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Back to work, and the expected pile of things to do. Also a review meeting with the boss, agreeing some targets. She's into a phase of doing things by small increments, which is broadly in keeping with my philosophy. It's war, Jim, but not as we know it |
A ponderous day, with things buzzing in, flying round, then buzzing out. Printer at the far office, PC with suspect memory, all not good; all under control, I think. War goes bang Angela Bigos: |
Another day, another virus. This one is NIMBY, or NERYS, or something equally stupid. It infects people dim enough to rely on Microsoft products. And, as ever, it causes a minor panic from those people who don't understand that a Nutscrape-based company is a safe company. Letterman Monday After seeing some *amazingly* positive reviews of Letterman Monday on tvbarn, I ran a tape under the next-night repeat on ITV2, watched it the next night, and post about it the next night. (Confused? Good!:) Everyone said how moving Letterman was. He was emotional, but I thought the real emotion was written all over Tom Brokaw. Journalists are paid not to break down on air. But journalists are human, too, and I find it more comforting to be reminded of that from time to time. Mayor Giuliani *has* been a great leader through this crisis. Mayor Giuliani wouldn't use the word "crusade" to describe his campaign; a word that carries the same baggage in the Arab world as "jihad" carries in the West. Mayor Giuliani wouldn't mix his metaphors between the wild west and statesman-like language. And, as Rather pointed out, Mayor Giuliani wouldn't tolerate the thick divisions between the FBI and CIA. Namedroppers paulo: |
Well, it turns out that our existing anti-virus software is full of more holes than a Gruyere cheese, and we have to go running round updating to a new version, one that will probably turn out to have as many holes as a string vest. Hints and tips that there's a huge scandal looming about UK Millionaire. The story knocking the US war off the front page of the Sun is a small hint for the illiterate. Further coverage in TWIGS... War! Bang! War! Bang! Tom Panarese: |
Perhaps not as frantic as yesterday, but it's the calm before the storm with blown "anti-virus" software that doesn't really work, even after the upgrade. You know it's autumn when... ... the central heating kicks in ... the lawn is growing fallen leaves faster than grass ... it's still dark when you wake up ... you get your jumpers out of the draw they've been sitting in since the start of summer ... swallows no longer live on the telegraph wires ... the pub down the road is advertising for Christmas lunches ... you can see your breath steam up outside ... the moths that have been living in your jumper all summer hit you with their little suitcases ... the weatherman says "It's a bit nippy out." ... the nights and days are equal ... you finish this post. Fallout paulo, quoting Someone: |
The parents' bathroom is being redecorated, so they pop over here for a shower, dragging kid sis with them. Spend an alarmingly large amount at the store, but a good part of that has gone on a block of cheese and three weeks' orange juice. Another good chunk goes on main courses for a week. War Simulations From The 1270s On MSNBC! So I was watching CNBC, waiting for them to play an old Leno from way back when. (I'm still waiting, by the way. They showed the "unpreecedented" Friday Tribute show instead.) They were simulcasting MSNBC, and they had a couple of talking heads in the studio, earnestly discussing the locations of the ships and aircraft sent to the Middle East. Our network anchor indicated the position of the ships and aircraft by judicious use of stars on a wall chart. Is that the best they can do? Ten years ago, the BBC constructed a scale model sandpit of the Persian Gulf, complete with running water, toy ships and aircraft, and let Peter Snow run loose in his playpen. For this conflict, they've already constructed a three-dimensional virtual reality Supermap, where the presenter can move craft. For a network that is supposedly sponsored by one of the world's biggest computer software companies to still use the same technology they had when covering the Battle of Agincourt is completely risible. Of course, there is the chance that they, too, constructed a high-tech Supermap, only it's on a Microsoft-powered computer, and, er, it went down. |
It's a grey day, heavily overcast and getting really dark by 6pm. There's no wind, no real rain, but it's not condusive to long walks. OK for clearing the lawn of leaves, at least collecting them into bags, but little more. Strange little girl Victoria C: |
Familiar names at the top of America's countdowns. Alicia Keys' "Fallin" returns to the top of the Hot 100 after a three week gap. Lifehouse's "Hanging By A Moment" dethrones Train from the Adult Top 40 throne after nine weeks - the group first topped that chart fourteen weeks ago. Enya's "Only Time" becomes her first Adult Contemporary #1, and the first new topper of that chart since Faith Hill began her reign at the end of June. There hasn't been a male voice on the AC #1 since N'Sync's "This I Promise You" vacated the throne at the end of March. Internationally, Janet's "Someone To Call My Lover" holds on for a sixth week, by the skin of her teeth - or, to be exact, less than 1/6th of one percent. She vacates the top slot in Canada, replaced by "Fallin'," the Alicia Keys record that is #2 globally. Janet's also off the top in the foreign language markets, replaced by Jamiroquai's pan-European hit "Little L." Jamiroquai drop off the UK #1 album, replaced by Macy Gray's sophomore set, "The Id." Spiritualized has the #3 set.
A big climb for the debut hit by Alien Ant Farm. It is, of course, the loud rocking cover of Michael Jackson's 1988 hit, and somehow manages to add to the original while being a slightly lesser song. No, I don't know how they manage it. Highest new entry is for Victoria Posh Spice Aadams Beckham, with her first solo single proper. She gave vocal extensions to the Truesteppers' "Out Of Your Mind," which heavily lost the battle of the bands in August last year to Spiller's "Groovejet." Her group may have had ten number one hits; as a solo act, she can but scrape that charmed circle. The dumper beckons already. Shaggy is on the third single from his album, Travis the second. If you've heard the acts, you know what to expect. Michael Jackson posts a useful climb, 35-24. Starsailor has yet another classy, angsty, guitar-driven rock tune debut, "Alcoholic" is #33. Former Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown has "F E A R," probably his best tune yet, bow at #40. The Weaver 21 Highest new hit is a slice of pure pop from the Allstars, a group put together for kids' television, and not quite so credible (or popular) as S Club 7. A belated entry for Macy Gray's first release in over a year, it's been a slow grower, and last week's distractions didn't help. A similar story explains Dido. |
University Challenge The David and Goliath contest of Imperial London taking on De Montfort. Imperial beat St Andrews, Lancaster, Exeter, Warwick and the LSE en route to the 96 title. Defending the following year, they lost the opener to St Catherine's Cambridge, came back as high-scoring losers only to lose to Manchester. Last year, Imperial soundly beat Cranfield, Durham, sneaked past Manchester, thrashed Hull and beat St John's Oxford in the final. De Montfort features three postgrads, which appears to be cheating slightly. Undergrads might have done better, as they're trailing 115-0 when Paxo belatedly takes the picture bonuses. Are we on for the lowest score ever? Perhaps not; Jo White gets the Leicester institution off the ground, and gets the chance to snarl "You stupid boy!" - a catchphrase from DAD'S ARMY - at Paxo. They finally pass 40 just after the music round, and trail by a mere 110. This is the beginning of a mini-revival for DM, cutting the gap to 85 after the second picture round. This is as good as it gets, Imperial marching ahead like champions, DM creeping past the century right at the end. The final score: 250-110. Star of the show is Lloyd Kilford of Imperial, getting 7 starters and 102 points. Captain Darius Fidgett failed to buzz once. Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Which of the following is least likely to get their hands on a million pounds any time soon? A) Chris Tarrant B) Celador staff C) The Lawyers D) Charles Ingram Watching last Saturday's (Sept 15) Millionaire, I noticed something was rather unusual. Part way through, Chris Tarrant announced a "specially extended" show. I knew ITV had pulled the film scheduled to follow Millionaire, and adding time to the quiz seems a reasonable way of plugging the gap. He introduced ten new contestants, made a swift change of suit, and played on. Only there was a heck of a lot of litter on the floor. The sort of confetti we saw when Judith Keppel won her million last November, and David Edwards just four episodes earlier in April. And then Chris made pointed references to people winning *another* million and the *next* millionaire, just as he'd made on the shows after Judith stormed the tower. The truth was stranger yet. By the end of the week, this would be the first story in ten days to knock terrorist acts off the front page of any national newspaper. Major Charles Ingram wants to be a millionaire. Major Charles Ingram wants to be a millionaire really, really badly. But first, he's got to answer fifteen questions from Chris. And, according to press reports this week, he may also have to answer questions from Inspector Knacker, without using any lifelines. The Major called the phone lines, got on the show, and won Fastest Finger First, as over four hundred people in the UK have done before. To the best of my knowledge, it's rare to have the spouse of a former contestant make the hot seat before - wife Diana took £32,000 just before Easter, and her husband Adrian won a similar amount earlier in the year. Indeed, Diana wrote a book on how to win money through game shows. But it looked as if Ingram was going to go down well short of his goal, after using all three lifelines to reach £8000. However, he moved on, taking his time, thinking about each answer, mulling over the options before deciding. Eventually, he got the Million Pound Question correct, causing the release of the confetti and much jubilation amongst the audience. Suspicions at Celador were aroused when the audience, usually as quiet as mice without their vocal cords, started coughing just as Ingram was about to answer questions. These suspicions have prompted Celador to freeze the winning cheque, and hand the matter over to the Metropolitan Police. According to unconfirmed rumours in the press, and some speculation by your correspondent, one of his two relatives in the audience had a mobile phone silently transmitting the show to an accomplice at home. That person did the research, and communicated the correct answer by text message. The chain was completed by the very low-tech means of coughing. "ITV's job is to ensure the integrity of the programme. It is a big programme and concerns have to be taken seriously," said a spokesperson on Thursday. By Friday, Ingram had called a press conference in London. He had given Celador a mid-afternoon deadline to come up with some evidence. When none was released, he confirmed that he would be suing for the money. Ingram claimed he was "innocent" and dismissed allegations that he planted an accomplice in the audience who used a "coughing code" to help him win. "While I was in the middle of the set I did not register or hear any coughing. I can't say there wasn't coughing going on but I did not use it to help me. I am innocent. I did not cheat." Solicitor Philip Jones of Reading-based Morgan Cole, said: "Despite being given the opportunity to clarify its position, a letter has today been sent by Celador's solicitors which gives no information on the allegations. In the circumstances, our client has concluded his interests are best served by commencing legal proceedings." Jones added "all legal remedies were being considered", including defamation. I'm reminded of the time William G Stewart went to court against Trevor Montague, aka Steve Romana. Montague had been on FIFTEEN TO ONE once, and lost. He then re-applied under a different name, breaking the (then) strict rule that show losers couldn't return, came back to the show, and won a Top Of The Finals Board trophy. The deception was spotted thanks to an eagle-eyed viewer of Challenge TV's repeats, and Stewart had his day in court. The case continues, but if you coughed during answer D earlier, you could be on to something. |
Again, suspended. |