Tom Roper's Weblog

Scottish Grand National

Today's selections:
Newbury 205: Day Flight
Newbury 235: Zero Tolerance
Ayr 245: Genghis
Newbury 310: Echelon
Ayr 325: Cornish Rebel
Newbury 345: Anaronikos

Human and veterinary medicine -- Alder and Easton 330 (7496): 858 -- BMJ

Link: Human and veterinary medicine -- Alder and Easton 330 (7496): 858 -- BMJ.

The excitement of Google Scholar, the worry of Google Print

I've just found this in Biomedical Digital Libraries. A good perspective on these two initiatives:
Banks MA.
The excitement of Google Scholar, the worry of Google Print
Biomed Digit Libr. 2005 Mar 22;2(1):2.

Election and electronic debate

I'd resolved to say as little as possible about the election but really have to in this case. One of the jiscmail lists, vle has been suspended, without discussion, because of the election. An e-mail from the list-owner says:

"This mailing list is now suspended during the election period (until Friday 6 May). All services provided by non-departmental public bodies (such as Becta) must comply with the General Election Guidance issued by the Cabinet Office (http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/propriety_and_ethics/publications/pdf/electguide2005.pdf) which includes the suspension of mailing lists and discussion groups.
Members of this mailing list cannot now send new messages. You will not need to amend your subscription in any way. If you have any questions related to the suspension of this discussion group, please contact [email protected]."

I don't understand. Why is a list hosted in higher education subject to rules designed to maintain the impartiality of the civil service at election time. How can discussion of virtual learning environments be considered to favour any of the parties?  I have e-mailed the list owner and await their reply.

Gorman again

Information World Review now leaps into the Gorman fray, though a little late. And there's no online version.
They canvassed the views of "several key bloggers in the information professional space"; odd that, like my invitation to last Saturday's wedding, their request for my views seems to have gone astray.
Gentle reader, you will want to know who these august people are:
Steve Wood who runs an FOI blog
Karen Schneider of Free Range Librarian
Peter Suber of the Open Access News Blog

WiFi at the British Library

I am not alone in my perception that the charges for wireless access at the British Library are excessive. The new issue of Information World Review covers Heather Brooke's campaign to cut the costs (no online text, nor an RSS feed,  I'm afraid). She's used the Freedom of Information Act to ask for information about the charges for the service.
I entirely agree; it would be nice if it was completely free, but as it doesn't cost the BL a penny, surely they could offer it at a more reasonable rate. The real costs involved are those of the base stations, the internet connection, some maintenance and support and nothing else, unless I'm mistaken.

Grand National selections

Aintree 145: Grande Jete
215: My Will
250: Westmeath Flyer
320: Inglis Drever
410: Colnel Rayburn

The Curst Sons

I must give the oxygen of publicity to the Curst Sons who launch their second CD on Thursday 28 April at 8pm at Komedia in Gardner Street, Brighton. Competing interest declared:  I am related to one of them, Tim Dunkerley (slide guitar, mandolin), by marriage.

Grand National Meeting Day 1

Aintree 310: Cerium
Aintree 345: Guns n Roses II
Aintree 410: L'Ange au Ciel
Aintree 435: Pole Star

Bill Ash: Under the Wire

i went to the launch of Under the Wire: http://www.underthewire.co.uk , Bill Ash's new book co-written with my friend who was once unwise enough to give me a job, Brendan Foley.
It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening, with speeches by Jim Corrigal, president of the National Union of Journalists, the two authors, and a song, Lili Marlene, from Brendan's fiancée Shelly.
The book is wonderful. Bill tells his story with characteristic wit. I knew it in outline from his earlier autobiography, A Red Square, but there is much more detail here and whoever did the research has found some remarkable and hard-to-find pictures.
The remarkable thing is that Bill never rested on the laurels of war. He went on to head the BBC's radio drama department, to write a number of novels and a definitive work on Marxism and moral philosophy. For an introduction to Bill's fiction see: Nicholls, Doug Class Writer: An Introduction to the Novels of William Ash Coventry: Bread Books, 2002 I may have a stab at a bibliography (though he will keep writing new books).