www.theguardian.com/commentis…
Cory Doctorow at The Guardian on why Britain now has the opportunity to stand up to trump and end enshittification.
By Reza Farazmand at poorlydrawnlines.com
All sorts of goods and services in the Grainger Market (in the weigh house, once the home of market quality checks, you can be weighed and then have your numbers handed to you discreetly on a handwritten ticket)
I got new reading glasses fitted at the cutest opticians, a tiny Victorian shop & practice in the indoor Grainger Market in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Afterwards, I took some photos of things that caught my eye in the market.
🎉I’ve just found out I’ve been given a place on the Homes For Us Organising Committee. I look forward to 🫱🏻🫲🏾 being part if the collective leadership of Homes for Us, ❤️ representing my organisation Food & Solidarity, and 🏘 contributing my skills to their current campaign for rent control
I had a good lunch at Beyruty in Byker, Newcastle upon Tyne. Beautiful presentation of simple, tasty food!
Happy New Year! I’m back at work today (and we’ll wrapped up even though i’m indoors). Planning and organising for the next week, month, and year and resetting my routines and dopamine balance.
Happy New Year! 🎆🍾🎊
I’ve deleted Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, Substack, Discord, Twitch, Facebook messenger, Meta Business, from my phone and Disabled YouTube on my phone for the month of January. I never had TikTok. Keeping WhatsApp (as its at least end-to-end encrypted, plus almost eveyrone I know plus work and mutual aid organisations on there), Slack (as needed for voluntary work) and Threads, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Medium, BlueSky (as ActivityPub, and I need to keep some business socials running) for the moment.
Here’s to less doomscrolling, exploration of the fediverse, and more creativity in the year ahead!
Best part of my day yesterday: a really nice message back from a client who I messaged to tell my work would take a bit longer.
I was asked about the highlight of my day. It was seeing a Comma butterfly on Sea Holly. It is great knowing that a border I designed, planted, and maintain attracts and provides food for pollinators. But also the blue and orange combination made me happy 😊🦋💠
Hmmm experiment of not downloading social media apps to my phone (including micro.blog and fediverse apps) means that doomscroll much less, but I also don’t communicate/produce content. I’m not spending much time on my laptop. Also I can waste time if I really want to (by accessing you tube or a forum through my phone browser). So not sure if it really works.
Yesterday one of my clients was celebrating his 92nd birthday; on Wednesday a different client celebrates his 81st birthday. Its such a privilege to work for people with such a huge amount of knowledge and experience, and to keep gardens they have spent time looking after the way they want them.
Last week was chaos all because of a malfunctioning phone: I was locked out of 2fa and mfa for most sites I needed to use, until I bought a temporary second hand phone for £70. Today I’m plugging a mouse into my original phone so i can send it off to be repaired, as it’s still under warranty.
What do I do and where do I do it?
My services include garden design, consultation, maintenance, and workshops with a focus on creating beautiful, wildlife-friendly spaces.
Out at the Ouseburn Late Shows last night - an evening of hand feeding lambs, art, veggie burgers. Plus the very funny but containing poignant factsabout Palestine “Mr Ben on the Road to Perdition”. I’ll be exploring the Late Shows in Newcastle and Gateshead tonight. Any recommendations?