2022 in Gigs

LCD Soundsystem at Brixton Academy

Rather later than usual (again!) here is my review of the best ten gigs I saw in 2022. For the first time since 2019, I did actually see more than ten gigs in 2022 although my total of sixteen falls well short of my pre-pandemic years. Here are my ten favourite gigs of the year.… Continue reading 2022 in Gigs

5 Reasons Why Using AI to Generate Blog Posts Can Destroy Your SEO

Using artificial intelligence (AI) to generate blog posts can be bad for search engine optimization (SEO) for several reasons. First and foremost, AI-generated content is often low quality and lacks the depth and substance that search engines look for when ranking content. Because AI algorithms are not capable of understanding the nuances and complexities of… Continue reading 5 Reasons Why Using AI to Generate Blog Posts Can Destroy Your SEO

Should Children be Polite While Using Smart Speakers?

‘Okay Google. Where is Antarctica?” Children can now get answers to all their questions using smart speakers and digital voice assistants. A few years ago, children would run to their parents or grandparents to answer their questions. But with the ascendence of voice assistants to the mainstream in recent years, many children rely more on… Continue reading Should Children be Polite While Using Smart Speakers?

The Return of RTD

Doctor Who has a new showrunner. But he’s actually an old showrunner. Is that a good idea? Since the news broke yesterday, Doctor Who fan forums have been discussing nothing but the fact that Russell T Davies is returning as showrunner after Chris Chibnall’s regeneration special is broadcast next year. Most fans seem to be… Continue reading The Return of RTD

Virgin TV 360 — First impressions

I’ve just upgraded my V6 box to Virgin TV 360. I’m starting to think that was a mistake. When Liberty Global took over Virgin Media in 2013, it seemed likely that at some point in the future VM would stop using TiVo software to run its set-up boxes and switch to something based on Liberty’s… Continue reading Virgin TV 360 — First impressions

Too much work? How do you choose what to take on?

Freelancing is becoming a really popular way to make money. Sites like Upwork and Fiverr are booming. But how do you decide which jobs to take on? Here are three questions that might help you decide whether to take on some work you’ve been offered. Question 1: Do I need the work? Obviously, when you… Continue reading Too much work? How do you choose what to take on?

2020 in Gigs

Ladytron at Heaven

At about this time of the year, I usually write an overview of the gigs I’ve seen in the year. The post always starts with me saying how many gigs I’ve seen during the year. This is the tenth year I’ve been writing these posts and in that time I’ve seen between 35 (2018) and… Continue reading 2020 in Gigs

Consuming Culture: 16-31 Jan 2020

John Grant at the Roundhouse

Here are brief descriptions of the various cultural things I did in the second half of January 2020. Food: 12:51 (Islington, 2020-01-18) Our second visit to 12:51, but the first time we tried the tasting menu. It’s a bit pricy (£75 a head, I think) but it’s well worth it. The food was wonderful. And… Continue reading Consuming Culture: 16-31 Jan 2020