Wednesday, November 29, 2006

HP Lovecraft

For my birthday I got the cool Library of America edition of HP Lovecraft. Nice paper, hard covers, looks classy on the shelf. Now there is news that Philip K Dick will get a Library of America edition next. This is great, but what about the big three science fiction writers, Asimov, Clarke and Heinlein?

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Microsoft up to its usual tricks

In the new Office Vista Microsoft has some new UI stuff that looks cool. Office often sets the standard for UI as it is the most used application on Windows (apart perhaps from the browser). Micorosft is offering to license the new interface to you for free unless you compete with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, or Access. Why is this sneaky? If Microsoft had put this UI into Windows then it would be available to anyone. By putting it into Office and restricting its licensing they are able to propagate their ideas while still bashing their competition.

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Chicken update

growing feathers

The spiky things are separating out into feathers. Now she is starting to look fluffy.

growing feathers

Saturday, November 11, 2006

Moulting Chicken

Moulting Chicken

On of our chickens, Lucy, is moulting. Her white feathers made our yardgarden look like it had been snowing. The spiky bits are new feathers that haven't got feathery yet. She won't let me pick her up right now, it must hurt to have your new feathers compressed. Here (below) she is in a very rare pose, apparently looking straight on at the camera. The other chicken is called Rosy.

Moulting Chicken

Friday, November 10, 2006

Over-Competitive Lance Armstrong Challenges Cancer To Rematch

Go to the Onion to read all about it.

Pet Shop Boys @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, 7 Nov 2006

pet shop boys

I love the Pet Shop Boys. The only group whose fan club I've been a member of. The Smiths you can dance to as Neil once said. One of the few extant groups that I would go to a seated concert for.

This was a very theatrical performance, with an interval and ushers. Chris Lowe was on stage the whole time with a keyboard but its not clear he was actually playing anything. Three singers and two dancers, with enough costume changes that they seemed like a whole troupe. Minimal stage set that was continually being reconfigured.

Neil isn't a strong singer, but I preferred it when the backup singers didn't support him. I like to hear his Rex Harrison singing/speaking. So why go to a seated concert which will be the same every night (apart from some heartfelt appreciation for San Francisco, we expect nothing less)? Really it would be better and cheaper to watch a DVD.

But I love them, and "The Sodom and Gomorrah Show" from their new CD is another classic.

Monday, November 06, 2006

Gap Year emails

A Gap Year means a year out between school and university. Nowadays kids can email home so that parents do not worry about them.

Friday, November 03, 2006

Who are these young men?

That drummer looks familar, but who is that scary singer?

Top 10 Jones

2,000 Joneses are gathering at Cardiff's Wales Millennium Centre aiming to break the record for the largest gathering of people with the same surname. So who are the best Joneses?

  1. Marion Jones (my friend, not the druggy runner)
  2. Terry Jones
  3. John Paul Jones (Led Zep)
  4. James Earl Jones
  5. Quincy Jones
  6. George Jones
  7. Indiana Jones
  8. Brian Jones
  9. Davy Jones (of locker fame)
  10. Janie Jones