Zombie Pirate Ninja Monkey

Live from our man in Torridon

I'm sitting by a driftwood fire, miles from the nearest people, thirty feet from the sea, my tent pitched on the dunes behind me......(read more)

Book lists

From Tabula Rasa, my annual meme. Based on some list of 100 popular books (or ones that people pretend that they have enjoyed in order to impress the survey-taker), the point is to bold the ones you've read......(read more)

The Supreme Soviet Demands the Liquidation of the Georgians as a Class!

I despair again at the vapidity and foolishness of the British press and public. A few people run in circles slightly faster than some other people born elsewhere, and the Russians correctly calculate that they can shell cities without the risk of front-page coverage......(read more)

The French Military are Back in Business

The French military, desperately short of good results recently, launched a new offensive today ...and shot seventeen of their own fans....(read more)

Hills and Hurricanes

Yesterday saw me finish the Ben Lawers group of mountains, with an ascent of Meall nan Tarmachan - the Hill of the Ptarmigan - at the western edge of the range. A look at the map in the link above will reveal that the hill has crags and cliffs all along its eastern side. Those become rather taller and nearer in the mind when the wind is a westerly force 8, gusting as high as force 9 or even 10 at the very top and leaving one very aware of being near such a perilous lee shore....(read more)

But mummy it's not just a silly game you just don't get it

Like Cuppycake, I sometimes read Tobold's blog, and find it interesting from time to time. But his recent post attacking Richard Bartle was awful, awful stuff that revealed a mixtue of intellectual shallowness and vapid foolishness that I found it hard to comprehend....(read more)

D&D Insider - Part Deux

This is going to be a bit shorter than my last wall of words on the subject of D&D Insider. I just read a piece by Timothy Burke where he describes the perplexity experienced when hunting through the Wizards of the Coast website a few days after the new system was launched, looking for the Insider tools that were so massively hyped as a key element of the game during the year or so before release. I experienced the same bewilderment myself at the time......(read more)

Dungeons and Dragons Insider: Greed and Missed Chances

D&D 4th edition has launched, but its makers are so far failing in their attempt to expand into the online marketplace....(read more)

Meall Buidhe - A Walk in the Park

Since I had the pleasure of my wife's company for this weekend's climbing, I decided to tackle one (and only one) of Scotland's easier Munros: Meall Buidhe......(read more)

Another Day, Another (2) Munro(s)

I'm hoping to climb the height of Everest this year (I'm currently at about a fifth of that from two trips) so I'll need to get back to it soon......(read more)

Scepticism is the new black.

Here is a musician who is great fun to watch, talented (although not above the odd duff note), and who seems to really adore what he does. He posts his jams on youtube, improvising over his sequenced riffs, enthusing sbout ne technology or even just the fun he's having playing his music: "any day you're havin' fun with music is a good day" (the backing track owes something to Daft Punk)....(read more)

Five Munros in a Day

...Having initially considered a second attempt on Schiehallion, from which I had to turn back in heavy snow last time when only a few hundred feet from the summit, I plumped for Ben Lawers, the tenth highest mountain of the lot......(read more)

Eve Online - Am I Getting My Wish?

Like a good (occasional) PvP gang leader searching for an edge, I ordered the Eve Maps product a couple of weeks ago. Upon enquiring as to why I had had no delivery, I received an email, part of which said......(read more)

Eve Online - Go West, Young Man!

Like most people with an interest in MMOs - as well as a great many who would deny having any such hobby - I played World of Warcraft for a time......(read more)

My New Moneymaker

I have had harsh things to say about L. Ron Hubbard in the past, but I was perhaps too harsh. So what if he made up a bunch of dreadful space opera sci-fi, slapped the title "religion" on it, and profited from the gullibility and desperation of society's less bright individuals? He was a canny businessman, and that appeals to the thrifty Scot in me....(read more)