Update on the white bikes

Thank you @markallred + @vacuumcleaner for explaining the white bikes to me.

It seems like I'm the only person that didn't know why they're there, but in case there is anyone left in the dark, the white bikes are 'ghost bikes'. Positioned in spots where cyclists have died as quiet statements in support of cyclists' right to safe travel. Next to each bike is a plaque with the person's name.

Some have missing parts, others have heartfelt memorials + unbelievably, some have been vandalised.

Photographer Katherine Rose travelled around London + Brighton in search of the ghost bikes + posted them here.

As a cyclist myself + one who's had more than a couple of near misses, I agree that everyone; pedestrians, motorists, taxi drivers + motorcyclists need to be much more aware of cyclists on the road. Cycling, especially in cities can be extremely perilous. You really need to have your wits about you + full concentration at all times. And even when you do, you're kind of at the mercy of those around you. Too often cyclists are knocked off by people opening their doors into the road, vehicles turning left, pedestrians appearing from no where.

And believe me I know that cyclists can be stupid too + I do think that something should be done to promote safe riding. But, it's true that we are certainly the most vulnerable on the road, so while this is a pretty morbid demonstration, maybe it needed to be.

Hey! What's with all the white bikes?

White bikes have been appearing all across London. Look..

Me, Tachy + Jamie spotted one on the junction of Farringdon Road + Goswell Road at lunchtime today.

Then, just now, as my bus pulled in at the bus garage at Streatham Hill I spotted one chained to the railings there (pic above).

Why they are here is a mystery.

There is one clue though. And I had to walk the opposite way to home to discover this. On the bike are these words 'Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away'.

Hmm. Any ideas?

Bebo has a friend feed

Bebo is introducing what it calls a 'lifestream platform' which, like Friendfeed, aggregates users' various social networking updates in that one place. So while at Bebo, users will be able to see what their friends are doing + saying on Flickr, Facebook, Myspace, Delicious etc. And it seems you don't even need to be registered with Bebo to benefit from it.

It's a clever but obvious move to increase dwell time at the site + is surely the way all the social networks will end up going.

Full report from the Guardian here.

Stats on mobile social media usage

Just found this blog which has loads of yummy, juicy stats on youth + marketing.

Here's a nice chart I found there showing how people are using social networks on their phones across the globe + the year-on-year change from '07 - '08. V.exciting. And interestingly, they say here that mobile makes up half of Universal Music's digital revenue, wow!
Ooh + then I had a little look at the source, IT Facts which has even more scrumptious, mouth-watering stats. It says here that 36% of those who currently use social media on a regular basis say they’d like to access their networks on the TV screen. And here it reports on the top mobile + top PC sites.

So much information, so many numbers, mmm I like it.

Have you seen this dog?

Hee hee. Found this here.


And what's even funnier is the number of people commenting that they 'don't get it'. This comment is particularly hilarious (I hope they're kidding!) 'I’m sorry. But I do not get it, I have looked at it for ages, and I cannot see anything. Is it an optical illusion — can someome please email me with the answer'. Eh??!

But I shouldn't really take the piss 'cos I don't get this cartoon that one of the commenters then shared - can anyone enlighten me peez?

Now that's what we're talkin' about

Here's a great example of how social media can be used to influence opinion.

Blogger + Chef, Niall Harbison made a throw-away comment about Seesmic in a post. The magic of google alerts meant it was then picked up by Loic de Meur who runs Seesmic. He left a comment on Niall's post complimenting him on his work, pointing out that Seesmic is approaching 1 million videos + asks 'I wonder why you have to be so aggressive?' then signs off by wishing him success in the future. How nice! How can anyone, having received such a lovely comment from the very guy that runs Seesmic, not investigate further to prove themselves wrong? Niall finds that Seesmic has vastly improved since he last visited + even goes so far as to film a post in which he positively advocates the site + Loic's approach at challenging his view. Seesmic was now approaching 1,000,001 videos + everybody lived happily ever after.

Anvil performs live at Secret Cinema..

Now I don't normally talk online about Secret Cinema 'cos the naughty, selfish side of me wants to keep it to myself so that I can always easily get a ticket, but I can't not talk about yesterday's Secret Cinema. It was easily the best yet (that I've been to anyway).

Not only did we get to enjoy eating yummy free popcorn, watching SC's fantastic actors in the roles of shady promoters, hardcore fans + 80's kids, followed by a performance from a live metal band, and all this before that hilarious drug dealer guy from Withnail + I announced that we weren't to see Spinal Tap (as we'd assumed), but in fact, the to-be-released-next-week, Anvil: The Story of Anvil. It was, he said, to be the UK premiere of the film, which in itself is amazing. But that wasn't it..the big, exciting thing I'm trying to tell you. No.

The film was outstanding. It's a real life 'rockumentary' that follows the members of Anvil - a metal band that has been together for over 30 years with the two main guys, Lips + Robbo having met at school in their teens. Sadly they never made it when they were young, despite touring with some of the biggest metal bands in history. I'm not going to ruin the story, but please go watch it. Lips + Robbo love + hate each other as if they were brothers which makes for some hilarious + often touching scenes. Lips is incredibly endearing + demonstrates amazing determination. By the end, I had tears in my eyes + I wanted more than anything else in this world for them to succeed. I wanted to buy their new album, go to their gigs, buy the t-shirt, that kind of thing.

And then..that's exactly what happened! There he was. Lips. Up in one of the boxes of the Shepherd's Bush Empire. Pulling his strange faces (he pulls strange faces) + strumming his guitar. We look to the stage and there's the rest of the band. There they are! At that very moment in time, having watched their struggles + frustrations, there was no one in this world who I'd rather have seen. Not even the White Stripes would have brought me more joy in that very minute. It was amazing. I forgot that I don't even like metal + stood on my chair + did that thing you have to do with your fingers to show appreciation.

After much jumping + singing along to songs we don't know, there was another announcement. Scott Ian from Anthrax was to perform Anvil's biggest hit, Metal on Metal on stage with them, right there. How exciting. But who the bleep is Scott Ian..and Anthrax? Oh well, who cares, let's jump around a bit more. And let's now go outside + buy Anvil's CD + oh, a t-shirt, amazing!

Anyway, you get the idea. It was amazing. Secret Cinema is always exceptional, unique, full of surprises etc etc, but this was like no cinema experience I've ever had before.

So go, please. Take my ticket. Secret Cinema is great. Oh and the guys that run Secret Cinema - Future Cinema are going to be showing Watchmen under London Bridge at SE1 Club - before it's screened anywhere else in the world. Damn it's all coming out.