Travel Deferred

Well, after a few moments of procrastination whilst in Faversham this morning, and selling what seems to be a large bunch of books for a mere twelve quid at Past Sentence, i have decided, after phoning GC, to travel down to Sussex early tomorrow rather than go today.

There are a number of reasons for this -

1. It would  cost less going tomorrow because i can use the one bus ticket to  go to Seaford and then on to Brighton for the gig in the evening.


2. Whilst i did get money for the books today i am hoping to get a couple of remittances from two of my mystery shopping companies tomorrow.


3. I will have to give my cousin some money for another bill due on Thursday, i think it is £18 as he seems to be brassic again.

​So, with fingers crossed, and usually these two companies do pay on the 25th i shall be off to Brighton , either way, money or not , i am still going as it is set in stone. I know these remittances will be here, and if not tomorrow , then certainly on Friday when i travel back. Plus i will be paid for the gig so everything is tickity-boo.

Book 58 - Russell Ash "Bizarre Books"

Russell Ash "Bizarre Books" (Jandyce Books)



"Bizarre Books" is a listing of books with odd titles and authors with odd names. It was originally published in Great Britain under the title "Fish Who Answer the Telephone," which I think is a better title.

This book might be more fun than just about any party game you might think of -- just sit around a room and read book titles like "Old Age: Its Cause and Prevention," "The Romance of Proctology" and "How to Get Fat."

Some of these titles, I'm sure, were intentionally funny. When Oscar Levant called his book "Memoirs of an Amnesiac" back in 1965, you can be certain he knew what he was doing. Much funnier are those titles that were probably concocted in all innocence: "Suggestive Thoughts for Busy Workers," published in 1883 by the Bible Christian Book Room; "The Gay Boys of Old Yale!," published in 1869; and "Shag the Pony," published by the Catholic Truth Society in 1952.

Whether intentionally funny or not, many titles are just plain odd: "Queen Victoria and Ping-pong," "The Supernatural History of Worms," "You Can Make a Stradivarius Violin," "Frolic and Fun with Egg-Shells," "Ice Cream for Small Plants," "Catching a Cannon Ball," "Hand Grenade Throwing as a College Sport," "Becoming a Sensuous Catechist" and "A Million Random Digits." The latter book consists of nothing but a million random digits.

Authors' names can also be fun. "The Ethics of Peace and War" was written by someone named I. Atack. Robin Banks wrote "Punishment" and Geoff Carless wrote "Motorcycling for Beginners." There have also been authors named Thomas Strangeways Pigg-Strangeways, Cornelius Crocus, Joy Muchmore Lacey, Lettice May Crump and Francis M. Fillerup.

This paperback, published in the United States in 2007, also includes many book covers and other illustrations, plus a few book excerpts, many of which are as funny as the titles. A 1933 book called "What's Wanted -- A List of 895 Needed Inventions" calls for someone to invent lipstick-proof linen, a bullet-proof stroboscope and "improvements in deckchairs whereby the user can sit sideways." Where was Thomas Edison when they needed him?

This is a remarkably enjoyable book that is filled to overflowing with book titles that will make you laugh out loud and frequently gasp in disbelief. Occasionally (very occasionally) you may even find yourself asking "hmmm, I wonder where I can get a copy of this one".

Book 59 - Charles Stross "Wireless"

Charles Stross "Wireless" (Orbit)





Stross always creates dense political worlds complete with all their economic ugliness. This is his strength, and also his curse. His readers have to be able adapt to his world quickly. He doesn't waste time with infodumps. Yeah! He doesn't waste time with infodumps. Oh no! This means your in for a fast paced story where you better catch on quickly, or in the case of a short story, it will pass you by before you do. His stories are always witty, intelligent and full of allusions that will make the reader in the know chuckle with glee. The reader sort of in the know might wonder if he chose a name like "Manson" to refer to Charles Manson, the murderer? (Hint: I'm sure that was deliberate!)

Some of the stories passed me by before I got my "sea legs" in his world. Some of them, I knew I was working hard to understand them. Some of them were absolutely brilliant though. "Rogue Farm" delighted me with it's novelty, but for some reason the Saturday Night Live phrase "Land Shark" kept running through my head. That only made it quirkier and funnier. "Trunk and Disorderly" was a twisty little romance, a Jeeves and Wooster go partying on Mars... only in this case it isn't Bertie who has to be saved from a bad marriage proposal.

Stross's comments at the ends of the stories were enjoyable too. Even though He comes across as a person with a distinct personality whenever I have read his fiction. Other authors are invisible behind their words, or long dead and perhaps never really lived. They just existed in photographs and quotations. His commentaries are part of why I feel this way about him.

And, of course, Stross is known for his biting humor, so it only seems right to end with a couple quotes.

"Brains, fresh brains for baby Jesus," crooned the farm in a warm contralto, startling Joe half out of his skin. "Buy my brains!" Half a dozen disturbing cauliflower shapes poked suggestively out of the farm's back, then retracted, coyly. from Rogue Farm

Uncontrolled civilization is a terminal consumptive state, as the victims of the first extinction discovered the hard way. from Palimpsest.

Dangerous Animal On Loose

Suarez bites again! He should be banned from all competitions.

Lager Beer - Mitchell & Webb

A classic Mitchell and Webb sketch on canned lager.

Constants

It got quite dark at tea time after being a sunny day. We had some rain but i didn't hear any thunder. That might still happen.

I have been catching up with the last two episodes of The Big Bang Theory , stumbled over some conundrums in Only Connect, and puzzled over the connections in the Round Britain Quiz  on BBC Radio 4.

Some of the connections in Only Connect were fiendish except for the physical constants which followed a pattern of  E F G and H  I got Planck's constant correct , as all these are the four fundamental constants of nature.  The others are the elementary charge (E) , the Faraday constant { the magnitude of electric charge per mole of electrons }  and the Gravitational constant.

There was a music link in the radio quiz which i deduced correctly as having the name Howard linked to them , such as Howard Goodall (Vicar Of Dibley theme )  and Howard Shore (Lord Of The Rings composer) and the other Howard being Catherine Howard (fifth wife of Henry VIII).

OK, now my brain hurts so off to bed.