Microlog: Arts & Culture

Haim Saban: The Influencer Fri 07 May 2010
A long profile of the Israeli entertainment mogul behind most of the cartoons I watched as a kid (and later, the insufferable Power Rangers); now he’s positioning himself as a power broker in US-Israeli relations. At least he wants peace in the Middle East (it’s good for business) but what if he didn’t? It’s a scary thought.

A taster of recipes from Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty Thu 06 May 2010
Great stuff here; this dude does vegetarian food that’ll appeal to even the most hardened carnivore.

Bourdain’s Disappearing Manhattan Thu 06 May 2010
Anthony Bourdain explores New York’s gastronomic institutions, under threat by the march of progress. I hope we’ll get to see some of these places when we’re in NYC later this month. [c/o Kottke]

Is John Lewis the best company in Britain to work for? Tue 04 May 2010
I’m frankly amazed that so few businesses are run along these lines. I shouldn’t be, but I am.

Takeshi Kitano: one original gangster Tue 04 May 2010
It’s not enough being a good actor, a great director and the Japanese Chris Tarrant; no, the bastard has to be an accomplished artist as well.

Wikipedia on the Dunning-Kruger effect Tue 04 May 2010
A cognitive bias in which “people reach erroneous conclusions and make unfortunate choices but their incompetence robs them of the metacognitive ability to realize it”. In other words, the dumber you are, the more likely you are to think you’re smarter than everyone else; conversely, the truly smart ones tend to underestimate their own intelligence for fear of patronising others. The end result is a social climate where the likes of Fox News can thrive. Oy vey!

Make your own sourdough Fri 30 Apr 2010
Filing this for future reference. Mmmmm, bread.

Charlie Brooker: My plan to save mankind Fri 30 Apr 2010
Basically, the inability of the average individual to transcend the linear comprehension of time is to blame for everything from climate change to the obesity epidemic. And it’s a very convincing argument. Says Brooker of the exceptional few: “Every jogger is essentially a clairvoyant. They’ve transcended the shackles of contemporary subsistence and risen above the likes of you and me, to witness a vision of the future so captivating it blocks out the pain of the present, so enticing, they’re literally compelled to run towards it.”

Roger Ebert re-enters the 'games as art' debate Sun 25 Apr 2010
This isn’t even really a debate: anything can be art in the right context or circumstances. Ebert should know better.

Counting the cost of the long journey home Sun 25 Apr 2010
The one thing that seems to be forgotten with the recent stories and flighty prose about the ash cloud disruption is how most people just don’t have the time or the money! We have tight budgets, jobs to get back to, medicine to take, promises to keep, etc — we simply can’t sit there and wait while the airlines leave us hanging.

The League of Moveable Type Thu 08 Apr 2010
High-quality open source fonts. Because we don’t all have the resources of a design house.

Dunkie Drinks Dunkin’s Coffee Wed 07 Apr 2010
Sadly it’s only an April Fool’s prank. I wish it was real.

Infovore: A book of photographs that I made Wed 07 Apr 2010
Very, very nice. I may have to make one myself.

Kottke on 'the new rules for reviewing media' Wed 07 Apr 2010
It’s an interesting phenomenon, but not the kind of trend I want to see. Kottke says: “In the end, people don’t buy content or plots, they buy physical or digital pieces of media for use on specific devices and within certain contexts.” I disagree: people DO buy content. If I buy a book, I’m buying it for the story; the format is entirely secondary, regardless of my personal preferences. Giving a book a bad rating because you can’t read it on your Kindle or whatever? That’s just bullshit whatever way you cut it.

Confessions of a Book Pirate Fri 29 Jan 2010
“In truth, I think it is clear that morally, the act of pirating a product is, in fact, the moral equivalent of stealing… although that nagging question of what the person who has been stolen from is missing still lingers.” This here is the kicker; the spectre that looms over all forms of electronic copying. And the reason why the question still lingers is because ‘piracy’ is just as easily compared to the second-hand marketplace as it is to outright stealing — and nobody would call someone who buys second-hand books or music a thief, would they? [c/o Kottke]

Charles Bukowski and the Computer Fri 29 Jan 2010
Reading this makes me sad at how little the literary world has embraced the digital age. They can’t all be reactionary luddites, surely [c/o MetaFilter].

Serendipity Killed the Cat Fri 29 Jan 2010
For Dave Pell, ‘controlled serendipity’ is more like an uncontrollable addiction. In my view, guess it depends on whether those doing it are doing it for others or themselves; the difference is significant.

‘Controlled Serendipity’ Liberates the Web Fri 29 Jan 2010
Someone at the NYT discovers link-blogging, even though hundreds if not thousands of people have been doing it for YEARS! Everything said here, everything quoted by others, it can all be said of blogging in general — or at least blogging as it was a decade ago [c/o LinkMachineGo].

How to use a semicolon Fri 29 Jan 2010
I may have blogged this before, but it’s worth posting again. Indeed, the ‘divine semi-colon’ is nothing to be feared.

Your pal, John K. Fri 29 Jan 2010
A fan of John Kricfalusi (of Ren & Stimpy fame) wrote to the man himself, and received a more than generous reply. This is for all of us who are too scared to say hi to our heroes (although I’ve shaken the hand of mine, and he complimented my shirt).

Some visualisations of stories and narratives Fri 22 Jan 2010
I’d like to see one for The Wire, or The Sopranos. Or The Simpsons. Or better yet: one tracking crossovers between different movies/series (cf. The Tommy Westphall Universe Hypothesis).

Jonathan Lethem on the streets of Brooklyn Fri 22 Jan 2010
An interview with the author of The Fortress of Solitude upon the release of his latest, Chronic City. According to Lethem, the Brooklyn he loves is marked by “a definitive incompleteness”. Couldn’t the same be said for any city-with-a-soul?

Looking into the past Fri 22 Jan 2010
Is there an augmented reality app for this kind of thing? If there isn’t, there should be. Just imagine the possibilities!

The Weird Book Room Fri 22 Jan 2010
Just goes to show there’s a market for just about everything, however small that market might be.

Omphaloskepsis for the nation Fri 22 Jan 2010
The Irish blogosphere gets itself in a tizzy about the ‘death of blogging’. Blah blah blah, whatever. If the only thing you care about when you blog is doing it for other people, then you’re doing it wrong. End of story. Next!

In praise of... pies Fri 22 Jan 2010
“There is… an essence of pie; it dwells in the borderland where pastry meets with filling to create a third taste, and complete the pie-makers’ holy trinity.” Mmm, yes indeed.

Wall of Knowledge Fri 22 Jan 2010
Isn’t this more or less what Trinity’s Long Room would look like if you turned the shelves by 90 degrees?

Falling out of love with Murakami Wed 16 Dec 2009
I love Murakami, and I don’t care about the clichés (the enigmatic women, the jazz, the pasta), nor that his stories are one-off experiences (as I never re-read books anyway).

'These videogames are not art. They are extreme pornography' Wed 16 Dec 2009
O RLY? Actually this might be one of the few instances where the comments section is better than the article itself — which needless to say is hideously ill-informed.

Inside the topsy-turvy world of record label royalty reporting Fri 04 Dec 2009
Do people really still believe that (the vast majority of) artists get anything like a fair deal from major labels?

Trailblazing Fri 04 Dec 2009
Courtesy of the Royal Society, a pretty neat timeline of cultural and scientific achievements from 1650 to the present (and beyond…)

Kottke on the origins of Green Eggs and Ham Wed 25 Mar 2009
I had no idea.

Israeli troops describe shooting Gaza civilians Wed 25 Mar 2009
Why am I not surprised?

Irish ISPs rally against record label anti-piracy threat Wed 25 Mar 2009
A good thing, too. The mainstream can suck a lemon; real music needs the audience the internet can provide.

A poor photographer blames his tools Wed 25 Mar 2009
Too right. Even the crappiest cameras can take great pictures; it’s the user’s eye that counts.

Fimoculous: Why I Blog Thu 16 Oct 2008
I’m not a fan of Andrew Sullivan, but this is a good piece, and I’m linking to this for one particular quote: “A good blog is your own private Wikipedia.”

s.andwi.ch Thu 16 Oct 2008
Social bookmarking for sandwiches. Here’s one I made earlier.

The Guardian profiles Fray Tormenta, the Mexican wrestling priest Fri 02 Feb 2007
Published near the release of Nacho Libre, the film very loosely based on his life. The Independent also has a profile of ‘Friar Storm’ — or ‘Father Thunder’, as he was called in a documentary on lucha libre I once saw on RTE Two in the early ’90s.

David Byrne posits a Marshall Plan for the Middle East Fri 02 Feb 2007
I was thinking of something along these same lines when I first noted this link some months ago: some Americans love to boast about their nation’s nobility towards Europe both during and after the Second World War, but their government hasn’t demonstrated much of anything like it elsewhere in the world in the 60-plus years since. Isn’t it about time they started building things instead of destroying them?

What Really Causes Civil War? Fri 02 Feb 2007
In the end, it all comes down to greed, power and money.

How I never quite fell for South Africa Fri 02 Feb 2007
The Guardian’s Rory Carroll reflects on his tenure as Africa correspondent, giving a glimpse of the all-too-real dark side of the ‘Rainbow Nation’. Having been there (and soon to return) myself, beyond the paths where the tourists tread, I can somewhat identify with his sentiments.

Foreward: A Book Design Blog Sun 06 Aug 2006
Filing this for future reference [c/o del.icio.us/cityofsound].

The Brand Underground Thu 03 Aug 2006
I’m not sure how to take this article on independent fashion brands from the NYT. On one hand the author is trying to compare independent streetwear labels and associated ‘anti-brands’ with the underground cultural signifiers that came before them (graffiti taggers; record labels like SST; bands with strong visial identities like Black Flag, etc.) but on the other, the whole thing reads like an advertisement for cooler-than-thou hipster elitists (which is surely the antithesis of the genuine independent, underground spirit the author wishes were there). In the end, I’m left thinking that it’s all just commerce, and that money ruins everything worthwhile.

Mark Steel Lectures on YouTube Thu 03 Aug 2006
They’re only excerpts, but you’ll love them. Why can’t school be like this? [c/o Mind Hacks].

Anti-Wikipedia links Wed 02 Aug 2006
Filing here for future reference; these should have much relevance to the previous question.

The Colbert Report analyses Wikipedia Wed 02 Aug 2006
Funny guy, that Colbert. I don’t think the net should be too worried about this — you can see in his eyes that he understands more than what he’s saying. And besides, it raises a fair question that requires debate: What exactly is Wikipedia for, anyway?

The Penguin Blog Wed 02 Aug 2006
Stop the presses! Publishing house catches on to blogging malarkey! But seriously, it’s a very good thing that such a company has seen fit to put a more human face on what are normally quite anonymous operations. It might even stoke some sort of qualitative loyalty for the imprint, akin to that enjoyed by independent record labels. Or maybe that’s just wishful thinking on my part.

Soda refills: the shocking truth Wed 02 Aug 2006
I’m going to let you in on a little secret… on an idle afternoon in a previous job which involved serving drinks from a soda fountain, I decided to put the ‘ice takes up valuable drink space’ myth to the test, taking two medium cups (one with ice), filling both with an equal amount of beverage, and comparing the results. I’m sorry to report that with a cup of that size, the difference is negligable — other than the one with ice being colder, of course. (I should point out for the sake of transparency that the ice almost never filled more than a third of the cup; any more than that would just be silly, now.)

Boing Boing post sparks grammar dispute Thu 27 Jul 2006
See if you can spot the error that Andy and Brad have made.

Wikipedia entry on the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict Thu 27 Jul 2006
No longer willing to fill this blog with more depressing/angering reports of continuing atrocities — such as the killing of UN peacekeepers despite numerous warnings — I’m filing this for future reference; I don’t think it’ll be beaten as a concise historial record of these recent events for some time.

Brian Keenan on the current Middle East crisis Thu 27 Jul 2006
Wise words from someone who knows what he’s talking about.

Blogging From the Belly of Beirut Sat 22 Jul 2006
A good story from Wired about blogs as a meeting point for conversation between all sides of the current conflict that manages to be both positive and desparingly grim at the same time.

Independent infographic Sat 22 Jul 2006
They sure have a way with their front pages; a shame that their website isn’t up to the same standard. (See also: some more infographics on the Middle East conflict.)

Photos of Lebanon on Flickr Sat 22 Jul 2006
Disturbing, to say the least. Viewer discretion is advised [c/o del.icio.us/jack].

Good comment on a MetaFilter thread about the current Mddle East crisis Sat 22 Jul 2006
“…I think that regardless of whether the Israeli response is justified, it’s definitely downright stupid policy. I think it’s also very arguable that the response has been disproportionate at the very least, but like I said, I prefer not to take sides. Regardless, the onus of responsibility is on Israel to [stand down] — since they do have a professional army under governmental control, unlike Lebanon — and they’re doing everything but taking the high ground. They are actively discouraging the conditions necessary for peace.” Agreed. Israel is certainly in a difficult position — knowing that even if they stop, Hezbollah won’t — but you can’t fight fire with a flamethrower. And that’s my last word on the matter, because writing about the wrongs of the world makes me too angry and depressed.

Lebanon: the world dithers Fri 21 Jul 2006
Three days on, and we’re still dithering. This appeasement of Israel’s strong-arm tactics isn’t helping anyone.

Israeli terrorism in Lebanon Fri 21 Jul 2006
A Barbelith thread on the current disaster in the Middle East, to which I have been contributing intermittently. I may have gotten off on the wrong foot with my presumption that paramilitary terrorism was being ignored in favour of singly condemning ‘big bad’ Israel, but let’s not kid ourselves here: while I will never have any sympathy for the likes of Hezbollah and Hamas, I have absolute conviction that the Israeli government and the IDF are also committing acts of terrorism against the citizens of Lebanon (and, yet again, the disenfranchised people of Palestine). It’s disproportionate to a morally unjustifiable degree — and whatever way you want to dress it up, it is and will always be wrong. The cycle of violence has to be stopped. Now.

Paul Hammond's notes on typography from @media 2006 Tue 18 Jul 2006 | 0 Comments
Just to add my own note: Helvetica might be unfashionable, but it’s underappreciated. Same goes for Georgia, which actually looks just fine in print too (if you like your fonts with a little padding round the middle). The real problem as I see it is that the wrong typefaces are being used in the wrong contexts: I never, for instance, saw Comic Sans in a real world, ‘meatspace’ setting until computers exploded in popularity in the late 1990s — is it really as popular as it’s made out to be, or are people just lazy, with no conscious understanding of the message and/or sub-text that such a font conveys?

Overlooked graphic design: European stamps Tue 18 Jul 2006
Neat. I was something of a philatelist in my youth, so these bring back some memories.

What does a website sound like? Tue 18 Jul 2006
Mine sounds a lot blander than I imagined. But I haven’t been posting much lately, which could explain it.

MetaFilter Writers Group Tue 18 Jul 2006
Jack started a group for aspiring writers/MeFites to exercise their narrative muscles.

The National Magazine Cover Archive Mon 10 Jul 2006
It’s not a big archive — but they’re about quality, not quantity.

Dry cleaning typography in Tokyo Sun 09 Jul 2006
I think my brain would melt from wonderment if I were to visit Tokyo right now. Is there anything I can take to prevent that for when I do go?

From a list of new Library of Congress subject headings Sun 09 Jul 2006
I’m not a professional cataloguer (though I could have been) but shouldn’t the last one be ‘Video games—wrestling’?

Murakami hits out at Japanese nationalism Sun 09 Jul 2006
Just a pity he’s preaching to the choir.

BLDGBLOG's Your Hidden City favourites Sun 21 May 2006
I like the last one the best, if only for the lighting.

Soundwalk Sun 21 May 2006
As the tagline says, these are ‘audio tours for people who don’t normally take audio tours.’ A bit on the expensive side, but might be worth it if you want to get a new angle on a played-out environment, to better appreciate it.

Travels with iPod Sun 21 May 2006
Basically, audio travel guides and walking tours for your mp3 player. A great idea, especially to help lone travellers to get a feel for unfamiliar places [c/o del.icio.us/mhonan].

Farms of fear Sun 21 May 2006
A recent Sunday Times Magazine story on an extraordinary spate of racism-fuelled killings in South Africa’s Limpopo province. If it does only one thing, it shows just how much further the country has to go, socially and economically, before full reconciliation can ever be reached.

Wikipedia entry for San Francisco burrito Sun 21 May 2006
I’d love one of those right about now.

Record sleeves designed by Peter Saville Sun 21 May 2006
He did a lot more than just the Factory stuff, you know [c/o del.icio.us/jonhicks].

Mini Pixel Icons Sun 21 May 2006
A great collection of minuature infographics for websites. I may be using a few of them here in the near future.

Howard Zinn: America's Blinders Sun 21 May 2006
The radical historial tells it like it is.

Hanging out over London at 1,000ft Sun 21 May 2006
Or to quote The Guardian’s own Charlie Brooker: “Wahey! I’m in a HELICOPTER!!”

Google Trends: Pirate Versus Ninja Fri 12 May 2006
It had to be done. As you can see, the pirate just about has the edge (aside from a particularly huge influence in Scandinavia — because of its historically maritime culture, perhaps?). However if you pluralise the terms, ninjas are completely trounced across the board. Which can only mean one thing: that ninjas work better alone.

Kinja card for MacDara Conroy's website Fri 12 May 2006
I’d forgotten all about Kinja, but it seems to have improved slightly and differentiated itself somewhat with these ‘card’ thingies. Mine is even using a screenshot from this site as it looked 18 months ago. That’s so cute!

The Tumblelist Fri 12 May 2006
Probably the most comprehensive listing of tumblelogs in the world. And they deemed this humble site ‘close enough’ for inclusion. That’s nice of them.

Wikipedia entry for the Irony mark Fri 12 May 2006
If the internet ever needed its own punctuation symbol (emoticons don’t count) then this would be it [c/o Tumble].

City In Silence Fri 12 May 2006
“This daily project, started in 1997, aims to capture the beauty and mystery surrounding New Yorkers in the majestic setting of the Big Apple.”

Paper Pixel Fri 12 May 2006
A new photolog discovery for me. Excellent stuff.

Are US campuses in the grip of a witch-hunt of progressives, or is academic life just too liberal? Fri 12 May 2006
My view? It’s neither; the root of this is merely the age-old conservative fear of education.

Race against time Fri 12 May 2006
Id est, the Afrikaaner underclass in today’s South Africa. There’s still a lot of bitterness, still much resentment. But by and large, they only have themselves and/or the apartheid goverment’s protectionist policies to blame for their current predicament.

White off the scale Fri 12 May 2006
The Observer Music Magazine explores the murky underworld of neo-Nazi hate music. A great place to start for those previously unaware, although it does ignore two factors: that a) as a contributor to the letters page points out, plenty of (if not most) skinheads are anti-racist, which has been the case since the culture first emerged over 40 years ago, and b) the insidiousness of many elements within the black metal scene, where white supremacism and anti-semitism are rife.

The Art of Wesley Willis Fri 12 May 2006
He could whup a donkey’s ass.

Coney Island I Fri 12 May 2006
There’s something about these images that really captures that intangible transition from spring to summer.

eyetwist_signs_162.jpg Sun 16 Apr 2006
You just don’t see art like this ‘round these parts.

Tiltomo Mon 10 Apr 2006
A content-based visual image search engine. for exploring Flickr by colour or theme. If you want to lose yourself for a few hours [c/o WaxyLinks].

DIY Frappuccinos Mon 10 Apr 2006
That’s great and all, but pray tell, what is this ‘vanilla coffee’ of which you speak?

Links on the 'broken windows' theory Mon 10 Apr 2006
See also: Wikipedia entry for Fixing Broken Windows.

Tierra Del Fuego Mon 10 Apr 2006
Since Maciej moved to Argentina he’s been regularly recording his travels and experiences, both in text and in great photo studies like this one (you may need to reload the page to get all the images).

Celebrating One Year of Anarchaia Mon 10 Apr 2006
Chris celebrates the first anniversary of the tumblelog with some stunning statistics. Just look at those numbers. That’s crazy.

Malcolm Gladwell has a blog Mon 10 Apr 2006
And quite a good one it is too.

Dan Chung's photo blog Sun 09 Apr 2006
For me, this is the highlight of the new site. Not only do we get impressive images from a photojournalist at the top of his game, but we also get the story behind them, and even technical details for the photo-nerds. This is exactly the the type of thing that will keep newspapers alive and kicking in the internet age.

Comment is free Sun 09 Apr 2006
The Guardian’s new comment blog, to which I am finally linking. It’s only been up a few weeks but can already boast over 1,000 posts (compared to my measly 2,021 since November 2001). Some really thoughtful stuff in there, and it’s great to see the writers getting involved in the comments, too.

Barbelith discusses book format and readability Sat 08 Apr 2006
Myself? I hate paperbacks with shitty-quality paper and type that’s too small, but I also find hardbacks unwieldy and far too expensive. And I only wish I had the space for trade paperbacks. Oy. (See also: Literary Novels Going Straight to Paperback; related Metafilter thread.)

Forty-one percent of Israel's Jews favour segregation Sat 08 Apr 2006
I hate to bring up the ‘A’ word, but…

Wikipedia study 'fatally flawed' Sat 08 Apr 2006
Basically, Britannica’s fucked because their subscription revenue stream has been taken away from them by Wikipedia, which by now has really transcended the traditional idea of the encyclopaedia. Everyone knows Wikipedia’s flawed, but in the same way as the opinion of someone smart whom you trust is flawed. Britannica just doesn’t get it; if anything’s really flawed here, it’s their attitude.

The BBC has a ranked list of rude words Sat 08 Apr 2006
Reminiscent of George Carlin’s seven dirty words, but the difference is you can say most of these words on British TV as long as it’s after the watershed.

Multitasking is bad for you Sat 08 Apr 2006
What is it with kids today? It’s great to be connected and all, but it’s nice to have a time-out now and then.

The Most-linked Blogs in September 2000 Sat 08 Apr 2006
I didn’t start my blog till just over a year later, by which time quite a few of the sites listed here had exploded in popularity — a ‘blog bang’, if you will.

Ansel Adams' Lost Los Angeles Found Sat 08 Apr 2006
A stunning photoset. Might not be around for long though due to copyright issues, so get it while it lasts [c/o MetaFilter].

Modernism is abroad, generally Sat 08 Apr 2006
Dan Hill’s take on The Guardian’s Modernism special from a couple of weeks ago. I’m hoping to make it to the V&A exhibition before it ends in July.

Multiples Fri 31 Mar 2006

De Gullah Nyews Fri 31 Mar 2006
Mat with a great post on the Gullah translation of Luke’s Gospel: “Jedus say, ‘Papa, paadon dem, cause dey ain’t ondastan wa dey da do.’”

Reading Blogs Is a Time-Consuming Endeavor Fri 31 Mar 2006
Tell me about it! I don’t even have enough time to post on my own one!

intensify.org Fri 31 Mar 2006
Yet another arresting design, but by someone who seems to have a redesign compulsion so it might not be around for long. Which would be a shame.

Wilson Miner / Live Fri 31 Mar 2006
Another beautiful design. I love the solidness of the lines and boxes and blocks of colour.

I Am Alert (but not alarmed) Fri 31 Mar 2006
Absolutely gorgeous site design.

Lego Allianz Tue 28 Mar 2006
Remember the Allianz Arena link from a while ago? Well they’ve bloody well gone and made it out of Lego! Needless to say I want one. (There’s many more pics here.)

Rodcorp reviews Art Shock Tue 28 Mar 2006
This covers the first two shows, which were the only two I watched. Rod pretty much captures my own thoughts.

John Updike on Chip Kidd Tue 28 Mar 2006
Kidd is the darling of book cover design, and with good reason.

Dave Gorman's Flickr adventure Tue 28 Mar 2006
The British funnyman on his latest project. Gorman is a good one; he actually ‘gets’ this kind of thing, and in turn makes it more accessible to the wider world.

Abattoir wall closey Tue 28 Mar 2006

Converting your colour images to mono Mon 27 Mar 2006
I’ve been converting to greyscale all along, and it looks like that’s the best way to go for the non-expert. Handy to know there are other options, though.

Juicy Twists Mon 27 Mar 2006
I got addicted to these in South Africa. Need to find a way to get me some here.

The South African Blog Awards Mon 27 Mar 2006
We’ve got some catching up to do. Of course, that won’t happen until I am finally recognised for my greatness, oh yes.

News Page Designer Mon 27 Mar 2006
Where designers of news pages get to show off their stuff.

Introverts of the World, Unite! Sat 11 Mar 2006
An interview with Jonathan Rauch, champion of the introverts’ cause. I, for one, salute him [c/o kottke.org].

Poisonous intellectual thuggery Sat 11 Mar 2006
A surprisingly tabloidish headline (for The Guardian) hides a pretty nuanced and fair analysis of attitudes on all sides of this debate.

Negativland Interviews U2's The Edge Sat 11 Mar 2006
A full transcription of Negativland’s playful ambush of The Edge over the whole U2/SST controversy [c/o Waxylinks].

Linda Smith, 1958-2006 Wed 01 Mar 2006
You really don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone, do you? She was one of those people whose voice and wit were just utterly distinctive, and the world is a worse-off place now that she’s passed on. See also: Jeremy Hardy pays futher trubute [c/o helium3].

Panic on the streets of Dublin Tue 28 Feb 2006
Good analysis from Slugger as always. I have to say, the whole thing took me by surprise. Loyalist march? In Dublin? Huh? But whatever my philosophical objections to the march, what happened in town on Saturday was a disgrace. It wasn’t a protest; it was just out-and-out criminality. I agree with the one commenter on a related post who observed of the rioting that “a few people … throw a few stones then every junkie and scumbag within a radius of ten miles arrives lookin [sic] for a mill.” That’s certainly what it looked like to me (from the comfort of my own home, admittedly).

Harper's Yearly Review for 2005 Wed 11 Jan 2006
Twelve months boiled down to three paragraphs by Paul Ford. Needless to say it’s America-centric. I guess the rest of the world needs its own yearly review.

hyperpeople Wed 11 Jan 2006
A dissertation-length meditation on the increasing interconnectedness of the modern world, by Mark Pesce. I haven’t had a chance to read it yet, but I might find the time on my travels next week.

What is your dangerous idea? Wed 11 Jan 2006
I don’t have one. Yet. Lots of thought-fodder here, though [c/o anti-mega & Mind Hacks].

Grocer's Apostrophe on Flickr Wed 11 Jan 2006
Id est, grammatical mistakes in public signage. Some are less annoying than others, such as the ones that subscribe to the ‘if in doubt, leave it out’ philosophy; I mean, you can always add in your own apostrophe if you’re desperate enough [c/o del.icio.us/torrez].

Irish Blog Awards Wed 11 Jan 2006
Considering that the only true qualifiers for this here blog being Irish are my own nationality and place of residence, somehow I don’t think I’ll be getting any notice (see also: the 2006 Bloggies, which I probably won’t be able to vote on seeing as I’ll be out of the country) [c/o Sigla Blog].

Not If But When Wed 11 Jan 2006
Photographs by Brian Urlich. Just right for evoking those new year blues [c/o fastlad].

Urban Diptychs Wed 11 Jan 2006
Gorgeous long-exposure street photography by Keith Kin Yan.

Robots. Better than people? Tue 10 Jan 2006
Notes on an Economist article about the Japanese relationship with robots. They get along well, it seems, because they don’t have the fear. One of the benefits of cultural isolationism, maybe?

The History of the Universe in 200 Words or Less Tue 10 Jan 2006
It should really be subtitled ‘United States edition’, seeing how America-centric it is. But still [c/o Kottke’s rest of the best].

Photos from the scene of the Toronto shooting Tue 10 Jan 2006
It happened at one of the busiest downtown sections of Yonge Street, outside Sam the Record Man. I’ve been there. Pardon my self-absorption, but it’s scary to think that my own path in life crossed with a gang shooting, however many years separate. (Joey DeVilla has more background on the event, with related statistics.)

Positive Negative Tue 10 Jan 2006
Stunning photography by Frank Kolodziej. This is but a sample; there’s plenty more within.

US troops seize award-winning Iraqi journalist Tue 10 Jan 2006
War zone or not, there’s no excuse for this. Hell, in any other context it’d be attempted murder. Good luck getting an apology out of ‘em.

Tokyo Blues, by Nurri Kim Sun 08 Jan 2006
Also recommended: Green Crack [c/o del.icio.us/cityofsound]

On King Kong, the Empire State and the dynamism of the city Sun 08 Jan 2006
Following up on my own post about the movie, Things Magazine examines it in context with both the real history of New York’s landscape, and with its own cinematic predecessors. Plenty of useful links, too [c/o Kottke].

SA divisions on reconciliation day Sun 08 Jan 2006
A late link from a few weeks ago, but still relevant. Some good food for thought.

Is MetaFilter the realisation of Habermas' public sphere? Sun 08 Jan 2006
On reading the initial comments here, I do wish some MeFites weren’t so bloody picky and snarky. But if we have to put up with the dicks in real life, I suppose we have to put up with them everywhere. Anyway, some good links here.

"Little Red Book prompts DHS visit" was Big Fat Lie Sun 08 Jan 2006
I had a funny feeling about the story from the beginning. If it was true then surely the guy would’ve been arrested and interned, no? Scary to think that the truth could be more shocking than the fiction, but that’s the world we live in today.

Hello, would you like a free book? Sun 08 Jan 2006
Yes I would, thank you very much. And if I didn’t already have three of them, I would’ve taken at least five. Reading isn’t just a ‘women’s thing’, despite McEwan’s little social experiment.

Dusk Drive Sun 08 Jan 2006
Beautiful images. The colours remind me of winter in South Africa, seen from the car window.

Thinking Outside the Grid Fri 06 Jan 2006
Designers are really starting to do some cool things with CSS. Never mind what this guy says.

Photos of Munich's Allianz Arena Fri 06 Jan 2006
I learned about this place last summer, when The Guardian had a piece about it. We need more buildings like this.

Reflections in the Evening Land Tue 03 Jan 2006
“The celebrated critic Harold Bloom, despairing of contemporary America, turns to his bookshelves to understand the trajectory of his country.”

Dictionary of Americanisms Tue 03 Jan 2006
Filing this for future reference [c/o MetaFilter].

Ren and Stimpy artist has a serious side Tue 03 Jan 2006
Those are some beautiful paintings. And he’s got a blog, too.

Stop the war (the other one) Tue 03 Jan 2006
Ben Edwards runs the numbers. Sigh. If only politics was really about serving the people…

How to recognize Japanese fonts Tue 03 Jan 2006
A dedicated typeface for sake barrels? It makes a lot of sense, when you think about it… [c/o Airbag]

stereophonic Tue 03 Jan 2006
Photography by Katsura Komiyama. Wish it was easier to navigate, but the photos are gorgeous [c/o vudeja].

Suck.com, Gone for Good? Sat 31 Dec 2005
Important and influential website disappears from the web. But sad story takes positive spin when important and influential bloggers rally to save it. I love the internets.

The Catacombs, Paris Sat 31 Dec 2005
Creepy. I wouldn’t go down there alone.

The Rock Star's Burden Fri 30 Dec 2005
Paul Theroux in the New York Times, on Africa as a “theater of empty talk and public gestures”.

What next for Zimbabwe? Fri 30 Dec 2005
“With the economy in tatters, endemic poverty and unemployment, and continued political strife, where is Zimbabwe heading as 2005 draws to a close?” BBC News readers have their say.

Tutu urges apartheid prosecutions Fri 30 Dec 2005
It’s not too late to make things right, for everyone’s sake.

11 years on, battles of apartheid still rage Fri 30 Dec 2005
A sad story about an artists’ commune being ‘invaded’ by people from a nearby township, that says a lot about the lack of real effort the government has made to improve conditions for the most disenfrancised in the last decade. If only all sides could get over the bitterness of the past and see what’s really going on…

Glitch Browser Thu 29 Dec 2005
An online tool that ‘glitches’ all the images on a given webpage with noise, artefacts, etc. Not that it does much for this page…

Lego Escher Thu 29 Dec 2005
If Lego sold kits like this in art galleries, they’d make a mint… well okay, maybe not. But I’d buy one.

Henry David Thoreau, December 12 1859 Thu 29 Dec 2005

China: The Three Emperors, 1662-1795 Thu 29 Dec 2005
If I was in London, I would so be there. (So you don’t have to eat your hat, Jack.)

A list of residential high-rises constructed in the last few years in Beijing Thu 29 Dec 2005
I want an apartment at Yuppie International Garden. Just sounds like the place to be.

Verbatim: The Language Quarterly Thu 29 Dec 2005
I found this at least a year ago but never linked at the time. Well worth a download.

Little things that we do Wed 28 Dec 2005
A quirky feature about “the tics and rituals that punctuate our lives”. I’ve got a few.

What colours are the different lines on the London Underground? Wed 28 Dec 2005
I love standards and consistency, me.

How planespotters turned into the scourge of the CIA Wed 28 Dec 2005
This is a great story. Makes my heart warm, so it does.

Definition of 'mouth-breather' Wed 28 Dec 2005
I breathe through my mouth sometimes because my nose is often congested. But I don’t leave my jaw hanging open. My point is, I find this term offensive. There’s a war against me, I know it!

Fuck Christmas Sun 25 Dec 2005
A sentiment for the day that’s in it.

Japanese battle pencils Tue 20 Dec 2005
Need I say more?

MetaFilter's guide to Go Tue 20 Dec 2005
The board game, that is. I’ve always wanted to learn.

Photography by Tom Flemming Tue 20 Dec 2005
I can’t remember how I found this. Through links to this site in Technorati, perhaps? Anyway, some stunning work here. Just wish there was an archive I could link to.

Long exposure photographs of Tokyo Mon 12 Dec 2005
These are just gorgeous. The sprawl, the compactness, the oversaturated colours, everything [c/o Vudeja].

New York Changing, by Douglas Levere Mon 12 Dec 2005
Some stunning then-and-now photography from the Big Apple. I’ll get there some day soon, I swear.

The Archi-Tourist Mon 12 Dec 2005
A free, Wiki-based travel guide to contemporary architecture around the globe [c/o gravestmor].

Illustrated Invisible Cities Mon 12 Dec 2005
I’ve heard so much about the book. I might get it for the long trip to South Africa.

Wikipedia entry for CamelCase Thu 08 Dec 2005
The technical term for the way I spell my first name. Seeing it written incorrectly is a pet peeve of mine. Fastidious of me? Maybe. But it’s my name!

Wikipedia entry for Hiberno-English Wed 07 Dec 2005
A good introduction for everyone else to the way my people speak. But aside from that, this gets my vote just for the incongruity of seeing the skangerism ‘Wats de stary bud?’ in an academic context.

Gradient Image Maker Wed 07 Dec 2005
Because I’m too lazy to learn how to do this in Photoshop Elements [c/o del.icio.us/jack].

Color Scheme Tool Wed 07 Dec 2005
For when I get tired of all the grey around here [c/o del.icio.us/jack].

Everybody Loves Chris Ware Wed 07 Dec 2005
And so they should. This is a very nice tribute.

Fantod, a definition Wed 07 Dec 2005
I heard this on Countdown recently. Delightful, isn’t it?

Recipe for Vietnamese Iced Coffee Wed 07 Dec 2005
Mmmm, fattening. [c/o Megnut]

Confusion reigns over Pretoria name Sun 04 Dec 2005
Most people are ignorant or misled about the origins and signification of either name, so why not just use them both? We do it here (Dublin/Baile Átha Cliath) and it works just fine for us.

This circus of grief has nothing to do with Best Sun 04 Dec 2005
Damn straight [c/o del.icio.us/cityofsound].

Jews and the Christian right: Is the honeymoon over? Sun 04 Dec 2005
It was only a marriage of convenience to begin with.

Helping Hoder Sun 04 Dec 2005
See my comment? The first in the list? It was actually in response to a comment left by the apparently racist Deric Williams who appears repeatedly further down the thread. I wish they’d edited mine to keep it in context, or just left in the original remarks, but anyway…

Hoder's Predicament and the Racist Response Sun 04 Dec 2005
Forget the main story for a moment and breeze through the comments. Who would have thought that tech nerds could be so disgustingly jingoistic and xenophobic?

Class of 2005 Thu 24 Nov 2005 | 2 Comments
Guess which one I am?

Prestidigitation, a definition Wed 16 Nov 2005
Def: ‘Sleight of hand.’ You learn something new every day.

No more compulsory Irish for the Leaving Cert? Wed 16 Nov 2005
There shouldn’t be any compulsory maths, either. If they expect us — as they do — to choose subjects for the senior cycle based on what we’d like to do when we leave school, then surely we should have the choice to drop maths if we so desire. I would have in a heartbeat.

Design Engaged book list Wed 16 Nov 2005
I shouldn’t really post this. I have enough books to read as it is [c/o del.icio.us/thoughtwax].

The Great Ask MetaFilter Transatlantic Duvet/Topsheet War Wed 16 Nov 2005
I can’t understand why you’d use a sheet with a duvet. It’s completely unnecessary, and just makes more work for yourself in the morning [c/o A Whole Lotta Nothing].

The Areas Of My Expertise Wed 16 Nov 2005
I’ve subsequently seen the man on The Daily Show, and it makes me want his book even more.

Short Guardian profile on Paul Auster Wed 16 Nov 2005
Probably best not to read this if you don’t know the ending of The Music of Chance. Which I didn’t until I read this. Thanks a lot.

Why do we disagree? Wed 16 Nov 2005

Tad, 1991 Sun 13 Nov 2005
Thanks to Andre for the find. Nice one.

Flat Light, by Tim Gasperak Sun 13 Nov 2005
Just beautiful photographs. I’d love to get prints of these.

36 Dramatic Situations Sun 13 Nov 2005
It’s like Lego for writers. Or something.

MG Redesign Blog Sun 13 Nov 2005
Is it just me, or are American newspaper designs a tad too ‘showy’?

MetaFilter on Christian values Sun 13 Nov 2005
Sit back with a bucket of popcorn and enjoy the show…

The Nine Most-Wanted Time Capsules Sun 13 Nov 2005
Makes me wonder how badly future humans will understand us as we are today.

Hobo Signs & Symbols Sun 13 Nov 2005
Oh, what romantic notions…

Beizhing Fri 11 Nov 2005
I’ll be sure to remember that.

Moreno Glacier, Patagonia Fri 11 Nov 2005
Just set up posting from Flickr. Need to liven this place up a bit.

To Blunt the Razor's Edge Fri 11 Nov 2005
The Morning News’ guide to beards. But I don’t think my own one fits into any of their categories.

Zimbabwe voices anger at US envoy Fri 11 Nov 2005
Something tells me Zimbabwe’s government officials didn’t like being told off by their parents when they were younger.

Angry SA passengers burn trains Fri 11 Nov 2005
Again?? And twice in one week?? It’s no wonder the trains are late — they keep bloody burning them!!

McSweeney's new online store Fri 11 Nov 2005
But international postage is still an unbelievable 18 dollars for an 8-dollar magazine. Seriously, what’s up with that?

Eight Year Old Physics Student Admitted to College Fri 11 Nov 2005
Yawn. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — show me a kid who’s a genius in the humanities. Only then will I be impressed.

Burning down the house Thu 10 Nov 2005
More perspective on the unrest in France. I need say no more; these opinions reflect my own.

What's happening in France? Thu 10 Nov 2005
Yeah, I know. I’m like two whole weeks late with this one. The Guardian has more reports, like this one.

More typography resources Thu 10 Nov 2005
A supplement to this entry from a few days ago.

Cory jumps the gun Sun 06 Nov 2005
Oh Cory, Cory, Cory. If you’d done a little research on this, you’d know that JM Barrie, the author of the book in question, was a supporter of Great Ormond Street and provided for the donation of his copyright to the hospital after his death. So it’s not like the British government just handed it out arbitrarily. The principle of your argument might be worthy, but the facts change things a little, don’t they?

CSS Reboot Fall 2005 Fri 04 Nov 2005
I had no idea this was happening again, I swear. [c/o mezzoblue]

Typography Crash Course Roundup Fri 04 Nov 2005
A good spot for jumping in.

Israel accused of 'road apartheid' in West Bank Sun 30 Oct 2005
Sadly, this isn’t very surprising. I know why Israel feels it has a moral imperative to commit such actions — they want to prevent any means that Palestinian militants can use to attack Israelis — but since these actions are usually at the expense of innocent Palestinians, there’s really no morality there. Conservative Israelis need to sit down and think about what their government is really doing, what their attitudes and behaviour are fostering, and what the bigger picture really looks like — and they have to go first, if they need a moral imperative so badly. Only then can we ever get to a path which leads to the disappearance of Hamas and their ilk, and the birth of a free Palestine co-existing with Israel for mutual benefit.

The Observer on the Muji phenomenon Tue 11 Oct 2005
This is a great article. I’m a fan; Muji just happens to manifest my preferred design aesthetic. And besides, their branch in Dublin is the only place where I could find a plain black pencil case.

Orwell's Six Rules Tue 11 Oct 2005
I’m going to print these out and stick them up somewhere.

Leonardo Da Vinci: Of the order of learning to draw Tue 11 Oct 2005
Good advice from the master.

The Design Encyclopedia Tue 11 Oct 2005
A potentially invaluable resource.

Books on adaptive design Tue 11 Oct 2005
If someone would be kind enough to buy me lots of these, I’d really appreciate it.

Visual Editors Tue 11 Oct 2005
They could do with some help on their own page layout. Can you say ‘irony’?

Whitespace Tue 11 Oct 2005
A weblog about design. Looks interesting.

CSS Color Chart Tue 11 Oct 2005
Lots of colours. Lots.

Crit: The SVA Graduate Student Design Blog Tue 11 Oct 2005
Might be good. Might be pretentious bollocks. I’ll give it some time.

Papercraft 12-sided calendar Sat 01 Oct 2005
Handy. (Note to self: buy new ink for printer.)

Weapons witnesses 'IRA-nominated' Fri 30 Sep 2005
He could be telling the truth, but I don’t believe anything that Paisley says. He’s the perpetual boy who cried wolf.

Bulky Jacket Syndrome Fri 30 Sep 2005
I love how any pretense to reasoned discussion is lost to worthless namecalling after just a few comments. (See also the Guardian article this refers to.)

Little White Lies Mon 26 Sep 2005
A new magazine about movies, or rather the thoughts and conversations they inspire. Looks interesting.

The Funny Pages Mon 26 Sep 2005
The NYT cashes in on the vogue for literary comics with their new section. But it’s a good thing.

Hospital shock for SA's minister Mon 26 Sep 2005
Yeah, ‘cause hospitals never have queues. I wonder if she handed out garlic and beetroot.

Crime in South Africa Grows More Vicious Mon 26 Sep 2005
And just when I’ve gone and booked my flights and all!

Paul Auster: The Definitive Website Mon 26 Sep 2005
Plus more Auster goodness linked by thoughtwax.

100 Most Often Misspelled Words Mon 26 Sep 2005
Filing this for future reference.

Boing Boing's $1 million Intelligent Design challenge Mon 22 Aug 2005
They’re willing to pay out to anyone who can provide empirical evidence that Jesus is not the son of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Brilliant!

What is a "graphic novel"? Mon 22 Aug 2005
This answers the question cleary and concisely. And in pictures!

Comic Relief Mon 22 Aug 2005
It was written by committee, so caveat lector.

The Marvel Database Project Mon 22 Aug 2005

LibriVox Mon 22 Aug 2005
An open source project to produce audio versions of books in the public domain. Why didn’t I think of that?

Foreword: A Book Design Blog Mon 22 Aug 2005

South Africa tops road rage list Mon 22 Aug 2005
I’m not surprised. They drive far too fast and never slow down for pedestrians. But in a way, you can’t really blame them. I mean, who wants to get carjacked?

Mo Mowlam: A moderniser, but never an apparatchik Mon 22 Aug 2005

Mo Mowlam, 1949-2005 Fri 19 Aug 2005
Why do all the good ones have to go?

SA fears Zimbabwe 'failed state' Tue 16 Aug 2005
Too late: it already is.

Israel begins Gaza Strip pullout Mon 15 Aug 2005
Also, readers give their views (most of which are typically blinkered).

Sun lounger law rules towels illegal Wed 10 Aug 2005

Got Game? Sun 07 Aug 2005

A History of Role-Playing Games Sun 07 Aug 2005
I had the AD&D Player’s Handbook when I was younger, but I didn’t have anyone else to play with. That, and I couldn’t make head nor tails of it.

Flying cats! Sun 07 Aug 2005
They’re cats! And they’re flying!

Review of The Disappointment Artist Sun 07 Aug 2005

Dan Chung's photographs of Niger Sun 07 Aug 2005
Forget the words. The pictures say it all.

The Fall of the House of Saud Sun 07 Aug 2005
Note to self: Print this out.

Robin Cook: 1946 - 2005 Sun 07 Aug 2005
You never expect these things to happen. At least he went out while he was living the life he wanted.

Logos by the Numbers Sun 07 Aug 2005
I had no idea there was a classification system for logo designs. Wonders never cease.

Poets, dadaists, and word nerds: Rejoice Sun 07 Aug 2005
Some useful hints, tips and exercises here.

Revealing Chicago: An Aerial Portrait Sun 07 Aug 2005

On Current TV's on-air graphics Sun 07 Aug 2005
It all seems so impatient; always looking forward to the next item before you’ve even considered the one you’re watching. Watching the news shouldn’t be like using an iPod. (Douglas Rushkoff has a more detailed critique.)

We Are the Web Sun 07 Aug 2005
Wired’s special edition celebrating 10 years of the world wide web.

Plagiarism Test Sun 07 Aug 2005
I scored 90% first attempt. I wish they’d tell me what I got wrong, though.

Try Before You Buy Fonts Sun 07 Aug 2005
Why didn’t anyone think of this before?

Garrison Keillor appreciates his mobile phone Sun 07 Aug 2005
As do I. Most people, you see, just don’t know how to use them. I’m getting tired of people complaining about their phones always ringing, the ‘never being out of contact’ thing or whatever — no one ever said your phone has to be on all the time!

Banksy at the West Bank Barrier Sun 07 Aug 2005
I’m amazed he wasn’t shot to pieces.

Morning Hike Sun 07 Aug 2005
My, Corvallis is beautiful country.

The message of Hiroshima Sat 06 Aug 2005
I’m preparing a longer entry to mark the 60th anniversary of the bombing. In the meantime, here’s something I wrote two years ago.

The Big Fish: The story of Suck.com Sat 06 Aug 2005
A fascinating look at what went on behind the scenes on the web before I first logged on; I didn’t catch on to Suck until just before it closed forever.

Smart City Radio Sat 06 Aug 2005
Lots of great stuff here to fill up my iPod with.

John Gruber's Notes on Notes Sat 06 Aug 2005
I like sidenotes, I do. Wish there was an easier way to implement them, though.

HopStop.com Sat 06 Aug 2005
Filing this for future reference.

Flickr images now rated by 'interestingness' Sat 06 Aug 2005

Patent Room: The art of industrial design Sat 06 Aug 2005
The proprietor also runs the interesting Adventure Lounge. Now, if only there were more hours in a day…

Ask MetaFilter thread on sprawling post-modern novels Sat 06 Aug 2005
Yet another list, I know! As for this one: I’ve got a breeze-block sized paperback of Infinite Jest waiting to be delved into.

South Africans' long wait for land Sat 06 Aug 2005
See also: Land reform or revolution?: Africans and others give their views.

We are all threatened by this plague Sat 06 Aug 2005
I find it more than sad that HIV/Aids is only posing a threat now that it’s registering as a ‘national security concern’.

SA minister cleared in Aids row Sat 06 Aug 2005
In all seriousness, what the fuck?

The making of internet terrorists... Sat 06 Aug 2005

Blair's two faces of terrorism Sat 06 Aug 2005
The rest of the piece pretty much whitewashes over the conditions that brought the Provos into being — it almost insinuates that the oppression of Catholics in the North is a mere belief in the minds of Gerry Adams and co. — but the point made here is spot on.

Nick Sweeney on Scientology Sat 06 Aug 2005

Simon Waldman on Wikipedia's success Sat 06 Aug 2005
An old piece that’s been floating around in my tabs for months, but well worth a read. Librarians and other information professionals should pay close attention.

Michael Palin's travel books online for free Sat 06 Aug 2005
Nice one! I always liked the TV series. Now, to copy and paste…

What if they had a protest and everyone came? Sat 06 Aug 2005
On Live8 and the logic of protest.

An open letter to Jan Hommen, chairman of Reed Elsevier Sat 06 Aug 2005
Like Leuschke says, another reason to despise Elsevier.

Is Knowing The Cultural Reference Better Than The Culture Itself? Sat 06 Aug 2005

On Terry Pratchett's feelings for JK Rowling Sat 06 Aug 2005
I tend to side with Pratchett on this one. Rowling misunderstands the genre, and just appropriated the imagery and iconography; Pratchett, however, is the real subverter.

Birnbaum v. Camille Paglia Sat 06 Aug 2005
I won’t get around to reading this till my thesis is done. It’d be great if there was a recording, too.

PingMag Sat 06 Aug 2005
A Tokyo-based magazine about design and making things. Not bad.

Summer Reading Assignment Sat 06 Aug 2005
Another reading list! Though most of my reading so far this summer has been research for my thesis… not that I’m complaining.

What the papers say about George W. Bush's support of 'intelligent design' Sat 06 Aug 2005
Whatever happened to the separation of church and state?

Five simple steps to designing grid systems Tue 02 Aug 2005
If you like that, Part 2 is here.

information aesthetics Tue 02 Aug 2005
A weblog tracking things that look really fancy.

Barbelith discusses political correctness Mon 01 Aug 2005
Ooh, hot button! My own view on political correctness is simple: it’s only a problem when people take things out of their intended context, and that happens pretty much constantly. Idealogical chauvinism and all that.

Variations of the Letter M Mon 01 Aug 2005
Oh boy! I love this! I’m such a closet transport geek.

Shortlist for the RIBA Stirling Prize for architecture 2005 Mon 01 Aug 2005
Nice to see an Irish entry in the list. Shame it’s in Cork, though…

Why Bugs Don't Belong on TV Mon 01 Aug 2005
I’m rarely bothered by on-screen idents. In fact, I quite like some of them (the BBC’s in particular) and am disappointed that other channels didn’t keep theirs (like Channel 4, who experimented with them for a while on late-night programming). But some are just eyesores. Like the National Geographic Channel (the yellow window should be enough!) and CNBC Europe (it takes up about 5% of the screen space, far too big). Thankfully we’re not plagued by the animated ones over here; only music stations and kids channels use them, to my knowledge.

Where did all the money go? Mon 01 Aug 2005
Not to the Iraqis, that’s for sure; it was their money in the first place!

Is Not Magazine Mon 01 Aug 2005
What a novel idea: a magazine as a fly-poster. But why can’t they provide a PDF version?

Popular books in the blogosphere Mon 01 Aug 2005
You’re all nerds!

Far Flung Magazine Mon 01 Aug 2005
Looks interesting.

Underground typography Mon 01 Aug 2005
You know what else has great typography? The London bus network. From the destination scrolls to the bus stands, the standard font is just superb. It’s something so simple, and yet so effective. Dublin Bus should take note (though I’m sure they won’t).

On the buses Mon 01 Aug 2005
I love stories like this. And I love London buses, too.

The Last Days of Fulton Fish Market Mon 01 Aug 2005
I love stories like this.

Postwar Japan's exploding subculture Sun 31 Jul 2005

Paper Forest Sun 31 Jul 2005
Looks a little fey for my tastes right now, but the whole concept of paper craft impresses me.

Japan racism 'deep and profound' Sun 31 Jul 2005
They do have a very insular society, and nationalist activism is increasing. But such attitudes aren’t in tune with most citydwellers, from what I’ve seen and heard.

Daniel Clowes: A comic book hero Sun 31 Jul 2005

Acme Novelty Archive: The Chris Ware database Sun 31 Jul 2005
I’m reading Jimmy Corrigan at the moment; it’s as much as I can do to keep the tears from flowing. Amazing stuff.

NYC walking tour tips Sun 31 Jul 2005
Filing this for future reference.

Aisle of Averages Sun 31 Jul 2005

Design In-Flight's final takeoff Sun 31 Jul 2005
I recently purchased every issue for the princely sum of ten dollars.

Who killed Richard Cullen? Sun 31 Jul 2005
A harrowing story. And the reason why I pay off my credit card bill every month, and never want to take out a loan.

Guide to Grammar and Writing Sat 30 Jul 2005
A handy reference for those without a style manual.

Writerisms and Other Sins Sat 30 Jul 2005
I’m guilty of many of these.

The Question of Zion Sat 30 Jul 2005
Might be worth a read, but that cover has got to go.

Sigla's Feargal reads The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle Sat 30 Jul 2005
I don’t agree with him — I thought it got much better after the first 100 pages, and I didn’t feel cheated at the end — but that doesn’t mean he’s wrong. Murakami’s books are strange ones. They either click or they don’t.

Disney to close last hand-drawn animation studio Thu 28 Jul 2005
The craft isn’t going away, it’s just shifting to a different industry; all of the trainee animators I’ve ever known wanted to be comic book artists.

Flipbook Thu 28 Jul 2005
Be warned, it’s very addictive. There’s some excellent examples of what can be done, too.

Photomuse Thu 28 Jul 2005
Now that’s what I call a resource.

The Cartoons of Mr. Fish Thu 28 Jul 2005
They’re funny in a ‘what if Raymond Pettibon were more accessible’ sort of way.

Live8: All Rock, No Action Thu 28 Jul 2005
Wise words from the grass roots.

The Situationist International Thu 28 Jul 2005
Like many great ideas, it’s probably better thought about than executed.

Preparing your images with iPhoto Thu 28 Jul 2005
I never really got into iPhoto, and it feels like it’s too late now. But I’ve got so many unprocessed pics on my drive…

Weasel Words Ripped My Flesh! Thu 28 Jul 2005

Fascism is on the march! Thu 28 Jul 2005
Yes, apparently the Gestapo have already taken over our streets with their scary leather coats and such. And by the way, isn’t it cute how people are convinced we Irish don’t have a constitution?

The Onion A.V. Club just got a redesign Thu 28 Jul 2005
If you haven’t already noticed. I’m diggin’ the new logo, the sidebar menu and the colours. But the main page is far too busy, and the emphases are all wrong.

The World Is Round Thu 28 Jul 2005
A sound rebuttal of Tom Friedman’s defense of globalism, in book review form.

Etiquette and the Singularity Thu 28 Jul 2005

Extreme tension in Kenyan village Wed 27 Jul 2005
Markham has published his own take on the situation.

Zimbabwe slum demolitions resume Wed 27 Jul 2005
Kofi Annan doesn’t seem in any hurry to get there. Why is Mugabe being appeased so much?

South Africa presses farm land reform Wed 27 Jul 2005
I see this working if training (business schooling included) comes with the package. It might even improve rural conditions by empowering the impoverished. Otherwise it’ll just be a disaster, a la Zimbabwe.

Police Debate if London Plotters Were Suicide Bombers, or Dupes Wed 27 Jul 2005
Or, it could be one big double-bluff. But some good points made all the same.

Suicide Bombs as Viral Media Wed 27 Jul 2005
He’s right, too. This makes more sense than anything I’ve read lately.

Is London Londonistan? Wed 27 Jul 2005
Only to someone who still gets scared by black people. You know I’m right.

Dialogue is the only way to end this cycle of violence Wed 27 Jul 2005
But it’s hard to have a dialogue with someone who doesn’t want to talk with you.

NY commuters face random searches Wed 27 Jul 2005
Random my arse.

New York apologises after Britons seized in security scare Wed 27 Jul 2005
So looking vaguely Muslim is enough to attract suspicion, then? That’s a new one…

Dozens killed in Egyptian blasts Sat 23 Jul 2005
With this, on top of the bus bombing in Turkey last week and the attacks on London, the western hemisphere’s going crazy lately.

Man shot dead at Tube station Fri 22 Jul 2005
Breaking news here: bomb suspect shot at close range by plain-clothes police at Stockwell station. (The BBC News site has more info.)

Seven arrested over Kenya attack Mon 18 Jul 2005
Let me get this straight. This was “based on disputes over access to water and pastures”? I’ll say it again: what the fuck is going on?

Fundamentalism is often a form of nationalism Mon 18 Jul 2005
A thousand words that pretty much sum up everything that’s wrong about the Western perception of Middle Eastern terrorism.

Hunt for child killers in Kenya Mon 18 Jul 2005
This is just totally fucked up. What the fuck is going on?

Matt Webb on the London bombings Sun 17 Jul 2005

What does the G8 agreement mean for Africa? Sun 17 Jul 2005
General concensus? A good start. But it doesn’t correct the imbalance of trade, or solve the problem of leadership. (See also: Can G8 be considered a success?)

NHL and Players Reach Agreement Sun 17 Jul 2005
I hope a clause in that agreement was ‘no more whiny bitching about money.’

Something happened Sun 17 Jul 2005
Gripping reading.

Arial or Helvetica? Sun 17 Jul 2005
I got 8 out of 10. Not bad for an amateur. (Here’s a tip: look out for the ‘a’.)

What must I see/do in NYC? Sun 17 Jul 2005
Some excellent suggestions here; to note down for when I eventually make the trip.

Mordechai Vanunu's long walk to freedom Sun 17 Jul 2005
This is an old one, it’s been in my open tabs for ages, but it’s worth a read.

Discovering art in plain sight Sun 17 Jul 2005

Two gardaí hospitalised after Dublin stabbing Thu 14 Jul 2005
This happened just around the corner from me. The garda helicopter was hovering over the house for ages last night.

'Can we drop the 7/7 bullshit, please?' Wed 13 Jul 2005

London bomb suspects: key facts Tue 12 Jul 2005
Busy day today for the anti-terrorism hunt. Those Brits sure do work fast.

Serbs turn their backs on their past Mon 11 Jul 2005
The Guardian marks the 10th anniversary of the massacre at Srebrenica.

Back to Normal Mon 11 Jul 2005

London hurts? Hardly Mon 11 Jul 2005
That thing I said about “Today we are all Londoners”? This is exactly what I meant.

Terror attacks roundup Sun 10 Jul 2005

Design Clichés Sat 02 Jul 2005
Recipe for the ultimate logo: a lightbulb-embedded compass on a globe set over shaking hands.

Subway in green Fri 01 Jul 2005
This isn’t too far from where I stayed in Toronto (on Bathurst, about a mile north of St Clair West) but I never rode the eastern side of the horseshoe beyond Bloor-Yonge so I missed this wonderful view. Another time, hopefully…

Stephen Gill and the everyday invisible Fri 01 Jul 2005
Stephen Gill’s work was a focus for the piece I wrote for my Explorations in Journalism module, which I will post here soon. (After I’ve rewritten it a bit. You know me.)

How Japan grew bored with love Fri 01 Jul 2005
A barely-related story: I used to IM with a Japanese girl, a high school maths teacher. She got married last year and disappeared offline shortly after. She always wished me and Benitha well, so I hope she’s doing fine too.

Malls of America Fri 01 Jul 2005

Abandoned buildings in Russia Fri 01 Jul 2005

A compilation of summer reading lists Fri 01 Jul 2005
Must… stop… adding to my book queue… must… resist!

Booksellers Ponder the Future of Browsing Fri 01 Jul 2005
I don’t see browsing going anywhere. But America is always different about these things…

Colour Palette Generator Fri 01 Jul 2005

Richard Smith on the medical journal cartel Thu 30 Jun 2005
I should note as an aside to this that it always struck me as strange how the financial model of academic journals could be allowed to become standard practice.

Michael Chabon has a weblog Thu 30 Jun 2005
And a very nice weblog it is, too.

Canada approves same-sex marriage Wed 29 Jun 2005
Go Canada!

Japanese space agency papercraft Mon 27 Jun 2005
If only I had the time and the patience… and a really good printer.

The Helvetica Meditations Mon 27 Jun 2005
This has been linked pretty much everywhere else. But I like it, so there. (On a related note, I would have used Helvetica as the sans-serif for Furnace but it wasn’t available, so Arial had to do. Not that you can tell the difference, really.)

Africa rejects action on Zimbabwe Sat 25 Jun 2005
If they don’t consider the Zimbabwe situation a serious problem, it’s no wonder Africa’s so fucked up. I mean, how can you expect to build a strong continent when you constantly turn your backs on your own?

Kyoto, June 2005 Wed 22 Jun 2005

The Writing Process Wed 22 Jun 2005
Eight simple steps to help a story come to life. Good stuff.

Patriot Act Critics Laud Vote to Limit Use Wed 22 Jun 2005
It seems the Democrats have finally grown some balls.

Hoder back to Iran Wed 22 Jun 2005
Here’s hoping he has a safe visit.

Urban camping in Times Square Tue 21 Jun 2005

I am a Japanese School Teacher Tue 21 Jun 2005
An American records his experiences on the JET programme.

OAP 'died after hot bath at home' Tue 21 Jun 2005
Remind me to make sure my kids, if I should have any, never put me in a nursing home.

A Walking Tour of Coney Island Fri 17 Jun 2005

A historian disgraces himself Sun 05 Jun 2005
Well-reasoned and supported argument wins out over pseudo-scientific intellectual laziness any day.

How to talk to an artist Sun 05 Jun 2005
Some good advice here, but if I met one who was being too precious I’d be happy to insult him.

The Daily Show on Britain's general election Sun 15 May 2005 | 1 Comments
About 90 seconds into this clip, there’s a perfect example of the huge politico-cultural gulf between the US and us lil’ islanders over here.

The puzzle that ate the world? Sat 14 May 2005
I might write a proper post soon about these bloody things.

Graph paper PDFs in various formats Sat 14 May 2005
Damn, if only I had a Battletech set to use these with!

DC Comics rebrands, messes up Wed 11 May 2005
I completely agree with the critics. While I can see what DC is trying to do, the new logo just comes across as so much weaker than the original; a tweaking of the original (a narrower ring around the letters, maybe) might have been a better way to go.

Computers Grade Students' Writing Wed 11 May 2005
This story is quite misleading, but it does point to a scary future where original writing may be replaced by prepared templates; where fulfilling the necesssary technical criteria is more important than the art of communication itself.

Zimbabwe TV slams UK poll 'fraud' Wed 11 May 2005
Do I even need to say anything?

Barbelith discussion on George Galloway Wed 11 May 2005
I’ve considered asking to join Barbelith, but I don’t have the time for it. Reading it will have to do.

Brain candy Wed 11 May 2005

Where I'm Likely to Find It, by Haruki Murakami Wed 11 May 2005
I’ve had this saved as a tab in Safari for weeks, and only got around to reading it this evening.

Why Geeks and Nerds Are Worth It... Wed 11 May 2005
There’s one big problem with this: if you don’t respect a geek for being a geek, it’s not gonna work out.

A Commentary on Comments Tue 10 May 2005
I’ve been keeping track of my own contributions to other sites for several weeks now. I don’t know when I’ll get around to posting them on this site, though.

Block by blog Tue 10 May 2005
“The idea was simple. For 48 hours, I would tour Manhattan using the ‘blogosphere’ as my guide.”

How the Guardian decided its leader line Tue 10 May 2005
What an insight, and from the editor himself. He’s even got an e-mail address right there on the page. I spent ages recently searching for an e-mail address for the editor of the Daily Telegraph and do you think I could find one? Not on your nelly.

Aids groups condemn South Africa's 'Dr Garlic' Tue 10 May 2005
Benitha’s been telling me about this quack for months. What are the odds she reaches for the antibiotics at the first sign of a cold?

AIGA Design Archives Fri 22 Apr 2005
Great use of Flash, and some wonderful fodder for inspiration. Though I have pretty much locked down a good design for the class magazine. It’s classy (excuse the pun).

angermann2 Fri 22 Apr 2005
I don’t quite know why I love the design of this blog — it doesn’t exactly lend itself to readibility — but I do.

icon magazine on architecture and design weblogs Fri 22 Apr 2005

Paper Spends More Time With Its Family Fri 22 Apr 2005
A curious title; it’s almost the opposite of what the article discusses. And the author neglects to mention the growing popularity of the Moleskine (because it contradicts parts of the thesis, maybe?).

ColorMatch Redux Wed 20 Apr 2005

COLOURlovers Wed 20 Apr 2005
Good site. A little too heavy with the ‘love’, though.

Pantone colors at del.icio.us Wed 20 Apr 2005

Devil's Details Wed 20 Apr 2005
Early days yet, but could turn out to be a useful resource.

Download the Bitstream Vera font family Wed 20 Apr 2005
If you don’t already have it, that is.

The space between the parting of the lips... Mon 18 Apr 2005
Also: “The thickness of the head from the brow to the nape is once and 3/4 that of the neck.” I’ll try to remember that.

Tips for handheld photography Mon 18 Apr 2005

GIMPshop for Mac OS X 10.3 Mon 18 Apr 2005
I wish I had the time and the patience to learn how to use this properly.

The decline of Trivial Pursuit Mon 18 Apr 2005
(Also: listen to the NPR version) Why the decline? Well people don’t have, or won’t devote, the time for board gamees anymore. They’ll still buy them (even though they’re quite expensive) but rarely play them. If no one plays Trivial Pursuit, then it’s hardly going to be a cultural icon anymore…

Drawn! Thu 07 Apr 2005

Factsheet 5 returns Thu 07 Apr 2005
I’ve only ever had a passing interest in (actually it’s been more like an awe of) fanzine writing. A long time ago I thought about maybe compiling some of my writing from this site into a zine or a chapbook, and distribute it through the site. But I barely felt confident about the blog as it was…

BlogTO's interview with Sam Javanrouh Wed 06 Apr 2005
He says that Toronto isn’t a great place for taking photos, but I beg to differ. His own shots obviously contradict that statement. (See also: bloggers discuss professionals’ ignorance of photoblogs.)

Moleskine Hacks Wed 06 Apr 2005

The Next Big Thing in Online Type Tue 05 Apr 2005
They’re nice and all, but until they’re available for the Mac I don’t give a monkey’s.

Fifty Writing Tools Tue 05 Apr 2005
This is going here for safe keeping.

Where'd Ya Get That Color Scheme? Tue 05 Apr 2005
The ‘steel structure’ one is my personal favourite. You might well be seeing it around here very soon.

Artful dodger Banksy takes Manhattan Tue 05 Apr 2005
Another Banksy link for you; this time with a tad more detail.

Mugabe gets two-thirds majority in disputed election Sat 02 Apr 2005

The Egg Cream Racket Thu 31 Mar 2005
I need to print this one out. Not to mention try one of these mysterious egg creams.

Sokwanele: This is Zimbabwe Wed 30 Mar 2005
Ahead of tomorrow’s ‘election’ I give you this, to contemplate.

Editor briefing: Zimbabwe Mon 28 Mar 2005

Judging a city to live in Mon 28 Mar 2005
With regard to his second element, I fail to understand how a gated public transport system indicates a lack of trust by the government in its people: government or no, left to their own devices most people are cheating bastards. Installation of gates does not mean that anyone is ‘scared’, of lost revenue or whatever: some societies are just more honest than others. Consider, for just one example, those newspaper vending machines common to the streets of larger cities throughout North America; I can guarantee they wouldn’t last a day on the streets of Dublin.

Opposition fears Zimbabwe vote is already lost Mon 28 Mar 2005
Considering Mugabe and his Zanu-PF cronies, it’s amazing how people can be so unscrupulously selfish.

The Ko Chang Cure Sun 27 Mar 2005
Mat blogs even less often than I do these days. I miss his stuff, of which this is a great example. (If I published a magazine — and I will someday! — this is the kind of thing I’d want.)

Hoefler and Frere-Jones in profile Sat 26 Mar 2005

Irish apology for Nigeria student Fri 25 Mar 2005
This story has been all over the news here. There are, of course, two sides to this, and a lot of the ‘facts’ can’t be substantiated. But what is clear is that this man had a job and was going to school, which is more than I can say of many who were born here

The rabbi who pricks Israel's conscience Fri 25 Mar 2005

Banksy improves some of New York's finest museums Fri 25 Mar 2005
It’s boring when it’s political, but the soup can is simply sublime.

Welcome to Mugabeland Wed 23 Mar 2005
A longish piece from this week’s Observer on Zimbabwe’s saddening decline.

SA MPs convicted over travel scam Wed 23 Mar 2005
Good news! Maybe now more people will see that the ANC is no longer Mandela’s party.

Vanunu charged for media contacts Wed 23 Mar 2005
“Israel insists Vanunu still poses a security threat.” Is that so? And here I was thinking anything he does know is from almost 20 years ago, and therefore hopelessly outdated.

Why South Africa does not criticise Mugabe Wed 23 Mar 2005

Essential Fonts for Designers Fri 11 Mar 2005
Sshhhh, don’t tell anybody.

Hyperlinks in Print II Fri 11 Mar 2005
If you want a copy of the PDF mentioned, send me an e-mail at the usual address.

Hyperlinks in Print I Fri 11 Mar 2005
Impressive. I like this trend towards microdetails that visualise and contextualise text.

Galgut in running for Impac award Wed 09 Mar 2005
If he wins it would be well-deserved. The Good Doctor is an excellent book, sadly overlooked in the Booker Prize shuffle of 2003. (The only shortlisted novels I ever saw on front display that year were Ali’s, Atwood’s and DBC Pierre’s.)

Pretoria becomes Tshwane Tue 08 Mar 2005
This isn’t really news, since Tshwane has been the official municipal name for a while now. And Tshwane is semantically appropriate. But making the place more ‘African’? Doesn’t that imply that African-born whites who speak English or Afrikaans can’t call themselves African? By the way, read down through the comments below; there’s some pretty disappointing racism coming from both sides.

Fontsmith discusses the new Channel 4 brand typeface Tue 08 Mar 2005
What a coincidence. I was only last night when I was watching Channel 4 and thought to myself, “I wonder what that font is, it’s very nice.”

Wiki Becomes a Way of Life Tue 08 Mar 2005
I am in their shadow.

Mbeki 'wrong' on Zimbabwe's poll Fri 04 Mar 2005
Free and fair?! Ha!

New York Public Library: Digital Gallery Fri 04 Mar 2005
I’m dumbfounded. Excuse me while I explore here for a few days.

Identity in South Africa: the story of Happy Sindane Thu 03 Mar 2005

There's a first time for everyone Thu 03 Mar 2005
One of them is 72 years old! Goes to show that it’s never too late to start.

Luciferous Logolepsy Thu 03 Mar 2005

A Hard Day's Night Tue 01 Mar 2005
Another Guardian link, I know, but if it’s worth reading, why not?

Complacency Kills, by Joe Sacco Tue 01 Mar 2005
Be warned: it’s a 36MB PDF file. But it’s worth every byte.

The Believer Sat 26 Feb 2005
I knew this was Scott David Herman’s handiwork as soon as I saw it. Very nice. (Though I do wish they wouldn’t give so much time to that assclown Todd Solondz.)

Soldiers shocked by pupils' letters Sat 26 Feb 2005
It’s heartening to know that at least some children are learning to think for themselves.

Mbeki criticises US over Zimbabwe Tue 22 Feb 2005
For once the Bush Administration is right about something. And come on, Mbeki: ‘quiet diplomacy’? Refusal to rock the boat, more like. He should be ashamed of himself.

Typographica's Favourite Fonts of 2004 Sat 19 Feb 2005
I agree with Jason: Whitney is lovely. But I’m also quite partial to Klavika.

Princeton Public Lectures Sat 19 Feb 2005
Lots of listening pleasure here, including a lecture from the incomparable Ed Witten. I’m no theoretical physicist, but Witten is the shiznit, yo.

Sublime Spaces, photography by Bob Stevens Wed 16 Feb 2005

Sanford Berman - The Passionate Cataloguer Wed 16 Feb 2005
(Feb 24) For some reason, when I first posted this link I wrote ‘cartographer’, not ‘cataloguer’. I must have been thinking a lot about maps that day.

Thinking With Type Wed 16 Feb 2005
I want this. Will someone buy me this? Please?

Satellite photo of Manhattan and Central Park Wed 16 Feb 2005
Screw The Gates! Check out the buildings instead, much more interesting.

Walking the Circle Line Wed 16 Feb 2005
Beautiful pinhole photography. Next time I’m on London I’ve promised myself to take more photos.

Underground Tokyo Guidebook Mon 14 Feb 2005

The Thought Project Sun 13 Feb 2005

Robert Birnbaum talks with Joyce Carol Oates Sun 13 Feb 2005
I’m linking to this because… you get the idea.

The Diagnosis, by Ian McEwan Sun 13 Feb 2005
I’m linking to this because I haven’t read it yet but I want to and if I don’t link to it I’ll likely forget it exists.

How to Read Mathematics Sun 13 Feb 2005
I have a severe distaste, and yet a healthy respect, for mathematics, so I might just read this one.

Eight years of darkness Sun 13 Feb 2005

Fleeting, by Marshall Sokoloff Thu 10 Feb 2005

ANC's anger over cowboy 'smears' Sun 06 Feb 2005
Here’s my take on all this: the ANC should be ashamed of themselves for squandering the world’s goodwill for their own profit.

US convinced of Darfur 'genocide' Wed 02 Feb 2005
Say, here’s a neat idea! Why don’t we just skip the semantics, and actually DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

Geldof cast as 'Mr Bloody Africa' Wed 02 Feb 2005
Also, according to a classmate of mine, who just happened to bump into Sir Bob in the deserts of Mali last month, he thinks Timbuktu is a ‘dusty shithole’.

Blogger sacked for sounding off Sun 30 Jan 2005
I’ve sounded off myself about having a tosser for a boss, but I came to my senses and removed any obvious references to the job. This guy did the opposite. He might be an expert in his field, and his boss probably was a total knob, but he did call the company Bastardstone’s…

McAleese 'sorry' over Nazi remark Fri 28 Jan 2005
Oh for fuck’s sake. It’s childishness like this that is indicative of the major problems Ireland faces in terms of reconciliation.

Fox News cock punch Wed 26 Jan 2005

I don't like Monday 24 January Tue 25 Jan 2005
Funny, that. I was up before the crack of dawn to finish my radio project in college, got lots of reading done, and had a pretty good day overall.

Raymond Pettibon: New Work Tue 25 Jan 2005
I should have posted this weeks ago. The exhibition is closed now, but the walkthrough is still open.

Skutt Farkas Tue 25 Jan 2005
Or in other words, the Irish. You always have to pick on the Irish! For shame!!

Forty South African MPs to be charged with fraud Tue 25 Jan 2005

Travels in the floating world Sat 11 Dec 2004
What I don’t get is, how can the kid love a film like Kikujiro, but at the same time have a pathological fear of ‘old’ Japanese culture such as Kabuki?

Turner Prize shock as best artist wins Wed 08 Dec 2004
See? You don’t need to be controversial to be good. Not that I like his stuff or anything, but still.

Some cartoon characters, and their skeletons Mon 06 Dec 2004
This is really fucking disturbing.

Israel's new road plans condemned as 'apartheid' Mon 06 Dec 2004
One should be careful when using the word ‘apartheid’ in this situation, because it is a loaded term, and the circumstances in the Middle East are different to those in South Africa, even if the effects are barely distinguishable.

Is Donald Barthelme the answer to the Dan Rather mystery? Sat 04 Dec 2004

Japanese vacation photos Sat 04 Dec 2004

Haruki Murakami thread at Metafilter Mon 29 Nov 2004

Why the Irish Republic is deporting its own citizens Sun 28 Nov 2004

Camera Obscura, by Abelardo Morell Sun 28 Nov 2004

Google Scholar Fri 19 Nov 2004

Impressive collection of Mike Watt gig posters Wed 17 Nov 2004

The DNA of Literature Tue 16 Nov 2004

Mbeki turns Aids row into race issue Sat 13 Nov 2004

Scottish ministers back public smoking ban Sat 13 Nov 2004

Massimo Vignelli's subway map of 1972 Sat 13 Nov 2004

Leftwing looters raid shops Sat 13 Nov 2004