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Sunday Roast: come midnight you’re the wedding fairy
No roast last week after all but as I am the new and improved no excuse Cas, let us just leave that aberration in the past where it belongs and start afresh, hey? Tell me what you think about the new template here on Bright Meadow 2 (I’d forgotten the joys of quick switching, bless wordpress.com) - I like it. There are things I’d tweak, but it is more in the direction of where I want the shiny new Bright Meadow to be going. I haven’t forgotten brightmeadow.co.uk, honestly! It is sadly just a little bit down the list of priorities after family celebrations and job interviews and doctor stuff and… Gack!
This is excuse territory, isn’t it? The proper site hasn’t been forgotten. I want to be back there and soon. If there was a simple way to merge the two without loosing my archive, then I would seriously contemplate letting WordPress.com manage the back-end for a while, but I don’t think there is a simple way to merge the databases. If you know better, shout up!
Followers of twitter might have seen me dash off to London on Friday for the CCMs 60th birthday. The whole family descended on the Rules restaurant for a surprise party. It all went off without a hitch, some panicked dashing from tube to flat, back to tube, then sneaking down backstreets (the ONE time the Circle line was quicker than the Northern had to be Friday night!) not withstanding. I will say heaven help all of us is the fate of the world depends on the Kemp family remaining calm during the execution of a plan!
I think I have vacillated long enough. Ignoring the stack of bookmarks I have to wade through will not get this roast written any quicker…
I saw the speech therapist this week and she has decided that my voice reflects my general state of wellbeing - which is to say, a big pile of smelly horse poo. She was also impressed/horrified with how tense all my back and neck muscles are. Her main advice (along with assorted vocal exercises designed to make a fool of me)? Relax and pamper myself. Now this advice I like, so perhaps I need to meditate myself well?
Going traveling? You could do worse than have a quick check of the CIA World Factbook
Having worked to help assorted people into training and employment for the past two years, I have to say I am not really surprised at the revelation that careers advise is patchy in this country. I would be tempted to go one further and say it can be “dire”, especially for the legion of adults with lower skill levels.
Are you dreaming of a 3D web? I like the idea but you know what I really want? One of those snazzy immersive 3D computing environments I keep reading about and seeing in sci-fi. Give me my 21st century technology already!
Do we really want our government following us to our social network spaces? Me, I am not sure. It comes down to choice: to take the Wembley example used in the article; I choose to go to Wembley to listen to the advice that will be dispensed to me (what I do with that advice is another matter). I can also choose NOT to go. It is/would be much harder to make this choice were the officials to come to me on social spaces where I have no expectation to see them. You also run the risk of large numbers of people missing out on this specialist information being dispensed. Take the example of advice on additives also used in the article. Yes, the users of the particular network where the NHS official steps in gets the benefit of immediate and accurate advice. What about the legion of people not registered on that service? Is it realistic to expect that NHS official to spread the word across the entire net? Far rather, perhaps, for the information to be in once central place (i.e., the NHS website maybe?) and then people can go looking for it when they want it. And they can trust this information to be up-to-date (because can you also expect that official to go back and update the advice he left six months ago who-knows-where when the perceived wisdom changes?)
The Venezuelan’s don’t like the Simpsons, preferring Baywatch instead. To be fair, who can blame them, but is it really more “appropriate” for children?!
Has the conversation moved into the flow? I won’t use me as a case study as I am just pants at commenting anywhere, but what are y’all finding is happening with your conversations?
One of my all-time favourite photographers has a book for sale. Go. Buy!
The Internet is stopping authors writing. Not because it offers endless distraction as you might think, but because of piracy is making some big-name authors loose out on some royalties. I over generalise but the tone of the article just irritated me. What about the ways that the internet is helping authors? One line does admit that Amazon “has found that its “Search Inside” function… has increased sales.” Or generating interest for new books through word of mouth and other marketing techniques? Making people who would otherwise never get a book deal, get a book deal? Yes, it is a time of change, but the internet is just a tool. Potentially scary. Potentially exciting.
Look at your Twitter in a different way
To counteract the doom of the Times article, have a look at what Pan Macmillan are doing to the eBook. A lovely special edition, with more content than the print version, drm free, and open to bookmarking and annotating by you, the reader. (Note, “drm free” does not equate to “free free”. You still have to pay money for this!)
Fantasy or Science Fiction? I am an equal opportunities reader and wallow gleefully in both fantasy and SF titles (I think I picked up Azimov and Clarke before McCaffrey, but it was a close run thing), but apparently that makes me an oddity. What does it for you?
I have always had a little part of me that wanted the lifestyle of a traveller. To pick up and take my home wherever I would… The CCM is actually living the dream to an extent - whilst tied to the corporate machine for a certain extent, his home is as fully mobile as the canal network allows it to be. There is something truly wonderful to just move, having a different view each morning if that is what you desire. I like roots and my space but this way you take your “space” with you. *Dare to Dream* says the romantic in me! So it is always good to hear of people acutaly doing it. Now I just need to find me a career that enables me to travel like this!
What makes a good book review?
Trailers for Abi (lots this week to make up for there being none last week!):
My Blueberry Nights
Falling for Grace - good old mistaken identity and class division; where would romantic comedy be without you?
Usually I end with the movie trailers. This week, I’m going to end with a request from two crazy friends who are running the London Marathon right at this moment. Donate, don’t donate, that is up to you.
Cat - running for beat
Hannah (who is also doing the New York marathon later this year. Double crazy!) - running for the Alzheimer’s Society
And that is me done. Wow that took longer than usual for some reason! I now have to go write an online marketing campaign, somehow turning these notes into a coherent plan. *whimper*
Filed under: Sunday Roast
Interesting SF vs. Fantasy debate. I’ve always preferred fantasy to read, but SF does make some very good films. Though I suspect I’ve read a lot more SF than I realise because many are mainstreamed.
Good point about films there - in general, films made from fantasy books suck so badly they are actually rather funny, but SF films not so much. Perhaps it is something to do with SF having a *bit* more of a grounding in reality?