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From Wired 16.11

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Linkorama for 29.12.08

Some post-Christmas deep thinking for you:

- James on how to make words interesting

- Clay Shirky on the breakdown of information filters

- Matt Jones of Dopplr on how the social web means more than 'friendship'

(Via PSFK and James)

Christmas part 1

26 recommendations for December

are here, while another write up of the SpinVox Wishing Well is there.

Lego Eiffel Tower (Xmas remix)

Lego Eiffel Tower (Xmas remix)
Originally uploaded by SgtRock333

At Beta Towers, we're always pushing what can be done with Christmas decorations.

This, I hasten to add, was Ms Beta's idea...

The kids are alright!

No really, they are. Admittedly, I came to this conclusion during an insomnia-induced perusal of NME's (I know, I know, far too old for that type of shenanigan) tracks of the year.

In the spirit of adventure, and doing one's bit for the faltering economy, I invested in a random 10 of the sample, biased towards the top end of the run down. And blow me if - apart from MGMT - they weren't all excellent. Especially Ladyhawke and Friendly Fires, who are my new favourite thing. All hail the latter:

SpinVox's Wishing Well

Wishing Well 1
Originally uploaded by SgtRock333

So, about six months after it we started talking about it, and six weeks after we started writing wishes for it, the SpinVox Wishing Well is go go go.

It's lovely (and yes, as the 26 point guy who wrangled all the initial wishes together princips author and all that), but visiting it this morning, it's an installation/public art piece/brand experience that really was worth the time and effort to get right.

It's an incongruous sight in Covent Garden to begin with, all sleek silver and shimmer instead of traditional stone. People were certainly taking their time to stop, hover, touch it, take a photo.

And then yes, start dialling their wish in. And my if it doesn't appeal to the voyeur in all of us. Step inside into the triangular space, you see some of the deepest hopes of people writ large - glib, flippant, deep, heartfelt, profound. The fact that, in looking up at the gently pulsating walls, you feel like you're at the bottom of real well makes it even better.

Lots of credits required: SpinVox for stumping up the cash, Freestate for the idea, 26 for the initial wishes, London Design Festival for support and encouragement and Covent Garden for allowing it to happen. Pop in while you're around doing your Christmas shopping; and if you can't, see the wishes online.

Yes, I did wish. And no, I won't tell you what it was. Or it won't come true.

Fame!

Thanks to Lolly and Nat's Whipple Squeezer.

I'm available to pen verse for weddings, barmitzvahs, etc.

Mr Christmas Puff

Mr Christmas Puff
Originally uploaded by SgtRock333

You can tell a recession is coming. The Christmas decorations on Carnaby Street are clearly designed to scare shoppers into buying stuff. That, or the Ghostbusters remake is coming sooner than we think.

Commercial: Blur

are back back back, which you all know by now. Annoyingly, for the NME photoshoot Pennie Smith didn't get Graham to ape the Bowie pose. Anyhoos, I got my tickets to Hyde Park this morning. If you're on O2 you still can; everyone else will have to wait until tomorrow. In the meantime:

Twitting point

I think Twitter will be huge next year. Social networking platform du jours. Bigger than Facebook. Probably. And, one suspects, more useful as well, if one starts to take in the implications regarding search and advertising as described here.

And, in its own way, 26 is joining the fray. Thanks to the sterling work of Mike Reed amongst others, we've got our on 26 Twitter stream burbling away, at Tweety6.

All you have to do is join Twitter, if you haven't already, then use your log in details at http://www.tweety6.co.uk/. Posts will automatically tagged #tweety6 too. Clever stuff.

So come one, come all, and start tweeting. Nigh on the whole world will be soon.

Commercial: Matter box 1

Matter box 1
Originally uploaded by SgtRock333

So, after the trial, and the delay, the first matter box finally turned up. And, like James, I found it to be disappointing.

It lacked the playfulness of the trial and everything inside was a bit unexciting (including the O2 Welcome Pack which I wrote some lines for, although ['wanting to keep his job' alert] it was not unexciting because it was bad. Ahem.)

I didn't even get round to looking at the card for the chocolate because, well, who would? It wasn't on the wrapper, after all.

Hmm. A missed opportunity.

The end of the Alpha Male

For quoth Barbara Ellen in The Observer yesterday:

Indeed, it could be that the economic climate has made women, and society as a whole, wake up and realise that the Alpha Male is more trouble than he is worth. It's a case of different times call for different men, so bring on Mr Beta. This is what women want now - the Quiet Man, who might not set the world alight, but doesn't turn your life into a fire sale either.

I'm saying nowt.