plasticbag.org

I did it. I finally did it. I finally finished the goddam redesign. If you find any problems around the site, then let me know immediately – the e-mail address is the same as ever: tom%40plasticbag.org.

The nominations for the 2002 Bloggies have been announced and plasticbag.org is up for two categories – Best European and Best Great Big Homo. If however you are not planning to vote for me then can I suggest voting for Meg and Ultrasparky respectively. Of course I would rather you voted for me. But hey. You know?

Stage one: Visit the image to html site. Stage Two: perfect HTML pictures of half-naked boys!. Stage Three: Profit!

Much as I am interested in Rebecca’s new books on weblogging, I have some anxieties about them, which I’ve spelled out in slightly excessive language in a comment over at jish.nu.

Basically I think I’m missing the point a bit, because to me the essence of weblogging has been that it’s astonishingly easy and quick to set up. So a handbook seems slightly redundant to me. And a history of weblogging seems interesting, but should not necessarily be written by someone doing weblogging – surely ‘history’ will get confused with a specific culture? Of course I haven’t seen the books yet. So who am I to comment? If you’d told me two years ago that anyone would be interested in a book on weblogging and webloggers I’d have thought you were insane. I still kind of think it’s a strange idea.

Story of a Dental Appointment: I arrived at the dentist fifteen minutes early. I was extremely nervous. On the way up the stairs I lost the little foam cover to one of the ear-buds for my iPod and spent the next ten minutes wandering up and down the stairs (much to the annoyance of the man laying carpet upon them) seeking it out. I’d have done anything to distract myself.

First came the cleaning and the lecture about not brushing my teeth enough. Then came the rinsing out of my mouth and th little bloody clots that looked fairly frightening against the porcelain. Then the drilling began. After ten minutes of drilling, my jaw felt like it was melting – more from the pressure of being continually open than because of the drilling itself. And after another ten minutes – when I thought it would never end – I was close to collapse. My fingers were tightly clenched, my eyes watering.

At one point the nurse left the room, leaving the dentist to rather unskillfully wield both drill and suction device. Within moments my mouth was full of liquid, and then it was only a brief inadvertant tap near the back of my throat which made me reflexively shut my jaw – in the process forcing water out of my mouth, where it poured across my face and down my neck.

The final tooth to be drilled was one of my front teeth – without a mouth to contain the spray, tiny bits of tooth and water cascaded down upon my face like a cool rain. And then finally the drilling was over. The rest of the process was relatively painless – but I left with a euphoric grin on my face – like I’d just experienced an extreme sport that I didn’t want to be part of, didn’t enjoy, but left me strangely exhilarated.

I have to go back in two weeks – I’d only had the fillings out – the removal of the wisdom tooth is yet to come…

God was not an information architect, usability expert or user interface designer. This much can be gleaned from a cursory glance at vatican.va.

A highly entertaining comment by a member of the Conservative party: “We want to be for people and things, not against people and things”. Being for things. Now there’s a clear message.

So the day has finally come. I am about to head off to Notting Hill for my dental appointment. One wisdom tooth will be removed. Three fillings will be created. Three others replaced. The horror. The horror.

Details of Blogger Pro have been released.

Thanks to Davo for producing this startlingly accurate identikit portrait of the cute guy from the Rushkoff lecture. Is this you? If so… mail me!