Recently updated blogs

Sometimes Dall-e says it wont generate an image due to its content policy, particularly if you name copyrighted works. A common example is superhero names. In this case my prompt was: a montage of lord of the rings images within the silhouette of a hobbit. It replied: I’m unable to generate images based on your request due to our content policy. If you have another idea or a different request, …

Jane Asher and Olivia Vinall lead with passionate performances in the Orange Tree’s production of The Circle now playing at Richmond Theatre “You’re such a ripping good sort” There may only be a few hundred metres separating Richmond Theatre from the Orange Tree Theatre but the arrival of this touring production of The Circle marks the first time that they’ve officially come together on a show in the 50 or …

All this talk about Gannett and Doonesbury and The Gannett 34 reminds me I never updated the list. The original Gannett 34: Group 1: Blondie, Zits, Beetle Bailey, Family Circus, Hagar the Horrible, Dennis the Menace Group 2: Garfield, Peanuts, For Better or Worse, Baby Blues, Pickles, FoxTrot Group 3: Pearls Before Swine, Jump Start, Ziggy, Marmaduke, Non Sequitur, Crabgrass Group 4 Crankshaft, Luann, Baldo, Frank & Ernest, The Born …

Treacle Walker by Alan Garner (4th Estate, 2021) “Ragbone! Ragbone! Any rags! Pots for rags! Donkey stone!” opens this strange and miraculous tale, which somehow reads as part fairy tale, part fantasy, and part lyrical poem all in the same spare breaths. I can’t say with any clarity what this book is doing; but I can say that whatever it is, it’s enchanting.

I’m head over heels for this delightful culinary reunion on paper, showcasing all those comfort foods and tantalizing treats we know and love by Anastasia Inciardi! Inciardi, the maestro behind those adorable mini print vending machines, doesn’t just stop at prints; they’ve got a whole array of goodies available online too! Ana hails as a relief printmaker, proudly representing Portland, Maine, with her craft. Despite her Brooklyn roots, she found …

If you’re on Instagram, @slgridmemes is definitely a fun follow -- like the account name suggests, it’s a near-daily cascade of chuckle-worthy memes only active Second Life users are likely to find funny. (I.E, IYKYK) Created and run by Ryan Johnson in his spare time, now with nearly 9000 followers, Ryan joined the virtual world in 2007 and sporadically played from time to time. But he became much more active …

In an extraordinary barely reported turn of events close to the conclusion of Julian Assange’s two day UK High Court Appeal against his extradition, a gaping hole appeared in plans to shunt him onto a plane to the US. In the final moments of the hearing, Ben Watson KC representing the UK Home Secretary, admitted Continue reading »

by Gideon Marcus Davey Jones has company This week, the regional news has been filled with the death of a local hero. Aquanaut Berry L. Cannon, a resident of Sealab III off the coast of La Jolla, died while diving 610 feet to repair a helium leak in his undersea home. It wasn't a matter … Continue reading [February 22, 1969] Good and Bad Trips (March 1969 Fantasy and Science …

Charles Marcus A paper that led to hopes that Microsoft might one day build a quantum computer has “shortcomings” that do not rise to the level of misconduct, according to an expert panel convened by the University of Copenhagen. The paper, originally published in March 2020 in Science, earned an expression of concern in 2021 following critiques of the work from two researchers, Sergey Frolov and Vincent Mourik. This week, …

Like Jeffrey, I’ve learned to love roast chicken in nearly any form – even better when it’s a one-pot meal like Dan Pelosi’s Piri Piri Roast Chicken! Potatoes and broccoli rabe are layered in a Dutch oven with some chicken stock and white wine, topped with a full chicken that’s been rubbed with piri piri seasoning (if you can’t find it, don’t worry – Dan provides a recipe using common …

Children are natural scientists. They observe the world, form hypotheses, and test them out. Eventually, they learn to explain their (sometimes endearingly hilarious) reasoning. AI, not so much. There’s no doubt that deep learning—a type of machine learning loosely based on the brain—is dramatically changing technology. From predicting extreme weather patterns to designing new medications or diagnosing deadly cancers, AI is increasingly being integrated at the frontiers of science. But …

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An occluded winter’s day when sunlight barely glimmered offered the ideal opportunity for a ramble through Charles Dickens’ London. Employing a set of cigarette cards from 1927 which Libby Hall kindly once gave me as my guide, I set out on a circular walk from Spitalfields through the City to Holborn, returning along Bankside, to photograph those locations which remain today. Dean’s Court, EC4 Staple Inn, WC1 2 South Square, …

A new city has been proposed in California, and I’ve never been more captivated by a vision for the future of my home state in my lifetime. This post is part of a series I’m writing about this bold proposal. As an urbanism nerd, the aspect of California Forever’s plan that I was most eager to hear about was land use and urban planning for the new city. From reading …

Shadows and grey The low angle of the sun highlights just the tops of these snow coated trees; the rest of this scene is in grey shadow.