Recently updated blogs

The first mini-heap of 2025… You “may be wondering how I’m going to wiggle out of the seeming exhaustion of logical space presented by ‘either it is the case that qualia exist or it is not the case that qualia exist.’ Just watch me now.” — Pete Mandik’s qualia quietism “The core elements of community—relationships, service, and purpose—also define the triad of fulfillment. When combined with the core virtue of …

We know the names of very few Roman centurions and legionaries, mostly those found on inscriptions and commemorative steles, along with a few mentioned in written sources. However, there are two whose names are so well-known that they even appear as characters in several television series and historical novels about ancient Rome. Their names were […]

On Christmas Eve, I walked to my local pub at lunchtime for a couple of pints. It wasn’t packed, but there was a decent scattering of people in. It was, as they say “nicely ticking over”. But something that struck me was that, in the rear lounge, there were a couple of giant TV screens showing the darts, with the sound turned up. Nobody was watching, and everyone was just …

This one goes out to Will, without whom I would not know any X-Men facts."Lore" is one of my favorite terms to graduate from cheeky internet slang to grown-up conversational staple. Lore is simply legend, often of the unverifiable kind, that accompanies a particular dogma, trait, or decision. The turn of the year is a great time to spin some lore about oneself or one's colleagues, wrapping up accomplishments in …

Enjoying a vacation on a Caribbean porch, and just had a couple hours to kill with good internet access. For some reason I spent part of them listening to the summary panel discussions at Strings 2025, which just ended today. Honestly, this was just completely pathetic. The whole thing was run by David Gross, who at 83 is entering his fifth decade of hyping string theory. Besides the usual claims …

In my days with mountain rescue we would often do a bothy trip a trip we enjoyed was to Culra over the 4 Munroes and then. To Ossian ( Thos is a Youth Hostel Tom rig would hide a key and coal) sadly Tom died many Years ago. He as such a character kind and a great host. Culra One great route was Dalwhinnie to Laggan taking in the hills …

The most productive tech stack I ever had was around 2018-2019. I made a conscious effort to leave Apple behind and generally it was the one time in the last 20+ years where I feel like my tech actually worked for me as opposed to me changing everything to work within the limits of whatever tech stack I had. The catch was that to make it all work I had …

Book Bracelet by an English jeweler, ca. 1840, made of gold, enamel, and diamonds. “This piece is composed of eleven rectangular segments joined by small hinges. Eight segments incorporate openwork floral motifs embellished with diamonds, while three are decorated with green enamel. The structure can be folded into a book form: two green panels act as the front and back covers, and the central panel, depicting a seated dog, creates …

Birthday Girl “Did You Know I Write You Poems?” Eva Smittle’s vocal performance keeps you edge – she’s flirtatious, she’s threatening, she’s afraid, she’s romantic, she’s nihilistic – and moves between those moods somewhat unpredictably. She comes across like someone who can’t decide how she feels about other people’s lust for her, and the moments where she seems totally repulsed ring as true as when she’s reciprocating the lust, and …

Here's what we looked at this week:The Travel Heavy, an aluminum 12" LP carrier for traveling DJs, is an upgrade from milk crates. Nifty tool: A tiny universal workholding device for watchmakers.Now available in the U.S.: This electric-assist screwdriver from Japan. An impressive exploration of material: This monomaterial bamboo projectile weapon.Forever object: This minimalist Mark Two pen, by Studio Neat, is a beautiful piece of industrial design.The cuckoo clock's unlikely …

With the Adventure Boosters AEG is the latest company to jump on the D20 bandwagon. But the Boosters are short, cheap, and funny-looking… Wait. Say what? Review Originally Published January 8th, 2001 With the Adventure Boosters, AEG is the latest company to jump on the D20 System bandwagon by publishing modules suitable for use with the third edition of Dungeons & Dragons. The Boosters, however, come with a few of …

People sometimes say there is a crisis of trust in science. In controversial subjects, from ecology to health, increasingly many people are rejecting not only mainstream ideas, but the scientists behind them. I think part of the problem is media literacy, but not in the way you’d think. When we teach media literacy, we talk about biased sources. If a study on cigarettes is funded by the tobacco industry or …

I wore my Olukai Mahana slippers all day every day for 3 years. They finally got beat up enough that when my family asked me what I wanted for Christmas, I said that I’d welcome a new pair of slippers. Christmas morning arrived and I opened my gift from my wife and daughter containing…a brand new pair of my exact same slippers. I was elated. This in my opinion is …

Le Beau Paradise Garden by Jean Paul Gaultier is "a tribute to the Garden of Gaultier, filled with vibrant flowers and enticing scents. It masterfully blends the salty coconut's freshness with the green fig's lushness and sandalwood's soothing warmth. Hints of zesty ginger, cool mint, and sun-drenched tonka bean enhance the fragrance's green aquatic and woody character, making it an ideal

Grant Schoel, an Eagle Scout candidate from Troop 229 in Harker Heights, Texas, created fish habitats in Stillhouse Hollow Lake near Belton, Texas, to address the environmental impact of drought. His project involved building 10 Georgia cubes — 3-foot PVC frames filled with gravel and drainage pipe to provide stable habitats for fish. These structures help restore habitats lost when water levels drop, offering shelter and promoting biodiversity. Grant coordinated …