Reading

Current Mood: joyful
Current Location: Trinity Buoy Wharf, London, UK
Current Music: Praise the Lord, ye heavens adore him

Entry tags:

friends

Weddings

This weekend one of my oldest friends got married, and my partners celebrated their 20^th anniversary with a Jewish blessing and wedding canopy. So I had a lovely lovely time, and also I'm very much reminded that there's a crowd of (mostly somewhat connected) people I've been friends with for most of 30 years and I should make more active effort to actually spend time with them because they are awesome.

( wedding squee )

I sort of want to see if I can make it to my brother's charity's ceilidh next week. But Friday evening events in Brighton when I have a bar mitzvah in Cambridge on Saturday are a bit unworkable. And although I enjoyed the dancing, what I want more of isn't mainly dancing, it's spending time with people. And waiting for my friends to have reunions in the form of weddings isn't very efficient! I'm amazed that there were even two weddings this year, with most of my circle being in our 40s.

jack has planned a bank holiday picnic next Monday; it will be fully outdoors, which is good for infection risk but possibly bad for enduring summer weather. But if you happen to be in Cambridge you're most welcome.

Entry tags:

tech

Fitocracy paces

It works! I added a toggle to the running app I use Fitocracy to display paces instead of speeds.

The first time I've done anything on a regular android app, and the first time I've really edited an open source project.

Fitocracy was the only app that could show me current speed, average speed, and average speed for less than the whole run without unrealistic hoops. But i was annoyed the speeds were in speeds, not paces.

Hopefully that is just what I need myself. I will try to get it into the original project too as it seems like a worthwhile improvement.

Entry tags:

Ten years

So, the tenth anniversary of my diagnosis with leukaemia happened earlier this week. I usually celebrate my survival on 1 October each year, but I'd wondered a few months ago about having a party in actual summer.

In the end I didn't organise anything for this weekend because I had a hockey game with Warbirds yesterday. This morning I took Nico to Clip n Climb, and this afternoon I met Rosie for a public skate and then we had ice creams in the sunshine. On my way back to my bike (locked by the rink) I ran into a couple of people and sorted out a few things relating to Kodiaks and next weekend's Draft Tournament in Biarritz.

Also the announcement has just gone out that I'm captaining one of the teams in Biarritz, and I'm off work now for nearly two weeks.

... and actually all of that adds up to a fantastic "up yours cancer, you didn't kill me", even without throwing a party.

Take it away, Elton:

Watch on YouTube

Entry tags:

mudlarking

Mudlarking - 36 - A Wapping jar of marmalade

I arrived in Wapping hungry, so ate a vegan cinnamon bun and a blueberry croissant and coffee from Cinnamon.

There seemed to be a group gathering outside the station. I often avoid going to Wapping as the Thames Explorer Trust organises tours there frequently, but I checked and one didn't seem to be happening today.

Then down to the foreshore, on a hot and sunny day. People had put out their deckchairs and were basking in the sun.

I walked to the right when I went down the New Crane Stairs. A man was peering into pools of water, and wearing gloves, so definitely mudlarking.

I walked onwards, towards Hermitage Moorings.

Canada Geese swam past.

Past the moorings, by where the police are, I came across a group who were mudlarking, so turned back the other way. I later looked up who they were and it seems they were the group who gathered outside the station - seems to be a Meetup group - “The London Cultureseekers Group”.

I watched swans pecking at algae on wooden posts.

Today’s finds were all pottery sherds and pieces of glass. The glass shimmered beautifully in the sun and I can never resist combware.

The large piece in the top left is likely to be part of a Victorian marmalade jar, made by Maling, who were based in Newcastle. I didn’t lick it to see if you could still taste the marmalade.

In the bottom left is a delicate elaborate handle, probably from a cup.

Entry tags:

mudlarking

Mudlarking 35 - Near Custom House

A few groups of people walked down onto the foreshore briefly before leaving again and leaving me alone with the river. This section tends to be popular with tourists as it is near the Tower of London, and people were taking photos of each other, posing by the river.

Another dead eel, always sad, and some legs of a crab.

I found 3 unusually shaped pieces of glass, some flint, Staffordshire slipware sherds, Westerwald sherds, Metropolitan slipware sherds, part of what might have been a handle, a piece of pipe with maker’s initials, and a pipe stem that looks like it has been squashed.

It was so hot by the river, but I didn't want to leave.

Entry tags:

Events of note

In news that shocks no-one, especially not me, I didn't actually manage to watch the streaming Twelfth Night in the two week window. I had two windows in my calendar and I spent them on other things, woe is me.

( ice hockey )

Charles and I went to see the reissue of Princess Mononoke in the cinema - in the IMAX screen - yesterday evening. I haven't watched it in many years but it holds up, still very beautiful. Some scenes I'd never forgotten but other parts surprised me all over again.

From the film I went to a goodbye party for two of the cricketers for a couple of hours. I left the party for ice hockey practice, and was briefly tempted to message the partiers when I came out of the rink at 1am to see if they were still going but actually by the time I got home and showered I just wanted to sleep.

(I have been added to the casual Saturday afternoon cricket groupchat. I am still very bad at cricket, especially at bowling, and have no kit. I could turn up anyway I guess.)

Entry tags:

mudlarking

The Thames Doorbell

I wired up the doorbell I found on the foreshore so that when you press it, it plays sounds of the River Thames I recorded from the foreshore.

Video on Flickr:

Entry tags:

mudlarking

Mudlarking 34 - Sound recording

The tide was up high at Blackfriars with not much foreshore visible. I decided instead to focus on recording the sounds of the foreshore, the waves splashing, the seagulls and crows fighting over the remains of something, the buskers playing music, and the sounds of trains going across Blackfriars railway bridge.

The sun turned a beautiful shade of pinky red and I could see it underneath Blackfriars Bridge.

I picked up very little, two pottery sherds and two pieces of glass.

I bought a UV torch as I like the idea of finding a piece of uranium glass. So far, none of my pieces of glass seem to glow enough but the red pieces look particular pretty with the light on them.

Entry tags:

invitation

Bank Holiday Grantchester Picnic

Come join me for a picnic to celebrate late summer bank holiday (Monday Aug 25th), by the river at Grantchester. About 1pm until we get bored.

Bring general picnic things, anything you're likely to want. I will bring some general things to get us started.

If the weather is hot some people may also swim.

Mudlarking - 32

The tide was already coming in and I had decided I am going to try to collect less and not pick up all the pottery sherds.

People asked if there were steps further on and I told them there were but the tide was coming in so they might not be able to get to them.

I found another square black tile, like the ones I already have.

I found a pipe bowl with a maker’s initials on - AC, my father’s initials. One day I’ll find a pipe bowl with my initials!

My shoes got messy. I am not sure what I stood in but that and the rain and the incoming tide and my ankles hurting meant I didn't stay long on the foreshore that evening.

I did pick up a piece of rather damaged combware and a few other sherds though.

Entry tags:

More Hugo Films: Dune, The Wild Robot

It's past the voting deadline, and I didn't vote in the dramatic presentation long form category, but I'm still trying to watch the shortlisted films.

I'd not seen Dune part one, so watched that and then part two (which was on the shortlist this year). It's one book turned into two lengthy films, and part two has a rubbish ending - we get no sense of Paul becoming Emperor as any kind of triumph before it's undermined by the immediate start of the next war. They are both grand spectacles, but their pacing is odd - at times it seems to be dragging and then key events are rather rushed over (so you're left not really quite understanding what happened without resorting to plot summaries after the fact). And the racial politics have dated poorly, shall we say? And I don't think the whole sandworm ecosystem is even vaguely plausible. But there's some great scheming and some interesting characters (albeit that a lot of the villains are entirely 2-dimensional).

The Wild Robot is an altogether different film, very heavy-handed with its messaging and happy to tug on the heart-strings. The plot doesn't really stand up to scrutiny (robot has access to all human knowledge, but doesn't know how geese swim? etc.), but it's well-animated and has lots of fun moments. And despite being the film of the first book of a trilogy, it actually has a decent ending! But I really struggled to suspend my disbelief because the plot is so full of holes.

Entry tags:

fitness,
football

Choices choices

Work's "Active Staff" programme through the university sports centre is mostly dormant in August, but has just acquired a regular "give it a go" session for women's football on Thursday afternoons. (Hmm, I wonder what recent event might have prompted such a thing ...) Unfortunately this session clashes exactly with my favourite free exercise class, which has just rebranded from "yogalates" to "stretch and relax".

One of these activities will help my knee mobility and one of them is highly likely to mess up my knees further. Much as I want to be as tough as Lucy Bronze, I regretfully skipped the football and stuck with the stretches.

Entry tags:

To-read pile, 2025, July

Books on pre-order:

Queen Demon (Rising World 2) by Martha Wells (7 Oct 2025)

Books acquired in July:

and read:
1. Moonlighter by Sarina Bowen
2. Grown Wise (Liminal Mysteries) by Celia Lake
and unread:
1. Death by Candlelight (Adam and Eve Mysteries 1) by Emma Davies
2. The Little Cottage on the Hill (Little Cottage 1) by Emma Davies

Books acquired previously and read in July:

A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine [2][Sep 2024]

Borrowed books read in July:

Once Upon You and Me by Timothy Janovsky
You Had Me At Happy Hour by Timothy Janovsky
Cover Story by Mhairi McFarlane
One-Touch Pass (SCU Hockey 4) by J.J. Mulder [8]
The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton
Fourth Wing (Empyrean 1) by Rebecca Yarros [2]

Rereads in July:

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine [2]

I continue to enjoy all of Celia Lake's books, and I still adore the Teixcalaan books by Arkady Martine, whether reading or listening to them. Stuart Turton wrote the entirely gripping groundhog-day country house murder mystery, The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, and I found The Last Murder at the End of the World another very gripping science-fictional murder mystery, this time in weird post-apocalyptic flavour.

Fourth Wing is a massive fantasy tome (21 hours of audiobook!) about a lethal military college for aspiring dragonriders, which piles a great many tropes onto some rather wonky worldbuilding. It is very entertaining and I can see why it is hugely popular. I am part way through the even more massive sequel and I regret nothing.

[1] Pre-order
[2] Audiobook
[3] Physical book
[4] Crowdfunding
[5] Goodbye read
[6] Cambridgeshire Reads/Listens
[7] FaRoFeb / FaRoCation / Bookmas / HRBC
[8] Prime Reading / Kindle Unlimited

Entry tags:

mudlarking

Thames Invader

Mosaic made from pottery sherds found on the Thames foreshore. (With a permit.)

p-fast trie, but smaller

https://dotat.at/@/2025-08-06-p-fast-trie.html

Previously, I wrote some sketchy ideas for what I call a p-fast trie, which is basically a wide fan-out variant of an x-fast trie. It allows you to find the longest matching prefix or nearest predecessor or successor of a query string in a set of names in O(log k) time, where k is the key length.

My initial sketch was more complicated and greedy for space than necessary, so here's a simplified revision.

( Read more... )