Song 41: Desiree, Rick Vito (featuring Stevie Nicks)

The random number generator (bunn) seems to be turning up a lot of Stevie Nicks at the moment. This fabulous song is actually from former Fleetwood Mac lead guitarist Rick Vito's 1992 solo album. Vito was one of Lindsey Buckingham's replacements in the late 80s. He's a chronically underrated blues guitarist. And since the song is a duet with Stevie Nicks, it's almost like uncovering a lost track from Fleetwood Mac's Behind the Mask album (which I like a lot even if nobody else does). It's obscure enough that I can't find a proper video, so you'll have to make do with this.

Book Review: 'Assassin's Apprentice', Robin Hobb

I can't quite make up my mind about this. It's the first in a trilogy. Quite long. Hugely popular. Clearly lots of people love it. I seem to remember getting into it quite well when I was reading it, and then going out and buying lots of books by the same author, but I haven't rushed to read the next book. Why not? I think the biggest fault is the slow pace. It really does take ages (in terms of words) for anything to happen. And it's hardly a startlingly original premise - young boy with mysterious background has magical powers, ends up being mistreated, but comes good. Oh, and for such a long book, I didn't feel that I learned much about the world in which the story is set. I could tolerate the second and third faults were it not for the first. It simply should have been much shorter.* Three stars. Probably.




* This is a fault common to many recent fantasy and science fiction novels and series.

Phligm Phlagm

"Stabbing victim pulls knife out of own neck, kills terrorist"

Celebrating "the diversity of world culture" is now racist, apparently.

Then and Now photos of my hometown of Wrexham

Recommending someone for an award is now a heinous crime, apparently.

A 1984 television programme shows us how to send an email.

Interesting article for those of you, like me, who are late sleepers. (I agree that the world of work seems to discriminate against late sleepers, but everything else works in our favour. Entertainment takes place at night, not first thing in the morning, for example. In fact, when you think about it, must fun things do.)

Apple was founded by three people. Here's an article about the one who wasn't called Steve.

"Socialism...really?"

How IBM managed to charge $1.4million for a coin-toss simulator.

More Phligm Phlagm

“It is now a news story that a not British firm, which did not operate in Britain and does not, which is not resident in the UK, domiciled in the UK, has no permanent establishment in the UK, did not and does not pay tax in the UK.”

I must admit to being baffled as to why this is a news story. Nobody did anything wrong or even out of the ordinary.

One thing this non-story does show is just how little offshore tax dodging there actually is.

“My daughter's political career is already over.”

But isn't it absolutely f*cking hilarious to find out who the one politician is who has broken tax laws...

The African king who works as a car mechanic in Germany. “He governs his people over Skype.”

Jane Goodall is a good sport.

Ridiculous hipster restaurants.

What would you call a rich politician who wanted to ban trade with poor people, condemning them to poverty? Evil or just moronic? Or maybe both?

Another day, another anti-semitism scandal for the Labour Party.

Police constable shows judge "how grenade works" inside courtroom, three injured.