black ink shortage hits UK government

It's also worth having a play with the crowdsourcing experiment currently run by the Guardian.

I sifted through about 20 claims out of idle nosiness and found some 'petty cash' claims for over £200 (eg £240.09) but less than the £250 point at which things must be declared explicitly with documentation. Similarly there was one set of claims that repeated month by month with exactly the same amounts each time.

Not forgetting some tasty food bills amidst the varied claims for soft furnishings for indeterminate blacked-out residences.

scrolling through websites like album covers with Safari 4

The new version of the Apple web browser Safari has quietly installed itself on this machine. It has some fun features like the ability to scroll through web sites in much the same way as iTunes album covers.

It's quite a useful visual way to go back through history to an old web page when the name isn't too obvious. There's also a star trek multi display mode which provides around 12 top sites which can be easily selected.

My partial screenshot captures a few examples.

been working texas time today

By co-incidence I've been working with different people based in Texas the last few days.

Unrelated reasons, but it means the day slides west a few hours, so it's almost midnight and I've only just finished working. I also noticed a continued dribble of work related emails appearing in my inbox as I stepped away from the computer.

Some will have to wait until tomorrow.

In the morning I'm back on planes, although I'll leave it until tomorrow before I put my stuff into a bag. I usually pack the previous evening, preferring to sleep in the knowledge that everything is ready for action. But I'm already checked in, so that should save some time at the airport.

supersaturated colour before the thunderstorms

A slight oops today because I should really have taken my own advice at the weekend.

If I'd remembered to wear the strange headgear that I'd packed, then perhaps I wouldn't look quite such an interesting colour this morning.

Its all very well having stage artists throwing water around to help us stay cool, but two or three days in a field in the sun, even with SPF30, has left a few marks on the complexion.

Today I was in various client meetings in a spiffy high-rise hotel and despite everyone's studied politeness, I could tell by those short flickering looks that people were assessing my general brightness.

I even hesitated at one point mid afternoon when I had a brief escape to the great outdoors. Suddenly the sun came out and I looked for shelter fearing I may get a further top up of supersaturation.

festival conditions creating alternate reality

Festival conditions make blogging rather difficult.

Seem to be getting some good views of the bands.

More later.

piper playing at the gates of dawn #iowfest

The Isle of Wight ferry was suitably hippified with plenty of tents and backpackers amongst an occasional yachting blazer, although we were a little ahead of the curve, judging by the amount of metal crash barriers which didn't seem to be serving a useful purpose.

And by the time we found Newport we decided that a special signal had been sent out the all of the traffic cones in the UK, causing them to congregate in this one spot. "the cone machine is coming down and we're gonna have a party"

With our local knowledge, we're currently looking out to sea away from the still gently simmering crowds. An Indian take-away and wine yesterday evening and we are set up well for the day.

Impressed that I've found a wifi hotspot, but things may start to go erratic after this as we enter the Gates of Dawn.


Proper site pictures later, after I've charged various devices and found the little connectybit.

all of your cones are belong to us.

(君達の基地は、全てCONESがいただいた。)

grooving in a field

Sun. Sea.

You get the picture.

Dusting off the strange headgear for a long weekend in a field with music.

walking around a slightly wet London

Instead of today's tube strike slowing us down, we all seemed to get to our various destinations early.

I had a pre-meeting rendezvous at a coffee shop and was around an hour early.

My colleague arrived about 3cms of latte later.

We were so early that we took a phone conference prior to our main meeting from within the coffee shop(different tables for this part because of the unfortunate echos and and delays delays delays when using multiple cellphones in one l-l-location-n-n).

Then on to our meeting.

Would our host be there?

We'd been checking our phones for last minute emails. Nothing to worry about. She was also early, although wanted to pop outside for a cigarette before the session started.

We waited and looked out to the streets. Solid masses of people wearing trainers and carrying backpacks.

London was walking.

backpackandtrainers cam

london tube strike walking and cycle routes

Tomorrow evening threatens the start of a London Tube strike, so I've been idly looking at some cross town pedestrian routes. These involve the somewhat inscrutable overhead walkways around the Barbican on the way to a couple of meetings sprinkled around the northern side of town.

I think both venues are quite walkable without too much trouble, so I may just start out a little earlier than usual with some string and breadcrumbs.

There's also some handy walking and bus guides from many main line stations here

Additionally, there's going to be a several BikeTubes which are processions of cyclists commuting along the tube routes.

And I've had them for a long time, but don't forget the rather useful free TfL maps of bicycle routes through London.

Mind the Gap.

that razor sadness that only gets worse

9th and Hennepin
Pat and I have been in brief dialogue about how you take on the dreams of the ones who have slept there.

I'm lost in the window, and I hide in the stairway and I hang in the curtain, and I sleep in your hat...
...and no one brings anything small into a bar around here.
9th and hennepin - tom waits

moon in the window and a bird on the pole

Lazy weekend interspersed with wild talk of future projects for bubbleandsqueek and keyhole surgery. Ideas away from day jobs whilst wrestling with time.

We piled a collection of music, verse, theatre, writing, photography and video onto a metaphorical creaking table covered in wine and whiskey spillages which became more exuberant as the day progressed into evening.

My example is to get 'The Triangle' published - I'm still waiting for the proof copy- and now that Debra's excellent photo book "52 weeks" is in the public domain, I feel its the right time to also get my contribution out there.

Debra's book is suitably luscious to hold and look at. It also has an unfolding story through the year 2008 and there's a subtext of moving from another country back to the UK and of the surrounding thoughts.

John has a stack of projects including the redraft of his spooky hotel scenes which he took to the Royal Court. Mel is thinking dystopian but back on planes next week. Julie is trying to ensure I spend next weekend under canvas in a muddy field.

But it also goes to show that some determination can make things happen, even around the usual hurly burly of work and the rest of living.

So the few of us sat chatting together throughout yesterday were ready for anything.

Except Monday, of course.

Clap Hands.

wagon wheels on the corner cabinet

With a new UK government corner cabinet attempting to get its show on the road, I found my my mind turning to thoughts of wagon wheels. It was probably an effect of the surfeit of wine that John and I drank before meeting Georgina.

The overhead televisions were running stories of the latest resignations from Gordon's flailing party. Geoff Hoon, John Hutton and Caroline Flint amidst her accusations of elitist inner circles and window dressing.

If not the wine bar, it was probably the later extended Shiraz experimentation whilst we enjoyed Georgina's paella in the mysteriously shortening evening.

So in my tired and slightly confused state I'm not sure whether Wagon Wheels fall into the category of biscuit or that of the alarmingly generic 'snack food'.

I'll assume that the 74mm chocolate covered marshmallows are biscuits and add them to the hall of fame started with in the advanced biscuitry briefings of 2005 with the bourbon and the later, though stealthier post about that marine amongst biscuits, the hobnob.

Eagle eyed will glimpse the illicit Tim Tam by the keyboard, although I've skillfully hidden the DDS sign of a mug of tea.

Which brings me to the enduring biscuitry advice for Gordon as he tries to apply his particular wheels. He is not dealing with Penguins here and his apparent use of DEEP DUNK and SUCK may be singulalry inappropriate.