The Swamp

I'm in the Epilogue of The Death of a President and I'm truly sad to be finished with it, such a brilliant read. The next Amazon order has: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/P/1780962029.01._SX140_SY224_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/P/0684872986.01._SX140_SY224_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jp...

(I don't think I'll be waiting for "Profiles in Cowardice" or "Conspiracy a Go-Go") I really did love Slacker, such a funny film. I started the Manchester book early and, about 65 pages in, it is every bit as engrossing as I hoped. Have nearly missed my stop on the train a coupl...

http://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/05/aa/05aa35d98833102596e56686841434d414f4141.jpg http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/P/0140442103.01._SX140_SY224_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg http://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/52/16/5216618125886485973634a66414141414d6741.jpg I kinda hit the jackpot on reading...

Having lived my entire post-university life in New York or London, Brushes are pretty frequent and most don't warrant mention. However, I think the one I had a few weeks ago ranks as my favourite. A bit of background: for reasons that are still unclear to me, pantomime is a massive thing in Britain ...

Just finished: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/P/1781680760.01._SX140_SY224_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg http://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/e6/f4/e6f4c6d84815868596f42616777434d414f4141.jpg I'm surprised that neither one really resonated with me. Having read Five Thirty Eight off and on since its ince...

Dude, seriously? Living in an Olympic city is fucking awesome, and I say this as someone who moved to London in 2008 thinking that I would likely spend July-August 2012 in a bunker. In 2008, transport was just a disaster, especially my on my commute (using a key artery approaching Olympic Park) and ...

I mean, wow. I won't believe anything until it's actually on the club website, but if true, my god what a signing. If, by the end of the day, we get Ozil on a permanent deal, a loan move for Demba Ba and a backup keeper, there's very little to complain about. Ozil is the kind of player we've missed ...

Tough draw for Arsenal. Otherwise, the other groups look relatively straightforward. Group G could have some entertaining games. My prediction: A: Man U, Bayer Leverkusen B: Real Madrd, Juventus C: Benfica, PSG D: Bayern Munich, Man City E: Chelsea, Schalke F: Marseille, Borussia Dortmund G: Atleti...

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41ta99Pum1L._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA278_PIkin4,BottomRight,-66,22_AA300_SH20_OU02_.jpg http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Rl-wbKaAL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA278_PIkin4,BottomRight,-...

Amazing, a one-month old child has not really slowed reading down Just wait a few months... Correct. The amount of reading/television viewing/free time of any type decrease with every passing month. Its all good though. I hear you, I fully expected to have done nothing of the sort over the last fou...

Amazing, a one-month old child has not really slowed reading down, have plowed through these the last month: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51oOHyAMd7L._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA278_PIkin4,BottomRight,-67,22_AA300_SH20_OU02_.jpg http://ecx.images-amazon.com...

I've just gotten my UK drivers license, the process of which is unbelievably difficult relative to the US. Left! No,asshole, LEFT! LEFT, Dammit! (Wanker American) Driving on the other side of the road is easy, doing so while sitting on the other side of the car is f*cking brutal. Your field of view...

Perhaps the most timely Swamp topic for me, ever. I've just gotten my UK drivers license, the process of which is unbelievably difficult relative to the US. [Tangent: this process made me realise three things - 1) The average American driver is shockingly bad, like the worst in the world, because 2)...

Single book? Wow, that's tough. I'll have to say One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest , even though I don't remember much of it and I'm sure if I went back and read it a second time, with an older person's eyes, it probably wouldn't resonate as much. But as a fairly naive 16/17-year old from the White Pi...

Thankfully, work only requires a suit maybe one day a week, on average, so I don't need to have a wardrobe full of them. But I would definitely recommend getting at least one shit-hot suit that costs a bit. Don't buy it off the rack and think "Well, it's a bit *****, but no one will notice"...

This photo makes me laugh - from Der Spiegel's website:

I did it so you don't have to: http://pics.librarything.com/picsizes/ee/9c/ee9c72df2fcfbd35975446c67674141414d6741.jpg You're welcome. To make up for this transgression, I just started: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/P/024196301X.01._SY200_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/P/1...

I'd be shocked if Cesc to United (or even to Arsenal) happens. He's always said he would only go back to Arsenal if he came back to England (same as Henry), only last week he said he wasn't leaving, and Arsenal have all the control on a transfer with a right of first refusal at a set price. But that...

Ah, baseball cards, one of the first episodes of obsessive-compulsive behaviour in Little BTTG's life. I still have most of the cards released between 1984-1987, before Upper Deck came along and basically ruined everything by turning baseball cards in to a hyper-competitive bubble that inevitably bu...

I am pretty sure most restaurants and big retailers will take either type of card, chip or swipe, especially in continental Europe. You might run in to problems if you're at a smaller shop or a pub in the UK, where they only have chip machines. For those, I would always have £50-100 cash on hand, wh...

I feel like I'm the only person on earth not watching this show. I've never seen an episode of it; don't have HBO. Although a buddy of mine in Ontario has a very cool Twitter handle for his curling team. "Game Of Stones". Ditto - wasted half of my holiday reading the first book last summe...

Anyway, yes, nothing will use your 1GB of roaming data faster than a GPS. Granted 1GB sounds like a lot but when using a GPS for a good length of time, you surpass that pretty quick. And, oh, the phone providers know that well. This is my question, though - are you sure that using the GPS uses up r...

Nice! What a great trip that will be, Cambridge is lovely and will be very easy to pop down to London whenever you wish. Hopefully this July will be a little more summer-like than last July. You wouldn't be able to do anything until you got out of the airport and went to a typical UK high street, bu...

Both of these are pretty enjoyable so far, though each is challenging in its own way: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51VBJSTYQJL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_SX385_SY500_CR,0,0,385,500_SH20_OU02_.jpg http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/513l1xpGCOL._BO2,204,203...

Finally, another Arsenal fan to bitch with! I think the 2 Poles battling it out and gaining the wisdom of maturity and experience is good enough, though I wouldn't be opposed to a world class keeper being brought in. The two Poles played well this year, and kept the gaffes to a minimum. Sczezny is ...

Thank god that's over and I can stop checking every nuance of the betting markets and injury reports. Easily the most nerve-wracking 90 minutes experienced since the days when Arsenal actually were competing for things, I don't think I've ever been happier to hear the final whistle blow. 4th isn't m...

God, I hope it's Moyes. The United job is about more than tactics and getting value out of the transfer market (for every Cantona there's a Kleberson), it's as much about dealing with the money, massive egos and general idiocy ever-present in the modern footballer. Ferguson was a genius at this, and...

Well it had to happen at some point - a bit surprised he did it without making another effort at a third European Cup, but a much deserved and fitting way to go out, as a champion. Makes every other teams life a bit easier, I can't imagine United having half their success without Fergie's involvemen...

Always liked this thread, kudos to the Doc for tipping me off that the Swamp was back: We never stopped, MFer! How have you been? Leaving me as the only Arsenal fan here now! Hah, not anymore! (he said, before not checking back in for another three years) All good, still living in the UK, got marri...

Always liked this thread, kudos to the Doc for tipping me off that the Swamp was back: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5153X80GE2L._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU02_.jpg http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/513vyBhC%2BML._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticke...