I never knew till just now that you can copy the contents of your iTunes library view (or any other view) to Excel using copy and paste, on a Mac at least. This enables you to do all sorts of statto-ish calculations. For example, it turns out that since I bought this laptop (about 18 months ago), I’ve listened to 26,644 tracks, with a total playing time of just over sixty-five days. And subtotals? Don’t even get me started on subtotals.
Author: Anthony
Solidarnosc
Norman Birnbaum remembers Solidarity on the 25th anniversary of its founding.
Tory leadership election
Ken Clarke has announced that he’s going to stand for the Tory leadership.
I lost a lot of respect for him a few days back when he pandered to the sceps by saying that Britain won’t join the euro for at least ten years. It seems to be playing well with the Tories, though. Norman Lamont was just on Newsnight gloating about the ‘failure’ of the Euro (a popular meme – apparently the euro was designed to solve every economic problem in all of Europe, but sadly, it’s only succeeded in creating a new international reserve currency and bringing ten European countries into a stable currency union).
But for all my frustrations with the knee-jerk scepticism of the British political signoria, I can’t see it as a good sign for the Tory party that the only candidate with well-known views feels he has to jettison them to have a chance of success. Again, the question arises – just what are the Tories for, Mummy?
Valencian metro
Jane and the kids are off to Jávea at the end of next month. Valencia, the nearest city, is a wonderful place, and I’m sorry not to be able to head over there with them. One of the best things on the web about Valencia is the website of its Metro, with a nifty interactive map that even gives details of station exits and their opening hours. It’s a really well-designed site as well.
Drinking for Britain
Paul Skidmore at the Demos Greenhouse riffs nicely on the Daily Mail’s latest rant topic, the 2003 Licensing Act.
Of course, the Daily Mail is onto a winner here. Lots of fuming sixty-somethings, the Youth of Today, What Was Wrong With The Old Laws. Sigh. And, of course, it’s so much easier to campaign against a Government policy when it’s already been law for 2 years. Then it’s much easier to criticise them for not listening to the People Of Britain (by which, of course, the Daily Mail means the Daily Mail).
Gas prices in the US
Metafilter discusses the prospect of American gas (petrol) prices reaching European levels.
Google vs MS
Scott Rosenberg muses on why, if Google is set to challenge Microsoft, all its non-web products are Windows-only.
Faith
I’m thoroughly enjoying the new blog I find your lack of faith disturbing. It’s comforting, or perhaps worrying, that even at the upper echelons of the film industry (my wife is in the lower echelons) it’s a grim, sordid business.
Civil rights? Eh.
The Register reports the disturbing results of a survey, suggesting that Brits at least are happy to swap liberty for security, whatever Ben Franklin might say.
Vote for Lewes
Lewes has been nominated by Country Life as one of Britain’s 15 best market towns. Celebrity judges, including Noel Edmonds, bizarrely, will now judge the best market town in England, from a selection that also includes Faversham (Kent) and Hexham (Northumberland).