Secrets of Silicon Valley – part 2

In the second and final episode, of this fine investigative programme, ‘The Persuasion Machine’, Jamie Bartlett took us from the big players in Silicon Valley to what they actually do, and in some way sit was more frightening than the big bucks involved. This is an aspect of the internet few of us pay much … Continue reading →

Secrets of Silicon Valley BBC2

This is the first of 2 documentaries by blogger Jamie Bartlett whose intelligent, low key investigation of the big tech companies are seen to be very different to what they claim. He visits Silicon Valley, the main source of so many inventions that claim will improve our lives, but he finds they are based on … Continue reading →

The Last Days of Solitary

This is a really disturbing documentary by the BBC on the US prison system, in which solitary confinement has become widespread as a last resort for dealing with violent uncontrollable prisoners. But for centuries they’ve known it doesn’t work, and in many cases makes prisoners worse. It also costs a hell of a lot of … Continue reading →

Censorship in Charleston 1787

In Shakespeare’s time, travelling players were considered akin to rogues and vagabonds so needed the protection and patronage of a noble to survive. In 1727 England passed the Chamberlain’s Act requiring theatres to be licensed to perform plays, to prevent the vicious satires against prime minister Robert Walpole. Life for travelling players was also hard … Continue reading →

The Richest Man in All Christendom?

Most people assume slavery was the basis of most fortunes in Britain’s 18th century, but descendants of the original settlers also featured. Here’s a couple of pieces from May 1771’s Kentish Gazette: Wm Baker, Esq; one of the Sheriffs of this city, &c. was married at Spring Garden Chapel, to Miss Juliana Penn, daughter of … Continue reading →

Centenary of Women on Motorbikes

This is a great story from last week’s i paper: A century ago, when the automobile was in its infancy and most roads were unpaved, two intrepid sisters from Brooklyn, New York, made a remarkable journey – a 4,000 mile trek across the US on motorcycles. Augusta and Adeline van Buren devised the trip in … Continue reading →

Cats Scapegoated in Divorces

I am fascinated by this – in the USA there was en epidemic of divorces in which the reason given was a cat – or several. Of course there was a good reason for it. I am also intrigued that such a God fearing nation would allow divorce in 1848 at all. http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/why-did-american-cats-gets-blamed-for-so-many-divorces?utm_source=Boomtrain&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20160715&bt_email=texthistory@outlook.com&bt_ts=1468592859278

Safe Duels

This is another fascinating piece from Atlas Obscura on the problem of duelling between gents. The practice was made safe by using wax bullets. I find this fascinating as it reminds me that England was not always the laughing stock of the world, but led the way in many improvements. One of them was the … Continue reading →

Standing up to Developers

I love this – a man who put his money where his objections were. He built what became known as ‘the spite house’. http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/places-you-can-no-longer-go-the-richardson-spite-house?utm_source=Boomtrain&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20160610&bt_email=texthistory@outlook.com&bt_ts=1465567682802

US Nuclear Bomb System Still on Floppy Disks

This is from last Friday’s i paper. It should strike fear into all of us. Or perhaps it says much about how solid and reliable they are. They may lack volume, but they are a lot harder to hack into or interfere with short of them being physically stolen. If they ain’t broke, don’t fix … Continue reading →