Book lists abound June 30, 2008
Posted by Snoopy in Current-affairs, Observation.2 comments
Always on the look out for new and inspirational reads, I came across The Guardian’s “100 Best Books of All Time” this morning. People that know me know I read a lot of books, but clearly all the rubbish ones. Out of these 100 books, I’ve read all of 1 – No.69 – 1984 by George Orwell, an excellent ditty, if a touch short. That said, perhaps I shouldn’t be too downhearted – the list was voted for by 100 noted writers from 54 countries, and we all know how eclectic writers can be in their views and reading material. War and Peace at No.89? Perhaps not the “100 Most Enjoyable Books of All Time” then.
A bit more up my street is the BBC’s Big Read top 100 books as voted by the good old general public of Great Britain. I’ve read 4 of the top 5 and 7 of the top 10, clearly making this a much more realistic list for the humble Joe. Funny how War and Peace still makes it into the top 20 though. I just can’t figure this little tyke. And beating The Hobbit too! One to add to my “Crazy-ass” list…
Two notables in this final list of the 778 Best Books of All Time; Asimov’s I-Robot gets a stirling 18th place, for which I heartily clap both hands together. He is an awesome author, and anyone with a pair of eyes and a dash of a reader’s heart should check out the Foundation Trilogy for solid gold storycrafting. The other is the splitting up of J.R.R.Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings into its constituent parts; The Fellowship of the Ring and The Return of the King get 4th and 6th place respectively, which certainly gets my vote on both counts. The Two Towers however gets a much lower score, and to my mind deservedly so. Has anyone actually managed to wade their way through this second installment more than once? Quite, quite treacly in its composition.
I think the BBC list gets first place in my list of book lists, and I look forward to working my way through some of the notable absences from my bookshelf. Read on MacDuff, read on…
Asleep in charge of a racquet June 27, 2008
Posted by Snoopy in Current-affairs, Observation, Science, Sport.2 comments
Yesterday was apparently National Siesta Day. I must confess it completely passed me by in the hazy daze that my life seems to be filled with at the moment. But as I was yawning and nodding through the Murray game on centre court, no reflection of what was a fierce game by the Brit, it made me think about what kind of impact such low points in the day have on sports people.
Play at Wimbledon typically starts at around 12pm, a few short hours before what is reported to be one of two big lows of brain and body in any given day (the other being sometime around 4am). So if the reports on physical and mental difficulties during such times are true, then several questions spring to mind.
How would starting play at 10am affect people involved? Would it improve player’s abilities on-court? How about the umpire and line-judges calls?
And how about other sleeping issues. What about if one player gets 9 hours sleep the night before, the other 2? Did Roddick and Sharapova go out not through any lack of skill or training, but because their opponents had a better sleep than they did?
On top of that, do people coming from other parts of the world have an unfair advantage or perhaps disadvantage depending on the match time? If someone coming from America has their low period at 5, 6 or even 7pm due to body-clock differences, will they simply be more “on their game” than any Brit if their game starts at 2pm?
Now seems to be a time when all eyes are turned towards different factors affecting people’s games, including starting-gun placement giving inside runners an edge in track athletics, and new cutting-edge swimsuits, blamed for blowing world records out of the water. Perhaps now is the time to start looking into what effects the good old afternoon nap has on participant performance?
Wimbledon and the strangeness that is Tennis June 24, 2008
Posted by Snoopy in Current-affairs, Sport.add a comment
Tennis is a strange passtime. Everything about it is just slightly, well, left-of-field; the court shape, its size and layout, the net, ball, racquet, scoring, rules, all of it just a little on the odd side. If I was seeing it all for the first time with completely fresh eyes, I’d have to ponder long and hard about it’s true cultural and psychological meanings. Sure explanations abound as to the origins of the sport, and why things are the way they are, but it can’t be denied that it has one toe firmly dipped in the unusual. And what’s more, despite all of this strangeness, the game has stayed largely unchanged since the first WImbledon Championships way back in 1877.
Tradition of course plays the biggest part keeping things nailed in place. Tradition, the great passer-on of “the way things are done” from generation to generation, a bastion for pounds over euros, miles over kilometres, driving on the left whilst the rest of the world points and laughs from the right. Well, could scoring from love to deuce, passing 15 and 30 on the way, ever really be explained any other way?
The question is, what happens to such tightly held rhyme and unreason when tradition, particularly in one of the homes of world tennis, is set for a shake-up? Of course it would be great to have five or even ten Murrays, Henmans and Cavadays hitting the upper echelons of the sport, but does bringing into question the way things have “always been done” also bring into question the game as a whole? The organisation? The very spirit of the sport? Perhaps even, heaven forbid, the scoring system?
Actually history has shown that shake ups, even small ones, can serve to improve things for all concerned; a brief sideways glance at football’s passing-back-to-the-keeper rules, as well as formula one’s ditching of technological aids, only shows an added maturity and growth in both sports. Perhaps the inexplicable scoring system is safe for the time being, but only time will tell how lean and mean the tennis monster can become in the UK once all the rattly bits have shaken loose.
But for all this talk about tradition and maturity, how was the first day on centre court? Perhaps unsurprisingly, probably not that far removed from the experience of most people on their first day of Wimbledon, recent or otherwise; same loopy game, same bonkers rules, same air-hair-lairs pimms and tiffin in the afternoon. Oh, and of course, the same total and utter captivation from start to finish.
Utterly Brilliant.
A break in transmission for Wimbledon June 23, 2008
Posted by Snoopy in Current-affairs.add a comment
And lo, the sun did shine and the tennis did play. Both quite surprising considering the traditional weather forecasts in the UK around this time.
Of course it’s the first day at Wimbledon today, and tickets for Centre Court mean an educational and entertaining one for me in the sunshine, and, rather incredibly, a chance to get some colour into these pale pins. Oh, and the opportunity to blabber and froth about it on my return.
I predict lots of good players winning, lots of not so good players dropping out, and some excellent tennis had by all. Just can’t wait.
Is that Ice? Deploy the licky-tongue! June 20, 2008
Posted by Snoopy in Current-affairs, Futurism, Science, Technology.add a comment
Now I’m not one to be cynical. Much. But there are some pretty fundamental problems with sending a remote control car, with bolt-on scoop, to a whole other planet and expecting to get some hard science done.
So the Rovers were sent, and as far as these reports suggest they’re still, er, “bustin’ loose”, (or “running” in layman’s speak). Two remote controlled cars whose sole mission was to see if there was life on Mars. And drive around a bit. Actually a lot. Well, they did the driving bit extremely well, after all what do remote controlled cars do if not drive around? But the first? Well, I think the only word that can be said on the finding of life is “inconclusive”. Lots of pretty sun-baked holiday snaps though, nice one fellas.
And then we sent the Phoenix, this time to a new destination and on a new hunt, the hunt for ice, the presumed “staple diet” for life on Mars. If we find ice we can probably almost certainly be sure, if we’re lucky, that there really was in all likelihood a high probability of chance that life may have possibly existed on Mars. Maybe.
But amongst all of these rather grammatically shaky “possiblies” and “maybes”, there is actually a real chance that Phoenix may have actually discovered ice. One night a patch of white stuff was uncovered by the module, the next morning it had vanished. The scientists are leaning towards two possible theories at present; either it was stolen by a rival’s rover in the night whilst no-one was looking, or it was almost certainly probably ice that dissipated once uncovered. Ice! We’ve found ice!! Maybe!!!
Gah.
And so it continues. Despite my subtly irreverent undertones I am genuinely excited by the things we are trying to do as a species, particularly with regards to space and Mars. Which only serves to make it all the more painful when, on expecting a hard and fast synopsis of facts uncovered by some genuinely clever people, and astonishingly complicated equipment, I just get swamped by another bunch of probability indices and even more pictures of the Nevada desert family holiday of Summer ‘99.
Do I think we’ll find some actual, real stuff that we can fix a big “100% certainty” price tag on? Until we actually get some real-life squishy folk up there, taking detailed photos with a Fujipix and licking those white patches to see if they taste of summer rain, I just don’t know.
Games are not just for geeks (honest) June 18, 2008
Posted by Snoopy in Current-affairs, Games, Observation, Technology.3 comments
I like games. Good games can be a lot of fun (when you win). But I always feel a bit of a geek talking about them. Whether it’s board games, card games, computer games, or sport, they all engage, but serve to keep me sounding like I’m one gnat’s leg away from a trip to computer camp. At the age of 35.
But games seem to be shrugging off their nerdy overcoats and hitting the limelight this week. The BBC aired an interesting, if brief, article this morning on how games are made, currently sat in video form on their website [video link]. It’s great to give some air time to a great industry, though next time I hope they focus as much on the energy, creativity and just plain fun that can be had working on games, as they did on, well, animation and car design.
The UK also used to be a world-leader in games development, but it seems we are having to face up to stiff competition from all sides, and a growing shortage [video link] of people with key-skills required to do the development, particularly those good at maths. I remember from my Hogs of War days just how intense some of the 3D work can get; certainly not for the arithmetically challenged.
I am encouraged by the overall upturn in the games industry though, despite the current global belt-tightening, and apparently games now bring more money into the UK than films. Quite some feat. And with Sony and Apple [video link] pushing ever more dynamic content onto their ever more powerful and popular handsets, things are looking pretty rosy. And not just for back-closet loners; Second Life and World of Warcraft both continue to enjoy flourishing social scenes online, and the improvements in wireless technologies means that soon such social scenes will soon be accessible in public areas, in the proximity of other real-ilfe human beings.
Perhaps now is the time to start standing up and being proud of our geek-dom? Might even serve to cure some of this gamer-butt…
Definitely NOT good vibrations June 17, 2008
Posted by Snoopy in Advertising, Current-affairs, Observation.2 comments
Okay, really, enough is enough. First we had vibrating toothbrushes that, if you knew how to clean your teeth, did nothing more than a normal toothbrush, except make fat cats, well, fatter. Oh, and ruin the planet.
Then we had vibrating razors, oh, sorry, “shaving systems”. This was a complete scream on two counts; firstly the adverts that stated that the vibrations gave you a “closer shave” by making the hairs stand on end, were very quickly denounced as being “complete bobbins”. Secondly, it rapidly got round that the company that owned Gillette, the razor brand, also owned Duracell, the battery brand. Well, I hope someone got a nice little bonus for hatching that little gem. Pure wallet-emptying, profit-boosting gold.
And now? Well, now would appear to be the right time to introduce the “vibrating mascara”. More specifically Estée Lauder’s “TurboLash All Effects Motion Mascara”. I know, I know, like a swift, solid blow to the stomach…
Apparently there’s a relationship between “vibration, length, volume, separation, curl, money, bank balance and inanity”, so the applicator vibrates as you cake-up yer lashes. Now I’m no scientist, so can’t vouch for most of those things, but it does appear to have all the makings of a bag of hogwash, right up there alongside the likes of Regenerist, Derma-genesis, Phil Collin’s Genesis, Retinol, Pro-retinol (!), Matrixyl 3000 (!!) and many many many more.
But, of course it goes without saying, irrespective of the dubious science behind them, and whatever skeptics like me blog, they’re still going to sell like absolute hotcakes.
<big sigh>
Some days are diamonds June 13, 2008
Posted by Snoopy in Humor.1 comment so far
Y’know, some days will just be all doom and gloom, the news is bad, the weather’s bad, your hair’s bad, just bad all round.
But some days you get hit by such a multitude of positivity, stuff that really gets you energised, that you can’t help but forget about the harsh realities of the outside world, the reflection in the mirror, just for a moment, and simply sit and smile. I’m glad this is turning out to be one of those days.
This guy is simply magnificent. One of those people that has something never seen before, possibly never to be seen again. I don’t know what the heck you’d do with it, but good grief you can’t help but watch in amazement…
Mitchell and Webb just seem to be going from strength to strength at the moment, and this video clip just typifies their classic humor. “Ya see that? [points to a chicken running around on the floor] That’s actually made of chicken! Kill it and ya got free chicken!”. Priceless!
This clip just made me want to blub into my tea. I’ll save a description and let it speak for itself.
And this film is really setting up to be something special, and only two weeks to wait!
Y’see? Some days really are diamonds.
Fear and Loathing in Advertising June 12, 2008
Posted by Snoopy in Advertising, Current-affairs, Observation.add a comment
It may seem like I can’t get enough of complaining about advertisers at the moment, but at least this time I can take solace in the fact that I’m not the only one having difficulties with them.
If there’s one thing I hate with a passion it’s scare mongering, and it seems every time I turn a corner at the moment Direct Line’s advert for car vandalism insurance hoves into view. A happy experience it is not.
I’m happy to admit they do scare me, and you’re right, they’re meant to. But Direct Line, you do _not_ get a pat on the head OR a gold star for it. Trust me, it is not a good thing when I get a doubting fear in my head that if I don’t take out your new insurance I’m going to get screwed over by some dodgy miscreant and be able to do nothing about it. Your adverts have a negative emotional effect, and I will not be buying your insurance when you’ve made me feel bad. I will on the other hand hate you for all eternity for ruining my day.
Actually Direct Line, why stop there? If scare tactics are “where it’s at”, why not see if you can really start to get the money rolling in?
[dark scene, underground, late at night, echoey, alone]
(deep, slow, deliberate voice) “If you’re travelling home, late at hight on the tube, and you get mugged, now Direct Line can help! For anyone that gets beaten up, stabbed or shot, our new Physical Damage insurance will ensure that all medical, limb and organ replacement bills will be covered up to a value of £500, and in the event of death, all costs paid for in full, to a value of £500. Don’t go out of the house any more without Direct Line’s new Physical Damage insurance. You owe your family, and your body, that much. Conditions apply.”
There, much better, a few more bases covered. And of course it’s great for all the dodgy societal elements out there now being let off the leash: “Hey vandals! Hey muggers! Go on! Go do your thang! Have some fun! They’re covered!”. And if you think this is bordering on the ridiculous, bear in mind that plenty of credit card fraudsters have admitted to screwing people over because they knew the banks would reimburse the victims, and many people would be just as happy to state that just because the bank gave them their money back, it didn’t make them feel any less distraught or violated.
Okay, bottom line, I know money is tight, targets are getting harder to hit, and cash flow is hurting, but come on, there’s got to be a better way of securing our long term loyalty than using good old fashioned high-school tactics to scare the b’jeebers out of us.
For “iPhone”, see “myPhone” June 11, 2008
Posted by Snoopy in Current-affairs, Technology.2 comments
So hands up who wants a new 3G iPhone? Actually, let’s make this easier for all of us; hands up who doesn’t want a new 3G iPhone?
Well, the contract is finally up on my old Sony-Ericsson w850i, but to be honest it’s always been a kind of love-hate relationship. Some of the photos have come out great, some haven’t. I like the slidey nature of it, but it’s just so easy to slide it shut, not lock the keyboard, and give someone in Mongolia the sound of the inside of your pocket for half an hour. I hate the fact that I’ve got to use Sony’s proprietary headphones over my Sennheiser ear buds, so it’s only ever played crazy frog ringtones. And of course the software used to actually take media to and from the phone completely and utterly sucks. Actually, if it was possible for anything to suck and blow at the same time, it’s Sony’s transfer software.
But of course that’s the way all mobile phone’s have always been; some okay, some utterly horrible, and a whole bunch of myeh.
Well, no longer.
At $199 worldwide, the iPhone has shown that it’s now not only affordable, but also a high-quality, highly successful and most importantly highly loved piece of communication gear, well placed to now go on to dominate the market. And on yesterday’s launch it deserves to. They used version 1 of the iPhone as a test bed, then listened. And they acted on what they heard. And they upped their game, not against competition, but against themselves, and against people’s expectations. And there’s no doubt that version 2 is the perfect response.
I have watched the demos, I’ve looked at the applications, the transfer software, the email, the internet browsing, the calendar software, the contacts support, the GPS location mapping, the speed, the music playing, and even the phone calling, and, well, to be honest, I just plain went and forgot it was a phone. This thing simply defies any form of such pigeon-holing.
So, Nokia, Sony-Ericsson, Samsung, and all you other also-rans, (including you RIM, and I don’t care how many people say they love your email client, it’s one of the clunkiest unattractive pieces of kit I’ve ever had the misfortune to use! Bleuch!), I bid you all a fond farewell. I will be joining many many people around the world in making my next phone an iPhone.
