Yearly Archives: 2006

All You Need To Know About Sharon Osbourne’s New TV Show

Really, The Guardian’s Organ Grinder is the place to go if you want to keep up with the highs and lows of television in the UK. I didn’t even know the lovely Sharon had a television chat show all of her own. Never mind that it started earlier tonight.

Martin, the second contestant looking for love, looks terrified. Ooh, he hugs Sharon, the cheeky monkey! Hope Ozzy’s not watching. He’s probably in bed. The third love wannabe, Mariola, is giant! Give that woman her own show! [Cue Sharon! from Guardian Unlimited: Organ Grinder]

It’s making me wish I was at home in front of the box right now. But I am not, I am in Oslo and I haven’t even switched the television on yet.

On this day…

2006: Big Pink Crosses (or some such TV nonsense)
2006: In The Air Again
2002: Temptation

Big Pink Crosses (or some such TV nonsense)

This is one for my friend Steve to comment on. Yahoo reports that “In 1994, just 19 of the Fortune 500 companies advertised their brands in gay media in the United States. Last year, 175 did”. [Source: Advertisers out of the closet with gay-themed ads – Yahoo! News] It’s just a shame all those stereotypes still exist. The worst gay ads are the ‘Get Fruity’ Muller sponsorship of Living TV’s Will and Grace. All that cheap innuendo, it’s amazing they don’t give the audience a little more credit.

And talking of Will & Grace, Eric McCormack – who played Will – appears to be struggling to find work now the series and gone and finished. He told Sunday’s Observer that “I have this big pink cross to bear”. Still, I guess with all the money he made from Will & Grace he’s in a position to be able to hire somebody to carry it for him. [Source: The Observer | UK News | I can’t shake off my gay image, says Will]

On this day…

2006: All You Need To Know About Sharon Osbourne’s New TV Show
2006: In The Air Again
2002: Temptation

In The Air Again

I am off traveling again. This morning it was a very early start to get me to Heathrow so that i could make a flight to Oslo. To give myself some extra time because of the security I arrived at 5am – only to find that check-in wasn’t open until 5.20am. Then a nice queue at security and a plane ride to get me here. I am now too exhausted to enjoy the lovely evening. Still, I hope I can get a decent night’s sleep so that I will be awake for tomorrow’s meetings!

On this day…

2006: All You Need To Know About Sharon Osbourne’s New TV Show
2006: Big Pink Crosses (or some such TV nonsense)
2002: Temptation

Hello From Here

I am not going to be able to upload a picture of my latest trip to my Flickr account as I am visiting Amsterdam without a camera (or a camera phone). In fact, I am visiting without any piece of electronic equipment whatsoever. The security alerts over the past few days at UK airports have resulted in this odd situation.

This morning, I arrived at the airport very, very early for my flight. Given this is a day-trip I checked up on the baggage rules last night and decided against anything that would prevent me from walking on board. That meant no mobile, no lap-top, no book, no pens: nothing. I took the train to avoid the traffic queues and checked-in online before I left the house. The result? It took 15 minutes from arrival at the airport to sitting in the lounge (and they managed to x-ray my shoes in that time). I had a few hours to kill so did a little bit of work from an Internet station (oh, for a working Office 2.0 set-up) and now I am in Amsterdam airport with a similar amount of time to kill and only a newspaper for company.

On this day…

2007: The Slag Of All Updates
2005: Charlie And The Chocolate Factory
2002: The Art of the Blog

Go Ant Go!

Leave a Reply

Honda Driver Anthony Davidson There have already been two posts about F1 this week, here and here. Well, time for a third. I thought it worth noting that Anthony Davidson stood in for Martin Brundle as one of the ITV commentators last Sunday. Not only was it fantastic to have Honda’s third driver there for Jenson’s win but I thought he did a mighty fine job. Here’s hoping we get to hear (and see) a lot more of him in the next few years.

UPDATE: Just look at what I said last year. Amusing coincidences?

On this day…

2005: Tipping BAR Honda To Win
2004: Gym Buddy – We Must Not Stop Now
2002: Survival

Changes At Red Bull Racing

Leave a Reply

Yesterday, while celebrating Jenson’s big win, I omitted to mention that Mark Webber has signed to drive with Red Bull Racing next year. While this might be great news for some it does mean that Christian Klien is being left without a drive next year and, as this picture might suggest to you, that can’t be a good thing really. Christian might not have had the best performances of the year but can that really all be placed at his door and not the car? He’s results have not been that much worse that team-king David Coulthard. “My aim has always been competing in Formula One and I am not willing to give it up so easily,” Klien told F1Racing.Net.

On this day…

2005: Swiss Re Tower, London
2004: Back Ache
2003: More Gay Marriage
2002: Water, Water Everywhere

Button Is A Winner!

Leave a Reply

Well, what can I say? Jenson went and did it in superb style yesterday. After six years and 113 races Jenson made it from 14th on the grid to take the podium at the winner in a thrilling race that saw both Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher fail to make it to the rain-soaked finish line. “We made a great choice on the tyres and also on the last pit-stop,” Button told the BBC’s website. If there was pressure to get that first win then it’s surely off now but I imagine the pressure will be even greater to win a few more and then a championship. Better get my flag ready for next year’s Silverstone race, huh?

On this day…

2005: London’s Living Room
2004: Saturday News
2003: RSS Feeds
2003: No More Clause 28
2003: July 2003 And All That
2002: Where Are You Now, Miss Boo?

Dropped at 0815

Leave a Reply

Official Japanese figures at the time put the death toll at 118,661 civilians. But later estimates suggest the final toll was about 140,000, of Hiroshima’s 350,000 population, including military personnel and those who died later from radiation

[source]

Every year I am stunned to be reminded that 6 August is the anniversary of the day that the US dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. It was an act that brought on the final end for the second world war but it changed the world forever. With all the missiles flying across parts of the world today it seems like good time to remember that war is not a good thing.

BBC News: On This Day
Listen To Musak: Enola Gay Is Not Just A Pop Song
A-bomb survivors leery of battleship hype

Picture from acksion’s photos on Flickr.

On this day…

2006: A Glass Pyramid
2004: Doesn’t Time Fly?
2003: Things To Say
2003: Five Live and Weblogs
2002: To Some People Enola Gay is Just a Pop Song

A Glass Pyramid

Leave a Reply

Yesterday, I mentioned that I went to the Tate Britain to see an excellent performance by Scritti Polliti. It was a great evening on the lawn outside. I didn’t go in the building. In fact, I don’t think I have been in Tate Britain since they moved all the modern work to Tate Modern. Although modern, contemporary art doesn’t always work for me I do love Tate Modern for its location, for the building and for the scale of things.

It’s good, therefore, to see that it’s doing well. So well, in fact, that they are proposing a radical new extension to the building in the form of a great glass pyramid. The artist impressions look absolutely stunning and I really hope that it gets built. I am certain there will be an outcry because of the scale of the building next to the historical landmark that is the power station that houses the current exhibition space but I think they will work well together.. The pyramid would be a superb addition to the South Bank which already is one of my favourite parts of London.

On this day…

2006: Dropped at 0815
2004: Doesn’t Time Fly?
2003: Things To Say
2003: Five Live and Weblogs
2002: To Some People Enola Gay is Just a Pop Song

Thinking About Time

Leave a Reply

I’ve been thinking a great deal about the use of time. I am, you see, a great procrastinator by nature but this doesn’t help when you have a long list of things to do. I can be very organised. However, when I am very busy the organisation tends to fall away. Experience tells me that this leads to more procrastination.

Preventing the clutter and disorganisation is a little like preventative medicine. Getting life in order will prevent the procrastination as I’ll be able to clearly see what needs to get done. I have spent some time reading the excellent series of articles at Lifehacker (Getting Things Done) and I’ve come across some more great ideas that are part of Dave Seah’s Printable CEO series (The Emergent Task Timer could be very useful to see where the time goes).

I can already hear you, by-the-way. This is all very dull and not very creative. It’s all very business and not much fun. Admit it, that’s what you are thinking. And I say, how true. But a little bit of organisation yesterday got me out of the office on time and down to Tate Britain to see Scritti Polliti’s free gig. And that was fun even if the pictures are rubbish. On the other hand, his new material is superb.

UPDATE: And before you point it out, I am well aware if the irony in spending a day reading items about organisation in a bid to prevent my procrastination.

On this day…

2003: Ciao Is The New Hi
2002: Baby News