Category: Random

Adjunct notice: Despite perceived trashiness of Mr Big references and forced associations with TV programme Sex and the City, said parallel is allowing me to get a handle on what might otherwise be an intolerably difficult to deal with piece of mental engineering. Hence I fully intend to investigate this particular pathway until it collapses beneath me. Having undertaken the quiz associated with the TV series, however, I was alarmed to be presented with this (edited for length and gender improprieties – unfortunately one found oneself at a professional loss as to how to remove the cheesy bits):

“Who you are: Complex and creative. Yet somehow, when it comes to relationships, you’re not adept. You can whine all you want about the way men treat you (usually, like dirt), but it’s the challenge of obtaining the unobtainable that thrills you. Your resolutions this year: To admit you made a few BIG mistakes in 2000 and move on to better things. To kick your vices (that includes seeing that ex you KNOW is no good). To tame those over-indulgent tendencies. To seek out men who might actually be SANE as well as single. In the past, you’ve been swept off your feet by charismatic creeps who are about as available as a lunch table at Le Cirque 2000. The more obnoxious and aloof they are, the more interested you are. When you do find a nice guy, you send him packing: Hey, where’s the angst?”

E-mail to Big (subject header: “Message for Mr Big”) has solicited a reply. And an altogether unsatisfying one at that. It appears, in true Sex and the City style, that Mr. Big is in fact part of the family unit “Mr and Mr Big”. This is a piece of information that I was, unfortunately, unaware of until this point. There remains a flirtatious vibe to the correspondence. This, I am afraid, doesn’t surprise me. More to the point, my decision to go along with said vibe to the detriment of my own health and general well-being also doesn’t surprise me. Tempted as I am to place my reply

on the site, I think I might just restrain myself.

Another addition to the list of technical things I need to learn about. HTML I have down pat. Mostly. CSS also mostly there with. DHTML and Javascript I can fudge my way through other people’s scripts just about. The list of languages that I was planning on knowing after HTML included Perl, but until now did not include SMIL – which weirdly looks to be one of the more interesting, and easiest, of the lot.

I spent a good four hours of yesterday walking around London in a suit. Not because I had a job interview or anything, but instead because I hadn’t worn one in about a year and a half. I thought it might be nice to look glamorous for a change. I felt great in it – really sharp – except that I appear to have been gradually swelling over the past three years. At times it felt like I was wearing a corset.

In what may or may not be the last Big related post of the evening, Tom confesses to his adoring fans that he has failed in his attempt to withhold reciprocal contact (after phone call yesterday morning) and caved in and sent an e-mail this evening at 7.20pm on March 14th, this year of our Lord, 2001. Tom would like to add that this is only fifteen hours prior to schedule. That’s not too bad. Right? [helpful advice]

In a classic example of poor quality interactive design, the BBC’s Oscars 2001 microsite allows you to vote on the winners of the major categories, but will not reveal the results of the poll until the day before the event itself. There’s no place for people to subsequently investigate further after voting, nor is there any way of alerting people to the fact that the results have come out. More than likely, people will stumble upon the site, vote and then leave – never to return and never to recommend it to anyone else.

I spent a certain amount of last night compiling a minidisc compilation for my little brother (15) who is at boarding school. I don’t exactly know that I got the balance right, but I’ve been playing it to myself over and over again all night, so it can’t be that bad. Track listing (with links to Napster) follows:

Freaky Beatnik:
1) America (Simon & Garfunkel)
2) Simple Man (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
3) Dirge (Death in Vegas)
4) Shallow End (Morcheeba)
5) Momentum (Aimee Mann)
6) Theme from Narc (Pixies)
7) Unreal (Unkle)
8) Like Dylan in the Movies (Belle & Sebastian)
9) American Dream (Jakatta)
10) Morning Theft (Jeff Buckley)
11) Da Funk (Daft Punk)
12) The Wind (Cat Stevens)
13) Bohemian Like You (Dandy Warhols)
14) New World (Bjork)

In which, suddenly fascinated by the term “nostalgia particles”, Tom decides to do a search on Google, and is most entertained by a link to a Ulysses 31 site.

Message for Max: This is possibly related to my current heady state of workless thinking and relaxation. Or perhaps there are too many nostalgia particles in my mind at the moment. Or perhaps not. I’ve been listening to Jeff Buckley a lot over the last couple of days. There’s a song called ‘Morning Theft’ that I’ve been listening to a hell of a lot. Just have a listen, okay?

Meet me tomorrow night, or any day you want.
I have no right to wonder just how, or when.
You know the meaning fits. There’s no relief in this.
I miss my beautiful friend.