On the Enjoyment of ChernobylMadmen (2007–2015) succeeded as spectacle by opening a window of taboo enjoyment onto the 1950s, when gender roles were unquestionably…Jun 30, 2021Jun 30, 2021
The Alphasmart Neo2: Bad UI as Good UIOne of my favourite newfound pieces of technology (on which I’m writing this essay) is the AlphaSmart Neo2. It’s a bit of a cult item. The…Jun 23, 2021Jun 23, 2021
A good livestreaming setup is a well-tailored suitIn the 1980s and 1990s a common piece of advice for people working in the professional managerial class was to ‘dress for the job you want…Jun 21, 2021Jun 21, 2021
The Qing Dynasty imposed a distinct hairstyle on its Han subjects — the queue (辮子).I used to puzzle over this blanket imposition: why would the Qing be so committed to a single hairstyle?Jun 18, 2021Jun 18, 2021
On long-tail counterfeits and zero-trust ecommerceWhen I moved to China in 2012 I was obsessed with Taobao. Contrary to the Western prejudgement that China was bereft of consumer variety…Jun 16, 2021Jun 16, 2021
On the contingency of ownership / Reflections on First CowKelly Reichardt’s First Cow is a sustained reflection on the contingency of ownership at the unfolding edge of a colonizing ‘new world.’Jun 16, 2021Jun 16, 2021
On Dancing and Being PhotographedWhen I lose myself in dance, it’s via the process of struggling with the question of how to move.May 25, 2021May 25, 2021
The underground cloud-gazer (on pattern-recognition)My tiny apartment in Singapore is appointed with a fine Italian induction stove and convection oven – gratifying fixtures which deliver a…Jun 3, 2019Jun 3, 2019
Analog Automation and Derivative AutomationWhen we understand automation it’s often through the image-in-thought of a 1:1 replacement or substitution of existing forms of human work.Feb 11, 2019Feb 11, 2019
