Status:

Bit of a tired day. Had some brighter moments and a bit of a mood slump at one point but otherwise just pottered and read stuff.

Just saw a big fat hedgehog in the garden, checking out our nesting home. Reckon she might be pregnant.

Reading:

• New exhibition to celebrate legacy of pioneering Birmingham photographer Rhonda Wilson — Really glad Rhonda is finally being recognised for her work, both for Birmingham and photography in general. I only knew her for a few years before she died but she always had time for me and is one of the reasons I decided to give this art thing a go. Thanks, Annette, for doing this.
• How to escape the 21st century: Adam Curtis talks to Dean Kissick — “I would argue that it’s not that reality is dissolving, it’s that the parts of society that we thought would describe what was real to you don’t work any longer." I’ve long had a curious relationship with Adam Curtis (or at least the Adam Curtis that presents in his work and interviews) where we’re completely on the same page but then I get a visceral reaction to his ideas about “the self” which feel like an attack on things I find sustaining and valuable, at least for myself. But I’m slowly coming around to the idea that maybe he’s right and I need to examine my need to do whatever this is I’m doing right now a bit more critically. Anyway, this starts a bitty (it was published in Vice after all) but there’s a couple of sections where Curtis just talks and they’re very good.
• Plug-in solar panels UK 2026 — The complete guide — Was wondering if there was any progress on this and yes, it’s happening. A new standard (BS 7671 Amendment 4) came into force in April and approved devices will be on sale in July. Not sure we have the budget to invest in a full kit right now but it’s all very exciting!
• Caption Comics Festival plunders a shipload of guests for its pirate themed 2026 event — The zine fest (as I guess you’d call it today) of my 20s which was revived last year is back again and that’s a pretty impressive lineup. Wish I could go but it’d probably be too overwhelming.
• How Durham Pride beat Reform’s funding axe with help from the miners — This brings up a conundrum I’ve been struggling with for a while now. When you rescue something after its funding has been cut you’re basically saying the funding isn’t needed. This is what the libertarian wing of Reform want, as evidenced by the last two paragraphs in this piece. And I don’t like it because it’s saying it’s OK for minority to just look after themselves, rather than we all should look after each other, not least because one day we might be part of a minority.