alexsarll | Things which look like cheap jokes but are actually true:

One of Lynne Featherstone's opponents in the election is now standing as an independent. He was meant to be standing for the Libertarian Party, but the party rules were getting in the way.

"And how could anyone expect him to solve the thing when half of everything seemed to be broken, and half of what was broken was still beautiful." I've finished the third book of Daniel Abraham's Long Price and even beyond my usual reluctance to plough straight through a series, I'm going to need a break, because that was quite the most harrowing thing I've read in a while*. It must have taken a deep and inhuman ingenuity to so brilliantly construct a series in which every character is sympathetic, and everyone loses. Each novel in the series is a little crueller - though no less beautiful - than the one before, and while this need not necessarily carry through to the last book, I don't think the title The Price of Spring bodes well. For the meantime I've embarked instead on Michael Chabon's essay collection Maps and Legends, which ties in rather well with BBC4's current maps season, treating the map as a general metaphor for a way of seeing rather than anything so simple as the route from yours to the shops. I wasn't too enamoured of Power, Plunder and Possession, the Sunday series which seems to rather milk these ideas, but the daily Beauty of Maps strand is excellent, and comes at a good time for me because when it's not the Indelicates on my headphones at the moment it's normally Swimmer One, and as they say - "When all of this is underwater these maps will be all that's left, so we should try to make these maps beautiful." But then, I find most maps beautiful, except the really crappy ones you get on venue websites and the like.

Good Bright Club last night, and I'm not just saying that because beforehand they gave me a burger and a pint in exchange for my opinions on proceedings (I mouth off on the Internet for free and yet you're still prepared to pay for my musings? Awesome). Could have done without the poor woman who was covering Brian Cox territory while, crucially and tragically, not being Brian Cox, but otherwise I enjoyed the speakers, and while Rufus Hound may not have had a great deal of sea-related material, he was extremely funny nonetheless. Plus he likes Garth Ennis, which is always a good sign.

*Albeit with the small problem - for a Londoner at least - that the capital of the looming Galtic empire is situated to the West and called Acton. It's hard to be scared of Acton.

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Which Garth Ennis thing kicked off that conversation last night? I was clearly too drunk to remember the information properly but it sounded like something I'd like to read...

With the Antichrist and the talking rabbit? Chronicles of Wormwood. My copy is slightly inaccessible but next time I'm in the U-Z stack, I'll try to remember to pull it out for you. Have you ever tried Preacher, though? That's normally the best place to start.

That's the one! If you happen to remember that'd be lovely, thank you.

Haven't read Preacher but I do remember investigating it via wikipedia or somesuch and I think had decided it wasn't quite for me... I dunno, perhaps that opinion is worth revisiting!

This could be simply the difference between reading a dry Wikipedia summary of something and hearing two of your mates discussing it, becase as entertaining as Wormwood is, it's basically a more deliberately offensive retread of Preacher...

Very true. Well, if you wouldn't object to me loaning yours that's be grand (although I believe the library in crouch end have a copy as I seem to remember Rhoda borrowing it from there).

You are welcome to borrow mine, but it might be worth checking in with a) the library or b) Ed first, as they may have collections and mine is all in singles. If no joy, remind me.

I think my best maps are the old ones where they obv didn't have eg planes and satellites and so on, so they just had to work out the shapes of places, coastlines etc as best they could.

One good bit in Power, Plunder and Possession came when Cassini used astronomical methods to make the first accurate map of France - and discovered it was 20% smaller than everyone had thought. In your face, France.

Dude, you should be afraid of Acton. There are estates so rough the police won't go there.

I take shortcuts through an estate so rough they sent Anne Widdecombe to live there - even Basra didn't get that treatment.

Maps are joyous things. I want to spend hours studying the last map of London from last night's programme. Have you come across the book 'You Are Here: Personal Geographies and Other Maps of the Imagination' by Katherine Harmon? I bought it for Jonny (who has a B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Geography. Map geek) and it's great.

I had not, but it's definitely going on the wish list!

That last map would be a definite candidate for a wall hanging if I ever get a wall that could fit a reproduction at suitable scale. I was trying to peer closer at the screen just to catch more of it, which is always entirely futile, but still testament to the skill of it.

Oh goodness, yes - a print would be marvellous. And I was squinting at the telly too! A quick google to the British Library website says that it's going to be part of the Magnificent Maps exhibition which opens on 30th April, which is super, as J and I are already planning a trip over for the show.

And, rather handily, it is free. Since I can walk there, I imagine I shall be dropping by.

Argh, exciting! Hurray for working part time.

Despite loving and collecting all sorts of old maps since I was a tiny tiny child, I had literally no idea any of this was on, so comprehensively out of the television loop. Thanks for the heads up.

And thank heavens for iPlayer. We aim to please!

Things which look like cheap jokes but are actually true:

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Maps!

Re: Maps!