Spam from Peacock
This one intrigued me.

Good day sir,

Generate 1.5 - 3.5k a wk easy.

caII me at : 800*645*2308

Later,
Peacock Ashlee

Although the chance to earn such easy money obviously intrigued me, there's no way I could ever pick up the phone and ask for someone called Peacock.
12.31.05 @ 10:29 AM PDT [link]

Is shop radio the new hospital radio?
I was in Londis today - don't ask - and was bemused to hear some kind of shop radio station playing Oasis and suchlike, but also some friendly reminders to pick up your newspaper. This is obviously syndicated around the country, perhaps with individual feeds for promotions in different stores.

It got me thinking that maybe this is how DJs break into radio these days? In the past, you'd send best wishes to Gladys on Ward 9 of the Royal Infirmary. Now you plug Pot Noodles to convenience store shoppers.

If you're a store DJ, you'll be pleased to know that I'm opening this particular post up for comments, so do let us know what it's like. Do you hope to make it on to Capital one day?

Here's my provisional playlist:

Aisle be there
Savings all my love for you
Pork this way

12.31.05 @ 05:43 AM PDT [link] [No Comments ]

Phil's observations on life 008: Hairdressers are too hi-tech these days
I got a text message to remind me of my appointment at the salon. I'm too old for that kind of thing.
12.31.05 @ 05:37 AM PDT [link]

Ian's Hungarian dental spam
Rather late in the day, I know, but I wanted to share with you the spam about Hungarian dentistry that I promised. I particularly like the bit about meeting your dentist in person (how else were you likely to encounter them?) and discovering the beauties of Budapest. I hope this is referring to the many exciting tourist attractions nestling in one of Europe's most historic cities.

FREE DENTAL CHECK UP IN BUDAPEST

We would like to invite you to visit the "pearl of the Danube" and get experience of our services.

Meet your dentist in person with no fear and anxiety!

Discover the beauties of Budapest while having a relaxing weekend!

We offer you a dental check package from £ 199 including:

free consultation
free x-ray
free full dental report
free transfer from the airport
free transfer from the hotel to the dentist
free sightseeing tour
2 nights in a 4-star hotel with breakfast and free usage of wellness-fitness facilities
London-Budapest-London plane ticket
12.29.05 @ 03:54 PM PDT [link]

My oyster® dream

The floor is your oyster: Phil's dream gives new twist to transport payment system

The other night I dreamed that oyster technology could be incorporated into people's shoes. (For blog fans outside London, I better explain that oyster is a baby of Mayor Ken Livingstone and has essentially replaced the Travelcard as a way of negotiating the public transport system. You touch your pre-paid card on a reader and the barriers open and let you on to the subway.)

What was so neat about my dream was that the computer readers for the oyster card were under foot, so you never even had to take it out of your wallet or purse. You simply strode towards the barriers and the technology did the rest.

On waking, I thought this was a really good idea and something that I should probably trademark and patent. Reflecting after some breakfast and a coffee, however, I could see a few flaws. People would have to wear their oyster shoes every time they went on the tube. Folk from outside London would be challenged by a lack of footwear. And the technology is not very well designed for on-the-spot inspections.

I thought I could risk sharing it with you. But if anyone makes money from this idea, you read it here first at the end of December 2005. It's copyright and I want my share of the cash.

www.philwoodford.com
12.29.05 @ 03:47 PM PDT [link]