Perfect Path » mild insanity

What would you do if I sang out of tune?

Lloyd Davis — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 15:28:48 +0000

I’m doing a workshop intro to social media for a client at the end of the month and they just sent me through a draft agenda – mine is just one in a series that they’re doing at a two-day staff event. On the agenda mine is entitled “Libraries gave us power” I had no idea what this was a reference to, so I asked and was told that they’d given all the workshops names from song lyrics (mine was apparently from the Manic Street Preachers or some similar popular beat combo – perhaps they think I’m Welsh?) Anyway they also asked if I had a lyric that I’d prefer and so, of course, rather than thinking it through for myself, I asked my outsourced brain, aka my twittermates, to come up with suggestions for me.

They did not let me down.

benayers @lloyddavis anything by 50 Cent. Check out thisis50.com and you'll see why. His ppl utilize social media in a big way. (See buddylube.com) about 1 hour ago from web reply to benayers

Whatleydude @Lloyddavis - Jailhouse Rock? Something from Hotel California? How about 'I remember when rock was young...' ? about 1 hour ago from txt reply to Whatleydude

stml @lloyddavis "With a little help from my friends?" about 1 hour ago from web reply to stml

londonfilmgeek @LloydDavis" My fingertips are holding onto the cracks in our foundations, and I know that I should let go, but I can't." Kate Nash about 1 hour ago from twitterrific reply to londonfilmgeek

Ronna @LloydDavis Wouldn't a euk number be most 'authentic'? about 1 hour ago from web reply to Ronna

lewiswebb @lloyddavis How about McFly's "it's all about you"? about 1 hour ago from web reply to lewiswebb

billt @LloydDavis Paranoid Android? about 1 hour ago from twhirl reply to billt

johndodds @LloydDavis he's too sexy for his shirt? about 1 hour ago from web reply to johndodds

londonfilmgeek @LloydDavis "Up, down, turn around Please don't let me hit the ground Tonight I think I'll walk alone I'll find my soul as I go home" NewOrd about 1 hour ago from twitterrific reply to londonfilmgeek

londonfilmgeek @LloydDavis "I'm your only friend I'm not your only friend But I'm a little glowing friend But really I'm not actually your friend But I am" about 1 hour ago from twitterrific reply to londonfilmgeek

londonfilmgeek @LloydDavis " Ihave a secret to tell From my electrical well It's a simple message and I'm leaving out the whistles and bells" about 1 hour ago from twitterrific reply to londonfilmgeek

emmalwallace @lloyddavis "My connection ain't thick, dick" De La Soul may be a little risqué? about 1 hour ago from twhirl reply to emmalwallace

giagia @lloyddavis Bridge Over Troubled Water? about 1 hour ago from web reply to giagia

londonfilmgeek @LloydDavis "yup yup rabbit yup yup yup rabbit rabbit bunny jabber yup rabbit bunny yup yup" Chas & Dave about 1 hour ago from twitterrific reply to londonfilmgeek

londonfilmgeek @LloydDavis "You know the rules and so do I A full commitment's what's I'm thinking of You wouldn't get this from any other guy" anon ha! about 1 hour ago from twitterrific reply to londonfilmgeek

JofArnold @LloydDavis - Big it up Digg-stylee by coming on to Dare by the Gorillaz: http://tinyurl.com/y55pdv Get the crowd standing on their seats! about 1 hour ago from web reply to JofArnold

TigersHungry @lloyddavis I would like to throw in my 2 cents and second the chas and dave selection. about 1 hour ago from twitterrific reply to TigersHungry

jopkins @lloyddavis go for "the one and only" and power fist to it 44 minutes ago from web reply to jopkins

londonfilmgeek @LloydDavis "Boom! shake-shake-shake the room Boom! shake-shake-shake the room" 42 minutes ago from twitterrific reply to londonfilmgeek

Ajpegg @LloydDavis bebo-pa-loola, perhaps? 42 minutes ago from web reply to ajpegg

Rebeccacaroe @lloyddavies "I'm the one that you want" - an oldie but a goodie [like you and me]

billt @LloydDavis because we're watching you - sometimes it isn't paranoia! 38 minutes ago from twhirl reply to billt

londonfilmgeek @LloydDavis "Nervous you need a drink tired you need a lift you feel on the brink maybe you need new tits" - Social Life - Iggy Pop 38 minutes ago from twitterrific reply to londonfilmgeek

audio @LloydDavis You could go for "Simply The Best", but it's all a bit David Brent! 37 minutes ago from web reply to audio

jopkins @lloyddavis elevation/U2 is a favourite for motivational ppt numbers 33 minutes ago from web reply to jopkins

dungeekin @lloyddavis: cheesy, but how about from "We Are the World" - 'When we stand together as one'... 33 minutes ago from web reply to dungeekin

dungeekin @lloyddavis: Or: "Everybody's talking at me, I don't hear a word they're saying" 32 minutes ago from web reply to dungeekin

dungeekin @lloyddavis: ''Let's Work Together" - full lyrics here: http://tinyurl.com/2v5m4n 31 minutes ago from web reply to dungeekin

audio @LloydDavis don't be silly, that's just not a good idea. 31 minutes ago from web reply to audio

Ronna @LloydDavis I don't know, there's a certain degree of analogy with 'When I'm cleaning windows', and it would be memorable and wake people up 30 minutes ago from web reply to Ronna

londonfilmgeek @LloydDavis "I think he'd like to have been Ronnie Kray But then nature didn't make him that way" Blur 30 minutes ago from twitterrific reply to londonfilmgeek

emilicon @LloydDavis Option: 'If you make sure you're connected, the writing's on the wall' from 'Connected' Stereo MCs¿ 29 minutes ago from txt reply to emilicon

londonfilmgeek @LloydDavis "Pussy pussy pussy pussy pussy pussy walk" Iggy pop again 26 minutes ago from twitterrific reply to londonfilmgeek

mike_ohara @lloyddavis "come on over to myspace, hey you, we're havin a party..." 26 minutes ago from web reply to mike_ohara

solobasssteve @LloydDavis if you're going for an inspirational future-web talk, you could try 'talking about a revolution'... 25 minutes ago from twitterrific reply to solobasssteve

JofArnold @LloydDavis - can't you imagine auditors strolling on to Dare? I can - it'd be awesome! 19 minutes ago from web reply to JofArnold

dungeekin @lloyddavis: Cool - I'm still thinking about possibilities, watch this space. 19 minutes ago from web reply to dungeekin

Suw @LloydDavis: Just get him to play the Flumps music. That should set the tone properly. 13 minutes ago from twhirl reply to Suw

emilicon @LloydDavis Oh right, I don't know, I don't watch TV so really not with the program on adverts, thankfully. 12 minutes ago from web reply to emilicon

johndodds @LloydDavis "Beyond our normal boring stuff" is the perfect title. 5 minutes ago from web reply to johndodds

Dungeekin @lloyddavis: Eureka! The Co-Operation Song from Sesame Street! http://tinyurl.com/2jacpj 2 minutes ago from web reply to dungeekin

Phew! I think some people got confused some way in and thought we were looking for music to play, but that’s the way these conversations go. So I think I’ll go with @stml’s suggestion which I’ll expand a little to “I get by with a little help from my friends” thanks James, I owe you one! But there are some other great suggestions in there – I’d love to try “Rabbit” and “Paranoid Android” might have been particularly appropriate for this audience if not the subject matter.

Thank you everybody for contributing – another twitter crowd-sourcing legend for the books.

8 things redux with a twist

Lloyd Davis — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 08:27:51 +0000

Thayer tagged me with the 8 random things meme…again – she’s forgiven as we barely knew each other in August last year. I couldn’t manage eight last time (this was the last one) so some of these might not actually be entirely true.

1. I once spent three months measuring the hedgerows of Gloucestershire. You can still find some of my waymarkers on country lanes just outside Cheltenham, if you know where to look.

2. My favourite colour combination is the kind of orangey-brown of krispy-kreme donuts against catkin green.

3. Since the age of 12 I’ve always owned exactly 3 gerbils. I always have several dealers on standby in case one of them dies and needs to be instantly replaced. My gerbils go *everywhere* with me. Yes… I mean *everywhere*

4. I was once almost arrested for possession of a Mr Kipling Bakewell Tart (and a milkbottle). This was during my New Romantic phase, so the frilly shirt and heavy eye make-up might also have had something to do with it.

5. I had a walk-on part in the film “Stab Truck” (I was the synth player in the band during the flashback to the David Hasselhof character’s complete humiliation in a London night club.) It was filmed in the basement of the Centrepoint Tower.

6. One of my cousins was the artist’s model for Freddo the Frog, Cadbury’s 1970′s novelty moulded chocolate. He went on to design the wheel nuts of the Audi A8.

7. My gerbils’ names are Rainey, Bessie and Janis after the 3 greatest female blues singers of the 20th Century. People often imagine that if they see the white one, that must be Janis, but my gerbils (and the blues) are colour-blind.

8. As a student I worked in a launderette in Guildford. I have seen, touched and washed the underwear of Eric Clapton, Bonnie Langford, Michael Buerk and various forgettable members of the Prog Rock Hall of Fame.

So to pass it on, I tag: HM The Queen, Ronnie Hazlehurst, Lewis Carroll, Mickey Dolenz, Pogle out of Pogle’s Wood, Optimus Prime, Stuart Hall (not the Jamaican one, the one off It’s a Knockout) and the entire Electric Light Orchestra.

USB Massager

Lloyd Davis — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 15:44:13 +0000

mmm….massage…. and it works off a USB port (power only I think – but would be cool if it could receive messages too…)

!GTD

Lloyd Davis — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 12:13:20 +0000

If you need help not getting things done, feel free to use this in any way – I’ve made it cc-by so you can do what you will with it as long as I get a smidgen of blame.

Happy? New? Year?

Lloyd Davis — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 21:56:10 +0000

Isn’t happiness weird? I often find myself being choosy about who to give it away to – but why would I withhold happiness from anyone? And anyway, the more I give away, the more I get back

Isn’t New Year weird? How did something that should be about innovation become so fixed in tradition? I spent last night equally bored and nonplussed.

Isn’t time weird? This year’s a leap year and so just because we all agree that it’s going to happen, we’ll have an extra day in February. If we can agree on bending a rule about how many days there are in a year, surely we could agree on something else. You know, silly stuff like “let’s stop fighting” or “let’s make sure everyone’s got enough to eat today”

Love & hugs everybodeh!

LOLinator

Lloyd Davis — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 15:27:36 +0000

if u iz board reedin this stuff u can find moar better stuff if uz puttin thru da LOLinator – moar better pix 2 =)

i tips hat 2 Dave Snowden at Cognitiv Edge News

Interesting Laughter

Lloyd Davis — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 12:25:29 +0000

I can’t embed it here because of wordpress.com rules, but here’s a link to some video from Charles Frith of some of what I facilitated at Interesting2007

Video: Interesting 2007

Also, don’t know if I linked but here are the slides I would have used, if I’d used slides.

Today in history (well last year anyway)

Lloyd Davis — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 14:08:26 +0000

The other day I was wondering what I was up to a year ago. And then it hit me, I have a blog – that’ll tell me!

How can it possibly be a year since this?

and this?

I must be getting old.

Mornington Crescent 2.0

Lloyd Davis — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 13:28:22 +0000

This morning we had the first London Mornington Crescent on Twitter frenzy. Luckily for the sake of the twitter servers and grateful corporate clients everywhere, Suw took advantage of my luncheoning to take the game, but I’ll be back…

Here’s what I saw of the game – there may have been others playing @febake got a mention but I didn’t follow him… until now We may never do this again or perhaps it will be a running joke, but it was fun while it lasted, one of those spontaneous acts of sociability that this web thing facilitates – a flashmob without preparation (apart from several lifetimes listening to ISIHAC)

I very much enjoyed Steve’s valiant attempts at playing street names in W1 and quibbling with James about the rules. I think Trott’s Civility is one of my greatest inventions as well the inspiration for my most popular picture on Flickr.

And credit where credit’s due, the original spark was this from Bobbie Johnson.

LloydDavis omg @bowbrick that gives me an idea - Mornington Crescent on Twitter about 2 hours ago from im

LloydDavis So I'll start with my usual opening local gambit of *Pimlico* about 2 hours ago from im

mbites @LloydDavis "Waterloo" (just arriving actually) about 2 hours ago from txt in reply to LloydDavis

bowbrick @lloyddavis I think you night be on to something. And with GPS you could play with real locations! about 2 hours ago from txt in reply to LloydDavis

bowbrick Duke Street about 2 hours ago from txt

jbond @LloydDavis Tottenham Hale about 2 hours ago from web in reply to LloydDavis

jbond http://www.phespirit.info/m... about 2 hours ago from web

jbond Are we playing the Dreyfus Variation? about 2 hours ago from web

LloydDavis some strikingly pedestrian moves so far. time to stir things up with a couple of blue tokens at *Lancaster Gate* about 2 hours ago from im

LloydDavis @jbond I refer the honourable gentleman to the move I made a few moments ago about 2 hours ago from im in reply to jbond

LloydDavis clearly stunned the fools into silence, building my empire with *Baker Street* about 2 hours ago from im

bowbrick Poland Street about 2 hours ago from txt

jbond My favourite tube stop and rhyming slang for mad. Two stops beyond Barking, yes it's *Beacontree* about 2 hours ago from web

LloydDavis intrigued by @bowbricks W1 strategy, but undeterred *Green Park* about 2 hours ago from im

Suw /thinks that @lloydDavis's Green Park is a predictable follow on to Pimlico and goes *Mundania Street* about 2 hours ago from web

kevinmarks Well, I me be confused by the jubilee extension showing up since I left London, but there are enough podumes for *Victoria* about 2 hours ago from web

LloydDavis clearly @suw has not seen the green podumes in my...curses! @kevinmarks comes out of nowhere about 2 hours ago from im

bowbrick Meard Street. Hah! about 2 hours ago from web

LloydDavis trying to think on my feet and ignoring @bowbricks scatology *White City* about 2 hours ago from im

bowbrick Is it my go? about 2 hours ago from web

LloydDavis @bowbrick - yes for heaven's sake, the clock is ticking about 2 hours ago from im in reply to bowbrick

imajes @lloyddavis: frankly i go for the middle of it all and stick my pin in *Burnt Oak* about 2 hours ago from twitterrific in reply to LloydDavis

Suw Well, i'm going to double-switch podumes and nullify kevinmarks' Victoria with a Mudchute. about 2 hours ago from web

adders @mbites @lloyddavis You don't appear to be playing under Wilkinson's Third Variation, which is generally frowned upon by the Crescentarati. about 2 hours ago from twitterrific in reply to mbites

LloydDavis @adders no, on twitter I feel it's better to use the MacLeod Declaration (with the LeMeur amendments natch) about 2 hours ago from im in reply to adders

imajes there's fantastic podumes to be had with Gloucester Road about 2 hours ago from twitterrific

kevinmarks Well, thanks to the Greenwich Ferry and the Millennium Bridge, that leaves me an escape route to *St Pauls* about 2 hours ago from web

LloydDavis @imajes shhhhh! don't tell the newbies about 2 hours ago from im in reply to imajes

LloydDavis heh! lining up for some monster LV with *Fulham Broadway* about 2 hours ago from im

LloydDavis taking momentum from @kevinmarks Central Line opening to break into *Upton Park* about 2 hours ago from im

imajes @lloyd: Ruislip is unquestionablly next. about 2 hours ago from twitterrific

adriana872 confused by @lloyddavis. What's going on? probably missed the beginning. about 2 hours ago from web

noodlepie Shepherd's bush - fnarr... about 2 hours ago from txt

Suw Damn! i was going to go Fulham Broadway, but now you've blocked LV, I'm spenging Fairlop. about 2 hours ago from web

adders @lloyddavis Doesn't the LeMeur ammendments rule out @mbites'earlier move to Waterloo? Or did you use the Sark Ozy variant? about 2 hours ago from twitterrific in reply to LloydDavis

LloydDavis @adriana872 we're playing MC - rules are here http://tinyurl.com/9bxlp about 2 hours ago from im in reply to adriana872

bowbrick Jaunting to Flask Walk! about 2 hours ago from web

imajes @Suw: i think we can divert around the LV and ensconce ourselves in Mansion House about 2 hours ago from twitterrific in reply to Suw

LloydDavis @adders I thought I'd let it pass as it was early in the game (had a quiet word with him on the side tho') about 2 hours ago from im in reply to adders

Suw And a late joiner from @febake! and possibly @chrys, although that could have been a coincidence. Snaresbrook! about 2 hours ago from web

londonfilmgeek @lloyddavis Aurora Gambit, *Poplar* about 2 hours ago from twitterrific in reply to LloydDavis

LloydDavis drat @suw getting sneaky must think fast. *St John's Wood* about 2 hours ago from im

LloydDavis does anyone have any pink tokens? about 2 hours ago from im

imajes @londonfilmgeek: if you're going to visit poplar, clearly next is Elephant & Castle. about 2 hours ago from twitterrific in reply to londonfilmgeek

Suw omg! the Aurora Gambit! I haven't seen that played in 20 years! My hand is forced. Neasden via the long way round. about 2 hours ago from web

LloydDavis erm pink tokens anyone? about 2 hours ago from im

imajes @lloyd: low on the pinks, but i have a few spare reds. might that work? about 2 hours ago from twitterrific

londonfilmgeek @suw luggage spilled at All Saints, walkaround to *Whitechapel* about 2 hours ago from twitterrific in reply to Suw

LloydDavis @imajes - how many can I have for two greens and a taupe podume? about 2 hours ago from im in reply to imajes

Suw Feels a pincer movement from @Londonfilmgeek and @febake. Collusion! Collusion! I demand a Cockfosters! about 2 hours ago from web

LloydDavis *Holland Park* opening Parks and Recreation about 2 hours ago from im

imajes @lloyd: a dozen, bakers or otherwise. Cab at Whitechapel takes us to Lancaster Gate, which may or may not open. about 2 hours ago from twitterrific

LloydDavis swingin' @imajes it's a deal which makes my *Wembley Park* quite interesting I think you'll agree about 2 hours ago from im

imajes @lloyddavis: i think we can come to an accord, but only at *Sloane Square* about 2 hours ago from twitterrific in reply to LloydDavis

londonfilmgeek @suw is the Amicus shuffle up for grabs, if so *Hanger Lane* for 50 about 2 hours ago from twitterrific in reply to Suw

LloydDavis @suw : I think your Cockfosters is upheld, please people keep to Trott's Civility wherever possible about 2 hours ago from im in reply to Suw

bowbrick I don't like the way you're all playing stations and I'm playing streets. I feel a bit intimidated: Denmark Hill! about 2 hours ago from web

imajes Excellent. Amicus shuffle played. now possible to do the Daisy Maneuver. I'll go all in for *Goldhawk Road* about 2 hours ago from twitterrific

Suw @londonfilmgeek: I take your Amicus Shuffle and swap you a Complexification and agree on Maida Vale. about 1 hour ago from web in reply to londonfilmgeek

LloydDavis meh! Scoble's Retreat - *Warwick Avenue* about 1 hour ago from im

LloydDavis oh @imajes btw nice Daisy about 1 hour ago from im

Suw @LloydDavis: thank you for your ruling and a reminder that Trott's Civility is now in force. May I presume upon Boston Manor? about 1 hour ago from web in reply to LloydDavis

LloydDavis i don't think I'm ever going to get any work done ever ever again about 1 hour ago from im

imajes @lloyd: i think you're playing the california variation which was declared unsafe in the 1986 rulebook. go back 4 and start at *Kilburn* about 1 hour ago from twitterrific

LloydDavis @suw you're welcome, be aware though that Metcalfe's Interruption is still a possibility about 1 hour ago from im in reply to Suw

Suw @parkylondon: Invisible sammich exchange at Queen's Park. about 1 hour ago from web

LloydDavis @imajes - this is twitter, man, your 1986 rules hold no sway here! about 1 hour ago from im in reply to imajes

LloydDavis oh if you must - *Leicester Square* about 1 hour ago from im

imajes @lloyd: you must stick to the agreed rule book as per the MC Rules Committee. it's the only way to preserve a level playing field at *Oval* about 1 hour ago from twitterrific

Suw Foul against @febake upheld, no deconstructionism allowed under the '64 rule 237a which clearly states all constructionism illegale. Oval. about 1 hour ago from web

LloydDavis @imajes - duh! haven't you heard of MC2.0 ? it's all pastel shades and round corners here matey *St Pauls* about 1 hour ago from im in reply to imajes

adders I've just been informed that the Wilkinson Variations were ruled invalid for online play 18 months ago. I apologise for any inconvenience. about 1 hour ago from twitterrific

Suw Damn! Gazumped! *panics* Morden! about 1 hour ago from web

LloydDavis *Dollis Hill* .... /sniggers about 1 hour ago from im

londonfilmgeek @suw, @febake has his Longhorn manual out, this isn't fair, therefore Inspector Sands about 1 hour ago from twitterrific in reply to Suw

kevinmarks Aha, twice round gives enough momentum for me to play *San Jose Diridon* about 1 hour ago from web

LloydDavis @londonfilmgeek & @suw Oh, I knew we shouldn't have played on a Friday.. about 1 hour ago from im in reply to londonfilmgeek

imajes @lloyd: no, MC is a strict rules-only game. one must adhere, it's the only way one can play safely. i bid 2 stickles in baron's court about 1 hour ago from web

Suw /calls on the Great Arbiter. In 1924, McCutchley-Spriggins held the Longhorn Manual as a fair move. Suck it up LFG. All Saints. about 1 hour ago from web

imajes @suw: all saints has been played. i suggest Amos Grove. about 1 hour ago from web in reply to Suw

Suw Ah, the Baker at Baker Street - smooth! I play the Butcher at Heron Quays. about 1 hour ago from web

LloydDavis @imajes I'm not against rules, just suggesting we go along with the Winer Addendum which is much more appropriate to twitter about 1 hour ago from im in reply to imajes

bowbrick Mugs. Beak Street. about 1 hour ago from web

imajes @lloyddavis: if needs must... then i have no option but moving to close at Latimer Park about 1 hour ago from web in reply to LloydDavis

Suw Sidesteps both Latimer Park and San Jose Diridon with an Epping Swing. about 1 hour ago from web

LloydDavis time for a quick Semple's Surprise before I go to lunch - *Amersham* about 1 hour ago from im

LloydDavis now while I'm out, *nobody* touch my pieces... about 1 hour ago from im

kevinmarks well, depends on which Winer addendum, I'll take either *Oxford Circus* or *The Great Northern Hotel*, as that bridge is out in Minneapolis about 1 hour ago from web

londonfilmgeek *Finsbury Park* should stop @imajes in his tracks about 1 hour ago from twitterrific

LloydDavis @kevinmarks - ooh nicely done old chap about 1 hour ago from im in reply to kevinmarks

Suw Short and sweet. Kentish Town. about 1 hour ago from web

imajes depositing @lloyddavis in *Mill Hill East* whilst luncheoning myself about 1 hour ago from web

Suw Which sets me up really nicely for, and I'm sorry to say this as it pains my heart, Mornington Crescent. about 1 hour ago from web

imajes @londonfilmgeek the finsbury park play did in fact derail me. alas, @suw played the middle piece - the jigsaw is now complete. about 1 hour ago from twitterrific in reply to londonfilmgeek

plasticbagUK Does anyone know what the hell Suw is doing on Twitter? I'm completely puzzled. about 1 hour ago from web

Suw @plasticbagUK: Sorry, got a bit carried away there. *giggles* shan't do it again, promise. about 1 hour ago from web in reply to plasticbagUK

LloydDavis sneaking back in while nobody's looking with a quick *Mansion House* now lunch, really about 1 hour ago from im

Suw /pats LloydDavis on the head. Poor Lloyd. That's what you get for going to lunch at a crucial moment. about 1 hour ago from web

londonfilmgeek @suw I didn't see the erudite spaniard for the tress. Good Job! about 1 hour ago from twitterrific in reply to Suw

bowbrick Dhhh. Didn't see that coming. Slick play @suw about 1 hour ago from web

Suw thank you, thank you. I can only thank my parents and the rest of my family, my MC mentor, my accupuncturist, my chiropractor, my frie... about 1 hour ago from web

rachelclarke I missed the game! @suw, @lloyddavis need to start it later next time although @kevinmarks made it I see, must have never gone to bed about 1 hour ago from web

daveknapik @lloyddavis Mornington Crescent! (Do I win?) about 1 hour ago from web in reply to LloydDavis

jbond LOL while watching SuW dissolve into tears on the podium. Perhaps the lovely Samantha could pass her a tissue? 44 minutes ago from web

londonfilmgeek For the future i insist on the hastily drafted Twitter Compendium following the Clive Sinclair Manifesto http://tinyurl.com/24lldt 41 minutes ago from twitterrific

LloydDavis gasps. sulks. plots revenge... 19 minutes ago from im

Sorry that we managed to confuse Adriana and Tom and anyone else There’s a fairly good explanation here

Fat Kids Can’t Smile

Lloyd Davis — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 12:13:08 +0000

8 random things about me. Thing the fourth.

Lloyd Davis — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 14:04:26 +0000

First let’s have two minutes silence for a long-time reader of this blog, Mr Adrain Phelps of Wetknee, Oxon who was unfortunately eaten by a bear while commenting on a post late last night. Mr Fullups leaves a wife and young daughter relieved that they paid for the additional “bear clause” (clause, claws…geddit?) in his life insurance.

Thankyou, but now to weightier things. Oh, what a link! Because today’s fact is: I weighed myself this morning and I was 15st 3lb – 213lbs for Americans without a calculator. So there Rosie, there’s a fact, a real indisputable fact and it’s about me, is that any better?

I’ve been heavier – indeed at one stage I was more than the 20st that my scales would show, which put simply is “too fat” just in case there was any doubt. My BMI is now 28.9 which is still overweight, but I am not quite “obese” by this awful measure.

The lightest I have been as an adult is about 13st which is the top end of “normal” for my height. I consider myself to have been painfully thin at that stage. If that’s normal, I want to be different. The picture here shows a costume made for me at the time. But I’ve just measured the trousers and they have a 36″ waist. I’m also wearing 36″ jeans today so either the trousers were more comfy than these jeans or else I’m carrying a couple of stone extra somewhere other than my waist. My brain.. it’ll probably be my brain. I’m sad to say that no photos exist in my collection of the pair of apple-green dungarees that I was also fond of wearing at the time. Very Rod, Jane & Freddy. I can’t decide what was sadder, wearing dungarees or the fact that I dyed them apple-green.

GSA Class of ’87 20-year Reunion

Lloyd Davis — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 14:08:25 +0000

My old friends from the Guildford School of Acting got together in the Union Club in Greek Street (thanks Paul!) to compare grey hairs, pot-bellies and war-stories from our marriages, divorces and other relationships. We were also honoured by the appearance of our former principal Michael Gaunt and head of first year Ian Ricketts. We had a fabulous time, which stretched into the evening when we stumbled over the road into the nearest pub.

I shot some bits of video especially for those luvvies who weren’t able to make it – I hope these give a flavour of what it was like and give you even more encouragement to come along next time.

Angus Deuchar

Paul Spyker

A bunch of folk starting with Ian Tolmie

Another bunch of folk starting with Darren Ruston

Lucy Davidson

Ian Butler

Adam Tedder (and me)

Carling don’t put on conferences…

Lloyd Davis — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 10:24:21 +0000

A fortnight now since Interesting2007 and blogging time & opportunities have been scarce (at least on my own behalf) as I’ve just started two big projects where I’m making social media for clients (which is nice). I can’t possibly link to all the lovely people I met but most of them have blogged or flickr’d already. Slide sets are starting to appear on slideshare

I did get the feeling that something shifted, nothing world-shattering, but there was a subtle changing, we’d done something differently and as a result it all, y’know, shifted.

Look it was a one-day “conference” but it wasn’t a conference like any I’ve been to and it wasn’t an un-conference in the Bloggercon or PolicyUnplugged mould and it wasn’t a seminar, workshop, showcase, gathering, conflab or conglomeration – it was definitely not a symposium or a trade-show. It was a bit of a happening, an exhibition, a show & tell, a festival of ideas. And it held my attention all through from 11am to 6pm (I did get a bit of a numb-bum towards the end, but that might have been because I was wearing too many pairs of pants.

But it was a group of (mostly) intelligent people in a hall, sitting on chairs in rows listening to other people speak, one at a time. So what made it stand out as something different?

Nothing was ever more than 20 minutes away – actually that was a lie, because my slot was more than 20 minutes away from Rhodri and his saw (thanks Roo), but I guess no-one got bored with having lunch.

No Q&As – people seemed to accept that the majority of people were not going to speak. I have never seen a good Q&A session except at political meetings. We’ve got blogs now to have our say, or not and none of the speakers were up their own arses about talking to people afterwards – that would have been absurd.

Self-service – we all helped ourselves (as Russell said “we’re all grown-ups and you’ve only paid twenty quid”) but we all helped each other too. I arrived too late to help set up, but it was set up and nobody was crying or running around with scissors – and we cleared away quickly and fairly painlessly. There was no feeling (for me anyway) of separation between “organisers” and “punters” though these two did a splendid job of co-ordination. Also Russell was not “in charge” but he was definitely “in charge”.

It was on a Saturday and few people had a surname, let alone a job-title. The few collars I spotted were all open and any ties were undoubtedly ironic or accidental.

It was actually really good for me not to have wifi. I started off in recording mode as it was (I’m realising more and more that it’s one of my coping mechanisms for being thrust into large groups of people – I’ve been doing it with my camera since about 1979) but if I (and other similarly challenged folk) had the excuse to hide behind a laptop screen, we’d have had a much poorer experience.

It was village-hall-y and Festival of Britain-y and a bit arts-and-crafty and, well, just right for people who’s early life was a mix of oil-crises and moon-landings, dreaming about amazing cities in the sky with hovercrafts and no pollution and peace and smiling children and stuff.

It was hopeful.

As an experience, what was it like? Well, a bit like listening to Radio 4 all day, but with no long programmes, it was a bit like a random walk through the best bits of wikipedia, then again it was like live current.tv for people born in the ’60s & ’70s, or peeking at the RSS reader of someone really consistently smart. Does that help?

There were things I could have done with more of. More variety in presentation style, most people plumped for what we know, which is showing pictures or lists on a big screen. More music, preferably with acoustic instruments – the electroplankton quartet was a fun concept but I wish we’d made more of an effort with ukulele’s and kazoo’s. More analog, 3D art and time to really see the Folksy folk. More fun in the goody bag – I still haven’t used the shaving oil, but it was a point of “ooooh!”.

So some quick ideas for “next time” – Multiple locations – eg InterestingLondon, InterestingEdinburgh, InterestingBucharest, InterestingAmsterdam with video-linkups at set-times throughout the day. Bingo (or some other communal game) perhaps also played internationally via the video-link. Some form of backchannel – the twitter feed worked nicely before and after the day – one computer with a net connection projecting the stream might be cool.

And yeah, you *did* have to be there, really.

You made me love you when I saw your thighs

Lloyd Davis — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 16:09:36 +0000

…is the alternative rendition of this little beauty (660kb 0:42) but here is a one chorus blast of the original.

Not directed at anyone in particular (no, I haven’t been making any girls cry) just the first thing that popped into my head when I picked up my ukulele for a late afternoon recording session and dedicated to anyone whose ever had tears in their eyes.

Cartoon sticker on my computer by Hugh Macleod

Bless her

Lloyd Davis — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 11:42:57 +0000

I suspect that there’s only one thing worse for Adriana than admitting she’s ill and that’s to have to endure several hours offline

original pic by doc searls
derived from this shot under by-sa licence

Oxy-moron at the Wine Fair

Lloyd Davis — Thu, 31 May 2007 10:08:42 +0000

Last week I spent a couple of days helping the Stormhoek guys out with their offering at the London Wine Fair. On the Thursday, I spent all day with Andrew Porton chasing round with a live video feed to a video-wall interviewing people on the stands for the official wine fair blog winefairlive.com. The first day I spent more time on my own doing much the same thing, but in a less formal way.

The first of these I’ve uploaded is unusual in that it features more of me than the peeps in the booth. You saw yesterday what I get up to in my leisure time. I thought you’d like to be reassured that it doesn’t get much better when I’m “working”. Hey, I don’t drink – I had to have some fun somehow

Everybody’s wearing my pants.

Lloyd Davis — Wed, 30 May 2007 10:55:32 +0000

You’ve seen the Virgin Mary Toast.

And maybe the McDonalds Fake French Fry that looks like Abraham Lincoln.

So I thought I’d bring you….

The Sainsbury’s Potato Square that looks like MY PANTS!

And now everybody’s getting in on the act – some of those girls in Heat magazine got out in the middle of the night and had a bit of a party (as they do)

Time to kill my auto-spam-blog (?)

Lloyd Davis — Sun, 13 May 2007 07:26:27 +0000

I think, anyway. I’m going to leave it for another day.

Here’s the story (the following link points to potentially nsfw material, as nsfw as reading your spam folder…):

I set this up on a whim in September 2004 as an experiment in ego-surfing and autoblogging via e-mail – I subscribed to a google alert on a search for my name and pointed it to the blog’s e-mail address so that in theory every time there was an alert, it would be blogged.

Didn’t work after the first couple of days, as you can see – I guessed it was something to do with Google’s terms but had lost interest by then anyway. And then in the last few weeks the address clearly got into some spam lists and went bananas. The timestamps are not reliable as I’m guessing they are linked to the timestamp of the spam.

So my dilemma is whether to just wash this petri dish down the drain or leave it to see what other mould accumulates – is anyone interested in this stuff?

Can you tell I hate throwing anything away? Can you imagine what my home would be like if I’d never shared it with a woman

Head down

Lloyd Davis — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 14:47:41 +0000

Want to blog today but no can do as the Perfect Path editing suite is at capacity working on the rest of the videos from Second Chance Tuesday and a top-secret super hush-hush and really quite evil thing which may or may not be related to this.

Very nice Social Media Club meetup last night, not least because I met Rupert Howe, who rocks.

Prolly see you after the weekend.

Sticks & Stones

Lloyd Davis — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 11:05:49 +0000

I idly twittered that I was wondering whether the interesting2007 t-shirt printers (so cool!) would perform their service on an adult-sized romper suit.

Three of my friends responded.

Sam thought it kinky.
Johnnie thought it bizarre.
Suw felt uneasy at the thought.

Well I think that says a lot more about them than it does about me.