This post is a little more political than usual but the world's on fire and it's certainly taking up a lot of my headspace and the things I read.
An article
The Verge is a tech blog that I have followed since its inception and is the only outlet dedicated to just tech which I currently pay an ongoing subscription to. The Verge has always provided a thoughtful look at technology that goes beyond just rehashing a press release about a new product or covering the latest Apple event. It has also increasingly provided thoughtful tech policy analysis from journalists like Tina Nguyen. The article I want to highlight this week though was a deeply moving piece by creative director Kristen Radtke about growing up with Alex Pretti and finding out about his murder at the hands of federal agents.
Kristen Radtke
A video
Technology Connections is an incredibly nerdy YouTube channel which has produced some of my favourite videos out there about dishwashers (no joke). His latest video provides an optimistic look at where we are at with solar energy and batteries. He then however pivots to the current Trump administration and the complete denial of truth and breaking of the US Constitution being carried out. The tech section is as interesting as always and I have immense respect for him speaking out about the deeply worrying state of things at the moment.
A webcomic
Once upon a time there was online political satire site called The Nib. Unfortunately it closed down in 2023 but I have continued to follow many of the authors since then. One of them is Jen Sorensen who has a fairly blunt and direct style that I appreciate, particularly in this particular moment. I highly recommend giving her a follow on her blog or Instagram.
A game
Moving to some more light hearted recommendations. Every time I think we are at peak daily puzzle game something new comes along. It is rare though for a game to be added to my rotation. At the top of my list at the moment is this great game where you have to find the Criminals and the Innocents in a 4x5 grid. Good fun and the difficulty can range from lightly stimulating to occasionally evil.
A podcast
When people talk about queer history it's quite common for the focus to be on "unsung heroes" like Alan Turing. What I love about the podcast Bad Gays is how it reminds us that we can learn just as much from evil and complicated queer people in history. With subjects ranging from Karl Lagerfeld to Elagabalus it's a great listen which is fun without being flippant.
S9E8: E. M. Forster