Recently updated blogs

When Manchester University Press announced the publication of this book, I could see at once that a book like this needed to be written. It is made up of 32 essays all asking how researchers can study the far right ethically. While one well-known journalist (Gary Younge of the Guardian) and two veteran theorists of […]

Wurkkos' TS10 series has been very popular with flashlight enthusiasts, and the larger 18650 battery format TS10 MAX is now available with high CRI Nichia 519A LEDs, and 2500 lumen max output. This is one of a handful of flashlights/torches with the flexible Anduril user interface (UI) that are suitable for light painting photography. Disclaimer The Wurkkos TS10 MAX was purchased with my own funds. Product links in this review …

Sometimes my brain gets so overloaded that simple decisions become too overwhelming and I start crying over what to pack for a weekend away. When this happens I have learnt that it’s helpful to empty my brain into post-it notes. This isn’t a productivity system. I have no rules. There’s no set size of each one. One might be “put on socks” and another might be “write a novel”. I …

Our last catch-up was all about one project: Museum in a Box; this one is about a couple of projects, but grouped on a single theme: bikes. We're big fans of cycling in the studio, and within our wider community in Liverpool—this summer about twenty of us headed north to do the Ride to the Sun, a 100 mile overnight ride starting in Carlisle and ending on the coast in …

Today, JFI’s Guaranteed Income project lead Jack Landry published a comprehensive report that summarizes the findings from the most significant recent guaranteed income pilot research projects–including JFI’s own just-released NBER working paper on the Compton Pledge. There is a growing debate around what the various pilot results mean. Some people have gravitated toward a handful of disappointing results to declare guaranteed income has minimal benefits, while others argue that pilots …

This weekend, the Grateful Dead will be celebrated at the Kennedy Center Honors, recognizing their impact on music and culture. You can join in the celebration by listening to one of the 17,000 Grateful Dead concert recordings preserved at the Internet Archive. The Grateful Dead Collection, part of the Live Music Archive, features more than 17,000 concert recordings spanning decades of the band’s live shows. The collection is a result …

As with previous iOS versions, let’s analyze the built-in apps of iOS 18 to answer a few questions: How many binaries does iOS 18 contain? Which programming languages were used to develop these apps? How many apps are written in Swift? What percentage of apps use SwiftUI versus UIKit?

This model is an old machine shop powered by a wind mill.. Not sure what the metal machine is as it was in my parts box for years and not sure who the manufacturer was of the metal wind mill kit.Above you can see the machine inside with a belt connected to the wind mill. The doors on the front of the building will actually close as they have angle …

Would it matter if the entire human race became extinct?1 I ask this question not because of any hostility towards human beings – as is fashionable in some circles, humans being seen as the poisonous curse of the Earth it would be better without, nor any generalized misanthropy – rather the opposite. The essay is built on the premise that human beings have been and are singular and remarkable creatures. …

Today, I am writing a eulogy for someone very close to me. Like most people, I’ve put things off. For example, I’ve been tempted to search the history of using ‘a’ instead of ‘an’ when forming the phrase ‘a eulogy’. I won’t bore you with the details. And, of course, writing this blog is another way for me to put off the inevitable. Anyway, a eulogy is about creating a …

Well, I’ve really confused Steam. It thinks I like adventure games, shooters and RPGs, minimalist games, casual games, puzzles, on-line co-op games, strategy games, simulation games, building games, 2D, 3D, indie, and multiplayer games. Isn’t that more or less liking just “games”? Anyway, My Time at Sandrock counts as a casual game. I thought I’d be in the mood for that, and it turns out I am. You arrive at …

Like many modern devices, some of the medical vaporizer devices from S&B (the Crafty, Venty and the Volcano Hybrid) offer Bluetooth connectivity and an app to control them. Unfortunately the official mobile apps have / had some problems. The iOS version is no longer available after Apple decided to remove "drug related" Apps. So understandably the company no longer developed either their iOS or Android apps, instead releasing a web …

I have been keeping up with Advent of Code so far this year, and thought after a week it might be nice to have a more detailed look at one of the entries, with commentary

Season's greetings from "a person of gravitas and insight, who says their prayers, and is sensitive to the potential of mission as 'parish-shaped'"Very quiet in the parish at the moment. The rotten weather isn't helping. On the way home after walking the dog over the fields, coming back along Icknield Way, I did spy a bit of commotion: some new arrivals in the village! An American family moving into Hazeldene, …

Yes. Is that a universal truth? Maybe not. If, in 1939, you found yourself in rifle range of Hitler, and there was no opportunity to steal him away, imprison him, or humiliate him in such a way as to defang his power - the only option to is to assassinate him and thus likely end or quicken the end of the suffering of millions (tens of millions if we count …