We’ve just watched episode 10 of the fourth series of The Wire. The accepted wisdom seems to be that The Wire, at least up the end of 4, is on an entirely upward trajectory but I’ve got to say that so far, after the magnificence of 3 it’s a bit well not a let down but sort of business as usual. Obviously the previous series have all built strongly in the later episodes so I may be jumping the gun here.

What do you think?

surely this headline should be :
Computer “generated” “abuse” “banned”
?

I haven’t watched 30 Rock because it’s name and premise are too similar to Studio 60 (which I also haven’t watched) and I have a strange sense of loyalty to Aaron Sorkin even though by leaving The West Wing half way through he showed he feels no such loyalty to me. Anyway, on the strength of this youtube clip I’m prepared to download a couple of episodes and give it a chance; what with uncanny valley being one of my favourite explanations for things, and people who look like J Mascis being one of my favourite types of people. Maybe it’s the new Larry Sanders, someone must have said that already though so I’ll need to come up with a fresh angle for pub conversations.

When I’m in my office alone, particularly if I’m in over night for an election or whatever, which I’m not at the moment, I’m just in early, it feels like a long distance aeroplane flight.

Just saying.

via Neil
A very American internet list of books; the top 106 books tagged “unread” in library thing

Bold what you have read, italicize books you’ve started but couldn’t finish, and strike through books you hated. Add an asterisk to those you’ve read more than once. Underline those on your To Be Read list

To take advantage of my stylesheet and highlight things all the italics and underlines are also bold but that doens’t mean I’ve read them, just that I think it looks better to do it that way. Also opinions:
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Chiptunes? Not cool. Asshole douchebaggery? Totally hipster! Put it on Pitchfork.

From here RE: “Crystal Castles”.

PS. Yes, f*cking quotation.

I don’t often talk about specific concrete worky things here (or anywhere else for that matter) but I just wanted to mention what I thought was an excellent idea I had this morning that didn’t make it, presumably because it would appeal only to info graphics geeks and the tone is maybe a bit wrong.

Background: You know how there’s some football thing happening in Moscow next week? Yeah don’t worry I didn’t either but apparently there is. It’s difficult to get visas to go to Moscow at the best of times, if you’re a football fan trying to get one at short notice it’s really difficult and, you know, two British teams abroad, cheap vodka etc. there’s bound to be a pretty high attrition rate on the way there and then some are going to be stuck in customs/ prison and be unable to leave once they get there.

The idea: So what I wanted to do was to recreate Josef Minard’s Carte Figurative (considered by some to be the best statistical graphic EVAR) but the with lines representing British football fans instead of Napoleonic Soldiers. We’d use the same visual style to show how many set off, how many get left behind at various border crossings and how many get stuck once they arrive in Moscow. Clearly a brilliant idea.