I once spent two weeks caffeine-free on a whim - I wanted to see what life was like. Turns out that after the withdrawal was done, life was exactly the same, only slightly less fun. After all the studies on caffeine seeking to show that it is harmful, and the continual drizzle of bullshit from… Continue reading Neurological Free Lunch
Month: February 2016
David Gilmour – Rattle that Lock
In the ongoing Floyd Wars I've always tended to side with the David Gilmour camp. I have little patience for Syd Barrett's wafty hippy psychedelia and I felt that Roger Water's work was thematically strong but musically boring. That said, I've never been hugely impressed by Gilmour's solo work. I know that's unfair since by… Continue reading David Gilmour – Rattle that Lock
The Ur-Infographic
I love a good infographic, but most infographics aren't good. They're noisy, design-trend heavy, or worst of all they attempt to illuminate trivial topics. Consider then, the following image. This is the Ur-Infographic, believed to be the first one ever developed. It was designed by a man called Charles Joseph Minard, a Frenchman from the… Continue reading The Ur-Infographic
Literary disability
For someone who reads a lot, I have a really hard time with so-called "literary" fiction. Snide judgements about definitions aside, I'm much more of an information-centred person, rather than a story-centred person. The snarkier part of me points out that a lot of lit fic is devoid of plot as well, preferring to concentrate… Continue reading Literary disability
Eric Clapton’s Blues
Poor Eric Clapton. He would have been the greatest guitarist of the 20th century* if Jimi Hendrix hadn't come along and, more importantly, died. Clapton's fame in London in the 60s extended to people writing "Clapton is God" on walls, and yet when he saw Hendrix for the first time even God himself was shocked… Continue reading Eric Clapton’s Blues
