Pierre Von Mondragon

Neal Stephenson; early work Snow Crash and The Diamond Age nails the near future/cyberpunk thing, then Cryptonomicon starts the development of some historical SF, the Baroque Cycle is 17th century SF/Swashbuckling/Philosophick tale over 3000+ (hardback, slightly fewer in PB, but small text) pages, Anathem goes multi-dimensional, and his recent Reamde is like if a thriller was written by someone very very clever.

Jeff Noon writes the best Mancunian SF, probably, maybe the only, and I can highly recommend the very trippy, loosly connected trilogy of Vurt, Pollen and Nymphomation

Like Iain M Banks, but even more left wing is Ken Macleod, his Fall Revolution sequence, and then all his other stuff, is gripping and righteous.

Unsurprisingly, by definition even, there is always an almost infinite back catalogue of ace SF, but I likes a bit of John Brunner (Stand on Zanzibar), Norman Spinrad, Michael Moorcock, Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle, hell, even that old crypto-fascist Robert Heinlein can be a good read. Grass I just read last month, and t'was fascinating.

Today's google thingmy is a really long, involved mathematical puzzle based on The Cyberiad by Polish SF writer Stanislaw Lem, basically a series of witty nonsense developed by 2 inventor characters, ace, the robot that gets annoyed when it is corrected is first. The machine that can make anything starting with an N is last

I must be one of the only metal guys who doesn't like BS. Even "Paranoid" is a very overrated song. IMHO.

Children of the Grave isn't though, it's high rating is justified.....**This just in, Standard and Poor have dropped Paranoid to AA-+, controversially replacing it in the canon with Neon Knights, over to Robert Peston for reaction...

"This"??

I got one done, not very Xmasy though, will send this week.

Would you throw in some Velvet Underground/Lou Reed to sweeten the deal?

Out of interest are you keeping Master of Puppets, Ride the Lightning and Kill em All or do you not have those?

Well, they are the good ones.

Eupraxia used to be idol_wild. I think.

Oh right, I thocht he'd buggered off, as if anyone would do such a thing.

And then the Daily Record play the Poor Wee Naisy pish, while getting Shallow-Brain-Pan Durrant to come his crap again, couldn't fucking make it up.

Brilliant, I've been waiting for some new dystopian Sci Fi that really speaks about the way the world is today, thank crikey that the Daily Mail have stepped up and provided it, more pleease, much more.

Europe At War:2018

I'm usually immune to these, but the dumbass hound's eyes cracked me up, apologies if repeated.

Lights, check, Amps, check, Cameras in the Ladies bog, er...

Dunno about that but the Ruts are fucking ace.

Just read 'The Fog' by James Herbert.

"We're recreating the Bloomsbury Set"

Reamde was ace, can't really describe it though, a cross between Thriller Jihadi battling, Russian Mafia, hackers and Gold Farmers, in a World Of Warcraftx100 style game. This virus encrypts your data, and to get it back you have to drop 100gp on the ground at a specific location within the game. ACE.

Keefs book is double ace and drugs on the rocks

Saw Ubre Blanca with Teeth, at the Captain's Rest, fucking ace, UB got that-tearing-out-live-electronics-like-an-ace-band vibe, Someone up here should look into booking them, particularly as they are the Shitdisco spin-off with the songwriting and energy that had made SD ace. UB are a much, much more honed, hooky, techy but dirty experience...

Ubre Blanca-Feral Kid

"I haven't felt this way since Funky Town"

South Park is sooooooo superior right now though*, the Stan shift they are going through is brave stuff, though all might be back to normal by next week.

When I heard the recent announcement that the Simpsons might be on the way out, I just thought it's about time probably. It's been great

but isn't now, even at 60% efficacy it outstrips most things, but that isn't good enough, it should be civilisation defining stuff, not old crap about fads.

* Possibly because it too is on/nearing the Home Straight and wants to maintain it's bite to the end.

Can I contibute my as yet unwritten track "Craig's tenure as President of RGUSA was bloody rubbish" by Pierre von TopBarman.

I mean a real tune.

Saw someone in one of your T Shirts in West End Glasgow last week, resisted urge to collar poor unsuspecting person and ask if they are on AbMus. Enjoyed that mix.

Good Harry Redknapp quote on the Graun site;

"If we have a good day, we've got as good a chance as them, which is good."

Yeah, but even if that happened, you'd probably find something unexpectedly ace to make up for it, that's how music keeps the world sane.

I too am certain that Olde Aberdeon would have been up their challenging for ye 1013 title, gubbing Hibernica, and ye Celtic Frost 888 along the way.

Is it too soon to start a Season 2012/1013 thread yet, I mean I know the preceding season has just started, but I really think the SooperDonz can go all the way!!£%!

P'raps a tad premature. Also, Bands can disappoint sometimes, no, really.

I never knew just anyone could take it to the Front Page *makes mintal note*

Have decided to jettison the 3 other things I'm in the middle of, in favour of the new Neal Stephenson Reamde, I confidently predict it will be fucking ace, multi-threaded SF disguised as thriller lunacy. Will report in a week or so.

Repo Man, I must have seen this over 30 times by now, is that not a happening deal? The more you drive, the less intelligent you are etc etc. *Special award to the TV version.

This Is Spinal Tap, yes yes, what are the hours, I now think that the commentary version is a good way of keeping it fresh, 'this is a classic' etc

Rockers, Leroy 'Horsemouth' Wallace wanders round Jamaica talking to his mates, I&I shall see the day that Babylon will faaall

Slacker is still great, still smart, and the Super 8 section at the end is still utterly uplifting

Dazed and Confused is the definitive feel good stoner/about being a stoner movie ever, like how.

In a slightly lesser category, Pineapple Express, and Idiocracy.

Like everyone, there is loads of crap I've seen loads of times, but those I return to through choice as PINNACLES OF HUMAN ACHIEVEMENT