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Democracy ? Nice Idea in Burma, Not in Britain
2007-10-01 12:23:00 As you may know, I?ve stewarded many of the ?Stop the War? marches here in London ? it?s a small enough gesture. They have all been utterly peaceful affairs and the stewarding has been largely symbolic. Supporters are drawn from all corners of British society, and include Iain Banks, Tony Benn, Brian Eno, ... More About: Britain , Idea , Democracy , Burma , Nice
Why Do Recondite Non-Fiction Books Work?
2007-10-01 09:00:00 Books about failed mountain climbs, marine navigation and the weather all seem unlikely candidates for best-seller status? but all of them have topped the charts internationally. Here are some reasons why this category of non-fiction seems to work so well: The writing is compelling ? often as good as literary fiction ? like a high-class blockbuster The ... More About: Books , Fiction , Non-Fiction , Work
Goodbye, Halo
2007-09-27 19:32:00 Just fyi, and for all my fellow geeks out there, I won?t be playing the massively over-hyped Halo 3. I?m old enough to remember when Bungie wasn?t a polyp in the corporate gut of Microsoft, and when they produced damn good games for the Mac - one of which, Marathon, will always be a legend. ... More About: Goodbye
Search Me
2007-09-25 16:17:00 I?ve always felt uneasy about the widespread searching (in the US) of shoppers? bags on the exit from certain stores - Circuit City and CompUSA come to mind, but there are plenty of other offenders. The presumption is that every consumer is a potential shoplifter, and that every megalithic company has a right to ... More About: Search
The Ultimate Hangover Cure
2007-09-23 09:00:00 A few years ago, we had a sniper living in our tree-house. I know this sounds odd, but it?s true. The kids loved it, and we had many happy hours practicing siege techniques, conga lines and so on. He came from the Oregon region and, in addition to being a SWAT sniper (have you seen ... More About: Ultimate , Hangover , Cure
Three Cheers for the NHS
2007-09-22 09:00:00 Had a lot of contact with the NHS (Britain?s National Health Service) this week. For American readers, the NHS is NOT what you quaintly and dismissively term ?socialized medicine?. It is, in fact, the jewel in the British crown of state, a huge leap forwards towards a more human society and world. Research shows that, ...
Well, that?s me out?
2007-09-21 09:00:00 It was a nice idea while it lasted. But now that the UK iPhone is a looming reality: “Mobile phone operator O2, owned by Spain’s Telefonica, has won the exclusive contract to sell Apple’s much-hyped iPhone in the UK costing £269… Customers have to sign up for an 18-month contract on a tariff of £35, ... More About: Rants , Well
Pirates Ahoy!
2007-09-20 09:00:00 This is a cool idea. The Internet is infested with design pirates - some surprisingly big names on this list - now it’s time for them to get their public come-uppance. More About: Pirates , Irate
Democracy, 2007-style
2007-09-19 09:00:00 Time was, not so long ago, when real politicians (even those of John Kerry’s milquetoast persuasion) could take the mild heckle in their stride. Dammit, that was part of their job, wasn’t it? If Kerry had an ounce of guts about him, he’d have stopped the scene below. But hey - welcome to the new taserocracy? coming to a ... More About: Rants , Style , Democracy
Alan Greenspan claims Iraq war was really for oil
2007-09-16 11:46:00 Is this really a shock? Most Western interventions in Iraq for the past century have been oil-motivated. And if, as seems likely, peak oil production has already occurred, then the world?s second-largest oil reserves automatically become a target, by fair means or foul. It certainly explains the lack of exit strategy (we don?t plan to ... More About: Iraq War , Alan Greenspan , Greenspan , Claims
Alan Greenspan claims Iraq war was really for oil
2007-09-16 11:46:00 Is this really a shock? Most Western interventions in Iraq for the past century have been oil-motivated. And if, as seems likely, peak oil production has already occurred, then the world?s second-largest oil reserves automatically become a target, by fair means or foul. It certainly explains the lack of exit strategy (we don?t plan to ... More About: Iraq War , Alan Greenspan , Greenspan , Claims
Living in the Cloud
2007-09-12 14:58:00 An interesting ?Web 3.0? concept is ?The Cloud ? ? a term used to describe, inter alia, that portion of cyberspace in which data resides ? yours, mine or anyone else?s. I?ve always been obsessive about backing up data, yet no solution I?ve yet used has given me the degree of protection that makes me feel ... More About: Living , The Cloud
Living in the Cloud
2007-09-12 14:58:00 An interesting ?Web 3.0? concept is ?The Cloud ? ? a term used to describe, inter alia, that portion of cyberspace in which data resides ? yours, mine or anyone else?s. I?ve always been obsessive about backing up data, yet no solution I?ve yet used has given me the degree of protection that makes me feel ... More About: Living , The Cloud
Arms Trade
2007-09-11 15:49:00 Walking to a meeting yesterday, I strolled through a late-afternoon sun-dappled Berkeley Square (no nightingales) and down Berkeley Street into what seemed to be a gun siege. You know that feeling when your ?spider sense? sometimes kicks off? I had it in spades. There were close to fifty police milling ... More About: Trade , Arms
Arms Trade
2007-09-11 15:49:00 Walking to a meeting yesterday, I strolled through a late-afternoon sun-dappled Berkeley Square (no nightingales) and down Berkeley Street into what seemed to be a gun siege. You know that feeling when your ?spider sense? sometimes kicks off? I had it in spades. There were close to fifty police milling ... More About: Trade , Arms
Giving Your Right Arm for A Diamond
2007-09-05 09:00:00 OK, I can accept that some people may want to have their partners (or, indeed treasured pets) carbonized and turned into a diamond they can then sport as a fashion accessory (?Darling, is that your third husband you?re wearing? He looks gorgeous!?). But reading further, I grow apprehensive: ?Whether you’ve lost a loved one ... More About: Rants , Giving , Diamond
Giving Your Right Arm for A Diamond
2007-09-05 09:00:00 OK, I can accept that some people may want to have their partners (or, indeed treasured pets) carbonized and turned into a diamond they can then sport as a fashion accessory (?Darling, is that your third husband you?re wearing? He looks gorgeous!?). But reading further, I grow apprehensive: ?Whether you’ve lost a loved one ... More About: Rants , Giving , Diamond
Web 3.0 is Coming
2007-09-04 09:00:00 When Google?s c.e.o. says that Web 3.0 is on the way, you ought to pay attention. Personally, I had to play this twice before I got it?
Web 3.0 is Coming
2007-09-04 09:00:00 When Google?s c.e.o. says that Web 3.0 is on the way, you ought to pay attention. Personally, I had to play this twice before I got it? Listen to this podcast More About: Ming
Random Acts Of Reality
2007-09-03 09:00:00 Something dangerously addictive about ?Random Acts of Reality ?, a blog written by a London Ambulanceman. I don?t know any Ambulance-people (used to vaguely know some firemen ? a wildly priapic profession) but you get a real flavour of the job from Tom?s blog. Better than reality TV (but then, what isn?t?) More About: Ality
Random Acts Of Reality
2007-09-03 09:00:00 Something dangerously addictive about ?Random Acts of Reality ?, a blog written by a London Ambulanceman. I don?t know any Ambulance-people (used to vaguely know some firemen ? a wildly priapic profession) but you get a real flavour of the job from Tom?s blog. Better than reality TV (but then, what isn?t?) ... More About: Ality
Don?t Leave Home Without It
2007-08-31 09:00:00 Happy Friday, everyone! Hope the coming weekend is immoderately fantastic for you. Should you, by accident or design, find yourself abducted by aliens, do make sure that you?ve got your Location Earth Dog Tag on your person. You never know when you might need it. See you Monday! More About: Home , Leave
Don?t Leave Home Without It
2007-08-31 09:00:00 Happy Friday, everyone! Hope the coming weekend is immoderately fantastic for you. Should you, by accident or design, find yourself abducted by aliens, do make sure that you?ve got your Location Earth Dog Tag on your person. You never know when you might need it. See you Monday! Listen to this podcast ... More About: Home , Leave
CreateSpace: My Underwear Is Immaculate
2007-08-30 17:19:00 “Amazon becomes the ultimate clearing house for books of all kinds (and much else besides), with none of the traditional middlemen getting a look in. Genius. If you’re an agent, publisher, wholesaler, or retailer of books and you haven’t just soiled your undies, then you don’t understand what’s going on.” - Timo Hannay, ... More About: Publishing , Underwear , Create
Iran Will be Bombed
2007-08-28 22:02:00 I think it is a foregone conclusion that Iran will be bombed. I had an interesting discussion this afternoon with someone who is well-informed about the region, and much more of an insider than I am. He was considerably less certain about it than me, and I respect his opinion. However, barring last-minute changes of plan, ... More About: Rants
Don?t Panic. I Think.
2007-08-17 10:21:00 I like to blog the end of the working week with a light, optimistic ?And finally?? piece, so here it is. Recent crop circles in Wiltshire tell us the world will end tomorrow, Saturday August the 18th. The precise means of our undoing are, as yet, unclear, but may involve rays from outer space. Since ... More About: Panic
We Don?t Like Your Face
2007-08-15 17:45:00 This is getting sillier and sillier by the minute? and also, several more degrees more sinister. What kind of expression, pray, does a potential terrorist have on his or her face as they board their target plane? I suspect it?s surprisingly similar to the sort of expression on the faces of dozens of outraged airplane passengers ... More About: Rants , Face , Like You
The Truth That Sticks
More articles from this author:2007-08-14 10:51:00 To dinner with the estimable Martin Bell last night. Martin is Britain?s Walter Winchell - perhaps uniquely for a television journalist (and former MP) he commands great respect and deep affection across a very diverse audience: he is a true British institution. Martin?s latest book, THE TRUTH THAT STICKS (which I am proud to have ... More About: Truth , Publishing , Tick , Sticks , Ruth 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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