The sanguine protagonist, full of suppressed trauma at being separated from his parents, goes on a journey that unsurprisingly takes him through every quarter, as well as with a group of mute wanderers.

It's a nice idea, and there are good, subtle depictions of life in the various quarters. Also has some creepy moments as the wanderers get abused. However, there's no real plot: I was unsurprised when the quest went nowhere and he apparently completely forgot why he cared about it. The characters aren't particularly interesting. The allegory doesn't really seem to go anywhere either: it's a bit weak to be a metaphor on ethic cleansing and a bit bland to be a message that diversity is good.

Overall, I'd say not worth reading. However, the lit crowd seem to like it: Review, review, review.

Consumerism
Had a day off work, so I went to buy an Iphone as threatened. They won't let you buy a new one online in the UK, so I went to the Apple store in the new Westfield centre. However, while I brought a bill along, a kid with a trendy haircut told me I also needed to bring my passport as ID, and it would be a very long process as they had to check my credit and so on.

So I went home and ordered a Google Android G1 phone online instead. They'll probably give me just as much bullshit and fuck up the delivery, but I least I can eat their shit in the comfort of my own home.

US election prediction
I predicted:
Obama 53%
McCain 46%
Other 1%

Actual results according to BBC:
Obama (64,908,616) 52.5%
McCain (57,083,284) 46.2%
Other (1.589518) 1.1%

It was pretty fine, but late results just pushed Obama up to 52.5229535% of the vote, making me accurate to the nearest percent for everything.

Note that I also managed that in Bush vs Kerry 2004.

Web
SSCCATAGAPP-friendly videos. Football in the face. Child stuck in vending machine. Kid stuck in rubber ring.

Space. European IXV re-entry vehicle. Enceladus pics.

Punternet again. Statistics. Trafficking? Should I report a suspected sex slave?

Daily Mash again Banks Not Happy Until All That's Left Is Banks. Public Can't Wait To Be Truncheoned Across The Jaw, Says Smith

Misc. Hitler's library. Online syntax highlighting. North Korea's hovering leaders. Bjork explains television. Some days, Rorschach's mask just refused to look scary. Test scores by field, physicists top.

US election web
Onion video Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are.

Republican self-destruction. Fox and McCain campaigners expose Palin ignorance. RedState plans Operation Leper to punish aforementioned campaigners. Republicans have finally turned into Democrats.