High-rise

It looks like Manchester may be getting another addition to it’s skyline. Ian Simpson Architects have designed the UK’s highest living area – a 47 storey glass tower, 171 metres (561 ft, for the pre-decimal in my readership) high.

Personally, I love the way the skyline of Manchester has developed, even over the four years I’ve been here. So much has changed, what with Urbis and No 1 Deansgate (both also designed by Ian Simpson) and so on, and I’m sure there will be several more changes over the next few years.

For some reason, the spirit of change appears to have hit Manchester in the last five to ten years – long may it continue to stay.

CSS – again

Well, following on from the minor (in appearance, anyway) redesign of d4d, there were still problems with the right-hand side not being yellow all the way to the bottom. That’s now fixed – in Opera at least. IE and Nutscrape still appear to hate it, but that’s just tough. Thanks Pat for advice and so on – and yes, it did take me some time to look more at it. I still may end up cheating and just using a table for the basic layout – although CSS purists would shout at me for doing so. I’ll see how it goes.

Speaking of CSS purists, Pinky pointed out that the CSS here didn’t actually validate. Mea Culpa, I hadn’t actually checked it. Turns out, it was actually the CSS code I’d got from Blogrolling that was keffed, but that’s now sorted – observant readers will note the new graphic saying so down on the right somewhere too. *Grin*

John Connolly – Bad Men

I’ve been a fan of John Connolly’s novels – lots of different reasons, but the blend of crime novel with a dollop of the supernatural and/or mystic. A lot of the critics have sneered at Bad Men, saying it’s cod-Stephen-King, and yes, in some ways it is – even down to the fact it’s based in Maine. Yes, a lot of it is fairly predictable, but for me there’s something special about Connolly’s way with words, the way he writes, that makes it different.

For me, “Bad Men” is on a par with the other novels of Connoly’s. This is the first one to focus on a main character other than Charlie “Bird” Parker, although he still has a cameo appearance. As such, there’s a slightly different feel and setting to this one, but it’s instantly recognisable as Connolly. I don’t know why so many of the reviews I’ve read have apparently disliked the book – maybe the style is an acquired taste. I’m happy to be a voice in the minority, and to say I enjoyed it all the way through.

Eh?

I couldn’t resist posting this experiment in pure bollocks from today’s BBC story about the US planning a hypersonic bomber.

“Moreover, the current and future international political environment severely constrains this country’s ability to conduct long-range strike missions on high-value time-critical targets from outside CONUS [the continental United States].“. Now – any ideas what that load of bollocks is all about? No, me either. The only thing going in it’s favour is that it makes more sense than “The intent is to hold adversary vital interests at risk at all times, counter anti-access threats, serve as a halt phase shock force and conduct suppression of enemy air-defence and lethal strike missions as part of integrated strategic campaigns in the Twenty First Century.“. Which isn’t saying much. I’d make more sense out of reading “Mongolian for beginners – the Serbo-Croat edition”.

To me it just looks like someone’s been using the Management Bible as bedtime reading.

2020 : Anyone got a light?

As reported in various sources today, the Institution of Civil Engineers (surely an oxymoron, I’ve never met a civil one in my life) has released a fairly pessimistic (but still believable) report into the future of the UK’s energy usage.

Because of emissions laws etc., by 2020 the UK wil have no more coal-fired power stations, and only one of the current nuclear stations will still be in use. And as yet, renewable energy is nowhere near to being used to it’s full extent, so (according to the report) we would have to import gas from other countries – mainly politically unstable ones.

More and more, we should be looking at renewable energy – I know some companies are looking at it (it’s still not available online, but I did do the work on United Utilities “Green Energy” site) but it’s still got nowhere near enough investment. Would the NIMBY bastards would rather have powercuts instead of the wind-farms they’re currently pissing and moaning about?

Poetic justice

I wonder whether ITV will now sack Alastair Stewart from presenting his abysmal “Police, Camera, Action!” series, as he’s been barred from driving for 2½years following pleading guilty to drink-driving.

We can only hope. If so, can I suggest that people keep an eye open for a pissed Michael Barrymore, Jerry Springer, David Frost or Loyd Grossman? (Just think, get the last two, no more “Through the Keyhole” – maybe there is a god after all)