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The increasingly inaccurately-named blog of journalist and futurist Chris Taylor. Either the most sporadically brilliant amateur blog, the most brilliantly amateur sporadic blog, or the most amateur sporadic brilliance on the Web since 2001.
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Daily Blah FAQ
Who are you?
I'm the newly-appointed Future editor at Business 2.0 and the former San Francisco correspondent for Time Magazine.
Wow, so does this mean everything you write reflects Time Inc's opinion? Or do you perhaps have some sort of standard disclaimer to the effect that it doesn't?
Naturally, the opinions contained in this blog are not those of my employers. In fact, some opinions may be the polar opposite of my employers. Some may be the same, for all I know. Hey, it's not like I ask my employers their opinions about everything in the news, okay? Let's just say that if this were a Venn diagram with one circle marked "my opinions" and the other one marked "my employers' opinions", there would doubtless be some overlap. But neither I nor my employers are able to pinpoint exactly where that overlap is.
What is this Daily Blah thing?
An experiment for a column I wrote about blogging back in December 2001. All these years later, I haven't been able to kick the habit.
Do you write any other blogs, by chance? Could that have something to do with the fact that Daily Blah isn't always Daily?
Yes -- the Future Boy blog for Business 2.0. And yes. If you want true, editorially-mandated daily coverage from me, that's probably the best place to look.
Mister, you talk funny. Are you one of them furrners?
Why yes I am, as it happens. I was born, raised and educated in Great Britain. I've been living in the U.S. since 1996 and identify as British.
I say, old chap, you forgot the "u" in "colour."
No I didn't. I may identify as British, but I am also an American journalist writing for an American audience about mostly American issues. These two different sides of me are a constant source of tension. Nevertheless, Daily Blah will adhere to American English grammar and spelling.
Praise for Daily Blah:
"It is fun to watch the author's navel-gazing joy." - Sunday Times (UK)
"It's really funny and informative." - Dave Eggers, author
"The Blah is becoming a daily destination for me." - Richard Marsh, Playwright
"I like it, and I don't." - Fiona Hogg, Teacher
"Better than Xanax." - Lessley Andersen, journalist
"Dude, lay off the crack pipe." - Souris Hong-Porretta, gamesmith
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Daily Blah for... Sunday, May 23, 2004
Mini Me
Now here's an interesting screenshot:
That would be me as an avatar in the E3 demo of "Playboy: the Mansion." About a month before the show, the PR guys for the game asked me for a picture and a release form so they could make me a character in the game -- at least, in the E3 version of the game. Sure, I said. Does that mean you want a shot of me from head to toe? No, they said, just the head will do. "There are only two body types in the game," said the lead Playboy PR guy. "Slim and athletic." Fine by me ...
So hectic was the show that I only got to the Playboy booth on the last day, Friday. (There was the party at the Playboy Mansion, of course, but the only person getting a demo that night was Hef. I wasn't in much of a state to fix my attention on a computer screen, which is saying something.) The booth guy took Dan and myself through the game. There was my character, in the virtual Hef's black book. I was a little surprised to discover I'd been transformed into an Aries when in reality I'm a Scorpitarius. As you can probably tell, I was never really one for astrology, and a misplaced star sign mattered less than the fact that my physique and charm could not match the level of my intellect. And none of them were exactly off the charts. What the hell. We all have our crosses to bear. Plus I got a slim/athletic body out of the deal.
So virtual Hef, controlled by the booth guy, throws a party. He invites a dozen guests, including me. We show up at the door and mingle. Hef introduces me to a bunny. And I am surprised, not to say a little concerned, about virtual me's attempts to flirt with her. Here's a sample:
Yes, when I should have been trying to wow her with my relatively superior intellect, there I am displaying my biceps. More embarrasment was to come when I started hugging the bunny. Luckily Dan did not take a picture of this. Even more luckily, P was not with us, and I had some time to work on my excuses. "It was just a hug! She wasn't even a real bunny! It wasn't even the real me!"
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