Kate Griffin freelance journalism and editing

Maybe it was the interview on Radio Oxford that did the trick, maybe it was some kind of Gladwellian tipping point. Either way, last night’s Oxford Geek Night was the busiest I’ve seen. The upstairs room at the Jericho Tavern was crammed with people; according to the organisers, we reached the limit allowed by the Jericho’s fire regulations.

Tonight is the tenth Oxford Geek Night. (All the cool kids are calling it OGNX, or so I hear.)

Chief geek-herder J-P Stacey has a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it slot on Radio Oxford today at 12:30pm.

“The answers to our global woes won’t be found with shiny logos on a special aisle at Tesco’s...” Is that the ghost of Purchase-Free Future we’re hearing? Almost: it’s performance poet Danny Chivers with Don’t Buy It, part of a set that ridicules the human tendency to accumulate heaps of junk. His witty rhymes and repertoire of voices brighten up the chilly and still-sparse crowd. We’re even joining in with chants by the end of his set.

Oxford artists are creating window displays with a difference this winter. WinterLight Windows is a series of installations created by artist-led community groups to brighten up Oxfordshire windows this winter. 

The Oxford & District branch of the NUJ (National Union of Journalists) will be holding its November meeting at an earlier time in a bid to attract more members. The meeting tomorrow will start at 6:30pm with sandwiches provided.

The ninth Oxford Geek Night is happening tomorrow evening at the Jericho Tavern. Both keynote speeches should be interesting for anyone involved in online publishing. I'm definitely going, if only to find out what "digital fiction" actually means.

Kate Griffin reviews Measure for Measure, performed by Creation Theatre Company this spring at the North Wall Arts Centre.

Hypocrisy, lies, secrets and blackmail. No, I'm not talking about Eastenders; I'm talking about one of Shakespeare's most difficult plays. Measure for Measure, performed by Creation Theatre Company this spring, is a story where family loyalties are torn apart by impossible choices.

Pub debates about bands can get heated, but you can rarely go far wrong if you say "They were better in the early days, before their production got too slick."

Not so for Monkey Puzzle. While the likes of Pixies, Hole or REM might have sounded more interesting with their earlier, rougher production, Monkey Puzzle are an act in serious need of smoother production.