Lego Dinos

 From New Scientist 10th Jan, Backpages...

Dinomammoths

Feedback really doesn’t want to keep doing items about Lego. People will start to think we have an animus against the toy bricks, or that we are doing stealth marketing for them, neither of which is the case. However, palaeogeneticist Ross Barnett has drawn attention to a little book the company has produced, How to Build LEGO Dinosaurs. It contains instructions for 30 models.

A closer look reveals the issue. There are four models on the front cover, one of which is a pterosaur, which isn’t a dinosaur. We might let them off on that one, because it is, at least, an archosaur from the correct geological era. However, the back cover has a number of additional models, perhaps the most prominent being a woolly mammoth. Some of the others are a little hard to pin down (is that another pterosaur or an Archaeopteryx?), but as Barnett says, “I reckon 5/8 of the main images aren’t dinosaurs.”

Perhaps all this is pedantic, but then Feedback can think of no more pedantic an audience than 7-year-olds who are into dinosaurs. That said, full marks to the book’s creators for including instructions for a bespectacled dinosaur, Doyouthinkhesaurus. Feedback does enjoy a good dad joke, and also a bad one.

Sleep

 Our FitBit says we slept OK.

So we can't really be sleepy, can we?

Happy New Year!

 (If rather belated).

Austen Day

 So, 250 years ago today, Jane Austen was born.

We remember reading Northanger Abbey for O Level. We spent more time in the exam writing about her than the other two writers combined (Shakespeare and Tennyson, since you ask).

For A level, Mansfield Park and Emma.

For our degree Everybloodything. And 'Regulated Hatred' and Locke, Barbara Hardy and Marilyn Butler.  And everything else relevant...

BBC Radio 4 was in full celebration mode today, from Woman's Hour to Front Row and all points in between. Radio 4 presenters in crinolines and strange voices.  Versions of the books, and some brilliant discussions.

I think this was my favourite.

Lizzie, Again

Quite a good BBC Radio 4 version of Pride and Prejudice is on at the present.
Severely edited, but still fun.

Tamsin Greig as Jane Austen.

Budget Day

 Political commentary has been full of budget speculation for the last few weeks.  Many people seem to have pointed out that Brexit has made everything worse. 

Today is budget day, and doubtless there will be a reaction, whatever is announced.  That will take a while.

But what will people talk about then?

Biggles, Tim and Pru

 Back in 2013, there was a Guardian cryptic crossword set by Biggles.  Who was so called because he was actually a team of four setters, all called John (including John Halpern - Paul - and John Graham - the late and much missed Araucaria).

At one point that year, Biggles set a crossword whose solutions were a 50th wedding anniversary celebration gift to Timothy West and Prunella Scales.  Both of them were keen cruciverbalists, and I remember it being a tough solve.

A few days later I was on one of the long escalators leading up from the tube at Euston station, when I realised that Tim and Pru were behind me.  I had to turn and congratulate them, and say how much I enjoyed 'their' crossword.

I think they were quite pleased.  But I do remember afterwards thinking they might have been more chuffed if I'd praised them for their theatrical achievements!

Anyway, John Graham passed several years ago, and Tim West more recently.  And now Pru has gone as well.

RIP Prunella Scales.