links for 2009-03-19

An estimated 3.3m people a day spend an average of 27 minutes on their way to work reading bite-sized chunks of news, culture, local leisure reviews and sport, with a healthy sprinkling of technology and quirky stories. Unlike its sister paper, the Daily Mail, it attempts to adopt a neutral tone, eschewing opinion or analysis.

Effectively, this means games the average human being can relate to: anyone who's lived in a house can grasp what The Sims is, for instance; anyone who's played tennis knows how to swing a Nintendo Wii remote. Grand Theft Auto might not look like a casual game, but it certainly appeals to a wide demographic, namely anyone who's ever fantasised about going berserk in a city (ie 98% of the population).

1 – At the end of the day
2 – Fairly unique
3 – I personally
4 – At this moment in time
5 – With all due respect
6 – Absolutely
7 – It's a nightmare
8 – Shouldn't of
9 – 24/7
10 – It's not rocket science

"The wise use of leisure, it must be conceded, is a product of civilization and education. A man who has worked long hours all his life will become bored if he becomes suddenly idle. But without a considerable amount of leisure a man is cut off from many of the best things. There is no longer any reason why the bulk of the population should suffer this deprivation; only a foolish asceticism, usually vicarious, makes us continue to insist on work in excessive quantities now that the need no longer exists."

"My CV would say: left school. Worked one month in a nursing home. Got pregnant. That's not going to get me a job. There aren't enough jobs to go around."