Last Saturday I dropped into central London for a few things; the new Qin book, Thousand Suns: Foundation Transmissions and a Judge Dredd audiobook.

The Qin book is a present so I haven't looked at it, but the TS book is pretty cool. The articles come from new writers so the prose can be a little 'Japanese stereo instructions', but the contents are good enough. And the Dredd CD is awesome.

(in fact, if you want to hear the Dredd one, go here and click on 'I Heart Judge Dredd').

On Tuesday I ended up sitting next to an odious woman. She started off normally enough, complaining about trains, before telling me how it's terrible that polish immigrants who have gone back home can still get English Benefits (yeah, right), and how awesome Australia's immigration policy is. Yeah, right.

I think what finally got me was the part where she said that the Daily Mail was a great newspaper. As a journalism undergrad, I am well aware of how various papers operate, and the Daily Mail does a good impression of a newspaper while still being pretty bad.

Still, her 'everything's gone to the dogs' line got her no sympathy and a comment about how the Greeks used to say that shut her up.

The amusing part was that she was complaining about how badly everything's been privatised and how government chews up money like nobody's business, but her employer was one of the accounting regulars in Private Eye that did very, very well out of consultancy and PFI.

Damn, I was going to go swimming, but it's too rainy to walk there and back...
________

Globescan did an interesting poll for the World Service. Apparently 19% of Brits think capitalism is irrepairably flawed, while 67% want to see the government take an active role in wealth distribution.

The last few weeks of uni have been taking a serious toll.  Most days I'm out early and not back until about 8-10pm. 

It doesn't help that the Student Council has sat for two seperate four-hour sessions and yours truly covered them.  (It's 'my baby' apparently, which means I'm the only one who knows what's going on/cares enough to go). 

On the upside I've started swimming and intend to go about 3 times a week to get fitter (I've given up hope of ever really being fit and have opted for 'knowing too much' instead). 

The other bad news is that I'm well behind on my Mandarin - a hard enough language without having little things like 'getting articles out' or 'directing my news team'. 

Yes, I have a news team; it's the least popular (and poulated) out of all of them (I'm disgusted at how popular fashion and sports were.  Damn kids today, don't care about nuffin' important).  On the one hand I think it says a lot about where papers are going, but on the other hand I would rather a small team of dedicated people than a large and uninterested one.  

On the upside, I've seen the previews for the new look Vervezine and they're sodding wonderful.  And that's why you get a qualified Frenchman to do these things, who was also sweet enough to bring back a tin of home-made goose fat from his homeland.  Roast potatoes all round!  

Gods, I'm really looking forward to the weekend. Chill out, play a bit of Oblivion, do some cleaning and maybe even do something about that Fading Suns LARP (yeah, right).

It's been a busy month overall.  As joint Features Editor (and still submitting some 6 pieces, ranging from short reviews to a two-page interview with comedian and activist Mark Thomas) I've pretty much been run off my feet, especially as I can spend up to three hours a day commuting.

As such, I have a lot of work to catch up on, which is never fun.  So I'm pulling back by shifting to Sub-Editor for the rag (it's easier to mark other people's stuff than write your own, although the university crisis is still my thing as I'm the only person with a real handle on it). 

My biggest worry is that I'm falling too far behind in Mandarin. 

My method of relaxation at weekends (ie, when I still have to get up early) has been Oblivion.  It's pretty interesting this time round, because I have a better hang of the system, allowing me to drop the usualswordfighter and be a proper fighter, alchemist, sneak and magic user.  It's far more interesting, and hunting becomes a lot easier when you can dispense hunting with a bow in favour of roasting deer with fireballs! 

Seeing as I don't have much useful to say, I'm just gong to link some blogs I've been watching (in no partilular order):

• Tory Troll.
• The Ministry of Truth.
• Liberal Conspiracy.
• Though Cowards Flinch

I realy took on too much work for the rag. 

So I'm here, posting!

Just wanted to leave this here - Muslim football team refuses to play Gay team.

Also, I've finished the latest Discworld book and it's awesome; a damn sight funnier than the last few and highly enjoyable all round, even though I don't care for football.  of course, with Pratchett it's not really about football anyway; it's about all those little social observations of those who are invovled in football.  Great stuff.

Well, last night was fun.  We started off with a tease:




Before moving on to the Dead Sexy Dolls.  They're a good group, with vocals very much reminiscent of Wednesday 13 and some nu-metal, while the music itself was hard, fast and with serious 1950s stylings. 

Then we moved on to the burlesque.  Unfortunately the videos didn't come out very well (they're all speeded up like something from the piston age),  but it was very good.

Then the last band, Spider Babies.  At this point it was late and my ears were ringing, but I got a couple of pics.

That's a Stasi uniform, by the way.  In order to show how to argue, he dresses like a member of a repressive state organ.  That's his idea of a winning argument?

I'm confused.  The book's site looks like some kind of Colbert-esque satire of extremist right-wing fucknuttery, but the main site looks legit. 

Just...wow.  I mean, the big problem with someone like that writing a book about 'arguing with idiots' is that...well, he is one.  For example, here is him trying to avoid answering what he meant when he called Obama 'racist'

( More under the cut. )

I blame the rush that is Uni.  My timetable (which puts me in late on my days in, including 6-9 on Tuesday), plus long commuting (anything up to 2.5 hours in either direction), plus post-lesson socialising, isn't helping. 

OK, here's the whirlwind tour:

• I am now joint Features Editor for the Uni's shitrag, the Vervezine.  I am currently doing a piece on London Met's financial crisis that I thoroughly expect to piss off the Powers That Be.
• I have been learning to exercise the power of my Press Pass, thus going to a burlesque night this weekend via the guest list.  Sweet! (Obviously, this is for the very serious purpose of reviewing the pub and the group putting on the show.  It's not about getting a free night out and oogling titties.  The Vervezine needs a kick up the bum, a little more, well, verve, and I intent to deliver on that.) 
• Our little coterie has started hanging out at The Gaff, an excellent pub on Holloway.   The decor rocks, they have this awesome 7.5% pear cider and constantly put on gigs.  Oh, and they have a Guitar Hero arcade machine.  It's my new Happy Place.
• The Mrs and I really aren't spending enough time together.  Our situation seems to have reversed from a few years ago, with me always at uni, while she has little to fill her week.  I feel like we've drifted apart a little, and don't like it.  But she's skint, doesn't like me paying and I simply can't sit and watch TV for long periods (I can play computer games, but not watch TV; I fgure it's because games have at least some response element).  I'm not sure how to deal with it, basically.
• I still haven't gotten this sodding FS Larp off the ground.  That sucks.  It has to be done, but being on top of everything else means that it always gets pushed back.  I have to do something about this.
• I'm playing The Witcher.  It's fun and quite like WFRP in tone.
• I was quite shocked yesterday to discover that most of the class (and this is people taking journalism, FFS) didn't know about this week's strike action.  What the hell, people?
• I got Fresher's Flu yet again, and am now quite behind on my work.
• I have paradise Lost's new album.  And it's not particualrly good, unfortunately.

Well, I was supposed to interview mark Thomas last night after his show It's the Stupid Economy, but we were both kind of tired afterwards and it frankly made more sense to hold off until after he's finished off with the policy debate on Saturday afternoon. 

Even then it still took two hours to get home, with us crawling into bed after midnight.

The gig itself was excellent though, adding the usual mix of crazy activist stories with observations and manifesto ideas.  Sadly to say, mine - bring in Waldorf and Stadler (from The Muppets) to provide commentary for the House of Commons (co-thought with my lovely fiancee), revoke the charters of corporations that commit major crimes and somethign I can't remember - didn't get in. 

One of the most popular policies (leave Afghanistan, put Blair on trial and give Jerusalem back to the Palastinians) was hugely popular, with the old Iraqi guy who did it partically taking over the show! 

The Daily Hate Mail has picked Iain Dale as a target for sneering homophobia.  I can't say that I'm actually surprised by this, but it's one of those things where I'm torn; I don't care for either party involved, but then this behaviour is unacceptable.  I guess a complaint is necessary.  EDIT: and sent. 

Also, I think he may be in the wrong party, given Cameron's european allies' attitudes towards gay people...

Krugman makes an old (but always worthy) point today: it's Reagan's fault. 

Charlie Brooker has followed up the Screenwipe series with Gameswipe.  It's fun, go watch it.

As my Oblivion and Morrowind discs don't work, I capitulated and bought them off Steam.  While I know I'm terrible at sticking to blogs (there's too much to do in the world!) I'm thinking of doing blogs covering my adventures in both worlds. 

So, I ask - would anyone be interested in them?

I know I've neglected this LJ, mostly because I've gotten tied up with the student rag, so when I post cool things it's usually on Twitter (as YorkshireMao) and Facebook.

As for the rag itself, oi vay.  Seriously, they're well-meaning and all, but I realy can't stress just how amateurish it all is.  And, as long as the current team stay in their editorial positions, it's going to stay that way.  

 

What a week. 

The weekend and Monday was a rush to get my column out (see the cut); after that I had to fix my laptop and eeepc (I can't get Windows 7 to install on the former and the latter can't find the home network).  Right now I'm back to Vista and it sucks.

And yesterday was an editorial meeting for the uni's rag at the North campus, meaning a two-hour journey each way. 

They've had to extend the deadline again, which gives me until tomorrow to knock out an article or two.  Time to put 'staff writer and commentator' on my CV, I think.  

But here is an important question - did FOX news mentalist Glenn Beck rape and murder a girl in the 90s?  (answer: no idea, but this is exactly how he spread bullshit, and what goeth around cometh around).

The Guardian's Organ Grinder asks an important question - could Question Time work in the US? (Probably not - look at the medic circus that are US predidential debates).


Today I should be running Supernatural, and tomorrow is working to the deadline.

( The Column )

So, between nearly a month without internet (when I was in Carlisle), the freaking out over projects because my university business dept is staffed by apes and the thrill of moving, it hasn't been an awesome summer and there's a ton of stuff I still need to do.

And uni starts on the 5th.  Typically, the timetable isn't up yet, even though it should have been up yesterday.

With uni coming up I've had enough with trying to run the Ubuntu NBR on my notebook as it doean't actually fit my 4 gig unit, so I've been trying alternatives.  Firefly impresses in looks, but the internet doesn't work.  Puppeee just didn't really work (don't know why).  Linux4one's wi-fi manager didn't really work either, so I'm trying Xubuntu. 

See how that pans out. 

Busy weekend, what with all the packing and cleaning so here's the quick version:

EDIT: and the letting agent is being a knob. They asked for the guarantor's drivers' license, got it and are now asking for photo ID.

She's a frigging guarantor; what are they planning to do with all this information, empty her accounts and go live in the bahamas?

Glenn Beck is still a nutter; however, he's heading into the kind of depths usually reserved for freaky, mountain-sized squid and other abominations of undersea life.



Google Wave may be out this month. Cool. This guy is taking on chiropracters after the chiropractic association sued a doctor for pointing out that their claims were bunk. Every little helps. Here's a fun piece on Microsoft that I found while looking for someone else; planting stories and giving journos alignments. Orcinus (who I really should read more), says what I've been thinking recently about the US's right wing crazy.

Here's another reason against US healtchare as it is - Pfizer is charged billions for selling stuff as a cure for something it's really not. Thinkprogress picks up on US torture, while doctors may have been doing experiments on CIA detainees. The White House is worried about liberal pressure to end the war in Afghanistan before Obama can show signs of fixing things. Dude, just give it up. As Fisk points out, it doesn't work like that.

Here's a nice blog piece on 'fairness' in journalism, a practice which deserves all the criticism it gets.

Right, off to the post office. Long day ahead, I suspect

WHAT?!

Someone tweeted a Daily Show video from 2005. I was going to post it (a three-person talk on evolution, with a scientist, a Creationist and something called a 'metaphysical theorist', whatever that is). BUt then I found the Back in Black segment from the show:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Back in Black - Evolution, Schmevolution
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Healthcare Protests

"Science gave us erections where before there were none."

The Mrs & I have dipped our toes back into the Legend of the Five Rings CCG. The last time we tried it we found the game to be too long and overy complicated, but we did like the ideas and we decided to give the new, streamlined Celestial edition a spin. We've jumped into the Path Of The Destroyer set (her with Scorpion, me with the Pony Club - uh, Unicorn Clan). The new card designs are lovely, although I have sod all clue what's actually going on in the setting. Mind you, I've never really liked the L5R metaplot or it's pace, after being forced to put up with it through the RPG.

Still, it should be interesting to see how it plays now.

Sky News has put out an offer to chair a debate between the party leaders for next year's elections. Brown isn't interested apparently, but 'Hi I'm Dave' is.

I personally don't care for election debates. I mean, look at what goes on at the dispatch boxes - put-downs, school-boy behaviour and an emphasis on personal attacks over actual stuff. I can't see them pulling their fingers out and doing something worth watching.

Went out to Fitzroy Tavern last night and drank many pints of 5.3% cider. Now feel quite tired and a little headachey. I blame not getting to bed until late.

Anyhow, NPR has an interesting interview with a guy who says that liberals should lament American conservatism's crazy death-spiral into insanity and irrelevance.

You know, it's funny - I could have sworn never hearing anyone going on air and saying that the steamrolling of the Democrats during Bush's rule was a terrible thing and we should lament their irrelevance.

While government parties cannot be allowed to go unchecked, the interviewee's attitude carries the assumption that the opposition and party in power are high-minded enough to consider a dialectic process worth undergoing - and not that the party will do everything to steamroller what they want, while their opposition simply tries to make the governemnt look bad and themselves look good - even when their policies barely differ.

In short, the tragedy is not the party's failure - it would be the failure of others to ake the opportunity to create more parties (yes, parties - a two-party system is little better than a one-party system).

---

Mark Thomas is offering the Mark Thomas Comedy Product online, for free. Here's the announcement from his Twitter feed:

Old mtcp programmes can be found online and file share for free. Mail www.markthomasinfo.com with details or queries. Mtcp not in 4oD natch.

Even if you're not British, I do recomment having a look.


The BBC today released Twice Ken Is Plenty, a lost script from Round The Horne. It's great.


Augmented reality may be along soon, with digital contact lenses.


Here's an interesting piece from Councillor Tim (Lab, Barnsley).


Glenn Greenwald has a great piece today about journalists.

From rpg.net



Looks fun...

Just a note to say that Bruce Dickinson's Friday Rock Show is very good this week.

They had Venom on and a Children of Bodom cover of Poison's Talk Dirty To Me (hey, I can play that on Guitar Hero!)

(This song:)

I'll write something about James Murdoch's terrrible, terrible speech once I can read it without spitting blood, but for now I'll post Pilger's piece about how claims of left-wing BBC bias are toss.