"Then it is dark; a night where kings in golden suits ride elephants over the mountains." - John Cheever

Sunday, September 30, 2007

Least appropriate fun run costumes

Watching the Great North Run on telly a moment ago, I wondered what the least appropriate novelty fun run costume would be. I reckon 'suicide bomber' - that would make everyone run faster.

(I've just posted this by email, by the way. Didn't know you could do that - it's an option in the Blogger settings.)

Telecom Rehab

I wholeheartedly agree with this - bring back the days of phantom meetings and time killed on park benches of an afternoon. The expectation of immediate response to all communications is a tyranny that creates stress and anxiety in the modern worker. People used to communicate by letter and the world seemed to function ok.

Friday, September 28, 2007

I Know What I Know

Might as well keep posting this evening's musical oddessy. Music was definitely better in the 80s.

Boy in the Bubble

Last one. Prophetic, as the one of the YouTube commentators notes.

In Your Eyes

Actually Peter Gabriel is way better than Phil and Co of the same era



Will now stop posting youtube videos (for this evening anyway) as QI is about to start.

Invisible Touch



Another storming track from back in the day. Phil Collins pretending that his drumsticks are a microphone is bloody annoying even 20 years later. Some part of me still reckons 1980s grey flecked suits are dead cool though, couple of beauts on show here.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Dark Ages



Not as polished as the (later) album version but this ROCKS from 4:57 in. Also check the lyrics. Awesome.

Buckie Gift Pack


Apparently spotted in a Glasgow Haddows: bottle of Buckfast, 20 Mayfair and some skins.

Scots rank second in world for obesity

Obesity levels in Scotland are the second highest in the developed world behind the US, statistics have revealed.

Come on Scots! Let's beat the Yanks and be number 1! Double pie suppers all round...

My Desk...


DSC00006
Originally uploaded by johnmain.

Relaxing, creative workspace you betcha!

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Writer's Rooms

I find things like this strangely fascinating - particularly when you see how makeshift and uncomfortable some of their set ups are. There was a good programme on Radio 4 about this once too, although I can't remember who any of the anecdotes were about - people who could only write standing up, or by dictating perfectly formed sentences to a scribe and so on. The collected Paris Review interviews are also good on this stuff.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Manilow - what a star

Really! Is it just me or is he turning into Julian Clary btw?

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Facebook in the Flesh

"Jean Baudrillard, as any philosophy student will tell you, theorized that, in the postmodern world, “the territory no longer precedes the map.” In other words, if you are a member of N.Y.U.’s class of 2011, you probably arrived in New York City with a pre-existing web of soon-to-be college friends from Facebook..."

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Scotland 1 - 0 France



Blimey - what were the chances of that happening? Can we possibly keep it up and actually qualify for a tournament? (I'm suspending my self-imposed avoidance of football for one evening only.)

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Kill the Gun

Check out this brilliant commercia.l If only commercials directors were getting this kinds of commissions more often the tired cliche that "advertising is art" would have a bit more going for it.

Friday, September 07, 2007