Guy Brighton: February 2005 Archives

February 24, 2005

Thur 24th Feb : In The Papers vs. RSS

Sometimes, Pat Kiernan's smile and wit just picks up your day. You wake up in the morning, look at the snow outside and switch on to NY1 for your weather forecast. And then you you watch what's happening in New York - this normally involves a strike by the firemen, something, going wrong on the subway and someone getting shot by the police.

But what made me smile this morning was how Pat walked us through the section (at 43 mins past the hour) called In The Papers. Basically, Pat (and his team) point us to the interesting articles in the papers (and therefore a view of what's happening beyond the five boroughs) and lets us know how little interest we should have in the Jackon case or about someone called Lindsey Lohan or something like that.

At moments like these, I wonder why I have an RSS Aggregator. All we need is the cheeky Canadian once a day for all the news we should feed on.

Posted by Guy Brighton at 4:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 21, 2005

Mon 21st Feb : You Lied

What did I ask you never to do? she asked
That would be not to lie, I replied
How can we base our relationship on trust if you can lie to me? she demanded. Why did you do it?

I wondered why myself. Then I remembered why I lied. To avoid getting the Lady in a foul mood like the one she presently had.

We had returned home from a drink with friends. I had been home earlier and had something to eat before I went out. Now we had returned I found her inspecting the contents of the sink. She whipped round and looked at the table.

Why's there tubs of ketchup and mayo on the table? she asked
Oh, I was thinking about having it with my dinner, I replied
What? With your taco salad.
Yeah. It was a stupid idea - that's why I didn't use them.
So, Guy... why's there ketchup on your plate in the sink?

Damn. I suppose it would be better to own up.

OK. I had fish and chips...
What?! Why did you lie to me??
Well I thought you'd be angry with me. Poor diet and all that.
Do you think I'd be as angry as I am now, she told me. You told me that you had taco salad and when I asked you about it earlier you went into a long story about how you were growing bored of it.
I am bored of it.
But you didn't even eat it.
Point proven.
Her blood was boiling. Don't mess* with me, Guy.

And I didn't mess with her for a few hours until she promised me never to lie to her again.

I won't, I said truthfully.
And tell me, she asked. You haven't been sneaking out and eating fish and chips recently, have you?
Not at all my love, I lied.

* Actual word has been substitued for decency reasons

Posted by Guy Brighton at 1:53 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

February 18, 2005

Fri 18th Feb : Chelsea Hotel

Went for a late drink at the Chelsea Hotel. It was Rough Trade's moving out party - from the room opposite where Sid did Nancy.

The party was just as dead. 12 people. Not very rock and roll.

Posted by Guy Brighton at 8:04 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Fri 18th Feb : Guy Falls Out With Typepad

GB Readers - What's My 'Inflection Like'?? Read This And Leave A Comment Below

Support Ticket Details: Subject: My Site Has All Gone Funny - HELP!
Category: Browser Compatibility
Status: Awaiting Staff Response

Ticket Transcript:

On February 18, 2005 10:18 AM, you (Guy) said:

And I didn;t even touch it!!!
http://www.psfk.com (or http://newyorkguide.blogs.com/psfk)
Now the center follows the left hand side bar.
Last night it was OK. Today, it's mucked up!

On February 18, 2005 10:39 AM, you (Guy) said:

Hey!

On February 18, 2005 10:39 AM, you (Guy) said:

Anyone there?

On February 18, 2005 11:14 AM, you (Guy) said:

I know it's only been an hour since I reported this, but it's kinda important - as my newsletter goes out in a min.

Can you give me an idea about when you will deal with my ticket??

On February 18, 2005 11:19 AM, TypePad Customer Support said:

Hi,

Entering multiple tickets and multiple responses does NOT help us to process your tickets ANY faster. It actually slows us down, as we have more information to read, more tickets to process. It's really quite a nuisance.

Limit yourself to ONE ticket per issue please. Only post an additional response if you have further information. This is not an Instant Messenger service. We will process your ticket as soon as we possible can.

You have an additional <div> in your Main Index Template. Remove it and it fixes the problem.

Good day.

~Melissa

On February 18, 2005 11:20 AM, TypePad Customer Support said:

I neglected to add, it's at the bottom of your right sidebar. You have three in a row. Remove one of them. It doesn't matter which.

~Melissa

On February 18, 2005 11:26 AM, you (Guy) said:

Hey Melissa,

No need to be so blimmin stern.

Sorry I don't understand your internal rules

Sorry that my requests ruin your day

Maybe if you thought about settign our expectations - maybe a note to say the standard turn around time you wouldn;t have to be so bloody rude to me.

I pay my fee not to get stick like this

Support Ticket Details:

Subject: Stop your support staff being so bloody rude to us
Category: Feature Request
Status: Awaiting User Response

Ticket Transcript:

On February 18, 2005 11:28 AM, you (Guy) said:

I don't expect the tone I got from Melissa in this

048736

On February 18, 2005 11:58 AM, TypePad Customer Support said:

Hi Guy,

Our team answers tickets as promptly as we can. The average response time can be anywhere between 1 hour and 8 hours, depending on what time of day you ask your question. So when someone is leaving excessive requests within a short period of time, all of us would be telling you the same thing - please only ask your question once, replying multiple times isn't going to help us get to your request answered more quickly.

The tone of message that you received is a reflection of the tone that I see in the question. Being courteous goes a long way towards getting a polite answer.

We'd ask that you respect our team enough to continue asking questions with these guidelines in mind, and in return, we'll do our best to answer your questions in a timely manner.

Thank you,
Kristine

On February 18, 2005 02:08 PM, you (Guy) said: I disagree with you 100%, I think my inflection - though badgering - was pretty friendly. Anyway. That's enough - but gave me some good content for my blog!!

So what do you think? Was my inflection worth the response with Typepad??

Posted by Guy Brighton at 2:07 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack

Fri 18th Feb : Email To Danny Wallace

Danny,

It's all your fault. So I've been running this PSFK 'blog' for about 8 months andIt's kind of a collaborative blog - i.e. different people writing on it. Check it here: http://www.psfk.com

So I read the first 50 pages of your US book (I'm a Brit in New York) and somehow I get inspired to ask if anyone wants to join PSFK. No details. Just simple. I get them to send a photo and do a little task (send a photo, write a story).

What happens? People start joining! (DK is PSFK Joinee No 1 by the way) .

Problem is I've only read the first 50 pages of your book, so I haven't got a real clue what to talk to my joinees about. And they're already starting to ask questions.

Anyway. I send a photo of myself. The Hat is not mine, but the beer was cheap - The Champion, off Oxford Street. The last time I went through London. Is that enough to join these days?

If you ever pass through New York - check out my New York Guide: http://newyorkguide.blogs.com

Cheers,

Piers

Posted by Guy Brighton at 12:37 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

February 14, 2005

Mon 14th Feb : Poor Buggers On Valentines

We stayed in. We were going to Little Iberia in Newark but it was miserable with rain so we stopped by Chelsea Market and picked a couple of live lobsters. She told me off during the meal as I repeated 'Poor Bugger' at every bite of the poor bugger's white flesh. I swear he was trying a a last minute dash for it as he saw the bubbles.

The Lady appreciated the fine jewellry gift in the same manner as I had expected. The girls in the store had been impressed with the confidence I had when I asked for the piece but I told them to worry not, prepare a gift receipt, it is likely I would have got the wrong thing but at least I made the effort. Even if it was an hour or so before I was about to present it.

After the initial rejection, somehow, though she warmed to the jewellry (maybe it was the puppy dog's eyes). Somehow, I had come out of all the weekend's mess and it worked. She wore it and after a while she got to like it.

Wow. This must be the start of better days....

Posted by Guy Brighton at 8:14 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 13, 2005

Sun 13th Feb : Gateway To...

I took her to the Gates didn't I? Did she really need to get upset when I said I had to slip away for a minute to, you know, get something for Monday. She told me she expected me to have sorted out anything for Valentine's day earlier.

Didn't she remember what state I was the day before?

Posted by Guy Brighton at 2:31 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 12, 2005

Sat 12th Feb : Norman Jay

We all met up with everyone later on Sat to see Norman Jay DJ at APT. Nice and chilled. Every guy there had been sick that morning. Well, the ones around me had. A few beers and I got through it nice.

Posted by Guy Brighton at 10:27 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Sat 12th Feb : Couched

So the weekend started with me walking up on the sofa wondering why I wasn't in bed. I was fully clothed so I didn't feel like I had been thrown out of bed (yet).

As I got up and staggered to the bedroom I felt the whole acid melting brain hangover kicking in. I lay there for a short while not being able to answer the questioning from the Lady about where I had been the night before (I think she asks me first thing and then asks me later just to cross examine me) .

And then I had to make a dash for the old bathroom.

Spent the morning queasy and the Lady wasn't very happy: It's the first Saturday we were to spend together in almost two months (she didn't mention mention the fact that she had been away in India for some of those, and at other times we had been at her parents. And it wasn't a time to remind her: I was unfit for day light.

As I couldn't get out of bed, she got me out of bed and sent me on a mission to the closed UPS dept to collect a pack of vacuum cleaner bags. Empty handed on the way back I had to lean against the wall again just north of Christoper on Greewich. Even a tramp sneered at me as I was being ill on the street. Maybe that's because I chose his home as a perfect place to be ill.

Anyway, so the Lady stormed out and I spent the day feeling sorry for myself and trying to work out what had happened the night before. I started the night with Andrew and Niall on Rivington, there was some dancing at one bit, Niall (who was in for the night from London) fell back off his chair and we ended up in a Lesbian Night at the aplty named Hole. Ah - it was the vodka shots. They serve them large here. The guy at the door at the Hole stopped us and said, 'you do know it's lesbian night don't you?' Of course, we nodded.

I don't think it was the girly bar Niall was hoping to end his night at.

When the Lady returned I got thrown out a second time. This time with a bag of stuff and my keys confiscated. It was the last straw.

I didn't know where to go esp as I had no cash in the bank. It did remind me of a time with a previous girlfirend when she almost chucked me for putting myself in such a hungover state. Oh did I say, the area around my eyes were almost black from bursting all the blood vessels from all the wretching and my eyes were all blood shot?

I went down well at the local vegan cafe reading a book called 'Join Me'

Somehow I was called back. She forgave me for upsetting her. I forgave myself for accidentally going over the top and pledged that I would say somethign to Andre about buying all those vodkas.

Posted by Guy Brighton at 2:17 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 10, 2005

Levis To Use Bloggers In Ads

According to Gawker, Levis are lookign to cash in on all that uber-coolness of blogging by featuring bloggers in their next ad campaign called, "A Style For Every Story."

Levis will pay the lucky bloggers $10K. Bloody hell!

Gawker Article

(fyi: the Creative Director at Levi's ad agency, BBH, is called Kevin McKeon - worth a spam, no?)

Posted by Guy Brighton at 10:11 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 9, 2005

The city

Sometimes you look up and think, the city isn't too big. I want to leave now and come back in a hundred years time.

Posted by Guy Brighton at 12:05 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

February 7, 2005

Love New York no 658

A tall thin girl walks up and stubs out her cigarette on the wall before going into the yoga health food store on 13th

Posted by Guy Brighton at 8:29 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 3, 2005

Convention hotels

My gawd! It might be on the beach with 3 pools but its full of pale drunken Americans on conventions, away from home, on the look out for, I dunno, that girl in mid west sales. And they have all these neon hoops. Will just have to turn to businessman's comforter: steak. All eaten with the plan to swim 40 laps tomorrow am.

Posted by Guy Brighton at 10:13 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Miami

Once you've been Blue there's no turning back. Jet Blue. Good TV. Good seats. Good snacks. Cheaper booze.

Posted by Guy Brighton at 7:36 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Wed 2nd Feb : Storm

Was just going to be a couple of beers at 6. Lady was out with friends. She’s still a little fed up but it was good to get some space. Saw Bill Bones USA for a couple at Old Town and I invited this times – English animator chap called Macca. Problem is that the smaller pint sizes makes you drink quicker – my theory. Macca comes down and does tag with Bill who has to see his bird (can’t do tomorrow night because I’m off to Miami, sorry). Pint 4, it’s about 630 now. Then as Macca and I are finishing off the last pint, Andrew turns up with a guy in his office who looks like him, dresses like him but is 8 years younger and 4 stone lighter. So with Andrew and Junior, we have a couple more and we feel a bit hungry. Off to some Mexican basement place in Nolita. This was the place I meant but Macca doesn't believe me. We’re rowdy now. And all the staff are Latina girls which encourages us – except the one behind the bar who’s making the Mojitos and the margaritas. We order the special – from my basic Spanish it looks like chile steak: that will soak up the beer. We laugh at junior for getting a burrito whilst we’re all having the steak. I get another round in whilst the others haven’t even started their drinks. The special turns out to be some pepper in sauce not even stuffed with beef. Some delicacy I am sure in some part of Mexico City but tonight in New York City it looks a bit more than feeble. I get another round in. Junior is laughing at us now. Macca is starting to wibble. Somehow we decide that the rum drinks aren’t enough and anyway, Andrew’s bird is out still with her friends and I haven’t heard from mine – so we go to this bar that I’ve been to before – basement somewhere off Grand – and it’s always been empty even though it looks like a nice bar, even though it’s got so much tiling it looks like a Victorian gents too. People mumble when I announce loudly this to Andrew standing beside me saying something loudly to me. We sit at a table and this guy and a girl are there, playing tag team to the toilets. She’s a strong girl with red red hair that takes offence when I question she was really given the name Storm by her parents. The guy with her must be a ‘delicate type’ as he doesn’t seem as interested in our rowdiness as Storm. She just wants to cuddle Macca and ask if he’s gay. Macca's not a small guy but Storm makes him look quite weedy in comparison. Then she keeps getting up and simulating various sex actions – from the male point of view. Rather too well, if you ask me. Of course we encourage her to do it again. Junior is licking the lamp that hangs over the table because by this point we think it could be mistaken for a breast or something. I don’t quite know now. The guy and girl leave. One last cuddle for Macca who’s is getting quite animated. We obviously need more and we have a quick final drink in the tiny room they have out front – I think the staff are glad we’ve tucked ourselves away until Andrew walks out and starts break dancing on the main room floor. I can’t remember there being any music. Think it was a taxi on the way home but I can’t be sure. I know I got a chicken giro to make up for my non-steak. The Lady was happy to see me. She however, woke up at 6am and woke me up to chat about our nights. Why are you just talking nonsense she complains.