maetl

History

Wrangelkiez Walking Tour

An exploration of the Wrangelkiez neighborhood in Kreuzberg.

The Forgotten History of Timezones

Jon Udell’s literary appreciation of the Olson/Zoneinfo/tz database is flush with small details that will delight history geeks.

Orwell the blogger

The diaries of George Orwell are now being published in blog format by The Orwell Prize. The diaries begin in August 1938 and cover the period up until October 1942. They're being timed to appear…

Blue Sky Mining

It may not matter whether Australian uranium is exported from three mines or thirty... This proposal, according to Labour leader Kim Beazley should define Australia's uranium policy. But maybe…

Youth Gangs and Assumptions About Culture

Opinions have been flowing in local media, regarding the intersect between exploding urban situations in France and some of the serious problems in South Auckland at the moment. One thing I'm noticing…

Andy Warhol paints Debbie Harry on an Amiga

The Amiga line of computers had a significant influence on many graphic artists and musicians moving into digital production.

The End of Economics

Economics in its traditionally enshrined format is an awkward relic of a twisted history.

Introducing Historiographica

So I've started another website, a kind of ongoing accident, with the idea echoing so intensely during Webstock as I culled together my 8x5 presentation, it just seemed to burst out of my brain and…

Crying Sculpture

Via bTang, I just stumbled across this crying sculpture (.pdf) which explores the theme of communication through tears. Crying is often considered solitary and individual, but here a significance…

Nuclear Weapons are Morally Indefensible

INTERJECTION: "Mr Lange Sir, if I may address you as 'mate', perhaps. You talk about the quality of rationality. Now I've heard many reasons advanced for keeping American sailors out of ports…

On The Shoulders of Giants

New research finds that the historical background of Google’s PageRank algorithm is richer than previously suspected.

Rap Confronting the Record Biz

A short history of rap songs that confront the nature of commercial rap and the record industry, amongst other things.

New Zealand Design Review

In a 1950 editorial the "New Zealand Design Review" identified the "horrible forces ranged against good design" as Indifference, Cheapness First, Unnecessary Novelty, Mass Production, De Luxe…

New Zealand in Ten Movies or Less

I'm not usually one to jump onboard the blog meme wagon, but after seeing the recent proliferation of America in Ten Movies or Less, I started wondering which ten films would best sum up the New…