June 2009
15 posts
Review of Free →
Usually I put Malcolm Gladwell and Chris Anderson in the same category as slightly smug, know it all, mildly, inoffensively jocular, nominally pithy writers convinced of their own “smartness” and originality, who cater mainly for the pressed shirt sub-MBA golf club wielding bore or the quasi-literate media tosser, vainly believing that having read one half assed book they are not total...
CCTV in Class →
Via azurlune and BoingBoing. 100% behi9nd these guys. Thank God someone somewhere is actually making a stand against the absurd, sinister and dangerous surveillance culture that has totally lost all sense of proportion in the UK. I like to think that had this happened to me, I would do the same. It all makes me think I should do more now. How many pointless CCTV cameras does London need? How much...
Gapminder →
Mind blowing data visualisations. Plots how countries have developed over time, showing population size, life expectancy and GDP per person from 1807 to 2007 amongst other data sets. This is a stunning way to illustrate the disparities and relative stages of development through history. This should be featured in every history class. Guaranteed to open your eyes one way or another.
QQ →
The world’s leading social network, with over 300 million active accounts. I hadn’t heard of it either, although I am a member of Vkontakte, Russia’s number one network. It looks quite a lot like facebook. Vkontakte that is, not QQ.
It's Finished →
Without question the best article I have yet read on the recession. John Lanchester is lucid, merciless and brilliant in this explication of what went wrong and why. Includes so many gems of insight, history, learning and financial de-bunking that I almost can’t get over it. In fact I can’t.
“Magical thinking thrives in unpredictable environments. Even for industry...”
– Tim Clare in today’s Indy. A very accurate assessment of publishing, whether from outside or in.
The Euston Arch Part 1 (London Reconnections) →
Generally I am obsessed with development and fetishise modern architecture in its most brash, enormous and even egotistical forms. While I recognise that people like English Heritage have an important role (thank God someone saved St.Pancras), generally I often feel they can be harmful to living, forward moving, constantly changing urban environments. That said I deeply wish someone had managed to...
Monbiot: Blue Desert →
Via Harkaway. I always take a lot of stick for not eating fish. Well, having read this I think it’s safe to say that I have the moral high ground on this one, and am just appalled by all the fish munching complicity in this ecological catastrophe that is going on. Smoked salmon? Scallops? Nein danke. So there.
Women Should Rule The World →
Latest column from Charlie Brooker is both hilarious and probably correct.