Second Life bollocks

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Virtual marketers have second thoughts about Second Life - LA Times
Four years after Second Life debuted, some marketers are second-guessing the money and time they've put into it. "There's not a compelling reason to stay," said Brian McGuinness, vice president of Aloft, a brand of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. that is closing its Second Life shop and donating its virtual land to the nonprofit social-networking group TakingITGlobal...the sites of many of the companies remaining in Second Life are empty. During a recent in-world visit, Best Buy Co.'s Geek Squad Island was devoid of visitors and the virtual staff that was supposed to be online. The schedule of events on Sun Microsystems Inc.'s site was blank, and the green landscape of Dell Island was deserted. Signs posted on the window of the empty American Apparel store said it had closed up shop.
Some things are popular on Second Life though:
Ian Schafer, chief executive of online marketing firm Deep Focus, which advises clients about entering virtual worlds, said he recently toured Second Life. He started at the Aloft hotel and found it empty. He moved on to casinos, brothels and strip clubs, and they were packed. Schafer said he found in his research that "one of the most frequently purchased items in Second Life is genitalia."

Via TechCrunch



Tunku very much

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Happy Blogiversary

Do what?

For some reason (light on news, maybe) Tunku Varadarajan has decided that it's been ten years since the birth of blogging. How come? Tunku decided that Jorn Barger was the first 'blogger' (he wasn't) and as Barger began blogging in 1997, that makes this year the tenth anniversary. Shazam!

Anyway, having justified an article on blogging Tunku presents us with the considered views of, amongst others, Dame Harold Evan, Newt Gingritch, Christopher Cox, Tom Wolfe and Mia Farrow.  Wow! Cutting edge contribitors.

The Dame and the Queen were taken off their ventilators long enough to contibute their carefully considered views on blogging. Poor old Wolfe clearly doesn't even understand what a blog is: 'only a primitive would believe a word of Wikipedia (which, though not strictly a blog, shares the characteristics of the genre)' he gurgles, only if you agree with him that inaccuracy is a characteristic of both blogs and the wiki-based website that is Wikipedia.

Dame Harold's reservations also revolve around inaccuracy
Coming from a print culture where the rule was check, check, source, source, I was chilled, in the early days of the blogosphere, by the easy dissemination of lies. Did you know that 9/11 was the work of the Mossad? How else can you explain that the 4,000 Jews were tipped off to stay away that morning? Gibberish, of course, but widely believed in the Muslim world.
Mmmm, and how many Americans think there was a direct link between Saddam and 9/11 or al Quada and Iraq? And where, exactly did they get those particular ideas from? That wouldn't be the Bush administration and it's MSM lapdogs would it Harold?

Cheque, cheque. 

Sauce, sauce.




More cut 'n paste journalism

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Viagra nation - Times Online

Remember the YOP scheme? It was customary to refer to piss poor journalism back then as being written by someone on the Youth Opportunity Scheme. I'm not sure what the modern equivalent might be but this piece of cut n' paste tosh in The Times would certainly qualify.

Since Viagra was launched, two other similar drugs, Cialis and Levitra, have been marketed by Pfizer’s competitors Eli Lilly and Bayer. The problem is, however, that away from the drug-fuelled hedonists who flock into nightclubs, the existence of this new breed of potency wonder cures has promoted the goal of penetrative sex and orgasm as the definition of “normal” sex, highlighting enormous differences between men and women. “Male sexuality is penis-centred,” said one middle-aged man who took part in a study of the emotional effects of Viagra on couples in New Zealand.

Penetrative sex and orgasm normal?! Well I never. Whatever next!

Male sexuality centred on the, erm, male sex organ? Shocking! 

Lois Rogers goes on to perpetuate the old nonsense about the 'Myth of the Vaginal Orgasm'. All I will say on this subject is this: Remember the feminist publication, 'Spare Rib'?  It relied heavily on advertising on its back pages. And what  product was advertised on those pages more than anything else? Dildos!  Great  throbbing battery-powered, vibrating dildos. 

Who needs Viagra when you've got Duracell?


Neither Hitler nor Harry

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The History Boys: Politics & Power:
In the twilight of his presidency, George W. Bush and his inner circle have been feeding the press with historical parallels: he is Harry Truman—unpopular, besieged, yet ultimately to be vindicated—while Iraq under Saddam was Europe held by Hitler. To a serious student of the past, that's preposterous. Writing just before his untimely death, David Halberstam asserts that Bush's "history," like his war, is based on wishful thinking, arrogance, and a total disdain for the facts.



Cruisin for a bruisin?

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A brave Johann Hari  stows away on the big ship Neo-con.  A must-read

The Iraq war has been an amazing success, global warming is just a myth – and as for Guantanamo Bay, it's practically a holiday camp... The annual cruise organised by the 'National Review', mouthpiece of right-wing America, is a parallel universe populated by straight-talking, gun-toting, God-fearing Republicans.

To my left, I find a middle-aged Floridian with a neat beard. To my right are two elderly New Yorkers who look and sound like late-era Dorothy Parkers, minus the alcohol poisoning. They live on Park Avenue, they explain in precise Northern tones. "You must live near the UN building," the Floridian says to one of the New York ladies after the entree is served. Yes, she responds, shaking her head wearily. "They should suicide-bomb that place," he says. They all chuckle gently. How did that happen? How do you go from sweet to suicide-bomb in six seconds?

The conversation ebbs back to friendly chit-chat. So, you're a European, one of the Park Avenue ladies says, before offering witty commentaries on the cities she's visited. Her companion adds, "I went to Paris, and it was so lovely." Her face darkens: "But then you think – it's surrounded by Muslims." The first lady nods: "They're out there, and they're coming." Emboldened, the bearded Floridian wags a finger and says, "Down the line, we're not going to bail out the French again." He mimes picking up a phone and shouts into it, "I can't hear you, Jacques! What's that? The Muslims are doing what to you? I can't hear you!"

Now that this barrier has been broken – everyone agrees the Muslims are devouring the French, and everyone agrees it's funny – the usual suspects are quickly rounded up. Jimmy Carter is "almost a traitor". John McCain is "crazy" because of "all that torture". One of the Park Avenue ladies declares that she gets on her knees every day to " thank God for Fox News". As the wine reaches the Floridian, he announces, "This cruise is the best money I ever spent."



Tel on Dawkins

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Terry Eagleton : Lunging, Flailing, Mispunching
Reading Dawkins, who occasionally writes as though ‘Thou still unravish’d bride of quietness’ is a mighty funny way to describe a Grecian urn, one can be reasonably certain that he would not be Europe’s greatest enthusiast for Foucault, psychoanalysis, agitprop, Dadaism, anarchism or separatist feminism. All of these phenomena, one imagines, would be as distasteful to his brisk, bloodless rationality as the virgin birth.

Sounds fine by me.

Via Normblog (note: the Eagleton article in the LRB is available without subscription) where you can also follow the little Eagleton-related disagreement between Norm and Damian 'supergrass' Counsell of Pootergeek.

See also DSTP4W


Llama lessons?

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Inspector gadget - Llama, Llama
Sheep guarding is a wonderful use for llamas as it seems to be a natural instinct for them to guard smaller animals...Has the Llama analysed the latest statistics for fox attacks on sheep? Has he considered how the fox may feel about being so blatantly labelled as a predator? I think not. And the fox; how can he make such a biased risk assessment, never having met this particular Llama before?

And what of the sheep? they may be safe but are they happy with the way the Llama provides this service? Just who is he accountable to? I feel the need to ask them.



Friday archive

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Not a track from my transfer pile. This was on vinyl and not in a state to record onto MP3 so I downloaded from the iTunes store at full price!


Leon Russell -

"The Master of Space and Time," is a music legend and perhaps the most accomplished and versatile musician in the history of rock 'n roll.

In his distinguished and unique 50 year career, he has played on, arranged, written and/or produced some of the best records in popular music.



He's still touring like mad at 65 but I prefer his earlier stuff like this great track, Hummingbird off his wonderful 1970 eponymous album. 


Almost missed it. This is post number 3,000 since I've been here on Squarespace. That works out at about 2.5 posts a day. Feels like more! There were a few hundred prior to these at the now defunct Sparkpod but most of them have disappeared into the ether. Probably just as well.

Your porridge awaits you m'lord

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Conrad Black convicted of fraud
Media tycoon Conrad Black has been convicted of three charges of fraud and one of obstructing justice by a jury in Chicago.

Black was found guilty of taking money owed to investors in the form of "non-compete" payments originating from the sale of newspaper titles. The charges on which he was found guilty carry a maximum penalty of 35 years in prison.

"It only takes one fraud charge and the man is disgraced and finished," said Joshua Rozenberg, legal editor of the Daily Telegraph, once owned by Hollinger. "He is clearly facing a lengthy prison sentence."



Pubic hairs - $200 each!

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Selling her pubic hair for one million dollars!

The idea is simple; for each of my pubic hairs that your purchase you can also place a 10 x 10 pixel advertisement on the homepage of MillionDollarPubes.com, with a short accompanying description & direct link to your website.

Due to the unusual nature of my project I am hoping there will be a large amount of interest in MillionDollarPubes.com. Therefore, your logo and link to your website will be visible to the volume of visitors to this site.

There is no limit to the number of my hairs you can buy, and therefore blocks of 10 x 10 pixels you can select.

Upon checkout you will also have the option of whether or not you wish to receive my pubic hair in the post, as well as your advertisement. I hope that as many people as possible choose to receive my hair, but if you would prefer to just place your advert then that is fine too!

Via b3ta