I'm installing Windows 2000 on my computers. Partly because it's smaller and more easily configurable than XP, partly because it's more stable and doesn't slow down or crash quite so much, and partly because the XP disk produces a wierd error halfway through installation, before locking up.
I find Overdetermination to be a very useful concept.
The internet in the place where you can read news from all over the world. Or rather, newspapers and magazines from lots of places, which isn't quite the same thing. Here's a random selection of stuff from the UK.
The Barnsley Chronicle has a lead story on how "racial tension has rocketed...by 40 per cent, to 220 [attacks]". This is "even though the number of immigrants and asylum seekers in the borough is tiny". Eventually someone will notice the areas with the most racism are also the whitest.
The British Audio Journal has, by the kind of alchemy possible only on the internet, become a page of links to bisexual porn. With titles like Bi and Large (featuring some of the worst photoshopping I've seen recently) and the subtlely named Three Pillows.
The local newspaper Newbury Today features a row over whether a place called "Swan's Bottom" should get a new name, and a survey on "Have we seen the last of summer?", with three choices: Yes, No and Don't Care.
Old Bike Mart has a report on a (new) motorcycle that communicates with satellites to determine the speed limit of the road you're on, and won't let you go faster. There's also a brief history of the Clady Circuit, home of the Ulster Grand Prix 1922 - 1956. Actually quite interesting.
Petrolium Economist reports on how oil prices and demand remain high, so suppliers of oil drilling hardware can hike up their prices. Also the demand for cleaner fuels is rising while oil quality is declining, so intensive refining is a growth industry. Unfortunately I can't tell you much more without subscribing.
The Yorkshire Post informs us that, with the closing down of two of the three Roman Catholic schools, there won't be enough places for catholic children. But apparantly this isn't because one school has fewer places than three. No no no, it's because there's too many children from Eastern Europe in Yorkshire. In other kiddy news, a boy was sent home from school for having a non-regulation short-back-and-sides hairdo.
And finally, The Sun, home of soft porn, hard right politics and everything you never wanted to know about footballers and their fucking wives. Ian Huntley, convicted of a double child murder, recorded a detailed horrific confession on cassette before suiciding in jail last week. Maybe. Or maybe not. The Sun hasn't heard the tape yet. But they do have a photo of it. They can shockingly revael that it's got "Queen" written on one side...and "Meatloaf" on the other.
Oh yes, and Prince William has got a girlfriend. The Sun has a picture of this too, saying it proves they're going to get married.
Bloody typical. Last night it took two complete reinstallation of Windows 2000, plus several reinitialisations of the master boot record, before I got it booting up reliably. Looks like it'll be the same on the other computer tonight.
God I love computers. They make life so easy. And the internet has changed everything, because everyone has instant access to high quality information.
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I rather like Swan's Bottom. I can see how it would present a bit of a tourism challenge though.
ReplyDeleteOh tourism isn't the problem. British tourists love place names that sound a bit rude. There's British tourist towns called Brest and Bosom - and I'm sure if there were a place called Upper Bottomly, it would be a tourist Mecca.
ReplyDeleteI seem to remember there's a Canadian town called Dildo, an Amish town called Intercourse, and a German town called Arse. Brits love that kind of thing - they keep stealing the roadsigns.
No, the problem is always the locals. They think having a funny place name means people won't take the seriously. Which is odd, because that kind of thinking is the real reason no one takes them seriously.