Today is April 1st
in case you hadn't noticed... here's some nice date-appropriate articles I noticed today:

Could Tom Parker Bowles become second in line to the throne after the royal wedding next week?
BBC Radio4's Today program: RealAudio Clip

Bowie to launch new Perfume: Mesmer
Mesmer by David Bowie is a spellbinding and erotic blend of sensuality and warm awakening aromas of bergamot, lemon, and patchouli singapour balanced perfectly with musk, red marechal rose and African wengue wood.

Bloglines Helps Bridge The Vastness Of Space
News Feed and Blog Reading In The Warrior Tongue
Oakland, CA, Earth -- Stardate: 2005.4.1 -- Bloglines, the world's most popular free online service for searching, subscribing, publishing and sharing news feeds, blogs and rich web content, today opened the doors of its service to audiences beyond our solar system with a new translation in Klingon, the galaxy's fastest-spreading invented language.

*Apple founder Jobs joins IKEA | The Register
KEA's flatpack days may soon be a distant memory, as Apple and Pixar founder Steve Jobs turns to his latest challenge. Inter IKEA Systems BV will employ Jobs as "acting CEO", from next month. The technology icon will maintain his twin CEO roles at Apple Computer Inc. and Pixar Inc. but will also take command with a wide-ranging brief at the retail giant. For the technology guru, it's just another job, but for the Swedish furnishing franchise, it's a massive gamble. IKEA had a turnover of €13 billion last year, and has over 200 stores worldwide.

Boring Boring Parody of Boing Boing

Ingenious Google-like front-end to BBC's Ceefax: ceefax.tv

As reported by The Register:

BBC throws strop at 'Ceefax Google'A Dutch consultant has provoked the anger of the BBC by creating a website which lets users browse Ceefax, the broadcaster’s popular teletext service. The BBC has demanded the closure of the site, claiming copyright infringement.

The FactCheck website
The Guardian reports a soon to be launched website...

MediaGuardian: C4 site subjects politicians to truth test
Channel 4 today launches a website that will enable voters to check the factual basis of politicians' claims in the run-up to the general election.
The FactCheck website, which has been inspired by a similar online venture launched in the US in 2003, has been set up to inform voters about the factual accuracy of claims politicians make in speeches, press conferences and press releases.
"We believe FactCheck will be an important service to the public during the election period. With so many statements flying around, it is often difficult for the voter to know where the truth lies," said Dorothy Byrne, the head of news and current affairs at Channel 4.

Channel 4 FactCheck

Ciaran, Ray & Damian from That Petrol Emotion on the Radio - Thursday 31st March
This just in from Ciaran...

Ciaran, Ray & Damian from That Petrol Emotion will be
live on Resonance FM (104.4) on Thursday 31st March
from 7-8.30 p.m talking about their favourite records
and playing some new songs!!
You can listen online too:
www.resonancefm.com/audio
Check it out - and pass this on - its the next big
thing don't you know :)

Julian Beever's pavement drawings
I seem to remember blogging about this guy a year or so ago.. this site has lots of great photos.

Sponsor Alison In the Race For Life for Cancer Research
Alison and her mum (Granny Pam) have signed up take part in this year's Race for Life event.
You can sponsor her online here: http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/alisonadams

"In 2000 my mum was diagnosed with breast cancer. Three terrible operations later and I don't know who was in worse shape - her or my dad - mums illness took it's toll on him too. Now, they are both happy and healthy and my son Charlie really loves his Granny Pam and Grumps.
I will be proud to wear number 479, and even more proud to be taking part with my mum.
Please sponsor me now and tell a friend too !"

Myst island birthday cake
One for Alison.

The secret of bananas - caught on tape
how did we live so long without knowing this ?

You'd think after eating a fruit at least a thousand times, you'd know all it's capable of. Maybe not. I recently learned something about bananas that, quite frankly, blew my mind.
I'm sure it won't be news to everyone, but for me this revelation was up there with seeing the secret arrow in the Fedex logo for the first time...
BANANAS NATURALLY DIVIDE INTO 3 PERFECT WEDGES.

Snap Galleries
"Rare and exclusive rock and roll photography from Snap Galleries"
bumped into this today.. lotsa photos of all your favourite rock gods/godesses.

Heavy Chamber Music
Ever wondered how choice rock cuts such as Radiohead's Creep and the Tap's classic "Big Bottom" (not to mention the "Wild Boys" cover) would sound as arranged for and recorded on bass clarinet ?
Of course you have !
Well, you can find out here.. download the mp3s here: Edmund Welles: Audio
.
.
.
Talk about bun-cakes my girls got 'em....

CIA - The World Factbook
Does what it says on the tin. Pick a country... any country...

Jazz Recording Artists Go Into Business for Themselves
A WSJ article about the emergence of new music labels run for and by jaz musicians.
I think this is the answer for the less popular (i.e. real !) music genres, let the artists (those who have the "content") and their public (that would be the "consumers") communicate and buy/sell directly - who needs the parasites of the big labels in the middle ? If the established artists can promote and endorse (and help) their up and coming less established colleagues - then we the fans/audiance will find and promote new music and artists... in the way we already do: by referal.

Here's an artist based label (there are many springing up now) which features some new music from Roger Eno (that was my link to them):
Burning Shed: Specialist online music label and shop

Scott Rope: Jack in the box Voicemail

Very Very Funny Voicemail ! [apparently genuine]
This is probably all-over-everywhere by now.. but this made me laugh out loud. Follow this link Jack in the box Voicemail
for an introduction and a link to an mp3 [4MB, 3.5 minutes] of an apparently genuine voicemail message...

"...when an operations manager was late for a meeting and called his boss to tell him he was running late. As he was leaving the voice mail message, he witnessed an accident and went on to provide "play by play" of the incident."

The Urban Legends Reference Pages considers this "Status: Undetermined" - and their investigation hasn't proved it to be a hoax (yet), see:
http://www.snopes.com/autos/mishaps/beating.asp

Montage-a-google

Montage-a-google
Searches google images based on keywords you enter, then builds a photo-montage before your very eyes... simple genius, highly compelling... highly distracting.
I found music/bands to give nice results, e.g. "david bowie 1976" and "that petrol emotion". Alsion tried some for Charlie.. like "brake down truck" and "diggers".
Nice, instant personalised art !

Angler's Quest Deluxe Fishing Simulator
Can there be any future for a civilization which allows anyone to design, manufacture and sell these.. and then allows other people to buy them ?

"Reel them in with this deluxe virtual reality fishing simulator.
The Angler's Quest Deluxe Virtual Fishing Simulator is the most luxurious way to go fishing without getting your feet wet. The cabinet is made from a beautiful hardwood finish which makes this game look right at home in your private entertainment room. The game includes all the features of the arcade version plus some high quality extras that make this game extra fun."

Rinus Michels RIP
The death of the Dutch "father of Total Football" has spawned some great comment on his life and achievments in football, and the revolution that was and is "total football".
These articles in the Guardian are all worth reading:

Fearless father of Total Football - Kevin McCarra
'The greatest coach I played for - everybody looked up to him' - Hans van Breukelen
Obituary by Brian Glanville - Rinus Michels Renowned Dutch soccer coach whose 'total football' concept took his team to victory

My dad took me to see England vs Holland in a 1975 friendly at Wembley. I was 10 at the time, and didn't really apreciate the fact that I was watching Cryuff, Neskens, Resenbrink, Krol, Rep etc. I'm not sure if Michels was the manager then... but it was still his team and and his style... Holland won 2-0 with goals from a guy called Jan Peters... who i think was not in the squad by the time of the 1978 World Cup.
I do remember I loved their Orange shirts !
I was also present for the Euro 96 (Alison bought the tickets) match at Wembley... when England out total-football'd the Dutch... marvellous !

Tony Visconti on the 30TH ANNIVERSARY Young Americans Release
bowie news
Visconti recently remixed for 5.1 the 2 70's live albums (Live & Stage) - as well as the more recent Bowie albums. This news article has some nice quotes from Visconti and an extract from a contemporary music press piece. Nice.

All the tracks have been mixed from the master tapes to 96khz high definition digital audio. That translates to 'freakin' scary' quality. Mr. Bowie is front and center, but the backing is now spread 360º with Mr. Vandross hovering over your left shoulder for most of the album. John Lennon's six string acoustic is almost entirely in the right rear speaker on "Across The Universe" and you just might hear a comment from him when the song is over. What really brought it home to me was how great David's vocals were, and a lot of them were live takes with him standing in the same room as the band at Sigma Studios in Philadelphia.

Now all i need to do is invest in some 5.1 suround sound gear... oh, and a bigger house with a suitably sized room !

More on the Snow..Man...


See the Snow Gallery

Snow.
it's been seriously snowing up here in North Yorkshire, which prompted me to blog this lovely gallery of snowflakes...:

Snowflake and Snow Crystal Photos:
Snow Crystal Photographs
... Capturing the fleeting beauty of snowflakes ...
Snowflakes are temporary works of art. After just a few short minutes on the ground, a fallen snowflake will lose its ornate structure, its unique pattern that will never again be repeated. Photography allows us to preserve a few of these minute masterpieces and to examine their form up close. Below are some examples of snow crystal photographs from around the world."

And here's a photo of Charlie in the snow...
more over at our website photo gallery

My MP (former Tory leader) William Hague earns £820K on top of his salary.
The BBC reports this news, which is to me quite staggering... not so much a shock or a scandal... more, just... how can that guy be worth so much.. someone somewhere must value him.

BBC NEWS - Hague's six-figure earnings shown
"The register shows former Tory leader William Hague earning up to £820,000 on top of his MPs' salary, much of it from speaking fees."
"Mr Hague's work outside Parliament included two one-man shows, which with other speaking fees netted him up to £480,000."