Recently updated blogs

Boris Dralyuk has tracked down a clip from a 1937 B-movie where Alexander Voloshin—whose Russian poetry Dralyuk has translated—speaks Ukrainian instead of (as usual) being silent and uncredited. In that post he links to the late 1920s experimental short The Life and Death of 9413: a Hollywood Extra, very much worth your 14 minutes! I’ve learned a lot from The Russian Reader’s grim juxtapositions of translated bits of current Russian …

Before we get into the swing of the new year, I’m going to write briefly about some of the books that left an impression on me in 2024. These aren’t in any particular order, and there’s a mix of non-fiction and fiction. Dan Davies: The Unaccountability Machine Although these are not in a particular order, this is the book I’ve found myself coming back to more than the others. Davies …

In this short video, I share insights about the difference between expectations from a middle manager and a senior manager and how can one navigate this shift in expectations, which at times is extremely difficult. You get invited to the so called big boys table when you do exceedingly well at your tasks and show the potential to be a good leader. This required you to be able to have …

The Shield & Dagger, Southampton, Hampshire A post-war pub, originally knoqn as the Stratton, in a back-street location in the Shirley district on the north-west side of the city. Demolition work began in September 2024.

Happy New Year! I hope you’re keeping safe and well. The first post of the year is the now customary look back at the previous year’s Young Adult covers. All the covers on this year’s list are illustrated (which was almost, but not quite, the case last year too). I love illustration — it’s part of the reason why I still keep doing these posts! — so it’s possible that …

Somehow this marks twenty years of travelogues. As I mentioned last fall, part of longevity is just sticking to it. One of the shortcomings of this format is that I specifically chronicle where I’ve slept, not where I’ve been. Every once in awhile this matters—like this year, where I spent eight hours in Minnesota, flying to Minneapolis early in the morning, complete with a diverted landing in Duluth, and leaving …

The LEGO® Icons Blacktron Renegade is now available to all, and the B-model instructions are on the LEGO building instructions portal, meaning I could finally construct the walker and repair mech alternate builds.Continue reading »

For the second time now, someone mentioned to me that it is kind of paradoxical that my newsletter, which is called “Own Your Web”, is not hosted on my own server or under my own domain but on Buttondown. And yes, they are right. I realize that this is kind of not walking the talk. Do I really own my Web in this case? I thought about this as well …

Pink and Blues on the booze. Source

5/5 golden merles Indianapolis-based indie garage-poppers Good Flying Birds‘ have released the newly compiled talulah’s tape (21-24). Some sweet and intricate rock music, “Wallace” is my favorite of that set. Just when you thought the world’s desiccated husk couldn’t get any less appealing: whammo, some real fun and charming gas exits from an unknown reservoir. Arriving just in time for whatever horrors lurk just outside our temporal periphery, it’s a …

I love the Jim Holloway art from this era of Basic D&DWe missed a lot of time with this campaign! Several of the players are die-hard Eagles fans (go birds), and there was a run of late afternoon games on Sundays or Sunday nights which displaced RPG game nights, so I think we've only played 2-3 times since October when I last checked in on this campaign. Our cast of …

Be still my beating heart. A book on the supply of clothing and equipment that relies heavily, and quotes, contemporary documents. Somehow, this book really ticks my boxes. Who'd have thunk it? What do you want to be when you grow up? Someone who gets excited at the mention of the Tangye Collection manuscripts, and any hint of SP28 (Commonwealth Exchequer Papers) has those close by reaching for the smelling …

In November 2024, I traveled to India as part of a delegation hosted by the India Foundation. The foundation is a part of the new nationalist establishment steering Indian society. As they see things, India’s relationship with America has been mediated by hostile parties for too long. On the Indian side you have Congress-sympathizing functionaries; on the American side, a set of intellectuals and diplomats who can neither speak for …

Happy New Year! Firstly, I’m very much still alive and well (thanks for asking). I was so busy with work and the move to Munich last year that I rather neglected to update here. Also, after focusing on Asia for the past 17 years, I somehow lacked inspiration despite all the changes in my life. I hope to post more in 2025 but while my memory is still fresh (and …

Maybe a content warning on this one for discussion of a scene that heavily allegorizes sexual assault. So even though I won’t technically get to this game in this project for a hot minute, I figured I would still talk briefly about my experiences playing Final Fantasy XVI, which I just finished doing. I started playing FFXVI in late November after my birthday, and it has taken me a little …