A number of articles discussing "pay for" online content following the Guardian's decision to roll out "premium online services"
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/31634.html
http://www.paidcontent.org/pc/arch/2003_07_09.shtml#002401
http://www.cyberjournalist.net/news/000528.php

Came across this after my Dad forwarded an email regarding the dangers of heating water in a Microwave Oven...
Unwise Microwave Oven Experiments

This interview with Cory Doctorow, main man behind the widely read blog BoingBoing mentioned these great London resouces...:
http://www.hotspotted.com/
Hotspotted helps people connect to the internet in the places they want to.
http://www.streetsensation.co.uk/
London's favourite streets. Entire streetscapes showing over 2,750 shops, bars and restaurants in the liveliest areas of London.

23, is a Magic Number (Apperently)...
Why did Becks choose 23?
Why 23 is so sought after in sport
mystical number has affected the course of history
A brief history of No. 23

Oooops !
Chelski update!
Looks like it may well have been The Sun who came up with the "Chelski" name... see: Russian tycoon swoops for Chelsea FC.
Interesting that a Google news search didn't pick up the Sun article [I guess it only searches news sites !].

First Spotting: new name for chelsea FC, "Chelski"
Hats off to the Gauardian's article for comming up with the (seems obvious now!) new name in this article: Chelski is born as Russian tycoon buys football club

Error and information messages from software we love (#6,032)
MS Internet Explorer, on startup:
"The Windows Update site has been updated. To update your version of the software and begin using Windows Update, click Update Now."
Er...so, that would be an update then....

As a long term follower of David Sylvian's music, it was interesting to see coverage in a UK daily paper David Sylvian: Songs from the fringe. The piece gives a brief retrospective and some recent quotes around his new (BRILIANT) release "Blemish".
"David Sylvian was a pop pin-up when he led Japan. Now, after years on the frontiers of the avant-garde, he has produced his most personal songs yet."

SCARY ! Covered in several places... however many of my techy and untechy friends have no knowledge of this stuff... This article (I link to the syndicated piece at the register - where I read it first) from Security Focus is a MUST READ, and serves as a good primer on a technology which will be with us very soon, and will (potentially) allow a disturbing level of monitoring of individuals.
RFID Chips Are Here

Cringley's most recent article Sucking Through a Straw - A Bandwidth Drought Is Coming is interesting as always, but I particularly enjoyed his reference to an old story about a Xerox PARC hero... "John Ellenby, who was in charge of building the Altos [prototype networked computer], named his machine Gzunda "because it gzunda the desk."

Ran across this interesting little application/tool IndyJunior - a fully customizable map which you can use to easily display your geographic location. It's apparently named after those nice retro-style animated maps used in the Indiana Jones films which show a transatlantic flight route.

Toilet roll art - sits nicely alongside the post it gallery (see earlier).

We (in our house) were gripped by the recent BBC Drama State of Play which concluded last Sunday. This review sums it all up very nicely...
"Gutted: that Stephen Collins wasn't the man he could have been, that Cal and Anne won't have the happy ever after they deserve, that State of Play (BBC1) has reached its heart-clamping, audaciously honest conclusion. The final episode of Paul Abbott's exemplary drama left you gasping for air, and hoping hopelessly for more."

This was doing the rounds a week or two ago.. absolute genius !
Do (do do) take a look at this is you have ever received one of those Nigerian emails...
The 3rd Annual Nigerian EMail Conference

West ham's Fixtures for the new season (Going Up, Going Up, going Up !)

Michael Haas pointed out this story Oracle Makes Bid to Buy State of Delaware, which is funny in itself & reminded me of the classic Microsoft to Buy Catholic Church (was that really in 1994 !!!), and also that it's been a whie since I looked at the good old onion, still a source of some of the best news-parodies.
Michael also suggested this site Askmen, a 24/7 men's portal.... hmmmmm.... looks like an online "mens glossy mag" (I enjoyed the "7 Ways To Get Instant Respect" article by By Mr. Mafioso.... forgeddaboutit !).

anyone noticed stuff about: Smart Mobs (or Flash Mobs) ?
"New Yorkers are using e-mail to coordinate "inexplicable mobs" — huge crowds that materialize in public places and suddenly dissipate 10 minutes later."
Some links:
cheesebikini (see also his link to Matrix Mobs re-enacting matrix movie scenes in Japan - v.funny)
smartmobs
[Note: straying into the realm of linking to likely A-List Bloggers... tread carefully !]

Silly -
The Post-IT Gallery

In amongst the hyped up Beckham goes to madrid coverage, this article "Transfer tied up 'weeks ago'" suggests what I've thought all along... that "The ending of the Beckham drama has been known for ages".
Interesting, that Beckham who is often portrayed as not the brightest guy, has handled this whole process very wisely. Seems he at least has enough brains to get good advisors !
I think it is a good move for him, he's always overcome every obstacle presented to him, and in his own (daft haircut and silly pop star wifey) way is a great character. (Should have gone to West ham !)

Tuned in to Radio4's In Business program tonight (often worth catching - great "washing up listening"). Interviewing the husband-wife team Shoshana Zuboff and James Maxmin co-authorsof "The Support Economy: Why Corporations Are Failing Individuals and the Next Episode of Capitalism" - all about a "the failure of capitalism" & "the new paradigm of the support economy" and "Deep Support". Their website here - lots of links to reviews and coverage.