What is art? Not that old chestnut again. Such open questions are almost impossible to answer. Even artists themselves have been struggling for millennia to come up with an explanation and in the end usually resort to saying ‘if I need to explain it to you then you won’t understand.’ Allan Kaprow put it that … Continue reading I am an artist
North East Fraud Forum
I went to my first North East Fraud Forum event last week. There is such an overlap between fraud, cyber crime and business ethics that it was a natural fit with many of the other things that I am involved in. It was also the first time that I had been inside the Virgin Money … Continue reading North East Fraud Forum
Oh no! NHS targets again.
I think it was as far back as 2013 that I last wrote about targets in the NHS. Not that they have ever been very far away but once again they are all over the news. Apparently, nearly one in five NHS hospital services has failed to hit any key national waiting-time targets in the … Continue reading Oh no! NHS targets again.
Bitcoin free fall
Bitcoin is in free fall. Within a few minutes its price dropped by over 15%. Over the last month or so its value had been fairly stable at between £4,700 and £5,000. Not now, the last time I looked it was heading towards the £4,200 mark. It’s price may go up, it may go down … Continue reading Bitcoin free fall
Say R
My head is still hurting. I have spent all morning in an introductory session to R, the open source statistical computing and graphics package. Now, I am no programmer and much of what was shown to us went over my head but I am blown away by the power of the tool set. It gives … Continue reading Say R
Genetic discrimination
‘Sapiens, a brief history of mankind’ is such an interesting book. I have just finished listening to Yuval Noah Harari’s work, through an audiobook on my longer driving journeys. It has made me think very hard about what it means to be human and has challenged a lot of my assumptions. I plan to listen … Continue reading Genetic discrimination
Blue bin
Our blue bin was full this week. That’s the one we put all of the recyclable stuff in and, I am ashamed to say it is normally only a third full whilst our grey bin, for other waste, is stuffed to the top when the refuse collection comes around. This means then that we throw … Continue reading Blue bin
In pursuit of perfection
Every time I turn on the television or pick up a magazine I am bombarded with images of perfect people. They live in perfect houses, with their perfect families and perfect teeth. It is clear what they are saying. You are not good enough. Only perfection is acceptable. Whole industries have developed on the back … Continue reading In pursuit of perfection
Natural England
Another one of those things that Simon and I got to talk about was rewilding. He is a photographer who specializes in landscapes, especially of Northumberland and it is a topic of conversation in the circles in which he moves. It is controversial and divides the people who are interested in the countryside. If you … Continue reading Natural England
Of the clock
The clocks have gone back. My stomach says it’s lunchtime yet the timer on the oven tells me there is still an hour to go. I've lost an hour or gained an hour. I can't work it out but know it's lighter in the morning and darker earlier in the afternoon. The whole daylight saving … Continue reading Of the clock
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 