Judging an e-Book by its cover

Here in the UK, there has only been the faintest ripple of interest in Kindle, the wireless reading device which, endorsed by Oprah Winfrey, is making a big splash across the Pond.  Effectively an iPod for books, Kindle allows you to download books via Amazon and access them much like the iPod access music via iTunes.  Kindle, with its smooth white rectangular shape, even channels the spirit of Apple’s creation.  The Kindle application can also be added to your iPhone so that your iPhone effectively becomes an e-reader.

It’s All Gone Too Far

Facebook is a wonderful (if not invasive) phenomenon. Each bulletin board shrine to our good selves can update a multitude of people – our ‘friends’ and ‘network’- as to where we’re at in a nanosecond. And conversely, we can apprise ourselves as to what our friends, family, acquaintances and stalkees are up to at any given moment. Many of us acknowledge this as a fairly useful, sometimes necessary, addition for keeping up with folks in our busy lives. And Microsoft seems to have confirmed this with a rumoured deal of US$250 billion for a minority stake in the networking site.

A very MySpace sense of (dis)proportion

Put on the guestlist of a friend’s DJ’ing gig at the rather cozy Luminaire (Timeout venue of the year last year) on Saturday night, I was startled to find out that the guestlist had been abolished and the compulsory doorcharge was now going to Amnesty International. Because the night’s music promoter had died.

Further queries revealed the cause of his untimely demise to be electrocution by err… electric guitar. The poor chap had apparently been strumming away when a current had unexpectedly coursed through the instrument.

How totally rock’n'roll.

Hello World and all that…

I've gotten widda programme, become 'citizen journalist', so to speak, and joined the blogging masses…

More fun than email updates and wordpress.com seems to have a suitably slick aesthetic – much better than xanga.com which looks a little amateurish now although it was fun at the time. (I've yet to figure out how to actually get a copy/file of all my xanga posts/photos before deleting that blog – any tips would be useful). I also preferred wordpress.com's look to blogger.com but only time will tell how everything will work out. I've read that wordpress.com is particularly susceptible to spam.

Anyway, it's been a tiring couple of weeks getting out and about, seeing people, meeting a new baby, and generally taking advantage of London's improving weather… although by 'improving' i actually mean i can ditch my woollen coat for a jumper and jacket, preferably a waterproof one!

Still, London is its usual buzzy self despite the continuous mist of precipitation. I still love the fact that if I've decided i'm keen on underground Burmese wooden puppet animation circa 1926, there would probably be a relevant exhibition or film on somewhere.

Also quite looking forward (in a geeky anorakish sort of way) to exploring the wonderful world of blogging!

To infinity and beyond, wot.