SCIENCE!

Just finished reading The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing, a collection edited by Richard Dawkins. Though I’m not too keen on his militant atheism, for once he manages to rein it in and concentrate on the excellent science writing. The extracts selected are all great choices; some from works I’ve read previously, some I wanted to read, and some I wasn’t aware of. The brief comments by Dawkins introducing each are also insightful, and help give valuable context. Best of all it was only £6, bargain!

Is your bed made? Is your sweater on?

And now for another in my irregular series of cover version posts. This time featuring a song that’s very close to my heart: “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” by Vampire Weekend.

I bought Vampire Weekend’s album for maybe the most uncool reason possible: it was recommended on Countdown. Yes, the daytime game show, which I was watching at my grandparents’.

Actually that’s not strictly true. I had heard it before when a friend played it to me, and I absolutely loved it. But then much alcohol was consumed and I entirely forgot about this wonderful album. So a few months later when Jeff Stelling out of the blue mentioned it on Countdown, it came back to me. I grabbed it as soon as possible. It was only then I realised that one of their tracks (“A-Punk”) was the theme to the excellent Inbetweeners.

I genuinely think every track on the album is great, and it’s not very often I feel that way. But “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” is a particular favourite, partly because the lyrics remind me of a certain girl who I was very close to. That all ended quite bitterly, but of the songs reminding me of her, this one somehow always makes me feel positive. And of course it’s great musically too.

  • The first cover is a slightly unusual choice, since it ditches the lyrics I love so much entirely. Vampire Weekend have obviously been greatly inspired by African and African-influenced music, and this takes that one step further by replacing the lyrics with African chanting. I’m not sure if this can strictly be called a cover version, but it is absolutely great and extremely cheerful.
    The Very Best (Esau Mwamwaya & Radioclit) – Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa:

  • And the second is unusual too, since it is by someone specifically mentioned in the song. Yes, the venerable Peter Gabriel, along with Hot Chip: Peter Gabriel & Hot Chip – Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa (Vampire Weekend)

Lol, maths

I apologise for the technical quality of this picture. It was made in Facebook’s “Graffiti” application, using my laptop’s useless touchpad. Even so, it’s apparently the second most popular picture I’ve ever posted on b3ta. Hooray for maths jokes! :-)

Also from the maths jokes compo:

Ghost Hunting With X

Whilst flicking through the TV schedules late at night, ITV2 threw out one of the most amazing titles I’ve ever seen. “Ghost Hunting With The Happy Mondays”

Ghost Hunting. With The Happy Mondays.

So I was just about to post this, and maybe some of the other ridiculous titles I’ve seen recently (e.g. “Pants Off Dance Off”, “100 Men Own My Breasts”). I decided to google the ghost hunting show first, and it turns out that “Ghost Hunting With X” is something of a phenomenon. Where X = “Girls Aloud”, “McFly”, “Coronation Street”, “Radio 1”, “Louis Walsh and Boyzone”, and strangest of all: “The Dingles” o_O

In this episode Yvette takes Lucy Pargeter (Chastity Dingle), Verity Rushworth (Donna Windsor-Dingle), Hayley Tamaddon (Delilah Dingle), Joseph Gilgun (Eli Dingle) and Mark Charnock (Marlon Dingle), to three of the reputedley most haunted locations in York, including the National Railway Museum.

Only four of the five members of Girls Aloud took part in the pilot episode of the show, which was set in North Wales. Nadine Coyle opted out of the show because she was too scared.

Wikipedia

Two thousand and ten

Happy new year! I was getting tired of the radiance-based theme here, so switched to the aptly titled “veryplaintxt”. This is a lot tidier and also removes the need for me to co-ordinate colours, something I’m really hopeless at. I might make some customisations of my own at some point, and that should be easier as this theme is very nicely coded. I’m quite happy with how my Wikinews user page is turning out, so will probably use some ideas from there.

Christmas covers

So I’ve wanted to post some cover versions for a while, they’re a bit of a guilty pleasure for me. And I’ve really been inspired by several other sites, such as:

So in the spirit of the season, here’s a rather unusual but excellent cover, of this year’s unusual but excellent Christmas number one:

Merry Christmas!

Found this on Milkround whilst looking for jobs

“TPP is a fast-growing software company, based in Leeds, deploying a market-leading computer system to the NHS. As part of the high-profile NHS National Programme for IT, TPP’s product, SystmOne, makes a genuine difference to clinicians and patient care across the UK.”

“Below are examples of the types of things that you could experience at TPP: developing good relationships within all levels of the NHS, from customers to Chief Executives”

“Salary and benefits:
– £20,000 starting salary
– BUPA health and dental care (after six month’s service)“

Spam

Some spam e-mail subject lines I have received recently:

  • Prices for these watches coincide with your abilities. Good to hear it.
  • A fabulous instrument will give you a fabulous reputation. Is it a theremin? I hope it’s a theremin! Oh…
  • Endless diamonds on your replica watch. Endless I tell you!
  • With a big stick you will be the king of the beach. Speak softly.
  • You need more blood to make your penis bigger? Yes, it seems spammers have now sunk to selling human blood.
  • Buy vi.aaaaaaaa-grrrrr.raaaaaaa and start. your n+ew hap,pier life in y-ear 2009! Full marks for enthusiasm, but loses some for being sent in November of 2009.
  • Our watch will look great even on any loser. :-(