30/9/02 - Breathtaking arrogance from Wal-Mart: (via Robot Wisdom)

"In the last six years, judges have slapped the company with at least 75 sanctions for destroying, altering, and hiding evidence, according to documents filed in numerous suits against Wal-Mart across the country. It has racked up millions in court fines for destroying photos of accident scenes, denying it performed safety studies, and concealing company records.

At first blush, 75 violations amid thousands of cases seems an irrelevant percentage -- except that the number appears to represent more sanctions than those of all other Fortune 500 companies combined."

"The annual Diagram prize for the oddest book title of the year has been awarded to Gerard Forlin's Butterworths Corporate Manslaughter Service... The book, not published until January, was up against five other shortlisted titles: Fancy Coffins to Make Yourself; The Flat-Footed Flies of Europe; Lightweight Sandwich Construction; Tea Bag Folding; and The Art and Craft of Pounding Flowers: No Paint, No Ink, Just a Hammer!"

29/9/02 - The only place you could hear Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Laser 558.  All together, "Laser Funf Funf Acht!"

29/9/02 - They've announced the winners of the Best British Blog.  My kind host Paul made the shortlist.

28/9/02 - Mmm, deep-fried Twinkies.

28/9/02 - Lawsuit about the copyright of John Cage's 4'33'':

""A One Minute Silence" has now been released as part of a double A-side single."

28/9/02 - Bots on the betting site Betfair made to sound like Terminator:

"A bot is a computer program that can access a website and strike or lay bets, just as any human punter can. Unlike a regular punter, though, it does not need to eat, drink or sleep, and can request a web page several times a second."

28/9/02 - Memories of Top of the Pops, from the fans:

"My favourite was Gary Davies, around 1990, still trying to pretend he's was down with the kids and introducing 808 State as Bob State."

"Kevin Rowland

But it's the BBC, it's never going to be hip. When we did a song called Jackie Wilson Said in the early 80s, there was a big beer-swilling darts player around called Jocky Wilson. For a laugh, we told the producer to put a picture of Jocky Wilson up behind us. He said, "But Kevin, people will think we made a mistake." I told him only an idiot would think that. The morning after, the DJ Mike Read said: "Bloody Top of the Pops. How could they mix up one of the great soul singers with a Scottish darts player?""

"Ask any Devonian what the county means to them and it is likely that not a huge number would reply: a giant otter.

But while America may have its Statue of Liberty, Brazil its Statue of Christ, Gateshead its Angel of the North and the M5 its Wicker Man, Devon could soon top the lot with its very own Otter of the West, in the east."