Monthly Archives: January 2004

Who was this, if not George W Bush?

Posted on January 11, 2004 by acb

“I have taken the rudder into my own hannds; my course is set straight and I am guidingyou to glorious times. Those who wish to help me are heartily welcome; whoever opposes me I will smash. There is only one … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Strange coupling

Posted on January 11, 2004 by acb

One of the nicest things in Saffron Walden is Lankester Antiques, a second hand bookshop housed in a building once used by Cromwell as his headquarters. Since the hardback fiction is arranged alphabetically by author, you can, if you tiptoe … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blather | Comments Off on Strange coupling

Christian apologetics: an apology

Posted on January 10, 2004 by acb

I have been rereading Dorothy Sayers’ translation of Dante, which is astonishingly good in a style of virtuosity that could not now be more old-fashioned. Her efforts to reproduce the rhyme scheme of the original, as well as much of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Alf, the sacred river

Posted on January 10, 2004 by acb

From the Guardian‘s obituary of Ingrid Thulin, a wonderful actress for Ingmar Bergman: Thulin was born in Solleftea, a small town and winter sports centre on the Alven river in central Sweden.Let’s see what’s wrong with this. It’s Sollefteå not … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Yet more spammers’ ingenuity.

Posted on January 9, 2004 by acb

Why are these bastards spamming my mobile? It seems to happen on Fridays and in the drunken hours of the evening: the phone rings, and hangs up as soon as you answer, leaving a tempting ‘ring me’ number on the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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How to get banned from the USA for ever

Posted on January 9, 2004 by acb

I was just about to start a wormseye on the new American visa regulations. And, while tossing around column ideas, I discovered one that would really cause a stink: “What the world needs is an annual Holocaust Forgetfulness Day.” Actually, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Spam is the price of freedom

Posted on January 7, 2004 by acb

I mean this in a very precise and technical sense. The other day I was complaining that there is no spam detection software that could distinguish random nonsense — quite a lot of the spam I now get has a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Software | 2 Comments

a failure of voice

Posted on January 6, 2004 by acb

My current profile is Dan Dennett, so I’m rereading his books, and once more filled with irritation at the idea of memes. I really don’t see how it adds anything except a specious impression of precision to what we already … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Science without worms | 2 Comments

Home again

Posted on January 4, 2004 by acb

Well, here we are again, back on Pair, after a two-year excursion to Cornerhost. I have spent all morning reviving a sick database, and making sure that everything works after being moved across the atlantic twice. Do let me know … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blather | 6 Comments

Foreigners may think this funny

Posted on January 2, 2004 by acb

From the Telegraph’s obituary of a distinguished spook, who spent most of the war as a PoW, before joining MI5. “Simkins endured no great hardship as a prisoner, regarding camp life as relatively easy after the privations of Marlborough .” Continue reading →

Posted in Travel notes | Comments Off on Foreigners may think this funny