The Saddest Music In The World is not a Leonard Cohen biopic, but despite that (or probably because of it) it manages to be a whole mess of fun. The plot? The literally legless Isabella Rosellini is running a saddest music in the world contest at her[…]

FICTIONAL FOOD EATEN IN CHILDRENS BOOKS #2: Toffee Trees
In The Magician’s Nephew, Digory plants a toffee which in the enchanted soil of Narnia grows overnight into a toffee-tree. “The fruit was delicious; not exactly like toffee?softer f[…]

FOODS EATEN IN CHILDRENS’ BOOKS #3: Ginger Beer
Lashings. Of course.
Drinks in childrens books, especially those of an ealier age, show an almost slavish fetishisation of fizzy drinks. Birthday parties when presented in Blyton were always accom[…]

Blogpulse promises much but I’m not sure how well it delivers. “The one-click answer to the question ‘What’s the buzz?’” says Blogpulse’s trends page. I am not sure that a blog aggregator is needed to tell you that[…]

When is a game not a game? I flicked through the new Edge on the way home yesterday with growing unease. EyeToy up for an award – fair do’s, it’s a great idea and well executed. Glowing review for karaoke game Singstar? Hmmm. News i[…]

QUESTION: Is the decision to play the title decider of the Women’s Football League between Arsenal and Fulham at Highbury after the Arsenal Men’s Team play and receive the Premiership Trophy:
a) A great idea to promote the women’s g[…]

The only relevant news item in this week’s Marketing was the sad decision of Bodyform to finally discard the “Whoa Bodyform” music from their adverts, which will apparently be speech-based in future. One research study claimed it to[…]

Scrabble Tournament: The Head of Steam, London, 9 May
Hello you! The T.M.F.D current Scrabble Champion here, reporting back. Yes, I won the tournament, but I’m not boasting, am I? Me? As if! Either way, I drew three games, each against some ver[…]

FICTIONAL FOODS EATEN IN CHILDRENS’ BOOKS
1: Stuff in the larder in the Faraway Tree
As a spin-off from Tom’s Publog articles (one and two here) I thought it was worthwhile savouring some of the items you could not actually get. Enid Blyt[…]

FOODS EATEN IN CHILDRENS’ BOOKS #2: Pine Needles
Pine needles seem to work as a kind of Moomin hay – they form their hibernation beds as well as serving as the staple diet. The preferred Mooomin drink – raspberry juice – lives[…]