Wordpress. It’s my all-singing, all-dancing blogging platform of choice. If you’re a geek you can set up your own souped-up blog, as per Mancubist, or alternatively they can host one for you at Wordpress.com – try it out.

A week today (Wednesday 16 January, 5.30pm until 7.30pm) the MDDA on Portland Street hosts the first Manchester Wordpress User Group meeting. It’ll cover designing for Wordpress and security issues, it’s free and refreshments will be provided. For more information email MDDA’s Alan Holding or phone 0161 224 8211.

Elsewhere, Vice (a free, often controversial international magazine available in Vinyl Exchange and other places) will be bringing three trendy new bands to town on Thursday 31 January.

Jacksonville’s Black Kids, plus Metronomy and Ipso Facto (both from London, naturally) will be playing at Mint Lounge on Oldham Street – and, best of all, it’s free. All you need to do is sign up on the Vice Live website. If you’re attending and use Last.fm, visit the event page here.

Still on the events front, Showclix.com now lists over 100 upcoming gigs in Manchester – though I still much prefer Last.fm’s Manchester gig calendar – and Skiddle.com lists more general Manchester events. I’m trying a feed from the latter on Mancubist’s sidebar.

Finally, I hear next Saturday’s blogging workshop – also at MDDA – is now fully booked up!

I’m going to use this rare moment online to dump information about some news and events I’ve recently discovered:

BBC 6 Music reports that Manchester City Council is considering a proposal to rename Whitworth Street West (home to Green Room, Rainbow Snooker Club and the Brickhouse nightclub) in honour of the late Tony Wilson. Two-thirds of residents will have to approve the name change to either Tony Wilson Way or Anthony H Wilson Way – I personally prefer the latter.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, is of course the date of the Manchester Blog Awards 2007 – for which Mancubist is nominated in the arts and culture category. Remember, the venue has now changed from MohoLive (which now opens in late November) to Matt & Phreds, also on Tib Street. The city’s music bloggers will be DJing (or MP3ing…) and blogger-cum-published-writer Caroline Smailes will be doing a reading. It’s free and starts at 7pm.

Also happening tomorrow is a low-key media event called MELD. It aims to generate ideas by ‘melding the skills of Northern Journalists and Interactive Designers’. The long-term goal is to pitch ideas by 20 of the region’s hacks and geeks to ‘major industry players’. The project’s Manchester launch event takes place in Selfridge’s Moet Bar from 6pm. If you think you fit the bill email info@just-b.com.

And finally, another lovely (lapsed) blogger called Kate tipped me off about a free event happening on Friday. A Wall is a Screen is ‘part guided tour, part film night’ and invites the public to view nine short films projected on buildings across seven secret city centre locations. It’s part of Manchester Urban Screens (11-14 October, check out their other events) and begins at 9pm outside Kro Piccadilly.

See you at some or all of the above…

I’ve been unusually busy this week, so things have been piling up. Each of these probably deserves a post of its own:

‘An office worker from Leigh, Greater Manchester, broke his ankle as he jumped 6m (20ft) from his third floor flat – because he was late for his first day in a new job’ – Metro (and note the great picture caption)

New exhibition by Crosby Manchester Art Prize winner Sophie MacCorquodale at Manchester Art Gallery – Press release

‘The Carlton Social and Bowling Club in Whalley Range was facing closure after amassing debts of £20,000. However, over the past three years the board and members of the Carlton Road club pulled together and have now managed to fight off the severe threat to their popular club’ – South Manchester Reporter

The Museum of Science and Industry are appealing for readers’ favourite digital colour photographs of South Manchester to celebate 100 years of colour photography – Contact Sarah Roe via images@msim.org.uk

‘Two schoolboys behind the mass pillow fight in Albert Square have dreamt up 100 more mad capers to do before they are 18′ – Manchester Evening News (and check out the comments)