Mixed Signals
Any sufficiently advanced information is indistinguishable from noise
Wednesday 4 July 2007, 12:40 AM
Harry Potter and the Interview of Doom
Got a call this afternoon:
"Hello? Rupert? BBC here... World Tonight. Would you be interested in talking about the film industry and the Internet?"
Of course I would. My interrogator decided that he wanted somewhere to record that would have some resonance with the film industry -- he did ask me if I knew anywhere that had some resonance with the Internet, but I said it didn't work that way -- so picked Leicester Square. We'd meet, we agreed, by the Charlie Chaplin statute at 5:30.
I got there at 5:20, and used my highly sensitive journalistic nose to sniff out two interesting and pertinent facts.
1. There is a very large thunderstorm immediately above the Charlie Chaplin statute, giving it large with the thundering and the lightning bolts and the hailing and all.
2. Within a very few minutes, there is to be a premiere of the latest Harry Potter movie. Thus, the square is entirely filled with young, squealing and incredibly wet girls. And I do mean girls.
(Oddly, this isn't my first encounter with that branch of Potter fandom. This time, I pass unnoticed)
Ten minutes later, my interrogator arrived. And so did the cast, together with J K Rowling. I assured him the sudden increase in squealing was nothing to do with them - I'm sure this is the very first time any of the fangoils had encountered a reporter from the World Tonight, and it must have been an overwhelming experience - but he merely expressed a professional opinion that the chances of getting an interview recorded here was not high. Plus a few more opinions, with which I agreed, concerning the general state of events.
We repaired to Trafalgar Square, where the transaction was successfully concluded (well, apart from another thunderstorm cell occupying Heathrow Approach, meaning we got regular doses of low-flying aircraft directly overhead:"What are the chances of that?" he groaned, as I prepared to repeat the answer I previously gave).
Should be on the Friday show, ten PM, Radio 4. See if you can hear the Korean women taking photographs behind us (and what _is_ it with that two finger thing?), or the chain of Italian language students which flowed past at around 55 decibels.
PreviousComments on this post
Hi, Dear Rupert
to tell the truth after reading this text and your high interest in attractive events, I was really upset with you, because first you replied my mail duo to IT electronic seminar in ME & CIS and said "by all means" but after you even did not reply none of my mails and calls atleast to inform me that you are not interested to attend any more.........
Regards,
Faranak Sedarat
Advertising senior manager
Arsehaye Modiriat Co.
+98 0912 2935297
Congratulations! This is the first instance I've seen of one of those persistent sales cold callers popping up in a blog comment. It's good to see that they are keeping up with new media. By the way, have you ever considered getting double glazing?
Hi , thank u so much for your co operation and comment. would you please give me more explanation about double glazing?
Also I found no sentence in your bio but any way if you are interested to attend , It would be our pleasant to invite you for our international electronic IT forum in ME.
Best Regards,
Faranak Sedarat
...What?
