Technology, Books and Other Neat Stuff

• Thu, 12:51: Recent Rereads: World Out Of Time. Larry Niven's far future travelogue zips around the galactic centre to a dying earth. Planetary romance!
• Thu, 15:50: Any good sources for miniSIM card covertors and adapters? Have just unlocked my iPhone through O2, and wondering about my US SIM...
• Thu, 16:34: Two identical phones, one speakerphoned into a conference call. Which one do you try to hang up on? High jinks ensue!
• Thu, 17:08: Listening to June Tabor sing White Rabbit with Oysterband from their 25th Anniversary Concert DVD. Awesome voice for an awesome cover.
• Thu, 20:56: Wondering if there's goign to be a version of LastPass for IE9. That old fashioned toolbar just doesn't work in a stripped down browser UI.
• Thu, 21:00: Ah! Have found LastPass' command bar option. Which means it can be hidden away and still run in IE9. Happier.
• Thu, 21:24: RT @andrewducker: William Hague Announces: "I should Never have been Tory Leader" http://bit.ly/hTZRys
• Thu, 21:57: RT @DrPizza: This is gloriously insane: http://ping.fm/uXO4M
• Thu, 22:12: Large Maine Coons wanting cuddles do not make it easy to write scathing software reviews. Soft kitty!
• Fri, 01:31: Guardian wins worst headline pun award: "Cameron's yew turn over forest sell-off"

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There's something in Oysterband's Put Out The Lights that makes me think of William Hope Hodgson's The Night Land. I suspect it's the sense of entropy in the song, random whispers in the night that promise much and give little, and all the time in the world is running out. Science fictional imagery and a powerful chorus. What's not to like?

But what are the creatures that must be kept safe from harm?

Anyway, it's a wonderful piece of music in its own right.You can listen to it here (if you've got Spotify).

There might be music on the street
Forty floors below my feet
Static from a dying star
Comes as far, comes as far

Random voices on a show
Wisdom of the radio
They promise heaven down the line
Even mine, even mine

PUT OUT THE LIGHTS
PUT OUT THE LIGHTS
PUT OUT THE LIGHTS
ON LONDON CITY
THE DARK IS WARM
LET ME TAKE YOU IN MY ARMS
PUT OUT THE LIGHTS
PUT OUT THE LIGHTS
PUT OUT THE LIGHTS
ON LONDON CITY
KEEP THE CREATURES
SAFE FROM HARM

Every place that I have been
Leaves its message on the skin
So many prophecies and signs
So little time, so little time