[newest releases] not to be missed

Coming soon: The Phoenix and the GOP

Due out - November, 2008:

Kalms, Lord, Musical Chancellors, Tory Free Press

Whimsical variation of the old game of musical chairs.

Allan, Alex, Not so much a Coma, Just Gratefully Dead, JIC Ltd

Amazing recovery of a man given up for dead.

Featherstone, Lynne, Baby PMQ and the Question of Integrity, Choona Ryness Ltd

Comedy hour and the scoring of points by Britain’s greatest PM.

Obama BH, Book Deals, Student Loans and Cocaine, Renegade Publishers, Kenya

Obama – the missing years.

Walker, Heather, Bush’s Barney Bites Boston Celtic’s Brightest Babe, Jon Decker Press

Gog and Magog had nothing on these two.

Windsor, C. P. A. G., George, Albert, Bertie and LBA60, Royal Mews Press

Thoughts on regal names and the dilemma of faith

Palin, S. L. H., Geography 101, Gravina Island Press

New schools text on countries, continents and what you can see from your window.

[black friday] start of the christmas season

Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States, where it is the beginning of the traditional Christmas shopping season.

Americans and knowledgeable folk from other countries can yawn and skip this post - it's for those who don't know of this day. Wiki continues:

Retailers often decorate for the Christmas season weeks beforehand. Many retailers open very early (typically 5 am or even earlier) and offer doorbuster deals and loss leaders to draw people to their stores. Although Black Friday, as the first shopping day after Thanksgiving, has served as the unofficial beginning of the Christmas season at least since the start of the modern Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1924, the term "Black Friday" has been traced back only to the 1960s.

It's a bit of a controversial name, with retailers objecting to the negative connotations but with others suggesting it is when they finally come "into the black" for the year, i.e. make a profit. Some suggest it is black becasue of the huge traffic jams and general congestion around shopping centres. Ads like this appear all over the U.S.A. and people can pre-order.

Either way, though it is not always the most lucrative of the year's shopping days, it is one of the most important. Perhaps some Americans can fill us in on this day - what it means to them.

[britain] easy on my mind

Fabulous autumn day in the woods today and in the words of John Buchan's Richard Hannay:

"I could not contrive to feel careworn."

The colours, from light green through the browns to orange and the canopy of branches were soft on the eyes and the smell of the forest was something else. Everyone walking past was acknowledging everyone else with a nod and the nastiness of the past week just dropped away. Squirrels hopped about and ate nuts between their paws and birds called.

I'm going to run posts on the best of Canada, the U.S., Australia and Russia at some point but today is "the best of Britain". Britain has a few things going for it, despite the recession, despite the ASBOs, despite this government and their USSR mentality, despite lots of things.

Here are some:

1. There is a sense of history. Even woods have a history to them, an ancient name and you can imagine hunters in there 700 years ago, the deer and so on. The castles and historic buildings, the mews and the like go without saying.

2. There are such restrictive planning laws over here and yet that cuts both ways. Local councils preserve the look of an area and for people already living there, there is a strong element of conservation in place. Building tends to be upwards rather than of the sprawling ribbon variety and whilst that creates a boxed-in, huddled together village effect, it allows much woodland and field to remain intact, along with wildlife.



3. The colours are so rich and vibrant. Australia has its dusky hues, very nice too, Sicily has its light, rocky, sandstone feel but here it is closer to primary colours.

4. There is a climate of eccentricity here which spills into, say, the motoring field. I know people in the States who do up old Buick 56s and so on but there is a different feel this side of the pond. Here there's a ready acceptance of Healey replicas, frog-eyed Sprites, Cobras and Caterhams and train spotting is a recognized pasttime. It allows someone to breathe, this atmosphere.

5. Climate - there are four seasons, sometimes in one day and today's cool dampness, with a bit of a breeze, was quite soothing. Nothing gets too extreme.

As I said, I'll extol the virtues of the other countries in subsequent posts but today I'm just looking at Britain. I couldn't imagine anything lovelier than to have a little place near the woods, themselves near water somewhere, working online from home and doing a bit of dinghy sailing and rambling in my spare time.

If only. Maybe it will be possible one day.

[alcoholism] when is it recognized

It's not a good idea to open a post with an apology but I'll apologize up front to any readers who are the prisoners of addiction, be it alcohol, other drugs, caffeine or even chocolate.

We're going to an almighty knees-up tomorrow and the thought flitted through the head, "I hope there's some beer there." Many know that I don't smoke and hardly drink - I think the last beer was a month ago, the one before that a month and a half earlier and the one before that in Sicily. Can't remember when I last smoked.

However, I'd kill for a beer right now - a nice, luscious Theakstons or whatever, foaming at the top and sliding down with the minimum of effort. Should I check in to Alcoholics Anonymous?

A bit more seriously, when does a person recognize the problem? At what point? Seems to me that he can't recognize it until it's upon him. There's a drinking culture among youth and it's highly publicized. I do think it's worse than yesteryear but then again, I was first drunk at thirteen, then at seventeen and there was a fair bit of bingeing after that. Must have been a saint between thirteen and seventeen.

What happened? Don't know - just grew out of it, I suppose. I've always loved red wine and developed a taste for a single malt along the way so there's no moral objection to the stuff. Even Jesus advised people to try a little wine instead of water, I believe.

Again, where is the point when you're addicted?

[mfttj] zvwyoko ejgfaf jstfkff

Word verification - Zvwyoko?  Jstfkff!  I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it.   

There.

I feel better now.

[igloos] how to build 'em

With that time of year almost upon us, you'll clearly be wondering how to construct your igloo. How Stuff Works explains:

1. Find an area with a lot of dry, hard-packed snow. Use the snow saw or knife to cut large blocks -- the harder the snow is, the more solid the snow blocks will be. Your snow blocks should be about 3 feet long, 15 inches high and 8 inches deep, according to "The Complete Wilderness Training Guide."

2. Smooth the edges of the blocks. Place them in a circle, working your way up. Blocks should decrease in size as you work upwards. Using your shovel or saw, cut a hole under the wall to create the igloo's entrance.

3. Overlap the blocks and shape them to lean inward, creating the dome. The blocks should support each other in order to prevent the dome from collapsing. If necessary, use a stick or other support in the interior to support the blocks at the top until the dome is finished.

4. Once all the blocks except the last one have been placed, find a block that is slightly too large for the last opening on top. Place it on top of the igloo and wiggle it into place, shaping as needed. It should be shaped to fit exactly in the opening.

5. Shovel loose snow onto the igloo. Pack it into all of the crevices. Smooth the inside of the igloo by hand and shovel out any extra snow.

6. Finish the entrance by digging a hole in the shape of the desired entrance (some igloo aficionados prefer L-shaped entrances because they keep the wind out better). Then cover the hole with snow blocks.

7. You must cut ventilation holes in the walls and roof to prevent suffocation. Air holes also prevent body heat from causing dangerous levels of carbon dioxide.

8. If you want to upgrade your igloo, consider adding these amenities:

* A small stove: Yes, you can cook inside an igloo. Excessive use of a stove can build up carbon monoxide to dangerous levels, but your air holes should guard against that.

* Extra head room: Some igloo builders recommend digging the floor down a little to allow for more space.

* A sleeping platform: You can loft your bed with some extra blocks of snow. Since warm air rises, you'll enjoy a little extra heat that way.

There is a nice pictorial version here too.