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diamond geezer
Broadband update After waking up yesterday I checked my router in case my broadband had restarted overnight. Still...
12 hours ago
1
12 hours ago
After waking up yesterday I checked my router in case my broadband had restarted overnight. Still red, so no. "We wanted you to know that the fault you reported to us is now fixed. Please turn your router off and on, and your service should be fully...
Herbert Lui
Progress ebbs and flows This was a lesson one of my bosses shared with me: most people don’t improve consistently every...
yesterday
2
yesterday
This was a lesson one of my bosses shared with me: most people don’t improve consistently every quarter. Instead, progress ebbs and flows.  Sometimes—maybe many times—you might feel like you’re going through a plateau. Many other people would quit. If you remain confident you’re...
diamond geezer
SL4, Stopping Lots When the Silvertown Tunnel opens next week, one thing the Mayor will enthuse about is the new...
yesterday
2
yesterday
When the Silvertown Tunnel opens next week, one thing the Mayor will enthuse about is the new Superloop bus route running through it. People like the Superloop, they know it gets them places fast, so no doubt they'll be enthused too. But the new SL4 isn't going to be as super as...
Herbert Lui
Top of mind My partner, my cat, and I once missed a connecting flight due to a luggage hiccup. The staff got us...
2 days ago
2
2 days ago
My partner, my cat, and I once missed a connecting flight due to a luggage hiccup. The staff got us replacement tickets for another flight 12 hours later. Maybe we could catch an earlier flight if there was space, they said. That was a possibility we were eager to explore. So I...
diamond geezer
Estimated fix time Estimated fix time: Tue 01/04/2025 at 19:00 then Estimated fix time: Sorry we can't provide a fix...
2 days ago
3
2 days ago
Estimated fix time: Tue 01/04/2025 at 19:00 then Estimated fix time: Sorry we can't provide a fix date at the moment. Please check again later. then Estimated fix time: Mon 31/03/2025 at 02:34 then Estimated fix time: Sorry we can't provide a fix date at the moment. Please check...
Herbert Lui
Don’t fight back, fight forward with forgiveness A restaurateur speaks up publicly for what he thinks is right. The people who think he’s wrong take...
3 days ago
3
3 days ago
A restaurateur speaks up publicly for what he thinks is right. The people who think he’s wrong take action. They vandalize his restaurant. Glass is shattered. Mirrors broken. Furniture destroyed. He had invited his father to town to dine at the restaurant. That can’t happen now...
diamond geezer
TfL FoI requests in March 2025 25 things we (genuinely) learnt from TfL FoI requests in March 2025 1) Only two refurbished Central...
3 days ago
3
3 days ago
25 things we (genuinely) learnt from TfL FoI requests in March 2025 1) Only two refurbished Central line trains have so far entered service. Three more are planned to enter service by January 2026. The overall programme is planned to complete in 2029. 2) Seat cushions on...
Herbert Lui
Letting go of the scene I live in downtown NYC. I wouldn’t consider FiDi a particularly cool neighborhood. Geographically...
4 days ago
4
4 days ago
I live in downtown NYC. I wouldn’t consider FiDi a particularly cool neighborhood. Geographically speaking, I could probably be further from the scene—I’m not in the burbs!—but socially speaking, I haven’t broken in. To be honest, I could not be less interested.  Yes, there is...
diamond geezer
Unblogged March 31 unblogged things I did in March Sat 1: The world is still reverberating after Trump and Vance...
4 days ago
5
4 days ago
31 unblogged things I did in March Sat 1: The world is still reverberating after Trump and Vance admonished Zelensky in the White House yesterday, and you can sense that 2025 is going to be a turning point in geopolitical history but not in a good way. Sun 2: Fish and Ships, the...
Herbert Lui
AI and living tutorials A couple of years ago, I published a post on how I thought AI would disrupt writing, editing, and...
5 days ago
4
5 days ago
A couple of years ago, I published a post on how I thought AI would disrupt writing, editing, and marketing. I wrote, “The notion that people won’t get replaced with A.I., but people who work with A.I., rings true in each of these fields.” One reason this happens is because AI...
diamond geezer
Annoyance I got home yesterday after watching the eclipse, put the kettle on and opened up my laptop. No...
5 days ago
6
5 days ago
I got home yesterday after watching the eclipse, put the kettle on and opened up my laptop. No internet. Well that's annoying, I thought. My BT Hub was displaying the dreaded red ring of doom, a bit like an eclipse in itself, and rebooting it didn't help. OK that's more...
Spoon & Tamago
The Ultra-Narrow Rakuragu Hotel Offers a Stylish Stay in Central Tokyo This 9-story Rakuragu hotel rises from an ultra-narrow site in the Nihonbashi district of Tokyo. If...
6 days ago
4
6 days ago
This 9-story Rakuragu hotel rises from an ultra-narrow site in the Nihonbashi district of Tokyo. If it’s nightlife you’re in search of, this hotel may not be right for you but if you’re looking for understated stylishness and rare outdoor space, this is a gem of a hotel. With...
Herbert Lui
Micro-meditations When you make just a few seconds of space between stimulus and response, you create an option to...
6 days ago
5
6 days ago
When you make just a few seconds of space between stimulus and response, you create an option to respond intentionally. Imagine closing your eyes for as little as 15 to 30 seconds. Questlove calls this a micro-meditation, describing it in his book Creative Quest, “In some way, if...
diamond geezer
Balgores Square 45 45 Squared 11) BALGORES SQUARE, RM2 Borough of Havering, 110m×30m Romford Garden Suburb was the...
6 days ago
6
6 days ago
45 45 Squared 11) BALGORES SQUARE, RM2 Borough of Havering, 110m×30m Romford Garden Suburb was the brainchild of Liberal politician Herbert Raphael who in 1909 offered up his estate at Gidea Hall "to provide families with a well-built, modern home regardless of class or status"....
Herbert Lui
Contentions: Apple TV’s billion dollar loss There’s a possibility that Apple is losing over $1 billion per year on Apple TV. The so-called...
a week ago
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a week ago
There’s a possibility that Apple is losing over $1 billion per year on Apple TV. The so-called “loss” is plausible, it’s also a rather ordinarily-sized expense considering Apple’s relatively high scale other marketing expenses. Consider this: Another report suggests that Apple...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Scotland’s Best Eco-Luxury Hotels and Sustainable Adventures
a week ago
diamond geezer
March 2025 eclipse Tomorrow is partial solar eclipse day, peaking at 11:03am in London. The eclipse will be visible...
a week ago
7
a week ago
Tomorrow is partial solar eclipse day, peaking at 11:03am in London. The eclipse will be visible across northwest Europe, peaking in eastern Canada where 92% of the solar disc will be obscured. In London it's 31%. Nova Scotia 80%, Reykjavik 68%, Stornoway 47%, Glasgow 42%,...
Spoon & Tamago
Tomoko Kubo is Embroidering the Entire Hiragana Lettering System Illustrator and embroidery artist Tomoko Kubo has embarked on an epic linguistic journey of...
a week ago
10
a week ago
Illustrator and embroidery artist Tomoko Kubo has embarked on an epic linguistic journey of embroidering all 46 characters in the hiragana lettering system. Each piece is carefully designed so that within each character are individually embroidered images that depict foods,...
Herbert Lui
Kinetic and energeial living Kinetic life is focused on reaching a destination. You harness your drive to complete a journey. In...
a week ago
9
a week ago
Kinetic life is focused on reaching a destination. You harness your drive to complete a journey. In this way of life, it naturally makes sense to find the shortest possible route and take it. Imagine it like a commute. If you were to choose between an express train and a local...
Cheese and Biscuits
The Duke, Henley It's coming up on a year since I was last in this part of the world, when I had a very lovely lunch...
a week ago
7
a week ago
It's coming up on a year since I was last in this part of the world, when I had a very lovely lunch in the sun at Dominic Chapman, then a brand new restaurant in the Relais hotel on the banks of the Thames. Strolling around town before lunch last week I was pleased to see he was...
diamond geezer
Route R6 RIP London's next dead bus R6: Orpington to St Mary Cray Location: southeast London, outer Length of...
a week ago
7
a week ago
London's next dead bus R6: Orpington to St Mary Cray Location: southeast London, outer Length of journey: 4 miles, 25 minutes 347, 118 and 414 have already been extinguished and at the end of this week it's time for the R6 to join them at the big terminus in the sky. You won't...
Herbert Lui
The time will pass anyway There’s something meaningful that you want to do. The only problem is it’s going to take a long time...
a week ago
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a week ago
There’s something meaningful that you want to do. The only problem is it’s going to take a long time to do it. Maybe it’s schooling of some sort, or chipping away at a big project. Yes, it’s going to take a time horizon of years, maybe even decades. The time will pass anyway,...
diamond geezer
Unchosen Overground line names Unchosen Overground line names an excellent scoop yesterday by publishing the longlist of names...
a week ago
6
a week ago
Unchosen Overground line names an excellent scoop yesterday by publishing the longlist of names which were under consideration for the six Overground lines. I'm not sure how much much of the list is behind his Substack paywall so what follows is abbreviated from someone else's...
AFAR Media - Travel...
UnCruise's Best Small-Ship Cruises & Why Travelers Love Them
a week ago
Herbert Lui
Surrender, control, and anxiety What do you think you’re in control of?  What’s not in your control?  Where do you decide to draw...
a week ago
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a week ago
What do you think you’re in control of?  What’s not in your control?  Where do you decide to draw the line? “You are afraid of surrender because you don’t want to lose control,” Elizabeth Gilbert writes (via Oliver Burkeman). “But you never had control; all you had was anxiety.”...
diamond geezer
Denton and Reddish South The least used station in Britain: DENTON Greater Manchester The problem thus isn't Denton's...
a week ago
9
a week ago
The least used station in Britain: DENTON Greater Manchester The problem thus isn't Denton's location it's the timetable, which these days consists of just two trains a week. Between 1992 and 2018 it was only one, so this is an improvement. Saturdays...
Cheese and Biscuits
The Cadogan Arms, Chelsea There's no sign of a cost of living crisis on the King's Road, but then the people of Chelsea aren't...
a week ago
10
a week ago
There's no sign of a cost of living crisis on the King's Road, but then the people of Chelsea aren't known for their frugality. The Cadogan Arms is a grand old Victorian boozer - which means it has nice high ceilings, stained glass and a big carved wooden bar - but then this is...
Herbert Lui
Putting it out there Brett Goldstein worked as a writer for Ted Lasso. As he worked on the scripts, he realized that he...
a week ago
9
a week ago
Brett Goldstein worked as a writer for Ted Lasso. As he worked on the scripts, he realized that he really understood one of the characters. He wanted to put himself forward for the acting role.  “I also knew no one was thinking of me for Roy, so right at the end of the writers’...
diamond geezer
Stockport Gadabout: STOCKPORT Stockport is a former textile town on the Lancashire/Cheshire border, since...
a week ago
8
a week ago
Gadabout: STOCKPORT Stockport is a former textile town on the Lancashire/Cheshire border, since swallowed up by Greater Manchester. Of the ten metropolitan boroughs it's the southeasternmost. Previously I'd only ever seen it from the train while crossing the lofty viaduct over...
Herbert Lui
A place for feelings that interfere “Did you ever tap into something that you feel is bad in you to win?” That’s a question Donald...
a week ago
7
a week ago
“Did you ever tap into something that you feel is bad in you to win?” That’s a question Donald Glover asks in this interview, before confessing that he made one of his most popular songs because he felt a drive to prove somebody wrong. In response, LeBron James says that he not...
diamond geezer
Covid signage five years on Five years ago PM Boris Johnson addressed the nation from 10 Downing Street and told us "You must...
a week ago
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a week ago
Five years ago PM Boris Johnson addressed the nation from 10 Downing Street and told us "You must stay at home". All sorts of extraordinary restrictions were subsequently introduced, many of which were conveyed to us in signs and stickers slapped across our immediate environment....
Herbert Lui
Chatter vs. inspiration For many years, whenever my brain had an idea, I felt a compulsion to write it down. What started...
a week ago
9
a week ago
For many years, whenever my brain had an idea, I felt a compulsion to write it down. What started out as bursts of inspiration slowly—and, eventually, quickly—transformed into a habit driven by anxiety. I didn’t want to let any idea “get away from me.” I felt like if I forgot, I...
diamond geezer
Route 60 Route 60: Streatham to Old Coulsdon Location: London south, outer Length of bus journey: 12 miles,...
a week ago
10
a week ago
Route 60: Streatham to Old Coulsdon Location: London south, outer Length of bus journey: 12 miles, 75 minutes It's traditional around every birthday that I take a numerically significant bus journey. Eighteen years ago I took the 42 to Dulwich, then subsequently the 43 to Barnet,...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Visit These 10 Malta Filming Locations from TV + Movie Hits
2 weeks ago
Herbert Lui
Books and lifestyle The Starfield Library in Seoul is a beautiful, vast, library. It reminds me of the short visit I had...
2 weeks ago
8
2 weeks ago
The Starfield Library in Seoul is a beautiful, vast, library. It reminds me of the short visit I had to Singapore’s library@orchard. It fits in with a pattern I notice in Asia, which is the rise of these incredibly glamorous spaces for books. They’re usually bookstores (I...
diamond geezer
Old Coulsdon (this is the follow-up post to tomorrow's ride on my birthday bus route) Old Coulsdon, it's like...
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
(this is the follow-up post to tomorrow's ride on my birthday bus route) Old Coulsdon, it's like entering another world. A quiet well-to-do suburb on a hill, all broad avenues, backlanes and green tendrils reaching out into rolling chalkland on the edge of the North Downs. It's...
AFAR Media - Travel...
8 Restaurants Defining Tucson’s Food Scene Right Now
2 weeks ago
Herbert Lui
Read your journals like they’re books or articles Yesterday, I left a meeting at work and made dinner plans to meet a friend. I found myself with an...
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
Yesterday, I left a meeting at work and made dinner plans to meet a friend. I found myself with an hour to spare in midtown Manhattan. I kept it simple, though. I decided to go to the restaurant, and they seated me. As I settled in, I remembered that I brought my journal. I...
Cheese and Biscuits
Dastaan, Leeds Three down, one to go. My determination to visit all of the restaurants in this particular...
2 weeks ago
10
2 weeks ago
Three down, one to go. My determination to visit all of the restaurants in this particular restaurant mini-chain - because, so far at least, they've all been that damn good - has now taken me to a northern suburb of Leeds and to the Dastaan there. My worry is that all of the...
diamond geezer
Extremities I've been testing the extremities of my new 60+ Oyster card. The most northerly station you can...
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
I've been testing the extremities of my new 60+ Oyster card. The most northerly station you can reach with a 60+ Oyster card: CHESHAM market town is a small delight, as I well know because I've been many times but I can go more often now. The joy starts as you rattle off down...
Spoon & Tamago
A Chandelier of 28,000 Eggs and Other Scrumptious Delights Reframe our Consumption of Food The Osaka Expo 2025 kicks off on April 13th. And while we’re excited about some pretty niche things...
2 weeks ago
12
2 weeks ago
The Osaka Expo 2025 kicks off on April 13th. And while we’re excited about some pretty niche things like Hello Kitty algae and attendant uniforms, one of Japan’s signature pavilions, Earth Mart, is shaping up to be delightfully delicious. Located within the expo’s Green World...
Herbert Lui
Why Ted Lasso gets away with not knowing anything about football Imagine that you’re an American football coach that is now only going to coach European football...
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
Imagine that you’re an American football coach that is now only going to coach European football (better known in the U.S.A. as soccer). And you know absolutely nothing about the sport. So on the pitch of 22 players, the kitman, the assistant coach, you know the least about the...
diamond geezer
the Imbecilic Duff-Coded Screen of Digital Quicksand I never expected applying for my 60+ Oyster Photocard would be so impractically sluggishly...
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
I never expected applying for my 60+ Oyster Photocard would be so impractically sluggishly difficult. ...and then went pear-shaped when my application ended up on the Imbecilic Duff-Coded Screen of Digital Quicksand. Day -14 photocard website and set up an account. Simple....
Herbert Lui
Where you work changes how you work My first internship was at Virtual Team Builders, a company that helped companies work remotely. I...
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
My first internship was at Virtual Team Builders, a company that helped companies work remotely. I had no idea this was even possible. I would go on to work remotely, or in a hybrid workplace, for most of my career. Working remotely doesn’t necessarily mean working from home....
Cheese and Biscuits
Interlude at Leonardslee, Horsham If there's one thing I've learned after nearly twenty years of writing about food in this country,...
2 weeks ago
11
2 weeks ago
If there's one thing I've learned after nearly twenty years of writing about food in this country, it's that fine dining can happen pretty much anywhere. If Ormskirk, an otherwise unremarkable town in Lancashire previously best known as the childhood home of Marianne Faithful...
diamond geezer
Watch Out Children About My apologies that today's main posts were for old people. Watch Out Children About This sign...
2 weeks ago
7
2 weeks ago
My apologies that today's main posts were for old people. Watch Out Children About This sign appears in Colman Road, Beckton E16. It includes the name G.R.ILEY C.ENG.,M.I.M.E.,M.I.Mun.E.,F.Inst.H.E. » C.ENG. = Chartered Engineer (now normally abbreviated CEng) Institution of...
Herbert Lui
3.15.20 Five years ago, there was precious little to look forward to. And then, all of a sudden, out of...
2 weeks ago
8
2 weeks ago
Five years ago, there was precious little to look forward to. And then, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, Donald Glover released his fourth album as Childish Gambino, 3.15.20.  It was surprising, because Donald’s best known for his rollouts. Because the Internet’s rollout was...
diamond geezer
Four Sunday morning markets Four Sunday morning markets Columbia Road Market Columbia Road anytime but only on Sunday mornings...
2 weeks ago
10
2 weeks ago
Four Sunday morning markets Columbia Road Market Columbia Road anytime but only on Sunday mornings does it become a mainstream magnet for millennials, the middle classes any anyone in need of maidenhair on their mantelpiece. It pays to arrive early because the action starts at...
Herbert Lui
“Football is life” This is the motto of Dani Rojas, a football player in the TV show Ted Lasso.  It usually comes out...
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
This is the motto of Dani Rojas, a football player in the TV show Ted Lasso.  It usually comes out when Dani gets to play football, because he feels really happy. He’ll run around kicking the ball, chanting, “Football is life!” One day, something bad happened to the team. The...
diamond geezer
Double Decker shrinkflation I do like a Double Decker, the Cadbury chocolate bar with a stripe of nougat atop a crispy base....
2 weeks ago
6
2 weeks ago
I do like a Double Decker, the Cadbury chocolate bar with a stripe of nougat atop a crispy base. I've liked them ever since they were introduced in 1976, perhaps unsurprisingly given I was an 11 year-old boy who liked both chocolate and buses. If you're feeing nostalgic here's a...
Herbert Lui
20 lessons from 2 years in NYC On one of my first trips to New York City, I visited the NoMad library. It made me feel drunk on...
2 weeks ago
9
2 weeks ago
On one of my first trips to New York City, I visited the NoMad library. It made me feel drunk on interior design. I quickly developed an affection for the Big Apple, visiting several more times in my 20s. Each trip brought with it a moment of equal delirium. A couple of years...
diamond geezer
The 100 comments challenge The 100 comments challenge Can we get 100 comments on today's post, which is full of burning issues...
2 weeks ago
8
2 weeks ago
The 100 comments challenge Can we get 100 comments on today's post, which is full of burning issues from my immediate locality? My local Dry Cleaners is closing on 1st April a small unit beside the barbers. Alas a sign in the window says they're closing down from 1st April...
AFAR Media - Travel...
10 of California’s Best Wellness and Self-Care Experiences
3 weeks ago
Herbert Lui
A strategy needs time A year ago, my friend Peter decided to position his agency to focus on CPG companies. While he and...
3 weeks ago
10
3 weeks ago
A year ago, my friend Peter decided to position his agency to focus on CPG companies. While he and his team weren’t sure if the strategy would work, they stuck with it through trying times. Their effort and commitment amidst uncertainty paid off, and they’re seeing more CPG...
diamond geezer
Tredegar Square 45 45 Squared 10) TREDEGAR SQUARE, E3 Borough of Tower Hamlets, 90m×80m * masterpiece, a quadrangle...
3 weeks ago
8
3 weeks ago
45 45 Squared 10) TREDEGAR SQUARE, E3 Borough of Tower Hamlets, 90m×80m * masterpiece, a quadrangle of unbroken terraces with a fine garden in the centre. You expect this kind of thing in Bloomsbury or Kensington but not tucked off the Mile End Road behind a wall of council...
AFAR Media - Travel...
The Ultimate Southern California Road Trip Guide
3 weeks ago
Herbert Lui
More responsibility, more failure In the 2010s, Amazon launched a phone. It was a spectacular failure. When a journalist asked CEO...
3 weeks ago
10
3 weeks ago
In the 2010s, Amazon launched a phone. It was a spectacular failure. When a journalist asked CEO Jeff Bezos about it, Jeff replied, “If you think that’s a big failure, we’re working on much bigger failures right now — and I am not kidding. Some of them are going to make the Fire...
diamond geezer
Hopper fares The Hopper fare was introduced in September 2016, allowing bus and tram passengers to take one extra...
3 weeks ago
10
3 weeks ago
The Hopper fare was introduced in September 2016, allowing bus and tram passengers to take one extra journey for free within 60 minutes of tapping in. Two years later it was extended to allow unlimited journeys within an hour, saving Londoners even more money and enabling some...
AFAR Media - Travel...
What to See and Do in California on Your First Visit
3 weeks ago
Herbert Lui
AI as an answer key One of the first things I learned in high school was that my math textbook had an answer key at the...
3 weeks ago
10
3 weeks ago
One of the first things I learned in high school was that my math textbook had an answer key at the back.  Which was weird. My impulse was I could shortcut my homework simply by writing the answer key down on a piece of paper. Of course, the teacher required us to show our work...
diamond geezer
Upper East Bromley-by-Bow has a new tower block and unusually it's not along the A12 or the River Lea, it's in...
3 weeks ago
9
3 weeks ago
Bromley-by-Bow has a new tower block and unusually it's not along the A12 or the River Lea, it's in the historic part. It replaces a drab council block which the local housing association was keen to wipe away, and rightly so, as part of a long-term project to replace Stroudley...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Where to Find the Best Restaurants in Minnesota Right Now
3 weeks ago
Herbert Lui
Notes on fragmented sleep I’m really good at waking up. I’m so good at waking up, in fact, that occasionally I wake up two...
3 weeks ago
10
3 weeks ago
I’m really good at waking up. I’m so good at waking up, in fact, that occasionally I wake up two hours too early. I used to find it difficult to fall back asleep. When I asked a doctor about this, they told me it was called “fragmented sleep” and there wasn’t that much they could...
diamond geezer
Birthday round-up A selection of thoughts from Sunday 1) I only received 5 birthday cards this year, most of them...
3 weeks ago
11
3 weeks ago
A selection of thoughts from Sunday 1) I only received 5 birthday cards this year, most of them from people who remember me being born in 1965 (dgD, dGA3, dgDBM). Pictured are some of the 43 cards I received when I was born, all of a very 1960s aesthetic. Number of birthday...
Herbert Lui
Convenience, growth, commitment, and sacredness When a theater shows a movie, it’s not convenient. You need to buy a relatively expensive ticket....
3 weeks ago
9
3 weeks ago
When a theater shows a movie, it’s not convenient. You need to buy a relatively expensive ticket. You need to arrive on time. You can’t pause it. There will be a day the theater stops showing it. Movie theaters are not growing—they are in decline. Movie theaters make you do...
diamond geezer
Unblogged March 1965 Unblogged things I did in March 1965 I wasn't around at the start of March 1965, I was lurking...
3 weeks ago
10
3 weeks ago
Unblogged things I did in March 1965 I wasn't around at the start of March 1965, I was lurking embryonically ready to make a grand appearance. Even when I did emerge I had no linguistic ability, no long-term memory nor any recognition of what on earth was going on, plus there...
Herbert Lui
Limitations of causal reasoning A few days ago, I wrote about causal and effectual reasoning. You’ll be familiar with these two...
3 weeks ago
11
3 weeks ago
A few days ago, I wrote about causal and effectual reasoning. You’ll be familiar with these two paths—but having words to describe them really helps.  “When you think with causal reasoning, you focus on what you want to do—the desired end goal, or the destination—and then work...
diamond geezer
60 I have somehow reached the age of 60 and I'm not sure how I feel about that. 60 is a milestone...
3 weeks ago
12
3 weeks ago
I have somehow reached the age of 60 and I'm not sure how I feel about that. 60 is a milestone age and a proper one for once. 50 was fine, 50 was just a half-century, it didn't mean anything. 40 was merely a number to make the middle-aged feel uncomfortable, nothing tangible...
Herbert Lui
Keep the back up plan a back up plan The future is unpredictable. It’s always great to have an option, maybe two, in case things don’t go...
3 weeks ago
12
3 weeks ago
The future is unpredictable. It’s always great to have an option, maybe two, in case things don’t go according to plan. That’s why you’d want to have a backup plan. In my freshman year in university, I made a backup plan that took too much of my energy. According to my plan, I...
diamond geezer
The Mousetrap The Mousetrap is the play that refuses to die. It's also an iconic part of London's cultural...
3 weeks ago
12
3 weeks ago
The Mousetrap is the play that refuses to die. It's also an iconic part of London's cultural life, if not for critical acclaim then for sheer persistence, having reliably entertained West End audiences for over 70 years. So when London Theatre Week recently offered cut-price...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Dallas' Best Michelin-Approved Restaurants by Neighborhood
4 weeks ago
Herbert Lui
Causal and effectual reasoning What makes a person entrepreneurial? Professor Saras D. Sarasvathy believes the distinguishing...
4 weeks ago
13
4 weeks ago
What makes a person entrepreneurial? Professor Saras D. Sarasvathy believes the distinguishing factor is in the reasoning process. She identifies two types of reasoning: When you think with causal reasoning, you focus on what you want to do—the desired end goal, or the...
diamond geezer
Five-in-one Five questions for the price of one What does the bottom of the Thames look like? You can't see...
4 weeks ago
12
4 weeks ago
Five questions for the price of one What does the bottom of the Thames look like? You can't see normally the bottom of a tidal river because it's covered by a huge amount of water. But at low tides some of the bed appears, at spring tides more appears and at spring tides near...
AFAR Media - Travel...
7 Top Michelin-Approved Restaurants in Dallas
4 weeks ago
Herbert Lui
Don’t let batch processing get in the way of building momentum One of the earliest pieces of productivity advice I came across was the concept of grouping similar...
4 weeks ago
13
4 weeks ago
One of the earliest pieces of productivity advice I came across was the concept of grouping similar tasks together, and doing it all in one go. This is known as “batch processing.” For example, if you’re going to read and respond to your emails, don’t do them one at a time...
diamond geezer
Four-in-one Four questions for the price of one How did this Prius end up in Clapton Pond? It smashed...
4 weeks ago
13
4 weeks ago
Four questions for the price of one How did this Prius end up in Clapton Pond? It smashed through the railings, obviously, as you'd likely be able to guess even if you hadn't seen the large gap in the fence and the missing hedge. It must have failed to stop at the lights on...
AFAR Media - Travel...
6 Must-See Events in Dallas This Spring and Summer
a month ago
Herbert Lui
Character, habits, systems, and freedom An author speculates that GLP-1 drugs will curb a lot of people’s impulses. This could potentially...
a month ago
12
a month ago
An author speculates that GLP-1 drugs will curb a lot of people’s impulses. This could potentially help a lot of people make better—less impulsive—decisions. In this speculation, one concern will be a division of advantage: the people who can afford the impulse control drugs...
diamond geezer
London's largest square What's London's largest square? covered that. I reckon it's this. And you're right, it's not...
a month ago
13
a month ago
What's London's largest square? covered that. I reckon it's this. And you're right, it's not really the largest square you can fit inside Greater London, only the largest where the sides run north/south and east/west. Twist your square and you can do a lot better. We can...
Herbert Lui
Three conditions to just do stuff (and minimize overthinking) If you have fun writing something, the reader will have fun reading it. You’ve given your work the...
a month ago
12
a month ago
If you have fun writing something, the reader will have fun reading it. You’ve given your work the right energy.  Building on this observation, Cassidy Williams notes that sometimes she wants her work to be strategic, or clear and thorough. She writes, “I think a lot of that...
diamond geezer
Compressor Square 45 45 Squared 9) COMPRESSOR SQUARE, E16 Borough of Newham, 50m×30m National Street Gazetteer so it...
a month ago
11
a month ago
45 45 Squared 9) COMPRESSOR SQUARE, E16 Borough of Newham, 50m×30m National Street Gazetteer so it officially exists. Locationwise it's in the Royal Docks immediately adjacent to Royal Albert station, which is renowned as the DLR station furthest away from anyone's home. But had...
Herbert Lui
Slow is smooth and smooth is fast In the industrial era, the people that did more stuff—faster—added more value to the world....
a month ago
13
a month ago
In the industrial era, the people that did more stuff—faster—added more value to the world. Efficiency was the buzzword. That’s no longer the case. Now, slow is smooth, and smooth is fast. We are already bumping up on the limits of how fast we can do our work—and we will never...
diamond geezer
Three-in-one Three questions for the price of one Are repairs underway at Bow Road's gentlemen's...
a month ago
13
a month ago
Three questions for the price of one Are repairs underway at Bow Road's gentlemen's conveniences? Gents is the most prominent, surrounded at street level by a crescent of decorative iron railings and formerly accessed down two curved stairwells behind further ornate gates....
Herbert Lui
On writing with AI vs. writing with people AI is, very clearly, disrupting writing and editing. (I’ve kept an eye on it since 2021! Back then,...
a month ago
12
a month ago
AI is, very clearly, disrupting writing and editing. (I’ve kept an eye on it since 2021! Back then, you’d be forgiven for mixing up GPT-3 with C-P30.) I’ve recently come across more work from writers declaring that they’re turning more to AI solutions to be researchers, thought...
diamond geezer
Ode to an Annual Travelcard Ode to an Annual Travelcard I bought my first Annual Travelcard in 2001 when I moved to London....
a month ago
11
a month ago
Ode to an Annual Travelcard I bought my first Annual Travelcard in 2001 when I moved to London. This is the easiest and cheapest way to commute without faffing at ticket machines every day, I thought, and I was right. That first Annual Travelcard cost me £896, i.e. the...
Herbert Lui
How wanting something less freed me up to do more While it’s good to be passionate about your work, an overwhelming ambition—bordering on a need—to...
a month ago
15
a month ago
While it’s good to be passionate about your work, an overwhelming ambition—bordering on a need—to achieve or have something, sometimes actually gets in the way. I learned this the hard way.  I spent most of my 20s wanting to be a bestselling author—recognized by traditional...
diamond geezer
TfL FoI requests in February 2025 20 things we learnt from TfL FoI requests in February 2025 1) The oldest bus in service in London...
a month ago
10
a month ago
20 things we learnt from TfL FoI requests in February 2025 1) The oldest bus in service in London is the Uno 605, a vehicle introduced in 2007 and currently in use on route 383. However, this vehicle is due to be withdrawn from the fleet shortly. 2) On average TfL's income from...
Herbert Lui
Some people have it, some people don’t? A few years ago, I wrote that writing is thinking. You are better off writing to think, not trying...
a month ago
13
a month ago
A few years ago, I wrote that writing is thinking. You are better off writing to think, not trying to think before you write. “But some people are just better at it,” Ant K writes in a comment (which Karolis recently agreed with). He compared his work with another author he held...
diamond geezer
Count 2025 During February 2003 on diamond geezer I kept myself busy by counting things. Ten different counts,...
a month ago
14
a month ago
During February 2003 on diamond geezer I kept myself busy by counting things. Ten different counts, to be precise, in a none-too thrilling daily feature called The Count. My 28-day tally chart may have been deathly dull to the rest of you, but I've continued to count those...
Herbert Lui
AI can help spot the difference I tried a new AI prompt for editing a couple of work-related documents—an email and a blog post—that...
a month ago
13
a month ago
I tried a new AI prompt for editing a couple of work-related documents—an email and a blog post—that my team plans on publishing. The prompt was a version of this: “Can you please edit this following draft for polish and tighten up each sentence one at a time?”  The result was a...
diamond geezer
Unblogged February 28 unblogged things I did in February Sat 1: London Estates: Modernist Council Housing 1946–1981 is...
a month ago
12
a month ago
28 unblogged things I did in February Sat 1: London Estates: Modernist Council Housing 1946–1981 is an absolutely gorgeous book, assuming you like full-colour photos of postwar flats from over 250 estates across London. I don't know how Thaddeus has managed to collect so many...
AFAR Media - Travel...
How to See the Best of Curaçao in 3 Days
a month ago
Herbert Lui
Discovering the work that needs to be made I’m finally making good progress on the second draft of my next book. It feels good enough to...
a month ago
14
a month ago
I’m finally making good progress on the second draft of my next book. It feels good enough to actually discuss—and much less fragile than the first draft. To be precise, it actually feels more like the first draft of the book that it was actually meant to be. “Every block of...
diamond geezer
Bow Roundabout update #17 The major roadworks at the Bow Roundabout are reaching their peak. It's resurfacing week which means...
a month ago
14
a month ago
The major roadworks at the Bow Roundabout are reaching their peak. It's resurfacing week which means the roundabout has been descended upon by a huge hi-vis army of drivers, operatives, technicians, contractors, stewards and supervisors keen to get the job done as quickly as...
Herbert Lui
Building a body of work on self-acceptance Generosity is at the heart of all creative work. It’s about giving.  You can’t give what you don’t...
a month ago
13
a month ago
Generosity is at the heart of all creative work. It’s about giving.  You can’t give what you don’t have. And if you don’t accept yourself, you can’t give much of yourself either.  “Abs are made in the kitchen, championships are won on the training ground, and a sustainable body...
diamond geezer
Hartlepool Gadabout: HARTLEPOOL Hartlepool is a port town in County Durham, eight miles up the coast from...
a month ago
12
a month ago
Gadabout: HARTLEPOOL Hartlepool is a port town in County Durham, eight miles up the coast from Middlesbrough. Technically it's two towns, the extremely old one on the headland and the Victorian industrial new town across the docks, but since 1967 they've been administratively...
Herbert Lui
Hangry Hangry is an emotional state of being hungry and feeling angry. If I don’t eat, I get hangry. The...
a month ago
15
a month ago
Hangry is an emotional state of being hungry and feeling angry. If I don’t eat, I get hangry. The longer I go, the hangrier I get. When I travelled with my friends, they would crack jokes as they reminded me to pack a snack bar.  I used to get really upset with myself for feeling...
diamond geezer
Sunderland Gadabout: SUNDERLAND Sunderland is the second largest settlement in North East England, just behind...
a month ago
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a month ago
Gadabout: SUNDERLAND Sunderland is the second largest settlement in North East England, just behind Newcastle (which is a tad to the north). It's on the North Sea coast 240 miles from London, pretty much due east of Carlisle. It sits at the mouth of the river Wear and was once...
Spoon & Tamago
Kei Endo Measures the World Around Her Through Detailed Survey Drawings Kei Endo is an accomplished architect and draughtswoman who got her start by merging her hobbies of...
a month ago
19
a month ago
Kei Endo is an accomplished architect and draughtswoman who got her start by merging her hobbies of travelling and art: she began sharing her detailed, architectural survey drawings of the hotel rooms she stayed at. This wonderful side-hustle eventually blossomed into a career....
Herbert Lui
Find an idea that’s easy to pick up and put down One thing that made writing really frustrating for me early on was trying to complete a draft of an...
a month ago
12
a month ago
One thing that made writing really frustrating for me early on was trying to complete a draft of an idea that I clearly didn’t have enough time to express. For example, there are many days when I have 15 minutes—maybe five!—to write. If I was still “stuck” in the middle of a...
diamond geezer
60+ London Oyster Photocard A quick guide to the 60+ London Oyster Photocard *) * permitted 9.00-9.29am Essentially you can...
a month ago
14
a month ago
A quick guide to the 60+ London Oyster Photocard *) * permitted 9.00-9.29am Essentially you can travel free to any station within Greater London n.b. with a Freedom Pass, issued after the age of 66, you can additionally travel on the Elizabeth line to Reading Three press...
Herbert Lui
This is the perfect time Image by Austin Chan If you’re reading this, you’re thinking, “I’m too late,” or “Other people are...
a month ago
15
a month ago
Image by Austin Chan If you’re reading this, you’re thinking, “I’m too late,” or “Other people are so much better at this than me,” or, “Why bother?”  You’re probably feeling defeated, depressed, and a special kind of self-loathing that comes with awareness. You know that you...
diamond geezer
Long range weather forecasting I'm off on a long-distance trip today, one I bought a ticket for several weeks ago. I have thus...
a month ago
15
a month ago
I'm off on a long-distance trip today, one I bought a ticket for several weeks ago. I have thus become very invested in what today's weather might be because a miserable outlook can wreck a good day out. My visit to Durham in 2015 was destroyed by heavy rain all day, my 2024 trip...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Where to Go for Adventure and Relaxation in Lake Tahoe
a month ago
Herbert Lui
Why applying to 100+ jobs doesn’t work When I was entering the job market in early 2023, I caught up with my friend Fadeke. She had just...
a month ago
17
a month ago
When I was entering the job market in early 2023, I caught up with my friend Fadeke. She had just started a really good job at DigitalOcean. She shared her process with me, and let me know that she did fewer than 20 job applications. This quantity was a really helpful anchor for...
diamond geezer
The supermarket cafe When writing about dining out, the media tend to focus on restaurants, independent cafes and bijou...
a month ago
17
a month ago
When writing about dining out, the media tend to focus on restaurants, independent cafes and bijou little nooks, also pubs, hotels and takeaways. But there's one place you're always guaranteed a hot meal at a bargain price and that's a supermarket cafe, the unsung destination of...
Herbert Lui
Creative energy: Generative mode vs. explosive mode When I told a good friend of mine I wrote a blog every day while I worked a full-time job, they...
a month ago
15
a month ago
When I told a good friend of mine I wrote a blog every day while I worked a full-time job, they responded, “I don’t know how you find the energy.” I actually generate energy from writing the blog every day, I tried to explain. If I didn’t write the blog every day, I would have...
diamond geezer
Silvertown Tunnel booklet maps As an East London resident I've received a 20-page booklet through my letterbox about the opening of...
a month ago
21
a month ago
As an East London resident I've received a 20-page booklet through my letterbox about the opening of the Silvertown Tunnel in April. If you didn't get a booklet you can download one here. Eight pages are given over to information for drivers, which makes sense given most of...
Herbert Lui
Opportunistic vs. strategic If you’re doing things right, people will knock on your door with business opportunities. Every so...
a month ago
16
a month ago
If you’re doing things right, people will knock on your door with business opportunities. Every so often, one of these opportunities will catch your attention. While you already have a strategy—a path you’d outlined to get where you wanted to go, and a list of things you decided...
diamond geezer
The Queen Vic On EastEnders' 40th birthday, let's go in search of the soap's iconic pub. London has only one...
a month ago
20
a month ago
On EastEnders' 40th birthday, let's go in search of the soap's iconic pub. London has only one remaining Queen Victoria pub, as far as I can tell, but remnants of several pubs of that name survive. The Queen Victoria, 148 Southwark Park Road, Bermondsey SE16 3RP corner pub from...
Herbert Lui
Reconsider your definitions One of my clients was a co-founder of a company that had raised $60 million in funding before they...
a month ago
16
a month ago
One of my clients was a co-founder of a company that had raised $60 million in funding before they signed on my editorial studio to work with them. We met to discuss the project, and it went well—they liked the strategy and were ready to kick off.  Towards the end of the meeting,...
diamond geezer
25 dull lists 25 dull lists One stop short of Barking: Upney, East Ham, West Ham, Upminster, Woodgrange Park,...
a month ago
13
a month ago
25 dull lists One stop short of Barking: Upney, East Ham, West Ham, Upminster, Woodgrange Park, Barking Riverside, Stratford Current Walkers crisp flavours: ready salted, cheese & onion, salt & vinegar, prawn cocktail, roast chicken, smoky bacon, tomato ketchup, pickled onion,...
Cheese and Biscuits
The Sun Inn, Felmersham If it's true that some of the country's most exciting and dynamic country gastropubs are the product...
a month ago
21
a month ago
If it's true that some of the country's most exciting and dynamic country gastropubs are the product of their surroundings - the lush farmlands and rivers of Bowland that supply the Parker's Arms, for example, the or the orchards, woodlands and fields of wild game that provide...
Herbert Lui
To minimize overthinking, set and adhere to a time constraint Doechii made her mixtape, Alligator Bites Never Heal, in a month. She says, “If I sit with art for...
a month ago
17
a month ago
Doechii made her mixtape, Alligator Bites Never Heal, in a month. She says, “If I sit with art for too long, I start to overthink. Then you start over editing. Suddenly you can find yourself with a completely different picture. That’s why I set a hard time limit. I told myself:...
diamond geezer
Route 414 RIP London's next dead bus 414: Putney Bridge to Marble Arch Location: southwest London, inner Length of...
a month ago
16
a month ago
London's next dead bus 414: Putney Bridge to Marble Arch Location: southwest London, inner Length of journey: 5 miles, 35 minutes 347 and 118 have already been extinguished and at the end of this week it's time for the 414 to join them at the big terminus in the sky. It does...
Herbert Lui
Leaders trust people, not AI, to be accountable You trust a person to deliver on a promise because they’re incentivized to. If somebody doesn’t do...
a month ago
15
a month ago
You trust a person to deliver on a promise because they’re incentivized to. If somebody doesn’t do their job, they risk losing their income. If they lose their income, they will feel pain. The incentive creates accountability. AI doesn’t feel this pain (yet?). While they’re...
diamond geezer
Archived LT staff magazines TfL maintains a sizeable archive of historical documentation within its Corporate Archives, a...
a month ago
16
a month ago
TfL maintains a sizeable archive of historical documentation within its Corporate Archives, a grouping responsible for safeguarding the corporate memory of Transport for London and its predecessor companies. A small but substantial proportion of this archive has been uploaded to...
Spoon & Tamago
Furisode Snowboarder Sumire Morino Creates Urushi Snowboarding Gear for Graduating Thesis Hailing from rural Aomori in northern Japan, Sumire Morino grew up skiing and snowboarding. She is...
a month ago
13
a month ago
Hailing from rural Aomori in northern Japan, Sumire Morino grew up skiing and snowboarding. She is currently in art school studying traditional Japanese crafts. And so when Morino turned twenty, 2 years ago, she celebrated coming-of-age-day the only way she knew how: hitting the...
Herbert Lui
Free lunches Early in my life, I learned the motto, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” The implied lesson...
a month ago
16
a month ago
Early in my life, I learned the motto, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” The implied lesson is to be careful around somebody offering you something for free—because there’s usually a hidden cost. They must have something to gain from it, and that’s why they’re giving it to...
diamond geezer
Greenwich Park Geotrail A Nice Walk: Greenwich Park Geotrail (3 miles) Sometimes you just want to go for a nice walk,...
a month ago
15
a month ago
A Nice Walk: Greenwich Park Geotrail (3 miles) Sometimes you just want to go for a nice walk, nothing too taxing, a bit of a stroll, easily accessible, dry underfoot, intermittently up and down, World Heritage Site, spans both hemispheres, occasional telescopes, geology-focused,...
Herbert Lui
If you’re embarrassed by your early work, that means you did it right Anybody who does anything worth doing knows how difficult it is to get through the early work. ...
a month ago
23
a month ago
Anybody who does anything worth doing knows how difficult it is to get through the early work.  While you have great taste, your skills aren’t at the level you need to match it yet—so you make work that falls short of your vision. It feels mildly embarrassing at the time, but as...
Cheese and Biscuits
Koyal, Surbiton I rarely make any journey without the promise of a nice meal. This applies to short breaks,...
a month ago
19
a month ago
I rarely make any journey without the promise of a nice meal. This applies to short breaks, long-haul holidays and day trips alike - I have no interest in beaches, ski slopes, cruise ships or campsites, and although I'm very partial to a long walk in the countryside when the...
diamond geezer
200 Valentine's Day ideas ❤️ 200 Valentine's Day ideas Toblerone in box with appropriate slogan, round the world cruise,...
a month ago
17
a month ago
❤️ 200 Valentine's Day ideas Toblerone in box with appropriate slogan, round the world cruise, eggy soldiers for breakfast, pack of ribbed condoms, romantic message spelt out in plastic letters stuck to fridge, blue Slush Puppie, evening in pub that's not showing Sky Sports,...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Virginia Beach Travel Tips From Fishing Pro Jim Root
a month ago
Herbert Lui
You won’t think your way out of overthinking Overthinking—making and updating plans, gathering information, talking to people—is only useful for...
a month ago
17
a month ago
Overthinking—making and updating plans, gathering information, talking to people—is only useful for protecting you from the pain of reality and the hard work it takes to learn.  It is not useful if you actually want to achieve your goal. What is useful is doing. Because you’ve...
diamond geezer
N15 N16 N17 walkabout Yesterday I took BestMate for a five mile walk across N16, N15 and N17 because he'd never explored...
a month ago
16
a month ago
Yesterday I took BestMate for a five mile walk across N16, N15 and N17 because he'd never explored the Stamford Hill/Tottenham hinterland before. The route's not important, nor am I suggesting you do the same, merely pointing out that a good walk across the suburbs often throws...
Herbert Lui
Who you are vs. how you appear I recently came across The Luddite Club co-founder Logan Lane’s speech at MoMA R&D Salon 48...
a month ago
16
a month ago
I recently came across The Luddite Club co-founder Logan Lane’s speech at MoMA R&D Salon 48 entitled, “No More Likes” (via Alex Vadukul). Her closing message really resonated with me: There’s a certain vulnerability unique to younger generations, having grown up digital natives....
diamond geezer
Let's ride all the tube stock There are seven distinct rolling stocks on the London Underground, ranging from fairly new to...
a month ago
16
a month ago
There are seven distinct rolling stocks on the London Underground, ranging from fairly new to creakingly old. My challenge today is to ride all seven of them as quickly as possible. For extra challenge, can I do it and return to where I started, and for extra challenge, can I...
Herbert Lui
When you make a new option, you make the world better Drake is, by far, the best-selling artist in hip-hop and rap in the past decade. But there’s plenty...
a month ago
14
a month ago
Drake is, by far, the best-selling artist in hip-hop and rap in the past decade. But there’s plenty of space for everyone else. The world is better with other people’s art—Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino, Tyler, the Creator.  The best part is all of those artists lean into being...
Cheese and Biscuits
Lita, Marylebone The food at Lita is very nice. I'm saying that up front because I worry that the list of things I...
a month ago
19
a month ago
The food at Lita is very nice. I'm saying that up front because I worry that the list of things I didn't like about the place threatens to overwhelm the main message which should be that, despite everything, the food is very nice. And maybe if you went to Lita yourself, and you...
diamond geezer
Cygnet Square / Shakespeare Square 45 45 Squared 6) CYGNET SQUARE, SE2 Borough of Bexley, 75m×60m Tavy Bridge, a broad concrete walkway...
a month ago
15
a month ago
45 45 Squared 6) CYGNET SQUARE, SE2 Borough of Bexley, 75m×60m Tavy Bridge, a broad concrete walkway leading from acres of concrete housing to the banks of Southmere lake past an elevated parade of shops boasting a butchers and a VG supermarket. Initially it looked fabulously...
Herbert Lui
Practice being bored When was the last time you were the only person in the room not using your phone? You’re not as busy...
a month ago
15
a month ago
When was the last time you were the only person in the room not using your phone? You’re not as busy as you think. If you feel busy, it’s because you’re running away from feeling bored. While boredom feels really bad at first, it comes with a lot of benefits. For starters, it...
diamond geezer
O purple train O purple train (a poem on the occasion of the Elizabeth line's 1000th day) O purple train,...
a month ago
18
a month ago
O purple train (a poem on the occasion of the Elizabeth line's 1000th day) O purple train, Boris's toadying tribute, No service between Paddington and Heathrow/Reading due to late finish of engineering works, London Underground will accept tickets, no service between...
Herbert Lui
Three quotes on routine living Living a heavily structured life, always by the rules, also drains it of vitality. “Consistency is...
a month ago
18
a month ago
Living a heavily structured life, always by the rules, also drains it of vitality. “Consistency is contrary to nature, contrary to life. The only completely consistent people are the dead,” Aldous Huxley writes.  That’s part of the drawbacks of relying too heavily on habits; the...
diamond geezer
Chatty Cabins Over the years I've blogged about numerous contrived campaigns to encourage usage of the Dangleway,...
a month ago
12
a month ago
Over the years I've blogged about numerous contrived campaigns to encourage usage of the Dangleway, including the Valentine's Experience, The Snowman and the Snowdog, Sky High Dining, the Lady Penelope Afternoon Tea, the Teddy Workshop and the Spooky Scavenger Hunt. Now it's...
Herbert Lui
Skateboarding as an infinite game For over 2,000 years, people survived without skateboarding. That changed sometime in the late...
a month ago
15
a month ago
For over 2,000 years, people survived without skateboarding. That changed sometime in the late 1940s—perhaps the early 1950s—when a group of surfers decided to attach wheels onto their wooden boards.  Since then, skateboarding has become a way of life. People risk life and limb...
diamond geezer
Sadler's Wells East The cultural line-up on the East Bank continues to expand. UAL opened their College of Fashion...
a month ago
10
a month ago
The cultural line-up on the East Bank continues to expand. UAL opened their College of Fashion in September 2023, bringing uniquely-dressed students to the flanks of the Olympic Park in great numbers. Now this week Sadler's Wells East has opened its doors, a brand new...
Herbert Lui
Document the moment A few days ago, I tried explaining why blogging was great precisely because it reached a smaller...
a month ago
14
a month ago
A few days ago, I tried explaining why blogging was great precisely because it reached a smaller audience than social media.  The smallest audience is one—and that’s you.  Skateboarders bring a video camera to document the moment. They’ve done this since way before social media,...
diamond geezer
We Can Be Arsed To Print That It Seems You know what TfL's We Can't Be Arsed To Print That Any More department has started printing...
a month ago
11
a month ago
You know what TfL's We Can't Be Arsed To Print That Any More department has started printing again? They started omitting them recently on station posters, instead exhorting passengers to scan a QR code and use the TfL website instead. They also suggested using the TfL Go app...
Herbert Lui
Golden Generation Growing up, I didn’t know many people who did creative work. While I was very enthusiastic about...
a month ago
11
a month ago
Growing up, I didn’t know many people who did creative work. While I was very enthusiastic about writing and art, the possibility that a person was paid to make that work happen didn’t even cross my mind—let alone the fact that a person like me could do it. But even if I knew,...
diamond geezer
Accursed passports Yesterday was the accursed day when I renewed my passport. Accursed because it's not expired but I...
a month ago
12
a month ago
Yesterday was the accursed day when I renewed my passport. Accursed because it's not expired but I can't use it. It used to be the case that they gave you a couple of extra months so my current passport officially still has five weeks to go. I remember thinking when I got it...
Herbert Lui
You vs. the parasite I did bookkeeping for my first year of business. One year was enough for me. It was boring and very...
a month ago
14
a month ago
I did bookkeeping for my first year of business. One year was enough for me. It was boring and very spreadsheet–heavy, and I knew I never wanted to do it again. So I did what I thought savvy entrepreneurs called “delegating.” I hired a bookkeeping and accounting firm to do it for...
diamond geezer
London Wetland Centre I'm a firm believer that if you wait long enough a lot of expensive places can eventually be visited...
a month ago
10
a month ago
I'm a firm believer that if you wait long enough a lot of expensive places can eventually be visited for free. So it is with the London Wetland Centre, indeed all WWT reserves, which are offering free entry this week to celebrate World Wetlands Day. I last visited in 2006 when...
Herbert Lui
To know vs. to do The team at Basecamp recently did a six-week sprint to improve the product’s onboarding flow. They...
a month ago
15
a month ago
The team at Basecamp recently did a six-week sprint to improve the product’s onboarding flow. They did a bunch of stuff and shipped it. The result was a 30% increase in conversion rate.  “What happened?!” you might ask them. “How? What’s the best practice?”  They don’t know. They...
Cheese and Biscuits
Holy Carrot, Notting Hill I don't know about you, but the concept of a 'vegetarian restaurant' brings to mind a certain set of...
a month ago
16
a month ago
I don't know about you, but the concept of a 'vegetarian restaurant' brings to mind a certain set of expectations, not all of them good. I suppose it's because traditionally, vegetarian food has been, at best, just 'normal' restaurant food with the meat either taken out, or...
diamond geezer
Central Square 45 45 Squared 5) CENTRAL SQUARE, NW11 Borough of Barnet, 180m×100m Hampstead Garden Suburb, one of...
a month ago
10
a month ago
45 45 Squared 5) CENTRAL SQUARE, NW11 Borough of Barnet, 180m×100m Hampstead Garden Suburb, one of London's finest suburbs, which isn't actually in Hampstead. Head north to Golders Green and a tad north more, stopping just before you hit the A1. Here are 250 acres of much coveted...
Herbert Lui
“Never do nothing” It was earlier in his life, perhaps when he worked in finance, that Dave Spitz picked up a belief: ...
2 months ago
13
2 months ago
It was earlier in his life, perhaps when he worked in finance, that Dave Spitz picked up a belief:  “If you do everything on your to-do list, you’re succeeding. If you don’t, you’re failing.” Dave quit finance and eventually started California Strength, a training facility for...
diamond geezer
SimplyFresh E3 Hyperlocal update: New supermarket comes to E3 SimplyFresh, specifically to Bromley-by-Bow. Which...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
Hyperlocal update: New supermarket comes to E3 SimplyFresh, specifically to Bromley-by-Bow. Which is extraordinary. dual carriageway and think "this is a bit bleak", and the adjacent streets wouldn't have changed your mind. But today a fringe of highrise flats is gradually...
Herbert Lui
One chance Dan Sullivan is a coach for entrepreneurs. He asks every prospective client a question, “If we were...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
Dan Sullivan is a coach for entrepreneurs. He asks every prospective client a question, “If we were having this discussion three years from today, and you were looking back over those three years, what has to have happened in your life, both personally and professionally, for you...
Spoon & Tamago
Contemporary Nihonga Images of Hamsters Created by Otama-shimai all images by Otama-shimai | used with permission The Japanese artist who goes by the name...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
all images by Otama-shimai | used with permission The Japanese artist who goes by the name Otama-shimai creates Nihonga-style images almost exclusively of hamsters. Nihonga is a Japanese style of painting coined in the mid-1800s to differentiate it from its Western counterpart....
diamond geezer
Year of the Snake Head to Chinatown or Trafalgar Square today and you can celebrate Chinese New Year with dancing,...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
Head to Chinatown or Trafalgar Square today and you can celebrate Chinese New Year with dancing, culture and cuisine courtesy of the London Chinatown Chinese Association and the Mayor of London. That's because the new moon on 29th January triggered the Year of the Snake (蛇), a...
Herbert Lui
What’s the point? “What’s the point in planning, if it could all end at any time?” Dustin Gorton survived the...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
“What’s the point in planning, if it could all end at any time?” Dustin Gorton survived the Columbine massacre at age 18. He learned how fleeting life can be that day. A blog attributes a powerful reflection to him, penned when he turned 36. It reads, “I came away with the...
diamond geezer
BL1 It's time to extend the Superloop, on this occasion with a rail replacement bus. Welcome to the...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
It's time to extend the Superloop, on this occasion with a rail replacement bus. Welcome to the Bakerloop, an express route shadowing the unbuilt Bakerloo line extension. brown double deckers between Waterloo and Lewisham, essentially only stopping at places with a Bakerloo...
Spoon & Tamago
Kamon Reinvented: Food-Inspired Family Crests by So Terada Japanese family crests, or kamon, are visual symbols that have represented family lineage and...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
Japanese family crests, or kamon, are visual symbols that have represented family lineage and identity sometimes for centuries. While they are often associated with tradition and cultural heritage, their meanings, usage, and significance can vary widely. Some kamon hold profound...
Herbert Lui
Blogging for smaller audiences and deeper connections Making good work requires making mistakes. It’s never a straight path to the final work. If a lot of...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
Making good work requires making mistakes. It’s never a straight path to the final work. If a lot of people see your creative work all the time, then it’ll be more difficult for you to make imperfect work.  You won’t have space to tinker and experiment so much. You won’t even...
diamond geezer
Unblogged January 31 unblogged things I did in January Wed 1: I spent New Year at home for a change watching the...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
31 unblogged things I did in January Wed 1: I spent New Year at home for a change watching the cheesy fireworks on TV. I can confirm that Big Ben bonged 15 seconds late on my television, such is digital delay, so millions of people celebrated the arrival of 2025 belatedly. Thu...
Herbert Lui
Three stories about emotional reactions 1. Anthony de Mello writes in Awareness: Imagine a patient who goes to a doctor and tells him what...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
1. Anthony de Mello writes in Awareness: Imagine a patient who goes to a doctor and tells him what he is suffering from. The doctor says, “Very well, I’ve understood your symptoms. Do you know what I will do? I will prescribe a medicine for your neighbor!” The patient replies,...
diamond geezer
Route 118 RIP London's next dead bus 118: Morden to Brixton Location: south London Length of journey: 9 miles, 55...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
London's next dead bus 118: Morden to Brixton Location: south London Length of journey: 9 miles, 55 minutes 118. The 118 runs from Morden to Brixton via Mitcham and Streatham and has been following a similar-ish route for decades. The 45 by contrast has been repeatedly...
Herbert Lui
Chipping away I used to drop everything to focus on a single project at a time. I would try to do all the tasks as...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
I used to drop everything to focus on a single project at a time. I would try to do all the tasks as soon as possible, in the hopes of getting it done and out of the way so I could relax.  For example, if I had an administrative project, I told myself I’d just […]
diamond geezer
We Can't Be Arsed To Print That Any More You know what TfL's We Can't Be Arsed To Print That Any More department is getting rid of...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
You know what TfL's We Can't Be Arsed To Print That Any More department is getting rid of now? Previously the timetable poster at Mile End station would have included details of the first and last trains from the station, information which can be very important if you're...
Herbert Lui
Good prose The lyrics from a good song will put your feelings into words better than you could have. That’s...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
The lyrics from a good song will put your feelings into words better than you could have. That’s really the songwriter’s only job. Similarly, the prose from a blog post, article, or book should put your feelings into words better than you could have as well. A good piece of prose...
diamond geezer
Mortgramit Square 45 45 Squared 4) MORTGRAMIT SQUARE, SE18 Borough of Greenwich, 130m Though much of central...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
45 45 Squared 4) MORTGRAMIT SQUARE, SE18 Borough of Greenwich, 130m Though much of central Woolwich has been redeveloped, a lot of the west end of the town centre remains relatively unloved. The far end of Powis Street is particularly desolate, including an outdoor car park, a...
Herbert Lui
Discouragement is a test When I was a teenager, I wanted to be a sports commentator. I enjoyed watching sports, and I liked...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
When I was a teenager, I wanted to be a sports commentator. I enjoyed watching sports, and I liked talking, so that sounded like a sweet job. My family gave me a hard reality check:  How many people were there on TV that looked like me? How often did such job opportunities open...
diamond geezer
Eastbourne to Bexhill Walking the England Coast Path Eastbourne → Bexhill (10 miles) England Coast Path is a massive...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
Walking the England Coast Path Eastbourne → Bexhill (10 miles) England Coast Path is a massive project to open up and waymark a right of way around the country, as yet incomplete. In most cases you could have walked it anyway but the signposts are a reassuring sight in areas...
Spoon & Tamago
“I saw, I cut, I applied.” Discover the Artwork of Ayako Miyawaki World War II ended in 1945. That same year, at the age of 40 and with a husband and 3 children,...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
World War II ended in 1945. That same year, at the age of 40 and with a husband and 3 children, Ayako Miyawaki would begin an artistic career so full of vitality and creative freedom that she would go on to produce hundreds of works made from rags and other textiles stitched...
Herbert Lui
Good Enough There are enough people who don’t like how software has evolved, don’t need all of the bells and...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
There are enough people who don’t like how software has evolved, don’t need all of the bells and whistles (and don’t want to pay for it), and remember how much simpler software used to be. It’s how I feel about the music app, Doppler. I don’t know the team at Good Enough, but it...
diamond geezer
My Saturday freneticism graph I made this graph to show how busy I was yesterday. 12-1am: In bed preparing to sleep [1] 1-4am:...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
I made this graph to show how busy I was yesterday. 12-1am: In bed preparing to sleep [1] 1-4am: zzzzz [0] 4-5am: No, no need to wake up yet [1] 5-7am: zzzzz [0] 7-8am: Ah there's the alarm, wash, dress, breakfast, pack rucksack [3] 8-9am: Ooh Thames Water are coning off Bus...
Herbert Lui
Teenage years, interfaces, and classic technology When I was a teenager, I spent hours trying to improve my computer’s interface. I can’t tell you how...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
When I was a teenager, I spent hours trying to improve my computer’s interface. I can’t tell you how many times I changed my Windows XP interface to try to look like a Mac.  When Windows Longhorn was out in beta, I spent many afternoons trying to get it to work too—even...
Cheese and Biscuits
Tarim Uyghur, Bloomsbury Quite often all you need to know about a restaurant is the smell that greets you as you walk through...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
Quite often all you need to know about a restaurant is the smell that greets you as you walk through the door. The smoke and fat of a busy ocakbaşı, The burned onions and masala spices that cling to your clothes after an evening at Tayyabs, the intoxicating mix of funky aged...
Herbert Lui
The natural game When Charles Duhigg attended his Harvard Business School class’s 15-year reunion, he was surprised...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
When Charles Duhigg attended his Harvard Business School class’s 15-year reunion, he was surprised to discover how many of his former classmates were miserable. One of them was earning over a million dollars a year, and said to him, “If you spend 12 hours a day doing work you...
Spoon & Tamago
The New Hiroshima Jimoto Collection is a Celebration of the Electric Railway Get ready to show your love for Hiroshima. Specifically, their Electric Railway. An integral part of...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
Get ready to show your love for Hiroshima. Specifically, their Electric Railway. An integral part of the city’s history and modern-day transportation, Hiroshima boasts the longest and most utilized streetcar network in Japan, operated by the Hiroshima Electric Railway Company and...
Herbert Lui
You vs. the package of you Personas are packages for people.  But of course, they’re not actually people. When you see someone...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
Personas are packages for people.  But of course, they’re not actually people. When you see someone with a crafted persona, you don’t actually know who that person actually is.  Sure—you know that they’re ambitious, chasing status, wealth, and power. You could say that they are...
Spoon & Tamago
Hermes Celebrates a Feast of Fruits with their Kaorumi Collection of Tableware Illustrated by Ryo... Japanese illustrator Ryo Takemasa (previously) has created a series of symmetrical fruit...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
Japanese illustrator Ryo Takemasa (previously) has created a series of symmetrical fruit illustrations in collaboration with Hermes, which adorn a new collection of tableware called Kaorumi, meaning the fragrance of fruits in Japanese. Working with a compass and ruler, Takemasa...
Herbert Lui
Meeting people with cold emails An extraordinary professional moment happened to me in a very ordinary finance class. Instead of...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
An extraordinary professional moment happened to me in a very ordinary finance class. Instead of paying attention to what the teacher was saying, I read an article in HBR and emailed the author asking for advice about how I could find my passion.  They graciously responded with...
Cheese and Biscuits
etch by Steven Edwards, Hove Hove is a very acceptable place to spend a day. I was last in the area when visiting the Urchin, a...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
Hove is a very acceptable place to spend a day. I was last in the area when visiting the Urchin, a seafood-specialist gastropub and microbrewery (I bet there aren't too many of them around) which made the (pretty easy actually) journey down from Battersea more than worth my...
Herbert Lui
A useful rule for relationships My friend James recently shared a simple, useful, perspective, “Assume that if you’re not the person...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
My friend James recently shared a simple, useful, perspective, “Assume that if you’re not the person reaching out to keep the relationship alive, it’ll die.” Useful for a variety of reasons: It puts you in the driver’s seat of your relationship. Don’t wait for a text from your...
Cheese and Biscuits
Vetch, Liverpool The best way of experiencing 90% of the fun and frolics of a top-end restaurant whilst shelling out...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
The best way of experiencing 90% of the fun and frolics of a top-end restaurant whilst shelling out less than 50% of the usual cost is to go for a weekday lunch or early bird menu. Some of the most exciting dining spots in the country have some remarkably reasonably priced...
Spoon & Tamago
The Daruma Leather Bag is the Perfect New Year Accessory Commonly associated with the new year, Daruma dolls are a type of wishing doll considered an...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
Commonly associated with the new year, Daruma dolls are a type of wishing doll considered an ornament but also a symbol of good fortune and the ultimate lucky charm. With its austere, rounded form, intense expression, and distinctive eyebrows, the Daruma doll was originally...
Herbert Lui
Rereading past work One of the best things about writing this blog is rereading the posts. Here are some I’ve found...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
One of the best things about writing this blog is rereading the posts. Here are some I’ve found myself reading again lately: On creative work: On going direct: The post Rereading past work appeared first on Herbert Lui.
Cheese and Biscuits
Vatavaran, Knightsbridge It was Trishna in Marlebone, all the way back in something like 2009, that opened many Londoners'...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
It was Trishna in Marlebone, all the way back in something like 2009, that opened many Londoners' eyes - not least my own - to the possibilities of modern Indian fine dining. Now, I'm sure Vivek Singh (Cinnamon Club, 2001), Sriram Aylur (Quilon, 1999) and Cyrus Todiwala (Café...
Spoon & Tamago
The Yakitorill is our Kitchen Appliance of 2025 Yakitori lovers take note. Grilling yakitori at home just got a lot easier thanks to the new...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
Yakitori lovers take note. Grilling yakitori at home just got a lot easier thanks to the new Yakitorill: a combination of the words yakitori and grill. This beautiful kitchen appliance, developed by Fukuoka-based firm Guardner, promises less smoke and an overall cleaner...
Herbert Lui
Who came before you? Sometimes, it helps to remember that you’re never alone. You are just one of the more recent people...
3 months ago
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3 months ago
Sometimes, it helps to remember that you’re never alone. You are just one of the more recent people in a long line of people that started before you, connected together by your craft. In Eat a Peach, David Chang notes the absurdity of working in a kitchen. Every chef goes through...
Spoon & Tamago
Japanese Designer New Year’s Cards of 2025 Happy New Year of the snake! In Japanese art and mythology, the snake is a complex figure that...
3 months ago
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3 months ago
Happy New Year of the snake! In Japanese art and mythology, the snake is a complex figure that represents both auspiciousness and malevolence. Snakes are revered as sacred beings, embodying themes of renewal, fertility, and the duality of nature as both protector and destroyer....
Herbert Lui
Openness When I was a senior in high school, my English teacher shared an op-ed she clipped from a newspaper...
3 months ago
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3 months ago
When I was a senior in high school, my English teacher shared an op-ed she clipped from a newspaper entitled, “Please offend me, and allow me to offend you.” The spirit of the class discussion focused on how important it was for you, me, and everybody else, to be able to say what...
Cheese and Biscuits
The Hightown Inn, Liverpool Despite spending the first 20 years of my life about 100m up the road from the Hightown Inn (then...
3 months ago
9
3 months ago
Despite spending the first 20 years of my life about 100m up the road from the Hightown Inn (then the Hightown Hotel), I never really considered this grand old Victorian building to be much of a "local". I was far more likely to get the train to the Railway in Formby where most...
Herbert Lui
I don’t miss RSS one bit… Because I use it every day. I use NetNewsWire to read new posts. I subscribe to a bunch of...
3 months ago
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3 months ago
Because I use it every day. I use NetNewsWire to read new posts. I subscribe to a bunch of newsletters hosted on Substack—you can just type /feed after the URL and you’ll receive Substack through RSS. You can do the same with Medium. For other newsletters, I use Kill the...
AFAR Media - Travel...
7 Chilean Food Festivals to Plan Your Trip Around
3 months ago
Herbert Lui
Stories as psychological moonshots In 1969, commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo 11 on the...
3 months ago
32
3 months ago
In 1969, commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo 11 on the moon. It was the first step to send people into space and discover literal galaxies of new possibilities. This project became the archetypal one for ambitious, exploratory, work; we...
Spoon & Tamago
Our Favorite Tokyo Designer Christmas Trees of 2024 If you’re doing some last-minute Christmas shopping in Tokyo, try and swing by some of these...
3 months ago
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3 months ago
If you’re doing some last-minute Christmas shopping in Tokyo, try and swing by some of these locations where you’ll find the best seasonal yet unorthodox designer Christmas trees. Happy Holidays! Christmas Tree of Light at Omotesando Hills “Christmas Tree of Light” is a...
Herbert Lui
Creative unattachment It’s best to attach the value of your work based on something that’s within your control. This could...
3 months ago
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3 months ago
It’s best to attach the value of your work based on something that’s within your control. This could mean a way of doing things, a philosophy, or a set of values—or all three. Championship NFL coach Bill Walsh would call this a Standard of Performance.  Here are some things you...
Cheese and Biscuits
Tuétano Taqueria, San Diego On the shortest day of the year, in the middle of the gloomiest and wettest of England's gloom and...
3 months ago
10
3 months ago
On the shortest day of the year, in the middle of the gloomiest and wettest of England's gloom and wet, I thought it might be fun to review a taco shop in southern California, because it's days like this you need to remind yourself that there are places in the world where the sun...
Herbert Lui
My 2015 interview with MC Jin In 2002, Jin Auyeung took over hip-hop by winning a weekly freestyle competition for seven...
3 months ago
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3 months ago
In 2002, Jin Auyeung took over hip-hop by winning a weekly freestyle competition for seven consecutive weeks on 106 & Park. His debut song, “Learn Chinese,” was on regular rotation in my elementary school, and my friends would holler out the Cantonese ad-libs. It was a moment...
AFAR Media - Travel...
5 Activities to Enjoy on a Caribbean Winter Holiday
3 months ago
Herbert Lui
Turner’s practice When you look at one of Joseph Mallord William Turner’s paintings, you might notice his work with...
3 months ago
34
3 months ago
When you look at one of Joseph Mallord William Turner’s paintings, you might notice his work with color. Yes—while it is a landscape painting, and landscapes were seen as a relatively low form of art at the time, that Turner took on any way for better commercial prospects—it’s...
AFAR Media - Travel...
7 Must-Try Winter Activities in Park City, Utah
3 months ago
Herbert Lui
Be the first If you really want to make a difference in somebody’s life, be the first person to make a...
3 months ago
33
3 months ago
If you really want to make a difference in somebody’s life, be the first person to make a contribution.  This could mean being their first customer, their first donor, or the first person to leave a comment or share the work.  It will make a powerful impression, give them energy,...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Kayak, Hike, and Bike in Off-Season Virginia Beach
3 months ago
Herbert Lui
Every dollar you save is a coupon on the next thing you buy Retailers often offer incentives to encourage customers to buy more stuff. This can look like buy...
3 months ago
33
3 months ago
Retailers often offer incentives to encourage customers to buy more stuff. This can look like buy two get one free, buy one get one 50% off, flash sales, and free shipping thresholds. Most of these mechanisms are designed to short circuit your brain. They work against clear...
Cheese and Biscuits
Crispin at Studio Voltaire, Clapham Common Although my useless photos hardly do it justice (let's just get that out of the way from the start),...
3 months ago
11
3 months ago
Although my useless photos hardly do it justice (let's just get that out of the way from the start), Crispin at Studio Voltaire is a lovely space to eat in. The candles on each table aren't the only source of light, but provide a romantic accessory to the tealights dangling above...
Herbert Lui
On lateness and imperfection At my first job, I realized that I’d missed a meeting invite and my team had started without me. I...
3 months ago
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3 months ago
At my first job, I realized that I’d missed a meeting invite and my team had started without me. I was early in my career, and hesitant to join the meeting late in-person. I felt embarrassed and, without knowing it, I started beating myself up. How could I be so inept? If I could...
AFAR Media - Travel...
The Highlights of New York Winter Jazzfest, January, 2025
3 months ago
Herbert Lui
Worth the wait Late is better than never, and it’s never too late. Even if the line is long, and you missed a...
3 months ago
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3 months ago
Late is better than never, and it’s never too late. Even if the line is long, and you missed a chance to join earlier. If the best time to start was yesterday, the second best time is today. Being patient is much easier than it looks.  Some lines don’t need you to be present, so...
AFAR Media - Travel...
A Weekend Guide to Skiing and Dining in Park City, Utah
3 months ago
Herbert Lui
The vessel heuristic What if, when you made art, you weren’t expressing yourself? What if you were a vessel for something...
3 months ago
38
3 months ago
What if, when you made art, you weren’t expressing yourself? What if you were a vessel for something greater to express themselves through? “The human mind is literally an antenna,” Pharrell says. “It picks up waves and transmissions from the ultimate source, from the ether.”...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Park City, Utah's Top Winter Activities for Families
3 months ago
Herbert Lui
Invest in your stories My friend Peter started posting at LinkedIn a couple of years ago. He noticed that while people who...
3 months ago
36
3 months ago
My friend Peter started posting at LinkedIn a couple of years ago. He noticed that while people who followed him appreciated his advice, what they remembered most were his stories—about how he met his co-founder and started an agency, how they spun out new companies, and his move...
AFAR Media - Travel...
7 Lesser-Known Adventures to Explore in Greece
4 months ago
Herbert Lui
Serious writing In Impro, Keith Johnstone describes how his teachers taught him to write, “They wanted me to reject...
4 months ago
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4 months ago
In Impro, Keith Johnstone describes how his teachers taught him to write, “They wanted me to reject and discriminate, believing that the best artist was the one who made the most elegant choices. They analysed poems to show how difficult ‘real’ writing was, and they taught that I...
Cheese and Biscuits
Jeune & Jolie, Carlsbad To a visitor from lands afar (me) who sees this part of the world in little two-week periods twice a...
4 months ago
10
4 months ago
To a visitor from lands afar (me) who sees this part of the world in little two-week periods twice a year, Jeune & Jolie feels like it did all the work of establishing itself as one of the best restaurants in California in a metaphorical blink of an eye, a few short months...
AFAR Media - Travel...
The Best Winter Resorts and Activities in Central Minnesota
4 months ago
Cheese and Biscuits
Lima, Shoreditch I don't usually like to do invited reviews back-to-back, so this was supposed to be a post about a...
5 months ago
10
5 months ago
I don't usually like to do invited reviews back-to-back, so this was supposed to be a post about a lovely Catalonian restaurant called El Molí de L'Escala. El Molí serve a daily-changing menu of exciting and unusual local seafood (they had sea cucumber on the menu last week, and...
AFAR Media - Travel...
9 Things to Do in Richmond
5 months ago
Cheese and Biscuits
Xi Home Dumplings Bay, Liverpool Street I often like to look up the situation of restaurants I'm heading out to on Google Streetview, just...
5 months ago
10
5 months ago
I often like to look up the situation of restaurants I'm heading out to on Google Streetview, just so I know what to expect when I get off the bus and lessen (though not completely mitigate) the chance I might head off in completely the wrong direction. I wouldn't recommend doing...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Top 6 Underrated Places to Visit in the BVI
6 months ago