Adam Green gig

Last week I went out to see Adam Green play at the Oran Mor venue in the fabulous venue in Glasgow. Adam Green was supported by Noah and the Whale. I was excited to see "Noah and the whale" because they get played a lot on radio 6. However, their set didn't do too much for me. Adam Green is a crooner. At the start of his set I thought his voice was going to get lost in the instruments. I like his songs and singing style. At the end of the set, there was a little mosh pit near the front of the stage. Adam Green was part of a band called "The Moldy Peaches". There is a new film, called Juno, out that uses some Moldy Peaches songs. This has made them more famous. The sound track for the film made number 1 in some US chart. Unfortunately, the filthy critic really hates both the film Juno and soundtrack by the Moldy Peaches. What am I to think? The filthy critic is like my style guru. I am so confused.

the under cover economist

I have just read "the under cover economist" by Tim Harford. This book is about the economics of everyday living. It deals a lot with the price of coffee, an important issue if you spend your life in dire need of hot caffeine fuel. He made some good points about the price of goods in a supermarket. He claimed that the price of basic things at a fancy supermarket (Marks and Spencer or Waitrose) were pretty similar to those in a more basic supermarket such as Morrisons. However, in Waitrose the basic food is hidden by the more expensive stuff (freshly squeezed mango juice e.c.t.). This example was used to illustrate the idea of "scarcity".

Nuclear Energy in the 21st century

Last week I finished reading "Nuclear Energy in the 21st century". This book is a popular level book about nuclear power. It deals with all aspects of nuclear power, including mining the ore, transporting material, and the all important getting rid of the waste. It is clearly written by an enthusiast for nuclear power. The explanation of the science is brief but clear. In this age, where the LHC is sold as a telescope or a black hole factory, by Brian Cox and his merry band of publicists, it is pleasant to read something basic but clear. If feel slightly bad about even thinking about working in the nuclear industry, but it is not clear what else is going to power the modern world. Wind farms spoil the view from people's houses, so bring down property prices, hence are clearly no longer an option in the middle England. As for bio fuels, well what can I say.

swinging

I have just read "the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker" by Suzanne Portnoy. This is a book about "swinging". At 39, she finds she wants more sex, so leaves her loveless marriage, and start to sleep around in a very serious and dedicated way. This kind of book is advertised at "adult", but I didn't read it for arousal. A huge part of her life was dedicated to picking up men. She was raising a family and running a PR firm at the same time. I don't see how she had the time. Perhaps being the boss of a PR firm is pretty easy (a couple of hours a day). It was interesting to watch her rate men. I now know that giving someone a meal on a paper plate is a reason to break up. Also watching her thoughts as she went back to a man's flat, made me much more motivated to Hoover the carpet in the next (month or so). Also, she had a great comment about the advantage of dating geeky web guys: "they are so happy to be with anyone, that they are happy to please their partners". Good to know. Anyway I got more out of this book than "women are from Venus and men are from Mars". In that book I learnt that women like sharp knives