Amazing Innovation in Fish Bowls

That's what a targeted ad in Gmail said. Not knowing how on earth you could innovate in fish bowls, I had to click on the link. Also note that you get Tetra Easy Balance and Feng Shui pebbles for free! Amazing!

ID Card Petitions

Number 10 are trying an online petition system. It is currently a beta version. Of course, there are already petitions about the ID card scheme: one to scrap it and one to support it. Interestingly enough, the former currently has 4849 signatures, the latter... 4. Or if you don't care about ID cards, you can always sign the ice-cream juggling petition.

Compulsory Upgrade

I just opened Microsoft Messenger, something that I hadn't done for a few weeks and it came with a message saying that there was a new version available for Mac and that I must upgrade (emphasis mine). This is one of the things I hate most with Microsoft: there is no choice, we must do things their way if we want to use their software or services.

Low budget film with big stars

I got the following email from a friend last night:

As some of you may already know, I have had a small hand in funding a new feature film, opening this Friday across the country (including Manchester, Bristol, Reading as well as most of London ;), starring Ewan McGregor, Catherine Tate and a handful of established and upcoming British talent.

Set on a sunny afternoon in Hampstead Heath, it is a wry look on relationships from the vantage of several couples meeting up in very different circumstances.

It is entitled ‘Scenes of a Sexual Nature’ (although not particularly racy, and a 15 rating ;) – and if we have a good opening weekend then the Film Council will provide additional funding to open more cinemas. Apparently we have made waves in the film industry for our unique approach to financing the filming and distribution independently (and actually making in into the cinemas). Sony has just signed for the DVD rights, and if all goes well we hope to open across the pond in La La Land in April.

So if any of you or friends/family/pets fancy visiting the cinema this weekend, please consider our humble British, independent effort rather than those brash Hollywood pieces of fluff and fancy ;)

You can find out more at the website www.tinpanfilms.com or the bbc websites for Films2006 reviews (Jonathan was very positive ;)

I also read an interesting review in a newspaper last night. Apparently, they have been extremely innovative in the funding and distribution, while managing to get an impressive cast. As explained in the email, everybody is waiting to see what happens on the opening weekend (this weekend, 3-5 November) because a lot of people have said it was impossible to do. So I really want to go see it and contribute to making it a success.

See more progress on: go and see "Scenes of a Sexual Nature"