Sarah Palin is a fucking nutcase part 1342557

So, if McCain gets the nod and then pops his clogs, the president of the United States could be a person who goes to church and gets protected against witchcraft:



Er........seriously, Sarah Palin has to be a joke. Surely.

There's a longer version, with various scary shit here.

Book review - Brasyl

This is my first book review, so hopefully it's not too clunky as I want to do justice to a really good read.

Last night I finished one of the most enjoyable and thought provoking books that I've read in ages; Brasyl, by Ian Macdonald. This novel is set in three different time periods, all of them in Brazil. The first storyline we are introduced to is that of Marcelina Hoffman, a TV producer in modern day Sao Paulo. Marcelina lives a high octane lifestyle, endeavouring to create ever more outrageous reality TV shows, whilst rushing from meeting to capoeira class, to visit her mother and party with her friends, with whom she generally has fairly superficial relationships. It's Marcelina's attempt to meet a disgraced futbol player and film him that propels her life out of control.

The middle storyline takes us into the future, to Sao Paulo in 2032 where we meet Edson Jesus Oliveira de Freitas, a young entrepreneur, attempting to make his way out of the favelas. This future city is ruled by surveillance, contains a vast trash mountain in addition to the huge skyscrapers and is making it's way into the brave new world of quantum computing. Edson gets involved with a "quantumeiro" and his carefully worked plans begin to come apart.

Finally, it is 1732 and a Jesuit preist, Father Luis Quinn has arrived in Brazil. Quinn is sent on a mission up the River Amazon to confront a missionary turned rogue. He is accompanied by Robert Falcon, a French geographer, a rationalist and intellectual sparring partner for Quinn. This proto-Brazil is a brutal place, in which the native "indios" are enslaved and the country is stripped of its natural resources.

All the principal characters are well sketched, believeable and engaging. However, the real strength of this book is Macdonald's evocation of Brazil. He throws you in at the deep end, with liberal usage of Portugese and coloquial Brazilian language. Helpfully there is a glossary included at the back (which I didn't notice till around halfway through). This lingustic approach has the effect of immersing you in his vivid descriptions of Brazilian culture and way of life. It's really one of the most evocative descriptions of place that I've ever read. We go from beach, to favela, to improvised community chruch. From the obsession with futbol, to the old lady who keeps a book of weeping to commemorate her lost sons. I can't praise it highly enough.

Around all this we have the main plot. Which I don't really want to give too much away about. However, the three main storylines are all linked by a narrative that touches on quantum theory and the nature of reality. If this sounds heavy it isn't; there is a real lightness of touch. Plus some really cool knife fights.

If you are in any way interested in SciFi, big ideas, Brazil or simply highly imaginative, beautifully writen books, then this one's for you.

US election - further informed political commentary

That Sarah Palin really is horrendous isn't she.

Glasvegas - a great new band

So, I'm feeling rather ashamed today. I've done something that has betrayed all my core principles. I've fallen for a band that have been hyped up to the eyeballs by teen pop magazine the NME. Sob.

Throught my days as a music fan I've poured every drip of my heart and soul into not jumping on the bandwagons (one usually comes along every few minutes) created by this ludicrous rag. However, this time I've caved. I saw their positive review, read a load of other irritating hype and steeled myself to ignore the lot. However, then I saw ecstatic reviews from sources I trust. I also saw the words "sound a bit like Jesus and Mary Chain". The result was a war of emotions, before a trip to Zavvi and the rather shamefaced handing over of £10 for their debut album.

Guess what. It's really fucking good.

The comparisons to the Jesus and Mary Chain are understandable. There are similarities. However, they're a lot more poppy and accessible. Most of the tracks are pretty anthemic and wouldn't sound out of place in a decent sized venue. Indeed, if they're not careful there is the potential to head on down the road to U2. For the moment though, they've got the balance right. Their lyrics are also worthy of comment, being about social workers, stabbings and shitty relationships with a parent. They're pretty raw but surprisingly powerful.

Anyway, enough waffle. It's better just to listen to the stuff. You can't actually embed these songs on a blog, but head on over to YouTube for a listen:

Geraldine

Daddy's Gone

XXX Hot Neanderthal babes XXX

Phwoar! Those wizards at National Geographic have created the latest reconstruction of what a Neanderthal would have looked like. They've called her Wilma. Y'know, like in the Flintstones. Tee hee.

I'm back

Apologies for the absence of posts over the last couple of weeks. I've been on my hols. Piccies and proper posts to follow.

Steve

News just in - no Jews killed during Holocaust

The Socialist Workers Party are symptomatic of a particular malaise affecting elements of the British left; siding with the Islamic far right, blaming Israel for everything you can possible think of etc etc. Well, that's how I put it anyway. Will at the Drink Soaked Trots has a catchier summary though - "thick pack of vile evil tossers". This has come up because the SWP has managed to produce a summary of the holocaust which somehow manages to exclude Jews. Pretty impressive that. See here and here.

Science in the presidential race

Bloody hell, it's another post concerning politics! Will have to remedy this worrying trend at some point. However, following my previous grumbling about science literacy in society, I noticed ERVs post. ERV notes that Obama and McCain were unable to take part in Science Debate 2008, but were able to take time out of their valuable schedules to be quizzed at some megachurch or other.

Oh dear.

Now, I wouldn't particularly describe myself as a "new atheist". I'm also realistic enough to recognise that prospective presidents need to court the religious vote to some extent. However, to totally avoid a science based discussion is yet another worrying indicator about the marginalised nature of science in society.

A hatchet job on Obama - from the extremist wing

You might be forgiven for being confused by the title of this post. I'm referring to this book by Jerome Corsi, The Obama Nation (abomination - geddit!?!?!?!?!), which is recieving favourable (if predictable) reviews in respectable quarters. There's also talk of it rocketing to the top of the bestsellers charts. It's an attack on Barack Obama, designed to scupper his campaign for president from the guy who brought you the John Kerry hatchet job during the last election. Ok, so it sounds like it's going to be pretty partisan, but with the reviews and the anticipated sales, what could possibly be extremist about it.............

...........a couple of things is the answer. Corsi is a 9/11 troofer. Oh. Well, er, maybe we can y'know, er gloss over that, after all this is a valuable scholarly endeavour and stuff. Phew, lucky there are no more skeletons in the closet. Exxxxxxxcept, what group is more cretinous, more worthy of contempt than troofers? Shit......you don't mean Holocaust denial. Yup, that's right. Corsi recently appeared on the radio show of the far right, white-supremacist, virulently anti-semitic radio show "The Political Cesspool". Previous illustrious guests include Holocaust denier Mark Weber. Links from their website include one to the Holocaust denying Institute for Historical Review.

Still, I'm sure right wingers will be happy to ignore all of this, just so long as some shit gets flown at Obama. All for the greater good etc etc.

HT to Gene at Harrys Place.

Pollen Friday

Other bloggers have a weekly pick of some beastie or whatever that they particularly like. For example, uber blogger and communion wafer desecrator PZ Myers has a cephlapod spot. I'm going to outdo the competition with something far more fascinating, far more mysterious and far more likely to cause you hayfever; pollen. Why? Well, I look at pollen for my PhD (I'm a palynologist) and was stuck for a theme. So, first up, is one of the most recognisable grains - Pinus (pine). I quite like this pic as it shows some of the other random bits of crud you get on a pollen slide, unlike many other photos of pollen grains:


The image is from:

http://www.smu.edu/geology/palynolab.htm

Bellowhead - Sloe Gin

Bellowhead are undoubtedly the best live band in the world. This is a fact. Check out Sloe Gin from their recent Royal Albert Hall gig:

Evolution is good for society

Those of us who tend to spend our time on planet earth won't find much to disagree with in this article by Olivia Judson. Judson points out various excellent reasons why teaching evolution is such a valuable endeavour, one of the key ones (and perhaps slightly underappreciated) is:

The third reason to teach evolution is more philosophical. It concerns the development of an attitude toward evidence. In his book, “The Republican War on Science,” the journalist Chris Mooney argues persuasively that a contempt for scientific evidence — or indeed, evidence of any kind — has permeated the Bush administration’s policies, from climate change to sex education, from drilling for oil to the war in Iraq. A dismissal of evolution is an integral part of this general attitude.

This is a very important point. Some of the most important decisions facing society over the next century concern science; it is therefore vital (as well as blindingly obvious) that we have a scientifically literate society, equipped with critical thinking skills. Looking at the facile media coverage of, for example, GM crops ("we're all fucking dooooooomed"), suggests reason to worry in this regard. Still, it's not as though our next head of state is a clueless buffoon, besotted with his own ill informed opinions on a wide range of scientific subjects. Oh. Bugger.

I always find it illustrative that an ignorance of the arts is generally frowned upon in polite circles, whereas an ignorance of science is indulged or even encouraged ("yeah, I found physics sooooo hard, guffaw guffaw"). Given that science is, in practical terms, more important in everyday life than art and also equally stimulating and beautiful, this is a sorry state of affairs.

Grumble grumble etc etc.

Israeli and Palestinian trade unions show how it's done

Eeeeek, politics time!

Whilst some of our proud, upstanding unions are busy organising boycotts of Israel, over in the middle east Israeli and Palestinian trade unionists are actually doing something positive; co-operating:

Brussels, 6 August 2008 (ITUC OnLine): The Israeli national trade union centre Histadrut and the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU), both of which are affiliated to the ITUC, have reached a landmark agreement to protect the rights of Palestinian workers employed by Israeli employers, and to base future relations on negotiations, dialogue and joint initiatives to advance “fraternity and coexistence between the two peoples.” The current agreement draws on the terms of an initial 1995 agreement, which it had not been possible to fully implement in the intervening years.

Hmmmm, trade unionists on the ground vs middle-class Guardian readers with too much time on their hands......hmmmm.......who to support.

Classic songs - Just Like Honey

Nuff said:

Today at the test

As part of my neverending quest to not do as much work as I should be doing, I took today off to go and watch the final day of the final England vs South Africa test match. I headed down to the Oval with a couple of friends, paid a very respectable £15 for getting on for four hours of pretty decent cricket. Not at all bad. In fact it was very cheering to see the Oval getting on for being full today. Test Match cricket generally remains well supported in this country, despite the ECB/Sky TVs insistence on buggering around with the schedules (test matches do not start on Wednesday!).

England knocked off the runs fairly comfortably, although with an obligatory wobble. The first half an hour was fairly hard graft, but overall the South African bowlers didn't look especially threatening. Indeed, despite being informed before the series that the Saffer pace attack was the best evaaah, they haven't been all that impressive. Done a good job yes (and Steyn was only fit for two games), but not quite the epoch shaking line up we were led to believe.

It has been Englands' flaky batting that has been really significant and in direct contrast to South Africas extremely solid and admirable displays. I'm not convinced that SA batsmen are all that more talented, but they can certainly apply themselves. If we don't buck up our ideas on the batting front, we can kiss goodbye to any hopes of regaining the Ashes, let alone doing well in the subcontinent this winter. It is especially important that the batsmen find some consistency as a 5 man bowling attack is probably going to be necessary against the Aussies.

Once again, I played around with my new(ish) camera. I'm not entirely satisfied with the results; for one, he light wasn't great. Also, I'm really struggling to hold zoom lenses still in my old age and so the images aren't nearly as sharp as I would have liked. Still, they aren't a total disaster.