SP&EXOn the Enjoyment of ChernobylMadmen (2007–2015) succeeded as spectacle by opening a window of taboo enjoyment onto the 1950s, when gender roles were unquestionably…3 min read·Jun 30, 2021----
SP&EXThe 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…4 min read·Jun 23, 2021----
SP&EXA 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…4 min read·Jun 21, 2021----
SP&EXThe 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?3 min read·Jun 18, 2021----
SP&EXOn 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…3 min read·Jun 16, 2021----
SP&EXOn 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.’4 min read·Jun 16, 2021----
SP&EXOn Dancing and Being PhotographedWhen I lose myself in dance, it’s via the process of struggling with the question of how to move.1 min read·May 25, 2021----
SP&EXThe 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…3 min read·Jun 3, 2019----
SP&EXAnalog 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.2 min read·Feb 11, 2019----
