The Gorilla Who Was Brought up as a Boy in an English Village
This is the incredible true story of John Daniel, who was no ordinary gorilla John Daniel was a young gorilla who was adopted by an English family in 1918 and … Read More
Category: Blog
My blog and occasional comment on current affairs.
The Loose End by Dwonch and Hymel is a fun, Tarantino-esque comic caper
The Loose End graphic novel collects issues 1-4 of this new crime comic and is a lot of fun. Written by Dave Dwonch, with art by Travis Hymel, The Loose … Read More
Tree Spirits And Good Fortune: The Beautiful Ghosts Who Protect Thailand’s Forests
I wrote recently about an angry Thai ghost with a detachable head, so it is time to look at some beautfiul tree spirits that protect native trees. Thailand’s spiritual world … Read More
What Did People Wipe With In The Past And Why Is The World Moving Beyond Toilet Paper?
Toilet paper is modern and isn’t the best option There was a weird focus on toilet paper at the start of the Covid pandemic, with lots of people panic-buying and … Read More
The Strange And Hopefully Fun Future Of AI NPCs – Is Gaming Getting Interactive?
I love computer games and am cautiously optimistic about the upcoming inevitability of AI NPCs and AI stories. But there will be weirdness and ethical quandaries by pixel-load over the … Read More
Black, Rudd And A Colossal Snake: The New Anaconda Trailer Looks Meta Fun
Sony Pictures has just released the first trailer for Anaconda, a comedy re-imagining of the 1997 giant-snake thriller. The original is a classic and I remember it fondly, although I advise … Read More
The Paper Review: A New Office-Style Sitcom About Newspapers
The Paper is a new sitcom set in the same universe as The Office. (Obviously, that’s our world too, but you know what I mean.) It’s made by some of … Read More
Morning Writing Routine: Why 6 AM May Be Your Creative Sweet Spot
A morning writing routine is something I’ve heard of, but due to general slothfulness, not a practice I’ve tried. But I’ve been travelling a lot recently, from one side of … Read More
My Favorite Writing Software After 30+ Years In Journalism & Publishing
Writing software have been around since the end of the 1970s. Word 1.0 came out in 1983, which is pretty insane. I remember at school in the 80s we had … Read More
Tired of doomscrolling? Subscribe to something actually interesting
A while ago I was searching for something interesting to read about and instead, I found myself doomscrolling short videos of cats, people falling over, and angry morons getting instant … Read More
Outstanding Books About Writing: Classics That Will Inspire You
Listing outstanding books about writing is obviously going to be highly subjective. But these are definitely among the best loved and reviewed, and have all stood the test of time. … Read More
A detachable flying head with a disgusting diet – The Krasue
I wrote about the Krasue on Medium recently, but it is actually an excerpt from my short book about Thailand’s spooky folklore: Haunted Thailand: Ghosts and Spirits in the Land … Read More
Is There A Better Keyboard Than QWERTY? Yes, But You Won’t Use It
I write for a living and use a QWERTY keyboard. Apparently around 90% or more people do likewise. I have also learned to touch type as I am the kind … Read More
Work Smarter, Not Harder: Repurposing old Content Is Awesome
Repurposing articles is a great tool in a writer’s repertoire. When it comes to the wonderful world of online content, productivity, (namely speed and efficiency,) is key. As writers, we … Read More
Doodles And Awesome Digital Art – I’m Now Learning Procreate On IPad
I justified buying an iPad Pro based partly on Procreate. I also write on the iPad and wanted to future-proof it by getting a good one, but I could have … Read More
I found a brilliant Huberman productivity technique
I love productivity methods and Dr Huberman is one of the big names in the biz. I think I spend too much time searching for these things because I’m innately … Read More
Is The Singularity just 6 Months Away? Some experts think so. Time to panic?
The Singularity is imminent and we are all potentially doomed. Or on the verge of a golden age. Some experts think this may even happen this year. Is this the … Read More
How I Use My Ears To Be More Productive
I’m always striving to be more productive so I can laze around and have more free time. My quest to be a gentleman of leisure involves quite a lot of … Read More
Ghostwriting pros and cons. Is it worthwhile or soul-destroying?
I used to do a lot of ghostwriting, and it has its pros and cons. I should preface this piece by noting that, as I have written 100s of ghostwritten … Read More
Inspired By Silicon Valley, I Now Want To Be A Quirky Coder. Hello Python!
I have been binge-watching Silicon Valley on HBO Max, and it has made me want to code. I think I am having a mid-life crisis, which might be related, but … Read More