Recently updated blogs

Voronoi (aka Visual Economist) made this map about service times at emergency rooms around the U.S. This map shows why one shouldn’t just stick state-level data into a state-level map by default. The data are median service times, defined as the duration of the visit from the moment a patients arrive to the moment they leave. For reasons to be explained below, I don’t like this metric. The data are …

I’m undertaking a year-long crash course in the humanities. These are my notes for week 3. Following Ted Gioia’s curriculum, this week I read the remainder of the Odyssey. On the audiovisual front, I watched a movie that made me think differently about the poem’s subject. Readings Last week included books 1-10 of the Odyssey. This week I “read” through the remainder of the poem. “Read” is in quotes because …

Worcestershire is "Greened"The final 2025 Good Beer Guide Worcestershire Tick is up for grabs. I hear the word "Bredon" and instantly think of the hill. Possibly my favourite place to walk.There is a reason I haven't been to the Coach and Horses before. The village is a fair way from the hills. It could have been done, but 8 miles would test the patience of today's walking partners. Mrs M …

Most studies of the 1960s counterculture focus more on the “counter” than the culture. They want to know what did—or did not—make the phenomenon oppositional to the dominant structures of Read more The post “Putting the Culture in the Counterculture”: Michael J. Kramer on Thomas E. Crow’s *The Artist in the Counterculture: Bruce Conner to Mike Kelley and Other Tales from the Edge* first appeared on Society for US Intellectual …

From a recent Times TV review (as quoted by Broadcast): Naturally, even before Accused: The Fake Grooming Scandal aired, there were people on Twitter/X accusing C4 of focusing on this rare and terrible case of a young woman who fabricated abuse claims rather than the victims of the many very real crimes in Rochdale, Oldham and elsewhere. You can understand the thinking, but the truth is this three-part documentary was …

Even though I don’t find these kinds of posts very interesting to read, I guess it can’t hurt to quickly raise up to the stupid blog questions challenge—Thanks, Joel. There is nothing shockingly new in here and most other articles about blogging might be of better use to you. Getting “nominated” to participate feels like being obliged to engage in those childhood chain letters. That’ll be seven years of bad …

There are two articles in Issue 17 (help to finance a reprint here) about domestic labour, a type of work often overlooked when discussing the post-work future. One piece — a review of Helen Hester and Nick Srnicek’s After Work: A History of the Home and the Fight for Free Time — looks into the possibilities of freeing us from home-based servitude forever. The other — an essay by self-described …

These roasted millet and oat pancakes are a great gluten-free addition to your breakfast rotation. The pancakes are fragrant, nutty, and contain plant protein and fibre. The premade pancake mix is easy to prep ahead and store in your pantry for months. Print Roasted Millet and Oat Pancake Course BreakfastCuisine FusionKeyword gluten free, millet Prep Time 5 minutes minutesCook Time 20 minutes minutesPancake Frying Time 20 minutes minutes Servings 6 …

The Eustace Diamonds by Anthony Trollopepublished as a serial 1871-72 "...and enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that she's about the handsomest girl out. As for me, I'd sooner have the widow. I beg your pardon, Mr. Greystock." Frank merely bowed. "Simply, I mean, because she rides about two stone lighter. It'll cost you something to mount Lady Tewett." [men chatting in the smoking-room] There are two direct reasons for looking …

I will tell you one thing. I didn’t get this job for nothing. They have no idea who I am, but they soon will! For the most part, I am biding my time. I lay low in the gallery, in the corners, at doorways. I hide in plain sight. Visitors expect to see me, or, they don’t register seeing me — even when they look right at me. Sometimes the …

Tommy Claytonpic is from Pacific EP 90100 (France)Tommy Clayton has covered the hits of the day for Eli Oberstein's various budget labels. Some twenty Varsity tracks can be heard at Internet Archive here; unfortunately the sound clips are of very low quality. Apart Varsity, his records are found on W&G (Australia & New Zealand), Pacific (France), Royale (USA) and World Record Club (UK), all either way related to Eli Oberstein. …

I have barely made any progress on writing (other than blogging) this year. Something I need to address PDQ.I got a tax rebate. Quite a large one. Basically in the 2023-24 tax year I only worked for five months, and then spent seven months taking a bit of a break and trying to work out what I was doing with my life. For that five months, I was on higher …

<!--[if gte mso 9]>

Olivia Darnley, Mimî M Khayisa, Sifiso Mazibuko, Scott Sparrow in A Good House, Royal Court Theatre. Photo: Camilla Greenwell Thought-provoking, challenging and funny in a play is a difficult combination to get right, but the production of Amy Jeptha's play A Good House at the Royal Court Theatre does just...

Ridgeline subscribers — Hello from amidst the Toyama rush of media requests. I’ve had to say no to most of them, mainly because I’ve been finishing the final final final final set of edits on the Random House edition of Things Become Other Thing. Those edits are in. The book can be pre-ordered from all the usual places. I’m running a pre-order campaign whereby if you forward your pre-order coupon …