Monthly Archives: October 2005

NB: See subsequent posts on Chomsky for more on this. From yesterday’s Observer: …a journalist called Diane Johnstone made similar allegations in a Swedish magazine, Ordfront, taking issue with the official number of victims of the Srebrenica massacre. (She said … Continue reading →

The Guardian has withdrawn this piece from their website, so I’m preserving the text here. Emma Brockes Monday October 31, 2005 The Guardian A note to readers: On November 2 the Guardian published a letter from Noam Chomsky in which … Continue reading →

This time I’m asking, not answering. (Oddly, I much prefer answering these questions to asking them! There you go.) But since seven of you asked for questions off my previous entry on the subject, and I’m trying to think about … Continue reading →

Blame : ‘s Halloween party: ___avenue dressed as a catcher for the White Sox. _idlethreats dressed as a new superhero: Blood Shield. ailbhe dressed as a pitcher for the Marlins. ajshepherd dressed as Mary-Kate Olsen with her very own conjoined … Continue reading →

Right, am off to the airport to drop Anne, Fergal and Ursula for their flight to Birmingham: off to stay with Anne’s sister and family near Swindon for a couple of days, then Kidderminster and Anne’s parents for another couple … Continue reading →

10) Going Postal, by Terry Pratchett This book was famously withdrawn from the Hugo awards shortlist by its author, on the basis that he wanted to relax and enjoy the WorldCon. It’s impossible to know how well it would have … Continue reading →

From 1) Do you generally read the journals of random strangers? I do occasionally browse lj’s of people I don’t know, but the process is usually guided rather than random – for instance, a search for people posting about “epistemic … Continue reading →

I love the new Halloween look!

Three Library Thing users own Purple Homicide, by John Sweeney, an account of Martin Bell’s victory over Neil Hamilton in the Tatton constituency dutring the 1997 election. All three of us also have the following Iain (M) Banks books: A … Continue reading →

I bought the electronic edition from Powell’s online store during the week (easily half the price I would have to pay for a new hardback in a Belgian bookshop). Funnily enough it doesn’t seem to be available any more from … Continue reading →

From : 1. What was it like studying at Miskatonic University? You’ll have noticed from my user info that I studied there twenty-five years before I was born, so you’ll forgive me if my memories are a little blurred. But, … Continue reading →

From : 1) Your job seems to straddle the line between diplomacy, politics, thinktankery and NGO-ness. Where in those areas would you like to end up? That’s a pretty good description of my job as it is right now! Though … Continue reading →

From Bookslut: 75 questions for the budding fantasy writer.

There’s a general strike today, and I have a 9 am breakfast meeting, so I left home at 0700 expecting the traffic to be worse than ususal – yesterday I had to drive to Antwerp, and the heavy traffic meant … Continue reading →

There are precisely three Library Thing users who have logged copies of Enemies of the System, by Brian Aldiss. All three of us are also the only Library Thing Users to have logged Aldiss’ short story collection, Space, Time and … Continue reading →

This Is My Life, Rated Life: 7 Mind: 7.2 Body: 7.3 Spirit: 6.4 Friends/Family: 6.1 Love: 7.3 Finance: 7.9 Take the Rate My Life Quiz

With added me.

Locked post because of copyright: Will full juice be back for all by . . . Easter? Q. When am I going to get my electricity back?A. The latest statement from Florida Power & Light is that “we expect to … Continue reading →

I’m sure many of you saw this when it was broadcast two weeks ago, but apparently Conan O’Brien looks just like President Halonen of Finland (25 MB, avi).

Just yelled at a journalist and put the phone down on her because she was asking stupid questions. Questions like, “Won’t the Kosovo negotiations have great difficulty, given that the two sides have opposite points of view?” To which I … Continue reading →

In Slate: the source of America’s obesity epidemic wasn’t portion size, or lack of exercise, or the decline in smoking. It was the invention of the automatic transmission. Here I was, the typical, atrophied American, barely able to press the … Continue reading →

Despite yesterday’s drama, I had to get up at 0600 this morning to get into town by train for a breakfast meeting with a foreign minister. One of these things where he was addressing a group of about 100 people … Continue reading →

1) ALWAYS WEAR A SEATBELT. (I got this one right, at least.) 2) If the tyres are a bit low, PUT SOME MORE AIR INTO THEM. 3) If the road is wet, remember that IT TAKES LONGER TO BRAKE. and … Continue reading →

Early start; pouring rain; wet road; running late; tyres slightly under-pressurised; me a little over-pressurised; traffic jam in the outskirts of the Hague; sudden braking not quite effectively sudden enough; big bang, airbags out, smell of gunpowder (or whatever it … Continue reading →

My blog is worth $7,903.56.How much is your blog worth?

Answers here. (Hat-tip )

9) A Personal Matter, by Kenzaburō Ōe (surname also spelt Oë). After the Nobel laureates discussion, I did a bit of research on those writers who were recommended to me; in most cases I simply put one of their books … Continue reading →

8) Ten Years to Oblivion, by “Clem Macartney” Older readers who grew up in Northern Ireland (ie , , , and perhaps ) may remember the BBC’s veteran political correspondent, W.D. “Billy” Flackes, who would pop up on “Scene Around … Continue reading →

7) Babel-17, by Samuel R. Delany I’ve read only one Delany novel before, one of his minor ones (either The Towers of Toron or The Fall of the Towers, not sure which) and wasn’t wildly impressed. This is miles better, … Continue reading →

Have you ever tried playing “Space Impact” on a Nokia mobile phone? F was trying it this afternoon and I was unexpectedly reminded of you. (And more indirectly .) For some reason, the player’s space ship’s pilot’s name is Geneva.