writing
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Three quotes sit at the top of this blog. This is an explanation of why they’re there, what they mean to me, and the kind of thinking this site grows from.
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I went looking for some relaxing background music for the housework and stumbled into a bizarre genre I didn’t know I needed. What started as a standard Gregorian chant playlist took a sharp turn when the monks started singing John Lennon.
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Oatly has lost its long-running battle with the dairy lobby over the use of the word “milk”. The Supreme Court says shoppers are confused, but is this really about clarity or just stifling competition?
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When your world shrinks to the size of a hospital room, the window becomes your television. From the “incinerator” chimney to the drama of the air ambulance arriving from the islands, here is a look at life outside the window of Ward 27.
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Writing from a hospital bed, I see the NHS as a shield against the market. But the vultures are circling. The same tech oligarchs who want to strip-mine our digital lives are now eyeing up our medical records. Why defending socialised healthcare and self-hosting your data are two sides of the same fight.
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I can self-host my email. I can self-host my photos. But stuck in a hospital bed, I’ve realised I cannot “self-host” my groceries. When the only supermarket in reach demands your data in exchange for fair prices, privacy becomes a luxury good. A look at the failed experiment of the “Communal Clubcard” and the new digital feudalism of the weekly shop.
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There’s nothing quite like a hospital stay to make you appreciate the small things, like silence, privacy, or a decent night’s sleep. Five nights in, and it looks like I’m here for a few more. The highlight of my stay so far? A spinal tap is on the cards. Joy. Last night was particularly rough.