Monday, February 28, 2005

Network of testimonials

Network of testimonials
Network of testimonials,
originally uploaded by GustavoG.
This is pretty amazing. Being a geographer whose earlier academic forays were into the culture of cyberspace, I have always been fascinated by people's need to "map"places in cyberspace.

In this case, it is a Flickr * user who has created a network map of Flickr members' relationships and "connectedness" based on what others have to say about them. Gets the ole geography juices going. Smacks of ordering and conrol and power though?

Hmm... You will probably have to click the image to get the best view of it.

*Yes, I know, I mention that site a lot - so what?

*Cough*

manwhofellasleep
manwhofellasleep,
originally uploaded by The Kitten's Toe.

I have been terribly crap at keeping this updated over the weekend. I can blame a number of reasons outside of my control. Blugg's Mac G4 * likes to be a typical Apple product and flick its nose up at doing anything you would usually do on any other computer. In other words, I cannot post properly from it because it does not want to recognise all the functions on blogger.

The second reason might be because I have been hacking up green stuff and all such delightful mucus from the depths of my chest. I blame this on London transport.

I verge on the obsessive compulsive when I am rammed into a shoebox-sized carriage with a hundred other hackers who see fir to wipe their nose and then deposit mucus** on the handrails. I also loathe people who do not cover up their mouths when the cough. Yes, loathe.

Can someone explain the point of hankies please? I don't mean paper ones, I mean the good old fashioned material ones. I just retrieved such an item from my draw and have deposited some mucus within, but now it is soaking. I don't want to put it back on my nose. I now either have to stuff a damp, snot filled bit of cloth up my sleeve, or dry it on my knee before I can reuse it. Surely that can't be healthy?

I did however, manage to add a few new links which you can pick up over there (nods to the right)... One is a Flickr photostream of ROBOTS!! Woohoo! The second is a page which keeps track of all the most recent podcasts to hit the castosphere - I have just called it that because I refuse to go down the "pod route" - Apple get too much publicity as it is.

I have also added a link to Themanwhofellasleep which made me giggle out loud last night. Written by a North Londoner - he lives in Crouch End I have gathered - he seems to be very good at art. I particularly like his Journal of Hope and Despair, in which he give us the good news that Armageddon has been postponed a year. He also has an interesting account of what happened when the Manic Street Preachers came round for tea. He also has some great links to vintage porn.***

*Which incidentally continues to give me electric static shocks - that can't be right can it? Is it just to keep one awake?

**Is is just me or does everyone else type "mucus" when they mean "music" and "music" when they mean "mucus"?

***When I say vintage, I mean *really* vintage - like big old dresses and wigs stuff, not Sam Fox circa 1986

Saturday, February 26, 2005

Scary tennis

Scary tennis
Scary tennis,
originally uploaded by The Kitten's Toe.
You would not catch me doing this for NAY MONEY. Besides the fact I am shite at tennis, it would scare the shit out me. I always lose the balls.

Subversive knitting

Subversive knitting
Subversive knitting,
originally uploaded by The Kitten's Toe.
You know Blugg is always telling me to "do something" with the very little free time I have in between working and traveling to work and back*, making dinner**, blogging, and watching TV etc.

Maybe this is something I could get into. Seriously. I think the lack of cat knitting is obscene and someone has to do something about it otherwise the situation will become critical.

*Daily I am away from home for 12 hours - it takes me an hour do-to-door to get from home to work.
**Although, to be fair, in The New Deal, Blugg does now "cook" twice a week after 5 and a half years of nagging.

Dukes of Hazzard blogger?

Boing Boing report on the Institute of Dukes of Hazzard's* search for a full-time blogger who will blog every night and day on the the venerable TV that brought short shorts to the masses.

They are even going to be paid $100,000 for the "pleasure". I'd do it.

*No - I didn't believe there was such a thing either

Friday, February 25, 2005

HELLO ANDREW AND EMMA!

Loadsacats

Philippe II
Philippe II,
originally uploaded by Moon'y.
Just found another photo Flickr group with a felinetastic collection* of cats. Very nice. It's called I Love My Cat.*

*There are more than 6,000 of the cutees on there
**Which makes me even more of proper cat owners who have the real thing unlike us. We have lots of
fake ones and randomn cat snaps.

Thursday, February 24, 2005

Longmire does Romance Novels

Romance Novels
Romance Novels,
originally uploaded by The Kitten's Toe.

This is hilarious... Old cheesy romance novels get new titles to suit their delightfully pseudo-real pictures. Almost makes me want to read one. Maybe not. My favourites are "I Married a Sissy Boy" and "Lord of the Hissy Fits".*

*This would make a great B3ta challenge if it has not already been one...

BBC NEWS | Magazine | R.I.P. Gold iPod Mini

BBC NEWS Magazine R.I.P. Gold iPod Mini

Bet they are going to be like gold dust on eBay now...

BBC NEWS | Magazine | Bedtime for Gonzo?

BBC NEWS Magazine Bedtime for Gonzo?
Great piece from the BBC News website magazine on Hunter S Thompson who died at the weekend.

Does a good job of explaining exactly what the term "gonzo journalism" means, and has some great quotes from some of the man's best works.

Sibsi the roundest cat in the world

Sibsi has featured on my Flickr stream before - she is the prettiest yet the roundest pussy cat I have ever seen.

Tuesday, February 22, 2005

weirdcats

weirdcats
weirdcats,
originally uploaded by schrottenberg.
I know, I know it is cruel and animals should never have to dress up. But looookkkkk hehehehhee - the one on the left looks like he is about to scratch someone's scrotum off.

Lick-Lick-Lick

Lick-Lick-Lick
Lick-Lick-Lick,
originally uploaded by Minou.
Has to be a Courtney Love...

Testing the Blog This thing

BBC NEWS Technology Google's toolbar sparks concern

Hmmm... testing out something else - the Blog This! feature of blogger.... The only thing is I think it means you HAVE to install the Google toolbar which is not altogether bad, but it does mean you have to make sure you turn off the "send information about me so Google can look at everything I do" bit OFF...

Nifty photo uploader thang

Woohoo! This worked...

Nifty little application from Picasa that lets you upload yer photos to a blog... Like Flikr does... Will see if I need it or not.

In the meantime, bored.

Free Mojtaba and Arash Day

ctpb2-1
originally uploaded by The Kitten's Toe.
Bloggers of the world unite! Today is a global action day to raise awareness about the bloggers in Iran - any many others - who have been flung into prison for what they have posted on their sites. You can read the full BBC News story and I encourage you all to go to the Committee to Protect Bloggers and download your banner too.

Monday, February 21, 2005

Camera envy

Becoming a Flickr Addict has its bad points. I have already shelled out cash to become a Pro member because I am finding all sorts of snaps to share. Secondly, with my impending birthday I am thinking about getting a new camera. My Casio Exilim is fantastic and slips in anywhere.* And while it is a great holiday and going out cam, I would like something with a huge zoom and a fuck-off lens.
So I have been doing a little window surfing and found a Pentax one which is very expensive but has this cool On Safari Retro look. OR there is this very good Casio effort from the same family as my current snapper.
I think I am leaning towards the Pentax as it has 5x optical zoom... hmmmm
*I regularly have admiring comments made about the wee shiny thing

chica

chica 052
chica 052,
originally uploaded by Darya and Perry.
Come on! She looks like SOMEONE, ie a Feline Filmstar* - but who? I need some help here readers...

*See my Flickr group

So long Hunter


I heard the sad news today that pioneer of "gonzo journalism"*
Hunter S Thompson was found dead after an apparent suicide at his fortified home. This should not surprise me having just read his book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, but it does puzzle me. Apparently he held a big superbowl party once which George W Bush attended. That was during old George's drug daze - alledgedly.

I only just read Fear and Loathing on my return from my first trip to Las Vegas in January. And funnily enough was thinking about him last night whilst watching Sideways for some reason.

Damn shame. Interesting to have been a fly on his wall on 20 January 2005.

*Where a journalist is part of the commentary. Really like an early form of blogging.

Fat cat

Fat cat
Fat cat,
originally uploaded by les2001.
This cat looks like one of those fat old men you see sitting out in the sun drinking in some square somewhere. Could be a Filmstar Feline if anyone has any suggestions.

I just visited Blugg's Blograffti wall since I mentioned it in my post below. There I found the best penis drawing I have ever seen.* Do a search for penis and see how many others you can find. There will not be one more lovingly penned.

*Note: This is not anything to with my penis obsession, but with the fact that most people when faced with a blank canvas draw genitalia for some reason

Sunday, February 20, 2005

banksy kitten

banksy kitten
banksy kitten,
originally uploaded by Joel Rae.
I love Banksy the graffiti* artist. There was one at the end of the road where we used to live - must go back and take a photo for this great Flickr group.

*If you fancy yourself as a bit of an artist, try the Blograffiti wall

Friday, February 18, 2005

billgrijs

billgrijs
billgrijs,
originally uploaded by talesfromthecrib.
This is another Filmstar Feline - I just can't think who just yet!

Maybe Goldie Hawn?

What's in your bag?

Floppy bag
Floppy bag,
originally uploaded by Alx.
This is great. Flickr, the online photo uploading, storage and sharing site that is proving hugely popular* with punters armed with picture mobiles and cool digital cameras is encouraging people to share snaps of their bag entrails.

Mine is new, so I might just do one. I carry so much shit, including various shiny things.


*I myself am addicted.

Thursday, February 17, 2005

Another...


,
originally uploaded by °° nyx_ °°.
Catherine Zeta Douglas

Evita

Evita
Evita,
originally uploaded by sannikimwhisky.
No - not Evita! SIENNA MILLER!!

I am getting into this now...

Falco

Falco
Falco,
originally uploaded by sannikimwhisky.
Oh my god. I think I may have started something here - I am obsessed now with trying to find Filmstar Felines - or Movie Meows. It all started with Audrey Hepburn below.

Will anyone actually be interested in that kind of blog? I would be.

Oh - almost forgot to say who this lovely fluffy feline is.

Wait for it...

Ursula Andress.

it's my child

it's my child
it's my child,
originally uploaded by keepwalking.
And this - STAY AWAY FROM MY KITTEN.

Ah..Ha..

Ah..Ha..
Ah..Ha..,
originally uploaded by keepwalking.
At least this made me smile... hehe
God I am so bored with work right now. I hate it when I feel that way. Just feel completely unmotivated and a bit left behind career-wise.*

I dunno. Maybe I should do something drastic like pack it all in and fly off to some deserted wilderness to write my books.** Maybe I should give up trying to be the best at what I do and just do the job dull-ly.

Or maybe I should just get pissed, pull myself together and realise that this is probably the "wrong time of the month".

Cat therapy needed.

*No wonder. I only started a proper career - by accident - after 9 years of academia when I was 27 - that was 5 years ago.
** A long-term vision of mine that involves small insects.

Wednesday, February 16, 2005

waterrrrrrr

waterrrrrrr
waterrrrrrr,
originally uploaded by sithicus.
Cats are indeed clean animals. Better this than have the cat drink out of the toilet bowl - I know several cats that partake in this ancient feline ritual.

The denist says...

The denist say's...
The denist say's...,
originally uploaded by sithicus.
By the same person this one as below - brusha brusha brushaaaa...

Hehe... stop it..

Hehe... stop it..
Hehe... stop it..,
originally uploaded by sithicus.
I defy anyone - once more - to name me a cuter sight than a fluffball kitten being amused by a humna. Or indeed a human being amused by a fluffball kitten.

Tuesday, February 15, 2005

Pushka in Black and White

Pushka in Black and White
Pushka in Black and White,
originally uploaded by
slight clutter.
Another arty pussy shot. This one is more the Bridget Bardot of the cat world.

B & W

B & W
B & W,
originally uploaded by
Alberta Fifty.
I adore this cat - it looks French, although it probably isn't. Anyway, she looks like the Catherine Hepburn of cats - she could be a he? I didn't check. Meow.
I have just been getting obsessed again with my Flickr account and have had a fucking amazing idea.* Someone should create a flash application that lets you drag and drop from your different-sized tag list and create your own Tag poem that reflects who you are.

I realised that my tag list was a bit weird and I wondered how a psychologist or some sort of linguistics expert could ascertain some information about what kind of person/psyche I was. The images you tag might say something about you. Put together, they can make poetry.

The interface would be really easy and people would be able to MMS or email or send in another way their poems to friends or fellow Flickr community. Anyway, I thought it would be quite a fun thang - it probably has been done already somewhere by a clever coder but I can't be arsed to look it up.

I have too much
Googlewhacking to do. **

Ciao


*So my blogging it, a) I won't forget it and b) I can copyright it ! heh cuh
**And blogging of cats to do.

Squish


,
originally uploaded by
Gini..
Cuddle cuddle, cute cute, squish squish...

If ever a model was needed for the cutest cuddly toy in the world... this would be it indeed.

Just one more.

Just one more.
Just one more.,
originally uploaded by
angryamoeba.
I JUST WANT TO CUDDLE IT REALLY HARD.

olho mia

olho mia
olho mia,
originally uploaded by Familia Mia.
Don't eyes just freak you out sometimes?

Do't know whether this cat is a kitten or not with those mean blue goggles...

Noi

Noi
Noi,
originally uploaded by Cats and ....
Is it really possible to have such a smiley cat?

Monday, February 14, 2005

Comical Cactus in Antigua

Comical Cactus in Antigua
Comical Cactus in Antigua,
originally uploaded by camoby.
This makes me chuckle. Just noticed it on Blugg's photostream. God must have a sense of humour - I mean really.

It has a Valentine's Day theme too doesn't it?

Happy Valentine's from Perl

Happy Valentine's from Perl
Happy Valentine's from Perl,
originally uploaded by daveadams.
Aahhh... Valentine's Day love from a lovely pussy... hopefully Blugg and I shall have few kisses and hopefully we may bump into some randomn cats on The Search for a Romantic Lunch. *

BUt right now it is 2.36am and I think the Lunch may turn into takeaway at home.

Ever the romantic me.

*The Seach for a Romantic Lunch

Goodbye Kitty


CIMG0022
Originally uploaded by camoby.
I am not really an arty fan - but this is art to me. I LOVE it. (poor kitty though...)

We found this in the Venetian hotel in Vegas - pity I am poor. Would never have fitted in my hand luggage anyway.

Saturday, February 12, 2005

Pitou


Pitou
Originally uploaded by Babsi Jones.
This is an enormously happy cat.

Nothing puts a bigger grin on my boatface* than my daily fix of cats from Flickr *pppuuurrrr*

*boatface=face; cockney rhyming slang.

Pretty


Pretty
Originally uploaded by The Kitten's Toe.
She's almost saying "Who me? Meooowww kiss kiss"
Ahhh Saturday at last - and what a sunny day it is in miserable London. I should be dressed and enjoying it but I am not - hey ho.

Blugg* is currently fiddling with his organ for our upcoming Bluggcast experiment. It will be a podcast that will babble inane nonsense about technology, new music and other likely bullocks. We may be entertainingly some friends this fine evening for another experimental podcast.**

For now, I am going to get distracted on Flickr so expect to see some yet more randomness from Kitten's Toe.

yo.

*My partner in space
**Stay tuned!

Big Issue dog

Big Issue dog
Big Issue dog,
originally uploaded by
The Kitten's Toe.
This mut just kept hounding me to buy the Big Issue on Princes Street in Edinburgh - fine city.

I was having none of it.

Thursday, February 10, 2005

This blog is going to be quite random to start with I guess until I work out what I need one for.

But basically I love cats* I love my partner and I love technology (and my family of course).

It is strange because I write about blogs in my job. I am not going to tell you what I do yet, Ok - I write about technology. But not in a "techie" sense - more in a "so what does this mean for us" way.

Although I am addicted to RSS, blogs and all things news** I have tried and failed on several occasions to create my own blog.

Using Bloglines however as my news and blog aggregator I have been inspired to try once more. This is down to the Blog This feature of the program.

So easy - but I became frustrated with not being able to customise and add pix easily.

So here I am once more.

Hopefully this time I will have a bit more focus although do excuse me for going off on one every so often.

Cheers
Toe
*I wish I was one sometimes or at least a secret Catwoman type character but much better
**And TV (telly, not tranvestitism (sp?), although I have nothing against that)