Yearly Archives: 2008

In praise, again, of Brian Aldiss

Posted on May 26, 2008 by acb

I really think he may be the most under-rated writer in England today. I am continually surprised by the range of his accomplishments. Years ago I scanned in a large extract from the opening of one of his books about … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature | Comments Off

Away for the weekend

Posted on May 25, 2008 by acb

To see Richard Thompson last night, for about the third or fourth time in my life, and clearly the best. It was the first show I’ve seen where his guitar playing would take off unexpectedly in the middle of songs … Continue reading →

Posted in Blather, Travel notes | Comments Off

It’s warmer than you think

Posted on May 24, 2008 by acb

One of my silly habits is to read quotidian blogs from the Swedish provinces. I absolutely don’t want anything that tells me large news when I do so. The Archers would be far too exciting. I just want a pleasing … Continue reading →

Posted in Blather, Travel notes | Comments Off

code and prose

Posted on May 23, 2008 by acb

I’d be interested to know from any of the developers who read this whether my piece in yesterday’s Guardian made sense.

Posted in Journalism, nördig | 9 Comments

But this story is entirely true

Posted on May 23, 2008 by acb

Survivors of the last Lambeth Conference will remember the positively Burmese quality of press organisation. Apparently it was just as bad from the inside: someone working there asked what arrangements had been made to bring to Canterbury the Cardinal who … Continue reading →

Posted in God, Journalism | 2 Comments

Metafictional diary note

Posted on May 23, 2008 by acb

I was drinking last night with the Archbishop of Canterbury and he didn’t have any interesting gadgets in his cassock but later that evening I bumped into Sean who showed me the first worthwhile use of an iPhone: fishporn. He … Continue reading →

Posted in Blather, God, nördig | 1 Comment

Pass the sickbag, baby Jesus

Posted on May 21, 2008 by acb

Religion’s all right when it doesn’t deal in sentimentality. But much of the religious comment on the Embryo bill has been just disgusting. I would have voted in favour in favour of lowering the abortion limit myself; I fully accept … Continue reading →

Posted in God, Journalism | 3 Comments

More Weizenbaum

Posted on May 21, 2008 by acb

The prescience of Joe Weizenbaum continues. After long detours, I have returned to the end of his book, where he is asking whether the world has any understanding of what computers will do. He saw very clearly how a “system” … Continue reading →

Posted in Net stories, nördig | 2 Comments

My contribution to Youtube

Posted on May 20, 2008 by acb

I didn’t put this here. Still less did I supply the cheesy title. A friend found it and told me. But I’m quite happy it escaped into the wild: it is the grim bit of my last Analysis programme. Listen … Continue reading →

Posted in God, Journalism | Comments Off

My life is complete

Posted on May 20, 2008 by acb

This evening I heard a columnist for the Washington Post explain to a public meeting that “since I came to England, people keep telling me that American journalism is po-faced. I don’t know what po-faced means”

Posted in Blather, Journalism | Comments Off