The Best Books Of 2004

Collating ten books out of the numerous excellent ones published each year is not easy, and books always seem to improve in the re-reading. For now, the books I have found most interesting this year include:

1. The Rule Of Four: Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason weave an interesting and rich tale around an actual fifteenth century Renaissance manuscript, the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili. The setting in Princeton enables disquisitions on a wide variety of topics from eating clubs to riddles, but the inner theme of the book is the value of friendship. I was pleasantly surprised to find that my local library, the Milwaukee Library, held a copy of the actual manuscript, finely illustrated and beautifully dense.

2. Jonathan Strange And Mr Norrell: Susanna Clarke weaves a world of intellectual and magical wonder with her detailed depiction of nineteenth century England that might have been, if only magic were real. No suspension of disbelief is required here - the author's copious detail enables us to actively realize her world. The characters are multi-faceted and complex, and the humor subtle and deep. This is the kind of book that Jane Austen might have written were she alive today.

3. The Song Of Susannah: Stephen King's sixth Volume in his septet is actually better than his last, possibly because it was an obvious cliffhanger to a much-awaited finale. Motherhood, magic and the relationship between the two permeate this alti-world, with a surprising unity of time, if not place. The meta-fiction that surrounds the seventh volume is built up here, not yet nauseating.

3. The Birth Of Venus: Sarah Dunant recreates 15-century Florence with verve and detail. The very real threats to Florentine society from fundamentalism, war, disease and social corruption are coupled with a young woman's coming of age tale, and embracing of her passions, artistic temperament and family identity. The visual richness of the writing is powerful enough to make you believe you are reading the backstory of a Renaissance-era painting, perhaps by Titian.

4.House Of Bush, House Of Saud: Craig Unger's detail-oriented look at the close relationship between two power-wealthy families. The controversial relationship between the two dynasties is explored in relation to its impact on foreign policy and business relations. The writing is journalistic, logical and replete with ancedotes, high-level interviews and statistics. Like all filters, the book suffers only by exclusion of other relevant facts, and thus should be treated as a piece of, not the whole of the puzzle

5. Going Postal: Terry Pratchett continues his alti-verse tales of the Discworld with this poke at bureaucratic organizations, globalization and privatization. The humor is deathless, as always, and the characters very urbane. Lord Vetinari seems even more in control of events, and reminiscent perhaps of real-world manipulators. Postmen the world over will rejoice in their new hero, Moist von Lipwig.

6. America (The Book): Jon Stewart and his writers bring their visual and narrative talents to this depiction of American society that entertains, enlightens and amuses. The deconstruction of popular ideas is done in a pleasant manner, and the subtext allows for deeper analysis of what is wrong and how it can be fixed with public institutions. For the well-read, this book may seem old hat, but a better way of reading it may be as "Politics For Dummies" or "George Carlin Does Athens".

7. The Well Of Lost Plots: Although two books were published by Jasper Fforde in 2004 featuring Thursday Next, Jurisfiction Agent, I chose this one for it's memorable depiction of Miss Havisham from Great Expectations as well as it's personally relevant reminder that software upgrades never go quite as planned. Meta-fiction done right, Thursday Next is tasked with correcting infractions of the code of fiction as a agent of SpecOps in a world from where our books come. Sinister machinations are underway to take over the machines of imaginotransference that create fiction, and Thursday must stop them while dealing with her own personal challenges. Guaranteed to turn any bibliophobe into a confirmed bibliophile, and a good introduction to an interesting series. (Note: This is volume 3 of the series)

8. Return Engagement: Considering the excellence of this book, and the depth of the new trilogy featuring Jake Featherstone, a thinly disguised Adolf Hitler in 1930s Confederate America, one wonders why Harry Turtledove distracted faithful readers with Days Of Infamy, also released this year. While his usual character elements and plot constrcutions are present, this book allows us to imagine a terrible might-have-been world, one where Confederate "population reductions" are told to a socialist North by Louis Armstrong, and the USA is vertically divided. The next book in the trilogy,"Homeward Bound" will be released in a week or so, and is avidly awaited.

9. An Empire Of Wealth: This economic history of America is much more than a dry collection of facts. The book's landscape covers much new ground, providing detail on little-known as well as popular but poorly understood elements of modern history. Relatively unbiased, the book is valuable reading and helps provide context to modern realities.

10. Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found: This sprawling, dense tale of Bombay is more film than book, with it's documentary style depiction of the depths of the uber-metropolis of Bombay, India. The story builds on the personal tale of the author to explore the labyrinth of the city's good, bad and ugly facets, and barely scratches the surface.

Also Rans:
The Wisdom Of Crowds,
Chasing Vermeer,
Eastern Standard Tribe,
The Zero Game,
My Life,
Engaging India.

One has fallen further behind in one's reading than one would have liked to, and it possible the unread are capable of displacing any number of the above. Time will tell, perhaps.

Only The Lonely

A story I wrote, also at literotica, non-erotic, though. Creative Commons licensed txt version of "Only The Lonely"

The bell went - Nick Hill rose drowsily and immediately threw off the covers. Both legs were there, but a toe on the left foot was not. Cursing, he hobbled to the bathroom and cleaned the blood away. He looked pale and unsure as he ate his breakfast quickly.

He locked his house and started walking towards the bus stop. Many people bumped into him on the way, but they continued walking without offering any apologies. Perhaps they were preoccupied in worlds of their own or maybe it was his attitude that made them ignore him. He called curses after them, asking them if they thought he was invisible. They did not answer.

The bus arrived and after some jostling he got on. As he sat down on the last seat, he noticed that a lesion was forming on his left thumb. He bought his ticket and was settling down when a group of youngsters entered the bus and laughing, came towards him. There were a few places empty next to him for he always sat in the corner. They all sat down and one almost pushed him off his seat, but he did nothing and just adjusted himself. The boy was somewhat different from the rest - he almost reminded Nick of himself at that age. The others were more boisterous, jostling and nudging each other.

Seeing their youthfulness, he tried to remember his childhood. He had been a rather sickly boy - one of seven children of a miller. He was not the eldest or the youngest, but as usual, somewhere in the middle. The Hills were not well-off and so every benefit was a veritable blessing. When he went to school it was never he who put his hand up to answer questions or help the teachers and they reciprocated by ignoring him and never lavishing even a scolding on him.

He had very few friends and those that he did were much like him - the silent and morose types. So they got along - not well or badly but just along. He never thought these things odd or unfair because this was the only life he knew and so he lived it. He had always been neglected and ignored. Nothing much affected him, until this strange malady had begun to eat away at him a while back.

It had begun when he lost the one friend he had had all his life. She was his neighbor and they had grown up together. He did not know it, but she had hung around with him more because she had few friends of her own, and found him unobtrusive. They did not talk much, just spent time together reading. When they graduated from school, he had gone on to college and got a job as a clerk in the Department of Roads. She had moved away when she got married, then returned home when the marriage did not work out. He had not remarked much either time, just smiled passionlessly and carried on.

Strangely enough, she had begun to find something interesting in him. She started paying attention to his words and ways. He did not change the way he behaved towards her, even when she confessed that she was falling in love with him one summer evening. She found that comforting, after the heat and love and hate that had marked her previous relationships. His lovemaking was like the rest of him - it began with a few kisses, some holding close of the other person, and then a number of thrusts. There was little talking, even after.

They moved in together, and lived an uneventful life. He didn't bring up marriage, and she wasn't sure she wanted it, after her last one ending almost before it began. Kids were not talked about. Her life became a stream of monotonous days that flowed into nights indistinguishable from one another. She worked at the public library, her minor income supplanting his just barely. They did not go out much - she knew by now that his aversion to human interaction was increased by the enthusiasm of faux-friendly department store employees or food service professionals.

About five years passed this way before she realized that her life was going nowhere fast, and her partner would be perfectly content to lead his own the same until dusty death claimed him, or her - she felt it would not matter either way to him. This was a chilling realization, one worsened by the knowledge that it had always been this way. Her own personality was not so averse to the occasional compliment or light flirtation.

One such flirtation turned serious at the library where she worked when a co-worker asked her if she had visited the Wisconsin Dells. Before she knew it, she was leaving for a weekend assignation. Then, in a matter of weeks, she was packing her bags once again, this time for good.

He did not find it strange. He did not think much - he had no fantasies or ambitions and even if you had shown him his facelessness and virtual non-existence he would have just nodded and gone on not-living. He was doomed from the start and it was just a matter of time.

About a month after she left him, Nick was diagnosed with Hansen's disease, better known by its common name of leprosy. The first lesions were small and easily concealed. Soon, the tissues began to break down, causing the occasional ugly incident at a public place. He did not react when it happened. The leprosy made others uncomfortable, but it was, in effect, something he had lived with for a long time. He knew that he would have to go into isolation soon. The doctor he visited weekly was already warning that he would be forced to isolate Nick if he went out of the house again without a face mask at the very least.

The bus stopped and the children got out. The jacket and pants of the boy sitting next to Nick was blood-stained but he did notice. The others did not pay any attention to him as usual and ran on ahead. The boy was used to this indifference. He did not feel a lesion form on his skin as he walked away.

Comments welcome.

Dimebag Darrell Tribute Video

A powerful and touching video featuring Dimebag Darrell has been posted on the Down Forums

Direct Link to Dimebag tribute video (Flash)


Also, tonight, MTV's Headbanger's Ball, school for many aspiring metalheads, including wonsauponatime myself, tonight (12/11/2004) - 9 PST - features a Darrell tribute hosted by Dave Mustaine of Megadeath, ref blogcritics

Update: The Headbangers Ball was so-so. It was very well presented by Dave Mustaine of Megadeath, but the editing was poor, with long stretches of slides on the screen, and the same tribute comments repeated over and over. Watching the songs, one realized how much chemistry Phil Anselmo and Dimebag Darrell shared in Pantera. The Pantera songs stood out and definitely made one wistful. Nice ancedotes were shared by Dave, including one where he told us of a tattoo that Dimebag had done in tribute to one of Megadeath's song. Scott Ian of Anthrax called in and paid his respects.

Phil Anselmo comments on Diamond Darrell

Via Blogcritics, this comment purportedly related by Phil Anselmo on a messageboard:

........
Philip loved Darrell like a brother, always. They accomplished things together that most wouldn't even dare to dream. None of us can know what it's like to be riding such a big machine, it changes the face of music and brings joy millions of people's lives around the globe. The rewards are big, but the stress is unimaginable if things don't go perfectly. Yes Pantera broke up and there was a lot of shit talking through the media.
.......
Of all the time I've spent with Rex and Philip, I never badgered them about Pantera, but the subject did come up every once in a while. As for Rex, he would refer to the state of things simply as "silly nonsense". All I ever got out of Philip was something like "nyaaaa... I just don't feel like sitting down and writing Pantera riffs right now."... and that's it! No crazy accusations, name calling, or carrying on. As a matter of fact, in the middle of all the heat, Philip described Vinnie as "the perfect drummer" and that Vinnie could drum more perfect than a drum machine if he so chose. What he said of Dime, he also repeated tonight. "The best of the best".

It's sad that the media would irritate the situation so much. Countless times, Kate and I would listen in on Phil doing interviews. Always, always, always, the jackals wanted Pantera dirt. Sometimes Philip would give it to them, sometimes he would not. However every single time I was there, he expressed his love for, and wished luck to Vinnie and Dime but that was somehow left out of the final print more times than not. I was at Philip's house a few weeks ago and I informed him that I handle the Official Pantera site now, and he asked me if I talked to Dime. I said "No, when was the last time YOU talked to him?" with a sigh, he said "three years". Not a "fuckin right 3 years" not a "yeah three years and it's gonna be three more"... but the dude was genuinely disappointed about the situation. I could tell... the time to patch things up was drawing near.

There's more I want to share, but it's almost 5AM right now, and I just managed to hold myself together long enough to get that out.

Philip isn't hiding out or waiting for the right moment to speak, he's in Texas right now searching for answers to this tragedy the best he can. There was one thing he asked of me, that I humbly bring to you all:

Darrell my brother. The best of the best.
-Philip H Anselmo

The pain of a friend's loss. The pain of regret. The sorrow of living on.

Or, as Jethro Tull put it, "Too old to rock and roll, too young to die"

C'est la vie
Updates:
Phil Anselmo "not welcome" at Dimebag's funeral. Some things are personal in the end.

Dimebag Darrell Tribute Video

The 10000th Visitor

Since I started actively maintaining this blog, about two months ago, I've strived to keep it fresh and interesting. Evidently some people have agreed - I've been slashdotted, boingboinged and instalanched, as well as blogcritiqued - My 10000th visitor arrived today.

Thank you for the support - stay tuned and tell me how I'm doing

Sherlockian Annotations

Reading the Sunday Edition of the New York Times can take me up to a week, with distractions and all, and is one reason why I subscribe to only the Sunday edition. On perusing the Book Review section today, I was somewhat surprised to see an advertisement for "The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes" by Leslie Klinger, a noted Sherlockian and member of the Baker Street Irregulars.

For Sherlockians such as myself, the definitive reference has always been William Baring-Gould's magisterial "The Annotated Sherlock Holmes", circa 1968. Many a long hour has been whiled away cross-checking the circumlocutory descriptions and annotations of the fine stories and novels of the Master.

One will definitely be looking forward to reading the new Annotated Holmes. One has some misgivings though - firstly, does the world really need another Annotated Holmes? The editor is a recognized modern authority, but this is more akin to displacing an icon rather than delivering a thesis of one's own. Secondly, one notes that the new edition is somewhat modernized - referencing even loosely connected additions to the Canon such as the film "Without A Clue" - perhaps the only films worth mentioning in recent note with relation to the Canon are the "The Seven Percent Solution"(1976) and Billy Wilder's "The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes"(1970), both based on excellent extensions to the Canon.

Perhaps the most surprising omission from the new collection is the set of four novels featuring Sherlock Holmes. There are at least two reasons why this is unforgivable. Firstly, this breaks the chronological continuity that is essential to any annotated edition. Secondly, some of the best writing that Arthur Conan Doyle did about Holmes lies in the novels, primarily because he was able to more fully develop his characters, and bring in sub-plots that have stood the test of time. My personal favorite is "The Valley of Fear", with its dark portrayals of the Lodge, Birdy Edwards and the sinister plot based in a real life tale.

The positive reviews and rich content make this collection quite promising and a doubtless worthy addition to the Canon that shall be awaited, but not one that will likely displace the earlier collection. The preface by John Le Carre is of interest. This edition is worthy of note for the comprehensive collection of Victorian-era illustrations, essays and most importantly, the editor's collation of diverse Sherlockian views rather than merely his own.

Also of note for pure text readings of the Canon is The Strand facsimile edition of the stories & novels. This is somewhat unavailable and another source might be online. Since the books and stories are in the public domain, many online versions are available, including from Project Gutenberg and the University of Virginia Electronic Text Center

Some additional Sherlockiana worthy of note include "Sherlockiana In Japan", "221 B: Studies in Sherlock Holmes" by Vincent Starrett and the Baker Street Journal. Suffice it to say that there is barely a bookstore that does not have a shelf or two dedicated to Sherlockiana, Doylesiana and perhaps in London, Holmesiana.

Finally, here is a poem titled "The Ballad of Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard" that has a Sherlockian touch to it, although it is more antiquarian than the Canon.(1658)

The Incredible Lightness Of Being

The fine blogcritics reviews for the Incredibles were compelling and resisted by me until I finally saw the film today - with a two year old, one waits until the crowds have died down, and one chooses a weekday matinee.

The most pleasant (and surprising) thing about the film was that my two year old Jr Incredible actually sat through the whole thing quite placidly. This is a first - he let a couple of gasps out at a few scenes, but evidently enjoyed the film.

I wish I could say the same wholeheartedly. The animation was marvelous, the humor entertaining and of a pretty high level. Unfortunately though, I constantly had the feeling I was watching a James Bond rip off, particularly in the second half. The music was very campy, reminscent of John Barry at his best. The social elements were actually quite well done, I think - big business vs the puny individual, downsizing even someone incredible.

The film was almost anti-capitalist in many ways - the big bad insurance company, the evil rich boy genius, the arms race - the boy genius has sold his arms to all sides and made his money (and kept himself safe).

Then the movie turns it all around and deconstructs the lone hero myth. The family that fights together stays together, evidently. The Bartleby-like character is transformed into a defender and protector of the family and the world. The public reaches out for it's saviors, exhibiting the essence of the film that there are a chosen few that must strive to protect and serve at great personal cost. The family integrity is maintained and the bad guy gets what was coming to him ever since the 'cape' warning. What was with the kids' powers? But that's a topic for another post.

4/5 - and in the top 10 for the year

Phil Anselmo on Dimebag Darrell

Phil Anselmo, the singer for Pantera did this interview just recently on 12/01 in the latest issue of Metal Hammer magazine - prophetic after the death of Dimebag Darrell

"I think, more or less, it lies between Dimebag and I. There was never a point when he could not get drunk. Which was pretty much every day. And now I'm hearing it's worse than ever.
"He would attack me, vocally. And just knowing that he was so much smaller than me I could kill him like a fuckin' piece of vapor, you know, he would turn into vapour - his chin would, at least, if I fuckin' smacked it. And he knows that. The world should know that. So physically, of course, he deserves to be beaten severely.
"But of course, that's criminal and I won't do such a thing... Really, I just let him prattle on. I grew very tired of it very quickly, and whenever it came up, like it has come up today, I just chose to wish them the best of luck. And in all honesty I really wish that they would be men, which is very hard for them, figuring that they were living in their mother's house until they're 30 years old. In comparison, I was on the street by choice at the age of 15, living anywhere I could - but living, and successfully living, through my will."
.......
On Dimebag's implication in interviews that Anselmo has returned to heroin:
"What a stupid man. What a shallow, stupid man. How would he know what I do? And by the way, I've been fucking bone-sober for three and a half years now. Anybody who has seen me on stage, anybody who has seen the shape of my body and the size of my arms, and the fucking burning desire in my eyes, knows that I am fuckin'... I drink four beers and I have a buzz now. Gimme a break. I couldn't even say that in my twenties."
On the possibility of a PANTERA reunion:
"It would take a lot of soul-searching. It would take a lot of negotiation. And we'll see. In the end, it's what's most important to the fans.
"That's the last time I'm ever - you can put this in your article - this is the last time I am ever talking about PANTERA."

I guess he feels pretty bad now. Metal Hammer reports that he is very devastated and also that all the band members are alive and well - putting paid to rumors about the death of DamagePlan singer Patrick Lachman. Also, Metal Hammer has a report from their columnist in Columbus, Ohio.

Active discussion on this interview

Ebay Stuff

The ebay-sellers are capitalizing on the death of DamagePlan member Dimebag Darrell

One item is a signed guitar - currently at $2500 - 0 bids



Copies of the local newspaper are also being hocked - e.g. this copy of the Columbus News, although these are only $1.99


There is other stuff like drumheads and guitarpicks - ticketstubs are also showing up.

If that isn't enough, in a display of support, all the albums of Pantera and Damageplan have appeared on newsgroups

Commercialism at it's 'best', I guess

Bad Images - The Worst Films Of 2004

Film as a medium requires sophisticated artistry and collaborative effort to achieve success. Individual elements of a film might stand out in an otherwise bad film. Good films can be instinctively distinguished from bad films, although all judgement may be subjective.

That being said, here is my subjective list of the ten worst films of 2004:

1. The Polar Express: This film degrades the art of film-making in ways never before possible. It is now not only possible to make a bad film with good actors, but to entirely erase the actor in the process. None of the characters themselves have any reality, not being named. This is akin to writing a book without any names. The only other instance I can remember of this is in an old film where the pets had the name 'dog' and 'cat'. This film is visually rich, but nauseating to watch for too long, much like an overlong train ride

2. Catwoman: One of the most interesting female characters in comic books is given the dominatrix treatment and turned to kitty litter. The most exciting character in the film is the whip that is lashed across the screen and the viewer, almost in condemnation of a poor viewing choice. It also wastes an able actor who is capable of much more. The grossest error the film makes is to ignore Batman as a central factor in Catwoman's world.

3. Man On Fire: Too much of a genre film, and it is sad to see a good actor begin to get typecast. Better editing and a tighter storyline could have elevated this film. As it is, the film is overlong, stereotyped and a wasted effort by a good director.

4. Shark Tale: The most derivative film of the year, the humor is unfunny and the marquee voice cast is wasted in send-ups of themselves, other films and coolness. The product placement is out-of-place, although quite amusing

5. King Arthur: A film that strives for historical accuracy and fails, along the way dropping off Sir Lancelot. Good acting is ruined by a terrible storyline and weak character development.

6. The Big Bounce: This unwatchable film destroys an excellent Elmore Leonard book with lackadaisical acting and a weak screenplay. The film just does not hold together.

7. Alien Vs. Predator: Blecch! A lame plot, poor scripting and unending cliches ruin this film - of course if Ahnold had played the Predator, we might have had something here. Guess he was otherwise occupied.

8. The Return Of The Jedi: The DVD re-release had just a bad feeling about it, especially when the ghost of Darth Vader appears in Anakin Skywalker's garb. All the same, the boxset is a must-have.

9. Taxi: Watch the French version, although Queen Latifah is indeed hilarious and upbeat.

10. Fill in your favorite 'bad' movie of the year here - there's a lot to choose from.

Also-rans: Garfield, Without A Paddle, Day After Tomorrow

Updates at blogcritics

Diamond Darrell - R.I.P.

Damageplan discussion board is active

Dimebag Darrell - Guitarist of DamagePlan killed

Via Brave Words and blogcritics,

A gunman's attack on a Texas-based heavy metal band during an Ohio concert left at least five people dead, prompting stunned fans around the country to check in at the group's Web site early Thursday (December 8, 2004).

The attack on the band Damageplan began as the musicians started playing their first song Wednesday night. A witness said the gunman first targeted guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, shooting him multiple times at point-blank range at the crowded Alrosa Villa nightclub in Columbus, Ohio.

The gunman killed at least four people and wounded at least two others before police fatally shot him. Authorities have not released the victims' names.
.......
Vinnie Abbott was a former drummer in Damageplan's predecessor, Pantera.(Dimebag Darrell was lead guitarist in Pantera - added) A key band in 1990s heavy metal, Pantera was nominated several times for Grammy Awards. A song by the band became the Dallas Stars hockey team's signature tune in 1999.

December 8 was also John Lennon's death anniversary 24 years ago. This makes it a truly dark day in music history. Dec 8 is also traditionally the date of Gautama Buddha's enlightenment

It is not clear what drove the gunman's crazy actions. The music world will be much affected by this loss. Both Damageplan and Pantera made phenomenal music. I, for one, know what my playlist for the day shall be in the memory of Dimebag Darrell

Updates:

Another band member was also killed. Some reports indicate this may be the band's singer, Patrick Lachman, earlier with Diesel Machine and guitarist with Rob Halford of Judas Priest - This is not true, as reported by Metal Hammer

From Brave Words, the gunman, Nathan Gale, apparently blamed Dimebag for the breakup of Pantera

Updates at blogcritics

Game Crimes

As reported by me to boingboing, a couple of people have been arrested in Washington, DC for modding XBox consoles and allegedly selling them with oodles of pirated games.

This stupid act was apparently being done in plain sight, as noted by another reader

I stopped in one of the locations just about two weeks ago looking into PS2/XBox mod chips and was stunned to see them selling modded systems with games already copied onto the hard-drive. (They were defintely doing it with XBox systems and may have been doing it with PS2 systems as well.)

While this kind of piracy is commonplace in backstreet bazaars in Asia, it takes some nerve (and idiocy) to commit a crime like this in the heart of an American city.

I actually do not understand why people mod their XBoxes - I use mine as the center of my home entertainment universe, but am pretty satisfied with it as is - additional functionality I obtain via my other digital devices. I'd be too scared of spoiling the device, as well as losing my XBox Live rights.

I love XBox Live - it's one of the best business models that Microsoft has conceived. We do not hear too much about the Sony online service. I like playing Links 2004 on the Live platform, besides Project Gotham Racing 2

Like the man said, "If you can't do the time, don't do the crime." Or, as the other man said, "Stupid is as stupid does."

Slashdot discussion underway

Vote For Wonders

Philon Of Byzantium/Antipater of Sidon provided the world with a list of wonders, all located around the Mediterranean sea. These served as a travel guide for the Greeks, besides leaving us with a lasting record of the "Seven Wonders of the Ancient World"

The seven wonders of the time were

• The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
• The Colossus of Rhodes
• The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
• The Lighthouse at Alexandria
• The Statue of Zeus
• The Temple of Artemis
• The Pyramids of Egypt

Of these, only the Pyramids are still standing. Various attempts have been made in recent times to enumerate modern wonders.

Bernard Weber , Swiss film-maker and explorer is hosting an effort to choose the seven modern wonders by democratic vote - voting is open to everyone with a modem everywhere.

Half of the net revenue raised by the New 7 Wonders Project is to be used to fund restoration efforts worldwide, such as the mission to recreate the giant Bamiyan Buddha in Afghanistan. The sites or monuments with the most votes by the end of February 2005 will be reviewed by the N7W panel for inclusion in a shortlist of 21 candidates. Bernard Weber has an interesting profile and this effort is well supported by various organizations.

The New 7 Wonders of the World will be declared on January 1, 2006.

You can vote for literally any human creation from the dawn of time to the present day. The current leaders:

1. Wall of China, China: 11.28 %
2. Potala Palace, Lhasa, Tibet: 8.73 %
3. Colosseum, Rome, Italy: 7.17 %
4. Pyramids of Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico: 6.49 %
5. Statues of Easter Island, Chile: 6.18 %
6. Taj Mahal, India: 6.16 %
7. Tower of Pisa, Italy: 6.13 %
8. Eiffel Tower, Paris, France: 5.18 %
9. Machu Picchu, Peru: 3.98 %
10. Red Square and the Kremlin, Moscow, Russia: 3.49 %

The most votes so far are from China, followed by Peru, Turkey, Mexico, the United States and India.

Voting is moderated by having to call a telephone number (different worldwide) and receive a 6-digit code that is then entered into the website form. Very original form of vote control. This is also possibly an experiment in global consensus building that could be extended to other spheres and topics of human interest.

Vote!

Note:For some reason, I have been unable to call the number listed for the United States - perhaps I'm dialling it wrong.

Milwaukee Road - Way Outta Line

Not every band is a blockbuster or available at Amazon. Some of the best music is made by indie bands tucked away and popular perhaps only in the local bar crowd. This might sound a trite statement, but in the era of music hits, multi-million dollar bands, the RIAA et al, it is all the more important to remind ourselves that there are more than canned tracks and three chord harmonies.

Two bands that I have found interesting are "Milwaukee Road" and "Tall". Tall is a Dallas-based band that has had one album released - catchy music that is something like a cross between Radiohead and Nirvana. The lead singer is able to convey a certain pathos without sounding maudlin. My favorite song of theirs is "You're My Machine" I will post their lyrics and a detailed review soon. They play in the Greenville Ave bar scene of Dallas - or at least they did so when I was last there.

Milwaukee Road is a trio of accomplished blues-rock musicians who have one album out called "Way Outta Line" and will be releasing a second in Spring 2005. Their music is redolent of Mike Bloomfield, John Lee Hooker and other great blues-rock musicians.

The first song on the album is titled "Dimples" and Jim Harsh, part of the band, whom I interviewed for this review, tells me that it is a cover of the old John Lee Hooker song of the same name. It is ramped up and modernized quite a bit, and has powerful riffs.

The title song, "Way Outta Line" is one of the best. Jim shared with me that it was inspired by an ex-girlfriend of his who cheated on him while he worked third-shift. When he asked her why she did so, she told him it was because she could not carry her own canoe. One night, Jim took out his saw, and hacked the canoe in half, giving her one half. This is captured in the last line of the song - "Who's canoe with you?".

Another of my favorite songs on the album is "Tequila Blues", a blues/rock piece which creates images of bars in the southwest, bikers and shots of tequila, and times gone by - creative jamming is evidently at work here. "Hundred Miles" is a bluesy love song, with music inspired by Led Zeppelin's "Since I've Been Lovin' You".

The band unaccountably is passed over every year for Milwaukee's premier music festival, Summerfest, much to the chagrin of fans and the band. They take their name from the erstwhile railroad that ran through Milwaukee. Their website - http://www.wayouttaline.com - is currently out of commission.The album is available through mail order (Money orders only) for $15 s&h incl. from the band at

5513, North 31st, Milwaukee, WI 53209

Jim's contact info is at Milwaukee Rocks. The band plays in the warmer months around Milwaukee, including at a bar in Richfield, WI called "Images". As Jim said, too many flat tires on frozen winter roads have taught them to take a break for the winter.

Goodbye To Lenin And All That Jazz

To grow up under socialism was to lead a mostly drab life limited in choice and variety. Social concerns were the same - adultery, single motherhood et al. Children were inspired by successes of the space race. Then everything changed with the onset of globalization and the end of socialism. Choices ran wild. People changed. Society changed.

I, myself, grew up in an India that changed subtly but perceptibly from a socialist-centric country to one at the forefront of global capitalism. That, though, shall be the subject of a separate post. As a movie buff, among other things, one way I discover myself and the world is through film. Films depict society variously - as it is, as it was, and often as it might have been.

The ethos of being East German and then German is brought home humorously and powerfully in "Goodbye, Lenin", a German production that won the 2004 César for best EU film. The humor is social such as taking delight in a large abandoned apartment in East Berlin stocked with socialist knick-knacks now out of stock in the new "consumer paradises". Other vignettes include coming to terms with plastic diapers and working at Burger King becoming the new job of choice.

In brief, the committed socialist mother of the protagonist enters a catatonic coma when she witnesses her son particiipating in a protest march. She sleeps through much of the changes sweeping her country and the fall of the Wall, awaking one day with partial amnesia. The doctor warns that a fatal shock, such as discovering the significant changes in Germany might kill her. The caring son decides to stage a birthday party recreating the socialist pleasures still vivid in her memory - inviting the Youth Pioneers, old comrades and stacking the house with copies of Current Economic News, besides ensuring the television plays only "Aktuelle Kamera" broadcasts. These events play out against the backdrop of other uniting, memorable occasions such as Germany's victory in the 1990 World Cup (soccer, if you didn't already figure). The son continues to draw a curtain over history for his mother, despite various faux-pas. He retells the reunification of the two Germanies as if West Germany chose to rejoin the East because of the successes of communism, thus never breaking his mother's heart. Other twists follow, but the strength of the film lies more in its depiction of a society in flux and the effect on individuals hitherto unexposed to such change.

The director cuts between actual historical footage and scenes from his imagination to recreate a world now gone by. The eponymous scene from the film, in a manner of speaking, is compelling and powerful. It is almost as if Lenin himself were bidding adieu to his dream. The Dolby Digital audio on the DVD is crystal clear. The DVD has some interesting extras such as an in-depth look at the creation of visual effects used in the film and two German/English commentaries - one by David Becker, the director, and the other with the stars, Daniel Bruhl, Katrin Sass and Alexander Beyer. The music is by Yann Tiersen, who also composed the music for Amelie.

Rating: 5/5

Review: Careful What You Wish For

Karma Fly

Amazon Theater's final offering in the five pieces on karma is "Careful What You Wish For", a film about the relative worth of things and how every kiss might end with a flyswatter. It redeems the American woman from Glenn Reynolds' question about what America's jewelers might think about her

Since the film is so short, one will not delve too deeply into the plot. Suffice it to say that an American husband 'fesses up to his wife for a certain indiscretion thirty years ago and someone gets what's coming to him, or it. The short film is intensely layered, with close cutting between characters and what seem initially like two connected stories.Darryl Hannah has a bit part, as a guitarist down on her luck.

The camera is used in a neo-realistic manner, almost voyeuristically. The sound track is, appropriately enough, called "White Noise".The film is directed by the mysterious Acne. The story is by Greg Hahn, who also wrote Amazon Theater's earlier "Portrait", and "Do Geese See God?" And no, Jeff Bezos does not appear in the film, except perhaps in inspiration for the film's tagline "Can't is Can with Markup" - that fits the Amazon experience pretty well, methinks.

To sum up the festival of shorts from Amazon Theater, they've been fun to watch, and for the most part, not obtrusive in product placement. Permalinks to reviews of all the films are in the left sidebar. Thanks, Glenn, for the references - and traffic. Do stick around and explore this blog.

Eclectic Curiosities

maisonneuve :: eclectic curiosity is an entertaining magazine that nerdifies the Internet, touching on everything from turkeys to biopixploitation.

It provides a collection of columns on film, cinema, dance, et al.

It is, of course a pale shadow (no slight intended) to blogcritics.org - the most eclectic group blog on the Internet. Notable digerati like Aaron, Duke De Mondo and Eric Olsen are part of a sinister cabal of 600+ bloggers that share their views on cultural artifacts, politics and identity.

Your humble correspondent is a recent addition to this cabal and requests your vote for blogcritics in the Weblog Awards 2004 - permalinked in the left sidebar as well.

Un-fixed

daybyday considers the UN-stability and the possibility of Vaclav Havel being the next Secretary-General.



Glenn Reynolds discusses the Vaclav Havel/Kofi Annan situation in the Wall Street Journal on Monday

The real issue is possibly enhancing the credibility of the post, whoever the occupant, so that pronouncements by the Secretary-General are not treated as those of a paper tiger. Of course, that comes with the credibility of the occupant of the post. Much like the Presidency of the United States, come to think of it. Bill Clinton's travails worldwide made him seem less effective as a President and Tom DeLay's potential indictment is damaging to his stature. In India, for example, there was a hue and cry when Laloo Prasad Yadav, Chief Minister of Bihar was convicted for a criminal offence and chose to appoint his wife to serve in his stead while he went to prison.

People in high places cannot be sullied with negative aspersions and not face them squarely.

The Librarian And The Lost Spear

TNT's "The Librarian", an original, made-for-television film turned out to be a fun watch, pitching a smart, young Noah Wyle(ER, A Few Good Men) as the person responsible for managing a cornucopia of secret treasures hidden under the New York Metropolitan Library. These treasures include some of humanity's greatest secrets, such as Pandora's Box and the Spear of Destiny, which is stolen by the bad guys. The rest of the film is the Librarian's quest for the parts of the spear, aided by the requisite female interest, played by Sonya Walger (Coupling, Mind of the Married Man). Bob Newhart appears in an entertaining bit part.

The film's music is it's failing - the canned variety and inappropriate at times. The adventures are predictable with convenient saves out of a video game, such as jumping off a collapsing bridge and being taken hostage by pygmies who turn friendly. Some of the scenes are quite entertaining, as when the hero dances the Blue Danube with his sidekick to get through a torrent of arrows. The hero is very well read and solves most puzzles by dint of his knowledge of topics like ancient Portuguese, the language of the Birds and sheer deduction a la Holmes. Of course, Jimmy Neutron displays similar depth of knowledge, albeit in a different setting.

A few mistakes in the intricate story are evident, like the reference to a language called 'Indian' and linen sheets in a hut in the Amazonian jungle. The story switches from New York to the Amazon jungle, and to the Himalayas in the quest, all depicted visually well, if too set-like. The twists are the usual kind - one will not give them away only so that the reruns are not upset.

Overall, the film is derivative and predictable but a good, entertaining Sunday evening television adventure with good acting by Noah Wyle and an interesting premise that could well derive a few sequels.

Mixed Media

Mixed Media -an assemblage of Collage Art by Steven B. Smith is worthy of note. The artist's bio reads like a cyberpunk manifesto

My true parents were 2 rogue Artificial Intelligence Machines
who in desperation to give birth to creation
escape from the year 2020 hindsite to 1946 to give birth to me.
Sort of an immaculate deception.
......
At 15, I wanted to be Jack Kerouac.
At 58, I'm glad to be me.
......
It is the 21st century.
Do you know where your god is?

I be mutant off sprung Duchamp via Kienholz.
Much will be made of me eventually.
And off me.
Maybe I get some of it and maybe I don't.
Before death or after no matter.

Also of Note:
Artcyclopedia's list of mixed media artists

via boingboing, Wang Du's work, a mixed media Chinese artist in Paris - the link to the artist's homepage is not working - this is an exposition of his at the Palais Du Tokyo in Paris(Flash)

The mixedmedia comic strip

The Cost Of Freedom

Boingboing provides a nifty counter for the Cost Of war in Iraq - permalinked in the left sidebar - startling numbers if you compare it to what it could have purchased in a saner world - it is hard to comment on the justifiability of this expenditure - the region was stable and secular earlier, although governed by a murderous dictator.

From the parent site,

"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed."
President Dwight D. Eisenhower
April 16, 1953

This is not the only war - and not the least of the costs of war, particularly on children.

UNICEF estimates that between 1985 and 1995 two million children were killed in wars, 65 million disabled, 12 million made homeless, 1 million orphaned and 10 million left psychologically traumatized. As ethnic wars have become more prevalent, children have increasingly been viewed as "legitimate" targets of ethnic strife. In addition, an alarming number of children are being enlisted in the military. In 1988 as many as 200,000 children under the age of 16 served as combatants in war. Many children have been brought up knowing nothing other than war: taking up arms seems a completely natural way of life, and children orphaned by war often look to the military to serve as a surrogate family.

The cost of war can also be measured in terms of lost opportunity for children: money spent on armaments is not money spent on education, healthcare or nutrition. Futhermore, the poverty and lack of development resulting from war frequently fuels hostility that leads to further conflict. It has been estimated that redirecting just one-quarter of developing countries' military expenditure will make it possible by the year 2000 to achieve such goals as primary healthcare for all, immunization of all children, elimination of severe malnutrition, provision of safe drinking water for all, universal primary education, reduction of illiteracy and family planning.

The parent site, the National Priorities Project has been in existence since 1983 - bios of members

Currently, the Cost of War calculator is set to reach $152 billion at the end of 2004. This amount is based on the National Priorities Project analysis of the three requests made by the Bush Administration for funding for the war on Iraq, and what Congress actually allocated.

Tubeless

Post my report on televisions, I am suddenly tubeless - the box blew it's top while we were watching "Goodbye, Lenin".

Fortunately, since we are not in a socialist country, one is heading out now for a worthy replacement.

Update: The replacement is complete - I opted for a 27 inch Apex flat screen at an amazing price from Sam's Club - great picture, fits in my entertainment center and I didn't have to pay or wait for shipping - the click'n'pull model worked easier.
Step 1: Login.
Step 2: Select a state or enter a ZIP code.
Step 3: Click "go."
Step 4: Begin shopping.
Step 5: Submit your order.
Step 6: Wait for an e-mail with order pickup information.
Step 7: Pay when you pickup.

The Firebrand And Freedom

A Firebrand at 69: An Interview with Harlan Ellison - a very provocative interview with a cantakerous writer - a very good writer at that.

He talks of "Cultural Amnesia" and attributes it directly to the Internet. He talks directly of the lawsuit brought by him against AOL and Stephen Robertson for posting his work online in scanned form. He settled out-of-court with Stephen, but continues his case against AOL.

WD: Would you go so far as to say the internet has destroyed the writing trade?

HE: I don't think that's going too far. When you destroy the basic philosophy, the parameters of a field of endeavor ... everything changes. You stand on the cusp of a gigantic paradigm shift, where nothing is of the same value.

I'll go to speak at a college, and I'll have some kid stand up and say, "Well, writers shouldn't be paid; they should put their stuff up; and if people like it they get paid for it." And I think: what the hell looneytune universe are you living in, kid? The question indicates a total lack of understanding of how Reality Works. This kid's been living off mommy and daddy too long.
....

WD: But basically, it sounds as if you still have no fear.

HE (assuming noble pose): I guess that's my curse. As Spider-Man says, "With great power comes great responsibility." (I like quoting from the classics.) Well, in my case, with fearlessness comes great stupidity. I'm just not afraid of things. There's nothing anybody could do to me that would make me afraid.

Personally, while I find Harlan to be a creative and good writer, ref my notes on Paingods, I think he's way over the top in this day and age - the millions of voices heard due to the Internet cannot be underestimated - sifting through the chaff is the responsibility of the discerning reader/browser.

The ethics of the writer may be well understood, but perhaps the reader has certain ethics, such as not stealing the writer's work, and respecting the writer's art.

It would be interesting to see Cory Doctorow's views on this issue.

Saturday Funnies

And daybyday continues to stay on the bleeding edge



Some Portuguese cartoons - pdfs and online

Wikinews

The wiki world expands - wikinews is up - a freely editable news source.

Not much content yet - 118 articles - but it should be interesting to see how it develops. The style is very similar to wikipedia - being a subproject of the Wikimedia Foundation

Wikinews allows anybody to report news on a wide variety of subjects

The Great Bloviator and Missing Posts

Strangely, a post I made to this blog at 12:27 AM last night has disappeared from the blog - here is the post again, as best as I can remember it

daybyday sends up the Great Bloviator in Friday's strip, discounting the factor for us peasants.

Doonesbury did the same, in a manner of speaking, recently, as blogged here.

Interestingly, in what's probably a first for a cartoon, the daybyday strip references an excellent blog post made by Cathy Siepp yesterday and referenced by instapundit later in the day - the blog wave at work.

Now I wonder why that post disappeared - can it be the Bloviating Factor at work? Has this ever happened to you?

Enemies Of The State

Harry Turtledove, the superlative wordmeister of alternate history creates a world-that-could-have-been where the Greater German Reich rules most of the world in 2009, and countries like Britain, the United States and France chafe under the yoke of a Nazi mandate in his book "In The Presence Of Mine Enemies"

This book is quite different from his other ones in that all the action is from the perspective of a few common Germans who bear a dark secret at the heart of the Reich - they are Jews in a world gone crazy, that pass off as the chosen by a falsification of records. Their covert actions as enemies of the Nazi State are fraught with danger, yet they must serve it in order to survive. This creates a dramatic tension that carries the story along well. In most of Turtledove's books, a lot of characters seem cut from the same cloth - things aren't very different here, but the tension is more palpable - common themes like near-adultery play out against a backdrop of a subtly changing world - tilting towards perestroika-like change, based on, of all things, doctrinal differences between the first and subsequent editions of Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf.

In this world that might-have-been, sly digs are taken at the 'real' world - the German Fuhrer at the beginning of the book is named Kurt Haldweim, an unsubtle dig at Kurt Waldheim, Secretary-General of the UN in the 1970s and President of Austria in 1986, who faced allegations of war-crimes post his service in the SA

Long scenes are set in the context of bridge games featuring a foursome that comprises two husband-wife pairs - each very different, and significant in the story. The daughter of the main protagonist shows how difficult it is to dissemble your true identity in the face of your enemies, and still live a seemingly normal life, much as many Jews did in the Germany that was for real.

Things change, in the book, and the changes are good, yet as the main protagonist says at one point, in what is probably the thesis of Harry Turtledove's alternate history books,

"For us, how could what might have been be worse than what really was?

It is hard to compare this book with the other, more mainstream alternate history event of the year - Philip Roth's "The Plot Against America". For one, Harry Turtledove describes a world that never was, and yet the horrors described did happen indeed. For another, America features only tangentially in this book, mostly in attempts to under-pay levies due to the Germanic Empire.

The fundamental question of whether the world we live in is Panglossian or what might-have-been might be better than what is cannot be answered by us, save through fantasy. Perhaps, that is for the best, after all.

Also Recommended:
Uchronia, the Alternate History list - to make sense of all the gyrations of alternate history universes in fiction

St. Elsewhereism - 'nuff said

Next up on the reading list - Turtledove's "Days of Infamy"

Cooking Up Peace

Q80girl illustrates the power of peace and science to transform society by annotating a science experiment between a Palestinian and an Israeli youth. The science experiment was lost aboard Columbia on Feb 1, 2003.

The blog is one of the best Middle East blogs I've seen and is run by a Kuwaiti woman who wants to be the first "Kuwaiti, Arab, Muslim female" going into space.

She also references an interesting cookbook, unavailable on Amazon, called "Palestinian and Jewish Recipes for Peace" that features "Special recipes passed from generation to generation in both Jewish and Palestinian families.". This is published by the Jewish-Palestinian Living Room Dialogue Group of San Mateo County, California. Good review of the book at the SFChronicle

The 71 featured dishes range from roast leg of lamb, chicken sumac and stuffed grape leaves to potato knishes, borscht and brisket braised in chili sauce.

There is a recipe for maza, a lamb dish simmered with garlic, olive oil and chili peppers that is served for lunch on the second day of every Palestinian wedding, as well as a Hanukkah recipe for Brazilian doughnuts, submitted by a Brazilian who is married to an Israeli.

Then there is the squash recipe: "squash stereotypes, squash indifference, squash blame, squash violence."

Of Note:
Post the passing of the old warrior, Hamas may be softening it's stance to Israel, ref instapundit. A void must be filled at all costs, and perhaps it's easier all around to hope for the best. The 21st century will be the century of the hopeful dreamer in more ways than one. Getting lost in La Mancha, is easy, though, although one must trust other hopeful dreamers can find their way out.

Blog This Space

MSN Spaces displays the heart of darkness at the core of the proprietary model - the new blog service targets home users, but, as Xeni notes, the MSN Spaces terms of use are broad, to say the least

6. MATERIALS YOU POST OR PROVIDE; COMMUNICATIONS MONITORING
For materials you post or otherwise provide to Microsoft related to the MSN Web Sites (a "Submission"), you grant Microsoft permission to (1) use, copy, distribute, transmit, publicly display, publicly perform, reproduce, edit, modify, translate and reformat your Submission, each in connection with the MSN Web Sites, and (2)sublicense these rights, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law. Microsoft will not pay you for your Submission. Microsoft may remove your Submission at any time. For each Submission, you represent that you have all rights necessary for you to make the grants in this section. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Microsoft may monitor your e-mail, or other electronic communications and may disclose such information in the event it has a good faith reason to believe it is necessary for purposes of ensuring your compliance with this Agreement, and protecting the rights, property, and interests of the Microsoft Parties or any customer of a Microsoft Party

While blogger.com might not have a spiffy interface, and be run by another mega-corporation, somehow, I'm not going anywhere else. A thought - what if I posted a Creative Commons-licensed blog on MSN Spaces? Would that invalidate the MSN or the Commons license?

Finalement, if it adds to the creative mania of 10000 bloggers in pyjamas, the more the merrier - ref Milan Kundera's notes on graphomania

"The irresistable proliferation of graphomania among politicians, taxi drivers, childbearers, lovers, murderers, thieves, prostitutes, officials, doctors, and patients shows me that everyone without exception bears a potential writer within him, so that the entire human species has good reason to go down the streets and shout: 'We are all writers!'

For everyone is pained by the thought of disappearing, unheard and unseen, into an indifferent universe, and because of that everyone wants, while there is still time, to turn himself into a universe of words.

One morning (and it will be soon), when everyone wakes up as a writer, the age of universal deafness and incomprehension will have arrived."

Discussion on MSN Spaces here

Update: Naughty goodness continues - this could become a new blog-hobby (blobby?)

Top Tubes

Top Tubes - Which high-end television is best? By Fred Kaplan - looks at the dizzying array of hi-def television choices. Gizmodo has more on displays

I'm still happy with my 27-inch CRT. For me, aural accuracy is more important, and so my setup is like this:

My XBox Console - doubles up as a DVD Player/gaming console - hooks up to my Yamaha 6.1 home theater system, acoustically balanaced and arranged for optimal aural depth. My DVR provides both 5.1 and stereo output. The Yamaha converts the stereo to Dolby ProLogic so that sounds good too.

My music comes from the server via an inexpensive Belkin Tunecast Pro II - FM transmission - I've found 89.3 FM to be very clear in my area. This allows me to switch over to AOL's excellent radio service anytime.


Being a firm believer that content of the message is more important than the presentation, I stock up with Netflix movies, besides all the OnDemand channels - covering about 10 movies a week.

Recently viewed: Dogma, The Wire, The Terminal, Veer-Zaara

Wanted: Yamaha's YSP-1 "Digital Sound Projector"

Love Thy Neighbor

India, like most large states in history, has had a propensity of destabilizing its neighbors, wilfully or through sheer weight of economics. Historically, larger and more prosperous states tend to act as a magnet for capital and labor from surrounding areas, as well as sources of jealousy for their neighbors.

Prior to the division of the larger corpus of the Indian sub-continent into its modern nation states by the colonial powers, this was expressed more as regional conflicts between the 600+ kingdoms that constituted Bharat. Post the East Bengal partition , and the Partition that created Pakistan, India has had disharmonious relations with its neighbors.

The formation of SAARC, or the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation in 1985 was an attempt at bridging the gaps that existed between these neighbors. The proxy wars between the world superpowers in the Cold War era had their effects on relations in the subcontinent and sparked off a permanent arms race in the region.

South Asian Foreign Policy

Covert and overt support by both the Indian and Pakistani governments to various rebel groups in neighboring countries has been a cause for much conflict.

• Sri Lanka - The Indian army trained the nascent movement for self-determination by the native Tamils, providing covert arms support. From 1981, India's RAW established a network of training bases for these groups in India. This worked well, until for reasons related to political entente in the late 1980s, the Indian Government brokered a peace accord between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers. This did not last, and acting out of a sense of betrayal, a suicide bomber assasinated the Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi in 1990.
• Nepal - Long perceived as a crucial buffer state between the elephant and the dragon, the Hindu kingdom of Nepal has acutely felt the pressures. Pre-independence, the British did not push too hard for annexation of the kingdom, preferring to retain a resident for economic and political purposes. The capital, Kathmandu, became a nexus in the Great Game between the colonial powers. Just post-independence, India encouraged a long-suppressed desire by the King of Nepal to escape from the de facto rule of the Ranas, providing a safe haven and transit to King Tribhuvan, until the Ranas capitulated and ceded governing authority to the titular monarch. In more recent times, India has been more interested in preserving access to Nepalese trade and maintaining the status quo against the Maoist rebels, who have been propped up by China. The massacre of most of the Nepalese royal family in 2001 is still shrouded in mystery, and allegations of collusion by everyone from the CIA to India, and China.

To be continued....

Of Note:

The Doomsday clock - currently at seven minutes to midnight

The South Asian Intelligence Report - weekly briefing

The Spin Zone

Dec 2, Day by Day makes a grave joke on the Spin Zone, rather well, I dare say.

Doonesbury looks further under the toadstool

Meanwhile, Matt Drudge has christened his site "Drudge Report 2005", jumping the gun a bit.

Curiouser and curiouser.

Malaysia / Pahang

Malaysia / Pahang - a pretty region in a beautiful part of the world.



A wonderland of waterfalls & lush forests, it also features Malaysia's highest peak, Gunung Tahan. The forest cover is being denuded, though with deforestation

Day By Day

Day By Day - a very funny comic strip has recommenced publication with a dig at Rathergate and 'pajamadeens'

ref instapundit

Doonesbury, today, is toady

Popular Words

Popular words, used gratitiously:

The incumbent braved the electoral hurricane, avoiding his defenstration through an assertion of sovereignty that went down well with more than a peloton of cicadas, although to the distaste of insurgents in Iraq and partisans of a different weltanschauung as noted in this blog and the rest of the blogosphere last month.

Ref Merriam-Webster's words of the year

Any guesses as to next year's words?

Try wiki,conspiracy, photoblogging, podcasting, pundit

Shopping Around

Reports of poor sales over the Thanksgiving weekend lead one to believe that the consumer-led spending boom may be petering out.

Oft-quoted reasons for this - from the absence of rebate checks to the rising cost of living driven by oil prices. A couple of other reasons can be provided - comparison shoppers analyzed discounts at stores using sites that shall remain nameless, made the most of early-bird specials and then finished off the bird. Another reason, from a personal perspective is the lack of anything really new in the marketplace. Most consumer technologies are at the tail end of the current generation - from video game consoles to digital cameras. When one has it all, what else is there to get?

The most exciting thing I bought this weekend was a Lego table with a bucket of blocks for the little one - it brings back fond memories, and has meant a return to playing patterns at home that one experienced oneself in childhood. The television has retreated to a source of background noise, and the Shrek 2 and Family Guy DVD sets, also purchased this weekend, lie forgotten.

More aggressive discounting by the retailers might be pitched by over-enthusiastic marketing departments, but it is a dangerous game that contributes little, if anything, to the bottomline of the insatiable business.