Living In The Future

It’s easy, what with the lack of jet-packs, flying cars, laser beams, and hoverboards, to be a little cynical about the state of things today. However, sitting here, 10,000 meters above the ground, having lost track of the amount of times I’ve actually been to America, a country that seemed so far away to me when I was, being told fabulous stories of television channels full of cartoons and Toys R Us shops that spanned multiple floors, watching Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy on a box smaller than a pack of cigarettes that also happens to hold my entire music collection (and how we laughed at the Going Live April Fool of Chippy, all those years ago), well, we got some of the future, I think. Also, the SkyMall has adverts for an automatic margarita maker, a giant remote control the size of a kilogram bar of Daily Milk, and spring-loaded shoes that promise to make you two inches taller and feel like you’re ‘defying gravity’. Tom Cruise has probably ordered dozens.

(As an aside, A fun game to play while watching Tinker, Tailor is to wonder what you'd be forced to change if you were making it today. By my reckoning, the entire first episode would be compressed into five minutes, ten at the most.)

I have three hours left Time for some The Power of Nightmares (it restores my faith in William Kristol's punchabilty after all. Jarvis on the iPod. Coming over Halifax, Nova Scotia. Did the future contemplate INDIE KARAOKE? I think not. And that, my friends, is where Blade Runner failed. Along with thinking that everybody would simply forget to clean things for a decade or so.

Sadly, I have to report that change comes to everything eventually. Yes, the mid-afternoon snack on AA173, the long-cherished pizza with its dense dough, is no more. In its place? A vegetable cheese panini. Not quite as good, I think.

RDU: As cheerfully inept as ever.

Amusingly, Stacie and I went to Weaver Street Market to say hello to Collin before heading out to get something to eat with Laura. In the space of five minutes, I bumped into Janet Jones (who was in charge of looking after the CS grad students while I was at UNC), and Julia Grace, who took a class I was TA for back in 2002. She's now a grad student there herself. I can see why I like this place!

currently playing: Lucky Soul – Get Outta Town!

You Shouldn't Go Away Angry

So, I’ll just point out that Virgin Media are useless, cretinous morons…

Tomorrow: America again!

currently playing: Life On Mars

In Case You Needed It!

The Phelps Family respond to Louis Theroux’s documentary on Sunday night. I’m sure it’s full of reasoned argument!

currently playing: Low – Hatchet

Something Positive About A Record Company? Heavens!

Shocking, isn’t it? But, with the announcement of EMI allowing Apple to sell unprotected songs on iTunes, we’re finally seeing a chink in the entertainment industry’s love of DRM. Yes, they’re slightly more expensive (though this is mitigated by doubling the bitrate of the songs from 128k AAC to 256k and keeping the price the same for buying full albums).

Hopefully, this will be the start of a host of music labels selling non-DRM encumbered tracks, and as a bonus, the end of the stupid 'iTMS lock-in' story that continues to crop up from time to time.

currently playing: Prefab Sprout – When Love Breaks Down

TARDIS Cake!

Easter Mushrooms!

Alias Smith And Jones

Now, that was a promising start. I imagine Outpost Gallifrey exploded during the ‘brother’ bit, though…

I have pictures to show you tomorrow. Impressive pictures. It's BIGGER ON THE INSIDE!

currently playing: Lucky Soul – Ever Yours I Remain

Be My Friend

I guess trying to be Martha’s friend would be the geekiest idea, ever, yes? And yet…

(YAY! TOMORROW!)

currently playing: The National – Slow Show

Nerdy Post

SQLite: Why have I only just fallen for your charms?

currently playing: Lucky Soul – The Towering Inferno

A little extra detail on a Child In A Million

You can rewire your brain by simply just thinking! It’s that easy!

Yes, right.

What the documentary didn't show is that she has relapsed. It's not something that you can just push away from your mind. Plus, Bonnie's consultant thinks that the approach used in Five's TV show just doesn't work. And all it takes is one day to knock out all that progress and set you back even further.

Still, we haven't tried heroin yet :).

currently playing: Dusty Springfield – Son Of A Preacher Man