Journal

Monday, February 13, 2006

mostly links, really

Lots of people seem happy with the strange Garfield link (which I owe to Bill Stiteler). At least, I thought to myself after posting it, nobody actually has a real life like that, adult men bullied by their ginger tom cats...

Neil, I bought a lovely copy of Anansi Boys it was hardback, nice dustjacket and it had what I thoughtful little bookmarking ribbon bound into it. Now you're a cat owner. I spent every minute I was reading Anansi Boys dreading the next attack by our psychotic little ginger tomcat who also thought it was very thoughtful for you to produce a book with a cat toy attached. My hand is cut to ribbons so I'd just like to say, you think you're funny but you're not.

p.s. Berkley the ginger tomcat would also like to say, can you please attach a goldfish to the next book?
...

Lots of other people helpfully suggesting methods of accepted internet practice but currently dubious legality that would allow me to watch lots of UK TV, none of which I feel comfortable with enough to put into practice.

The FAQ line had some real troubles over the weekend -- I think it's all sorted out but if you sent something you think was important between Friday evening and Sunday morning, you may want to resend it.

Did a questionaire for the Guardian this morning that was practically an Internet meme -- it'll run in April, and once it does I'll put the Questions and Answers they didn't use up here. (Some old ones are at http://browse.guardian.co.uk/search?search=rosanna+greenstreet)

Another glimpse of the immediate future -- http://mblog.lib.umich.edu/~rdivecha/archives/2006/02/the_world_of_sm.html -- that left me pondering Chip Delany's comment, made over thirty years ago, that today's technology is tomorrow's handicrafts, mostly because it seemed so cutting edge and antiquated at the same time, like making virtual clay pots.

Hi Neil,you may have already seen this lovely thing - the "Tube map of music".
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/culturevulture/archives/2006/02/03/going_underground.html
What am I, number 9623 to send it? If so, sorry! Cheers,Katharine

Nope. You were the first. I think I like the idea of the thing more than the execution. Still, I wonder how long it'll be before people start doing the SF Authors tube map, or the Comics Artists tube map...

Right. Tea break over. Back on my head. With a lot of Penelope Houston who I only just discovered (yes, rather late, I know) playing in the background.

...

(Later. I forgot to post this, so here are some links.)

I don't know how long they'll keep this up but there's an article on the National Theatre of Scotland, with bits of WOLVES IN THE WALLS info at http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2090-2034161,00.html (although the masks aren't papier mache, they're mostly burlap, foam and glue, although you wouldn't believe it).

And to close a few tabs -- ponder whether throwing bottles with messages in is littering http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060204/D8FI0E7G4.html, why some Australians
are gullible http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Nigerian-scammers-fleece-Australians/2006/02/01/1138590558732.html, whether Toxoplasmosis forces people to buy fuzzy cat toys or books with ribbons in them http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20060211/sc_space/mindcontrolbyparasites, me being interviewed in Oxford last year http://www.oxfordstudent.com/ht2006wk4/Features/comic_relief, and a lost Hooke manuscript straight out of a book I meant to write about the nature of time and London and the early days of the Royal Society -- http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/story/0,,1705687,00.html, -- called Time in the Smoke.