- The snail farm don: is this the most brazen tax avoidance scheme of all time? | The Guardian
This is an absolutely wild story. A man who has built a business out of helping other businesses run dodgy tax avoidance schemes (with a sideline in helping Mafiosos avoid capture). It's a staggering level of not-quite-prosecutable criminalty.
Tag: london
Bookmarks for May 12, 2025
- “And Breathe Normally”: Impacts of low emission zones on sick leave and mental well-being – ScienceDirect
It's a very dry paper, but here's the highlight: "The improvements in air quality induced by these policies have translated in wider productivity impacts as we demonstrate that [U]LEZ has reduced the probability of taking sick leave by 18.5%."
As someone with a modertately iffy respiratory system (my asthma isn't generally serious, but a cold will reliably do a number on my lungs), the combination of working from home full time post-pandemic (yes, I know, not over) and ULEZ has done more than anything to reduce my sick days. Earlier in my career, I'd be sick like clockwork 2-3 times a year, needing on average 2-3 days recovery time. Since 2020, I think I have taken 2.5 sick days total.
Broadly: more of this. All over the world, please.
Bookmarks for March 31, 2016
- Ubuntu on Windows
Microsoft are going to make a bash prompt easily available within Windows. Dogs are lying down with cats. These are the end times.
- The Lost London Tube Map
A map of places in London that have vanished in time. Pretty awesome.
Bookmarks for March 11, 2016
- Lychee — Self-hosted photo-management
Might want to have a play with this, see if I can get it to join up with other tools, so I've actually got my own database of my photos.
- London to the letter: meet Edward Johnston, the font of all tube style
Good article, more importantly: that's an exhibition I really want to see.
- A 3-Hour Long Mixtape of Goth History
Exactly what it says on the tin, but an interesting, deep-cuts type offering.
Bookmarks for March 9, 2016
- The Old River Thames
The Thames, around 1870 to 1920. Lovely.
Bookmarks for February 20, 2016
- Five maps that quantify exactly how rammed London is
I know some people roll their eyes when I say other cities feel small to me. Here's why.
- Leap Motion ORION: Yes, The Leap Works Now
If it's gotten better, I'm curious. I got one, then almost immediately consigned it to a drawer as useless. No Mac version of the new software yet, though.
- The State of the Speakularity / Snarkmarket
Summary of speech-to-text apps currently on the market.
Bookmarks for December 9, 2015
- London Underground Station Design Idiom
One to read in depth when I have the time. Because I'm a nerd.
Bookmarks for October 16, 2015
- Did the tube strike improve London’s economy?
Interesting article, making the point that tube strikes have more of an effect on commuters than simply annoying people on the day, and that effect may not be entirely negative.
Bookmarks for January 31, 2015
- London's Graveyard of the Outcast Dead to Resurrect into a Memorial Garden | Atlas Obscura
Only temporary for now, but this is still fantastic news!
Bookmarks for January 27, 2015
- After the flood | Projects | London Squared Map
Absolutely superb way of visualising London data.
- Filtered for magic and legitimacy (26 Jan., 2015, at Interconnected)
Several things in here, but mostly, I want to remember this one for the list of different kinds of magician banned in ancient Rome.