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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.
Oh My God, the RSS Feed Actually Works!
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
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"Better than Xanax." - Lessley Andersen, journalist
"Dude, lay off the crack pipe." - Souris Hong-Porretta, gamesmith
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Daily Blah for... Monday, May 23, 2005
Speaking of Editing ...
Here are the dispatches I wrote on my top three most interesting games from E3 -- and below, in italics, are the edited versions of each that they managed to squeeze into the little space alloted in the magazine. Just another example of why you can't be precious about your prose in this business.
CIVILIZATION IV That Old Time Religion
Every version of Sid Meier's strategy classic Civilization has been hailed by critics as the best game of all time. All of them make you want to take a tiny tribe in 4000 BC and obsessively build it into a spacefaring, world-dominating empire by 2050 AD. Civilization IV, due in November, is no exception to either of this rules. But for the first time, Meier's addictive turn-based game does not shy away from the impact of religion on world history. If your people are the first in the world to discover certain metaphysical concepts, a religion is born in your cities. Polytheism leads to people worshipping Hindu gods. Monotheism begets Judaism. Theology creates Christianity. Then you can choose to peacefully convert your neighbors with missionaries, or rip them to pieces in bloody wars of religion. Just like real life.
50 CENT: BULLETPROOF Better than Bling Bling
Forget gold chains -- the hottest new accessory for hip-hop heroes is starring in their own videogame. In Bulletproof, out this holiday season for PlayStation 2 and Xbox, you play a gun-toting 50 Cent protecting the hood and rescuing G Unit homies (with a little help from Dr. Dre, who plays a weapons dealer, and Eminem in a quirky turn as a private detective named McVicker). Parents beware: the language and violence makes Grand Theft Auto seem like Pong. Nevertheless, a script from Sopranos writer Terry Winter adds to the gritty realism. And you get to mix your choice of the game's soundtrack from 50 tunes by 50, including three brand new cuts. What gangsta could resist?
NINTENDOGS Barking Up a Wireless Tree
No one knows cute game characters like Nintendo's in-house genius, Shigeru Miyamoto (Mario Bros., Donkey Kong). But with Nintendogs for the Nintendo DS handheld, already a bestseller in Japan, Miyamoto has found the holy grail of cute. Pick up one of a variety of playful puppy breeds from the virtual pound, each one so adorably realistic that you just want to scratch behind their ears (and with the DS touch screen, you can). With enough training, they respond to their name and ever more unusual voice commands via microphone. (Sit! Shake! Speak! Sing!) Thus tricked out, your new best friend is ready for a whole series of mini-games -- which, best of all, can be shared with other players' pups over a wireless Internet connection. Weekends at the dog run may never look the same.
CIVILIZATION IV
Religion has a starring role in Sid Meier's latest (for PC), in which you try to convert your neighbors--or rip them to pieces in bloody, crusading wars
50 CENT: BULLETPROOF
You play a gun-toting rapper protecting the hood and rescuing your homies (for PlayStation 2 and Xbox). It makes Grand Theft Auto seem like Pong
NINTENDOGS
Game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, known for his cute characters, delivers the Holy Grail of cute: pick a puppy from the virtual pound and teach it endless tricks
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