tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284877612011-08-14T16:33:00.653+01:00Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.comBlogger991100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-34820690349716763702009-05-17T13:51:00.014+01:002009-05-17T20:22:23.318+01:00

A personal counter-cultural trend has accelerated this week catalysed by a week of working from home. Whilst I sucked up and spat out a barrage of information snippets, data points and piano-playing cats via email, friendfeed, text and tweet, I also found myself on a complementary novel-reading jag in my non-working hours.At the end of days spent staring at screens, tapping into keyboards and

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-73607436409911629362009-05-11T16:20:00.012+01:002009-05-17T10:17:06.477+01:00

Apologies for another work promo from me, but Channel 4's season on adoption and the care system this week, "Britain's Forgotten Children" is without doubt one to watch and interact with. The season explores the issue of the "hard to place" children that can get stuck in the care system or shuttled between different foster families that could be helped by more people considering adoption and

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-90776542896446863292009-03-31T12:24:00.013+01:002009-03-31T14:15:20.315+01:00

Last night saw the first of four more Sex Education programmes on Channel 4, this time addressing the specific issue that the ready availability of pornography online has skewed people's understanding and expectations of sex and all the bits involved (see embedded video below for one of the main bits involved).The website (commissioned by Adam Gee) once again goes that extra step to dispel myths

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-32682827600084448092009-03-24T14:46:00.009Z2009-03-26T21:46:22.889Z

Today is Ada Lovelace Day, created by Suw Charman-Anderson as, in her words, "an international day of blogging to draw attention to women excelling in technology".I loved the idea, and immediately pledged to post. Then wondered who to write about out of the women involved with technology who've personally inspired me. Esther Dyson? Judy Gibbons? Martha Lane-Fox? Does Arianna Huffington count now?

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-23213071603544058312009-02-06T21:09:00.008Z2009-02-06T22:15:34.104Z

I blame Twitter.As my thoughts dribble out through the hours and days in 140-character pellets, I feel less inclined to commit a longer version to just a bunch more pixels in another type of post. It's like mental methadone. I might get a bumper sticker for my profile that reads "I'd rather be blogging".What with a mild tweeting addiction and starting a new job in January , I've a head stuffed

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-20201854140167106502008-12-29T11:53:00.008Z2009-01-02T11:36:54.346Z

Thanks Lloyd and Richard for something to do at work today alongside checking the number of web complaints over Christmas (not many actually considering the alternative Christmas message), the number of videos uploaded to the Youtube Big Brother auditions channel (quite a few considering no tv promotion yet) and tidying my inbox (both real and virtual).So after a quick review of my feeds, I think

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-73071878837616679952008-12-23T12:11:00.001Z2008-12-23T12:13:43.329Z

Check out the latest from our female applicants. Tempted to apply yourself? I seriously think we need a geek in the house... Sadly, Channel 4 employees can't apply.

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-91408380295489552692008-12-04T09:15:00.003Z2008-12-04T09:18:11.602Z

Brilliant.See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-67450249401547190532008-11-11T21:07:00.007Z2008-11-11T22:18:13.601Z

Just back from a great holiday in New York City with my mum and husband. Rob was on a course during which he got to meet the mayor, some disgruntled parents of a school about to be shut down in Harlem and lots of thrusting chief executive types, but Jackie and I were there strictly as tourists with a classic agenda – all the major buildings, landmarks and shopping we could pack into four

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-67475226104110208402008-11-02T21:43:00.007Z2008-11-02T22:41:48.993Z

Despite the overwhelming response (thanks Jo) in favour of my menstrual whinge on the unfairness of fashion restrictions imposed on women of a certain age (=mine [36] and over) I've decided to take a different tack.Instead I'm evening the score by providing a few helpful hints to the ageing fellas so they too can avoid age-inappropriate fashion faux pas or what I like to call "ram dressed as lamb

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-13107363457286341652008-10-29T14:14:00.002Z2008-10-29T14:17:00.374Z

H. P. Lovecraft: Against the World, Against Life by Michel Houellebecq My review rating: 4 of 5 starsIf you love Michel Houellebecq you'll find this fascinating. Howard Phillips Lovecraft is an underrated tale teller and misanthrope with an amazing imagination, the influence of which can be felt in Houellebecq's works especially the last, The Possibility of an Island. And even tho, at times,

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-78950076067514551952008-10-08T20:11:00.007+01:002008-10-12T21:36:16.813+01:00

As you may have gathered, I've picked up a nasty case of blogger's dartitis.Yes, I've been writing, but with spasms of focus, like the automatic scrawl of a medium channelling a peripatetic Cleopatra who keeps drifting off to chat to Einstein and John the Baptist just when things are getting interesting. As a result, the following posts have been started but not quite finished:1. The Joy of

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-20103559904564159742008-08-31T11:09:00.057+01:002008-09-01T19:55:04.067+01:00

Post popping my Edinburgh TV festival cherry last weekend, I was left under an oppressive cloud of thoughts about convergence, fragmentation, HD and series stacking (amongst other things). I was surprised and relieved, therefore, to have a slightly depressing Larkin poem come to mind mid week to offer some clarity and solace to my web/tv tension headache.For those of you who don't remember your

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-17191467670809960962008-08-29T08:23:00.001+01:002008-08-29T08:27:52.674+01:00

Ok, I can't vote for the guy but c'mon ...

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-88630914024558610362008-08-21T11:01:00.004+01:002008-08-21T18:54:28.954+01:00

Those crazy cats at Aardman and Lupus films have pulled it off!4mations.tv, the new home of all kinds of animation talent online (backed by Channel 4) is live and there's already an entertaining and ecletic bunch of films and games on there to enjoy. It's still in beta, so be gentle with them - but looking pretty fine already.What does it say about me that the first three categories of films I

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-35854206972806412772008-08-04T09:02:00.005+01:002008-08-04T09:17:47.288+01:00

LTLYMOriginally uploaded by wolves!!. I have loads more to write on this but realised that there are only a few days left for anyone able to go to see Learning to Love You More so thought I should post my big shout out now.If you are anywhere near Middlesbrough, or even if you're not - I can tell you train times from London if you can spare an afternoon and evening - then go and see this

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-21455987870932802332008-07-24T19:26:00.006+01:002008-07-25T09:10:06.283+01:00

Stressed and without reading material but determined to make the most of a delayed tube journey, on Wednesday evening I found some pleasure in discovering the following:1) A book with an online trailerThe Last Exile (trashy looking book) tube carriage ad implores the reader to watch the trailer and buy the book at www.borders.co.uk. Very occasionally I've seen books advertised on TV but since

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-80667319794678798262008-07-19T11:40:00.017+01:002008-07-19T13:37:33.037+01:00

The first time it happened I was a young, drunk twentysomething swimming out of her depth with the soaks in the Colony."And you are ...?", the older, drunker, posher woman drawled, sprawled across the lap of someone related to the famous and talented."Louise." I answered."Louise who?" she hooted back, irritated."Brown" I mumbled, befuddled not just by the large gins I'd been necking for, ooh,

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-83080021787157670292008-07-09T08:50:00.006+01:002008-07-09T14:12:09.364+01:00

Watched The Culture Show last night on BBC Two and saw a piece on Steve McQueen's latest works.The big feature was Hunger, his first feature film about the IRA Hunger Strikes of the early 80s (if you haven't read Bobby Sands' diary of that time, I suggest you do, it's very moving). I haven't seen it so far, but trusted reports so far sound good.But my call to action is to support the work (also

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-39799601662741974902008-06-22T11:27:00.017+01:002008-08-25T17:22:31.394+01:00

Last week I spent four days on a residential workshop that brought together tv commissioners, producers and a bunch of content geeks (new media design, editorial and tech folk). The aim was to aid all our understanding of what makes brilliant, impactful multiplatform projects or, in E4 speak, the "tellyweb".Each day left me exhausted and a little frustrated but always inspired, resulting in lots

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-68980026555574399652008-06-06T15:30:00.005+01:002008-06-09T06:55:51.778+01:00

I sometimes ask myself if I didn't work for Channel 4 would I still be watching Big Brother? And then I just watch it anyway. You can catch up here if you've missed it (UK only).Undoubtedly some interesting housemates this year including an American albino called Darnell who seems very sweet, a blind cross-dresser, Michael, and a selection of near-miss lookie likies - from Scottish

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-58116697390696608152008-05-22T20:17:00.002+01:002008-05-22T20:29:52.446+01:00

City Slickers Originally uploaded by LouBrown. After Boris got in (maybe all those Facebook friends did mean something after all) I decided the only thing to do was leave this city and seek pastures new.But after two weeks without email, blackberry, twitter, internet - just a little light texting and a horse called Pugsley - I'm back in London.Snaps duly uploaded to Flickr and will gladly

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-30095816981735348162008-04-27T17:48:00.013+01:002008-04-30T19:10:47.102+01:00

Thank the lord I've received my polling card so can now vote in tomorrow's mayoral election. And if who to vote for wasn't bleedin' obvious as far as I'm concerned, here's a highly unscientific round-up of the big 3 and their new media credentials.Brian Paddick2,189 Supporters on FacebookFacebook groups are pretty sparse on the ground, although I was diverted by the best mayoral tribute group "

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-23607401641642717212008-04-20T16:04:00.003+01:002008-04-21T10:56:17.054+01:00

The questions in the title popped into my head after a speech given to staff at Channel 4 this week by Lenny Henry entitled "The Road To Diversity Is Closed … Please Seek Alternate Route".Stating that ethnicity was his diversity flag to wave, Lenny gave us an encore of a speech he'd already delivered to the Royal Television Society, highlighting the lack of non-white faces both in front of and

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-50983787205115182782008-04-05T08:15:00.002+01:002008-04-05T11:04:13.755+01:00

All human emotion is to be found on Twitter and quite often the heightened kind. Having recently engaged with the geek communication tool of choice, I've been informed and amused by the public highs and lows of some influential figures on the tech scene.My personal favourites of the last fortnight have been stars of the twitterati Michael Arrington letting it be known what he thinks of Dave Winer

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-51693158029384558042008-03-26T08:03:00.012Z2008-03-31T13:58:57.830+01:00

Jordan (Katie Price) and I have at least two things in common. Firstly, a penchant for a little too much make-up, secondly, a need to manage our online personae.With regard to the latter, I fell in love with the idea of the two online manifestations of her corporeal Dorian Gray existence revealed in Saturday's Guardian interview. Drunk, spilling out of nightclubs Jordan's fans have a home at http

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-59493815024531078942008-03-18T18:58:00.001Z2008-03-18T18:49:11.493Z

After begging to be memed, it's hard to know where to start.You already know the colour of one of my eyes, for sure, and with a light hoeing you can easily find out my favoured books, music and what I'm up to most days - so what's left?1. I am the passenger, but not just in an Iggy Pop sense.The only time I have commandeered a mode of transport apart from my own two feet was when I "raced"

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-33361350518522580162008-03-17T18:45:00.001Z2008-03-18T06:38:21.900Z

Last week two instances proved beyond reasonable doubt that I have spent too much time reading celebrity nonsense: 1. For a split second I believed that leading lutist, tantric sex (find your own link) fan and lead singer of The Police, Sting, had become some sort of moral vigilante. I am an idiot.2. When trying to come up with a decent analogy for the state of the British TV broadcasting

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-51671265388491061242008-02-26T19:31:00.034Z2008-03-18T13:23:01.295Z

The other day a colleague (Richard) and I were trying to figure out which media had been killed by a successive media, or at least died due to related neglect.I ventured the Mystery Play - but then discovered that the Guilds of York will be staging some in 2010. He got as far as audio cassette tapes - but we agreed that was a technology, not a medium.What with us working for Channel 4 and

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-35252613027383152472008-02-22T09:50:00.005Z2008-02-23T21:51:52.054Z

See I'd feel tons better if I worked at Yahoo! knowing that there are people at Microsoft with the (cheese) balls to hire Amy Sedaris. Using her world of bunnies and baking to promote Microsoft Office is delightfully bizarre.Who knew how cute a typing rabbit could be?

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-70522007496473796142008-02-06T08:16:00.000Z2008-02-06T08:34:53.167Z

The USA is still the most influential country on this planet, right? Someone tell me if China's edged ahead. So it's been interesting following the US elections.Listening to Joe Klein on Newsnight last night I was relieved to hear from someone who should know, that there is little between Clinton and Obama in terms of policy, and it is pretty much about style.I found the "Yes we can" video

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-82388559053632403312008-01-28T21:34:00.001Z2008-02-09T08:51:57.826Z

A few weeks ago I received an email in my Flickr inbox. It's a rare occasion, given my photographic skills amount to little more than point, shake a bit, point at the wrong thing, get distracted - and click.Excitedly I opened my email from Emma J. Williams, who informed me that one of my photos, of a statue in Rome, had been shortlisted for inclusion in an online European city guide map called

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-47255201428921140722008-01-04T09:30:00.000Z2008-01-04T10:05:14.317Z

Just a quick note to encourage you to take a look at the Celebrity Big Brother Hijack sites on both Channel4.com and E4.com.On the main site, we've updated the design significantly given the E4 hijacking, got loads more integrated video and are trying to keep the site updated as much as possible with rolling headlines as well as loads more frequent news stories.And the programme is shaping up

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-25444452892830909932007-12-21T11:14:00.001Z2007-12-21T18:01:37.736Z

Christmas Carols – Ding Dong Merrily On HighI love carols, it's more than nostalgia - we all know the words (and harmonies) to Wham's Last Christmas, but I don't get quite the same feeling en masse or the urge to sing it in a big cold, spicy smelling room lit by lots of candles. The more committed I become to the Richard Dawkin's fan club, however, the more I struggle with how much I love

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-21635660092767146792007-12-13T21:41:00.000Z2007-12-14T08:09:46.097Z

As some of you connected to me on Facebook are already aware, I've got mildly addicted to updating my Facebook status with quite pointless updates to my life. For those of you who don't know, a Facebook status is a sentence about you that you publish as frequently as you like, and friends connected to you via Facebook can choose to see via a sort of news feed that they receive when they log onto

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-85313363325836821492007-11-20T16:58:00.000Z2007-11-20T23:25:15.674Z

Two experiences recently for which I have had very high expectations and actually brilliant experiences, but in possession of a common fatal flaw not in themselves, but in their execution.1. FlorenceBeautiful city - great architecture (if a little frilly for my liking), great art (I defy anyone not to gawp at Michelangelo's David), and, for the most part, very good food.I can't tell you the

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-49370560201777645302007-10-28T18:30:00.000Z2007-10-28T19:51:32.473Z

A story by John Naughton in today's Observer about Microsoft's recent investment in Facebook, Microsoft makes Facebook a club you don't want to join, actually made me want to write about my former employer (Microsoft), for the first time in ages.Firstly, I'm slightly irritated I read the story as I've been so immersed in lovely literature, but the company names appearing together leapt out at me

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-730866627756532962007-10-21T15:07:00.000+01:002007-10-28T18:27:17.669Z

In my recent blogstipated silence, I have been enduring a long reading of Crash. My breath has been taken away by it many times, let alone for Ballard's vision and daring considering when the book was written - it revolves around characters' intense juxtapositions of sexuality and car crashes, but for a slim novel it takes some reading.It is forming part of a self-imposed and quite satisfying

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-85287976048946381502007-09-26T13:56:00.000+01:002007-09-27T23:09:48.831+01:00

Me overheard yesterday,“I can’t wait to embed a Channel 4 clip in my blog.”So here it is courtesy of our new Unmissable Clips service on Channel4.com. Later Note: Richard has also confessed he couldn't get his mind off the obvious 5.

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-54858506842467065542007-09-17T13:38:00.000+01:002007-09-22T12:46:19.192+01:00

I'd just like to take a moment to mourn the passing of a once oft-used phrase "s/he gets it" (in a new media sense). For those blissfully unaware it was used as a shorthand, in geek circles, as code for people that understood the implications of the likes of RSS, open APIs etc. - the whole web 2.0 shebang.Unfortunately, if you needed that explanation and had to follow the ubiquitous wikipedia

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-51338912599743395162007-08-31T15:51:00.000+01:002007-09-26T14:27:40.341+01:00

After two complaints within the past twenty four hours at my lack of blog posts I decided to post something short and sweet about the things I've been wondering about over the past month.1. Whether some video mashups/remixes (forget musical brilliance such as Jay-Z's grey album) are a manifestation of a rule of comedy - repetition. Take, for example, a small excerpt from a video showing a rodent

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-64104003299841939512007-07-24T13:29:00.000+01:002007-09-18T11:40:34.399+01:00

Last night I thought to myself "better get these plates uploaded to the dishwasher".On realising my hilarious new-media gaffe I then thought "I'll blog about this".And so "real" life returns.

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-74802847720367784952007-07-17T20:23:00.001+01:002007-07-17T21:59:48.453+01:00

The Honeymoon Period is Officially OverOriginally uploaded by LouBrown. We're back and we're wed.The day itself was a brilliant happy occasion - the rain lashed down all day as forecast but that didn't stop ceremony, speeches, friends, family, food, wine and my new husband all being wonderful.Photographic evidence of the day itself is slow to arrive but I've already uploaded some shots of the

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-26873819812459743772007-06-28T10:40:00.000+01:002007-06-28T10:43:55.098+01:00

Weather's due to be shit, I haven't broken in my shoes properly, I don't know which lipstick I'm wearing and still haven't finished my speech but hey-ho, as long as I end the day with a ring on my finger and a smile on my face I'm happy.Am really quite excited. See you in a few weeks.

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-71747927781228119392007-06-17T15:23:00.000+01:002007-06-19T22:16:51.379+01:00

A wise man once advised me to focus on "controlling the controllables" and, how, if you try to do anything else, madness lies therein. Despite this phrase having some real resonance and usefulness throughout my life, this has not stopped me obsessing over a number of wedding-related nightmare scenarios over which I have very little control, a selection of which I hereby confess:The buffet causing

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-44531899652846701382007-06-10T21:12:00.001+01:002007-06-13T11:12:37.470+01:00

Helen, me and Susan - and the crowdOriginally uploaded by LouBrown. Loads going on at the moment, mostly wedding related but also a hectic time at work what with the controversy over the programme Diana: The Witnesses in the tunnel as well as heated discussions over this week's events in the Big Brother house.I met with the programme makers of the Diana documentary on Wednesday night (I was there

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-47038758882645246602007-05-18T17:37:00.001+01:002007-05-18T21:57:17.090+01:00

Louise Brown, Richard Houston and Jamie ArnoldOriginally uploaded by bowbrick. Fun night on Wednesday with colleagues and other new media types at Media Widgetised, hosted by Chinwag and stylishly chaired by Steve Bowbrick (thanks to him for photo), with speakers including friends such as Fergus Burns (my contender for King of Widgets). There's a good and sensible write up here.I put the

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-398670724649755022007-05-14T21:04:00.000+01:002007-05-14T21:39:33.359+01:00

I've been worrying myself silent, thinking I had to try to do justice with words to an event which rendered me speechless.I was there - last Thursday at Koko in Camden seeing Prince at a distance I had only dreamed of.I joked with friends that the last time I saw Prince live, if he had impregnated me that night, our child could have voted in the recent local elections. But that really is besides

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-34561649879522646652007-05-01T22:10:00.000+01:002007-05-03T17:15:12.012+01:00

If you've been wondering where I am then I've been here all along. Just in a sort of suspended animation of worry.There are a lot of things I should be doing for my wedding. That's what I'm anxious about. A selection includes:working on suitable songs to suggest for the musicians (jazz pianist + great singer)contacting the venue to make sure that we can have said musicians and evening as

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-89325498846469641852007-04-16T20:46:00.000+01:002007-04-18T09:05:12.234+01:00

My attitude to the world is changing.On Sunday night at the end of a day filled with sun, we walked through our neighbourhood on our way to spend a night in a dark room listening to Swedish pop rockers.We set off through the woods at the back of our house and were immediately arrested by the sight of great swathes of bluebells that must have only arrived in the past few days. Delighted by what I

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-61791761919664551742007-04-12T22:43:00.000+01:002007-04-12T23:13:30.368+01:00

Finished Clare Allan's Poppy Shakespeare. It annoyed me, but the story and themes have stayed with me for a few days and provoked some thought.It's about the treatment of the mentally ill, questioning what constitutes mental illness, with lots of big blobs illustrating the nature vs nurture debate. It has been compared to Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest but it's not as subtle.However,

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-62487212130896116972007-04-06T12:35:00.000+01:002007-04-08T22:10:21.089+01:00

Much as I like people to mistake my inability to drive as an eco-stance, our decision to holiday yet again in the British isles could be seen as us doing our bit - carbon offsetting the rest of you bastards' jollying around the world.The real reason for both our holiday habits and my lack of car mastery is being a bit rubbish and just not really getting round to it.Devon it was then.We had fun -

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-7815803299258343162007-03-21T20:28:00.000Z2007-03-23T12:57:28.266Z

A question I've always found very easy to answer and am willing to give you my opinion here and now - dogs. They're loyal, funny, clever and obedient - the ideal partner.But as reported yesterday it's not such an easy choice between blog or novel - but only in terms of my time spent writing. It got me thinking, however, that in terms of the choice between reading a whole host of blogs or just one

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-10754175959935865462007-03-20T21:25:00.000Z2007-03-21T09:25:19.037Z

Partly due to a lull in my urge to blog, I've been considering whether I should get on with the real writing work I've been practising for - the novel that bubbles away in various paragraphs in various books and files and daydreams. It really pains me to confess to being another of the deluded hoardes who has a novel inside them - it feels a bit like confessing I've found Jesus or am a secret

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-63721900679897446592007-03-04T20:44:00.000Z2007-03-04T21:32:11.622Z

Despite the anxiety vacuum that has left me desperate to find something else to worry about now that work has calmed down, this weekend I have shamelessly and selfishly enjoyed:making and eating and freezing carrot soupplaying scrabble including getting a seven-letter word on the first golearning that my fifteen-year-old brother is wearing something I bought him for his birthday (there was a

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-86973594863714165702007-02-17T14:23:00.000Z2007-02-26T00:08:49.830Z

Again I found myself tipping into a slightly destructive pattern. Thankfully all it was this time was a relatively short passage of working too much, which I self medicated with regular doses of Stevie Wonder (at one stage the only non-work mental stimulation I could manage was "Don't You Worry Bout a Thing")Through this period it became apparent to me how working like this on a more regular

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-15733165692098378812007-02-11T10:37:00.001Z2007-02-11T17:33:57.589Z

It wasn't my idea to be a landlady. It was a sensible financial investment thing that my partner, a sensible financial type person, had advised we do. Despite my initial discomfort, however, I'd started to feel comfortable, proud even, of our blossoming property empire.Day two of our lives with tenants and now it feels like having needy dependents with none of the potential moral superiority. I

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-37561889772214296822007-02-02T23:18:00.000Z2007-02-08T00:39:47.387Z

For those of you who don't know, the wedding of the year has been booked. On June (the) 30th I will be betrothed to my long-term love, Robert, witnessed by a selection of friends and family.I've been thinking about what music to have on the big day. It's a small venue so we'll probably only be able to have a pianist and singer. We might be able to squeeze in a tambourine, but that'll be it.That

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-91425482296153405252007-01-29T09:01:00.000Z2007-02-08T00:39:47.427Z

Ever since someone who went by the name of "my black ass" (complete with associated animated gif) pointed out that my alias on Last.fm "loubrown" wasn't too inventive, I've been wondering about the relative strengths of having an online pseudonym and the relative weakness of having my identity so clearly strewn across the internet superhighways.I "came out" in terms of my online persona in

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-61017395840205662072007-01-15T23:21:00.000Z2007-02-09T00:52:13.110Z

Bukowski's The Days Run Away Like Wild Horses Over the Hills was resurrected from my storage boxes a month or so ago.When I first pulled it out I marvelled at how the publishers had aged the cover as if it had been left to mellow amongst the emptied bottles of wine and discarded betting slips on the floor of "a 6 dollar a week/room/in Chinatown".On second inspection I noted the wine stains and

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-36393294952839087812007-01-09T22:10:00.000Z2007-01-10T22:59:33.069Z

One of my criticisms of Gmail in my last post was the labelling system which is basically a version of tagging common to a lot of new web sites and services.For those of you uninitiated and who can’t be bothered to read Wikipedia, it’s a sort of indexing by readers/users/viewers of content whereby articles, pictures, videos, even people can be associated with any word or phrase that an individual

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-88927563425050577232007-01-08T22:18:00.000Z2007-01-08T22:49:03.694Z

Google’s emergence in search neatly coincided with when I first got a job at Microsoft as the business manager of the newly launched MSN Search UK. When I left Microsoft five years later, I went through a manic phase from which I’m only just emerging.It was somewhat akin to throwing oneself into a passionate love affair with someone I’d flirted with through a doomed, dull marriage. Shamelessly, I

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-31892539847054129592007-01-03T09:21:00.000Z2007-01-06T11:47:20.304Z

An existentialist classic I sadly didn't read when studying existentialism, Camus' The Outsider grips you like a cold hand on your heart - your own hand, finally feeling the blood pumping and oozing through and around the organ, the crude nature of that symbol of your loves and passions palpable in its offal nature.I finally read it for the first time last week when, at the same time, I kept

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-15507004255692272032006-12-27T19:01:00.000Z2006-12-28T10:09:49.378Z

This Christmas I have been cruelly yet consensually denied three of my favourite things: my mum, cigarettes, and sharing a double bed with my partner. Nothing sinister at work, I just spent my second Christmas ever at my boyfriend’s parents’ place.Thankfully, his parents are pretty much my fantasy mum and dad. His mum insists on no television - just parlour games and conversation - and makes the

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-55792293148914886042006-12-20T22:42:00.000Z2006-12-20T22:54:13.134Z

I was going to title this post "All I Want for Christmas" then realised it would be the same title of a million other entries simultaneously saved to blogger which may have caused the Internet to explode.Anyway, what I wanted was the Internet back. And I just got it. Gawd bless BT. I also want one of those USB LP converter thingies for anyone who's interested. I realise I will, however, be

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-17338175449019487142006-12-08T09:08:00.000Z2006-12-08T09:11:08.804Z

As well as working on and at the fringes of various exciting projects, interspersed with whines about my lack of time (Balls It's F*cking Friday, I say) and my lack of broadband at home (dull poor customer experience post may be with you soon), I have managed to squeeze in a long weekend in Rome since I last wrote.Without the time and materials, I have failed to get some nice pics onto Flickr, or

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-72350550664056216932006-11-18T12:10:00.000Z2006-11-20T08:25:14.517Z

I've moved house and work is nuts. This has left me with a racing mind, mentally spinning Welsh dressers full of plates and unfortunately dropping a few - of which my regularish updates here have been one.I am now in Starbucks (no broadband at our new house yet), wondering why their wireless internet access isn't free, and hoping I don't have another accident on my laptop with my grande skinny

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-46845587158468855582006-10-30T08:24:00.000Z2006-10-30T11:49:00.703Z

I imagine being commissioned to write a review of a Martin Amis novel is as daunting as painting a portrait of the Queen. So for this post, consider me at best an amateur Rolf Harris.My love of such masculine writers as Amis borders on pathological. It’s no doubt an extension of my child-of-divorce habit of picking up father figures as friends and confidantes (you don’t have to be older than me,

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-58502231708538738212006-10-19T23:53:00.000+01:002006-10-20T00:12:25.429+01:00

We're moving on Saturday. I am surrounded by boxes. As detailed previously, we are moving to Hampstead Garden Suburb, and I've uploaded my first Youtube video to show you what the downstairs looks like when it's empty. Excuse very shaky camera work (this was done with my phone) but please enjoy the only slightly entertaining moment when Dolly Daydream here tries to turn the light on in the

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-73780255360289563782006-10-16T21:04:00.000+01:002006-10-17T08:58:17.031+01:00

At around seven o'clock this evening, two red-faced boys with puppyish hair fell through the tube door just as we pulled out of Victoria station headed for Walthamstow on the Victoria Line. They plonked themselves diagonally from me, the first loud and brave and slurping at a beer, his shifty sidekick stared at his knees, cupping his can. They sat like they'd arrived in a bar - loads of energy

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-15777742295571749572006-10-11T23:01:00.000+01:002006-10-16T23:53:57.904+01:00

Yesterday, without having seen The Sun's headline or this excellent post about it (link courtesy of Tom Coates), I started to write a post about how strange it was that Kim Jong-il has been consigned, not only by the South Park fellas, but also the mainstream British media, to a comedic figure teetering around North Korea in platform shoes, high on brandy and Elnett.Admittedly, there is something

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-54610259848300025742006-10-08T20:40:00.000+01:002006-10-16T23:55:01.252+01:00

In the past month access to computers and connection to the Internet have been intermittent, and latent anxiety levels have crept up. Now Toshiba has handled the tea incident for me and I've returned home after dog sitting in an internet-free Essex house, I feel a lot more relaxed.Here are some of the things that I have written about mentally in the past month and may expand on at a later date:

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-19149908555086796922006-09-26T07:58:00.000+01:002006-10-16T23:54:37.642+01:00

When I explained to someone that I had spent my two weeks off pottering around our flat, and staying for a few days each in the Cotswolds and Devon, their response was the limp "Good for you". Faint and damning maybe but also correct - it was good for me.During the first couple of days, still buzzing with surges of stress-related adrenalin, I ended up transferring all work energy and anxiety into

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-22989868105581119232006-09-08T22:24:00.000+01:002006-09-08T22:30:21.556+01:00

Ah, the irony of the emphatic end to my last post "Worry less, post more". Within 24 hours how I had learnt to rue those words.It started with a colleague telling me how a random person had told him they'd enjoyed my blog. I was ecstatic to learn that someone who wasn't a relative, friend, or colleague past or present, was enjoying anything I'd written. All this talk of only posting for friends

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-66246576503199767822006-09-05T23:16:00.000+01:002006-09-05T23:26:58.741+01:00

I learnt recently about a technique of online community management called "speed bumping" whereby users are prevented from posting comments more than once every few minutes. The result is that whilst reducing the sheer number of posts, it also encourages more intelligent, thought-through contributions, and less entries that consist solely of either TLAs (three-letter acronyms) or bizarre

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-69807444240474749832006-08-29T08:44:00.000+01:002006-08-29T08:45:53.378+01:00

Tea spilt on laptop. Now making beeping noises that sound suspiciously like an alarm designed to communicate to the laptop user to switch it off. Might not be posting for a while.

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-44117504104459607042006-08-22T20:10:00.000+01:002006-08-22T20:11:29.280+01:00

One of my (and plenty of others') favourite bands du jour, Gnarls Barkley, has a great track, The Last Time, which starts with these lines,All work an no playThat’s the way it is, aint itThere’s rhythm deep inside of youAnd you must get reacquaintedWith the chorus led by the title of this post. Last night I was reacquainted with my inner rhythm. I was invited to the Big Brother wrap party and

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-63844822602961312042006-08-21T09:16:00.001+01:002006-08-21T09:16:45.475+01:00

On revealing that I'd been seeing a therapist every week for the past three years, a friend of mine commented with glee "You're like a proper American!". For those of you that don't know, I'm not American at all, but her comment related to the bemused incomprehension of a British person towards the investment in self development that is more commonplace in the US.I'm calling to mind her reaction

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-63103990585286038702006-08-17T10:43:00.000+01:002006-08-17T11:15:51.918+01:00

I feel like the kid whose parents forgot to buy the batteries on Christmas Day. I have a spanky new iPod nano for my birthday from my lovely boyfriend who listened repeatedly to my heavy hinting - but it's not working.The CD that came with it is split and there weren't any headphones in the box. Then I find the screen is already scratched. Insult to injury: when I tried to download all the

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-1155677537613937642006-08-15T22:29:00.000+01:002006-08-16T09:37:28.770+01:00

Sometimes I receive emails from friends in my work inbox. Sometimes I receive calls at nine pm on a Thursday night about a work issue. I worked on Saturday and Sunday nights on a strategy document I can't find the headspace to concentrate on at work, but then earlier today I nipped off at the end of a meeting at three pm and spent the rest of the afternoon in the pub.A lot is talked about

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-1155027429639955102006-08-08T09:25:00.000+01:002006-08-12T08:33:00.456+01:00

As I walked out of my house yesterday morning, I took a deep breath of the morning air, listened to the birds, saw a gorgeous blue sky and genuinely thought "It's great to be alive". Then I realised I was still a bit drunk from the night before.With that (albeit intoxicated) inspiration I've decided to give you a quick injection of positivity. It's actually Friday today (not sure how to fix the

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-1154788046411197682006-08-05T15:25:00.000+01:002006-08-07T09:35:16.753+01:00

This train of thought started with a question that pops up from time to time when worrying about what others think of me, namely, am I cool?Excruciating isn't it? You're very likely to have wondered about yourself as well - hopefully not frequently or often - and I'd like to apologise for bringing it up, as it's likely that if you're a friend of mine then you believe, to paraphrase Sartre, cool

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-1154509323222173352006-08-02T10:00:00.000+01:002006-08-04T22:24:38.233+01:00

Whilst I loved the launch ads for free FilmFour (in the right-hand column here) , the accompanying internal promotion that involved moviestar lookalikes roaming around Horseferry Road interrupting us office civilians whilst we were happily going about our duties was decidedly strange.The first indication that something was up was when Samuel L. Jackson walked past my meeting room. Given that I

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-1154200299685500732006-07-29T20:06:00.000+01:002006-07-31T12:26:45.563+01:00

You may have noticed that I've added a last.fm badge to this blog and if you haven't it's the thing on the right-hand side underneath the heading "I'm listening to" that lists which musical tracks I've been listening to lately.I deliberated over whether to add it or not - do I really want people seeing my eclectic - at times immature, others pensionable - musical tastes? Not sure, but I thought

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-1153855605392462022006-07-25T20:03:00.000+01:002006-07-25T23:31:18.440+01:00

I have to change my mobile phone number. This is mildly traumatic. I am getting a phone from my employer which means work calls will be paid for and I can finally check the mobile portal and tv channel that my team has various elements of responsibility for. Apart from the fact that I am still a PAYG CHAV which means that I cannot keep my number this is a very good thing.Changing number brings to

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-1153343296703938792006-07-19T21:30:00.000+01:002006-07-20T08:52:39.240+01:00

Albóndigas (meatballs) was one of the first words I learnt in Spanish, forever etched in my memory due to a mix up during Spanish oral with albogodones (cotton wool balls). Since then, every time I find myself in a tapas restaurant whether in the UK or in Spain I insist on ordering the little meat treats with the loud confidence of someone with limited yet precise language skills (as beaten into

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-1152778669271644262006-07-13T08:52:00.000+01:002006-07-13T09:34:24.440+01:00

Off to Palma for four whole days. No time to write much, just to muse on my favourite, John Prescott, taking over whilst Tony's away. Oh yeah, I'm sticking by him through thick and thin.And I'll be spending my time at the harbour sipping a cool jerez and nibbling on a salted almond, dreaming up the laws that Prezzer would pass if he really did have all the power. See, in an alternative universe -

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-1152260717491708372006-07-07T09:21:00.000+01:002006-07-08T12:41:12.213+01:00

A friend of mine once said "Planning karaoke is like planning sex". At the time she meant it took the joy out of it, the spontaneity, the thrill. But as we get older, planning activities such as these can become an important way of making sure you get an appropriate outlet for the most fundamental of urges.Last night between six and ten pm, I was to be found in a small, darkened room here singing

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-1152048731338090532006-07-04T22:06:00.000+01:002006-07-05T23:10:42.216+01:00

With commitment to Zone 3 comes commitment to the tube. A good half hour every day to read a chunk of novel or listen to music (for some reason Philip Roth was followed by a Blackalicious phase) is fabulous for my mental health, but when I have to start fanning myself like a Les-Dawson style geisha and I start getting paranoid about not beads but rivulets of sweat made public I can feel my

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-1151443259472526802006-06-27T22:17:00.000+01:002006-06-28T22:15:20.756+01:00

As you may have picked up, I struggled growing up in Essex surrounded by ordinary boys, shopping precincts and the temptations of Raffles cigarettes and deodorant abuse. Later I struggled in different ways when I lived in Soho - night-time screaming (mostly outside the flat) and the tang of urine in the air (ditto). Through it all one thing I was sure of was that I would never settle for life in

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-1151266664850261992006-06-25T20:43:00.000+01:002006-06-26T22:32:54.553+01:00

As we drove into my mum's village last Sunday, Rob turned to me and commented "Christ, it's like Northern Ireland" referring to the high number of flags adorning every house, car, bike and child. I felt shocked and depressed at the sense of menace I felt on seeing all these flags (St George, in this case) but what else did I expect? Welcome to World Cup Essex.Tuesday was the night of the England

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-1150810270170030642006-06-20T13:50:00.000+01:002006-06-22T14:15:07.380+01:00

I’m way beyond being able to review any Philip Roth books objectively. There are those that I love and those that I want to devour again and again and will never be able to get enough of.His latest book, Everyman, is a dead man’s reflection on his life, how it was for him to be alive - making mistakes, being in pain, taking pleasure, leaving desirous and intentional imprints as well as their

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-1150322220495507212006-06-14T22:55:00.001+01:002008-12-04T09:38:51.815Z

I embarrassed myself the other day in front of a respected fellow knowledge worker by mispronouncing the word "renege". To make matters worse, my co-worker's method of notification was simply to use the word in conversation later in a different context, but this time with the correct pronunciation quite deliberately spoken.It's not a unique occurrence; throughout my life I've mispronounced words.

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-1149971225975491662006-06-10T21:16:00.000+01:002006-06-15T12:46:13.940+01:00

1. Having to explain to blokes that you're just not that into it.This year more than any other, men around me are somehow expecting me to be interested and enthusiastic about the World Cup and have looked actively disappointed when I say I can take it or leave it.2. When I do try to make an effort, not knowing when to make the right noisesInvariably I suck my teeth in when it's patently clear to

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-1149602356475313572006-06-06T14:58:00.000+01:002006-06-07T12:31:11.016+01:00

Blimey, posting that last rant felt a bit like the time I demanded my hard-hitting article "Rape is not a Dirty Word" went on page 3 of an essentially light-hearted student listings rag.So on a lighter note, Fuerzabruta was thrilling, astonishing and sexy; it's a Latin athletic dance event including feats such as sprinting in thin air and swimming on ceilings. I veered between feeling like an

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-1149542195211985102006-06-05T22:06:00.000+01:002006-06-05T23:15:47.460+01:00

As soon as I hear about a working class person ridiculed in a way that could be construed as snobbery, I have to leap to their defence and shout loudly until the noise of their braying accusers is drowned out. So here I go.That John Prescott had an affair was not unusual for a man of his age nor position. No government secrets were betrayed and he appeared to perform his day job just as well as

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-1149111870492021922006-05-31T22:24:00.000+01:002006-06-01T17:04:01.460+01:00

The title has absolutely nothing to do with anything, I just irritated myself this afternoon by saying in a meeting "James, can you talk to this slide?" when referring to a printed out page of a powerpoint presentation. On the tube home this evening I was trying to think of the best way to ridicule this horrible turn of phrase adopted from US corporate culture (apologies to those of you who still

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-1148824664402407252006-05-28T14:41:00.000+01:002006-05-30T18:02:29.990+01:00

As I luxuriated in the bath of my penthouse suite this morning, singing along to the bathroom's plasma screen tv showing VH1's top 100 love songs, it occurred to me that some of my teenage dreams had come true. I had managed to find myself with a partner who would whisk me off to a fancy hotel for the weekend "and hang the expense". Ok, so we got a free upgrade to the suite, but you gotta be in

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28487761.post-1148221456968335972006-05-21T15:13:00.000+01:002006-05-21T21:14:05.963+01:00

I was inspired to start communicating again this weekend by a conversation at the Bafta Television Craft awards about owl pellets (amongst other things). Consider these posts my pellets; excreta I am compelled to leave behind with no intrinsic value but that may reveal traces of something interesting if dissected correctly.My other obsession du weekend is Big Brother. Yes, a little because my

Louise Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16072577599197787903noreply@blogger.com0