Ouch

Painful word of the day: Blauthor

A blogger turned author.

Please, just say no.

Bandwagonjumping

Everyone at Agency seems to have gotten a Nabaztag rabbit. It's a Wi-fi communications device that can tell you the weather, announce the time, play MP3s, receive messages from friends, etc. It's terribly cute, but the customer experience is a bit off. First, the rabbit comes from France and although the site does an enviable job of being bilingual, it ceased to be on the help pages when I was trying to get the thing added to my wi-fi network.

Secondly, it tells time, but it tells the time in France - one hour ahead of us. And it doesn't tell time on the hour, but about 5-6 minutes after the hour. So really, it announces the hour about 54 minutes early.

It does have really sexy voices. From the Frenchgirl who purrs, 'jai mal à la tête.' to my favourite voice, Ryan speaking slowly who last night said, 'time for bed sexy...' Pathetic, I know, but it entertains me. He also does t'ai chi.

So, if you want to send me sexy little messages my rabbit is brianj777.

But now I have to go to the dentist. Ugh.

And we're back

Sorry about that. I had gone over the file size limit on my previous host and had to move everything to a new server, but it appears to be sorted and all two of you who read this site can now be caught up on all the news.

Went last weekend to see Smaller starring Dawn French and Alison Moyet. It was Jessica's first West End play. The play itself was nothing remarkable, and had a few truly mawkish moments. But Alison Moyet was wonderful and the sight of her in a chicken suit singing a Robbie Williams medley will live in the mind... The sun was out so we left the matinee for a sidewalk table at a European bistro and drank wine. I have pictures, but can't get the bloody things off my phone.

Work is going well. Business cards have been ordered, the portfolio is finally almost done and I'm working through June at Agency.com and Ogilvy. I like the gig at Ogilvy. It's an impressive organisation and there's something surreal about Canary Wharf.

Currently...Listening to Sufjan Steven's Illinoise and Patti LuPone's the Lady with the Torch... Reading Wallace Stegner's Crossing to Safety... Enjoying the BBC's The Lost World of Friese-Greene about a filmmaker who travelled from Land's End to John O'Groats filming 1920's Britain with a primitive colour process....Getting used to my new glasses...meditating...planning a trip to Paris with Jess next weekend.

The New York Times

Has updated their site. Do we like it?

About Bath

I spent a cold, but lovely, afternoon in Bath, Somerset. The stunning 18th century Georgian town is home to beautiful architecture, a first century AD Roman bath, and a 19th century abbey cathedral. It's a lovely walking city (and the university boys were lovely to look at as well.) But sadly, the town is beset with the same bloody shops one finds on every high street in the UK. 18 years ago Kate and I spent a weekend in Bath, and I remember it full of interesting book, curio and antique shops, but no more, it seems. Photos can be found here.

Bath, Avon

Today I'm off to Bath for an afternoon of sightseeing and a stay in a nice hotel before a daylong workshop tomorrow for Agency. I've not been in 18 years and can't wait to try my new camera in a glorious place. Pictures soon.

But they're crepes...

Yesterday, Shrove Tuesday, was Pancake Day in the UK. They're not really pancakes (as Americans would know them). They're actually crèpes, but the English don't like to admit it. As a matter of fact, they get rather upset when one says 'Those ain't pancakes'. All day long they eat these crèpes, err, pancakes. It's a big thing here.

This pancake day custom goes back hundreds of years. 'Shriving' means being given penance - which everyone sought before Lent started. And, as it was the day before Lent, it was also the day they ate up any foods they weren't going to eat during Lent. Like meat and fat. Hence the French call it 'Fat Tuesday' or Mardi gras.

A few have observed that the rest of the world celebrates Mardi gras with carnival but we in the UK eat pancakes. They're an exciting lot, the English.

And now you know...