Yearly Archives: 2005

Benny Morris

Posted on September 4, 2005 by acb

Oliver asked me to post the Benny Morris profile. It’s here, as a PDF. Continue reading →

Posted in Journalism | 2 Comments

I had written an entirely different wormseye, about choosing Muslim leaders. this this bubbled up, and I’m not sure whether to use it instead. Do any of you have opinions? (serendipitously, I find on Brad deLong an illustration of my … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Journalism | 8 Comments

Petrol prices revisited

Posted on September 2, 2005 by acb

There is a photo up on Snopes.com which has been submitted as an urban legend. It shows a petrol station in Georgia charging $6.00 for a gallon of gas — the person who sent it in thought it must have … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Travel notes | 2 Comments

Not a bad list

Posted on September 1, 2005 by acb

Here are the profiles that a quick prod round the archives found, not really in chronological order. Eva Hoffman Mary Midgley Stewart Brand Tam Dalyell Brian Aldiss Steve Rose Evelyn Fox Keller Bob Conquest Elizabeth Jane Howard Redmond O’Hanlon John … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Journalism | 4 Comments

Progress

Posted on September 1, 2005 by acb

One adult American in five thinks the Sun revolves around the Earth. Perhaps the most frightening thing about this statistic is that the NYT felt obliged to end the sentence “… an idea science had abandoned by the 17th century” … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Science without worms | 4 Comments

Henry Williamson

Posted on August 31, 2005 by acb

If he is remembered now, it is as the author of Tarka the Otter, a fine book that is still in print. But he was more than a nature writer. He’s one of the three really good writers I know … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Literature | 1 Comment

A small epiphany

Posted on August 31, 2005 by acb

Hamish McRae has yet another article in the Independent today arguing that globalisaiton is wonderful, or at least inevitable; and that we will be fine in this country providing we compete for the jobs that require intelligence rather than cheap … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in British politics | Comments Off

The sods of the copybook headings

Posted on August 30, 2005 by acb

Well, I have just learned something interesting. If you are going to make backups onto CD, it’s not enough to make them regularly, keep backups of the backups, and so on: it’s also important not to use cheap bulk CDs. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in nördig | 5 Comments

The glories of Venice

Posted on August 28, 2005 by acb

I have only just discovered the detective novels of Sarah Caudwell, Claud Cockburn’s daughter by Jean Ross (who was the original of Sally Bowles). They got great reviews when she died a few years ago, but I loathe the puzzle … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Literature | 4 Comments

Fame’s posterior trumpet

Posted on August 27, 2005 by acb

Trivers is out. It will be the last profile I do for the Guardian since that slot is a casualty of the redesign; and I’m glad it was so much fun. It was one of the best jobs, perhaps the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Journalism | 3 Comments