O₂MG, what have they done to the Dome?

Love it or loathe it, Richard Rogers' Dome was the architectural icon of of Britain's new millennium. The hubristic creation of Michael Heseltine and Peter Mandelson, it was meant to symbolise our country's post-Thatcher renaissance, all Britpop and Cool Britannia. It didn't work out quite like that. Along with millions of other Britons, we didn't … Continue reading O₂MG, what have they done to the Dome? →

The search for Japanese balloonist Michio Kanda

Michio Kanda is a Japanese town office employee and world-record-holding balloonist who has gone missing over the North Pacific while attempting to fly from Japan to North America. My brother and sister-in-law are part of his support team. They've set up a blog to provide updates on the ongoing attempt to locate him at http://kandaupdate.wordpress.com/ … Continue reading The search for Japanese balloonist Michio Kanda →

Note to future historians: We know it doesn’t look good, but we weren’t really shallow time-wasters in the Noughties

Greetings from 2008! I'm really pleased you've picked the Early 21st Century Social History module this term. You're going to love it. But before you dive into the wealth of primary evidence we've left on the net, there's something we need you to understand. We know it doesn't look good, but we weren't really shallow … Continue reading Note to future historians: We know it doesn’t look good, but we weren’t really shallow time-wasters in the Noughties →

UR SCULPTURZ Я IN OUR PARK AMUZIN OUR KIDZ

Today's Manchester Guardian gives an unchallenged outing to metropolitan whinger Germaine Greer on the subject of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, near the heart of our 15-million-strong Supercity. Complaining, apparently erroneously, about the amount of the nation's collection of sculpture kept outside London, she sneers: If you can manage to get yourself to West Bretton near … Continue reading UR SCULPTURZ Я IN OUR PARK AMUZIN OUR KIDZ →

ШITH TШЗИTУ-FIVЗ SФLDIЗЯS ФF LЗДD HЗ HДS CФИQЦЗЯЗD THЗ ШФЯLD

Thus somebody - and nobody quite seems to know whom - said of Johannes Gutenberg. But even with the belated arrival of the "w" to make up the Latin alphabet to 26, this once mighty army now seems barely enough to log into Bebo. There are forces at work. Web-based services demand that users have … Continue reading ШITH TШЗИTУ-FIVЗ SФLDIЗЯS ФF LЗДD HЗ HДS CФИQЦЗЯЗD THЗ ШФЯLD →

Thomas A. Watson Ate My Internet

"But daddy, if people didn't have computers, how did they buy things from the internet?" It's amazing how something we've come to take for granted hangs from such a fragile thread. As part of a new product trial for my employer, we recently had a visit from two very helpful telecoms engineers who checked out … Continue reading Thomas A. Watson Ate My Internet →

Social Minds – learning technology for virtual worlds

Please excuse this shameless plug for my brother's new venture, Social Minds. Back in 1997, Edmund went to work in Japan for a year. He stayed, got married, and has gained a wealth of experience in distance learning and educational technologies. Now he's taking that experience into virtual worlds, including Second Life. As his shiny … Continue reading Social Minds – learning technology for virtual worlds →

Relax, your photos are in the sky (but I’ve burned a CD just in case)

The conversation in our household goes like this: Me: I'm clearing the digital camera. Its memory's nearly full. My spouse: I don't like the idea that all our photos are just on the computer. Me: Well they're safer there than in tatty envelopes under the bed... Spouse: Yes, but why can't we print them all … Continue reading Relax, your photos are in the sky (but I’ve burned a CD just in case) →