What’s Happening Here?

Just to explain what’s happening here: my blog is changing. I will no longer be blogging regularly since the daily podcast (Litopia Daily) has largely replaced that function. It’s also much higher on my list of priorities – I think a short daily podcast is far more useful to writers than random musings [...]

Age Labels on Children’s Books

Big debate going on over at The Bookseller about this.  I think people are getting worked up over very little… there are far bigger issues for authors to be concerned about at the moment.  If you don’t want the darn label on your book - tell your publisher!  Simple.  And move on to something [...]

Next, The Kiddie-Tazer

“Scan It®” says the manufacturer’s blurb, ” is an educational and creative play toy that helps children become acclimated with airport and public spaces security. “  Just what we need to train the next generation in mindless compliance and bovine docility. 

The State of China – part one

Michael Ledeen is not a man whose opinions I would naturally respect.  A prominent voice calling for war against Iraq (“One can only hope that we turn the region into a cauldron, and faster, please.  If ever there were a region that richly deserved being cauldronized, it is the Middle East today”) he has been [...]

Ideologically Bankrupt?

Whatever has happend to the Project for a New American Century website? Can’t they afford to pay their bills now?

Misinterpreting the Candidate

It takes a bit of a reach to wilfully misunderstand some unguarded words by Hilary Clinton, but many have done so. This is what she was reported as having said:
“My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all [...]

McShit

Just one of the many ways in which McDonalds are prettifying our inner city streets. Thank you, Ronald!

Protect Us From Ourselves

“A massive government database holding details of every phone call made and letter sent by the public is being planned as part of the fight against crime and terrorism. The Post office would open and copy every letter before delivery, and would hand over their records to the Home Office under plans put forward by [...]

So Many Beards, So Little Time…

It’s beard week here in Baker Street. Kicking things off, this rather splendid graphic from Jon Dyer’s equally magnificent beardy blog. What style shall I choose next? Spoilt for choice! The French Fork is tempting… so is the Mighty Insecto… pass me those scissors…

Get A Few Batteries…

Police constable Zeeshaan Chaudry describes in today’s News of the World how he can “fit up” anyone he wants as a terrorist - and ten years jail time.
“Get a few batteries”, says PC Chaudry, “put wires around them, strip the wires to make it look like he is making bombs and that. Put them in [...]

Reading Churchill

“History will be kind to me”, said Winston Churchill, “for I intend to write it.” I’m reading two Churchill tomes at the moment - “A History of the English-Speaking Peoples” and “The Second World War” (abridged). They are both exceptionally absorbing, and I recommend them to anyone with any interests in these subjects. Contrary [...]

The Truth About Litopia After Dark…

Somebody released this damn thing onto the internet. All I can say is: I didn’t know I was being recorded. It was Sting’s fault, curse him.

Louis Vuitton, Corporate Wraithlords

Louis Vuitton are suing Danish art student Nadia Plesner for copyright infringement. Not for making the usual knock-off copies of their bags that can be seen on most high streets, but for something much more disturbing.
Plesner created the artwork for fund-raising t-shirts after reading the book ”Not On Our Watch” by Don Cheadle [...]

Halligan

I never knew what a halligan was before this – but damn, I want one now.

Beef

Improbably large-breasted prostitute Natalie Springer complains in today’s News of the World that celebrity hairdresser Nicky Clarke treated her “just like a piece of meat to be paid for his pleasure”.
That is the whole point of prostitution, Ms. Springer, and I’m rather surprised no-one has pointed that out to you before.

OK, so get over it

glumbert - He’s Dead Jim

TFP - The Epilogue

Very perceptive “lessons learned” piece by Danuta Kean following the collapse of The Friday Project. While I don’t like to say “I told you so”, (OK, I do…) it was crashingly obvious, as blogged in these pages for many months, that their business model simply was not viable. Some of the comments following [...]

Spread The Word About Podwatch

Podwatch has gone straight into my “must listen” category of podcasts. Full disclosure – Podwatch was kind enough to give LITOPIA AFTER DARK a near-perfect 9.5 marks out of 10 in their recent review – so I suppose I’m not totally disinterested! However, since first learning about this review site/podcast (our podcast officer, [...]

Litopia After Dark - Caffeine Nights

This Friday’s LITOPIA AFTER DARK is going to be another good one – we have another special guest booked in the form of Darren E. Laws, who’s done what many authors have fantasized about, and set up his own publishing company, Caffeine Nights Publishing. “Caffeine Nights Publishing wants to be at the forefront of [...]

Anon Strikes Again!

And out of the blue, they came… to Tottenham Court Rd, London, this afternoon, and probably most other places worldwide where the Xenu-philes are located. Impressive demo.

Modern Publishing Paradox

Thinking about a book proposal I’m helping to final-polish…
Publishers increasingly want authors with built in platforms, but authors with built-in platforms need publishers less and less…

Cultured Meat

Here’s are interesting idea that I’ve been predicting for decades.  I don’t think cultured meat is for me - I’ve done pretty well all my life without it - but it could well be a saner and kinder use of our food resources.  Be interesting to see if the epidemiology shows any health advantages over [...]

Litopia After Dark - Backstage

As an experiment, we’ve started to stream the LITOPIA AFTER DARK pre-show planning sessions live on UStream every Friday. The first one was streamed by mistake, then we realized we’d got people watching… so we’re going to continue. You can access it on our UStream page here, from (approximately) the following times:

12:30pm London
7:30am New [...]

Rolld

You May Mock, But When They Come For You, Who’ll Be Laughing Then?

“Since trying Michael Menkin’s Helmet, I have not been bothered by alien mind control. Now my thoughts are my own. I have achieved meaningful work and am contributing to society.”
$35, and cheap at the price.