I see that Stephen Green is claiming that he is facing bankruptcy following his failed bid to bring blasphemy charges against the BBC for daring to show Jerry Springer - The Opera. It couldn't happen to a more deserving case. Mind you, he's set up an online petition to beg that the BBC waive the costs that were awarded against him by the High Court. Look Stephen, it's clearly God's will that you lost, so just pay up.
I also note that a counter-petition has been set up to suggest that he abide by the law. I've signed ...
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I don't know about you, but if I were to set up a Public Relations firm, I think that last thing I would call it is Mischief PR. It sounds such a hostage to fortune to me. Anyway, someone's gone and done it, and guess what, they're refusing to come clean on the data behind a story they've apparently concocted for one of their clients. Why am I not surprised? ... Flag post
My interest is piqued by this review of Sheri Tepper's The Margarets. And not just because I was totally surprised and astonished by the twist in Tepper's The Family Tree that is referred to here. The Margarets sounds like a book to add to the wishlist. ... Flag post
Charles Wheeler has died. Journalism takes another punch to the vitals. ... Flag post
From where I sit behind the computer, I can look out onto our front garden. It is often visited by green or spotted woodpeckers. Yesterday, there was a thump on the window - a juvenile green woodpecker had flown into it. It staggered about for a moment or two, and then flew off before I could grab the camera. Here's a couple of shots of other woodpeckers investigating the pear tree in the garden.
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Why is Microsoft's Live Search so bad at searching? It's a question I often ask myself. Take today, for example, I wanted to check my blog for entries about the woodpeckers that visit our garden. You may have noticed that on my Live Spaces homepage, there's a Live Search gadget that enables you to search my blog entries directly.
So I go ahead and type in "woodpecker" and click the "Search" button. Result? Zilch, nada, nothing, zero result. That's odd, think I, because I know that I have a blog entry on the woodpeckers in the garden. So ... Flag post
Earlier this year, Christopher Hitchens agreed to undergo waterboarding in order to answer for himself the question of whether the process constitutes torture or not. His answer, in this month's Vanity Fair is non-equivocal: Believe me, it's torture.
Even more harrowing was watching the video of him getting waterboarded, despite the strains of Enigma playing in the background. What astounded me was seeing for myself how little time is required before the victim believes himself or herself to be simultaneously smothered and drowning. Tellingly, Hitchens says that since the experience, he's had nightmares about it. ... Flag post
And on a lighter note, rather than dwelling on waterboarding, here's news of Peter Greenaway's attempt to cast Da Vinci's The Last Supper in a new light - literally. The video is quite intriguing, although I can't say I was taken by the music. I note that "Some of Greenaway's more controversial plans had to be shelved, such as to depict Christ's genitalia and show the apostles' cups overflowing with blood". Well, there's a surprise, then. ... Flag post
It's not often that I feel sympathy for Inayat Bunglawala, but I do in this exchange he has had with Harun Yahya. The latter is a typically depressing denialist of the fact of evolution. It's enough to make the brain cells shrivel reading his utter bollocks. ... Flag post
And you thought Goat-dressing was bizarre? Meet Whiplash. I'm still trying to digest the semiotics. ... Flag post
So I read Anne Atkin's apologia about Gafcon, and, I'm sorry, but I think it is perverse. Yes, I'm sure that she thinks she is right, but, sorry, I think she is deluded.
"I find this utterly thrilling stuff, which is why I was there. It has changed my life, shaped my choices, gloriously enriched my relationships, and most important of all, will get me through the biggest challenge I will ever face: my death and what lies beyond."
Erm, reality to Anne, there ain't nothing beyond your death. Do good in your life, it's all you have - and ...
All you ever wanted to know about the Large Haron Collider, courtesy of the Guardian. I'm looking forward to it being switched on. ... Flag post
Sorry for the intemperate headline, but while thinking about Stephen Fry's response to sensitive souls who take offense at every little thing, it seemed to me to be aposite for Stephen Lenski's reponse to Andrew Schlafly's particularly stupid queries over Lenski's research. As Lenski says,
In other words, it's not that we claim to have glimpsed "a unicorn in the garden" - we have a whole population of them living in my lab!
Ridicule is the best weapon against these IDiots, I'm sure. ... Flag post
For my vicarious pleasure, I often peruse the Not Always Right web site, where the more depressing side of humanity is often on display during a customer/vendor transaction. While most of them make me despair for the future of humanity, some (thankfully) make me realise that we are all simply susceptible to human foibles. Long may it continue. ... Flag post
Architect David Fisher has come up with the idea of skyscrapers where each floor can rotate independently, driven by wind turbines. Intriguing, although I assume that the kitchen and bathroom units will hug the central, static, core of the building. Otherwise, rotating plumbing could present some interesting engineering challenges. ... Flag post Flag post
Geoff Manaugh, over at BLDGBLOG, has an intriguing entry on RoboVault, a robotic storage facility in Florida. It's also worth visiting RoboVault's actual web site, if only to hear the corny voiceover extolling the virtues of the facility. Mind you, if the web site is anything to go by, I don't think I'd entrust anything of value to them. The web site is peppered full of spelling mistakes and bad grammar. Nothing can go wrong... go wrong.... go wrong... ... Flag post
I see that the launch date of Spore is at last getting within reach. The makers have just released the Creature Creator, which allows you to design your own animals for the Spore worlds. I've always wondered what it must feel like to play Mother Nature, here's my chance to find out. ... Flag post
