Stuart Curran

Publish and be dumbed

I got an an email from a friend at work the other day that had some pictures of a footballer's payslip attached. The suspicion was that this was done by a disgruntled postie who resented the amount of money that the footballer would be getting paid, especially when there is every likelihood that he might be facing a pay cut or redundancy. After some debate in the office about the genuineness or otherwise of these pictures not to mention the gasps of incredulity at the amount the individual was being paid, I thought no more about it and figured that this would do the rounds like these emails do. Then today, someone sent me a link to the "most emailed" story from today's BBC news website. Turns out the pictures were for real and that this was a major invasion of personal privacy since the footballer's address and national insurance details are now in the public domain (not to mention his vast salary). Anyway, there is plenty of coverage of this by now and loads of blog posts no doubt, but the point I want to make is this: I thought about putting those pictures online and blogging about them as soon as I received them. I'm not insensitive to the man's privacy but I can honestly say that this thought never entered my head - it was just an interesting and amusing anecdote to be shared and a ridiculously overpaid footballer is probably fair game. Christ, what a thought though! Am I that willing to ignore my sense of moral responsibility for a cheap shot on a stupid website that nobody reads? I think that this is where we are headed - read it, pass it on to a friend, blog it, syndicate it, oh shit that's actually quite dodgy, never mind I've done it now plus I might get a few extra readers. It is sooo easy to turn your brain off especially if there are some cheap laughs at someone else expense involved. I'm glad I didn't act on the impulse to publish this and get some "you heard it here first" one-upmanship on who exactly I don't know. But I am desperately confused and disturbed by the efficiency and ruthlessness of gossip on the Internet. Just ask dogshit girl.

My top ten bottled beers

1. Asahi Black (Kuronama)
2. Van Diest Fruli Strawberry Beer
3. Leffe Brun
4. Corona Extra
5. Hoegaarden
6. Rolling Rock
7. Moretti
8. Tsingtao
9. Kronenbourg Blanc
10. Sol

So long Sopranos

The last ever Soprano's episode - I'm still getting my head around the fact. I've been a fan for the last 8 years so it means something when a programme spans a large period of your life like that. The last thing I watched with anything like the same degree of sustained interest was probably the X-files. Unlike Mulder and Scully however, Tony Soprano has managed to leave us wanting more. The manner of the series conclusion is something I have been pondering on since Sunday when the finale was shown on E4. What did it mean? The tension in the final restaurant scene with Tony and his family was palpable, brilliantly sustained by Meadow arriving outside and being unable to park her car (was this a metaphor for the difficulty in coming up with a concluding scene?). So we are waiting, waiting for her to walk through the door, all around him in the restaurant are suspicious faces, finally we hear the door open and Tony looks up. Fade to black. We'll never know. The life of a mobster, never knowing if the next door that open will be someone coming to arrest you or kill you. The life of a father, wanting the best for his children, knowing that ultimately he can't ensure their safety anymore than his own. Well, that's my take on the meaning of it all. My all time favourite episode of the Soprano's was episode 37, Pine Barrens. Chris and Paulie Walnuts chase a Russian mobster through the snow and end up getting lost in the woods. Paulie loses his shoe in the snow and starts whining like a baby. The funniest fish out of water scene I've ever watched. Ah well, it's over now. At least I've got reruns of the Wire to keep me going for the next few months to take the edge off. Bada bing bada boom!

Caroline ' s Effluent Services

The first and last time I think I'll ever see a bubblegum pink lorry full of shit!

Top ten albums I never get tired of listening to

1. Radiator - Super Furry Animals
2. In Dub - Renegade Soundwave
3. Fear Of Music - Talking Heads
4. Here Come The Snakes - Green On Red
5. The Three E.P.s - The Beta Band
6. No.1 Record Radio City - Big Star
7. Soft Bulletin - Flaming Lips
8. Free Your Mind And Your Ass Will Follow - Funkadelic
9. New Boots And Panties - Ian Dury
10. Foxbase Alpha - St. Etienne
11. Works Project LP - Scott 4

Into the crack

I stopped by the Tate Modern to see the giant crack today and took some pics. I have to say I wasn't as impressed by seeing it as I was reading about it but I don't think the appearance of it is the point mind you as you could spend hours just watching people's reaction to and interaction with. Here's a vid aswell - this is only about half the length of it so it gives you some idea of the scale ofthe Turbine Hall.

Dave ' s hacker-proof keyboard

The clue is in the picture and unless you can touch type, Dave has got the better of you, hackers. I imagine that's a pretty hollow victory.

Custard the Killer

She came dancing across the garden Custard, Custard What a killer. (with apologies to Neil Young)

A nutter I don ' t know but love

I'm returning to an old theme here concerning the colourful characters that end up becoming alternative ambassadors for your local area. I wrote a post about this ages ago, recalling the lovable nutters that I have been fortunate enough to encounter wherever I have lived. I don't know Stanley Sykes from Witney but I came across a group dedicated to him in Facebook that Matt, a Witney boy himself, had linked to. As a result of this, I think I have found a new hero. I won't blether on and get all emotional about it as I think the picture below says more than words ever could. Update: as I am no longer a member of Facebook, this image has unfortunately disappeared. Shame.