Technology, Books and Other Neat Stuff

(Thanks to ramtops for the image)

marypcb and I have spent the last two days building a complex set of shelves at the top of the stairs. Battens and cross pieces mean that we've been able to build a nice big set of shelves that happily go around the corner.

But empty shelves are an abomination unto a bookworm, and so much treking up and down the stairs has meant that these have now been filled with my to-be-reads (hard covers, trades, proofs, and paperbacks).

This has left a hefty gap in the bookcase in the office, so I have been reducing the height of the unshelved-books pile by filling in the empty shelves in the old to-be-read bookcase.

As those who've visited The East Putney Museum Of Science Fiction, Fantasy And Comic Art (and Lending Library) in the last few months would have noticed, it was over head height.

Today it hardly reaches my knees.

And we have yet more shelves to build!

Yay!

(Oh-soji is the Japanese tradition of pre-New Year spring cleaning.)

...just read Cory Doctorow's cogent rebuttal of Wired's Chris Anderson.

If I were in Chris's seat, I would be sure that every single review of a DRM device carried the following notice: WARNING: THIS DEVICE'S FEATURES ARE SUBJECT TO REVOCATION WITHOUT NOTICE, ACCORDING TO TERMS SET OUT IN SECRET NEGOTIATIONS. YOUR INVESTMENT IS CONTINGENT ON THE GOODWILL OF THE WORLD'S MOST PARANOID, TECHNOPHOBIC ENTERTAINMENT EXECS. THIS DEVICE AND DEVICES LIKE IT ARE TYPICALLY USED TO CHARGE YOU FOR THINGS YOU USED TO GET FOR FREE -- BE SURE TO FACTOR IN THE PRICE OF BUYING ALL YOUR MEDIA OVER AND OVER AGAIN. AT NO TIME IN HISTORY HAS ANY ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY GOTTEN A SWEET DEAL LIKE THIS FROM THE ELECTRONICS PEOPLE, BUT THIS TIME THEY'RE GETTING A TOTAL WALK. HERE, PUT THIS IN YOUR MOUTH, IT'LL MUFFLE YOUR WHIMPERS

...as he's lobbying for EU copyright on recordings to be extended from 50 years to 95.

Or perhaps we just need to educate him in the value of Creative Commons licenses...

Melancholy Elephants all round...