tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39087892011-12-19T08:28:38.061ZGreat potential, suit enthusiast.Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.comBlogger2451100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-14102800919082688632009-12-06T15:55:00.011Z2009-12-06T20:42:25.840Z

Something I've come across several times in London, but never remembered to look up afterwards - the sort of experience I suspect the iPhone is ushering into history, along with the pub quiz and bothering to describe individual music videos - is the announcement for Inspector Sands.It goes out over the Underground tannoy system, in a style seemingly calculated for maximum creepiness: a very loud,

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-15411266770724003142009-01-28T20:31:00.001Z2009-01-28T20:33:33.351Z

Wedding cake, over here!Ring-exchanging!You may vomit on the brideYou have startled the mother-in-law!

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-45060939343849586112009-01-26T13:41:00.003Z2009-12-06T20:47:29.293Z

The Boomer BileThe Lazy SmokerThe Flaming HunterThe Rage QuitUPDATE: Because I am in a position to indulge daft whims like this, OXM actually tapped up a cocktail waiter to create a series of gaming cocktails. Remember, kids, you can do this sort of thing too if you grow up to work in media.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-28027862246690917552009-01-06T00:51:00.004Z2009-01-06T00:54:16.267Z

I'm a big fan of Twitter, these days. This isn't the reason, but it could have been.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-68093623104291033912008-11-10T22:34:00.003Z2009-12-06T20:43:49.242Z

A snappy shorthand for commercial reality is recorded in the often-interesting, occasionally-wrong blog of Keith Boesky: why publishers don't want film licences, particularly King Kong. "This is exactly the kind of things you said you are looking for. You have two and a half years until the release of the film, the budget is fixed and large and the promotion will be huge." "Doesn't sound

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-18968881827772455872008-09-13T13:38:00.003Z2008-09-13T13:43:52.506Z

This made me smile: The Onion's Nathan Rabin points out an old interview in which Amy Heckerling makes the mistake that interviewees should never, ever make:AH: Did you see the movie?O: Yes, I did.AH: Did you like it?O: [Pauses; makes "don't ask me that question" gesture.] Um... There were parts about it that I liked. There were things I liked about it. [Note: This is a lie. —ed.] And it was

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-86048201218944585812008-07-23T23:37:00.001Z2008-07-23T23:38:14.328Z

Hershey's Ordered To Pay Obese Americans $135 Billion Fuck Everything, We're Doing Five Blades Bush: Our Long National Nightmare Of Peace And Prosperity Is Finally Over The final one is the scariest. It's like a bullet-point list of everything Bush has done wrong, written years before it happened.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-74495884651518203692008-06-14T15:34:00.003Z2008-06-14T15:37:54.862Z

The Bournemouth IdentityPoole HarbourThe Passion of ChristchurchThe Sword in ParkstoneThe Sway

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-86643537936235795612008-06-14T10:03:00.002Z2008-06-14T15:33:45.467Z

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-57826146944753280742008-04-19T13:17:00.003Z2008-04-19T13:19:06.142Z

I can't even remember what I was looking for to start with and I've just wasted three hours.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-24980209619266387522008-04-05T16:05:00.002Z2008-04-05T16:10:21.440Z

We Have All The Time In The WorldSuicide Is Painless Theme from Bergerac

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-39535554325246709012008-04-04T01:31:00.004Z2008-04-04T01:36:50.615Z

A piece that made me laugh in Private Eye last week: As storms battered Britain at the beginning of last week, presenters on Sky News begged viewers to "help us put together the fullest national picture possible" by sending in their photos of the damage... posters on the Football 365 forum, finding that such pisspoor efforts as a shot of a watering can ("the wind blew it around all night") were

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-67083236147819545612007-11-27T01:05:00.000Z2007-11-27T01:09:38.725Z

I really like Paris, somewhat to my surprise. Now I like it more:A group of intrepid "illegal restorers" set up a secret workshop and lounge in a cavity under the building's famous dome. Under the supervision of group member Jean-Baptiste Viot, a professional clockmaker, they pieced apart and repaired the antique clock that had been left to rust in the building since the 1960s. Only when their

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-58756042585160518082007-11-17T11:23:00.000Z2007-11-17T11:26:41.262Z

It's not easy being a former Countdown champion. In fact, if I was going to be dramatic, I'd say that Countdown ruined my life. Ever since I won, my life has been a constant, utterly in-vain struggle to ensure that this would not prove to be the defining moment of my life.The story itself isn't really all that interesting, unfortunately, but I want to take a note of the opening line.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-56497805627210402592007-10-16T09:08:00.000Z2007-10-16T09:16:35.953Z

Paul just pointed out that Discovery are buying HowStuffWorks.com, for $250 million. Not having much memory of HowStuffWorks beyond it occasionally surfacing in Google, I visited it and can confirm that it is absolutely worth the money. Just on the front page today:How Machineguns WorkHow Bats WorkHow Quantum Suicide WorksAll Discovery need to do now is buy up Look Around You to run practical

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-75448888660152438932007-10-15T21:46:00.000Z2007-10-15T21:51:21.954Z

A fine statement on the recent hoo-ha about a church group using Halo 3 to tempt in kids for later reprogramming, care of the NYTimes:“If you want to connect with young teenage boys and drag them into church, free alcohol and pornographic movies would do it,” said James Tonkowich, president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, a nonprofit group that assesses denominational policies. “My

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-31598925842164119262007-09-29T15:32:00.000Z2007-09-29T15:51:14.089Z

I've been spending too much time playing TF2 recently, despite having loads of work and lots of other really quite significant games I could be playing instead. An interesting encounter on PC Gamer's server last night: Team LOL, including Richard, decided that they would all play one class per round, resulting in offences composed exclusively of Scouts, Pyros, etc. It ended predictably:

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-10362979138903679052007-09-09T10:11:00.000Z2007-09-09T10:47:56.515Z

My current favourite thing on the internet is Ben "Yahtzee" Crowshaw's (I think that's the correct form) Zero Punctuation, a series of animated rants about gaming delivered in a polite British monotone that is slightly reminscent of what I used to do when I got worked up about something back before I was a burnt-out corporate shell but I just got drunk and moaned at people in pubs rather than

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-53123999374016780172007-09-06T08:18:00.000Z2007-09-06T08:24:19.094Z

Cardhouse has posted some choice quotes from a book on fireworks. The factory explosion survivor is a good 'un, but this is my favourite:"Because of such devices, nearly as many people died celebrating independence – around four thousand over the years -- as actually died fighting in the War of Independence itself. The glorious Fourth became known as the “Bloody Fourth” and, because of the large

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-62902393865862609552007-09-05T09:25:00.000Z2007-09-05T09:46:21.372Z

There's a status bar at the bottom of the CMS software we use to put the magazine together. Since launch, it has held a brief text message - similar to the "I'll find something to put here" at the bottom of a Facebook page, except this one has spooled through random quotes from the minds of, presumably, our merry band of internal developers. A new one today: "l'enfer, c'est les autres". They must

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-53542746903056322822007-09-02T17:13:00.001Z2007-09-02T17:24:24.277Z

A synopsis of the Halo comic does not sound promising:The Chief is flying on the ship, then on the ground, in a firefight with Covenant forces. There is no dialog, just shooting and grenades going off. The aliens look particularly gruesome, and the artwork seems very faithful to the look of the games. Master Chief blows open a door to enter a room where he faces down a very large force... The

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-18048034709278394052007-09-02T15:06:00.001Z2007-09-02T15:27:24.703Z

Destruction still mutually assured:"This doomsday apparatus, which became operational in 1984, during the height of the Reagan-era nuclear tensions, is an amazing feat of creative engineering." According to Blair, if Perimetr senses a nuclear explosion in Russian territory and then receives no communication from Moscow, it will assume the incapacity of human leadership in Moscow or elsewhere, and

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-53665439895040574782007-08-29T09:14:00.000Z2007-08-29T09:30:04.442Z

I'm a project manager now, I'm slowly realising. It's not a career choice I'd recommend, but it has its moments. I recognise trace elements of them in the words of Cornelius:It's a bit like manning a joystick at Cape Canaveral: lovely equipment, men on task, and always the promise that things which go awry are capable of going so awry that the course of a federal program is altered forever.Note

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-58697994921824097912007-08-27T23:59:00.000Z2007-08-28T00:02:09.529Z

someecards.com:

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-60044579685399176062007-08-27T23:18:00.000Z2007-08-28T09:11:13.549Z

(Somewhat to my surprise, this doesn't appear to contain spoilers. So go ahead and read if you haven't finished it, although it'd be a far better use of your time to actually play it.)Bioshock's hype machine started to get silly a couple of weeks ago. It jumped the shark when culturally bankrupt games sites better known for hosting flamewars about Ghost Recon weaponry started comparing it to

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-64031718338788549042007-08-06T12:42:00.000Z2007-08-06T12:47:04.832Z

One of several fascinating statements that will get you in fights at parties, in Ten Politically Incorrect Truths About Human Nature.It is the combination of polygyny and the promise of a large harem of virgins in heaven that motivates many young Muslim men to commit suicide bombings. Consistent with this explanation, all studies of suicide bombers indicate that they are significantly younger

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-57540700537876718892007-07-10T09:23:00.000Z2007-07-10T09:31:28.256Z

Our main purpose is as caretakers of an expensive American facility, just like Jack Nicholson in The Shining, but with more geopolitical significance and fewer axe murders.Overdone but nevertheless interesting tale of boozing at the South Pole. I'm intrigued to note that the drink of choice is Bailey's and coffee and there's a vast pit of human faeces just to add a little bit of extra dread to

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-84890185572769763302007-07-08T11:27:00.000Z2007-07-08T12:19:54.643Z

Too often I forget that the entertainment industry is genuinely beyond parody. Behold, Casablanca: The TV Series:Another series, briefly broadcast on NBC in 1983, starred David Soul as Rick, Ray Liotta as Sacha and Scatman Crothers as a somewhat elderly Sam.Casablanca popped into my head after playing The Darkness. Which is good, by the way - complete nonsense, wildly inconsistent, and not as

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-65456002538488215312007-06-12T21:53:00.001Z2007-06-12T21:54:40.287Z

From Dylan Tweney: Your Computer Is Training YouGetting even simple things done with a slightly underpowered computer and a bunch of web-based applications means you spend a lot of time waiting. Waiting for TypePad to publish a post, waiting for Gmail to populate the screen with a list of the latest messages, waiting for an image to download so you can start editing it in Photoshop, waiting for

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-32556770074827170422007-06-12T21:34:00.000Z2007-06-12T21:35:16.579Z

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-52451281476662020082007-06-12T18:43:00.000Z2007-06-12T18:52:21.302Z

Interesting tip on How To Interview Rock Bands When They're Both Desperately Hungover And Too Cool To Care About The Interview: I would always pay attention to the drummer. I practically sat in his lap, and I would roar with laughter at every mild joke that he made, like wah-hah-hah-hah! You know, and I would ask him about his drumming philosophies. They often have one or two.DEVIL TRICKERY. Just

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-29673473481585548532007-06-10T18:10:00.000Z2007-06-10T18:12:33.990Z

This is amazing: working on electrical lines, by hand, with the aid of helicopters. I love how serene the whole thing is.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-34400930528347787782007-06-06T08:58:00.000Z2007-06-06T09:00:07.223Z

Supreme Court justices: not all pulling their weight.Justice Clarence Thomas sat through 68 hours of oral arguments in the Supreme Court‘s current term without uttering a word... the last time Thomas asked a question in court was Feb. 22, 2006.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-84898049172281653992007-06-02T10:46:00.000Z2007-06-02T10:54:34.771Z

Verbatium: You Legionaire?Brem: HelloBrem: old friendVerbatium: I was once a LegionaireBrem: i knowBrem: hows your new guild?Verbatium: Good to be seeing you my friendVerbatium: SilentBrem: heheVerbatium: We just started itBrem: how is Djenta?Verbatium: Good, I thinkVerbatium: She's not around muchBrem: where r u going now?Verbatium: Were datingVerbatium: I will ask her to marry me, I think

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-39515133337307824142007-05-28T22:43:00.000Z2007-05-28T22:54:41.810Z

Can't remember if I knew this already, but: some TV shows cling to the laughter of the dead, re-using laughter tracks recorded from studio audiences now at least partially deceased.a few all-time classic tracks recorded in the late 1950s and early 1960s were never retired, and can still be heard on 'Frasier'Even more unsettling is the existence of the "laugh machine" and the "laugh men."

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-81524089507157618052007-05-28T22:12:00.000Z2007-05-28T22:22:28.841Z

I actually had to create my first proper PowerPoint presentations not so long ago. The experience was one of partially committed craftsmanship tinged with the certaint knowledge that this is one of the lowest forms of human expression. But now Indexed gives some hope.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-80944574649522835602007-05-20T21:01:00.000Z2007-05-20T21:19:33.762Z

There's so much to like here. Personal favourites:"...The LP has been critically acclaimed for its unique "pop-driven" style. Its sole cover, a version of Pulp's "Common People" performed with Joe Jackson, has received good notices, often to the surprise of the reviewers.""On June 9, 2005, Shatner performed a reworked rendition of "My Way" at the presentation of George Lucas's AFI Life

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-29278014764371804322007-05-03T16:51:00.000Z2007-05-03T18:18:18.846Z

Stefan sent this through, and it was the end of the day so I did it. Much to my surprise, it's not hugely humiliating - I was expecting a marmoset.EDIT: Gril, slightly worryingly, joins me in Jackaldom. And points out, as I forgot to, that you the reader (if you exist) can modify the result if you think I'm something more suitable for using as a car logo.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-90655410635002475062007-04-16T22:49:00.000Z2007-04-16T22:51:44.230Z

Randomly discovered while researching for my Microsoft trip next week: Frank Black is doing music for GRAW 2. What the hell, people.[Aside: God, I wish they didn't have music playing over the back of the video. LET THE MAN SPEAK.]

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-40604588568983012642007-04-03T15:53:00.000Z2007-04-03T15:59:48.247Z

Email:Dear Jonty,World Community Grid is pleased to announce that the Help Defeat Cancer (HDC) project is finished.I thought it'd hold out longer than this, to be honest.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-10192875105452738812007-04-01T22:15:00.000Z2007-04-01T22:25:51.235Z

“It’s that same one you get when you’re traveling and you tell people you’re from America, and they’re like, ‘I’m sorry,’” she said. “But it’s like, ‘Hey, I control all the money and all the power, so sorry for you.’”Depressing times at the model UN, which looks to be remarkably similar to the real UN. The biggest downer amid this crowd of precocious and often despisable adolescents comes from

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-66327521486485357162007-03-19T23:53:00.001Z2007-03-19T23:53:06.165Z

Silent Contemplation Originally uploaded by Mr Jonty. Long day in London on Friday. Train at 7, working breakfast at 9, briefing at 10, interview at 12, afternoon spent on the phone and on email trying to chase up stuff that was sufficiently urgent that I couldn't leave it for the two hours required to get back to Bath. I went out with Gril & chums in the evening, missed all the trains,

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-73398278188703800842007-03-05T00:20:00.000Z2007-03-05T00:40:37.242Z

CourseworkHelping my sister with an essay.Debbie says:the other bit i really hate is 'whilst Fowles can afford to take more liberties with criticising society in the twentieth century as the modern reader is encouraged to embrace multiculturalism and differing religious ideasDebbie says:originally i just said we're all secular humanists and christianity was deadJonty says:Haha.Debbie says:

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1171812469073088232007-02-18T15:25:00.000Z2007-02-19T18:03:43.846Z

nature_HIV_small2 Originally uploaded by Mr Jonty.An atomic-level picture of a key portion of an HIV surface protein as it looks when bound to an infection-fighting antibody. Unlike much of the constantly mutating virus, this protein component is stable and—more importantly, say the researchers—appears vulnerable to attack from this specific antibody, known as b12, that can broadly neutralize HIV

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1171811214205834652007-02-18T15:01:00.000Z2007-02-18T15:06:54.220Z

Youthful enterpriseBecause I've been working on a launch for the last year or so, I - and the rest of the team - haven't had much contact with readers, for the good and sufficient reason we didn't have any beyond the focus groups. Now, the magazine is on the shelves - with our Live Messenger addresses in it. And so it begins.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1171727528938945372007-02-17T15:44:00.001Z2007-02-17T22:15:39.026Z

Humans Are AwesomeI discovered, by means of Ben Goldacre's extensive deconstruction of Gillian McKeith, the meaning of the term "cargo cult" - expanded by Wikipedia, naturally. And then that leads to this beautifully understated entry. I'm highly sceptical of the cited source but I think I can just let it go and cherish the moment.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1171143298107481022007-02-10T21:13:00.000Z2007-02-12T00:27:52.820Z

Sweatting itOne of the many Microsoft blogs I subscribe to is credited to M3 Sweatt. I had assumed this was another one of those hilarious programming jokes. If this is a subcategory of humour you're unfamiliar with, hold your sides closed and gaze upon this comedy gold courtesy of The Daily WTF: my $send_button = ( !$rAuth->permits(SEND) ? '' : $status != 1

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1170620782327602652007-02-04T20:21:00.000Z2007-02-04T21:04:08.936Z

Want Featuring: > integrated neck pillow in the hood > pull down light shield to cover eyes > cuff thumb holes > internal pocket for tickets and passports > hidden stash pocket with ear plugs > pit zips to keep you ventilated Not quite sure about the last one, but it sounds an admirable replacement for my "any old hoody and a laptop bag full of technojunk" mainstay.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1169988441305391632007-01-28T12:47:00.000Z2007-02-17T23:00:35.436Z

Five celebrities who would be really bad choices for narrating in-car GPS systemsJoe PasqualeTim WestwoodWoody AllenMC HammerSinistar Five celebrities who would be really great choices for narrating in-car GPS systems, assuming you want to get there very quickly Samuel L JacksonLaurence FishburneVin DieselThat Guy Who Does The Movie Trailer NarrationJack BauerConcept stolen, again, from 5ives.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1169986726430421772007-01-28T12:18:00.000Z2007-01-28T12:31:53.786Z

Another thing about is that it's all about instant . Thus, I can enforce really terrible, mid 1990's newsletter designs on you at will. At will! Ahahaha. Given that most of said newsletters were brimming with bitchy remarks, overuse of exclamation marks and terrifying belief in the self-worth of the author, it's clear they were the forerunner of blogs anyway, so Comic Sans dragged into the

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1169986186315301572007-01-28T12:09:00.000Z2007-01-28T12:09:46.433Z

While I'm still blogging for the novelty of this Word interface... going through my RSS feeds after two weeks without broadband (which wasn't that challenging, I have to say. I was waiting for withdrawal symptoms that never came) I come across the news that the BBC plans to put its training resource online.I do like the BBC (unlike Paul Dacre, it appears) and it's this sort of thing that means I

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1169941143187820932007-01-27T23:39:00.000Z2007-01-28T12:33:45.423Z

Two more things:I'm publishing blog posts from within Word 2007, running on Windows Vista. It's worryingly satisfying.This is now a house of four bloggers. I worry about what may happen if there is strife over washing up.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1169940949989286812007-01-27T23:35:00.000Z2007-01-27T23:35:50.466Z

I knew that this month would be horrible, because we had to finish the magazine, and the website, and the endless array of other bits and pieces involved in a big launch like this. When it's finally all over I'm going to sit down and work out just how many posters, mini-magazines, Powerpoint presentations, web graphics and custom DVD cases we had to create and see how horrifying the resultant

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1167582195744821162006-12-31T15:51:00.000Z2006-12-31T16:42:48.476Z

A Year In TransitFor nobody's benefit other than my own, really, but for a while 2006 was the Year Of Indifferent Travel Food and DVT Paranoia. I went to the States so much in the first half of the year I was actually getting bored of it, which is a bit of an achievement given that until mid-2005 I'd only been on a couple of planes in my life. Vague ambition for 2007: head East more

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1167525069488698282006-12-30T23:36:00.000Z2006-12-31T00:31:09.500Z

The trouble with Wikipedia#1"In the real world it is easy to not direct films. I have attempted to retire from directing films in the alternative universe that is the Wikipedia a number of times, but somebody always overrules me. Every time my Wikipedia entry is corrected, within a day I'm turned into a film director again."#2"I have taken some pictures, should it be included in the article? I

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1163463501515084892006-11-14T00:15:00.000Z2006-12-19T17:54:45.730Z

Dinner dinner dinner dinner dinner dinner dinner SEAWORLDATTENDANTScientists have taught dolphins to combine both rhythm and vocalisations to produce music, resulting in an extremely high-pitched, short version of the Batman theme song. Satire: doomed. Dolphins: taking another squeaking flip towards opposable thumbs.(Noted by Scary Man Ellis)

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1162821321676997912006-11-06T13:43:00.000Z2006-11-06T13:55:21.693Z

I am a bad person for laughingRelated Later worksActual detailThe Hindenburg Omen Wikipedia is pretty amazing, really.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1162247613495598572006-10-30T21:54:00.001Z2007-02-15T15:33:49.883Z

So You Want To Be A Games JournalistI'm playing this very straight as I work for some very straight publications, and my years in games journalism have not been the dazzling multiformat affairs that my co-writers have experienced. It's also based on magazines, because they're what I work on, and it's been done in a hurry because I'm trying to launch one at the moment and that's taking up most of

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1161030976632427592006-10-16T20:34:00.000Z2006-10-16T20:38:22.623Z

Just because I remembered him

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1159612171125694822006-09-30T10:24:00.000Z2007-02-14T04:23:25.486Z

No further comment

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1159139554980382562006-09-24T23:10:00.000Z2006-09-24T23:12:34.980Z

And finallyHouse M.D.’s Life and Death 2. Sadly found too late to distract John from his suffering, although I'm sure I'll find another use for the House Head(TM) soon enough.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1159139357901050712006-09-24T21:50:00.000Z2006-09-24T23:09:17.923Z

The lady with the lumpI should be working right now, but the topic I'm supposed to be addressing isn't very interesting and I thought I'd try and work up my linguistic mojo by offering a director's commentary counterpart to John's Appendicitis adventure. It's mostly to point out, because John's too polite to, that my bedside manner leaves quite a lot to be desired, earning a reaction less akin to

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1158703457230687322006-09-19T21:41:00.000Z2006-09-19T22:06:25.643Z

Speaking of whichWhile we're on the subject of dinosaurs, I can't really do any better as a link title than Tyrannnosaurus Sex. Bonus points for including the phrase "Cloacal Kissers," which I immediately noted as a new band name although further research might well reveal that it's better used as a collective noun for a certain breed of commenters on Digg...he said the ancient animals were

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1158702015774427262006-09-19T21:37:00.000Z2006-09-19T21:40:15.786Z

The way we wasI have a terrible fear that when I'm old and senile my lack of reading in earlier life will catch up with me, and my time spent dwelling on better days will be overwhelmed with crap like this.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1157976352386164582006-09-11T11:52:00.000Z2006-09-11T12:05:52.463Z

JudgementJudge Floro was dismissed (or "separated") from the bench in Malabon City, a suburb north of Manila, after questions arose about his practices of starting court days with a reading from the Book of Revelations, conducting faith-healing sessions in chambers, and consulting three "mystic dwarves" named Luis, Armand and Angel for advice and predictions of future events.The intro has a point

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1157535025177279802006-09-06T09:24:00.000Z2007-02-21T01:47:20.250Z

Three things1. Despite the barbed comments of Private Eye, it appears that the police aren't all that familiar with obsolete computers after all. Police investigating the Austrian who kidnapped a child and kept her in his cellar for ten years are having problems with the fact he was using a Commodore 64 that they can't get data off. I'm sure fansites are swamping them with advice even now.2. A

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1157414602602712792006-09-04T23:48:00.000Z2006-09-05T00:03:22.716Z

The write thingFor the first time in my life, I find myself looking forward to a Will Ferrell movie. In fact, probably two. The former I can partially blame on the fact that it uses the piano-y bit from Spoon's The Way We Get By, which I totally was going to use in a film trailer of my own one day, somehow, because it's that perfect combination of no lyrics and jaunty melody that should be

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1154904524030574502006-08-06T22:39:00.000Z2006-08-06T22:48:44.043Z

Original No MoreFor a service that's supposed to foster creativity, Threadless has some achingly uniform submissions. May I be the first to propose a ban, however temporary, of the following topics:1. Lovable Robots2. Swirling Graphical Representation Of How Music Blows Your Mind, Perhaps Not Even Metaphorically, Yeah3. Hilariously Incongruous Star Wars Character/Setting4. Strange Vector Art With

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1154342578752416562006-07-31T10:35:00.000Z2006-07-31T10:42:58.770Z

65% - some nice ideas, but nothing really new I share what I think is Jim's amused horror at his mind not only inventing games, but then reviewing them. Reminds me of the Onion's reportage on a similar subject. I've not had any gaming dreams for ages, myself, but I can't recall anything beyond hazy remixes of whatever I was playing too much of before retiring: that is, WoW or Jawbreaker.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1153912787549339252006-07-26T11:16:00.000Z2006-07-26T11:21:02.170Z

WoahThe suction above the hole resulted in several helicopter crashes, so all flight above the hole is prohibited now.A really, really big hole that Aanand found.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1153436056394652802006-07-20T22:53:00.000Z2006-07-20T22:54:24.406Z

That's a rap(ture)I have been having rapture dreams and I can't believe that this is really it! We are on the edge of eternity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I. Just. No. NO.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1153345972476839462006-07-19T21:50:00.000Z2006-07-19T21:52:52.486Z

Seeing doubleWTF? It's like a rejected first reel of a James Blond script.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1151418677540694602006-06-27T14:07:00.000Z2006-06-27T14:31:17.586Z

Let's just file this under Administrative OverheadThis time instead of just crossing their fingers and hoping the curse would falter, the launch team decided to do something. According to Ash, the ground crew held a ceremony in which a Chumash priest, hired by Lockheed Martin, asked the gods for forgiveness and to remove the curse. And to think Lockheed Martin get so much criticism for

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1150922345344304232006-06-21T20:36:00.000Z2006-06-21T20:39:05.356Z

This your captain speaking. We may experience some turbulence and, explodeAs a suitably fitted-out plane prepares to crash down, an altimeter would trigger explosive charges to make one wing break away from the fuselage and kick the one-winged plane into a horizontal spin.Because airline companies are really keen to install explosives in planes these days. Yup.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1150588994322166192006-06-18T00:01:00.000Z2006-06-18T00:03:14.333Z

Mine too"We have the shot animated that reveals that Winona is not shooting ping-pong balls from her vagina."South Park gets better with time.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1150104719506264192006-06-12T09:25:00.000Z2006-06-12T09:31:59.516Z

Five Achievements I Feel Oddly Proud Of, Although I Really Shouldn't1. Had review quoted on game box2. Achieved enough miles for British Airways Silver Executive Card3. Had submission featured in NTK4. Set up wireless network between three PC's, a Mac and an Xbox 3605. Rolled a car into lampost and survived unscathed(Concept stolen from 5ives, which you should visit).

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1144710110681109072006-04-10T22:29:00.000Z2006-04-10T23:01:50.736Z

Evolutionary failureI know I've been very slack updating this thing lately (sorry again, Emma) but I received documentary proof this week from a letter from the Highways Agency. Header: Accident, 20th November. Date: 6th April. Opening line: "We are sorry to hear of your recent accident and hope you are on the way to recovery." I'm surprised they just addressed to me rather than, say, the

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1141168535337902122006-02-28T23:14:00.000Z2006-02-28T23:15:35.353Z

You Have Got To Be Fucking Kidding MeThe Onion vs. reality. Parody: doomed.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1137026160729536252006-01-12T00:35:00.000Z2007-02-19T01:09:35.626Z

Babes and sucklings"I learned that it was sad and that you had to go to someplace and get stuff." And to think they said that Homer was too heavy-duty for the young ones.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1134870233220665992005-12-18T01:38:00.000Z2005-12-18T01:43:53.230Z

Pieces of flair'Susan Sontag nailed the idea of camp in the 1960s, labeling it as "failed seriousness," but no one has yet put a finger on the failed joviality of the retail age -- and its air of enforced cheer, sentimental prefab and the replication of nostalgia... "I think what it was was that one person had a bunch of crap on their walls and it was successful and everybody followed. Who the

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1134866271121927412005-12-18T00:33:00.000Z2005-12-18T00:37:51.133Z

Christmas FearYearly Christmas letters to Christopher Walken. The rest of the site is mightily interesting too; how can you resist The Anguish?

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1131932111999544592005-11-14T01:30:00.000Z2005-11-14T01:35:28.546Z

GrinnyAt last, a movie about the games industry!This is, of course, terrible. I only hope that the stereotype they've gone for ("We need an utterly pathetic protaganist, a model of someone old who never grew up. I know! We'll make him over 30 yet working in computer games!") is as obviously ridiculous in its crudity as the rest of the film.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1131003092997029852005-11-03T07:17:00.000Z2007-02-14T05:10:44.946Z

Troubled waters..studies reveal “a commonly held attitude that romanticizes suicide from the Golden Gate Bridge in such terms as aesthetically pleasing and beautiful, while regarding a Bay Bridge suicide as tacky.”San Francisco: more sinister than you might think. An insomniac posting because I can't sleep at the moment; not in great health these days, which has contributed to slight depression

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1130197861222789212005-10-24T23:48:00.000Z2005-10-24T23:51:01.226Z

"When only one of the cubicles is occupied the system attempts to construct responses using fragments of online gay chat transcripts. When both cubicles are empty it is quite possible sexBot talks dirty to itself."So glad this got government funding. I wonder if they do a concealed version.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1130188309932128102005-10-24T20:52:00.000Z2005-10-24T21:12:32.863Z

Character defamation"Mr. Harper, for example, says his Elmo is a foe of Batman and Superman, but in cahoots with Mr. Incredible, SpongeBob SquarePants and at least one of the half-dozen Spider-Men who prowl the street."I'm quite pleased about this, and not only at the mouldering Marvel image the quote suggests. I only saw Hollywood for the first time a couple of months ago, and Hollywood

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1130084801467856642005-10-23T16:20:00.000Z2005-10-23T16:26:41.473Z

Illiterary TheoryLord Of The Flies (1955)“I am obsessed with Survivor, so I thought it would be fun. WRONG!!! It is incredibly boring and disgusting. I was very much disturbed when I found young children killing each other. I think that anyone with a conscience would agree with me.”Time's top 100 book list, as rated by the common man. Good work by Matthew for the Morning News.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1128971920550919322005-10-10T19:15:00.000Z2005-10-10T19:18:40.556Z

All I Want For The CretaceousI like the idea of hundreds of kids writing letters to Darwin. "Dear Charles, this year I have been good and learned to use tools. Now I want to evolve LASER EYES."

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1127859447711629642005-09-27T22:15:00.000Z2005-09-27T22:17:27.716Z

Yeah it's just another linkThe new squad will divert eight agents, a supervisor and assorted support staff to gather evidence against "manufacturers and purveyors" of pornography -- not the kind exploiting children, but the kind that depicts, and is marketed to, consenting adults."I guess this means we've won the war on terror," said one exasperated FBI agent, speaking on the condition of

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1127744320389946302005-09-26T14:14:00.000Z2005-09-26T14:18:40.396Z

These are the end timesArmed dolphins, trained by the US military to shoot terrorists and pinpoint spies underwater, may be missing in the Gulf of Mexico.I mean for God's sake. Is there even any room left for science fiction any more?

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1127692465625887442005-09-25T23:51:00.000Z2005-09-26T00:10:24.663Z

Cretin SeasonClipart comics: the future. Admittedly that has already been predicted months ago by various technology types, but they say that about all online phenomena so where's the accountability hmm? Anyway, apparently Get Your War On now featured in the Guardian, along with the Perry Bible Fellowship. Good work, the Guardian!

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1127072911180851822005-09-18T19:44:00.000Z2005-09-18T19:53:56.286Z

Face off"The "consent form" says that this surgery is so novel and so many of its risks unknown that doctors don't think informed consent is even possible."This is great science just for that. But the form is even better:Your face will be removed and replaced with one from a cadaver, matched for tissue type, age, sex and skin color. Surgery should last 8 to 10 hours; the hospital stay, 10 to 14

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1121807370510434322005-07-19T21:04:00.000Z2005-07-19T21:09:30.516Z

Screw the meekAngry Irish Person: I’m deeply offended by the depiction of the leprechaun on the cover of your magazine.Publisher Peter Brafford: I’m sorry. We sort of like it.Angry Irish Person: What do you think would happen if you put a picture of a black person eating fried chicken on your cover?Publisher Peter Brafford: That’s a horrible cover idea.Angry Irish Person: They’d be picketing your

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1116767951460964882005-05-22T12:21:00.000Z2005-05-22T13:19:11.466Z

From Middle Earth with loveWhen the knife bounced off the hidden coat of mail and the man raised a huge real-looking sword over his head, the two would-be muggers fell to their knees, begging: “Have mercy on us, Duncan MacLeod,” mistaking the Tolkien fan for the immortal highlander.Hard times for the Russian elves. I've been feeling the need to post for a while - work having swallowed my spare

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1114910492770459052005-05-01T01:20:00.000Z2005-05-01T01:21:32.770Z

Missed ConnectionI like you because you read magazines with big words. And you’ve got great booblies. I can live without the first. But the second is non-negotiable. Shallow man, 34. When I say ‘shallow’, I mean, damn. Box no. 08/08The London Review of Books has good classified advertising.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1114476839889312342005-04-26T00:52:00.000Z2005-04-26T00:54:43.160Z

Blogging from the frontlineJonty On Tour 2005 says:Oh oh oh. My Documents is now going to be called....Jonty On Tour 2005 says:*drum roll* Jonty On Tour 2005 says:Documents.Tim E says:FUCK METim E says:YOU'RE KIDDING!Jonty On Tour 2005 says:It's so exciting watching history being made.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1112647535685119592005-04-04T20:42:00.000Z2005-04-04T20:45:35.686Z

Bills Need Payin'I find the best things when researching features. And by best, I mean not.Jonty said:"What Ina Epiosed Of Shaman Kimng That They Had Jun and Ren Have Sex? Or Jun and Lee Bailong?????? "Jonty said:"There was no such episode!!!!!!And Jun with Lee would not be incest as they are not related, but necrophilia!!!""Leon: Oh my God! They killed Layla!Yuri: You bastards!Kalos: ..."

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1112531535255303162005-04-03T12:30:00.000Z2005-04-03T12:32:15.256Z

The most patronising post in the world! I can't think of a better way to portray somebody as a complete arse; perhaps it was written by Chris Morris.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1112441090099774102005-04-02T11:23:00.000Z2005-04-02T11:24:50.100Z

Dead AirThis is pretty, although I think the blue-sky weather really makes it.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1110752958088745472005-03-13T22:24:00.000Z2005-03-13T22:29:18.090Z

It's nothing personalEr, so what exactly is permitted, then?

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908789.post-1110634570879825032005-03-12T13:33:00.000Z2005-03-12T13:36:10.880Z

WowThis is brilliant. It turns out creativity in gaming isn't purely being squashed by the distribution model; it's actually being forcibly restricted on a hardware level in next-gen consoles. Plus all sorts of other great stuff. Wish I'd been there.

Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05735589238427636426noreply@blogger.com0