Sunday 19 August 2012


Someone I know from some social medium said the other day that if all Holland's spiders ate humans instead of insects, they would eat the Dutch in three days.*

Someone else said the BBC did a piece on razor-footed spiders.

A better journalist than me would check my sources. All I really want to say is that for truly amazing news of the world of creepy-crawlies, spend twenty minutes listening to this Radio Lab about imperial ant wars.

* I originally forgot to include the word 'spiders' in paragraph one, hence Matthew's very sensible question in the comments. I did it to frighten people or because I am a moron.


Wednesday 15 August 2012

sorry dogs

Maybe no one else finds the branding of these near-neighbouring businesses in West Hampstead a little funny.



And, while we're at it, what about the fact that you can buy 'just-add-milk' Dorset cereals for a million pounds? Look at those prices! These guys are worse than Foxtons. Or Innocent with their sneaky smaller cartons.



And (this is almost the long-awaited return of the Inspiring Photo Essay), I saw this in the post collection office in Kilburn the other day. Someone saw that it needed punctuation. That, at least, was to their credit.


Friday 10 August 2012

today's idiots




In Saturday's Times, an advice column, containing the following:

Your husband is unlikely to change, but you can...

My response to this was two words long. There was more uncharitable gibberish next to it about something else. It reminded me of one of my favourite grooks:

Shun advice
at any price -
that's what I call
good advice

Wednesday 8 August 2012

you wait years and years for a tuna novel


And then, as well as mine, you get Sabina Berman's. Mine isn't out till next February (proofs have gone to the printers); Sabina, who I dare say we have to see as my latest nemesis, has hers out there already.



Oh, I don't normally like hardbacks - they're a pain to read, but Jack Glass by Adam Roberts is too lovely to resist, and it looks really interesting.

Helen Lewis (@helenlewis, you should definitely follow her if you're that way inclined) linked to this book review today for its first paragraph. I can see why.