Thursday 27 January 2005

Mountains of the Mind, by Robert Macfarlane

Mountains of the Mind, by Robert Macfarlane attempts to answer the question "why do we climb mountains?" by looking at the history of mountaineering, from initial fear to today. A fantastic read, which touches on history, literature, philosophy, geology and psychology.

Abhorsen by Garth Nix

I finished reading Abhoron, by Garth Nix, a week or so ago, but haven't got around to writing it up until now.

This is the third part of a trilogy, along with Sabriel and Lirael, set in a land where necromancers can bring the dead to life, and only the Abhoron can return them. This trilogy is up there with Phillip Pullman's "His Dark Materials".

Saturday 22 January 2005

Bunny Suicides

Thanks to The Soronator for pointing me in the direction of Bunny Suicides.

Thursday 20 January 2005

The War in Iraq

Daily life in Iraq carries on. US soldiers kill the driver and front seat passenger of a car that doesn't stop at a road block. The husband and wife's five children in the back seat are not killed. The BBC photo gallery of the incident will break your heart. Especially image 3. [via Bloggerheads]

Tuesday 18 January 2005

Ubuntu Linux

I'd never heard of Ubuntu Linux, until today. Anyone?

Monday 17 January 2005

Blog to watch

Decisive Moments

Party Politics

With a general election looming, this BBC guide to the policies of the main parties may be of use.

Gadling travel blog

Gadling is a blog — an online magazine — about “engaged� travel. What is engaged travel? Engaged travelers throw themselves (sometimes literally) into action when they travel. Whether sea kayaking in Micronesia or learning how to cook risotto in Italy, Gadling travelers are adventurers.

[update: comments closed (11/09/2006) due to comment spam.]

Friday 14 January 2005

Beatles Anomalies

A list of anomalies in Beatles tracks (sounds, voices, clicks, cut-off drum beats) [via Scott Andrew].

I've not looked through the list (it's linked here manly for Androo to read), but I remember hearing somewhere that Shakespeare can be heard being read in the background of one track. Something to do with thin walls, or a an echo chamber they used, or something.

Thursday 13 January 2005

The Sound of Data

What happens when you send a data file to a music player? Kinda cool - Acts of Volition: The Sound of Data.

Wednesday 12 January 2005

Between A Rock and A Hard Place by Aron Ralston

Tales of survival don't come much better documented than Between A Rock and A Hard Place by Aron Ralston; after all, how many people remember to photograph their hand and wrist trapped between a rock and a canyon wall after they've cut it off using a pocket knife?

In "Between A Rock and A Hard Place", Aron Ralston writes candidly about the week he spent with his arm trapped by a boulder, with only minimal equipment. Initially dismissing the idea of cutting off his own arm, he finally has to as the only way to survive. The story is interwoven with memoirs of his previous adventures. Like all good adventure/survival tales, Aron also drinks his own urine.

A must for any outdoor fans, or anyone who enjoyed reading Joe Simpson's "Touching the Void". Not for the squeamish (Sarah won't let me show her the photographs).

For more about Aron, visit the book's official site, Aron Ralston: Between A Rock And A Hard Place, or his Geocities page, Aron's Optimal Experiences On-Line, which predates the canyoning incident.

Tuesday 11 January 2005

That's next Christmas sorted then...

A Mac mini and iPod shuffle please Santa. (Or Sarah, if you're reading this...)

(My birthday is even sooner.)

Update: Prices are only £340 for the Mac mini and £69 for the iPod Shuffle. Gizmodo point you to some photos.

Boris Johnson makes blogging resolution

Boris Johnson has made a pledge to write on his blog at least once a week. You should read it.

Monday 10 January 2005

Obligatory second post - who I am and what the site's about

Where to start?

I'm a 27 year old, father of one, teacher. I like mountain biking and reading, so that's what the blog is mainly going to be about. I'll also post other bits and pieces, links to stuff I find on teh interweb, ramblings about what's in the news, whatever.

This isn't my first website, but my old site, where I'd been writing for a couple of years, got discovered by some students I teach and, while there was nothing too dodgy there, it only took two clicks to get from my site to some dodgy stuff, and I wasn't happy with them being able to read whatever I posted. So, I left my old site to gather dust and stopped using my very obvious login names on some websites and forums I used, and created a new, semi-anonymous web identify.

(Obviously, if you know me, you'll know who I really am. So, if you link to the site, can I ask you to do it in such a way as to not use my surname. Ta.)

Saturday 8 January 2005