Category: Uncategorized

Thoughts about living off the grid

I’ve been researching off-grid lifestyles for a while. Not because it’s something that I think would fit the way my family need to live, but because there are definitely things we can learn from people who have chosen that kind of life, and who are making it work.

As a technologist the idea of not having reliable electricity scares me. But then we live for 9 weeks a year in a caravan, and can already power phones and a mobile internet connection for several hours with power banks. Investing in another power bank that could recharge laptops would probably give us everything else we needed in an emergency, and adding some decent solar panels would make us mostly electrically self-sufficient as far as powering devices go.

We also have a lot of gas-reliance in the caravan, but most of the vans on this site use bottled gas anyway, so this would be straightforward to set up if required, as the van is already built for it, so it would just be a case of switching a few cables around. That would give us heat, hot water, and the ability to cook on a hob or in an oven.

Water is a trickier problem, but it’s generally the easiest grid to get connected to. A lot of places people live have water when they don’t have electricity, and there are definitely ways to make running water useful from an electricity-generating point of view.

We are not ready to take these steps yet, but there are things we have learned and changed already as a result of this initial research:

  • Not replacing our unreliable dishwasher and broken tumble drier has not really impacted our lives too much at all. Washing dishes just gets built into my evening chores, and clothes can be dried either on radiators or using the natural heat of the sun. We have a launderette lined up for emergencies. but it is rarely used.
  • When we’re in the caravan, a small portable washing machine will take care of most of our clothes washing needs.
  • We don’t need anywhere near as many clothes as we thought we did, and we definitely have enough of them to last a good while.
  • It’s possible to work off a laptop indefinitely, and there are now good enough portable monitors with a very low power draw to give the desired multi-monitor setup for working.
  • A combination of mobile internet and tethering to phones gives us three layers of internet contingency, at an additional cost of £20 a month plus £10 per trip if concurrent streaming or meetings are likely to happen regularly. We use Smarty for our main connection, and GifGaf for the backup, but that’s purely based on what works well in this physical location, and milage may vary elsewhere.

There will definitely be more experiments over the next year or so, and we do need to try and be more mindful about how we use electricity and gas throughout the year, not just when we are travelling.

Setting up the pipeline

I’ve been meaning to try and set up a pipeline that achieves the following:

  • I write all my blog posts in Markdown and store them in a Github repository
  • Github actions creates a new github page on my staging blog
  • This is then pushed to WordPress, where a new post is created
  • The WordPress post is then promoted on Mastodon

I think I’m mostly there, but am still debugging. I’ve had two mostly working solutions, but neither meets all the requirements yet.

Journal Fragments

Excerpts from my journal over the last few days that fit the themes of this blog.

Technology

I have my full travel setup operational now. I did start with my small computer, but found myself missing the extra screen and the familiarity of the laptop. So the laptop is once more the primary computer for non-work stuff, which makes it easier to swap in the other laptop after Easter when I need to do some work here.

I didn’t intend to bring my docking station here, but as it was still in my bag I thought I’d install displaylink-debian to make my life easier. I have it running on my other laptop, and as of this morning I have it running on this one too.

I think I have a good understanding of what technology I prefer to use now, and as a result have an idea about what I would like my next computers to be. Right now a single USB-C cable for everything is where I’m at; especially as I have several docking stations which make this possible wherever I am.

Based on my usual criteria for laptops, and assuming I was buying new, the models I should be looking at are:

  • Thinkpad X13
  • Thinkpad L13
  • Thinkpad L13 yoga
  • 13″ MacBook Air

But none of these are upgradeable, so I am seriously considering getting something slightly bigger so that I have the option to upgrade the memory later on. Or I might just go down the refurbished route again and get something that will last me 2-3 years.

Looking at the 14″ laptops, the E14 and L14 are both very customisable, and meet the specifications I’m after on everything except for size and weight. The prices to add extra memory are really reasonable as well, so it might just be that we go for something that meets the specifications we need now, with anything else being a stretch goal. I don’t need 40 or 64 Gb of memory in a laptop, especially when I have that in my desktop and rarely use more than half of it.

Books

I finished The Internet Con by Cory Doctorow last night. It’s a really important book that anyone who uses the internet should read. Today I’ll start Dead Centre by Tim Farthing, which is the only other book I bought with me. I have my Kindle though, with a huge backlog of fiction, so it’s not like I won’t have things to read.

Music

I am listening to the new Jiin record, although once I start the book I will switch to Dead Centre by Reigns. I am also feeding Spotify with music for the family playlist. I only listen to Spotify whilst walking the dog, but it’s good to hear a few new favourites making their way into what we listen to in the car.

There is a new record shop in Newport, that has only been open 2 weeks. I bought Dresden Dolls and East India Youth CDs, and resisted buying a lot of expensive records. This is a shop I will definitely support, and will return to again in June.

Albums of the year 2021

What can I say about 2021 that has not already been said? It has been another very challenging year; both for the world in general but also for the world of music. I have not experienced live music at all this year, but made up for it by buying a lot of records (and tried to buy them directly from the artists where possible, because people need to make a living). Music has always been very important to me, but never more so than now. These are the records that made this year better, or at least acted as a soundtrack to the bad bits.

Top 20

In all cases the links below are to somewhere you can listen to and/or buy the record in question (Bandcamp, Rough Trade or the artist’s own website).

Arab Strap – As Days Get Dark

This is a record I never expected to be made, and it’s been a real treat to listen to. It might even be my favourite Arab Strap record now. If you’ve not heard them before then you’re in for a treat; if you’ve not heard them for ages then you won’t be disappointed.

Black Country, New Road – For the First Time

February saw the very welcome arrival of For The First Time by Black Country, New Road. I had already played a lot of these songs to death, but getting them all in one place was exactly what I needed to shed some truth and light on the cold winter days. I think this is probably my record of the year, and it was always going to take something really special to dislodge it. It also came with a badge (more records should come with badges).

Bobby Gillespie & Jehnny Beth – Utopian Ashes

I’ve loved this record since the first time I heard it. It’s got the emotional vibe of The National’s Trouble Will Find Me, but also reminds me a lot of the Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan records. One I think I will keep coming back to. Some of these songs are uncomfortable, but it’s because they stir the emotions in the way that all good songs should. For a record released in 2021 it sounds remarkably timeless.

Desire Marea – Desire

I am not even sure how to describe this record, but it’s right up there with anything else released this year. If you’re in the Rough Trade Club you will know this, for everyone else it may be a new treat.

Dry Cleaning – New Long Leg

April bought with it the excellent New Long Leg by Dry Cleaning. It reminds me a bit of a cross between The Blue Aeroplanes and Arab Strap, but with female vocals. If that sounds intriguing then you should definitely give it a listen. The songs on the bonus CD are very good as well.

Edward Ka-Spel – Prints of Darkness

Edward Ka-Spel has released a lot of music this year. This one is probably the highlight (although I love them all, and they are all in my long-list). If you are not already bought into the Legendary Pink Dots ecosystem then this is as good a place as any to start, although it is one of the few records from this year’s batch that isn’t pay-what-you-want.

Field Music – Flat White Moon

Field Music never fail to deliver, and this record is no exception. Once more they manage to create a sound that is unmistakeably them, and that is very difficult to describe or assign a genre to. If you know their work then you know what I mean. If you don’t then this is as good a place as any to start.

Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra – Promises

This is the soundtrack to many hours of work this year, and a record I don’t think I’ll ever tire of. It’s not a combination I would have expected to make a record, but it works really well and hits the same emotional resonance as Talk Talk’s Laughing Stock.

For Those I Love – For Those I Love

A really unique record that builds well on the mixtape from last year (which would have been in my list if I had discovered it in time). I’m not sure I’m brave enough to try and match this to a genre, but if you take a leap of faith then you may find yourself spending many hours with this record.

Gazelle Twin & NYX – Deep England

I’m not sure how to describe this record by Gazelle Twin & NYX, but I’ve played it a lot this year, and it’s definitely a contender. I would really love to hear this live in a candlelit church; it’s the kind of music that would work so well in that kind of environment.

Geese – Projector

A last minute entry that I have largely listened to as I am compiling this list. I discovered Geese via a Rough Trade 7″ single, and was very happy to receive this earlier this month. It is definitely a grower, but one that will stay with me well into 2022.

Jane Weaver – Flock

Many people may not have heard of Jane Weaver, but this record is a joyous pop masterpiece that I think anyone who appreciates good music would enjoy. This is what pop music should sound like in 2021.

Maximo Park – Nature Always Wins

I was going to say that this is surprisingly good, but it’s not really a surprise any more. Definitely their strongest record for a while, and one that I keep coming back to.

Mogwai – As the Love Continues

Mogwai are a really important band for me, and have been one of the main soundtracks of my year of working from home. I often listen to them when I’m working. The tracks with obvious vocals are when I take a break and just listen to the words for a few minutes. Richie Sacramento is my “take a break” track, and it’s amusing that it is also one of my most played songs of this year (maybe I took too many breaks?).

At the time I said “I think if this gets to number 1 tomorrow then it’s the first time since Kid A that something that completely represents my musical taste at the time does that.” It did get to number one, and it was a very satisfying feeling.

Penfriend – Exotic Monsters

I used to be the kind of person who thought that title tracks should go at the end (I blame Robert Smith for this). Here we have a title track that belongs at the start, followed by a collection of songs that I’ve been lucky enough to hear as they have been evolving, and also now they have been released.

One of the many things I love about Penfriend is the quality of the things I get through the post. Coloured vinyl, postcards, badges, stickers; all the things I loved about collecting records as a teenager. This record really is the complete package, and highlights some of the brilliant work Laura has been doing over the last couple of years (along with the podcast, the YouTube channel and everything else).

Richard Dawson & Circle – Henki

Richard Dawson does it again. A fantastic and flawless concept album that I love more each time I listen to it. It snuck into the list right at the end of the year, but it’s something I suspect will be listened to a lot during the first few months of 2022.

Snapped Ankles – Forest of Your Problems

One step on from their last record. I love it. I also really wish I could see them play live again, because my first experience was absolutely mind-blowing.

Squid – Bright Green Field

May’s Rough Trade album of the month was Bright Green Field by Squid. A new name for me, but one that reminds me a little of Black Country, New Road and a lot of other things that I really like. It’s not an easy first listen, but it soon makes itself indispensable and is another one that was always going to feature on my end of year list.

The Stranglers – Dark Matters

I did not expect this record to be so good, and it’s a fitting tribute to Dave Greenfield who we lost this year. I think it’s probably their best since their heyday.

Wolf Alice – Blue Weekend

Maybe a predictable choice, but I do really love this record, and I think it will stand the test of time. This sounds the way I expect number one records in 2021 to sound like.

Everything Else

Albums of the Year for 2019 – Part 2

I’ve been compiling a list of my favourite records of each year for a decade or more. This year I’ve listened to music slightly differently; with monthly Spotify playlists on shuffle during train journeys and walks, but otherwise by putting a record on my record player and listening to the songs in the order they were sequenced. This is the second half of the list (the first half can be found here).

Belle & Sebastian – Days of the Bagnold Summer

Part 6 of my review of music from 2019 takes me back to September. I spent about half of September in Japan, and as a result couldn’t buy this record until it had been out a couple of weeks. It was my soundtrack to that trip though (thanks to Spotify), and also to the desolate weather and subsequent mood crash that followed my return to the UK. Many people will know that Belle & Sebastian are one of my favourite bands, and this record serves as a great introduction to them, from the re-recordings of two old favourites to the newer songs that may themselves become old favourites in the years to come. They managed to provide at least two of my favourite songs of last year (Cornflakes and Best Friend) and in This Letter and Safety Valve they have added two more songs that just seemed to perfectly sum up how I was feeling at the time I first listened to them. They have made better records, but for now this one will do nicely.

The Delines – The Imperial

My seventh record of the year is from January, when 2019 was only a few days old. I loved the soulful gin-soaked vibe of the first Delines record (Colfax), and this one picks up very much where the last one left off. It’s very much an album of stories, with clear narratives, believable characters (with names – which reminds me a bit of The Hold Steady), and songs that sound like they could have been written at any time since the early 70s. This isn’t a fashionable record, and I suspect it won’t be in many end of year lists, but it’s one that is well worth giving a chance to if you are interested in well-written songs performed to perfection.

Cigarettes After Sex – Cry

My 8th record of the year is much newer than most of the rest, but definitely deserves a place on this list. The first Cigarettes After Sex record was on my list in 2017, and I was wondering what direction they would go in next. The answer is very much that they are going in exactly the same direction, but are much closer to getting there. It’s very much still all about crooning falsetto, shimmering guitars, and lyrics that don’t look like anything special when written down, but which still manage to blend perfectly with the music; but if anything there are even more great songs this time around. This record sound-tracked most of November and December for me, and if the year started in November it would easily be my record of the year.

Durand Jones & The Indications – American Love Call

This is a record that I got as part of my Rough Trade Club membership, and I don’t think I would have given it a chance otherwise. From the cover I had it pegged as retro American soul, and while that’s not too far off the mark there is something about this record that transcends genre and just transports me to America in the sunshine instead (not bad considering I’ve only ever been to America in December). Both vocalists can really sing, there isn’t a bad song on the record, and it has very quickly become the record I put on if I just want to feel better about myself and the world for a little while.

William Doyle – Your Wilderness Revisited

For my 10th selection I’m going to pick something that I’ve only owned for a few days, but which I’ve loved since the first time I’ve heard it. William Doyle used to record as East India Youth, but this record is very different than anything that has gone before, and swaps electronic music for something more organic and breathable. It still does a fair bit of genre-switching, but is on the whole a collection of excellent songs with clever and thoughtful lyrics. Words are important to me, and these words are perfect.

New beginnings

I made some changes to this blog (and the server it runs on) tonight. It’s running in a new directory, on (technically) a new server, but should otherwise be largely the same.

If you notice any strangeness then let me know. But hopefully you should just notice speed.

What I did on my holidays – part 2

The holidays seem a long time ago, and I seem to have spent most of the last 2 months at work. But I still have vague memories (and many photographs) of an enjoyable week of walking and relaxing in Cornwall.

Next stop Japan, but not until September. In the meantime I may get round to writing up my “see more of Birmingham” experiment and (hopefully) seeing a fair bit of the jazz festival in July.

New Music – October 2016

Music I’ve discovered in October includes:

Kate Tempest – Let Them Eat Chaos
Conor Oberst – Ruminations
D.D Dumbo – Utopia Defeated
R.M Hubbert – Telling The Trees
Lady Gaga – Joanne
Leonard Cohen – You Want It Darker
SURVIVE – RR7347
Danny Brown – Atrocity Exhibition
Banks – The Alter
Amanda Palmer – Piano is Evil
Goat – Requiem
Mac Miller – The Divine Feminine

I blame American Horror Story for my love of the Lady Gaga album, and Stranger Things for the discovery of SURVIVE. In fact, there is a lot of overlap between the music I’ve listened to and what I’ve watched on TV this month, with Kate Tempest and Danny Brown being a good soundtrack to Luke Cage and the new Goat album complementing American Horror Story quite nicely.