The Null Device


Meanwhile, in entertainment news, The Artist Formerly Known As Futplex has spoken out in favour of Napster, and against evil, greedy recording companies. Given that he had been fucked over famously by Warner, who claimed ownership of his songs, the latter part is not unexpected.

"Young people...need to be educated about how the record companies have exploited artists and abused their rights for so long... Online distribution is turning into a new medium which might enable artists to put an end to this exploitation."


Another nail goes into the coffin of the Pound Sterling, as Toyota's UK operation asks its suppliers to use the Euro, rather than the Pound. Other Japanese companies are planning to move their UK manufacturing operations to the continent unless the Euro is adopted.


A promising review of The Virgin Suicides, which opened in Australia today. Certainly a film I intend to see.


Still convalescing from the flu, I went down to the video library today and rented some videos. Just now, I watched The Young Poisoner's Handbook, which I had seen earlier. It's quite a good film, in a British art-house sort of vein; in some ways like A Clockwork Orange; indeed, both films use versions of the opening of Purcell's Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary as their title music. The direction, and use of lighting and music are also top-notch. Anyway, I'd recommend seeing this film.

A Clockwork Orange is not out on video in Australia, because our language and TV system (PAL) are both too close to Britain's and if it were, we'd have Poms smuggling it back to the UK. However, the adult section of the video library (which I passed on my way to other shelves, of course) did have a rather dire-looking porno take on it titled Clockwork Orgy.

Oh yes, another thing I noticed in The Young Poisoner's Handbook: Graham Young's sister was played by one Charlotte Coleman, whom I remember from my youth as punk-haired troublemaker Marmalade, who kept getting kicked out of various reform institutions in a series of British kids' TV shows.


Chutzpah, part II: Spammers subvert Gnutella, taking advantage of its anonymity to flood searchers with bogus results, with complete impunity. And for only US$80, you too can participate in the spam bonanza. Could this be an actual money-making scam, a RIAA-sponsored "black-op" of some sort, or a media stunt of some sort?

p2p spam 0

Dr. Colin Andrews has researched crop circles for 17 years, employing private detectives to track hoaxers. He believes that, whilst 80% of crop circles are man-made, the other 20% are caused by shifts in the Earth's magnetic field.

Self-proclaimed hoaxer John Lundberg said no-one would ever believe a scientific explanation for crop circles because people want to believe it is something more mysterious. "The public don't want it explained," he said.