004: Where In The World
2004: Desert Drag
2003: January Snow? A Surprise to Transport Chiefs