I saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory yesterday. In general it’s a decent version of the story. But let’s not forget that it’s a children’s book so the plot isn’t exactly complex :) However, there was one thing that really annoyed me about it. And that was the blatant Americanisation of the dialogue. The book… Continue reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Author: Dave Cross
Please Forget Me
The previous entry about Rojo (and, in particular, Aristole’s comment) reminds me of big complaint that I have about pretty much all web sites – which is that they like to make it incredibly difficult to close your account with them. Oh, I understand completely why that is. If you’ve registered with a web site… Continue reading Please Forget Me
Rojo.com – How Not To Send Email
Rojo is an RSS reader. I tried it out for a week or so last year, but soon decided that I still prefered Bloglines and forgot about Rojo. That is, I forgot about them until a couple of weeks ago. Then I got an email from them. They had decided that they would start to… Continue reading Rojo.com – How Not To Send Email
Political Weblogs
Tim Ireland launches the Political Weblog Project where he aims to get as many elected representatives as possible using weblogs to encourage two-way communication with the people they represent. I think this is a great idea. And not just because he has nice things to say about my own political weblog.
Dell Again
The new Dell computer I recently ordered has been shipped. I predict a weekend of Linux installation. And remember my complaints about their customer service and how I didn’t get the free delivery I thought I was entitled to? Well that’s all been sorted out and they’re refunding the money.
Warming hits ‘tipping point’
This could get serious. A vast expanse of western Siberia is undergoing an unprecedented thaw that could dramatically increase the rate of global warming, climate scientists warn today. Researchers who have recently returned from the region found that an area of permafrost spanning a million square kilometres – the size of France and Germany combined… Continue reading Warming hits ‘tipping point’
Ruby on Rails
All the cool kids are talking about Ruby on Rails. It’s apparently the next big thing in web development. As Danny O’Brien said at OSCON, Ruby on Rails seems to have gone through the whole “first they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win” process in about three… Continue reading Ruby on Rails
Patriotism – The New Chauvinism
George Monbiot on form as ever in today’s Guardian. Out of the bombings a national consensus has emerged: what we need in Britain is a renewed sense of patriotism. The rightwing papers have been making their usual noises about old maids and warm beer, but in the past 10 days they’ve been joined by Jonathan… Continue reading Patriotism – The New Chauvinism
The Disinterested Media
An interesting anecdote about Alastair Campbell from John Humphrys’ book Lost for Words. In order to follow the story, you need to know two things about Campbell. Firstly that he was Downing Street’s Director of Communication (and could therefore be assumed to know a little about the English language) and secondly that he often accused… Continue reading The Disinterested Media
The Internet is 10
The internet is 10 this week. Well, no, of course it isn’t. It’s been around in some form or another since 1969. But a leader in today’s Guardian says that this week is being celebrated as the tenth anniversary of the internet as a mass phenomenon – and I can’t really argue with that. Interestingly,… Continue reading The Internet is 10