Wolverhampton’s Initial Access gallery has a new show opening 6th September 08. Lightness of Being shows a range of recent light art… “Neon sculptures employ a technology that was originally developed for commercial signage. Sophisticated techniques such as sculpted neon strips, light boxes and plasma screens have extended possibilities for artists, and changed their relationship with light from one of interpreting natural effects to employing artificial light as an essential expressive element in their work. … John Armleder, Dan Attoe, Tracey Emin, Jason Rhoades.” Timed rather nicely to coincide with Birmingham’s Light Night (12th Sept 08), and the Walsall Illuminations (26th Sept 08). Join in the fun with your own D.I.Y. outdoors digital light...

Good question. The Royal Institute of British Architects is organising an interesting-sounding debate in Birmingham, one that might feed into some people’s thinking about the Big City Plan. “The Built Environment: Can the State Design Happiness?” is on 29th Sept 08. ‘It hasn’t had much success so far’ might be my first answer, but then I won’t be going since the event has high-level speakers including the Shadow Minister for the Arts, the RIBA president and others, and it’ll be members-only and passes-only like all the other events below. It would be nice to get a speedy public podcast of the debate, though. Other Birmingham events of relevance to the creative economy, that it would also be nice to have public podcasts for, are:— The...

The hiphop support for the Rosa-Cynthia ticket is fascinating and impressive http://theonlygreenroom.blogspot.com/2008/08/hip-hop-support-for-us-green-candidates.html ; and Cynthia herself is vastly impressive: See my previous posts on this, e.g. http://rupertsread.blogspot.com/2008/08/mckinney-not-obama.html One important thing is that enough people back McKinney to put some serious pressure on Obama not to sell out any more, especially now, at the Dems' Convention. One encouraging straw in the wind: Obama has been talking more strongly again about taxing the rich and spreading the benefits, over the last week: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/columnists/article4596341.ece   Still worrying is his reliance on entirely dodgy contributors:...

Still Summer, Even A Blue Sky SaturdaySummer weight papers with Sony and Argos the main loose advertisers. A payment from the Mail for 94 grams, but: The Mickie Taker Award This Week goes to againThe Daily...

Web Directions East 08 - Web Directions hits...

Latest news on the campaign for local television :Local TV coalition attacks Ofcomhttp://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/2008/08/local_tv_coalition_attacks_ofcom.html ULTV's letter to Ofcom...

Normal service to be resumed at the end of August. In the meantime… Midlands:— Birmingham’s Creative City Awards 2008 are announced. Deadline for nominations: 17th October 08 // Wolverhampton Radiophonic Institute (on WCR FM & podcast), “radio for thinking, culture, politics and philosophy” // Screen West Midlands gets a website makeover // 21 out of 53 business advisors at Business Link West Midlands are to be sacked // Birmingham No2ID have a free screening of the film Taking Liberties, at Birmingham University on 26th August 08 // A new £50,000 Warwick University Prize for Writing // The 2008 BIAD M.A. Fine Arts graduate show // Grand Designs Live 2008, in Birmingham, 10th-12th October 08. Billed as… “the UK’s no. 1 consumer show...

Summer Must Be Nearly Over, DFS Are Advertising Again!Another light weight Saturday although there were plenty of loose adverts. there will be a payment from the Daily Mail, but the Daily Express and Daily Mirror both inserted an accumulated weight of over 70 grams.So for only the second time with a ridiculous 22% of its weight in loose advertsThe Mickie Taker Awardthis week goes toThe Daily...

There's nothing quite like sleeping in your own bed, but imagine my surprise last weekend when staying overnight in a hotel I was put into Room 101.Isn't that the stuff of nightmares?I don't know why I was surprised that large hotels may have a Room 101 for guests, but the whole situation reminds me slightly of the estate where I am a Councillor where a decision was taken by someone at some stage not to build any houses numbered "13", as this may have been "unlucky".Generally speaking I do believe that numbers are lucky or unlucky, I just believe that they are numbers - nothing more, nothing less. This is probably why I have never been on Deal Or No Deal.The date 05/05/05 is no more or less significant than 08/08/08 (or 06/08/08, if anyone from the International Olympic Committee is...

It Must Be Still Summer As The Saturday Papers Are Still On The Light SideAnother light Saturday, but most papers included loose adverts.To this week's award:The Mickie Taker Award This Week goes to againThe Daily...

Ross Mayfield's Weblog: If Ted Rheingold worked at PwC -......

Cueprompter.com - The Online......

When Today’s coverage of the Olympics includes interviewing a numerologist, it’s probably time to switch the radio off. # Wikipedia thinks Ned Sherrin still writes for The Oldie. If only there was an easy way to correct it. # @mpntod I reckon Terminal 5 is an undercover ploy by environmentalists to cut air travel. # @qwghlm Apparently I’m more famous than the organisation I work for. I doubt that somehow. # So those are the people who run the IT for the people who make the laws. I like them but they scare me.......

Live Olympics opening ceremony commentary: Wow, you wouldn’t think burning monks could dance that fast, but there they go. # Cool, they subverted the biblical plagues. Although slaughtering the second born with Chairman Mao as the Angel of Death is a bit tasteless. # Oh no, it’s okay. They’re using the Dalai Lama’s dignity to mop up......

When Today’s coverage of the Olympics includes interviewing a numerologist, it’s probably time to switch the radio off. # Wikipedia thinks Ned Sherrin still writes for The Oldie. If only there was an easy way to correct it. # @mpntod I reckon Terminal 5 is an undercover ploy by environmentalists to cut air travel. # @qwghlm Apparently I’m more famous than the organisation I work for. I doubt that somehow. # So those are the people who run the IT for the people who make the laws. I like them but they scare me.......

Live Olympics opening ceremony commentary: Wow, you wouldn’t think burning monks could dance that fast, but there they go. # Cool, they subverted the biblical plagues. Although slaughtering the second born with Chairman Mao as the Angel of Death is a bit tasteless. # Oh no, it’s okay. They’re using the Dalai Lama’s dignity to mop up......

Live Olympics opening ceremony commentary: Wow, you wouldn’t think burning monks could dance that fast, but there they go. # Cool, they subverted the biblical plagues. Although slaughtering the second born with Chairman Mao as the Angel of Death is a bit tasteless. # Oh no, it’s okay. They’re using the Dalai Lama’s dignity to mop up...

Answering Questions on Border Laptop Searches "We only abuse the rights of a few visitors to the USA so you are foolish and probably ignorant to have any issues with us publicly asserting that we might unconstitutionally abuse the rights of any visitor or resident at any time." (tags: USA Travel Rights Abuse) Blasts of Holy Birth: Lewis & Clarke This was reviewed on 3Hive yesterday and really is rather good, about to buy it. Calm and spiritually energising "avant chamber folk". Oh, and $2 cheaper on Amazon than on iTunes... (tags: Music 3Hive Amazon MP3)...

‘Conversation Prism’ helps corporations visualize social media strategies | Feeds | ZDNet.com Technicolor yawn? tags: prism Biggest Douchebag Ever? probably - and grateful it’s not me (heh) tags: no_tag Related storiesNo related...

I don't know if this will affect my servers, but my supplier has announced some scheduled maintenance.Start Date: 07/08/2008 23:30:00 End Date: 08/08/2008 01:30:00Some servers will be inaccessible until the maintenance is complete.Just to let you know......

"The US believes the people of China deserve the fundamental liberty that is the natural right of all human beings. America stands in firm opposition to China's detention of political dissidents, human rights advocates and religious activists," George W Bush......

There’s a gathering of yet another group of false prophets at Denham Springs, Louisiana for 08.08.08, as promoted by the Elijah List here. Neville Johnson, Sadhu Sundar Selvaraj, Paul Keith Davis, Sharnael Wolverton, and Todd Shockley are involved. This conference is organised by Wolverton’s Swift Fire ministries: “Swift” the namesake, being one of the angels imparted by Bob Jones to Sharnael Wolverton and others in the apostolic-prophetic movement. Wolverton was “ordained” by Patricia King earlier this year and apparently Bob Jones “likes her”. Anyway, this 08.08.08 is yet more numerological and supertitious neo prophetic nonsense that has no true place with the people of God.  ”Everywhere, people are ready for a fresh, new...

I've been a Mozy for Mac user for a couple of months now and my backup (which is admittedly very large) still hasn't completed for the first time, despite my machine being left on pretty much 24x7. I am backing up a LOT of data (over 85GB) so I knew it was going to take a while but one problem seems to have been recurring, preventing the backup even starting on many occasions. Here are two typical sections of the Mozy.log file. 2008-08-01 20:11:39.505 MozyBackup[41:601b] (backup) Starting backup 2008-08-01 20:11:39.582 MozyBackup[41:601b] (backup) Checking for update 2008-08-01 20:11:40.084 MozyBackup[41:601b] (backup) Connecting to r4165.mozy.client.ut1.berkeleydata.com (66.133.112.24) 2008-08-01 20:11:40.552 MozyBackup[41:601b] (backup) Version is up-to-date (1.0.1.0) 2008-08-01...

I received a letter from Edinburgh Council the other day, advising when Easter Road and surrounding areas would be closed due to sporting fixtures.  In the interests of public safety, I’d like to pass on these fixtures. Hibernian FC - Fixtures Season 2008/20009 Sat 2/08/08 middlesborough tue 5/08/08 wigan sat 16/08/08 falkirk sat 30/08/08 motherwell sat 13/09/08 dundee united sat 27/09/08 rangers sat 18/10/08 heart of midlothian sat 8/11/08 inverness sat 15/11/08 aberdeen sat 6/12/08 celtic sat 13/12/08 hamilton sat 27/12/08 kilmarnock sat 17/01/08 st mirren sat 31/01/09 motherwell sat 28/02/09 falkirk sat 14/03/09 heart of midlothian sat 21/03/09 aberdeen sat 18/04/09 huns Roads closed in the interests of public safety and to facilitate the free passage of the public during match...

West Midlands:— West Midlands Creative Alliance is… “a group of arts professionals drawn together with one sole purpose; to develop new and emerging creative talent in the West Midlands” // Rhubarb Rhubarb has partnered with POD publishers Blurb to launch a new UK photobooks award. Although sadly it’s only open to those who are paying for portfolio reviews at the main Rhubarb event // Jump-the-canal, seemingly a new Brummie craze // Birmingham’s Producers’ Forum has a free (to members) all-day ‘Pitch Workshop’ on 31st July 08, 10am to 5pm. It aims to… “strengthen the premise of your [film] scripts and to pitch your ideas with confidence and authority // The Post has a long profile of Warwick’s new £120m Digital Lab...

My dear friend, Carpsio, has already spoken about the Ofcom report that covered The Great Global Warming Swindle (see below).The best bit, however, in the report was the ''Other Programmes Not In Breach/Resolved''.Cricket - 01/07/2008 - Sky Sports 1 - Generally Accepted Standards - 1Playboy TV - 29/01/2008 - Playboy TV - Sex/Nudity - 1Secret Diary of A Call Girl - 23/06/08 - ITV - Sex/Nudity - 1I hope that the complaint about the cricket was a red-faced old buffoon (rather like me, I suppose) writing in and saying that KP's switch-hit wasn't the right thing or that Cook was a bit too flashy as an opener and should dig himself a trench rather than something about Bumble mumbling.As to the two wankers (although, admittedly, probably not...) what on Earth did they expect from a programme...

THE CROYDONIAN looks at all things fishy in the Government: Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much fish was procured by his Department and at what cost in each of the last five years, broken down by species; and what amount and value of such fish met the Marine Stewardship Council standard in each such year, broken down by species. [217901] Margaret Hodge: The Department holds the information set out relating to fish purchased in financial year 2007-08. Information is not available for previous years. Source Product Approximate w eight (kg) 2007-08 Total c ost 2007-08 (£) Marine Stewardship Council Standard Haddock/cod fillet tail 312 2,392.56 Yes Tuna in brine 593 2,349.36 Yes Sandwich prawns 65 328.90 Yes Smoked salmon......

Because he's been dosing up on his Omega 3:Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much fish was procured by his Department and at what cost in each of the last five years, broken down by species; and what amount and value of such fish met the Marine Stewardship Council standard in each such year, broken down by species. [217901] Margaret Hodge: The Department holds the information set out relating to fish purchased in financial year 2007-08. Information is not available for previous years. SourceProduct Approximate w eight (kg) 2007-08 Total c ost 2007-08 (£) Marine Stewardship Council Standard Haddock/cod fillet tail 312 2,392.56 Yes Tuna in brine 593 2,349.36 Yes Sandwich prawns 65 328.90 Yes Smoked salmon 26 786.24 Yes...

Chelsea has confirmed that their new away shirt for the 2008/2009 season will be all black. Designed by Adidas and sponsored by Samsung, the new shirt design is a welcome change from Chelsea’s away shirt that it wore last season, which was a yellow day-glo color. The new shirt may be partially inspired by the success of Manchester United’s old black away shirt. Related articles: Buy Chelsea Football Shirts, New Chelsea 08/09 Home Shirt, New Chelsea 08/09 Third Shirt, Chelsea’s Preseason Friendlies, NBA’s Kevin Garnett Is A Chelsea Fan, Chelsea Fans Voted Worst Behaved By Premier League. If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting! Bookmark to:...

A photograph of Hull City’s away shirt for the 2008/2009 season has been revealed. The color is flint — a very dark grey. Manufactured by Umbro, the shirt features an amber and black trim and is sponsored by Kingston Communications. Fair play to Hull, this is one of the most aesthetically pleasing shirts among the 20 clubs for the 08/09 season thus far. Related articles: Interview With Martin Prothero From Umbro, EPL Talk Readers Wanted Hull More Than Bristol City. If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting! Bookmark to:...