This, of course, could change.

After over a week off work, it's back to the grindstone.

The next issue of outnorthwest is due at the printers this Thursday, and - for the love of god! - I have about 40 pages still to edit and design. Ah well, at least the cover is done! Above you can see what our recent interview with Sia is turning into. Personally, I think this is the best cover we've done for a while and moves the magazine into a direction I'd love to see it take. The time feels right for us to grow up and take the road less well travelled by other gay titles.

This, of course, could change. I still have to run the cover past the editorial team and they might hate it. So, if they DO think it's pants, consider this attempt a little bonus.

Best get back to it then...

Cheerio, love...

Oh, and I didn't get the job.

Achievement unlocked...

There are few more fulfilling moments than the little 'pop' noise that accompanies an 'Achivement Unlocked' moment on XBox 360.

Forget Playstation 3, the next generation of gaming has been with us since November last year, you fool. Anything Sony does now with their next gaming platform will be a pale imitation of what Microsoft (yes, Microsoft) is 'achieving' right here here and now.

Don't follow the herd, follow the gamers. With the 'Achievement Unlocked' moment, Willy Gates has taken gaming back to its roots with that all important high score feeling. Only, in this millennium, it's not a high score, but an 'achievement' that is uniting, and dividing (in a purely healthy and competitive way, you understand) the video gamers of the planet.

It could be a cheap XBox Live Arcade download, or a full price Tomb Raiding adventure that hooks you, but after a week or so you'll be obsessing over your Gamerscore. It's simple really, the more you play, the better you get, and the more you'll achieve. Better yet, everyone will know about it. You might be sitting in your lonely little bedsit in Whalley Range, but the minute you break the 40 wins threshold with online Uno, the whole world is going to know about it... and you'll feel mighty.

Playstation 3 is over £400 (and 6 months away), and you'll have to start your poor-copy Gamerscore with a pathetic Zero and a handful of poor launch titles. But... if you snap up your 360 tomorrow (£200!), you could be scoring highly with the best of 'em and truly living in harmony with your digital 'hub' and moving forward...

After 5 months, I'm approaching 1800 Gamerscore Points... and I dare you to catch up with me....

POP... Achievement Unlocked....

You'd better hurry....

Distractions

It was awesome.

What a privilege. Not only were we able to watch Zero 7 sound checking on Friday night in Manchester, we also spent the best part of 40 minutes in a makeshift garden interviewing the GORGEOUS Sia. Over the last seven years, through the course of working on outnorthwest, I've interviewed a number of celebrities. Hands down, without a doubt, Sia has been the best.

A more accommodating interviewee you will never find. We all got on so well, she started telling us things she wasn't supposed to! Want to know which (VERY) famous celebrity chatted her up once? Well, you can't. That's for Sia, Annie and me to know... :-) "My god, you're not my friends! I shouldn't be telling you these things!"

The show itself was amazing. The best I've ever seen Zero 7 perform. Pageant of the Bizarre gave the whole crowd goosebumps. What. A. Voice. And the birthday dedication to Annie just before Destiny capped one of the best nights of the year.

If you're interested to read the results of our time with Sia Furler, check the outnorthwest link on the right there towards the end of the month.

I can Sia clearly

Today is a good day. One of those days I'll look back on with a big smile.

The sun is shining in Manchester. It feels like the hottest day of the year. It's a Friday and I'm off work most of next week. All good. Even better, tonight I'm going to see Zero 7 playing at The Academy in Manchester. Even better than THAT - I'm interviewing Sia (Zero 7 singer and all round effortlessly sexy girl) after the band's sound check later this afternoon! The cherry on this cake is that I'm sharing the whole day with Annie (the UK's leading lesbian - FACT) who's birthday it is today. Happy Birthday my love!!!!

If today got any better, I'd probably vom.

Zero 7 are perfect for sunny Summer Friday's, as their new album The Garden proves. Cliche time, but if you buy, or download one album this week, make it this. It'll put a smile on your face and help you make your peace with the world. While you're at it, download their other two CD's too - When It Falls is in my all time top ten albums.

So, yeah. With any luck there might be a picture or two with Sia appearing on this site in the next couple of days.

GET IN!

The Doctor will NOT see you now...

Nearly three weeks ago I had an interview for a job on Doctor Who Magazine. And, believe me, for a person like me, this is the dream job.

Like most of the country at the moment, I'm a fan of the show - and have been since I was a kid. The position on offer at the official magazine was Designer, which is what I'm doing at the moment here in Manchester. Two of my favourite obsessions all wrapped up in one fabulous job. How could I NOT apply? So anyway, I got the interview, which was down in Tunbridge Wells, and it went tremendously well. I met the rather sexy Editor, Clayton Hickman - who, by the way, is currently plastered all over any Who-related telly programme at the moment - and got on very well with both him and their current designer, Peri.

Part of the interview involved laying out a sample 4 page spread, based on the recent episode that featured Sarah-Jane Smith and K9 School Renunion. Aside from the fact I started the layout on a single page, rather than a double page (big no-no, but hey I was nervous), I think I did a good job in the limited time they gave me. I left Tunbridge Wells on a high, thinking I'd have a pretty decent chance at bagging the job.

Three weeks later and I'm still waiting to hear back from them. So what should I do? Call them and risk sounding like an over-eager fan-boy? Wait patiently in the hope that one random day in August Clayton Hickman will suddenly remember "that bloke from Manchester who we interviewed"? Chalk it up to experience and move on? Watch this space, this story isn't over yet...