Nicholson Baker on the Kindle 2

It was pale, about the size of a hardcover novel, but much thinner, and it had a smallish screen and a QWERTY keyboard at the bottom made of tiny round pleasure-dot keys that resisted pressing. I gazed at the keys for a moment and thought of a restaurant accordion.

The plug, which was combined with the USB connector, was extremely well designed, in the best post-Apple style. It was a very, very good plug.

Otherwise, he’s just not that into it. Read the whole review here.

Monitor: Marginal Revolution

Take a gander at this

Dim Post has the scoop on a major constitutional intervention by the Governor-General, who in the interests of a stronger democracy has dismissed Phil Goff as Leader of the Opposition, and in fact all Labour MPs, and replaced them with. . .

Well, see for yourself.

Game of the week: fireball hockey

James Delingpole introduces us to fireball hockey:

God, what a fantastic game! You wrap a bog roll in chicken wire, douse it in paraffin, set fire to it and then play hockey with it — preferably while drunk and wearing black tie, as I was lucky enough to do myself three years ago in front of the officers’ mess at the Norfolk HQ of the Light Dragoons.

Pink Floyd as futurologists

In their 1968 single “Point Me at the Sky”, Henry McLean builds a “beautiful flying machine” and invites his girlfriend to join him in space and escape the horrors to come when there would be standing room only on Earth and no food:

And if you survive till 2005
I hope you're exceedingly thin
For if you are stout you will have to breathe out
While the people around you breathe in

People pressing on my sides
Is something that I hate
And so is sitting down to eat with only
Little capsules on my plate.

People did believe this in the 1960s – the junk science was settled.

A hot economics formula

Matt Nolan reports that there are now 12 New Zealand blogs written by economists

… that is approximately one per 358,333 people.
This is epic. It makes me proud of our country.

He is possibly being ironic. In another post he quotes this:


Call me a former maths student but that rocks. I miss formulae like that so much. It’s great editing novels and biographies and Brian Turner, but what I really want for my next job is a maths textbook. Is that so wrong?

Modern madness

Christopher Lane reports that the American Psychiatric Association is debating whether “avid shopping” should be considered a sign of mental illness. More than that:

The APA isn’t just deciding the fate of shopaholics; it’s also debating whether overuse of the Internet, “excessive” sexual activity, apathy, and even prolonged bitterness should be viewed, quite seriously, as brain “disorders.”

That covers just about everyone I know.

Monitor: Mick Hartley

Cactus Kate sentence of the day

Staying at university is the modern-day drop out option in society for brainy people.

Pop goes the fact-checker

I love dopey pop lyrics. Paul McCartney’s “In this world in which we live in”, the Fourmyula’s “The horizon looks much closer than it seems”, and on and on. So Word magazine’s August edition offering some wonderfully innumerate and otherwise challenged pop lyrics was a delight. Here are a few: do buy a copy – it’s really good for pop fans of a certain age.

“The Wrestler” by Bruce Springsteen:

Have you ever seen a dog with one leg making its way down the street?

With three crutches, presumably, or possibly on a skateboard.

“Cities” by Talking Heads:

Did I forget to mention, I forgot to mention Memphis/
home of Elvis and the Ancient Greeks

Memphis was about 22 km south of modern Cairo. Not very Greek at all.

“Pride (in the name of love)” by U2:

Early morning, April 4/
Shot rings out in the Memphis sky

Memphis again. Martin Luther King was shot just after 6 pm, more like early evening.

“This Time I Know It’s for Real” by Donna Summer:

What would I have to do to get you to notice me/
Do I stand in line, one of a million adoring eyes?

Ms Summer, happily, is sighted in both eyes.

“Killer Queen” by Queen:

She’s a killer queen, gunpowder, gelatine/
Dynamite with a laser beam, guaranteed to blow your mind

That would be gelignite not gelatine, which is not an explosive. At all. Unless you are really, really crap at making jelly.

Peter Williams, party animal

The Herald reports:

The stars came out to Auckland’s Viaduct on Friday night to celebrate Peter Williams’ 30-year career at TVNZ.

The camera does not lie: he clearly loved every minute of it.

Williams started working at the state broadcaster in 1979 as a sports anchor and has since covered seven Olympic games.

Thirty years at TVNZ – what a survivor. I think he should be reading the 6 pm bulletin every night – he’s far and away the best newsreader we have and he’s a very good interviewer too. But I guess that would interfere with his afternoon golf, which would never do.

Friends and family

Chris at NZBC is having trouble with his waterworks.

Kate at LaughyKate is suffering from visual food poisoning.

David Cohen at NBR wonders if the free lunch is no longer a viable business model.

Chris Trotter at Bowalley Road is depressed by Phil Goff.

Chris Bourke at Distractions has been a bit quiet lately – he must be writing another book. Or maybe he’s still in mourning for Michael Jackson after writing this obit for the Listener.