Feeling inadequate?
Well, you will be after catching up on the wit and wisdom of these giants of the business world. There’s honestly nothing I look forward to more than these LinkedIn updates which pass on the incredible insights of these amazing people. I really hope that they can find a way to convey more of these extraordinary commentaries from Stewart, Branson et al. They really talk to me about my life
True wisdom indeed
The Universe. In a year
I do like this
The Universe in One Year was inspired by the late astronomer, Carl Sagan (1934-1996). Sagan was the first person to explain the history of the universe in one year-as a “Cosmic Calendar”-in his television series, Cosmos.
Looking at the calendar in a bit more detail:
Pre-December Dates
Big Bang January 1
Origin of Milky Way Galaxy May 1
Origin of the solar system September 9
Formation of the Earth September 14
Origin of life on Earth ~ September 25
December 31
Origin of Proconsul and Ramapithecus, probable ancestors of apes and men ~ 1:30 p.m.
First humans ~ 10:30 p.m.
Widespread use of stone tools 11:00 p.m.
Domestication of fire by Peking man 11:46 p.m.
Beginning of most recent glacial period 11:56 p.m.
Seafarers settle Australia 11:58 p.m.
Extensive cave painting in Europe 11:59 p.m.
Invention of agriculture 11:59:20 p.m.
Neolithic civilization; first cities 11:59:35 p.m.
First dynasties in Sumer, Ebla and Egypt; development of astronomy 11:59:50 p.m.
Invention of the alphabet; Akkadian Empire 11:59:51 p.m.
Hammurabic legal codes in Babylon; Middle Kingdom in Egypt 11:59:52 p.m.
Bronze metallurgy; Mycenaean culture; Trojan War; Olmec culture; invention of the compass 11:59:53 p.m.
Iron metallurgy; First Assyrian Empire; Kingdom of Israel; founding of Carthage by Phoenicia 11:59:54 p.m.
Asokan India; Ch’in Dynasty China; Periclean Athens; birth of Buddha 11:59:55 p.m.
Euclidean geometry; Archimedean physics; Ptolemaic astronomy; Roman Empire; birth of Christ 11:59:56 p.m.
Zero and decimals invented in Indian arithmetic; Rome falls; Birth of Islam and the Islamic Civilization 11:59:57 p.m.
Mayan civilization; Sung Dynasty China; Byzantine empire; Mongol invasion; Crusades 11:59:58 p.m.
Renaissance in Europe; voyages of discovery from Europe and from Ming Dynasty China; emergence of the experimental method in science 11:59:59 p.m.
Widespread development of science and technology; emergence of global culture; acquisition of the means of self-destruction of the human species; first steps in spacecraft planetary exploration and the search of extraterrestrial intelligence
Now: The first second of New Year’s Day
Does it matter?
No. I still like books but now prefer to read most things on the iPad. So why are people getting quite so exercised about it? It really isn’t the end of civilisation.
Ye olde books
Tim Parks in the New York Review of Books offers a thorough and utterly sensible commentary on ebooks and concludes:
The e-book, by eliminating all variations in the appearance and weight of the material object we hold in our hand and by discouraging anything but our focus on where we are in the sequence of words (the page once read disappears, the page to come has yet to appear) would seem to bring us closer than the paper book to the essence of the literary experience. Certainly it offers a more austere, direct engagement with the words appearing before us and disappearing behind us than the traditional paper book offers, giving no fetishistic gratification as we cover our walls with famous names. It is as if one had been freed from everything extraneous and distracting surrounding the text to focus on the pleasure of the words themselves. In this sense the passage from paper to e-book is not unlike the moment when we passed from illustrated children’s books to the adult version of the page that is only text. This is a medium for grown-ups.
The end of civilisation
It’s a powerful and compelling argument and really difficult to disagree with. The debate really is pointless. So can we move on now please?
The dangers of fantasy football
The bargain of FIFA 12 for iPad proved irresistible as a Christmas gift to self (at 69p) and has delivered top drawer entertainment over the festive period. Using the easy setting have now got into the following, rather unbelievable, league position:
And, having failed to let that lead slip, the final result was a first for the Canaries:
Well, it might happen one day. Just hope it’s not tempting fate.
Festive indulgence for all the family
A top notch nativity scene has been acquired
Plus essential accessories:
At last, Christmas has arrived.
Two more pics from Connemara
Successful damming project at Coral Beach, Ballyconneelly
And a brief visit to the Alcock and Brown monument (aiming to revisit the landing site another day)
Seals, spotted at Mannin Bay, Ballyconneelly
They’re right in the middle of the frame but afraid have failed to zoom this pic properly…
AC/DC are launching their own range of beverages
According to the BBC, that is:
They’re selling varieties named after some of their biggest hits, including Highway to Hell cabernet sauvignon, Hells Bells sauvignon blanc and You Shook Me All Night Long muscat.
The group, fronted by brothers Angus and Malcolm Young, have teamed up with Australian winemaker Warburn Estate for the release of AC/DC The Wine.
The range will be available in Australia from Thursday.
The four different bottles will be sold in Woolworths stores across the country.
“We wanted to make sure that AC/DC’s home fan base could have easy access to their rock icons’ wines,” said Steve Donohue, general manager of buying for the Woolworths Liquor Group.
“For us it was a no-brainer to make it available nationally, no-one misses out. This is a worldwide phenomenon and a first in the marketplace.”
Apparently though AC/DC aren’t the first band to launch their own drinks brand. Kiss, The Rolling Stones, Iron Maiden and Whitesnake have all brought out own brand wines as has Madonna.
Never seen any of them for sale. And surprised that UB40 have yet to get there too.
Coulrophobia
Coulrophobia: the fear of clowns. Or just common sense?
The Independent has an article related to this.
Anyway, best avoided as far as possible
First Ladies by Kay Burley
It isn’t published until May but I think I’ve heard enough already.
According to Steven Fielding “Kay Burley’s book betrays a venerable tradition”. This is probably the kindest thing that is said about it:
Sky News’s Kay Burley probably does not realise it, but her debut novel First Ladies forms part of a once-vibrant tradition within English literature: political women writing about politics.
For the most part writing about politics, as in real life, has been a man’s job. Disraeli and Trollope set the mould. But a few members of what Disraeli would undoubtedly have called “the fairer sex” have made a distinctive overlooked contribution to the canon.
Some will make snide fun of the limitations of Burley’s prose style. Others shall speculate on whom the “suave PM Julian Jenson” and “sexy TV reporter Isla McGovern” might be based. The most culturally and politically significant aspect of Burley’s novel, however, is the sorry place it leaves this once-noble literary tradition.
I like political fiction. I really don’t like the sound of this.
