Recently updated blogs

Ignition (WARNING story discussed in explicit detail--though how comprehensible details may be is a matter of debate, with both discussion and debate an exercise in futility) The episode's putative title-- "Got a light?" sounds odd on first reading (online you see it under the episode's thumbnail pic) gains significance later on. Starts off plottily enough: Evil Mr. C (Kyle MacLachlan) and less evil Ray (George Griffith) have blackmailed their way …

Sometimes a sudden change in one's life is all one needs to reevaluate what gives life purpose, meaning and most importantly joy.I am now retired. It was planned for this year, but came six months earlier than anticipated. I was made an offer I couldn't refuse, so to speak. In the past two weeks I have had to fast forward all my planning that I was going to spread out …

Found photo The woman’s long fur coat marks this as a very prosperous couple, even more so than the man’s expertly matched plaid suit. Fur has long been a status symbol for American women, and especially older women according to fashion historian Patricia Millbank. “They seek to offset the creeping appearance of crow’s-feet and gray hairs by wearing more expensive clothes, bigger jewels, and flattering furs.” (New York Fashion, 202) …

This February, swoon for big-city romance with our New York Love Stories collection; celebrate Black history with stories of community, creativity, and resistance; or tango with the shady characters of Argentina’s noir thrillers. And we’ve got so much more for you to enjoy: retrospectives dedicated to Claudette Colbert and Joan Micklin Silver, Buster Keaton’s jaw-dropping stunts, the rediscovered films of Afro-Cuban trailblazer Sara Gómez, Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda’s one-of-a-kind TV show, …

On a note similar to my previous post, I uninstalled Duolingo from my phone this evening.

Here are eight new literary agents actively seeking clients. New agents are a boon to writers. They are actively building their lists, and will go the extra mile for their clients.All of these agents work for established agencies with good track records. They are looking for all genres.Always check the agency website and agent bio before submitting. Agents can switch agencies or close their lists, and submission requirements can change. …

I have another new arXiv preprint: “Computational geometry with probabilistically noisy primitive operations”, arXiv:2501.07707, with Mike Goodrich and his student Vinesh Sridhar. Many computational geometry algorithms are designed around the use of primitives, subroutines that access the coordinate data of the input and convert it into combinatorial information, with the assumption that all access to the input goes through these primitives. For instance, a key primitive often used for computing …

Robin Rendle quoting Chris Armstrong: … Chris [Armstrong] argues that personal websites could become more like wikis instead: With digital gardens, every new piece of content in the network has the potential to add depth and context to every other part. The whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. I truly love the idea that topics might grow over time with constant refininement [sic]. Expand! Condense! Connect! I …

Ever heard of Camogli, Italy? This little beach town is one of my favorite gems in Italy — a gorgeous seaside town on the Ligurian Coast that makes a perfect alternative to Cinque Terre. Located on the western side of the Portofino Peninsula, Camogli is just 15 miles from busy Genoa. It’s small enough to visit on a day trip from other Ligurian towns, but I think it’s one of …

This is an old post which I'm re-posting because David Lynch died. A stray observation here--that his work frequently nailed the distinctive spot where you don't know whether to laugh or be terrified, has come up for me over and over in the years since it went up.Mood and MoralityThis is about achieving a mood in a game (or in a movie or book or whatever).A basic rule of aesthetics …

If you see a link to a product or service on this blog, it’s not an affiliate link. I earn no kickbacks and accept no compensation from brands in exchange for coverage here. What I’m sharing is an honest, unvarnished personal impression of what it’s like to live with the thing. But it is not unbiased. I’m not after objectivity in reviews, and I don’t think you should be either. …

See more in Black and White.

In the Andes Mountains today, water managers are using both ancient and modern approaches to improve supplies of this vital resource. Novel methods, including those based on Indigenous knowledge, are needed to help meet the challenges of population growth and a warming climate. I’ve been interested in water supply issues for decades, starting in my teens when I began whitewater kayaking in California rivers. Those years, during the 1960s and …

By David Tuller, DrPH Last February, The BMJ published a paper called “Clinical effectiveness of an online supervised group physical and mental health rehabilitation programme for adults with post-covid-19 condition (REGAIN study): multicentre randomised controlled trial,” from McGregor et al. The study purported to have proven that this multi-disciplinary intervention was “clinically effective” in reducing … Trial By Error: BMJ Has Corrected the REGAIN Trial Paper–But Not the Editorial or …