springcleanin update update:
it seems a pity as some of them had excellent labels etc – a box of chinese prawn cracker mix, various hot cajun sauces – but i cleared out my shelf of jams, chutneys, preserves, pickles etc, being v.strict a[…]

TIME COMMANDERS UPDATE: or “OLAF THE FLASHY“:
they’ve changed the TC format slightly, so that the battle comes with a prior getcha-feet-wet skirmish, plus BATTLED PAUSED respites for the amateur warmongers to gather their wits (whi[…]

CBB5*: PUBLIC IMAGE LTD:
i. treble turner prizes all round ii. i spose to be on top of the FACTS i shd actually read everything written by and abt GG’s involvement and exit: from a semi-distance (ie i only watched the tv bits) i deduce that (c[…]

I can’t remember who it was who recommended Pelecanos to me, but I had the impression he was well worth a try, that he might just be someone to join my other big favourite current crime writers. This is pretty good, but nothing has really made […]

Chemical Brothers – Push The Button
The big UK dance acts of the ’90s are fading. Underworld’s last album was their weakest yet. Massive Attack’s last two (including Danny The Dog) are pretty poor. The Prodigy and Fatboy Slim […]

Palomar by Gilbert Hernandez
My favourite Christmas present from last month was this collection of all of Gilbert Hernandez’s Palomar stories from the original run of Love & Rockets, a hardback volume with over 500 pages of comics. Like mo[…]

Council Estate Of Mind – Skinnyman
A bit late, in that it came out last year, but I’ve only just got it, and really want to give it a bit of a push. I think it’s the best straight hip hop album produced in the UK last year (that is,[…]

TAB {no, not that kind} UPDATE
It had been settled, an investigation concluded yesterday.
As it was LUNCHTIME, I stayed for two pints and a catfish po-boy (blackened, with tasty remoulade and the most remarkable side of tangy crisps).
Delicious.
The […]

Day 9: The Sound Of The Underground
AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 LOUSY TUNES

I crept back into the container to sleep, not trusting the strange sounds of this island. Hunger did over-take me the night before though and I trapped, killed and skinned one of[…]

My brother and I went to this event at the Royal Society last night, because we had both read Diamond’s previous book Guns, Germs and Steel, and enjoyed it (although neither of us finished it, but hey). The lecture was introduced by the Preside[…]