Recently updated blogs

Kieran Press-Reynolds with a fascinating story for GQ about Galaxy Gas, a flavored nitrous oxide product that's all the rage and whose cute packaging recalls Alco-Pops in its kiddy appealOooh and talking about giddy pop thrills - quick update, they come so thick and so fast these days, here's another KPR piece, a tribute / memorial to the "lost promise of hyperpop". For Pitchfork.where the

We all know that the quality of a book is no guarantee that it will stay in print. The ones that survive almost always have merit, but the ones that disappear could be equally brilliant. And I was reminded of that yet again with The Spring House (1936) by Lady Cynthia Asquith. I’m going to warn you up front: this book is incredibly difficult to get hold of, but if …

I tried signing up for a membership at the Lethbridge YMCA at the very last day of August to have my membership start in September. As I was about to sign up I learned that if I waited until September 1 I would get seven days free and not have to pay fees to reinstate my account. I also learned that the pool would be closed for the majority of …

Björk on benches- two photographs by Kevin Cummins. Top: San Francisco, August 16, 1988. Bottom: Primrose Hill, London, April 1993.Here’s a bonus second image from the Primrose Hill shoot.I’m curious which exact San Francisco park this is. My guess is the Presidio, but it might also be Bernal Hill. The background trees aren’t really enough to give it away, and although Getty Images have a colour picture from the same …

Late summer up on the Long Pound has morphed into autumn, with some lively gales stirring up the canal and turning the hard-baked towpath back to mud. It's getting time to be dropping down through Devizes and into the Shire, where the gales don't blow quite so harshly and they offer the occasional blown-down tree as compensation; as long as they don't land on your boat, they can be a …

An astonishing thing is happening at sea, but the government, backed by an entire “scientific” discipline, seems determined to stifle it. By George Monbiot, published in the Guardian 27th September 2024 Over the past three weeks, I’ve been watching one of the greatest natural spectacles on Earth, here in south Devon. At a certain station of the tide, within a few metres of the coast, the sea erupts with monsters. …

Two weeks at number one from 6th February 1982This is where things get awkward. As Theatre of Hate dipped down to number two – possibly, I suspect, due to pressing plant or distribution issues – the Anti-Nowhere League managed to climb back up to the top of the charts again for another fortnight. Rather than spending another 1,000 words or so pontificating on the significance of both the group and …

This weathervane was photographed at the Museum of the American Revolution. "WeathervanePossibly made by Friedrich MarstellerTrappe, Pennsylvania, 1743IronOn loan from Augustus Lutheran ChurchThis wroght Iron weathervane adorned the Augustus Lutheran Church of Trappe, Pennsylvania, which was founded in 1743. Reverend Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, considered the "patriarch" of American Lutheranism, served as the first ordained minister of the church from 1742 to 1787. his son became an officer in the Revolutionary …

At the end of 4 days of trans health presentations from researchers, clinicians and community advocates from across (parts of) the world, I wanted to capture some of my key learnings and reflections. The conference took place the last week of September, in Lisbon, Portugal. This is my first WPATH (a conference of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health). A majority of trans communities have no access to WPATH …

(Previous posts here.) I’ve finished the game. Just like Dungeon Adventure was an anti-Zork of sorts, this can be thought of as an anti-Starcross, both in a negative and a positive way. A design from Kyoto University and the Kajima Corporation for artificial gravity on the moon, allowing babies to be born in 1G. Voltgloss and Rob helpfully drop some hints in the comments. The big piece I missed was …

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Sharlene from Real Life Reading that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their …

‘This systematic review examines empirical evidence supporting the anecdotal assumption, that dogs look like and behave like their owners. To this end, we investigated 15 studies with the aim of testing that: (1) Owners and their dogs resemble each other in appearance and (2) owners and their dogs have similar personalities. Aggregation of the results … Continue reading Like owner, like dog – A systematic review about similarities in dog-human …

After a magnificent summer the days are getting cooler, the leaves are turning and there is a definite autumnal feeling in the air. Perfect weather for long tours on our...

There’s a New York Times headline that says “You Won’t Stop Thinking About This Clam Chowder,” which sounds like a fucking curse.But I'm still thinking about reverb. Last night, it struck me that reverb is my Tannhäuser Gate, both there and not there, a threshold between the zones of shape and fog, definition and possibility. Sort of like my brain during the first hour of the day.Here’s the routine: Wake …

In this week’s blog, Dr Martin Spychal, Senior Research Fellow on the Commons 1832-1868 project, discusses his new book Mapping the State: English Boundaries and the 1832 Reform Act. The book is part of the Royal Historical Society’s New Historical Perspectives series and has been published by the University of London press. It is available now to download free in open access, or to purchase in paperback and hardback. In …