Recently updated blogs

This post is an adapted extract from my book Boost Your Django DX, available now with a 50% discount for Black Friday 2024. Python’s breakpoint() function opens its debugger, pdb, which pauses the program and allows you to inspect and modify things. Let’s look at an example of using it within a Django view, from a sample project included in Boost Your Django DX. Here’s what the project looks like: …

In central Brixton, near the library and facing the Town Hall, there is a huge ghostsign advertising Bovril*, a beef extract product that is still available today. Bovril was created by John Lawston Johnson in 1897 – its popularity and success enabled him move into and adapt a house that can be found a few stops along the railway line from Brixton, at Kingswood House, Sydenham Hill. Indeed the house …

Believe it or not, I’ve only read one Georgette Heyer before – I listened to April Lady and really enjoyed it. In the three years since, I’ve bought quite a few Heyer novels but haven’t actually got around to reading any of them. A little while ago, I thought I’d see if any of the Heyer titles on my shelves matched gaps on A Century of Books – and landed …

David Smith joins Tim Worthington for a chat about Eddie Brock failing to maintain a consistent pair of shoes in Venom: The Last Dance.

A view from my studio window over Hastings’ West Hill. Photograph by the author. This is my monthly link dump, a regular monthly series containing a mix of links to interesting blog posts I’ve read from the past month covering arts & culture, myth, folklore, landscape punk, hauntology, anarchism, utopianism, the gothic, neo-fabulism, and the Weird. From Joe Crawford at ArtLung - Dune and Colonialism: I notice that Al has …

Frank Lloyd Wright (1867–1959)’s father had been a Universal­ist preacher. With their emphasis on a loving God, Universalists were early advocates of endling slavery and the first church to ordain women. In 1886 Univ­ers­alist Aug­usta Chapin bec­ame minister of the Oak Park Unity Church Chicago, attr­acting new members to the assembly including Lloyd Wright’s mother Anna. Frank’s maternal family were Welsh Unitarians; his uncle Jenkin Lloyd Jones was a noted …

From Secret Cars by François Mercier (via)

Crystal Eye Centre were first out the gate to say “come see us!” when I started this series of buying one thing from every shop on the Crystal Palace triangle, a year ago today. They also said I don’t have to buy anything but excuse me I think you’ll find I do, it’s all clearly documented in the rules. So I’ve been waiting for my eyes to deteriorate some more …

I guess something has changed with the Joe Rogan / Spotify deal and now all the old episodes are on YouTube again, which means the gems from the archives can now pop up. I was alerted to this conversation between Joe Rogan and John Carmack, and it’s pure gold. I know I’m five years late in watching this, but that makes it even better because it’s so prescient. Joe asks …

A year ago today I was in Seville at the end of a fantastic trip with my eldest son. These are some of the notes I put down on the hoof in my pocket notebook. (video at the end of this post) 23rd November 2023The smell of jasmine draped over an old sandstone wall near the cathedral, cascading into a narrow street. The beautiful garlands with the giant fig tree, …

A guide for Debian and Ubuntu on how to install PHP 8.4 on a new server or how to upgrade an existing PHP setup to PHP 8.4.

Why would you want to unitize your portfolio? I mean life is short – and there’s a lot of good stuff on Netflix. Well… maybe you’re a stock picker who wonders whether you’re beating the market? Or perhaps you’re a passive investor keen to see how the returns from your DIY ETF portfolio compares to Vanguard’s LifeStrategy fund? Whatever the motivation, you’ll need to track your performance versus active and …

Tuesday 26th November 2024 Photo courtesy: Mark Lyons This antepenultimate entry in my fortnightly travels on all Britain’s 26 bus routes numbered 100 series is one of the city of Oxford’s bus routes primarily aimed at students travelling to and from Brookes University, but open for anyone to use. Photo courtesy: Mark Lyons Oxford Bus Company has the contract with the University and provides five buses on the route which …

Today's links Bossware is unfair (in the legal sense, too): Neotaylorists wielding digital calipers, breaking the law. Hey look at this: Delights to delectate. This day in history: 2009, 2014, 2019, 2023 Upcoming appearances: Where to find me. Recent appearances: Where I've been. Latest books: You keep readin' em, I'll keep writin' 'em. Upcoming books: Like I said, I'll keep writin' 'em. Colophon: All the rest. Bossware is unfair (in …