I just don't post here anymore. Anyone who knows me in RL will probably already be on Facebook where I make most of my proclaimations these days.

I will continue to read my FL though.

 I haven't updated for ages. I haven't got time today but you're due a big update soon and a book review.

 The Manics were amazing as ever, despite Nicky's lack of movement. It was like falling in love again, despite the fact I never fell out of love.

:-)

 ...had a busy few days. Recorded a lot more vinyl to mp3. Been for a few walks (round Wanstead Park and the City of London Cemetery, and to Walthamstow and back).

An even busier week coming up, Manics on Thursday and then the wedding of the year next weekend.

  1. Protect and Defend by Richard North Patterson 
2. Among the Dead Cities - Is the Bombing of Civilians in War Ever Justified? by AC Grayling 
3. Degree of Guilt by Richard North Patterson
4. Mutants: On the Form, Varieties and Errors of the Human Body by Armand Marie Leroi
5. John Peel by Mick Wall
6. Endless Forms Most Beautiful: The New Science of Evo Devo and the Making of the Animal Kingdom by Sean B. Carroll
7. Dark Lady by Richard North Patterson
8. Tour De France: The History, The Legends, The Riders by Graham Fife
9. As Used on the Famous Nelson Mandela: Underground Adventures in the Arms and Torture Trade by Mark Thomas
10. A Reason for Everything: Natural Selection and the English Imagination by Marek Kohn
11. Why People Believe Weird Things by Michael Shermer
12. Bad Science by Ben Goldacre
13. The Making Of The Fittest: DNA and the Ultimate Forensic Record of Evolution by Sean B. Carroll
14. Conviction by Richard North Patterson
15. The Race by Richard North Patterson
16. Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
17. Lord of Misrule: An Autobiography by Christopher Lee
18. Evolution by Stephen Baxter

A epic novel. 592 pages of 565 million years of evolution. The book takes the form of a collection of short stories, each following a different creature on the human evolutionary scale. The book starts with Purga, a shrew like primate living 65 million years in the past, it then flows through the primate line, to early humans (homo erectus, homo habilis, australopithecus) onto Romans, past the current day and 500 million years into the future, where humans have evolved back down the primate line to tree dwelling primates who actually rely on the tree for their life.

This book is an absolute classic, Baxter tells a compelling tale of the history of mankind, his imagination is second to none and on top of the creatures who journey we follow, Baxter conjures up images of the creatures who lived all around them. He is probably at his best in the future section when he is creating the creatures from scratch. I challenge you to read the future section and not ponder if that is what the future holds for the human race. I only wish he had ventured down the avenue of speculation more in this book, as the stories can be rather familiar (lots of primate fighting, head bashing and mating, both consensual and not)

Don't let that put you off however. This is a true sci-fi epic and well worth reading if sci-fi is your thing.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Evolution-Gollancz-S-F-Stephen-Baxter/dp/0575081139/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243360371&sr=8-2

...arrived this morning, 2 days early. When I opened the postbox a little sex wee came out. Double woot!

I got the 2 disc, signed special edition. Lookeeeeeeeeee!

 



Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

 1. Protect and Defend by Richard North Patterson 
2. Among the Dead Cities - Is the Bombing of Civilians in War Ever Justified? by AC Grayling 
3. Degree of Guilt by Richard North Patterson
4. Mutants: On the Form, Varieties and Errors of the Human Body by Armand Marie Leroi
5. John Peel by Mick Wall
6. Endless Forms Most Beautiful: The New Science of Evo Devo and the Making of the Animal Kingdom by Sean B. Carroll
7. Dark Lady by Richard North Patterson
8. Tour De France: The History, The Legends, The Riders by Graham Fife
9. As Used on the Famous Nelson Mandela: Underground Adventures in the Arms and Torture Trade by Mark Thomas
10. A Reason for Everything: Natural Selection and the English Imagination by Marek Kohn
11. Why People Believe Weird Things by Michael Shermer
12. Bad Science by Ben Goldacre
13. The Making Of The Fittest: DNA and the Ultimate Forensic Record of Evolution by Sean B. Carroll
14. Conviction by Richard North Patterson
15. The Race by Richard North Patterson
16. Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
17. Lord of Misrule: An Autobiography by Christopher Lee

A disclaimer - Christopher Lee is my favourite actor ever, so I was never going to dislike this book. The question is why had I not read it sooner.

Lee has such a way with words and some fascinating tales and anecdotes. I'm told this autobiography is an update of his earlier autobiography "Tall, Dark and Gruesome" updated to cover his work in Star Wars and the Lord of the Rings. I would equally happily have read the earlier books as I am no great fan of the Star Wars prequels and Lord of the Rings but this was the version I found in the Book and Comic Exchange in Soho for £1.

I found the sections where he discussed his films (especially The Wicker Man) the most interesting, and learnt somethings I never knew (not about The Wicker Man though, none of the information there was new). It also helps if you like golf (I do) as Mr Lee talks about it a lot.

All in all, a fascinating autobigraphy of a fascinating life, perhaps he may one day write another volume where he expands on the many tales he has to tell.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lord-Misrule-Autobiography-Christopher-Lee/dp/0752859331/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

 Picked up my Manics tickets today! Yay! Roll on the 28th! And thanks again to pinkfriction for buying them for me and allowing me to pay her back. And boo to the ticket people for putting them on sale 2 days before payday!

  1. Protect and Defend by Richard North Patterson 
2. Among the Dead Cities - Is the Bombing of Civilians in War Ever Justified? by AC Grayling 
3. Degree of Guilt by Richard North Patterson
4. Mutants: On the Form, Varieties and Errors of the Human Body by Armand Marie Leroi
5. John Peel by Mick Wall
6. Endless Forms Most Beautiful: The New Science of Evo Devo and the Making of the Animal Kingdom by Sean B. Carroll
7. Dark Lady by Richard North Patterson
8. Tour De France: The History, The Legends, The Riders by Graham Fife
9. As Used on the Famous Nelson Mandela: Underground Adventures in the Arms and Torture Trade by Mark Thomas
10. A Reason for Everything: Natural Selection and the English Imagination by Marek Kohn
11. Why People Believe Weird Things by Michael Shermer
12. Bad Science by Ben Goldacre
13. The Making Of The Fittest: DNA and the Ultimate Forensic Record of Evolution by Sean B. Carroll
14. Conviction by Richard North Patterson
15. The Race by Richard North Patterson
16. Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman

Only the second Gaiman novel I've read (after Neverwhere) if you can believe and I don't why I've waited so long. Neverwhere was excellent. Anansi Boys is a joy. I simply could put the book down. I even walked to Tescos to do the weekly shop reading it.

Anansi Boys is the story or Mr Nancy and his two sons, Charlie (the focus of the story) and his brother Spider and their adventures whilst getting to know each other. I am no lover of mythology. I can take it or leave it but Gaiman sucked me in to this story which is both a family tale and also a mytological tale of many gods. 

Gaiman's imagination is wonderful and this book made me laugh out loud, cringe, cheer and most of all, it took me into the world of Charles Nancy.

I will be digging out more Gaiman as soon as possible, starting with American Gods.

 1. Protect and Defend by Richard North Patterson 
2. Among the Dead Cities - Is the Bombing of Civilians in War Ever Justified? by AC Grayling 
3. Degree of Guilt by Richard North Patterson
4. Mutants: On the Form, Varieties and Errors of the Human Body by Armand Marie Leroi
5. John Peel by Mick Wall
6. Endless Forms Most Beautiful: The New Science of Evo Devo and the Making of the Animal Kingdom by Sean B. Carroll
7. Dark Lady by Richard North Patterson
8. Tour De France: The History, The Legends, The Riders by Graham Fife
9. As Used on the Famous Nelson Mandela: Underground Adventures in the Arms and Torture Trade by Mark Thomas
10. A Reason for Everything: Natural Selection and the English Imagination by Marek Kohn
11. Why People Believe Weird Things by Michael Shermer
12. Bad Science by Ben Goldacre
13. The Making Of The Fittest: DNA and the Ultimate Forensic Record of Evolution by Sean B. Carroll
14. Conviction by Richard North Patterson
15. The Race by Richard North Patterson

Another day, another North Patterson. This time the story of Corey Grace, Republican senator and candidate for President.

The story pits Grace against Senator Rob Marotta (in the pocket of Alex Rohr, head of Rohr News - a barely disguised Fox News) and Reverand Bob Christy, a bible thumping evangelist.

Grace is only the more liberal side of the Republican party (with some dark hidden secrets - but it wouldn't be a political thriller without them) and a burgeoning romance with Lexie Hart (think Halle Berry, I did)

The story follows the race to win the Republican nomination and is full of the twists and turns and revelations you expect of Patterson.

I enjoyed this one more than some of his other I have read recently, probably because it is his most recent and therefore most topical.

A good read if you like political thrillers, if not, as before, Bitterman.

 ...is over

Let me start with the budget. I was very impressed with the raising of the highest tax band to 50% but I think it should have gone further. It should have been raised with immediate effect and it also should be applied to those earning over £75,000 a year, not just £150,000. The amount of people earning over that is incredibly small as a proportion of the population. The director of my directorate in the Civil Service is one however and his boss probably cracks the £200K ceiling. It's obscene, it really is.

The average salary in the UK is £24,000 - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7581120.stm

However, I have a feeling that figure is the average of those in work. I wonder what the average would be if you took into account those on state benefits, probably a lot less I would guess.

So a step in the right direction (or should that be left direction) from a government that it as centre right as ever a Labour government has been.

These are the guys you need to target Mr. Brown - http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/apr/26/executives-pensions-retirement-deals-recession

Moving on, I was subjected to the behaviour of a few morons on Thursday when a few dozen beer swilled louts descended on Trafalgar Square, to celebrate 'Our George' as one of them referred to St. George as a policeman attempted him to move on from menacing the tourists and children around him and his obnoxious mates. 

This is one of things that makes me ashamed of this country. Why can't our national day be a cultural celebration or is that what passed for culture in the UK these days. As I passed by the drunks to get on the tube they had just started chanting "Pakis Out" at a Sikh man. Still the police did nothing but try and persuade them to leave. Surely an arrest should have been in order.

Anyway this is why I don't celebrate St George's Day and why according to a work colleague I am unpatriotic. Seriously I don't think that even makes sense to a sane individual. I don't go and get pissed in the name of Roman soldier who was martyred (and is the patron saint of an awful lot of countries and things like syphilis) so I'm unpatriotic. I just nodded politely. Fortunately I know he is in the minority along with the Trafalgar Square drunks.

On a related topic, in their latest attempts to inflame race relations, the BNP have claimed that Asian and Black Britons do not exist. I don't think this story is worth comment as it just gives oxygen to the comments but I wanted others to be able to read the story - http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/apr/23/bnp-nick-griffin-john-sentamu

In other race news, guess what is the most English place in England. Yep, my hometown of Scarborough - http://www.scarborougheveningnews.co.uk/news/Scarborough-39most-English39-place-in.5182388.jp

I suppose that explains the casual racism of a lot of the people I know who live there. When I say explains, I mean that they are racists purely because of a lack of interaction with anyone of an ethnic minority. It should not justify this racism, I managed to live in the town for 21 years without becoming racist.

Another of my bugbears as you may know is censorship so this story annoyed me - http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/apr/23/apple-iphone-baby-shaker

I don't see any reason why Apple should have withdrawn this game. It is clearly only a game, a rather distasteful one at that but is it any worst that GTA4, Call of Duty, insert other bloodthirsty game here. No, and I severely doubt anyone will play the game and then think 'Oh that's a good way to shut the baby up'. Someone who is going to shake a baby to death will do it regardless of this game. Another victory for the moral majority who see it as their 'God' given right to complain about anything they don't like.

In other news I've been busy. Since the last proper update I've

• been really busy at work - my new role is the busy job I've done in my 4 years in the Civil Service
• seen PJ Harvey at the Shepherd's Bush Empire
• eaten at Ed's Diner in Soho - most recommended. Proper 50s style diner food.
• walked 8 miles from Chigwell to Leytonstone through Epping Forest
• watched Liverpool play at least 2 intensely nerve jangling matches
• converted loads of vinyl to mp3
• finished 2 books - reviews due v. shortly

Now I really should start peeling the spuds for Sunday dinner.

...is still stuck in my brain. I'm too hungry to post it now.

...expect one this evening covering

1) St George's Day
2) the BNP
3) the Budget
4) General misanthropy
5) stuff I've done recently.

Today at 3.06pm I will be partaking in a 2 minute silence for the Hillsborough victims. Today is not the day for recrimination over fault (see Monday's entry for a well written article by David Conn and my opinion), today is a day to remember.

R.I.P

 1. Protect and Defend by Richard North Patterson 
2. Among the Dead Cities - Is the Bombing of Civilians in War Ever Justified? by AC Grayling 
3. Degree of Guilt by Richard North Patterson
4. Mutants: On the Form, Varieties and Errors of the Human Body by Armand Marie Leroi
5. John Peel by Mick Wall
6. Endless Forms Most Beautiful: The New Science of Evo Devo and the Making of the Animal Kingdom by Sean B. Carroll
7. Dark Lady by Richard North Patterson
8. Tour De France: The History, The Legends, The Riders by Graham Fife
9. As Used on the Famous Nelson Mandela: Underground Adventures in the Arms and Torture Trade by Mark Thomas
10. A Reason for Everything: Natural Selection and the English Imagination by Marek Kohn
11. Why People Believe Weird Things by Michael Shermer
12. Bad Science by Ben Goldacre
13. The Making Of The Fittest: DNA and the Ultimate Forensic Record of Evolution by Sean B. Carroll
14. Conviction by Richard North Patterson

As you may have noticed I'm making my way through Patterson's novels at quite a pace. I borrow them from the library as they are always in the quick choice selection and only take a matter of days to read.

This one is another nuts and bolts Patterson novel about an aspect of the US legal system, this time capital punishment. This book did the job, it had the usually twists I expected but it did drag, the ending was very unsatisfactory but realistic and the crime for which the death penalty was passed was rather unsavoury even for me. 

All in all not his best but still an acceptable read.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00jqm9x/Newswipe_Episode_3/

Excellent insight from Charlie as ever.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/apr/11/germaine-greer-margaret-thatcher-anniversary

A brilliant article on Thatcher from Germaine Greer.

and...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/apr/13/hillsborough-disaster-police-south-yorkshire-liverpool

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/apr/13/hillsborough-south-yorkshire-police

I really do hope that the mass of publicity surrounding the 20th anniversary of Hillsborough helps to publicise what lying, duplicitious scumbags the senior officers of the South Yorkshire police force were and how they censored the accounts of their junior colleagues who were actually there on that tragic day. And yet since the Taylor Report was published in January 1990 and criticised the police for this behaviour they have consistently failed to apologise. It is shameful.

 If the Earth is 4.5 billion years old then why did God not turn up until 4004 BC.

Answer that then, believers?

 Taken from the Metro, one day last week (I forget which one)

"In response to the disapproval of therapy to 'cure' homosexuals, these services would not be available if there wasn't a demand for them" - Danielle, Sunderland

Well thank you, Danielle for that fascinating insight, your homophobia is just typical of the uneducated twaddle I have to read all the time in some papers and on the net (I do try not to read the Metro, London Lite, The London Paper, Daily Mail, The Sun etc)

*sigh*

 1. Protect and Defend by Richard North Patterson 
2. Among the Dead Cities - Is the Bombing of Civilians in War Ever Justified? by AC Grayling 
3. Degree of Guilt by Richard North Patterson
4. Mutants: On the Form, Varieties and Errors of the Human Body by Armand Marie Leroi
5. John Peel by Mick Wall
6. Endless Forms Most Beautiful: The New Science of Evo Devo and the Making of the Animal Kingdom by Sean B. Carroll
7. Dark Lady by Richard North Patterson
8. Tour De France: The History, The Legends, The Riders by Graham Fife
9. As Used on the Famous Nelson Mandela: Underground Adventures in the Arms and Torture Trade by Mark Thomas
10. A Reason for Everything: Natural Selection and the English Imagination by Marek Kohn
11. Why People Believe Weird Things by Michael Shermer
12. Bad Science by Ben Goldacre
13. The Making Of The Fittest: DNA and the Ultimate Forensic Record of Evolution by Sean B. Carroll

I actually finished this book about two weeks ago but have not had chance to review as of yet. I finished (just) Carroll's earlier book (No.6 on this list) 

This book is more of the same, another fascinating exploration of the science of Evo Devo but boy is it hard work for the layman. The book is a tale of history through the eyes of immortal and fossilized genes. He moves through examples swiftly but concisely and clearly, from the icefish of the southern oceans with "anti-freeze" in their blood, to sticklebacks and how their populations divide when conditions change, then onto how the agriculture of the Soviet Union was virtually destroyed by placing its faith in one man's incorrect ideas regarding genetics

He also give perhaps the best ever account of the well used evolutionary tale of the development of the eye.

The only disappointing thing about the book is that Carroll has to devote chapters of the book to the refutation of creationist ideas. This is no fault of the author and is just symptomatic of him living, working and writing in a country where over half the population (a conservative estimate) believe that God created man. A shameful statistic.

Anyway, read this book, if you have a good understanding of science you will enjoy.