thefactthat's recent activity
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Comment on What are online courses could you suggest for starting UI/UX design? in ~design
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Comment on Tony Blair wants us to stop worrying and embrace AI in ~society
thefactthat LinkThere's an interesting substack post from Helen Bentham which takes an in-depth look at the Tony Blair Institute's influence on the new Labour government and the views espoused on Al: Some people...There's an interesting substack post from Helen Bentham which takes an in-depth look at the Tony Blair Institute's influence on the new Labour government and the views espoused on Al:
It’s an open secret that the Tony Blair Institute for Global Governance (TBI) has been advising Starmer for years, and its 1000-odd staff will be filling key advisory roles in his government. TBI’s relentlessly millennial vibe is technology on drum and privatisation on bass, with backing vocals from a band of states with dodgy human rights records, and Larry Ellison (tech billionaire) on the decks. So it’s no surprise to hear Blair crooning for Starmer to feel ‘the full embrace of the potential of technology’. AI is ‘the only game changer’ that will ‘turbo charge growth’ and ‘save the government tens of billions of pounds’.
Some people might find her views on AI overly negative, but it gives a good insight into what the new government's policies might be.
Blair has been in the news in the UK quite a bit in the last couple of weeks with various 'tips' for the incoming government. I assumed that his interventions would be mostly unwelcomed by Starmer et al, as they were by most people (Fuck off, Tony being a common sentiment). But it could be that he will actually have quite a sizable influence, which is depressing, to say the least.
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Comment on How Russian-language poets and their translators have responded to the war in Ukraine in ~humanities.languages
thefactthat LinkThis article centres on discussions with various translators who have been working on an English anthology of poetry written by poets writing in Russian in the wake of Russia's invasion of...This article centres on discussions with various translators who have been working on an English anthology of poetry written by poets writing in Russian in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
It discusses the various techniques used by the poets to draw attention to the senselessness of war, from the invocation of children's rhymes and lullabies to amplify the sorrow of death, to the use of exaggeration and distortion to draw attention to the absurdity of Russian state propaganda.
An example of a lullaby-based poem is Vanechka’s “Sleep, My Boy,” translated by Richard Coombes:
Sleep, my boy, my little laddie,
Splendidly and sound.
Rifle stock and old kit baggie,
Piled up on the ground.Safety helmet, flakkie jacket
Booties, left and right,
Sweetly listen to fairy stories
In mother earth tonight.The poem concludes:
Boyish head to boyish head,
Packed in by the score.
Nightingales all lying dead –
And there’ll be plenty more.Rounded earth in woodland, marking
The places where you fall.
Sleep you tight, my little darling.
Don’t wake up at all.And here is an excerpt from a poem by Yulia Fridman, translated by Maria Bloshteyn:
When we had liberated Ukraine from the Nazis,
Poland from Martians, Finland from dog-headed men,
the Earth sprouted fragrant cocaine-smelling blossoms,
and our tankmen got high on their magical scent.
Lithuania became a hotbed for galactic snails
from Epsilon of Andromeda, that cold crimson star;
they hid among salad greens and other plants,
we bombed it flat – no choice but go that far. -
How Russian-language poets and their translators have responded to the war in Ukraine
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
thefactthat Link ParentWell I guess it depends what you find interesting in general... To be honest, I haven't read an enormous amount of her essays but I have enjoyed what I have read. She was a great analyser of...Well I guess it depends what you find interesting in general...
To be honest, I haven't read an enormous amount of her essays but I have enjoyed what I have read. She was a great analyser of culture, of people and places. Slouching Towards Bethlehem is one of her most famous essays (as well as the title of an early essay collection). It looks at 1960s counter-culture in San Francisco, its highs and its lows. My favourite essays from that book are probably Notes from a Native Daughter, about growing up in Sacramento and how it differs from the rest of California, and John Wayne: A Love Song, a reflection on being on a film set with Wayne and the idea of America he represented.
I've never been to California, let alone Sacramento, and I've never watched a John Wayne movie, but she does such a good job evoking a time and a place and a feeling that it doesn't seem to matter. Which is to say that she's relevant if you're interested in the things she's writing about, but she can also bring relevance to things you aren't interested in at all.
Sorry that's not much of an answer, but if you enjoy reading cultural analysis or long-form journalism/interviews I would recommend seeking out some stuff by her.
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Comment on The Houthis are very, very, pleased in ~society
thefactthat LinkI'm not sure how I feel about this article. It has an insight into the Yemeni conflict that many pieces lack - particularly in its interviews with key actors. But despite its apparent balance, it...I'm not sure how I feel about this article. It has an insight into the Yemeni conflict that many pieces lack - particularly in its interviews with key actors. But despite its apparent balance, it seems to be to be part of a wider trend of whitewashing Saudi Arabia's role in the conflict, something I've noticed in the last few months of Houthi attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea. Not - to be clear - that I think the Houthis are in any way the good guys in the conflict, but Saudi Arabia's (and by extension the Western powers who have backed them's) role and impact in the war should not be minimised.
There is an appearance of balance, Saudi Arabia's role in civilian deaths is mentioned, but is couched in the excuse of poor training:
Poorly trained Saudi pilots, fearing anti-aircraft fire, dropped their bombs from too high, and indiscriminate raids killed thousands of Yemeni civilians.
Wording also suggests that Saudi Arabia's role in the peace process is purely altruistic, rather than, as the rest of article makes clear, aimed at securing its image on the world stage by minimising chances of attacks during its large events:
Saudi diplomats have been working for years on an ambitious peace plan that would ease the Houthis’ political and economic isolation and reconcile them with their rivals in Yemen’s “legitimate” government in the south.
To be clear, Saudi Arabia has fought for years isolate the Houthis both politically and economically (with blockades leading to disastrous consequences for Yemen's civilian population) and it's not their aim now, just an accepted consequence of peace when they couldn't win the war.
The article also suggests that the decision to pause the Saudi coalition's siege of the port of Hodeidah in 2018 due to fears of humanitarian catastrophe has been reassessed recently, arguing that:
Some analysts and human-rights workers now believe that those concerns were exaggerated amid an atmosphere of widespread anger at the Saudis.
Despite extensive searching I can't find anyone else online claiming this, though I'd like to see if there were commentary explaining why this would be the case, beyond the hypothetical of the Houthi's position being diminished if the siege had succeeded.
As I say, it's an interesting article but it seems to me that beneath its veneer of impartiality it has a distinctly Saudi-bent.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
thefactthat LinkThe Last Thing He Wanted by Joan Didion. To be honest, I didn't even know she wrote fiction until I came across this in the library but it was great. A political thriller set during the...The Last Thing He Wanted by Joan Didion. To be honest, I didn't even know she wrote fiction until I came across this in the library but it was great. A political thriller set during the Iran-Contra affair, it has all the hallmarks of her reporting style - cutting, insightful, paring people down to the essence of their character.
The Underground Man by Ross Macdonald. I don't normally read detective fiction but I'd heard good things about his writing and I enjoyed it. There is a sense of looming dread over the whole thing, the wildfire menacing and everyone trying to forestall their secrets being exposed.
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Comment on What are your favorite series that are not from the US or UK and also not popular anime? in ~tv
thefactthat LinkAnne+ is a lovely low-key Dutch show about a woman in her twenties living in Amsterdam. Each episode is quite short (around 10 mins) and focuses on her relationship with a different woman. Please...Anne+ is a lovely low-key Dutch show about a woman in her twenties living in Amsterdam. Each episode is quite short (around 10 mins) and focuses on her relationship with a different woman.
Please Like Me is an Australian comedy drama about a guy realising he's gay and exploring his sexuality. It's really heartfelt but also quite dark so TW for suicide/ self-harm.
Outrageous Fortune is a great New Zealand family drama. It's got Anthony Starr (Banshee/ Homelander) playing twins. Although the plot is crime-adjacent is much more focused on relationships and how they develop over the course of the series.
And for a sneaky UK recommendation, I'm going to throw in Stath Lets Flats which feels like the child of The Office and Peep Show set in a London letting agency. It's one of the few things that can make both me and my partner laugh uncontrollably, it's just excellent.
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Comment on What have you been eating, drinking, and cooking? in ~food
thefactthat Link ParentThe key with marmite on toast is that a little goes a long way. You want to slather your toast in butter (or vegan alternative) first and then get a tiny bit of marmite on the tip of your knife...The key with marmite on toast is that a little goes a long way. You want to slather your toast in butter (or vegan alternative) first and then get a tiny bit of marmite on the tip of your knife and allow it to meld into the melted butter as you spread it across the toast.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
thefactthat Link ParentHow are you finding the New Bloomsday books as a companion? Do they add a lot to the experience of reading? I've tried and failed with Ulysses before but that was just diving in without any extra...How are you finding the New Bloomsday books as a companion? Do they add a lot to the experience of reading? I've tried and failed with Ulysses before but that was just diving in without any extra context. Wondering if I should give it a go again with some commentary alongside.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
thefactthat LinkI've nearly finished reading A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam. It's set primarily in Bangladesh during the 1971 war for independence and I'm really enjoying it, both as a novel that evokes that time...I've nearly finished reading A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam. It's set primarily in Bangladesh during the 1971 war for independence and I'm really enjoying it, both as a novel that evokes that time and place and as a lesson in the history of that time. It's interesting to compare to Phillip Hensher's The Friendly Ones which I read a few years ago and is also partly set during that period (and partly in Sheffield in the UK).
I've also started up again with Jenny Erpenbeck's Kairos/ Cairos. It's absolutely fantastic but slow going for me because I'm reading it in German. It does a great job of telling a personal story of life in East Germany which exists mainly outside the realm of politics (at least for now; we're creeping towards 1989 so I assume that will change at some point). She's a fantastic writer and just at that point of being interesting enough to keep me hooked while not having to stop and start every sentence because the German's too complex.
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Comment on A trip down the UK in ~travel
thefactthat LinkI would recommend skipping the day trip to St Andrews from Edinburgh. It's not the most exciting place in the world and you'd have to go quite a bit further to actually get to the Highlands...I would recommend skipping the day trip to St Andrews from Edinburgh. It's not the most exciting place in the world and you'd have to go quite a bit further to actually get to the Highlands proper.
If you want to go somewhere with a beach, I'd suggest going along the Lothian coast to North Berwick for the day. It's a gorgeous small seaside town and there are trains going every hour from Edinburgh Waverle which take about 30 minutes. There are lots of independent shops on the highstreet, two lovely beaches and a very sweet old harbour, as well as a hill (the Law) you can climb. You can also get boat trips out to the islands in the firth - the Seabird Centre offers a variety at different price points. If you're going in May you'll be able to see puffins, as well as the largest gannet colony in the world. For food there is the Lobster Shack during the day and the Rocketeer in the evening, both run by the same people and offering great seafood and chips.
Otherwise, if you want something more in the Highlands, you could go over to Loch Lomond for the day. I'm not sure how long it would be to drive but it would take around 2 1/2 hours by train, changing at Glasgow Queen Street and getting the train from there to Balloch. There's walks you can do into the hills from Balloch, boat trips on the Loch (overpriced from what I've heard but you might think they're worth it) and great views to the mountains. The Balloch House is good for a nice meal but there's not much else going on there.
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Comment on Recommendations for a grammar checker? in ~humanities.languages
thefactthat LinkGoogle docs has a pretty good spell check for other languages, at least in my experience, and this extends to correcting basic grammar. I can't speak to French, but when I type in German it will...Google docs has a pretty good spell check for other languages, at least in my experience, and this extends to correcting basic grammar. I can't speak to French, but when I type in German it will generally suggest the correct article (Der/die/das etc.) if I've used the wrong one, add or remove reflexive pronouns, suggest the correct preposition and the correct conjugations for verbs. What it doesn't do is suggest a better way of expressing something - if I've chosen a tense which sounds weird in that context or mistranslated an idiom it's not going to tell me. But for basic mistakes it can be useful.
It does look like DeepL is developing something similar to what you're after but it's still in beta at the moment and only available in English and German.
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Comment on What have you been eating, drinking, and cooking? in ~food
thefactthat LinkI moved into a new place about a month ago but it's taken a while to get back to cooking - appliances not working, things getting lost in the move etc. Anyway, I was finally able to make things I...I moved into a new place about a month ago but it's taken a while to get back to cooking - appliances not working, things getting lost in the move etc. Anyway, I was finally able to make things I really wanted to in the last few days.
On Saturday I made a big batch of chickpea tikka masala which lasted through Sunday as well. I love making this because it's so straightforward and it can be made mainly from things I already have in the house - tin of chickpeas, tin of tomatoes and half a tin of coconut milk, plus whatever vegetables I have lying around (in this case carrots).
And then last night I made a version of Meera Sodha's swede laksa, with sweet potato instead of swede. It was so good - the recipe is for four people but we ate it easily between the two of us. I know laksa has a lot of different variations so if anyone has any recipe recommendations, please send them my way - I would love to try them!
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
thefactthat LinkRead Greenwood by Michael Christie. Did not think much of it - it tries to be a kind of eco story but gets dragged down into family history and neither part ends up being very good. I also felt...Read Greenwood by Michael Christie. Did not think much of it - it tries to be a kind of eco story but gets dragged down into family history and neither part ends up being very good. I also felt like the female characters were really underdeveloped for the most part, which frustrated me. I was reading it for a book group and I probably wouldn't have finished it if not for that.
I've just stared reading Land of Snow and Ashes by Petra Rautiainen which I'm enjoying, although it's quite heavy. It's set in Finland during and just after the second world war and I'm learning more about that history. I knew a bit about the Winter War against Russia, but this is set later when Finland were fighting on the side of Germany and there were Nazi troops and concentration camps in Finland, something I knew nothing about. I'd be super interested if anyone had any non-fiction recommendations about that period to broaden my knowledge more.
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Comment on WWOOFING/workaway stories? in ~life
thefactthat LinkI spent a summer wwoofing at a couple of places of Sweden. My experiences were mixed, and like others here I recommend doing your homework before deciding on a place. Things to consider: What kind...I spent a summer wwoofing at a couple of places of Sweden. My experiences were mixed, and like others here I recommend doing your homework before deciding on a place. Things to consider:
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What kind of tasks will you be doing? Often there'll be a list of the kind of things needing doing on the website but it's worth asking as well. Make sure to ask about what they'll need doing at the time of year you're planning on going. There might be interesting things but they all happen in the spring and if you're going in late summer you might just be stuck with busy work (I spent more time than I expected cleaning windows which wasn't exactly new or exciting).
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What does a typical day look like? At one place I was expected to start work at 7 in the morning and carry on until 5 in the evening, while at the other things were more relaxed and we would finish up around 3 and drive to a lake for a swim. See if you can find this stuff out before hand and you can hopefully go somewhere that matches your ideal work day more closely.
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How big is the farm/ how many other wwoofers will be there with you? Look and see how many people they accept at one time. Personally, I think it's best to be at a place with one or two other wwoofers. It means you're not the only outsider and it gives you more people to talk to, especially if the place is remote. On the other hand, if you're one of ten or so people volunteering, it can feel a bit factory-like (and at that point they're probably making money from the farm and you start to feel more like unpaid labour).
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How remote is the farm? You might want to be somewhere away from everything but it's still worth asking if you'll be able to leave under your own steam if you want/ need to. This is only really relevant if you're not driving yourself, but is there a town/ village within walking distance where you can buy some things? Or a bus route nearby?
I'm sure there are other things you can ask while you're at it, but the key is to not be afraid to ask some questions before you settle on a place. It can be a really good time, and I really enjoyed it and learned a lot. But there are obviously places which take advantage of volunteers/ don't clearly communicate about what volunteers will be expected to do.
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Comment on Looking for favorite easy custard or pudding recipes that are not tapioca in ~food
thefactthat Link ParentYou're welcome! Glad you enjoyed it :)You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed it :)
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
thefactthat LinkI've just finished Robert Seethaler's The Tabacconist. It's set in Vienna during the Anschluss and takeover by the Nazis, centering on a tabacconist's shop and the apprentice who comes to work...I've just finished Robert Seethaler's The Tabacconist. It's set in Vienna during the Anschluss and takeover by the Nazis, centering on a tabacconist's shop and the apprentice who comes to work there from the country. There were points where I got a bit frustrated with it (Freud turns up as a character and the way it's done feels a bit weird) but overall I really enjoyed it - it didn't take the route I expected and ended up being a powerful meditation on individuality in the face of oppression.
I'm also reading The Return of Martin Guerre by Natalie Zemon Davis which I'm getting more into than I thought I would. It's non-fiction, focusing in on a court case in the south of France in the sixteenth century in which a man was accused of imposture of another man who'd dissapeared. It's a really facinating look at life at that time and I really appreciate the focus on fact without too much speculation or narrativising of events. It's also got very short chapters so it's very easy to whizz through.
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Comment on Sweden halts adoptions from South Korea after claims of falsified papers on origins of children in ~life
thefactthat LinkThere was a devistating article a few months ago about Korean adoptees in Denmark searching for their birth families. In many cases, adoption agencies lied to both the adoptive families (telling...There was a devistating article a few months ago about Korean adoptees in Denmark searching for their birth families. In many cases, adoption agencies lied to both the adoptive families (telling them the children were orphans) and birth families (telling them children would return in a few years). It sounds from this article that South Korea has changed its laws surrounding international adoption due to recent scandals and this is why the Swedish agency has ultimately put a halt to these adoptions.
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Comment on Looking for favorite easy custard or pudding recipes that are not tapioca in ~food
thefactthat LinkCrema Catalana is my go-to easy but sophisticated dessert - it's basically the Spanish version of a creme brûlée but much more straightforward to make. Here's a recipe - you can always skip the...Crema Catalana is my go-to easy but sophisticated dessert - it's basically the Spanish version of a creme brûlée but much more straightforward to make. Here's a recipe - you can always skip the browning with the blow torch at the end and it will still be really good.
I want to add a recommendation for Daniel Walter Scott. I haven't done his UI/UX courses, but his other Adobe courses (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator) have been absolutely invaluable to me.
You can find some free videos on YouTube on his channel bringyourownlaptop, and as an alternative to getting one of his courses on Udemy, you can also subscribe to his website which gives access to all of his courses for $12 a month. That's what I did after completing his free courses on YouTube and it allowed me to follow a range of courses simultaneously. I'm not sure it ended up being cheaper because I kept my membership for quite a while, but theoretically you could pack all of your learning into a few months and save some money overall.