Apologies for the daft version of this post that went out to email subscribers earlier in the week – pease put it down entirely to webmaster error and ongoing brain fog.

The year is definitely coming to a close – projects are wrapping up and things are being ticked off the list of things to do.

I hit publish on ‘The Alms Race‘ yesterday. 9k words about the history of web2 and how we ended up in the mess of financial tools to support creators – and the logic behind the platforms building them.

It feels good to have that public/published. Already had some nice feedback on it. It’s been sitting in my drafts in one form or another since 2020 and 2.5 years is too long for ideas to be left laying around. I think, when I get home from Thailand at the end of Jan I’m going to declare idea bankruptcy and forget about all the things I’ve written and not finished.

Face the fact that there’s … 300,000+ of words of crap in Google Docs that I’m not going to do anything with? I need a clean slate for 2024.

Experience.Computer

I tell you what, making an interview podcast is *a lot* more work than I thought it would be. At least getting everything over the line. Having made 250+ episodes of 301, I realise as I’m doing the final mixing and mastering on the interviews that my standards are quite high. What I want the show to ‘sound like’, as well as its subject matter. I’m starting to estimate that the amount of work per episode is about 5 times the duration of the published audio. Each episode is 1h20m long and represents (I reckon) 6+ hours of work if you also include the original interview? Thats nuts. This is why I’m only publishing this show monthly (unless I can get a sponsor, I’m going to see how far I can take it)

The first two episodes are out tomorrow, (if you are currently subscribed to Permanently Moved then episode one will be co-published on that feed directing you to Experience.Computer‘s feed for episode two), and I’m really looking forward to it being out in the world.

Preparations for the Thailand trip have begun: New Birkenstocks were acquired this week, suncream and other bits and bobs. I should have bought a Euro plug USB-C charger int he black Friday sale, but it didn’t occur to me.

I have a few calls booked in for Feb already, *things to do* when I get back. But i’m hoping to spend most of the trip sitting next to Eve on a beach, looking at the horizon.

I think I’m going to take my DSLR? This has been a big mental subject of consideration this alast week. This is going to be ‘a trip of a life time’ and I sort of want to have my wide angle lens and prime lens – rather than just having my Pixel 6 with me.

The thing I’ve been going backward and forward about however is taking my DSLR means taking a kettle lead and the charger for the camera battery. It also means shlepping and keeping SD cards safe. I managed it all though Ukraine/Chernobyl, Russia etc many years ago – but that didn’t involve boats and topical weather. Let’s see.

Start Select Reset

The zine is going out next week. Issue 008 should be with most people before new year – international subscribers I suspect, may get caught up with late Xmas post and freight etc. We’ll see.

This issue has a big Linocut on the inside, I’ll hand number them etc. I finished the cutting earlier this week and got the laser printing done yesterday. I’ll be doing the actual linoprinting this evening or tomorrow depending on how quickly the rest of the mixing and mastering goes on experience.computer this afternoon – LOL

Anyways, a very transactional weeknotes this week. Busy, lots to do.

Photo 365

The Ministry Of My Own Labour

• Spent all afternoon Monday at the Eve Online offices
  • Evening was the London Autonomous Worlds meet up
• Published The Alms Race
• A-for mentioned Expeirence.Computer mixing
• Call with PGR
• Multiple calls with Novara Media team
• Xmas shopping lol

I’m still stick from two weeks ago too. My sinus’ are still a little sore and blocked every morning. Maybe it’s turned into sinusitis? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Terminal Access

Taking an Internet Walk @ syllabusproject has been widely shared around the blogosphere this week. It’s about rediscovering the old web, with lots of links to great resources and projects – including to my own webshow: Come Internet With Me.

We are here to take you by the hand and show you another Internet than the one sketched above. The Internet is so much vaster than a single worldview. It is a sprawling galaxy of archipelagos, filled with more humanity and personal gestures than any man-made archive. Instead of traversing the congested highways of the web, we invite you to try alternative routes: take a scroll down local streets and wandering paths, try out someone else’s commute, rediscover the favorites of your neighborhood, and gather the friends you love in your favorite spots, quiet and comforting. Beneath social media and app hedges, the blossoming internet awaits: a live ecosystem unfolding beneath our footsteps.

Dipping the Stacks

Orthodox Alaska Part 4: Will Blessed Olga Be The First Female Orthodox Saint Of North America?

In the dream or vision according to the letter, the two women then went outside and drank “tundra” tea under a night sky illuminated by the Northern Lights. That’s when the mystery woman spoke, pointing to the heavens and saying, “This is a sign from God of his ability to create great beauty where there had been only darkness and desolation.”

“Who are you?” the woman shouted — to which she muttered something indecipherable and “Olga.”

I Need An Open Source Mouse So I Never Have To Look At Razer Synapse Again – Aftermath

So, Razer’s software is ugly, Logitech’s is fine. Blog over, right? Wrong. Because my problem here is not simply that the software that these companies use is ugly, or limited, or invasive and proprietary, it’s that they are also basic.

The Yesterweb – Reclaiming the Internet

“Unable to find sufficient organizers to handle this growth, the organizers went on strike against the community in January 2023”

Why “Roll under” Ability checks really are the best of checks

The roll-under ability check gives you a mechanic with just the right level of granularity for a dramatic baseline, and as such has little of the ambiguity of other mechanics in setting difficulty and applying modifiers.

Conkers: The unlikely contact sport taking London by storm

Christopher Quigley – the 45-year-old man at the helm of the conker mayhem – is (inexplicably) wearing a furry cat costume, standing to the left of a makeshift stage dubbed the “Theatre of Dreams”

Reading

Still reading Art Of Gig by Venkat from Ribbonfarm. Hope to finish part one before christmas.

I spent an Audible credit on The Practice by Seth Godin. I’ve never read Godins blog, nor have I read any of his other books. He’s always just ‘That internet guy with the glasses’ . So I’m listening to that internet guy with the glasses read his book about making creative work to me as I go about my day and it’s pretty good so far!

I also spent my last credit for the year on Blood Pact by Dan Abnett. Book 13 in the Warhammer 40k series Gaunt’s Ghosts. Long time readers will know that a new Ghost’s book is an insta purchase. This book is a sort of chase and evade story with a very tight cast of characters. Many of the plot twists come from the ‘world’ rather than the characters which is a nice touch.

I am not faced with a dilemma. Books 14 and 15 in the series are narrated by a different narrator NOT Toby Longworth. I’ve spent … 125 hours plus with these characters brought alive though Longworth’s performance. Do I really want to listen to someone else try and do the job? mispronouncing peoples names and doing different accents and voices? No. I think not. Either I’m going to read the next two books whilst i’m on holiday or I’m going to wait for the publisher to re-record them. IF.

Hard To Be A God – Whitney K

Joshua Boguski from Whitney K was kind enough to send me a copy of their EP Hard To Be A God.

What a record.

The opening track While Digging Through The Snow is a talking song in the vein of Leonard Cohen with beautiful string and piano accompaniment, undergirded by rhythmic guitar. It’s a beautiful track full of melancholy and poetry. Vocalist Konner Whitney’s voice is like rich port, or a smokey whiskey.

The rest of the album is a melodic and rhythmic Americana record that could have been released any time from the late 60’s onward. Track two Not Unlike A Rock almost sounds like The Dead in places. Two Strangers sounds like a Lou Reed track with vibes.

The title Track Hard To Be A God is the most country track on the record, simple guitar and fiddle that doesn’t outstay its welcome.

The last track Song For A Friend is another beautiful talking song. A powerful piece of song writing, and the sort of song that reminds me why I love music. The communication of a feeling rather than information.

It’s a fantastic album.

Big thanks to Josh for sending me the record. Hope to meet in person next time you pass though London on tour!

Side note: If anyone else would like to send me free records go right ahead! lol

Remember Kids: