It's been a bit like watching a family pet turn from a spritely, mischievous puppy into a elderly crippled, half-blind old hound which can do little more than sleep in front of the fireplace, passing wind occasionally just to remind you of its existence.
Finally it seems, after several unsuccessful attempts to navigate the new layout and fix what they'd done to my profile (which initially took bloody ages to put together), I face the unsavoury task of taking it out for it's last walk in the woods with a cocked shotgun over my arm at the end of the year.
At one point it was THE place to go to to explore new music, and back in 2006-2007 or whatever, I happily signed up, customised a page for myself and literally watched the new & upcoming acts roll in before my eyes, eager to communicate and spread word of their existence.
Nowadays it seems that the only bulletins & announcements that bands post on Myspace are to advise their followers to go and find them on Facebook.
It's not without a certain degree of hesitance that I'm to cancel my account on Myspace at the end of the year; I met a lot, and I mean a LOT of great people through it and it was almost certainly the main reason for the majority of my DJ bookings. But right now, I seem to talk to a lot more people who've cancelled their Myspace account than those who still possess them. These are the people I still clung onto my account for in the first place, so if they're not still battling the sluggish, bandwidth-hungry, non-musician friendly, graphics-intensive advertisement board that was once King of the Social Networks, why should I?
It'll be a clean account deletion-the worst thing I could do is simply abandon it to be a perpetually out of date board of information where only half the graphics I'd painstakingly designed show due to the new layout. It just looks awful; awful to the point where any attempt to fix it wouldn't be enough to rescue it. I did try; it just decided to throw errors up at me whenever I chose style templates for the bloody thing. Nice work...
So there you go. A new year, a new 'back to basics' approach to self-promotion. Just me, my website & Twitter.
Oh, and this blog & podcast of course. But definitely NO FACEBOOK, okay? Most of you know my views on that bloody thing already.
I came across this footage while digging around in the back of the World Goth Day closet this morning.
It's a recording of an interview I had with Jim Hawkins on his morning show on Radio Shropshire from May 2010 about the Goth scene, which also included renowned occult author Gavin Baddeley on the telephone.
Typically, I sounded like a clueless idiot answering the simplest of questions; clearly it wasn't a good day for my brain and tongue to be in cahoots with each other. However, it's not a bad recording and should be shared rather than lost.
I found out that 4Shared has a great little player widget which allows you to stream audio. With that in mind, here's two shows containing interviews from November 2010 with both Rhombus & Pretentious, Moi? respectively that shouldn't be lost forever in the ever-growing archive pile.
At the time of writing this I am a mere 2 days away from my 41st birthday; a good 11 years older than I initially thought I was ever going to live to. Like most people my age, I wish for little more than just a quiet day pottering about the house or in the pub. No socks, bathroom gift sets or humorous coffee mugs, just a bit of 'me-time' where I can relieve myself of the normal weekend duties I normally undertake. Also, like most people my age, I know I'm only going to accomplish about half a day at best of that, and will be grateful for whatever I can muster.
Prior to this non-milestone anniversary of the flesh, I was also breaking away from the normal weekend duties by taking a 4-hour solo road trip to Whitby, where I was to fulfil my guest DJ slot at Nostalgia, a goth night held around the Whitby Goth Weekend & founded by martin oldgoth (the lower casing of the name is deliberate and correct).
I quite like a long drive, though I'm not a huge fan of driving long distances without a companion. Circumstance dictated that was indeed going to be the case this time round, so my wife stocked up on large quantities of energy drinks for the trip. My companion for the journey was a three foot tall plastic skeleton who sat in the front passenger seat who didn't pay anything towards the petrol but was useful for hanging onto various wires & cables that were sprawling from the cigarette lighter socket into the iPod, mobile and sat-nav.
I managed to cover some serious distance before deciding that I needed to pee. Funny how long you can go before you see any service stops at all the precise moment you need to take a leak. Eventually a service stop emerged on the horizon the other side of the road, but had a slip road on my side which would presumably take me round to it. What it actually did was take me directly onto the same road back in the opposite direction, allowing me to watch the service stop disappear off to my left and add a whole bunch of miles onto my journey while still leaving me with a full bladder…
Anyway, bodily fluids aside, I arrived in Whitby at around 3pm and parked up at the Leisure Centre to the tumultuous roars (of laughter, it seems) emanating from the Whitby Gazette Football Stadium as Real Gothic were receiving somewhat of a ritual slaughtering from the Whitby Gazette team. I think the final score was 5-0. I know little about football but apparently that's not very good…
I caught up with Leeds based goth-rock combo Rhombus (minus backing vocalist Mya) for a long overdue and quite entertaining interview for Fadeout, which took place on the stands of the stadium. I've been wanting to get the dulcet tones of Ed Grassby & Co. onto the show for a long time, and I'm hoping to get that interview edited ready for airing as soon as possible, ie. next weekend.
The hunt for food was on, so after destroying a chip supper outside the Pavillion, I headed off to pick up Nightbreed Radio's DJ Wolfman who offered me a place to crash for the night while up in Whitby.
We arrived at the Raw Club to meet up with Martin, Velouria & Katy Kitten, whom I would be sharing the decks with for the night. Maybe I'm just lucky like that, but I do seem to get to DJ with the nicest people I could ever wish to meet (of course now that I've said that, the next person will turn out to be a complete arsehole or something…I hope not!).
Apart from the normal process of doing my set, popping outside for a ciggie and chatting, coming back in for a caffeinated beverage, listening to the other DJ's then taking my turn behind the decks again, I also managed to bag an impromptu interview with Tim Chandler & Gordon Young of Pretentious, Moi?, which only really happened by the magic of alcohol. Yes, they were quite drunk and would agree to anything. I supposed it was the journalistic equivalent of date rape in hindsight, but they put together a fairly cohesive dialogue which wouldn't even indicate that they ever been near a drink at all. 'Consummate professionals', and all that…
I also managed to chat to a few other people I hadn't seen for a while, not least Tron from Grooving In Green, who once again kept me amused with his drink-oriented tales of life in the moderately-paced lane.
After the evening/morning's proceedings, DJ Wolfman & I headed back home to eventually hit the sack at 4am Monday morning. Rock & Roll. Five hours of unconsciousness would pass before I was awoke from the bed with a cup of tea and a bacon sarnie (for which I will be ever grateful to Wolfman's other half, Mandy), followed by farewells then a smooth drive home to the family I was spending probably too much time missing.
November. Not an unusual month by any means, and carries no particular highlights (apart from my birthday-send me anything you like as long as it's cash), so it seems a good idea to break the cycle of its mundanity for once, and of that which has been quietly niggling away at the back of my mind with Fadeout.
I'll be the first to admit that I'm on average, quite happy with how the show has been going for the past three years, but while I have the space and flexibility to try something a little bit different in the format and the motivation to try it out, I'll do exactly that.
From Sunday 7th November 2010, Nightbreed Radio will play host to a new monthly show which will replace Fadeout's weekly airing, though Fadeout will air as normal on Phoenix Radio in the usual weekly format. It's an exerimental move for me, and if it doesn't work out then I'll simply put Fadeout back on the roster for Nightbreed.
Having racked my brains & agonised at length about a new show name, I decided on...The Other Fadeout Show.
It was funny at the time, and I appreciate how it gets steadily unfunnier the more time goes on, but as working titles go, it's at least accurate.
If I decide to change the show name in the future (likely) I'll let you know, but I'm still planning to have it aired at 8.00pm GMT every Sunday evening, just as Fadeout currently is being aired.
"The Other Fadeout Show" if of course, will be quite similar in feel to Fadeout, except each show will be aired for a whole month because (a) uploading a new show to the Radionomy server every week actually takes longer than the show lasts, and (b) unlike Fadeout, you've got more chance of catching the show 'on air' which will be the only option you'll have of hearing it as I'm not planning on releasing the show as a podcast.
Musically I'll be broadening the spectrum a little bit, though I'll still be keeping the Goth/Dark Alternative spirit of Fadeout alive within it.
I also see the show playing host to some great interviews I've aired in the past, so if you missed out on hearing Rogue from The Cruxshadows, Toyah Willcox, Voltaire, Fields Of The Nephilim, Peter Murphy, you'll get your chance to hear it again in the coming months.
The first instalment of The Other Fadeout Show will be scheduled for Sunday 7th November (my birthday, hint hint) at 8.00pm GMT. Please feel free to tune in and feel even more free to give me feedback on what you hear-did you like it, hate it were'nt able to tell the difference from any other Fadeout show?
To a certain degree your feedback will dictate what happens in the future. Right now I'm playing with ideas and feeling a little creative & inspired, so God only knows what I'll come up with next...
It's one day in the week (Friday, obviously) where you recommend people you follow or who are following you to others.Strictly speaking by now, the whole concept of #FF should be redundant, because the point of saturation where everyone you follow now follows each other must have been met months ago.
But still, like sheep, we repeat the whole process over and over again without fail out of some misguided duty, like sending Christmas cards to relatives you don't even see once a year.
Depending on how long your #FF list is, it could take you all day to carry out the ritual. Who's got that amount of time on their hands? I know I don't...
Twitter's concept of making 'lists' for jobs like this is, like Twitter itself on occasion, frustratingly unusable.So this is why I've created this comprehensive #FF list of my own, and rather than type out every individual's name every week, I'll just post a link to this blog, adding & taking away names where I see appropriate.
The oiled-up Tonga flag bearer will compete at the 2018 Winter .... Harry How/Getty Images. He's back! Pita Taufatofua ...
Shirtless Tongan flag bearer back at it in frigid Pyeongchang - NY .... Pita Taufatofua returned to the global stage Friday, in all his glossy glory.
Pita Taufatofua (a.k.a. the Shirtless Tongan) is back at the .... Pita Taufatofua (a.k.a. the Shirtless Tongan) is back at the Olympics and everyone's fainting
Tongan Olympics 2016 athlete Pita Taufatofua who became internet .... In his training for Rio he broke six bones, tore three ligaments, spent three
Pita Taufatofua: Tonga's famous flag bearer makes Winter Olympics .... Tonga's famous flag bearer Pita Taufatofua achieves his 'impossible dream'
Tonga's famous flag bearer Pita Taufatofua achieves his .... PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA - FEBRUARY 09: Flag bearer Pita Taufatofua of Tonga and teammates enter the stadium during the Opening Ceremony of the ...
Internet in a frenzy over Olympic flag-bearer Pita Taufatofua - NY .... Flagbearer Pita Nikolas Taufatofua (TGA) of Tonga leads his contingent during the athletes' parade at the opening ceremony.
2018 Winter Olympics: Shirtless Tongan flagbearer Pita Taufatofua .... Tonga flag bearer Pita Taufatofua poses with a volunteer and team-mates during the Winter
Iconic Tongan Olympic flag bearer goes shirtless amid frigid .... Temperatures in Pyeongchang are so frigid right now that Olympians are being forced to throw away their expensive skis after mere practice runs — but that ...
Tonga Flag Bearer Goes Shirtless at Winter Olympics 2018 | Time. Flag bearer Pita Taufatofua of Tonga and teammates enter the stadium during the Opening Ceremony of
The incredible story of Tongan viral hero Pita Taufatofua who is .... The incredible story of Tongan viral hero Pita Taufatofua who is hoping to shake PyeongChang
Meet Pita Taufatofua, the Tongan Winter Olympian who first saw .... Pita Taufatofua tucks ski poles under his arms as he skis.
Pita Taufatofua Photos – Pictures of Pita Taufatofua | Getty Images. Taekwondo practitioner Pita Taufatofua (C) and guests attend the 6th annual Streamy Awards hosted
Tongan Olympic flag-bearer Pita Taufatofua taking his shot at snow .... Tongan Olympic flag-bearer Pita Taufatofua is keen to try his hand at cross-
Tonga's shirtless, oily flag-bearer Pita Taufatofua appears at the .... "I won't freeze. I am from Tonga. We sailed across the. "
Tongan Olympics 2016 athlete Pita Taufatofua who became internet .... Tongan Olympics 2016 athlete Pita Taufatofua who became internet sensation is SINGLE | Daily Mail Online
Shirtless Tongan Flag-Bearer Goes Shirtless in 28-Degree .... Pita Taufatofua braved the frigid temperatures of the Winter Olympics and marched into the opening ceremony without a shirt—again
Tongan goes shirtless for winter Olympics, too. Pita Taufatofua carries the flag of Tonga during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics
Pita Taufatofua Photos – Pictures of Pita Taufatofua | Getty Images. Pita Taufatofua of Tonga jumps on stage during the Closing Ceremony on Day 16 of the
Meet Pita Taufatofua, The Tongan Flag-Bearer in the 2016 Rio .... Pita is a 32-year old athlete. Aside from his captivating look in the Olympics, he also break another record for being the first ever Tongan athlete to ...
Internet in a frenzy over Olympic flag-bearer Pita Taufatofua - NY .... Flag bearer Pita Nikolas Aufatofua of Tonga leads his Olympic Team during the opening ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Maracana stadium in Rio ...
After Gaining Fame For Going Shirtless In Rio, Tongan Tries For .... Tonga's Pita Taufatofua (right) competes against Iran's Sajjad Mardani during their men's taekwondo qualifying
Tonga athlete Pita Taufatofua oiled up by three NBC hosts live on .... How would the world react if three male presenters did this to a female Olympian?
Telegram ICO? is that gonna be the biggest ICO ever launched? but what’s the risk? As of the white paper and technical documents, prospective buyers in what could be one of the largest-ever initial coin offerings (ICOs) have received a nine-page memorandum spelling out the risks of buying the tokens. For investors in traditional markets, such a litany of dangers is a familiar sight – the documents list almost every conceivable thing that could go wrong. But the Telegram document, a copy of which was obtained by CoinDesk, is striking because the company isn’t offering equity. Instead, the tokens would be used for payments between users and to access various services on the proposed Telegram Open Network, once it is built. The document may have been written out of an abundance of caution, considering the size of Telegram’s initial coin offering (ICO) – potentially $2.5 billion.
As such, CoinDesk has outlined some of the most salient hazards listed in the document, which has the lawyerly title “Certain Risks Associated with the Purchase, Sale and Use of Grams.”
Anyone who’s been following initial coin offerings knows that there are a lot of question marks about what regulators might do. As the document states, “It is difficult to predict how or whether governmental authorities will regulate such technologies.” A government could impose liquidity requirements on Telegram or find that grams are a regulated equity, requiring registration, the document warns. If regulation in one place became too onerous, Telegram might exit the country or even shut the project down, it says. On the other hand, Viktor Mangazeev, CEO of blockchain fantasy sports platform MyDFS, says Telegram may have a regulatory edge over rival messaging platforms that makes it uniquely suited to do a fundraiser like this. There’s a few messaging apps that are larger than Telegram, but the leaders, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, are based in the U.S., which has been hesitant about cryptocurrency. WeChat is another dominant platform, but its home, China, has recently turned hostile to crypto. Of the popular messengers outside those two countries, “Telegram is the most technologically promising of them,” Mangazeev contended. (Telegram’s headquarters location is hard to pin down. Its SEC filing is under “Ton Issuer,” based in the Virgin Islands. Telegram itself is currently based in London, according to Crunchbase.)
Perhaps most disconcerting for a project like Telegram’s, U.S. regulators are far more likely to regulate by way of enforcement actions early on, because cases take less time than promulgating new rules. Joe Dipasquale of Bitbull Capital, a crypto fund of funds, told CoinDesk he has not invested in grams, and is concerned it will show up on the SEC’s radar. “I expect the SEC to pay careful attention to TON given that it’s expected to be the largest ICO, and participants in this ICO should be aware of this,” he wrote in an email. The company is using a simple agreement for future tokens (SAFT) structure for this sale. The SAFT was conceived as a way to do ICOs without running afoul of U.S. securities laws. But if the SEC decided it didn’t like SAFTs, that could be a problem for the largest ICOs.
The paper says, “Telegram may not retain the services of developers with the technical skills and expertise needed to successfully develop the TON Blockchain and progress it to a successful launch.” Luckily for investors, Telegram has written in a refund provision for investors. That said, the company also reserves for itself the right to spend the money on all kinds of things.
The popularity of this offering is no doubt driven by Telegram’s large and active user base. If for some reason the team fails to integrate the TON blockchain with the mobile messenger, the document says, “adoption of grams as a form of currency within Telegram Messenger’s existing ecosystem may be more limited than anticipated.” To say the least; it’s hard to see many people adopting a utility token that doesn’t, um, have utility. But this risk seems like one of the more improbable ones, given the number of apps out there that are integrated with blockchains.
Telegram doesn’t have any restrictions on how it uses the funds, so even if it fails to build TON and it needs to terminate the contract with the token buyers, it may not have any money left to distribute back to holders of grams when that happens. This lack of restriction allows Telegram to use funds raised to shore up the messaging app, even if it never delivers the blockchain, said Anton Rozenberg, the former chief technical officer of VKontakte, the Russian Facebook equivalent which Durov founded before he started Telegram. “They spend all the money to buy servers for 10 years out, for example,” Rozenberg. So, while that may be cold comfort for the investors in the ICO, Telegram’s continued relevance seems all but guaranteed at this point.
Lumping a few of the document’s headings together here. Don’t call them FUD; it is true that any of the above could happen. Notably, Telegram’s risks document doesn’t list one of its most significant threats, that of Google or Apple’s removal of its mobile app from their respective stores. Gurinovich described this by writing:
“Worst-case scenario is also possible – if the Telegram app is removed from Apple Store and Google Play, just because these companies don’t approve when they are not involved in financial transactions … there’s no court in the world which can help to get back the audience.”
Still, Mike Burov, CEO of Cindicator, a decentralized market analytics platform, told CoinDesk that people are investing in Telegram because they believe it will lift the whole industry. He commented:
“It will be an absolute breakthrough for the market, that will bring a lot of attention to it. So it’s their way to invest in the idea of ‘trust in crypto, trust in decentralization.’ It’s their investment in the ecosystem.”
Melt butter in pot over medium-low flame. Add leeks and dill; cover and cook slowly, 15-20 minutes. Add potatoes and stock; bring to simmer, cover, and cook until tender, 10-15 minutes. Puree mixture. Return puree to pot; stir in sour cream and 2 tablespoons chives. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle each serving with additional chives. Makes 6 servings.