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February 29, 2004
destroyed lomo
destroyed lomo by photoblogster milo.
by groc at 11:54 PM | Comments (7)
wizard OS
barbieOS and Windows No
Oh, remember when I was joking about wondering what we'd all have to start calling those holes in walls with glass things once Microsoft had claimed the exclusive use of the word 'Windows' to itself, and not only that word but also any variation of it even by a single letter? It turned out that the US Legislature had already displayed the same level of common sense ages ago. It's just a pity that Dutch Judge didn't think the same way. What is the Dutch word for Windows? If I was Lindows I be cheeky and start calling the Netherlands branch of the company by that name.
But the US court case goes on...
Those poor lawyers have got to eat, gotta keep them in work...
by groc at 05:31 PM | Comments (1)
Damon
Damon by Wolfie Tillmans.
by groc at 03:15 PM | Comments (2)
Especially for Easter
by groc at 02:05 PM | Comments (1)
Just the thing to go down to the shops in
Giant pink fluffy bunny slipper -cars!
by groc at 12:01 PM | Comments (1)
click hold and drag
I found this movie a bit ...disturbing. (I was going to make some sort of a joke about it being 'pointless' but it didn't quite work. So I gave up on the idea.)
Related to this -you know my photo table of my favourite blogsters over at the right side there, I often wonder as I click on a nose or an eyeball or head if at that exact same moment that person feels it, in a voodoo doll sort of a way.
by groc at 06:45 AM | Comments (1)
90s TV comedy wot I used to like.
'The Naked Truth' - Tea Leoni (wife of David ('X-files' dreamboat) Duchovny).
Wherein Tea played a photographer/paparazzi for a scandal sheet - her manic boss played by the wonderful scene-stealing Holland Taylor and the paper's proprietor played by a carpet biting Tim Curry.
God -it was camp.
I think -if memory serves me right Channel 4 used to show it late at night followed by 'Pearl' which starred ex-Cheers star Rhea Perlman (incidentally she's wifey to Danny Divito) which co-starred scene-stealing, carpet-biting Malcolm (If.../Clockwork Orange) McDowell as her English professor.
God - he was camp.
I'd like both shows to be shown again please.
by groc at 12:21 AM | Comments (0)
February 28, 2004
Fur TV
I don't know what to make of it -really I don't.
There certainly was no LOL on my part. Does it get better?
And talking of new comedy did you see Catterick?
Odd wasn't it?
by groc at 10:56 PM | Comments (4)
Roar
by groc at 09:15 PM | Comments (3)
funny thing -tolerance
"Bush—or Karl Rove—sees the country as culturally split: There are the people who have cable and watch "Queer Eye" and "Sex in the City." Those people are tolerant, liberal in their values and comfortable with gays. And then, theoretically, there are people like the congregants at Willow Creek, the super-church in Barrington, Ill. where Gibson test-marketed the film. Those people have "family" values—which is to say, they've got one and they don't want to share it. They're not troubled by the potential anti-Semitism of Gibson's movie, but they are pretty pissed off that a bunch of gays in San Francisco and Massachusetts are trying to show their love for each other. "
by groc at 01:26 PM | Comments (0)
Ooops
sheeeeet. I've just won another freaking bid on ebay by accident. But why oh why can't I win bids on the things I reeaaaallly want? Like a Gameboy cart of 'Alfred Chicken'* or a (drool) Handspring Visor Platinum with a mobile phone and a camera attachments or else a ZAPPO External CDROM for the Amiga** -for low low prices?
As it is I've bought yet another camera. Ooopsie. Not that I can ever have enough cameras.
*My copy disappeared -along with my color gameboy and two other games and a very nice leatherette wallet during a return flight from Paris. Alfred Chicken really was one of my favourite games.
**If I had one I could at last see what's on all those magazine cover CDs I bought all those years ago. Mmmm retro.
by groc at 12:44 AM | Comments (0)
February 27, 2004
dish
by groc at 06:04 PM | Comments (1)
February 26, 2004
Waters
via Scrubbles a John Waters exhibition in Seattle.
by groc at 10:18 AM | Comments (0)
February 25, 2004
bleedin' obvious
I want one of those consultant jobs where someone gets paid stonkingly huge amounts of money for stating the bleedin' obvious...
1. Advertising doesn't work -especially when it's irritating*.
2. Advertising does work -but only when the product doesn't exist. (I so want some Ichiban now.)
Advertising is pollution - a toxic by-product of the consumerist age. Everyone needs to drastically limit their exposure to it. Poisons the mind and soul it does.
*not that since using the Google toolbar with built-in pop-blocker for IE and Firebird (now Firefox) I actually see any anymore. So how effective is advertising that no one ever sees? Well, it's very effective for the sellers and giver-awayers of pop-up blocking software that's for sure.
PS. I'd use firebird/firefox more if they didn't freak out so badly every time I tried to save a page or a single image from a page. It can take up to 45 seconds (I've timed it) to save a image. Something which IE does instantaneously. Sort it out guys.
by groc at 08:24 AM | Comments (2)
February 24, 2004
Brrrr...
Well, I seem to remember whacky insane hippy Environmentalist types warning about exactly this sort of thing oh, about 10 or 15 or more years ago... now the Pentagon is singing the same tune, while a certain Mr Bush sits around his fingers in ears going 'la-la-la, not listening, la la la'.
by groc at 07:17 PM | Comments (1)
powertoys
(I'm just storing the link here incase I lose it again.)
by groc at 04:18 PM | Comments (0)
February 23, 2004
what?
So what the hell is that fairground style music they use on the current TV commercal for cheap Vodafone texts?
by groc at 07:31 PM | Comments (1)
Yesterday I got head
by groc at 10:03 AM | Comments (3)
Invader Zim
downloads, includes the pilot episode. Beware of a long grindingly slow wait to get it though .
(Turns out I actually own the first issue of "Johnny the Homicidal Maniac".)
by groc at 12:58 AM | Comments (8)
February 22, 2004
SMS text porn?
How completely & utterly sad is that?
Sadder still it turns out they're likely just sexing up a computer! Suckers!
by groc at 06:43 PM | Comments (3)
GP 4 US
by groc at 11:31 AM | Comments (0)
Too big a paper, too small a vision
Er…no Mr. Alan Rusbridger. With the utmost respect you’re talking out of your arse. Try to understand the distinction: journalism is the actual writing and not what it form it comes in -nor on what size of paper it happens to be printed on. Honestly, does it really debase your precious high standards of journalism by having the exact same written content up on your website rather than printed on a ludicrously over-sized and hard-to-comfortably-handle piece of paper? Does it likewise debase the journalistic integrity when I read the exact same content which I’ve downloaded it from Avantgo to read on my PDA? Does this also mean the journalism in all your tabloid sized sections is more debased than the articles in the broadsheet sections or magazine of your paper?
The broadsheet is an anachronism that should have been put to final rest in the Eighties. The Guardian back then showed the way forward for the whole newspaper market when it underwent it’s radical redesign and introduced it’s own second half in it’s current tabloid sized format. But now it’s just dragging it’s feet out of what looks to be sheer peevishness and misguided snobbery. It’s time to grit your teeth and make that one last little leap into the 21st century. Commuters everywhere will thank you for it.
by groc at 10:50 AM | Comments (2)
Nescafe Ad.
Have you seen that new Nescafe commerical -the one with self-appointed fashion/style gurus Trinny (Woodall) and Susannah (Constantine)? Did you see what they were wearing in the streets? Shamelessy out in the open like that? Did you also notice that one was dressed all in grey and silver (a spoon) the other all in brown (coffee) carrying a bright red bag (the famous red Nescafe mug)?
Now I want you all to think very carefully about this ...should anyone really be taking any style advice whatsoever from people who take their fashion ideas from a mug of instant coffee? Unless of course they're going to a fancy dress party.
Mmmmm? Well? I should coco.
by groc at 03:59 AM | Comments (3)
February 19, 2004
help
What's the URL of that website that tells you what the music is that TV commercials use?
by groc at 06:38 AM | Comments (5)
February 18, 2004
do you take...
Blissfully unaware of it occuring... this was happening just as we were having one last stomp around the city before having to go to the airport for our flight home.
(Just found some other blogsters who did it indoors.)
by groc at 08:34 AM | Comments (0)
green
I'm really, really jealous. OK? It's being (presumably very well) paid to do something you really enjoy doing. How brilliant is that? Isn't that what life should be about?
by groc at 06:17 AM | Comments (0)
February 17, 2004
more disappointments
bum. i've only now just discovered -after having to buy a buggery bollocking infrared adapter today just in order to be able to upload the pictures (more expense -but a nifty piece of kit in it's own right -although vastly over-priced) -that the camera I bought for my phone is a great streaming pile of pooh. It's not an proper offical Sony Ericsson phone attachment and it shows. Damn. I'm putting the whole lot back up on ebay and hope to get at least some of my money back...
grumble grumble grumble
by groc at 04:24 PM | Comments (1)
more Banksy
I found more Banksy stuff: Turf war 1. 2.
by groc at 06:45 AM | Comments (0)
fantasy shopping
Having already seen and lusted after a mini 3" CD MPG player, now I'm lusting after a Sony digital camera I saw on sale in a camera shop in the US -which instead of using a smart card or a compact flash writes the photos directly onto a cute little 3" writable CD. Even though it's only 3 or 4 years old it already seems quaintly retro - although they've already two newer versions that are only a year old. I wonder if they'll soon make an even newer one with an even higher megapixel rate and which writes to a 3" DVD?
I know Sony are now currently selling two (1-- 2) video-cams that write directly to a 3" blank DVD. So it can be done...
Now if I'd either one of those cameras or the 'phototainer' I've mentioned before, I'd have been able to share my San Fran photos with you straight away. Instead they're sitting on my bf's laptop waiting for the day he can get around to getting his technical support department to burn them onto a CD for him (& me). Hopefully it won't be too long.
[Oh and I'm currently slightly worried there's a chance that my 35mm film might have been fried by the Heathrow airport security X-rays. Although I carried the exposed film back through in my hand luggage (curiously only the American side had warning notices up about not carrying film in your suitcases) -they went through Heathrow security in my suitcase -ooops. I hope I'm lucky.]
by groc at 05:34 AM | Comments (0)
more Guston
lookee what I found. Paul Guston's Poor Richard.
by groc at 12:12 AM | Comments (1)
February 16, 2004
cultishness
Coo. I passed this building nearly every day. But not being an Mac devotee (they're all too fricking over priced if you ask me...) I just went 'oooh look -they're building a big Mac store'. I didn't even bother to take a photo. This would possibly been as a hangable offence amongst some Mac devotees. No honestly, the OTT fanaticism of some hardcore Mac devotees is really starting to scare me...
Talking of Mac fanatics -Archontic ('couldn't-be-asked-to-do-a-blog-no-more') David passed this link on to me.
Carrying on with the iPod theme I read this interesting little interview with Jim Griffin who points out it would cost at least $20,000 to fill an iPod from the iTunes Music Store. Which is all the more pertinent when you consider there's a certain record company hell bent on not letting anyone even legitimately rip their own mpgs from the CDs they buy (or even to be able to play them in their ordinary car CD players!) Just how short-sighted and brain dead is that exactly? Sigh. Now there's a record company that deserves to die.
by groc at 08:41 PM | Comments (3)
February 12, 2004
SF check list
So far…
Bus tour of City. Check.
Alcatraz visit. Check.
Zoo visit. Check.
SF Moma visit. Check.
Cartoon Art Museum. Check.
Palace of the Legion of Honor. (Art Gallery in Lincoln Park). Check.
Totally and delierately missed the chinese new year procession - the over-crowded streets were freaking me out a bit. We saw by bits of it on the teevee that we weren't actually missing that much.
Go look in the gallery section for a few pikturs. They'll be more to come.
by groc at 05:37 AM | Comments (6)
February 08, 2004
travel angst
So despite fate's best attempts at thwarting me I'm here in San Franciso:
first off I missed the first train, which wouldn't have been such a huge problem if a late taxi hadn't made me miss the very next train, then the next train after that was cancelled, sigh. When I did eventually get to Brighton -the London train was delayed by 15 or so minutes because of some technical fault on the train after which although it was supposed to be the express was ludicrously slow and kept stopping for no readily apparent reason. Then while still on route we were informed of a 'fatality on the line' which caused another lengthy delay and a redirection to London Bridge! Had to give up on the idea of trying to get from there to Victoria and to the Heathrow express since even that wasn't running. So I was forced at great expense to catch a taxi and even so was caught in endless traffic jams and stopped at every red light on the way. Finally, oh but finally got to the airport where the equally highly stressed bf was waiting for me to scoot me to the total very last chance final boarding with only two minutes to spare. He wasn't best pleased with me. Although I'm not exactly sure how it's my fault when people start throwing themselves on to the railway lines to stop me getting places. But that I did get there after all that -he calmed down a lot - and having an upgrade from business to first class helped considerably too. (Are you jealous yet?)
Anyhow I'm here now. Phew.
by groc at 04:58 PM | Comments (2)
February 05, 2004
travel
San Francisco - here I come.
by groc at 06:45 AM | Comments (5)
February 04, 2004
Laura
When it comes to oddball TV I’ve got a long memory. There was a programme on late night channel 4 (back when it was still cool and it’s remit was to be bold and daring) called, oh something like ‘United States of Television’. It was a show that showed the maddest and strangest clips from New York public access cable TV*. There were things like a drag queen pastor and other weird things. It was fronted by this marvellous dead pan American comedienne who I really liked. Her name was Laura Kightlinger, a name that kept leaping out at me at the end credits of Will & Grace. It transpires she’s a writer and consulting producer of the show. I’m pretty sure she also guested in one of the episodes playing the nurse in a sperm donor clinic who told Will to “just put the junk in the cup”.
Cool.
Er… that’s it. She’s just an obscure heroine of mine that’s all.
I wonder if they still have public access channels in NY? Back then by law cable TV companies had to have channels dedicated to local people who could make their very own shows and they had to show them. I thought it might have been something we’d have over here but nah. Shouldn’t we have our own local TV channels?
*I think this was a follow on show after one called 'Manhattan Cable' which had the same format but was presented by Laurie Pike.
by groc at 10:32 PM | Comments (8)
February 03, 2004
beach
by groc at 11:30 PM | Comments (1)
Oh reeeeeally?
You don't say.
Even Mr. Nobody-know-nothing little me could have told them that yeeears ago. It's plain enough common-sense after all. In fact, I seem to clearly remember various voices coming out of the security services saying similar such things well before the war, explicitly pointing out that a war with Iraq (and Afghanstan) would only make for a far less secure world. But I get the distinct impression that they (Mr Bush and his mates) were only ever going to listen to the things they wanted to hear in order to justify the unjustifiable -no matter what. It doesn't matter if all of those things are now proving to be blatantly somewhat far from the truth. They've got what they wanted. Oh hum. Of course we'll all be paying the price for that in one way or another for years to come now.
All this concerns me somewhat because I'm off on my travels again this week. (Yay for me.) It's just a good job I'm not heading for Washington isn't it? Although I'm waiting to see if we'll have to undergo fingerprinting and iris scanning upon arrival yet.
America is screwed. The people there really need to take back their country from those people in charge (mainly the corporations). But from over here the whole system looks so utterly corrupt I fear for the worst.
by groc at 05:30 AM | Comments (1)
February 02, 2004
A Sunday walk
It stopped raining and being galey just long enough for me to be able to go for a nice long walk.
by groc at 05:39 AM | Comments (5)