Monthly Archives: December 2003

Notes from an arms race.

Posted on December 16, 2003 by acb

Now that my radio programme is finally done (it will go out on December 28) I find it hard to return to normal life. So I have been poking around the records of my mailbox at Cornerhost. Since the middle … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Software | 2 Comments

A subtitle goes begging

Posted on December 16, 2003 by acb

I was astonished to discover that there are only 6370 Google hits for “Political correctness gone”, and none at all for this, the perfect title for a leftish blog. Continue reading →

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The year’s midnight

Posted on December 14, 2003 by acb

Today I removed five rods, two landing nets, a wading staff, two pairs of waders, and a bag of clothes, reels and fly boxes from the car to make room for a Christmas tree. Could anything be more dispiriting and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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real computing

Posted on December 13, 2003 by acb

I deserve to have this happen, I have received unto myself the fruits of my beardliness. But still, it seems hard. When I built my lovely new silent-except-for-vast-speakers computer, I was left with the problem of what to do with … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Software | 6 Comments

from the crypt of metaphor

Posted on December 13, 2003 by acb

Today’s Financial Times has a report on the development of Birmingham Motor show, which is being “driven”, it says, by “a steering committee”. Continue reading →

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Will the WSJ buy the Telegraph?

Posted on December 5, 2003 by acb

I’m told, by an old friend who works there, and who would certainly know, that they are making serious enquiries. It makes a lot of sense, none of it very palatable. In other Black-related news, my friend, who writes a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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The (Police) dog that didn’t bark

Posted on December 5, 2003 by acb

Lots of stories in all the papers today about the declining popularity of Ecstasy (and the increasing popularity of cocaine). The interesting point is that all the commentary attributes this to a change in fashion: the idea that laws, or … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Greedy web update

Posted on December 4, 2003 by acb

It turns out that the idea of the greedy web is slowly and disorganisedly getting under way. Mark Shuttleworth, who made a lot of money by founding Thawte, spent a large chunk going into space, with a Soyuz mission. Now … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Economist with the truth

Posted on December 3, 2003 by acb

How much do computers matter? Brad de Long thinks he has a measure for it: The computer-and-communications technology revolution we have been living through transforms twice as large a share of the economy as did the British Industrial Revolution, looks … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blather | 2 Comments

Jesuitical

Posted on December 2, 2003 by acb

I was interviewing a prominent Catholic intellectual, shall we say, for my programme on the next Pope, and he explained the attitude to contraception so beautifully that I must slice this out of the transcript. You really have to admire … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in God | 1 Comment