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Square pegs, round holes and changing direction

May 27, 2026May 24, 2026

A view of someone holding sandy soil in their hands as it trickles their fingers. They're wearing jeans with a karibiner attached to one of the belt loops.

Thoughts on changing approach, calcified systems and why we need a food system like a forest garden, not a plantation

Settled

May 17, 2026May 16, 2026

A person reclines in a chair, bathed in the glow of a television set, with a lit lamp behind them — captured in black and white in an old Maxell advert. The scene suggests they're being pushed back in their chair by the sound.

We’ve moved a lot, over the years. A lot. I don’t think I’ve been settled in one place for more than a few years since I left home. It’s been the same for H as a forces child. You develop rituals that tell you when you’ve settled in. Maybe it’s the last of the packing …

Balloons

May 14, 2026May 6, 2026

A black and white photograph, apparently from the early 20th century, showing a person sitting at a desk writing, wearing a large padded helmet that completely encases their head. The helmet has small goggles over the eyes and a breathing apparatus over the mouth, connected by a tube to a gas cylinder on the left. A desk clock, telephone, and other office items are visible on the desk.

…results suggest that people do flit from one task to another more frequently than they did in previous decades, and that this switching is often detrimental to performance. But there is little evidence that the brain’s fundamental ability to concentrate has been impaired. This suggests that if we can shut down the distractions of our …