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September 30, 2002
10 days and counting
Like Vaughan, I'm looking forward to being
Posted by Tom Dolan at 09:34 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 27, 2002
In case you were interested...
We exchanged contracts today. We're moving house on the 10th.
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by Tom Dolan at 11:38 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Some people just ask for it...
Old, but good. A top pisstake of the Sophie Dahl 'Opium' ads
Posted by Tom Dolan at 11:32 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
I'm with Kottke
Jason Kottke has just fried his brain with this Checkershadow Illusion. And now I've fried mine. Particularly after checking in photoshop.
It shouldn't be possible, damn it!
Posted by Tom Dolan at 01:23 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
September 26, 2002
Never mind the beard...
Okay, so the new Peter Gabriel Album up.
Absolutely bloody amazing.
IF, and this is A BIG IF, you skip the first track and put it aside for a month or so from now. Once the rest of the album's grown on you, you'll be able to see where he's coming from (I hope), but an enchanting opener it isn't.
My suggestion - start from track 2 (the fab "Growing Up") for a week or so. And particularly in polite company.
And who connected the words "barry williams show" with the concept "single"????
Posted by Tom Dolan at 11:37 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Come Monday
The wonderful woman will have launched the site for the new series of The Office, we'll have exchanged contracts, I'll have finished my first TV production, and my first job application will be in. Makes you think.
Oh, and I've seen a few episodes of the new series of Office. It's just *so* fab. Even better than the first. And far more painful.
Posted by Tom Dolan at 11:29 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
I feel deficient.
I don't feel included any more. All because I don't read the winner of the Guardian's Best British Blog competition. Or in fact 90% of the other blogs mentioned. I'm just glad I (faintly) know Matt Webb or I'd be a complete outsider.
Posted by Tom Dolan at 11:24 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
It takes a braver man...
...to follow in the suffering of others. Poor old Simon Bluetealeaf is about to go Movable Type. Wise man. (As long as he makes a donation to Ben and Mena, obviously)
Posted by Tom Dolan at 11:15 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
The kraken wakes...
Good lord. There's been a posting on A Mutual Misunderstanding.com
Posted by Tom Dolan at 11:03 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Fingers Crossed
It didn't happen today, but tomorrow we should be exchanging contracts for our new house. See you all in Wanstead.
(PS Find a bit of wood to touch please)
Posted by Tom Dolan at 10:26 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
Digidesign...I Love You
Been running the sound dub for a promo film today. I am now utterly converted to the wonders of Pro Tools. It's fab beyond belief. Layers upon layers of sound effects, running through gawd knows how much effects gubbins. It's lovely.
Don't know what it's like at MIDI tho...
Posted by Tom Dolan at 10:22 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
September 25, 2002
Scientist in need
I never had a chance to be An Artist. Wasn't born to it, see. Numbers, chemicals, forces. They were my thing. Even the inner workings of the human body if needed, or perhaps learning the odd language or three. But art? No call for studying that...
I *did* creative things, sure - was in bands, wrote a few articles, composed some good tracks, but I never *studied* creativity.
And I'm now reading a book - a fab book, it has to be said - on the origins of current attitudes to New Media, and I'm reaching for the dictionary twice a page. And then not understanding what it says.
So, can anyone recommend a book on media theory or critical theory to get me going?
(more on the book when I understand it better!)
Posted by Tom Dolan at 10:59 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Spoilt for choice
I may be about to come in to a small amount of money. Less than a thousand, but more than 400 pounds. And I don't know what to spend it on. I've got a shortlist...
20GB iPod
A second hand tenor sax from eBay
Digital camera
Surround sound system
A 'vintage synth' or '60s and 70s' sound card for my JV1010
Put it towards a new tower Mac for home
A digidesign digi001 - as I can't afford Protools
A really ridiculous meal
A dishwasher
Put it into the mortgage
Save it - I don't know when I'm going to get the next job
A monster clothes binge
Going away to france or somewhere similar for the weekend with the missus
Any advice? Other suggestions?
Posted by Tom Dolan at 10:49 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
September 17, 2002
Quiet, innit?
Dear All,
Busy bee at the moment, so not a lot of time to report things. So here's how things have been going without all that annoying narrative nonsense to get in the way...
- I've been learning the beauracracy of TV production at work
- I've filmed The Archers and had all my illusions shattered
- My producer's now got enough confidence in me that I get sent to do the filming with the cameraman without him coming along
- Jenni Murray has been nice to me
- The house move is looking *very* likely to happen first week of Oct
- Knackered, and looking forward to the 27th when it's all done, and the missus launches the new site for The Office
- Worryingly, things sounding a bit quiet on the 'next job' front. But that may just be busyness on the part of various parties.
Posted by Tom Dolan at 09:45 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 16, 2002
Simple Gameplay Remembered
Stu's World Of Pocketeers. Just go see.
Posted by Tom Dolan at 02:51 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 11, 2002
Fame and Fortune
I often consider it odd that the missus doubts her charms. She can even do it by voice alone as evident on this Dave Gorman live chat!!!!
Posted by Tom Dolan at 09:03 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 10, 2002
I wasn't making it up!
Cast your eyes at this page from NancySinatra.com and marvel at my curly-haired foppishness while in the company of a legend...
Some other pics have just been developed. I'll post them as soon as I get the non-wireless computers back on the network. SCSI scanner blah blah.
Posted by Tom Dolan at 11:08 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Return to the fold
Sound like Mutual Misunderstanding should be back up and running again soon. Can't wait...
Posted by Tom Dolan at 09:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Quiet eh?
Well, yesterday I started a new (fill-in) job. Three weeks of working in telly, making a promotional film. It's really exciting and I'm hugely enjoying the just-get-on-with-it angle, after ages of playing slow political chessgames for a living.
Posted by Tom Dolan at 06:37 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 07, 2002
Sounds
Two fab new CDs arrived in the post this morning.
The first, a copy of the reissued Coldcut 'Journeys By DJ', still dazzles with the brilliance of the records chosen, and the order they were combined. And, unlike so many of the mix CDs you get today, is actually a *journey*. It's got ups, downs, lefts and rights. Not just an hour of the same old thumpety thump. Highly recommended and deserves all its plaudits as one of the greatest mix CDs of all time.
The second, 'Belong' by Spooky is likely to be a bit less familiar. Well, okay, it's downright obscure. Spooky were absolute gods in their little world back in '96. They'd had an album called 'Gorilla' that was okayish, but then they came back with three EPs - 'Stereo', 'Clank' and 'Shunt', followed by the album 'Found Sound'. They increasingly took the view that they didn't want to use any synthesisers, any sample CDs, any bits of other peoples records, or any drums. Instead they created concept techno tracks such as 'Central Heating', based entirely on the sounds of radiators being hit, taps opened, pipes hit etc etc etc - and it was fab. Ambient, faintly mediaeval in places because of the wierd harmonics, but genuinely musical.
And they're back. Matthew Herbert's kind of taken over the reins on the sample-based music...and taken it into a house direction, so they had to find something new to do. The result is a bit Clannad-y, a bit trancey, a bit musique concretey. Top.
Posted by Tom Dolan at 11:38 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
September 03, 2002
Top One
Just had a fabulous evening with The Obvious? and our respective families. Beer in the best pub in Buckinghamshire, followed by a wonderful Indian meal and much good chatting about the state of the nation.
I'm lying in bed, full of the tum, and content.
Posted by Tom Dolan at 10:55 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
September 02, 2002
Blatant Plugism
Oh yes, the ma's latest bit of media is out today. An audiobook of her acclaimed kids book The Tale Of Rickety Hall read by no less than Andrew Sachs.
Still waiting for my copy to arrive, but the preview one she got was fab apparently, so hurry yourselves along and get a copy won't you...
Posted by Tom Dolan at 10:51 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Touch wood
I'm looking forward to living here. Well, here to be more precise. Er, and no, we didn't pay that.
Posted by Tom Dolan at 08:14 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Another Google Game
I know, I know, but this one makes a pleasant change - it's got a nasty streak. Let's hunt out all those people who've been slagged off on webpages...secretly.
The trick is to go to images.google and search for a childish insult. And see who's been called it in their alt tags.
Some favourites: Divvy, Pillock, Prat, tosser etc.
(Okay, so a lot of them are just in a foreign language or an unfortunate contraction of a file name, but hey it's fun imagining a whole bunch of malevolent coders out there...)
Posted by Tom Dolan at 05:58 PM | Comments (30) | TrackBack
Trackback finally in place
Hydragenic has also set up movable type's Trackback Feature. Which finally pushed me over the edge into setting it up myself.
I was suprised at quite how easy it was (Vaughan take note) and how my one cockup was picked up automatically when it rebuilt the templates at the end.
Now I just need someone to trackback me, so I can check the bloody stylesheets. I'm sure that if I try and trackback myself some strange loop will occur and the entire internet will collapse into the ensuing gravitational well. So best not to, eh?
Posted by Tom Dolan at 09:24 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Damn and Blast
Hydragenic has been getting horribly excited about the new U2 single Electrical Storm. I had a poke around on Limewire (cos that's how I decide which records to buy, he said firmly) and found two versions...and now I'm hooked on the 'Orbit Radio Edit'. Just a souped-up version of the chorus looping round and round and round. And fab for it.
Oh shit. I'm finally going to have to buy a U2 record...
Posted by Tom Dolan at 08:34 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
September 01, 2002
Just Desserts
Thanks to Simon for this fab link to the king of all desserts...Tiramisu
Posted by Tom Dolan at 04:31 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Free Man
Okay, it's been hanging over me for the last year and a bit, but today I finally finished my 2000-1 tax return. Not 2001-2 I hasten to add, 2000-1. And after all the wrangling, being fined, hassle about payments on account etc etc...
They owe me 73 quid.
Does that mean I get all that interest *back* again?
Posted by Tom Dolan at 04:18 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
