July 2009
John Gruber on Microsoft's Decline →
The fact is that I use a Windows computer and work and a Mac at home. I do that for a reason. Windows drives me insane. It’s buggy, its illogical, it’s messy, it’s a pain in the arse to use. I bought a Mac at the very first moment I could afford one. A year later I bought another one. If I could use it at work as well, I would do so in a shot. And like Gruber says, that’s...
Cory Doctorow's review of Chris Anderson's 'Free' →
The best review I’ve seen yet.
America's Place In The World →
Stephen Fry’s Spectator Lecture to the Royal Geographical Society. As ever fascinating stuff.
My Top 5 Artists (Week Ending 2009-7-26) →
Teenage Fanclub (30)
Dirty Projectors (27)
Iron & Wine (27)
Madeleine Peyroux (17)
Acoustic Ladyland (16)
Imported from Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz
John Gruber on the folly of newspaper pay walls. →
I couldn’t agree more. I’m a news junkie and when I think of how much of that content I’d be prepared to pay for nothing leaps to mind.
“Diseases of the soul are more dangerous and more numerous than those of the...”
– Cicero
If the UK were a village of 100 people... →
“Eight people would live in Greater London (one of them in Croydon).” Where is this village exactly then?
Dominic Lawson: It's no longer 'Yes, Minister' but... →
I think the message of this is ‘don’t fuck with the Civil Service’. A valuable lesson to learn.
New Podcast: Moon →
On the day after the fortieth anniversary of man walking on the moon, Thom and Michael recorded this momentous podcast. Who knows which of these events people will be talking about in another forty years? The moon one. Obviously
21 artists who changed mainstream comics (for... →
As with any list, there’s a lot to argue with. Having Chris Ware in the list as the only real nod to alt-comics when he’s not *that* influential (but brilliant) and yet no Crumb seems downright odd…
“A long dispute means both parties are wrong.”
– Voltaire
Todd S. Purdum on Sarah Palin →
“When Trig was born, Palin wrote an e-mail letter to friends and relatives, describing the belated news of her pregnancy and detailing Trig’s condition; she wrote the e-mail not in her own name but in God’s, and signed it “Trig’s Creator, Your Heavenly Father.”
My Top 5 Artists (Week Ending 2009-7-19) →
TV on the Radio (126)
Laura Marling (35)
Teenage Fanclub (29)
Dirty Projectors (26)
Michael Jackson (17)
Imported from Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz
“Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.”
– Neil Armstrong, from the moon, 40 years ago today
Kennedy rapped for Powell comment →
During her show on Wednesday, Kennedy, 59, described Powell as “the best prime minister this country never had… Last year, Radio 2 apologised after Kennedy said she had almost run over a black pedestrian because she could not see him in the dark.” What exactly does Sarah Kennedy have to do to get sacked?
Stealing Orwell
It’s sad and depressing to watch the book publishing industry work its way through all the mistakes the music industry made in the last decade.
A couple of days ago, Kindle owners who had bought 1984 and Animal Farm from the Kindle store found these books had been deleted from their Kindles and the money credited to their Amazon accounts.
From the point of view of the publishers that...
“There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm.”
– Willa Cather
This politicisation of swine flu is bad for our... →
Tim Black of Spiked puts the Swine Flu statistics into some well-needed perspective.
Courtney Love slams Hole co-founder in Twitter... →
I would imagine that if you work at a newspaper and type ‘Courtney Love’ into Word, Clippy the paperclip pops up and says ‘you appear to be writing an article about Courtney Love publically slagging off someone she used to have a working relationship with, would you like some help?’
Philip Pullman refuses to undergo 'insulting'... →
Good for him. It does seem pretty insane that someone who’s never going to be left alone with children has to prove his innocence in advance.
“It means what it says.”
– Samuel Beckett
Telegraph apology for appalling rape research... →
“Owing to an editing error, our report “Women who dress provocatively more likely to be raped, claim scientists” (June 23) wrongly stated that research presented at the recent BPS conference by Sophia Shaw found that women who drink alcohol are more likely to be raped. In fact, the research found the opposite. We apologise for our error.” I should damn well hope so.
The plural of anecdote is not data →
Great article from Suw Charman on Morgan Stanley’s apparent wide-eyed wonder at the anecdotal views of one 15 year old.
“With rebellion, awareness is born.”
– Albert Camus
My Top 5 Artists (Week Ending 2009-7-12) →
Laura Marling (62)
Florence and The Machine (48)
M83 (43)
The Maccabees (12)
TV on the Radio (8)
Imported from Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz
“The greatest danger of bombs is in the explosion of stupidity that they provoke.”
– Octave Mirbeau
Caitlin Moran on wind farms →
Nice to read an article extolling the wonders of wind farms in the newspaper that sees it fit to give Jeremy Clarkson a column.
“Would people applaud me if I was a good plumber?”
– Marlon Brando
Dear BBC: No, you can’t have my £142.50. Will I... →
Charles Moore refuses to pay his TV license unless the BBC sack Jonathan Ross. What a cock.
“She fitted into my biggest arm-chair as if it had been built round her by...”
– PG Wodehouse, My Man Jeeves
Bottom burps, stinky feet and other poems →
Interview with Purple Ronnie / Edward Monkton / Giles Andreae. Turns out he’s best mates with David Cameron. Weird.
