Two Tolstoy quotes about learning

I know that most men, including those at ease with problems of the greatest complexity, can seldom accept even the simplest and most obvious truth if it be such as would oblige them to admit the falsity of conclusions which they have delighted in explaining to colleagues, which they have proudly taught to others, and which they have woven, thread by thread, into the fabric of their lives.

The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of doubt, what is laid before him

Source: boing boing article and discussion.

Olympic Rehearsal (Private Eye)

School starts today

Tottenham's old Co-op store - before and after the riot

The upper floors of the building had been converted into co-operative housing.

I work on a Grandpa Box

Actress Photos

Life by Keith Richards

It's like having Keith tell you all his stories, in order, without repeating himself or getting confused. What more could you want? OK it slows down a bit at the end but if you like Keef I reckon you would like this book. After you're read it be sure to read Bill Wyman the journalist's tale where he imagines if Mick Jagger responded to Keith Richards about his new autobiography.

Zoo City by Lauren Beukes

This book is set in a near future South Africa where criminals are mysteriously bonded psychically to animals. Our hero, Zinzi December is "animalled" to a sloth. We get to be on the inside of 419 scams, we get to learn lots of South African slang, and we get swept along by the sheer energy of this book. A couple of times I got confused about what was going on but I didn't care. I read this book in 3 days (which is quick for me) and I recommend it.

Women's World Cup 2011

I enjoyed what I saw of the Women's World Cup. My favourite players:

1. Homare Sawa
2. Abby Wambach
3. Sonia Bompastor

ESPN's coverage was... OK. Julie Foudy was good, and Kate Markgraf was excellent but Ian Darke and the other men were fountains of cliches. ESPN managed to show Sawa's fantastic goal from every angle...

except the one that actually showed what happened:

I was impressed by the way Abby Wambach was the first to go to congratulate the winning team, and the only player to talk to camera after the game. She also knew how to take a penalty.

I hope that we will soon be hearing more about the management style of Norio Sasaki. In the huddle before the penalties we expect to see the coaches sternly exhorting their players to win. Whenever I see coaches lecturing players I imagine them saying "kick the ball.... into the goal". But Norio Sasaki simply bowed to his players with a big smile on his face. He knew that there was nothing left for him to do.

I hope we will see more of Megan Rapinoe in the future, perhaps as an elf in the new Hobbit movies.

How did the newspapers do? Alas the Oakland Tribune is unclear on the concept of sports:

The other papers did OK with the Washington Post being the best for showing Sawa triumphant.