Bob Dylan is releasing some previously unreleased recordings through an exclusive distribution deal with Starbucks. Previously he has appeared in adverts for Victoria’s Secret lingerie. Go, the counter-revolution! Actually, I have read interviews with Dylan where he has said things along the lines of: “I never cared about politics – that was just what sold [...]

Spain could be about to change its laws on marriage to enforce equality of the sexes and fair division of household chores, according to this report in The Australian. It’s written by Emma-Kate Symons, who worked at The Australian when I was there and is now a Paris-based contributor. I caught up with her when [...]

It gets better and better. AOL has just invited me and a guest to go to Live 8 so my boy can come too! (And I didn’t even ask them). They’re Golden Circle tickets, which has nothing to do with the Australian juice brand, and everything to do with the fact that it’s a VIP [...]

Dilemma solved. I have been lucky enough to secure press accreditation for Live 8 on Saturday (I am doing a story on the corporate sponsorship, simultaneous broadcasting on radio and the all-round massive media coverage). Now I am seeing if I can get another ticket for my other half but I am not sure if [...]

France is going to host the world’s first fusion reactor, according to Reuters. I won’t go so far as saying I am pleased by this because I do not feel I have enough scientific information or understanding to judge the merits of fusion power. However, I am definitely interested and anyone with an interest in [...]

Tonight, the English, French and Spanish are reenacting the Battle of Trafalgar, which was fought 200 years ago in October 1805. Except they’re not calling it the Battle of Trafalgar and, although it will replicate the battle in almost all respects, they are calling the two navies the Red team and the Blue team in [...]

The field below Parliament Hill in Hampstead Heath is home to a rather unusual art installation this summer. The sculpture ‘The Writer’ by Italian artist Giancarlo Neri is meant as a monument to the loneliness of writing. The location is quite fitting since Hampstead has produced so many writers over the years. The statue is [...]

I released this on Sunday 26 June 2005 at The Writer sculpture, Hampstead Heath in London – Hampstead, England United Kingdom. I left it by the base of one of the chair or table legs, next to a copy of The True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey, which someone had released earlier. [...]

After a fairly stressful week at work I finally left the office on Friday afternoon and headed off to Hyde Park to meet my boy. We were going to see Moby and New Order at the Wireless Festival. Of course, festivals in this country are traditionally wet and muddy and, after a week of sunshine, [...]

Here’s my dilemma: I have been planning to go to Birmingham for the national BookCrossing meetup on the first weekend in July since about February. I went last year and had loads of fun meeting new people, swapping books, playing Cranium, drinking red wine… This year will be even better because I’ll already know a [...]