Living Colour

The Guardian is hosting a handful of pictures from an exhibition called The Dawn of Colour: Centenary of the Autochrome at the National Media Museum (which has a couple more photos). There's something lovely and yet quite eerie about them, as if they shouldn't really have any colour at all and the pictures are almost straining to be black & white.

In a similar vein here are some hundred year old colour photos of Russian Churches and a whole collection of different facets of Russia from the same time. Fascinating stuff.

Food Fad Found Far From Fulfilling

Apparently, veganism will kill you:

Indigenous cuisines offer clues about what humans, naturally omnivorous, need to survive, reproduce and grow: traditional vegetarian diets, as in India, invariably include dairy and eggs for complete protein, essential fats and vitamins. There are no vegan societies for a simple reason: a vegan diet is not adequate in the long run.

Via Accidental Hedonist.

Atheists: Lazy Good For Nothings

This article, What Makes an Atheist Get out of Bed in the Morning?, has the following sub-heading:

In their rush to throw out God, atheist writers appear to have given little thought to what should replace the deity.

I don't know, this atheist has thrown out God and replaced him with nothing. That's the definition of "atheist", isn't it?

Atheism is a purely negative ideology, which is its problem. If one does not believe in God, what should one believe in instead?

Belief in nothing is still a belief and is just as tangible and beneficial as a belief in something. This is getting very close to one of those "If it wasn't for the ten commandments what's to stop everyone going round killing each other?" arguments. One that takes things like rationality, the common good and humanity's basic decency out of peoples own hands and confers them on some "other". An "other" who just happens to have set down a bunch of rules that are a lot like those a simple bit of human common sense would have come up with with a few seconds thought. Not that those rules ever stopped anyone breaking them on the flimsiest of contexts, especially that adultery one.

The thing that's getting atheists out of bed in the morning is whatever motivates them, perhaps just the will to lead a full and rewarding life. Same as the theists. Daniel Lazare, the article's author, almost makes this point himself:

In short, humanity creates meaning for itself by liberating itself so that it can fulfill itself. This is also a solipsism, but one as big as all existence.

But spoils it by adding the following strange claim:

Odd, isn't it, that atheists can be right about God but wrong about religion and much else about the modern condition, while a believer can be wrong about God but at least on the right track concerning the current spiritual malaise?

It's not really odd in that it's possible, but I'm sure many atheists have much that is right to say about the modern condition and it's quite easy to believe that a believer is worried about those who share his beliefs.

David Thomson Really, Really Likes Cary Grant

George Clooney, though, not so much.

I'd bet on George Clooney managing, whatever happens. But he can't be Cary Grant. And he should be under no burden to try.

Usefully Dangerous

Dissent has a quick look at why Paul Krugman is so angry these days.

Whether lashing out at the administration’s shifting explanations as to why they were delivering truckloads of cash to the wealthy in the form of tax cuts or explaining the dishonesty in the administration’s plans to privatize Social Security or puncturing the cultlike worship of Alan Greenspan or railing against Bush’s deceptions about the war or describing how oil company lobbyists made energy policy for Dick Cheney’s task force, Krugman has committed himself to exposing "the lies of the powerful."

Poker

I recently found a decent free implementation of Texas Hold'em, this doesn't sound much, but just try Googling "free Texas Hold 'em" and find some interesting interpretations of "free".

Anyway, this is PokerTH and it's low on bells and whistles and seems to play a decent game of Poker (though it seems that playing fairly tight and going big with good hands is a safe way to win). It's flexible, to a point, as you can set the amount of starting cash , the number of players (up to six), the size of the blind and how many hands before the blinds get doubled.

It's fairly new, so the interface is evolving and it feels ever so slightly clunky, but it's worth a look if you want to hone your playing before the next home tournament.

News To Not Tell Anyone

Oral sex could be more dangerous than cigars.

The study appeared to suggest that throat-cancer risks from booze and cigs were insignificant compared to those from getting too frisky. Of course, that doesn't mean that drink and baccy are safer than the other things you might - in this context - put in your mouth.

Via The House Next Door

Finally, A List That's Hard To Disagree With

The BBC have had a poll for the worst pop lyric, Des'ree comes first for the crime for rhyming ghost with toast. It wasn't until today, however, that, I realised just how bad the words to U2's elevation are:

5 U2 - ELEVATION
I've got no self control
Been living like a mole now
Going down, excavation
High and high in the sky
You make me feel like I can fly
So high
Elevation

Presumably the greater part of Sting's back catalogue is bubbling just under number 10.

Is Wiki Wack?

A growing number say so. Even Wikipedia has noticed.

Back and Proud

So, I survived the hols. Quick overview: shopping, The Cheeses were great though no-one quite remembers the gig, v. good curry at Spice Library followed by some fine local ale, wedding went well, super room. Add at random lots of beer, Timothy Taylors Landlord in particular, and some good long chats with friends and you just about have it.

I'm snowed under with e-mail and catching up at the moment so something like normal posting will resume tomorrow.

I notice, however, that Wil Wheaton has posted his review of ST:TNG Haven, so those of you who have been following his slow but fascinating trawl through the NextGen back catalogue will, at least, have something to read.