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KSR is Missing
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1–2 minutes·
No comments on KSR is MissingArtists and the Red Planet – It seems scarcely possible, but BBC News Online has written an article about Mars novels and films, and managed to leave out Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars trilogy. This is not a trifling omission; KSR’s trilogy is unchallenged as being the best and most important modern fiction about Mars. And…
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Lost in Translation
I saw Lost in Translation with a few friends this afternoon. I’ve been looking forward to seeing this film ever since I heard about it months ago, and my expectations reached soaring heights as it received universally positive reviews. I was a little worried, consequently, that even a great film would turn out to be…
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Take The Sword Of The King
Tomorrow I’m off to London with a motley crew of friends to see the Lord of the Rings exhibition at the Science Museum, one day before it leaves this country and heads to New York. I’m definitely looking forward to it; I wasn’t that keen on The Fellowship of the Ring, and while I enjoyed…
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Who wants the Gobi Desert?
Bruce Sterling, SF writer, has pointed out that the Gobi Desert is far more hospitable than Mars, so before we ever settle Mars we’ll have settled the Gobi Desert (i.e. not any time soon). He also points out that by the time we have the ability to terraform Mars, we’ll be doing much more interesting…
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Finders, not keepers
Tokyo finders not keepers – a charming article from the IHT/NYT about the practice of lost property in Japan actually being returned to a national network of lost and found centres by finders, as opposed to being swiped. There is still hope left for humanity, it seems, if we can follow the Japanese example.
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It’s a Musical MacWorld
I was inclined to write off yesterday’s MacWorld keynote by Steve Jobs as a total disappointment; no significantly new hardware was announced and the mini iPod is overpriced. The new iLife suite is an real improvement, but I won’t get to see the software any time soon. For some reason, the UK educational pricing knocks…
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He Was A Crook
He Was A Crook – Hunter S. Thompson’s damning eulogy for his arch-enemy, Richard Nixon. “Some of my best friends have hated Nixon all their lives. My mother hates Nixon, my son hates Nixon, I hate Nixon, and this hatred has brought us together. Nixon laughed when I told him this. “Don’t worry,” he said,…
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Confound you and your punctuation book!
There’s been a lot of press about Lynne Truss’ bestselling book on punctuation, Eats, Shoots & Leaves. It’s a very quick and light read, but the book certainly deserves all the attention it’s been getting. Lynne Truss has written what is essentially a very long essay on the history and contemporary uses of punctuation, amply…
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The Atlantic Tax
Those who are used to comparing the prices of items on the Internet will have encountered the Atlantic Tax. This is what I call the stunningly large difference in price of almost anything between the US and the UK; on average, I think I could buy any consumer electronics item in the US for a…
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IHT unheralded
Does anyone know why the International Herald Tribune’s website hasn’t been updated for a good two weeks? Do they normally take a long holiday in December, or is something more sinister afoot? I need to get my international news fix, now! (Looks like they went back to work today, the website has finally been updated)
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