- 100 Actual Titles of Real Eighteenth-Century Novels
Many of these are brilliant. I think we should bring back eighteenth century style naming for fiction.
- How London’s Rivers Got Their Names | Londonist
Just in case you're curious.
Tag: london
Bookmarks for May 30, 2014
- The London Evolution Animation – YouTube
Fascinating animation showing the growth of London, how it formed, and what has been protected over the centuries.
Bookmarks for January 31, 2014
- 15 Ways To Improve London’s Train Network | Londonist
I liked this. A dozen or so usability improvements to the map and sinage, and a few other idea that make a suprising amount of sense, like reopening York Road.
- The 2014 London "Coffee Stops' Map
Tube map, listing the best coffee to be had near each stop. I take issue with a few of their choices, and their definition of "near" is a bit, er, different (their choice for Wimbldon, for example, is a 15 min walk up a steep hill to a place that is often *very* busy, which is more than I would want to both with if I'm just in town and want a quick coffee) but still: handy nonetheless.
Bookmarks for January 2, 2014
- Mapped: London’s Independent Bookshops | Londonist
Not that i buy a lot of physical books these days, but handy nonetheless.
Bookmarks for December 20, 2013
- DeskBeers
London only for now, but this is a really good idea, that I will be joining at least one of my colleagues in agitating for in the new year.
- Find The Thing You're Most Passionate About, Then Do It On Nights And Weekends For The Rest Of Your Life | The Onion – America's Finest News Source
This may be the bleakest, nearest-the-bone, thing I've ever read from the Onion. Which, I suspect, says it all really.
Bookmarks for October 24, 2013
- Cheaper to rent in Barcelona and commute to London…
Well, this is depressing. And horrifyingly plausible.
Bookmarks for November 12, 2012
- 150 great things about the Underground
This looks like a brilliant blog. I look forward to having the time to read it in full.
Bookmarks for May 24, 2012
- Kosmograd: Olympics Brand Exclusion Zone
If I know anyone who lives in these zones (and I suspect I do) I *strongly* encourage you to buy competitor products, and leave them prominently in your windows. And, indeed, to pass this idea on. It would be *lovely* if the streets in these areas were plastered with the logos of competing brands – not as paid for advertising, but just as spontaneous citizen reclamation of the space that belongs to them, not to advertisers and marketers.
Bookmarks for April 18, 2012
- CMAP #2: How Books Are Made – Charlie's Diary
I have had a few conversations recently with people who have kvetched about having to pay the same price for an ebook as they do for the paperback, and I have wished that I was able to easily find this post to point them at. Short version: the cost of your paperback book is *not* a materials cost. Physical production, shipping and distribution account for around a quid of the price. The other six of seven quid is labour, and there's a lot more labour goes in that you might think, and most of it isn't the author's.
- Twitter’s “Innovator’s Patent Agreement” – Marco.org
No, it looks like other people have come to the same conclusions.
- Twitter Blog: Introducing the Innovator's Patent Agreement
This is quite a good idea, although one might quibble over what "only used defensively" means – it's possible that I'm misunderstanding the legalese, but it looks to me that any company who has filed a patent infringement suit for any reason in the last ten years (and who might be infringing, obviously) would be fair game. Which in turn means that this is meaningless, and will be just as innovation-stifling in practice as any current agreement. But I await being told that I've misunderstood.
- Paul Woods – Life on the Northern Line
This made me smile this morning.
Bookmarks for April 2, 2012
- Planning a trip to Canada or the Caribbean? US Immigration may have other ideas… – News & Advice – Travel – The Independent
I await the first tales of someone's holiday being fucked up because they happened to share a name with someone who is on the US list, even despite the fact that they're not even flying near the US. I also await being allowed to deny US citizens the right to enter France.
- BBC News – 10 stories that could be April Fools pranks but aren't
Several of these are fascinating. Others are just mad. Either way, I like 'em.
- What Lies Beneath: Excavating Crossrail's tunnels | In-depth | The Engineer
This is fascinating reading. Example facts from this piece: tunnel boring machines go at about 100m per week, and have a turning radius of 250m. Inpressive enough, but in places the tunnels these things are cutting are passing with 1m of existing tunnels, which, obviously, it would be very bad if they were to hit. "Lads, we've got to start turning now, so that we're in the right place in 2 weeks time. If we're out by over a foot, were going to cause major damage to something expensive. No do-overs. Everyone ready?"