Recently updated blogs

Feeling quite proud of myself for getting my broken microwave repaired instead of mindlessly taking it to the dump and buying a new one. Only cost £45 to replace a blown capacitor.

It’s been a while. I’ve been coming through things, and still am, but here I am, writing again. In the café at Wrexham General station, the kind barista is putting up the Christmas tree while I drink my morning coffee. I choose to take it as a sign of hope. It may snow before November is out. I will love again the way snow falls through the street light outside …

….Well, I can certainly see why this is called an “Acid Western”. “El Topo” – or “The Mole” (Alejandro Jodorowsky, who also directs) is a gunslinger on the Mexican frontier. For a chunk of the film, he is accompanied by his son, “Hijo” (Brontis Jodorowsky, Alejandro’s own son), or a woman he names “Marah” (Mara Lorenzio). At first El Topo is simply a sort of knight-errant, heading off on missions …

This post is inspired by a poll that Ellen Jovin, aka the Grammar Table, ran in September. Before I get into that, let me point out that there is a Kickstarter to support the documentary about her spreading grammatical joy across all 50 US states. It'd be lovely to be able to see that film in a (BrE) cinema/(AmE) theater or event near you, near me and near everybody. So …

We categorized songs in the Billboard Top 10 to see if love songs are on the decline.

Hey, remember this blog? Yeah, me too. Anyway. Almost fifteen years ago, I posted here an account of my decades-long efforts to emulate the lasagna that my grandmother made for my family in my youth. In the intervening years I've made adjustments to my recipe. I actually swapped out fresh mozzarella right from Caputo's salt water tub for whole-milk mozzarella, also from Caputo's. Which I shred, rather than apply in …

There’s been increasing talk about how blue light from phones and computer screens could be a potential cause of skin damage. Is it worth worrying about, or is it just marketing? This topic is going to be a two-parter. In this installment we’re going to talk about visible light damage, and how you can protect your skin; in part 2, ... Read more Source

Please join me, along with friend and fellow author Colleen Miniuk, on the evening of December 12 (at 7PM EST / 6PM CST / 5PM MST / 4PM PST) to celebrate the release of my new book, Be Extraordinary: Philosophical Advice for Photographic and Other Artists. The event is FREE, but registration is required. You may register and find more information, as well as submit questions and topics you’d like …

I made a Clock Gear Train Calculator this evening. This is something I've done with ad-hoc perl scripts in the past, but I wanted to use it again and couldn't find my previous scripts, so I thought this time it would be better to have a proper user interface on it. If you're designing a clock, you might find it useful. It lets you specify a range for the pinion …

PC I have a particular love for games that take one element of a larger genre, and just hone in on it, let it be the only element of the game, and allow me to explore it in a way that usually feels overwhelming. One such genre I really struggle with are turn-based RPGs and strategy games, when battles become any more complicated than the gentle nature of a Paper …

Here I sit, brokenhearted / I came to shit and only farted. I’m stuck in the toilet with my laptop. The last time FlamedFury bookmarked something I had written, they said I broke it down in too many words (as usual :P). No doubt it was meant in jest. Nevertheless, here’s proof that I am not always prolix: a shitpost since I can’t seem to shit. And I do appreciate …

This quilt is one of a series of quilts I generated relating to Election Day 2024. Explore the collection. As soon as I completed my Processing quilt, the idea for this quilt immediately came to me. I knew what I wanted it to look like, but I’ve struggled to develop the description for it. I think this quilt could be viewed so many different ways to different people. Overall, it …

Washington, D.C. Map Washington, D.C., is best known as the political center of the United States. This city is the nation’s capital and the home of the White House, the Supreme Court, the Capitol Building, Congress, and numerous other significant government buildings. D.C.’s many museums house important historical documents and priceless artworks, and the city’s landscape is dotted with treasured national landmarks like the Washington Monument. D.C. is also home …

Just a quick note that you probably won't see anything new until the week of Thanksgiving. I've had a crunch on assignments due for my doctorate program.

Hawklords was originally a late 1970s spin-off project from the space rock legends, Hawkwind, during a time the main band was on a brief hiatus. Fast-forward to 2008 and the name was resurrected as the name for a new band featuring a handful (of the many!) former members of Hawkwind. Just like Hawkwind itself, there have been numerous changes in personnel since then but former Hawkwind members have always been …