some useful stuff - random thoughts on the 8.22, Putney to Waterloo

What's useful? Actually let's not go down that path with a load of philosophical bollocks

www.flybmi.com when i book my flight to why don't they give me the 5-day weather forecast (or the seasonal averages if i book some way in advance>

http://www.waitrose.com/food_drink/recipes/index.asp - why don't waitrose develop a 'recipe of the day' based on the weather in the area that you live? this last week it's been freezing cold and pissing with rain so I don't want to hear about some poncy salad. i want to hear about shepherds pie or chicken and mushroom pie. this idea could be regionalised so it can be salad in sandringham and chicken pie in christmas pie (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_Pie) the logical conclusion is that the weather forecast could then be announced in the context of suggestions for tonight's dinner - sponsored by Waitrose

http://www.hankley.co.uk/ - i'm a member of hankley common golf club in surrey. they organise a club competition every other weekend but the only way to sign up for the competition is in the clubhouse. why not set up an online start sheet so that i don't have to inconvenience the secretary with a phone call? why not also set up a

http://www.ratemypoo.com/ - this is gross but clearly there is an opportunity for an immodium site sponsorship. at the very least it needs an affinity link. i'd also suggest that the ratemyvomit site could link up with resolve

http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/TopCategoriesDisplay?catalogId=19551&storeId=12556&langId=-1 i've picked on topshop because that was what tweedledee wrote about last time but have you noticed how flat clothes look when you view them on the web. you don't get much of an idea what they look like on, you can't see how they hang and when you see a model wear them that gives you little feel for how they would look on you. so why not create a mytopshop part of the site. what you do is fill in all of your vital statistics which creates your 'online body'. then as you search through the site and find clothes you like you drag and drop them and they expand/contract to your body shape so you can see what they might look like on you. the body should be able to rotate so you can see how they fit your bum etc. of course, people can then get personal (add in your face, skin tone, etc) and creative (build your own fashion library, outfits etc). plus you can also tag your favourite clothes and direct other people to them to see your style/buy you a present etc. of course this won't give you a perfect representation but it's better than what currently exists

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Remember the Milk

http://www.rememberthemilk.com/

When I have got this working properly - my fault rather than the site I suspect - this is going to revolutionise my wife's perception of my detail management! The concept of an online calendar is really simple but this has some nice touches like text alerts to your mobile - not currently available on Vodafone unfortunately - and the facility to send your account an email which it will update into calendar.
If you are someone who has a mind like a sieve then this could be a lifesaver. I have tried writing lists, synching my work calendar with my mobile but it's not working. If rememberthemilk can't help I am going to have to go for electric shock treatment.

online car boot sale

sorry i mean ebay.

every now and then i drive down towards guildford on a sunday morning and i'm always amazed by the overflow from the carpark of a massive car boot sale that hosts several thousand people who have come along to sift through other people's crap. but now i know where these people are during the rest of the week. they're on ebay, the digital world's repository for everything you've never wanted and so much more.

one thing i did notice is that you've really got to keep your eye on your bid because my bid for some blokes soul on his passing was pipped in the final hour when i was away from my computer. that pissed me off a lot as i had been in the lead for 4 days.

but the beauty of this is that now i know there are people willing to pay their hard earned money for the contents of my loft, no matter how obscure the detritus, happy days.

Is there an ebay millionaire yet?

7.59 Putney to Waterloo

Packed as usual - 200 plus people crammed into a baked bean can on the usual trudge into work. It's amazing though, the only words spoken were by a guy at the door asking someone to open the window otherwise not another word was spoken. It's wierd that seemingly normal, good natured people shame their fellow travellers with withering looks and general contempt if the unwritten conventions of commuting in silence are broken. Even my wife and I who have loads to say to each other fall strangely silent on a train like a spell has been cast over us.

My dad has commuted on the same train, sitting in the same carriage to and from London for 30 years. He recognises all of the people in the carriage as they all travel together day in day out without fail yet he couldn't tell you a single one of their names. He's spent more time with these people than with any of his friends yet they've only ever exchanged nods and acknowldgement.

What is it about the British and commuting that makes them so private when they travel. This behaviour defies human nature.

Clearly it's different on the tube - check out this guy's website of conversations overheard.
http://www.themanwhofellasleep.com/gossip.html
If anyone says anything, i'll keep you posted - geddit

New ID

Creating a new identity is a wierd concept for me as I feel a bit of a fraud in doing it. I know it's the done thing in the digital world but there is a part of me that thinks I don't need another name - not least because it means I have yet another set of login details to remember! After all, in the unlikely event that anyone reads this thing, I'm not afraid of them knowing my real name or challenging my point of view. Part of my scepticism is that I doubt that anyone is particularly interested in my point of view about anything anyway so publishing it feels a bit self-indulgent. This web name thing feels like it has most appeal to the fantasist - an escape mode for people who are disatisfied with their lot (looks, personality, past, etc) and provides an environment where they can be someone without fear of having to confront their hang ups. A web name is a bit anomalous in my mind - part of it is about sharing parts of ourselves, but part of it is about protecting ourselves and controlling what people think or know about us.

New name: I had a few ideas about this but went for biras03. Biras Creek is the most magical place on the island of Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands. It's where I spent my honeymoon and is one of the most stunning places on the planet with shoreline on both the Atlantic and Carribean Oceans. http://www.biras.com/ The lizard I have chosen is a gecko, which are found plentifully on Virgin Gorda so in keeping with my new name I have chosen one. Hopefully the content of this blog won't suggest reptilian tendencies in me.

Identity: As a society we have never been more obsessed with identity maybe because we feel that we are under scrutiny like never before. The 'brand literacy' of the man in the street has never been greater and extends beyond the traditional understanding of 'brand advertising'. Increasingly people see themselves as brands, the perception of whom is influenced by the clothes they wear, the phone they carry and where they live probably more than what they say or how they behave. But maybe it has always been like that, it's just that we're all more self obsessed and 'brand' aware.

It's also true to say that identity is something that it is to be fiercely protected. In a world of increasingly sophisticated fraud where identity theft is commonplace protecting your personal information has never been more important to us. The odd thing is that at the same time we're trying to protect ourselves, never has there been more information about us or our behaviour. Increasingly, we are being forced to accept that governments and organisations have access to the most personal information about us - biometric passports, fingerprinting at airports, oyster cards that could be used to monitor your travel habits, mobile phone signals that can track you down. It's all being sold to us a form of 'protection' but is it?