Northern Light

Who do you think you are Richard Sennett?

seandodson — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:38:00 +0000

Here is a fascinating lecture by the sociologist Richard Sennett about identity and the city. He explains the difference between boundaries and borders in cities. The former is inert (think security fences, gated communities) the latter is a liminal space, a threshold where people interact. He argues that most 20th century architecture (and urban design) has sought to create boundaries rather than borders. What urban planners need to do, he says, is to create the opposite: “rather than attempt to strengthen communities … what we want to do is strengthen the capacity to experience many different kinds of identities” to create “living edges” to cities rather than inert shells.

You know you are getting older when your…

seandodson — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 14:52:04 +0000

You know you are getting older when your favourite musicians make it on to the cover of Mojo. Still I’ll be down WHSmiths later to get hold of this cover-mounted CD of covers from New Order’s Power, Corruption and Lies.

There’s also a heap of nostalgia to persuse on its website. Here’s a fine collection of YouTube hits

The best of best of 2011 Spotify playlists

seandodson — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:29:39 +0000

The best of best of 2011 Spotify playlists

A lovely collection of Smiths covers Sharon Van…

seandodson — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 00:00:29 +0000

A lovely collection of Smiths covers

Sharon Van Etten — Last Night I Somebody Loved me [mp3]

Orwell's Christmas pudding

seandodson — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:26:39 +0000

In 1946, George Orwell was commissioned by the British Council to write about British cooking. His defence of our national cuisine has been much celebrated (here is his advice about how to make a perfect cup of tea but his recipes are largely unknown. Here’s his recipe for Christmas pudding. You can read the full text over at the Orwell Prize.

CHRISTMAS PUDDING.

Ingredients:

1 lb each of currants, sultanas & raisins
2 ounces sweet almonds
1 ounces bitter almonds
4 ounces mixed peel
½ lb brown sugar
½ lb flour
¼ lb breadcrumbs
½ teaspoonful salt
½ teaspoonful grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoonful powdered cinnamon
6 ounces suet
The rind and juice of 1 lemon
5 eggs
A little milk
1/8 of a pint of brandy, or a little beer

Method. Wash the fruit. Chop the suet, shred and chop the peel, stone and chop the raisins, blanch and chop the almonds. Prepare the breadcrumbs. Sift the spices and salt into the flour. Mix all the dry ingredients into a basin. Heat the eggs, mix them with the lemon juice and the other liquids. Add to the dry ingredients and stir well. If the mixture is too stiff, add a little more milk. Allow the mixture to stand for a few hours in a covered basin. Then mix well again and place in well-greased basins of about 8 inches diameter. Cover with rounds of greased paper. Then tie the tops of the basins over the floured cloths if the puddings are to be boiled, or with thick greased paper if they are to be steamed. Boil or steam for 5 or 6 hours. On the day when the pudding is to be eaten, re-heat it by steaming it for 3 hours. When serving, pour a large spoonful of warm brandy over it and set fire to it.

In Britain it is unusual to mix into each pudding one or two small coins, tiny china dolls or silver charms which are supposed to bring luck.

I’m a day late on this but I…

seandodson — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 17:03:24 +0000

I’m a day late on this but I thought Amelia Hill article in yesterday’s Guardian (BBC unable to investigate hacking, says Patten) was telling about the way the BBC has been devalued in recent years.

Chris Patten: “As a publicly funded broadcaster whose output is so directly intrusive, there are some areas where we ought to be particularly careful in our journalism or even decline to follow where newspapers or online journalism may properly lead.”

Hello. Isn’t the BBC meant to be independent? Whose independence is protected by a Royal Charter? If a story, such a phone hacking, is in the public interest, then a public broadcaster should be free to report on it. End of.

Death of the News of the World

seandodson — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:04:25 +0000

The abandoned News of the World offices and print hall, Wapping: A flickr set by Tim Burke

Sad to hear of Tribune’s demise Here’s Paul…

seandodson — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 19:56:52 +0000

Sad to hear of Tribune’s demise. Here’s Paul Anderson on why the magazine matters. Here’s Francis Beckett in the Indy on the background to its decline. Here’s George Orwell on The Decline of the English Murder, one of his finest essays for Tribune

Stumbled across this while distracted on the net…

seandodson — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 12:17:42 +0000

Stumbled across this while distracted on the net. A lovely maxim from the philosopher Alan Watts. It’s part of a longer quote that is worth repeating here.

By replacing fear of the unknown with curiosity we open ourselves up to an infinite stream of possibility. We can let fear rule our lives or we can become childlike with curiosity, pushing our boundaries, leaping out of our comfort zones, and accepting what life puts before us.

Michael Gove in trouble over using private emails…

seandodson — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 15:20:31 +0000

Michael Gove in trouble over using private emails to conduct official business. Sound familar? Sarah Palin was caught doing exactly the same thing back in 2008 when WikiLeaks revealed two of her personal email that suggested that she was trying to circumvent US public record laws. Palin is still here, but will Gove survive this one?