Monthly Archives: June 2008

Not pronounced the obvious way

Posted on June 30, 2008 by acb

There is to be a new Anglican Communion, based around the 1662 prayerbook and the 39 Articles — delicious, that Peter Akinola and Peter Jensen should be heading up an organisation which takes as an article of faith that foreign … Continue reading →

Posted in God | 12 Comments

A simple thought on the management of software

Posted on June 29, 2008 by acb

I just wrote a column for Charles Arthur about how I had celebrated Firefox day by switching back to Opera and this thought didn’t quite make it in. The organisational division between the users and producers of software should follow … Continue reading →

Posted in nördig, OOo, Software | 6 Comments

Book reviews

Posted on June 27, 2008 by acb

I am exhausted from a rather wonderful launch party last night, but the first review of Fishing in Utopia is up, in the Economist. Very gratifying, with just the right touch of vinegar to keep it from being cloying—did you … Continue reading →

Posted in Blather, Journalism, Literature | 5 Comments

Publicity

Posted on June 22, 2008 by acb

I didn’t do this. And I am opposed to self-linking. But it’s very funny. See what the FWB has made!

Posted in Blather, Sweden | 6 Comments

Windows 3.1 lies athwart my future

Posted on June 22, 2008 by acb

I have two CD roms on my desk right now which retailed for about £500 each in the early Nineties. Each one holds a year’s run of the Independent; so far as I know they are my only way of … Continue reading →

Posted in nördig, Software | 11 Comments

Three words that should be river names

Posted on June 22, 2008 by acb

The PrannockThe WazzockThe Twunt I imagine they are all in the West country somewhere. The Prannock is a chalk stream, with a small watercress farm on its lower reaches. The Wazzock is slow, with pike-filled eddies. The Twunt splashes hastily … Continue reading →

Posted in Blather | 2 Comments

Muslim slave raiders

Posted on June 21, 2008 by acb

According to MacCulloch, (p 57) On the eastern and southern rim of Europe, Islam remained a threat until the end of the seventeenth century. Even when the activities of the Ottoman fleet were curbed after the battle of Lepanto in … Continue reading →

Posted in Blather, God | 2 Comments

Getting better

Posted on June 21, 2008 by acb

I have been reading Dairmaid Dermot Diarmaud Diarmaid MacCulloch’s rather wonderful Reformation; this clears up a lot of confusion about the roots of the Church of England and its model of authority. In modern political terms, all Henry VIII did … Continue reading →

Posted in Blather, Literature | 2 Comments

Silence getting old

Posted on June 18, 2008 by acb

I know, I know. I have an infection of the middle ear, which has been on for nearly a fortnight now. The symptoms are tedious, and involve unpredictable and incapacitating giddiness, rising to occasional vomiting, and steady, well-established stupidity even … Continue reading →

Posted in Blather, Housekeeping | 5 Comments

Nerdly weekend note

Posted on June 15, 2008 by acb

Opera 9.5 is out and I am back too using it instead of Thunderbird/Firefox. This is mostly because it is very much faster, especially at mail. But it comes with most of the essential Firefox add-ins built in—Ad-blocking, Javascript blocking, … Continue reading →

Posted in nördig, Software | Comments Off on Nerdly weekend note