[overhead shot of a table in an expensive modern-european restaurant. It's not a capital, but it's one of those cities on the thinktank/summit-circuit that treaties get named after. Two people are talking. A man in his fifties and a woman in her mid thirties. Both are understated in appearance, but obviously expensively dressed. Both of their smartphones are turned screen-down on the table. It's unclear to us who is the most important. And it's unclear which one is saying the following]
Governments and corporates know me as 'Switchboard', which is how I like to keep it.
I have an aptitude.
Well, a few aptitudes.
But, mainly - I'm very good at people.
Especially those who can't really be described as people anymore. I know what they're good for, what they want and - how to get hold of them.
I've never saved the world, but I've probably had lunch with someone who has.
I'm who you call if you have, y'know - a *really* big problem.
[ringtone]
sl;adfj;ajksdf
If you could to create your own music band, whom would you put in it?
Submitted by Jack Yan.
I'd have Watt on the bass and George Hurley on drums. Rhythm sections don't get any better than that.
While not having read that much Iain M. Banks, I find myself thinking in Culture Ship names an awful lot. Blip.fm seems to encourage it. I try and think up a culture ship name that sums up the song I'm going to blip. No idea why. I enjoy it greatly however.
The tragedy of the commons is a myth.
There is a vast conspiracy enacted by those who would steal the common off the goose.
A giant distributed clan of supervillainy: the free-riders.
They are sent across the globe and beyond - into our fictions and our factions to ensure that the tragedy plays out as prophesised.
They cannot be reasoned with, they cannot be bought (as they are freeriders) - the only way they can be stopped is by applying a sharp pinch to their left elbow and when they turn around on their hard heels, giving them an extremely disapproving, disappointed look.
Start now.
2,2,2,2,then 5. I'm starting from an initial test of only two, and I didn't think I'd even be able to do 13 today already.
hi, i've been slacking with online stuff (work is crazed and killing me), but...
went to Madrid and Seville in March--pics here
And these are just wonderful--love them!-- Jorge Bispo's pics--
VESTIDO DE NOIVA
Great track - cheap, nasty video.
Well this weekend we found ourselves at a loose end so I managed to find last minute tickets for the legendary Sonics. Wow!
Firstly the compere (why do they have comperes at gigs?) came out and informed us that, sadly, Pete Doherty would not be appearing tonight. The audience let out a huge cheer. We laughed in relief that the talentless troll wouldn't be there. Anyway, the DJ was playing some great 60s tunes so we were quite happy to hear that instead.
Eventually The Horrors strolled out on stage. They're so thin I imagine that when they're on tour they post themselves from one venue to the next. They make an incredible noise, and constantly threaten to fall apart without ever quite losing it. I saw them over a year and a half ago and I think they've got better - although they are quite exhausting to watch.
One of the more disturbing things while watching the band was there was a chap in a flat cap standing next to us who was constantly farting. It was eye watering.
The Sonics took a little while to start their set - probably due to some minor technical issues that continued through the set. It has to be said, while the sound is nowhere near as raw as their sixties heyday, they still rocked. A few tunes sounded a bit too comfortable, a bit too, umm, Butlins and yet they could still do a tremendous Louie Louie. And if you can make that old warhorse sound fresh then you must have something special.
As always, someone has posted clips to YouTube. They're actually pretty good quality.
This is curently on heavy rotation in my head. It's a great piece of psychedelic pop.
