And so it happened – Twitter really is pulling the plug on its free API access for developers. I feel for the likes of Dave Winer; I feel for the users. But Dave (and others) have been transparent all along: this is an open product. It’s not silo. Plus more importantly it’s free.
I loved blogging briefly using Drummer. The outliner approach suited my style of writing. Bash out shit into a small box, build the outliner, move one. But I was sceptical that one day my content would be at the whim of some ego-maniac being in control at Twitter. Hence the return to WordPress with MY domain and MY self-hosted package.
Album of the Day: Smashing Pumpkins – Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
TWO chuffing hours? No thanks Billy, mate. I only knew the tracks 1979 and Tonight before listening to the album in full. Both are pleasant and plod along in a nice sensitive pop kinda way. The rest of the album was a racket. I bailed after track 9. What US alt artists lack in humour they certainly make up for in stodge.
⭐ ⭐
We had some workmen rock up early to finish off an exterior paint and repair job. It’s been too cold over the past few weeks for any of the plaster and paint to hold in place.
I looked out the window and saw they were parked on the double red lines. Oh dear. That’s not going to end well. I never see the South Lambeth Road parking wardens, but I’ve yet to have a workman who hasn’t escaped their wrath.
I left the flat for work, attempted a friendly meet ‘n’ greet with the workmen and then warned then about the parkies on patrol.
Too late. They had received a ticket within two minutes.
I was sporting my Man at Leicester University circa 1994 look for the school day ahead in SW9. An afternoon clothes shopping along Whitechapel High Street earlier in the week led me to buying an Indian style waistcoat and a grandad collar shirt.
This was the look that I ROCKED around the City of Death the last time Forest were half decent. I looked the bollocks back then, and I did so today. No one commented on my Man at Leicester University circa 1994 look. Oh dear.
We had a Bowie themed assembly first thing. The Year 8 pupils had put together a great video presentation to mark the seventh anniversary of the man born two streets away from the school.
One of the images featured *that* smile. It’s a look that Dave was able to pull off that simply said: It’s alright everyone, I’M HERE!
The Tonight video with Tina Turner is shitty, apart from Dave’s entrance.
It’s alright everyone, I’M HERE!
The assembly presentation also made me smile, but not with the same aura of confidence from Bowie. It took me back to the SE21 school seven years ago on the morning of his passing. The music teacher staged an impromptu all school assembly. She played Starman. The look on their faces of the students upon hearing it for the first time was magical.
It’s a shame that a Shrek clip was used for Changes this morning . I’ll put it down to copyright reasons or something.
The assembly finished with a sea shanty, which was something of a surprise.
The music theme continued for me throughout the day. I sat in on a Year 12 music session. MJ’s Don’t Stop was one of the tracks that the students added some enthusiastic percussion to.
I’ve never really listened to the lyrics before. They’re not relevant against the backdrop of what is musical gold dust. I confess to having a bit of a mid-morning bop with Boy Y.
Out came the drums, and out came MJ’s Beat It over the school sound system. Forty or so years ago I would have been at school myself, talking about watching the Beat It video on TOTP the night before. And here I was, four decades on, sat in a classroom and having fun with some cool students over the same song.
Life is very odd and unexpected.
I stopped off at Lidl at the end of the school day. The fuckers have taken out the bicycle racks and replaced them with car parking spaces. What a shitty thing to do.
I had a quick look at the Lambeth planning database back in the flat for the details of the original application. An email was fired off to Planning asking if cycle space was a condition of granting permission.
There was better bicycle news along Lansdowne Way. I clocked TWO cargo bikes for kids along the short stretch. We’re getting there.
To the Wanamaker Theatre! …early evening. I had a ticket to see Titus Andronicus indoors at The Globe Playhouse. I LOVE that space, and I also rather like Titus. The outdoor production at The Globe back in 2014 was legendary. Groundlings fainted throughout, such was the level of gore on show.
The production this evening started with an amusing intro song claiming:
“We promise you a bloodbath.”
It was a little misleading. Titus is a violent story. You need to see body parts being removed and murders taking place as part of the plot. The Wanamaker production was heavy on symbolism. Candles were cut up, rather than hands and tongues. It was a little bland.
There was no gore, and quite honestly it wasn’t very good. I did the very unusual thing of not returning after the interval. I think it was the generic Slipknot boiler suits warn by all cast members that tipped me over the edge.
The second half of Chelsea Vs Fulham wasn’t exactly on fire, but it did hold my interest more than Titus.
