I don't often give special shout outs on this here blog. Let's face it, I don't post a great deal either. But there's a sale over at my mate's blog and talk, it turns out, is cheap. You should check it out on the link below or via my blog roll.
Talk It Is Cheap is the true story of a single, chauvinistic, twentysomething, English man in New York.
Head on over and leave comments.
I don't know if that's true. I find 'proliferation' very hard to say. 'Sorry' is easy. I say it all time - too much even.
The last one's a bit of a cop out, to be honest. But it's something I've been doing a lot of recently. (Not 'copping off', mind you. Nothing's changed in that respect.)
But I haven't been posting much and I am sorry.
In a post entitled 'Cop Out', fellow blogger (and one time 'real life' friend) Wanderingjess perfectly captures my feelings of late.
I've just been beat lately, a little emotionally drained and a little too scattered to blog. (sigh)
And now I'm wondering, like Jess (but with an 'o' not an 'a'), do I bring you up to speed with the recent happenings not covered by this blog?
Or, like the first episode in the returning season of an American TV show (which is quite how I see my life), gently reintroduce the themes (social faux pas) and characters (me) that are recurrent in this blog?
This being the Internet - and me being quite lazy - I'm going to opt for the latter.
But please, browse the archives of this site, expect more regular updates and, inevitably, more social faux pas from here on.
Right, I'm off to a fancy dress party...
Removing Dawson's Creek from my list of favourite TV shows on social networking site, Facebook, had the exact opposite effect yesterday, when its 'news feed' announced the move to my entire network of friends.
"'San Sharma removed Dawson's Creek from his favourite TV shows'?" Bill wrote on my wall. "...you big gay."
I tell you what, it's a bloody good job that I'm very secure in my sexuality...
I came across MyHeritage.com via a MySpace profile that had posted a "Celebrity Collage".
As part of its development on face recognition in genealogy (and part gimmick, clearly), MyHeritage.com reads your photo, detects your face and, by way of dubious algorithm, associates it with the celebrities you resemble the most.
I thought I'd have a go.
WARNING: Okay kids, this one's got some bad language.
But it's f****** funny.
A highlight of Yahoo’s Finds of the Year awards, if not the highlight, the Hoffice Calendar is making the rounds with bored office workers, ironic students and genuine German fans. If the Hoff isn’t already hanging off your wall download it now.
I once lived with a guy from Essex - and this isn't a limmerick - who, at least twice a day, would raise his palm flat above his head and exclaim in his whiny, southern accent, "I've had it up to here." If I had the energy, it being a good two hours past my bedtime, or if I felt I could do Steve justice, I might motion the very same gesture. I'm tired and my head is filled with the stories of woe, sorrow and sickening torture that I've read today in print and online media.
Hoping for some lighter bedtime reading I set my lapdog, as I've decided to call my computer, to Best of Craigslist, a refreshingly ad-free, no frills online community with user generated content, the best of which usually warrants 'LOL' in the true sense of the 'word'.
I read a post from the Missed Connections section on the recommendation that it was 'funny'. That word, I think, is banded around perhaps too much nowadays. The post, one man's story of losing his love in translation, didn't make me laugh. It, the news of the world, and the very desperate fact that at 2:45am you're all I have to talk to, has left me feeling kind of sad. Well, if I'm going down...Here's the link: 'I Chased You for 12 Years...'
Night night.
It's not unusual that when writing a blog entry I might consult the Internet for research purposes, accuracy of dates, an online thesaurus for my fancy words, that sort of thing. For my last post I came across this video clip of Lancaster University students in the 1960s, discussing their time on campus. Look out for the foxy German girl ("we have been designed a special tutor for our academical problem"), and the American, glad to discover that "they have Coke here!"
Unfortunately, this video clip is only available to viewers on the campus network. So Mike, Nick et al., this one's for you.
Video Clip (Windows Media).
Hey, just a quick post to update you on the Michael Jackson story. I wrote the following a few days ago as a comment to the previous post regarding those allegations but thought I'd bring it here to the fore, as rarely do people read replies to entries:
"Of course, Michael Jackson should be presumed innocent, but the legal eagles and other such ‘beacons’ of justice involved in this case should not be presumed guilty of orchestrating a conspiracy against Jackson and his right to a fair trial. Sadly, in a week in which a new allegation of child abuse against Jackson has been reported by the media I suspect this is the case.
"The reported incident took place in L.A. twenty years ago and if, as CNN reported, the alleged victim is now eighteen years old, Jackson may be guilty of molesting an unborn child. These new complaints were brought to the police by the familiar team of lawyer Gloria Alred, professional critic of Jackson’s lifestyle, currently working the daytime TV circuit, and Carole Lieberman, the same Beverly Hills psychiatric who filed last year’s allegations and counselled the new alleged victim, helping him recover repressed memories of the assault. It’s a small world, but one in which surprisingly the numbers work in Jackson’s favour. According to a study conducted by the National Crimes Against Children Laboratory, only one in three accusations of child abuse leads to indictment. And incidentally, when this new claim involving Jackson was uncovered by the LAPD as a hoax it was reported with far less zeal.
"The claim’s dismissal could have gone unnoticed altogether, leaving a potential jury pool thinking that third strike means out for Jackson – guilty by association right? Where there’s smoke there’s fire? Not quite. The allegation and its timing suggest that Jackson is an open-season target for those with a get-rich-quick-scheme in mind. After all, he still represents deep pockets. Oh, and while all this was going on, did something happen in Iraq?"
And this just in: The sordid details of the actual charges were leaked to ABC News today, most probably by Jackson's prosecutor, Santa Barbara DA Tom Sneddon, whose case against the singer suffered a blow yesterday when it was reported that the boy's testimony was 'shaky' and 'inconsistent'.
The coincidental leakage of a child psychologist report in all its horrid, tabloid worthy detail and the graphic images it conjures (just imagine Michael Jackson naked sans make-up) will inevitably taint the jury pool if the case goes to court. We must remember of course, while the media might forget, that these details allegedly took place, and that word is very important. Too often the boy is referred to in the media as "the victim" rather than "the alleged victim." And very few media outlets are commenting on the statement in the report in which the psychologist told the alleged victim that he could get money if he won a lawsuit against Michael Jackson. And so the story continues...watch this space.
While you do that why not use your other eye to read this rather brilliant editorial from the anti-corporate, politically aware arts magazine, popCULTmedia, The Slow Murder of Michael Jackson: Fear and the Sexiness of the Undead?
Man, I've got to write this blog 'live'. Like, strap it to my head or something. I always think to note the funny things that happen in my day. I've just logged on to get this down after talking to Beth, who oddly knows the ages of B-list celebrities off the top of her head. "Stockard Channing," she pauses, "59."
What are the other things...oh yeah. Walking to class the other day, I was thinking of a friend of ours, AJ's online journal. I say to Beth, "AJ's blog is so much better than mine." I had read in his a description of walking through Harvard, snow falling on the Quad. "It really inspired me to start a blog," I said thoughtfully. "Hmm..." Beth said "It really inspired me to go to Harvard."
There are more funny stories, I'm sure, but until I remember them or find a way to strap this blog to "my head or something", I'll leave you with a New York Times article about, amongst other things, gay penguins: Love That Dare Not Squeak Its Name. Sticking to the penguin theme, try this Shockwave game.
