Paulie () tagged me (the bastard). So I’ve got to do a book meme. OK, easy, I love books. Only, um, I have to choose one, for each. Ah, bugger. This may take awhile. However, before that, an answer to his question:
I’ve been meaning to write a post here asking if anyone else has found it a lot harder to read decent fiction since they started blogging?
Yes, yes, and thrice yes. The more I’ve been writing and reading online,t he less time I spend reading books. I used to avarage a book a week, sometimes one a day. Currently, I’m at less than one a month, and the too read pile is huge.
I’m reading more, I’m better informed, I’m aware of every theory about the latest news story (including most of the crackpot ones), but actual, real, books?
Example. An entry from over a year ago. That book I quoted from? I bought it in the Xmas sales in 2004. It looks immense, it’s from one of my favourite authors. Still in the pile next to the bed. Still unread. Sure, I’ve bought, and read, other books since then, but 18 months after purchase, an Iain M Banks hardback sits there unloved. Ah well. Anyway, to arms my friends, to arms…
1. One book that changed your life - the hardest question first.
Easy. The Swedish Imperial Experience, by M. Roberts. Not because of its content, not because I found it really interesting (and love that period of Swedish history), but because of the effect it had on me. I’d been working in a shop for 4 years, a university drop out in a McJob. One Xmas, bored, I picked it up from my old pile of A level texts, and read it, cover to cover. I loved it. It wasn’t, technically, A level, I’d been leant it by a friend who’d studied the same period at university. 7 months later, I handed my notice in, 8 months later I’d started my Access course, and then went on to University.
A book that changed my life, just by enjoying reading something clever.
2. One book that you’ve read more than once
Oh gods. Um, LotR, technically, but not in reality, and more recently most of the Narnia books, but I hadn’t read them since I was a kid. Um…
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. I’ve read it so many times now, I have the audiobook, the radio adaptation, the TV series and the film, but the book remains one of my favourites. If you’re looking for a factual book, McPherson’s Battle Cry of Freedom on the American Civil War, a simply excellent general text. Which reminds me, 2nd Manassas finished today…
3. One book that you’d want on a desert island
Oh, I don’t know. I keep varying between something deep and weighty, something light but rereadable, or something inbetween. Most certainly not Shakespeare, plays should be watched, or acted, but not read unless you’re an actor. How about the complete works of St Douglas? Works for me. Bugger, that’s him twice. Fanboy much?
4. One book that made you laugh
Jasper Fforde, Any. Especially The Eyre Affair as it’s the first, or Something Rotten, as it’s the first I read. And anything by Pratchett.
5. One book that made you cry
Um, cry? Moi? Seriously, none. Angry? Quite a lot of books on the corruption endemic in modern politics, but I’m guessing most of you know that anyway. Sampson’s Who Runs this place is a good intro for that, and a recommended read for anyone that doesn’t get the mess we’re in, mostly because it doesn’t do anything other than impartially describe it.
6. One book that you wish you had written
’s Pedestrian Wolves. Not actually because it’s a great novel (it’s not), but because it’s so obviously based on personal experience, and, well, yes please. Even just a visit to NOLA pre Katrina would’ve been cool.
7. One book you wish had never been written
Anything by Laurell K Hamilton. Seriously. I’ve read 5 of her books, each time on the grounds that “she can’t be that bad, she has a huge fanbase that raves about her”, and each time it’s been crap. Why I kept going I don’t know. Avoid.
8. One book that you are reading at the moment
Well, I just finished Kostova’s The Historian, and I wasn’t impressed, I keep putting off both Anansi Boys and Looking for Jake (but the latter is short stories, so that’s ok, I’ve read a lot of them). There’s a pile of history and politics books I’m in theory ducking into and out of, but to be honest, I’m not actually reading anything, but I have just finished a book, so that’s ok, right?
9. One book that you’ve been meaning to read
Apart from The Algebraist above? Bloody Foreigners - a history of immigration to Britain. I picked it up in a bookshop in Camden (um, a year ago), and haven’t managed to get back to it since, but it looks very good.
10. Five others that you’d like to do this
Ah, bugger. OK. Chris and Chris . , and
And anyone else that wants to.
August 31st, 2006
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did a meme. It had a purty picture, but not my type, so I did it too.
What kind of witch are you?
You are a Dark Witch! You are more powerful than witches of the Four Material Elements, and everyone knows it. Your powers stem from darkness and the night. Many have shunned you, and called you evil, even though you may not be. Most of the time, you try not to pick sides, only maintain the balance of nature. You love people, but refuse to show it, afraid that people will use it as a weapon against you, even if you could kill them with a thought. But you wouldn’t do something like that….would you?Common Powers: Telekinesis- the ability to move objects with ones mindAstral Projection- the ability to project a copy of one’s soul to another location, retaining all the sensesTelepathy- the ability to read thoughts, and plant themNight Vision-the ability to see in pitch blackness perfectly.Dark Weaving- the ability to conjure and control shadow creatures, objects, and spells that nothing can destroy or kill but the user.
Take this quiz!
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In other news, I’m playing around with MySpace, and I hate it. I really do. Except. Within 24 hours of telling it what school I went to, an old school friend messaged me there. Maybe there is a point to it? Nah. So why am I using Murdoch’s godawful website?
- I will control the name matbowles & matgb on every site in the world, especially if popular.
- Everyone else seems to be doing it, so I might as well see what the fuss is about 1
- Our new(ish) receptionist at work uses one. Degree in english, fun, brunette, recently single, likes SciFi, books, the D&D cartoon (I haven’t asked why yet) and lists bands that aren’t awful in her interests. Summary of this reason? hot girls, natch
So, if’n you’re on it, save me the time finding you, and say hello?
Discussion at ’s suggest setting up (or finding) a “only here because you guys suck too much for LiveJournal” community. Anyone seen one?
Also, anyone know how to code it? It looks to be made to be idiot proof. As I’ve progressed beyond idiot level, I can’t figure out what code to put where to make it look, well, not awful. Also, can’t be arsed with writing stuff on the profile yet…
1 I concur with previous stated opinion; MySpace is for people that that want to use the net, but either don’t now how, are scared of it, or don’t want to appear too geeky by understanding stuff.
August 30th, 2006
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BBC reports that the resolution is passed.
RESOLUTION 5A
The IAU therefore resolves that planets and other bodies in our Solar System be defined into three distinct categories in the following way:
(1) A planet1 is a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and (c) has cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit.
(2) A dwarf planet is a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape2, (c) has not cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit, and
(d) is not a satellite.
(3) All other objects3 orbiting the Sun shall be referred to collectively as “Small Solar System Bodies”.
1The eight planets are: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
2An IAU process will be established to assign borderline objects into either dwarf planet and other categories.
3These currently include most of the Solar System asteroids, most Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs), comets, and other small bodies.
RESOLUTION 5B
Insert the word “classical” before the word “planet” in Resolution 5A, Section (1), and footnote 1. Thus reading:
(1) A classical planet1 is a celestial body . . .
and
1The eight classical planets are: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
IAU Resolution: Pluto
RESOLUTION 6A
The IAU further resolves:
Pluto is a dwarf planet by the above definition and is recognized as the prototype of a new category of trans-Neptunian objects.
RESOLUTION 6B
The following sentence is added to Resolution 6A:
This category is to be called “plutonian objects.”
You’d have thought that, during their biggest conference news in years, they’d manage to not schedule essential maintenence on their main website? Mirrors are fine, but the mirroe is way down the Google results for them.
ETA: They rejected resolution 5B, which means that a dwarf planet is not a type of planet, but a wholly different thing. So they’ve both redefined the solar system and the rules of grammar. Go IAU!
August 24th, 2006
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If in doubt on any given issue, read , as the fluffy elephant seems to have its head screwed on.
If there is a banging on the flat next doors door, it means that someone has let someone past the security door when they shouldn’t have. If, on opening th edoor to find out what is going on, you are greeted with a distraught looking female, react according to instinct.
If, on asking said female (of indeterminate age but looks wasted) if she’s looking for the neighbour, she collapses into a sob story, pay attention to words of sob story. If she says “he paid me to have sex with him, but gave me a checque, so I can’t afford to pay for the B&B tonight and I’ve nowhere to sleep”, then turning off your normal altruistic instincts might be a good plan. Esepcially if oyu happen to know the bastard is actually in but not answering the door.
If the lady upstairs (Anne) gestures to you to run and leave it, probably a good plan to shut the door and not get involved.
FFS, I need to move out of this building. Girl claimed to Anne that a) she’s 16 (she looked a lot more, um, “lived in”, but was definately off her face on something) b) he’d given her a cheque for £400 (um, for sex? with that? he’s stupid, but not that stupid - besides, if it’s for that much, it’s definately rubber, he’s as skint as me, but earns (a lot) less). Spoke to Anne after she left (Mike never opened the door). She’d rung him from upstairs, he wasn’t going to leave the flat. Even the girls downstairs (who, let’s just say, aren’t the nicest of neighbours) thought she was a problem.
Charity? Maybe it ought to begin at home. But to bring back 16 year old drug addicts and pay them for sex with a rubber cheque, and then hide from them and let your neighbours deal with it? I thought he was the decent neighbour (apart from Anne).
August 24th, 2006
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Those “terrorists” thrown off the plane? They looked suspicious because they were wearing heavy clothes and sweaters? Bullshit.
The friends deny claims they were wearing heavy leather jackets which aroused suspicion. They insist they merely had on light windcheaters, T-shirts and jeans.
(via)
One of the racist gits tries to defend the hysteria:
But lecturer Jo Schofield - travelling with husband Heath and daughter Isabel, 12 - tried to explain why panic gripped the 150 passengers on the flight.
She said: “Everyone agreed the men looked dodgy. Some passengers were very panicky and in tears. There was a lot of talking about terrorists.”
Lecturer. She’s a lecturer. Would you want her teaching you or your kids? The men looked “dodgy”. Why, because they’re brown and spoke Urdu?
They’re confiscating books they don’t like the look off, and removing people from planes because they’re brown, even if they’re a fully qualified airline pilot on a staff ticket. Let’s here it for sane and rational shall we?
August 23rd, 2006
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It’s a bit weird, but it seems to Google [uses Yahoo!] image search and let you cycle through the top ten results. A bit weird seeing images from my site as top result for one, but, y’know, Google-Fu [even if it is Yahoo!, top result for both it seems].
ETA: The meme creator comments below that is’ using Yahoo!, and explains the technical details in a manner that, well, is completely beyond me. I’ll stick to psephology, I’m ok at at that.
Not dial-up friendly though.
August 22nd, 2006
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