Day 10: Dental floss
This trick is something you only want to pull off once in a while because the molars can only take so much. The less natural evolution of bounce around the head.
Month: December 2020
Dec 9: Diabolo advent calendar
Day 9: Bounce around the head to stick grind to whip
Once you start doing combos, you have to actively stop yourself from doing them. I meant to do a bounce around the head but naturally threw the diabolo on to the stick and who doesn’t love a whip?
Covid19 vaccine, I’m happy to wait
Theres been a bunch of press with older people and key workers having had their first shot of the Covid19 vaccine. This is great news of course but I got to say everytime I see someone having a injection in the press its still scary for me. Love to have something of a trigger warning for this all. But then again I’m not anywhere as bad as I use to be thanks to hypnotherapy.
I have always said I’m happy to wear a mask and will be wearing a mask till October next year I predict. The vaccine needs to go to the people who most need it, the people who protect the vulnerable, front line works, yes; but that list needs to include other nations.
The rush to get the vaccine is locking out poorer nations and I’m glad to see this is being highlighted and being acted on?
To be clear when its my time, I will get it even if it does mean yes I will need 2 shots within a month, not great for someone terrified of needles. I have no doubts about the vaccine(s) just the injections. Really wish I could take a pill or like Contagion, could be delivered via nasal spray. (you don’t need to write to me to explain why that couldn’t work, its been explained to me over and over again to me)
I won’t be surprised if having the vaccine will be a requirement for travel on planes in the near future. If not expect getting travel insurance to be troublesome to say the least. I don’t think it will be mandatory in the UK but
Dec 8: Diabolo advent calendar
Day 8: Around the leg
Another classic diabolo trick and bit of crowd pleaser. Most can do it super close to the leg and with speed.
Dec 7: Diabolo advent calendar
Day 7: The high throw
We had the throw and of course we got to have the crowd pleaser. I would add high throws are not too difficult to catch if you point the handstick at the diabolo. The problem I always have in the garden is the wind which will take the diabolo a good 3 meters if you are not careful. Those 3 meters could mean over the fence, although it hasn’t happened yet.
Dec 6: Diabolo advent calendar
Day 6: Stirring the pot. This is our first cradle trick.
Theres many of them and stirring the pot is a nice simple one which you can do for a very long time with a solid spin. Here is another view of it.
Dec 5: Diabolo advent calendar
Day 5: Its our first combo, the hand grind to whip.
You have seen the previous two separately but this is the beauty of the diabolo, the combinations. I have seen everything from 2-3 trick combos to 24 trick combos from the pros.
Watching the pros perform their combos is like magic.
Some tricks chain together nicely, some need you to end in a certain way to move seamlessly to the next one. There’s a neutral respect for those who make it look elegant.
On reading the Inner Level
I recently read (actually listened to) The Inner Level by Richard Wilkinson & Kate Pickett. I first came across them at Nesta’s Futurefest conference, but had heard about the Spirit level beforehand.
The book leans a lot on the Spirit level but expands the results with new data and papers looking directly at the psychological effects of inequality on society
In short the inner level can be summed up in this graph…
Its not a surprise but the evidence is clear and the examples are spot on. You might also prefer the keynote where Kate takes directly takes bits from the book.
While I’m working from home, I have been listening to a lot podcasts and audiobooks. Each book has got me writing and thinking but this one really has given me a framework for a lot of the ills of the world. Now I’m a lot clearer on the fact equality is the core (or very likely one of them) of so many.
Lets take for example the American dream which I have been critical of previously. Work hard and you too can be successful and rich? Casey Gerald’s book and talks titled there will be no miracles here, highlights the problems of the American dream and the ultimate effect of inequality. If you want more have a read of the world economic forum.
It reminds me why the likes of Jeff Bezo’s net worth growing, is just all types of awful for us all. First time I heard about this, I wasn’t best pleased but besides the comment Amazon must pay their taxes, theres little more I could really say. I hadn’t really factor in the bigger effects of stuff like this.
In the book they mention the equality trust and trying to reach out further to gain some impact on policy makers. This reminded me the badges work and of course our own BBC Human Values work.
Dec 4: Diabolo advent calendar
Day 4: The Whip, love this trick. It sounds amazing and attracts a lot of attention. This is great but also bad when you miss the catch. Its also a real problem as there is almost no way to recover. See this bonus out-take footage of what happens when you get it wrong.
Dec 3: Diabolo advent calendar
Day 3: Little more advance trick, the hand grind. Always love this trick and quite like switching position with the fingers (maybe for another day). If you are wondering if it hurts, no because the axel is a bearing keeping it only running in one direction. However if you are not careful, when your finger does rub against the side by accident it does burn and hurt.
Dec 2: Diabolo advent calendar
Day 2: Little more intermediate trick, the stick grind. Always love this trick and quite like switching sticks (maybe for another day). I remember when I used wooden sticks with fixed axel diabolos. Those were tricky days.
Public Service Internet monthly newsletter (Dec 2020)
We live in incredible times with such possibilities that is clear. Although its easily dismissed, watching people shaming others for not working extra hard during the pandemic, employers spying on their employees and our continuing reliance on centralised servers.
To quote Buckminster Fuller “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”
You are seeing aspects of this happening with Google implementing Signal’s open source E2EE protocol and Google loosening control of the Chromium project
BBC R&D’s New forms of value research explained by Max, Alex, Lianne and myself
Ian thinks: Yes this is a bit meta but its great to deep dive into the cutting edge research of BBC R&D’s lab. Remember its all for the benefit of the citizens of the UK and far wider. Worth also listening to the Human Values podcast series if you want to know more about what Lianne talks about.
The Solid project hits a mile stone in development
Ian thinks: Following BBC R&D’s new forms of value, one of the key research aims is using personal data stores. Solid is one such personal data store and its hit a mile stone with a number of different partners.
Hacking society for the sake society
Ian thinks: Bruce Schneier’s talk from Tech Open Air is well worth 20mins of your time. Its a combinations of what goes into these notes. Security, privacy, hacking, dis-information, policy and the internet.
The key for securing our shared water future
Ian thinks: In this sobering Tedx talk, Seth makes clear we are running low on shared water. Seth talks about a rethink of our policy, technology and cooperation around this space.
What black ideas from the past we could take into the future
Ian thinks: Jessica and Douglas talk about how black communities already developed circular economic mechanisms and how effective they have been.
Technology always transforms ethics
Ian thinks: Juan’s thoughts are important to take in, he touches on so many points from ethics to politics. All framed within alongside technology disruption. I did find it strange he never used Brexit in his last reply about example of breaking up a nation.
An unscientific look at algorithms and my phone is still listening to me
Ian thinks: Wired magazine creates a quick and dirty test looking at Youtube’s recommendation algorithm. Plus that classic notion that your phone is listening to you.
Both are crude but if the social dilemma has taught me anything these actually help convince people
The challenges of IP in the coming world of ubiquitous game engine use
Ian thinks: Found via Simon Lumb, a real in-depth look at the challenges around IP in a world of game engines. There is also a podcast if like me you prefer audio
A musical trip into Nerdcore *explicit language
Ian thinks: Hip-hop artists talk about their reality and Nerdcore is no different. Its impressive and fascinating to hear how integrated internet & hacking culture has become in these artists life.
Dec 1: Diabolo advent calendar
Day 1: Starting with one simple throw, the first trick most people learn quickly while learning the diabolo. Still like doing these while I think about what trick to do next, although higher gives more time.
Public Spaces, Private Data: can we build a better internet?
Back last year when we could go to conferences and festivals without fear of the covd19 pandemic. BBC R&D, Mozilla and Publicspaces put on a conference during the Mozilla Festival week.
It was a great conference but unfortunately it never was written up. Its a real shame but you can understand with all the build up to the coming pandemic. So I thought it would be worth writing something short at least because it was enjoyable and full of great speakers.
We started with a keynote from Rachel Coldicutt – Doteveryone – previously CEO of Doteveryone
Rachel talked about the importance of public value, what’s at stake if we leave it to the market and the notion of just enough internet, which I mentioned previously. It was great keynote and really kicked off the day of panel talks in the right manor. Its still a shame doteveryone is no more.
Session One – Public-Controlled Data
- Rhianne Jones – BBC R&D – Research Lead (BBC R&D)
- Jeni Tennison – ODI – CEO of the Open Data Institute (ODI)
- Katja Bego – NESTA – Principal Researcher and data scientist at NESTA
Rhianne started the session with a look at the new forms of value work in R&D before Jeni and Katja followed in discussion with a look at the challenges facing the industry in which public controlled data can be ethically and unethically used.
Session Two – Equal Access for Everyone
- Bill Thompson – BBC R&D – Principal Research Engineer at BBC R&D
- Laura Ellis – BBC – BBC Head of Technology Forecasting
- Isobel Hunter – Libraries Connected – Chief Executive at Libraries Connected
Bill kicked off the conversation looking at the important issue of inequality with Laura and Isobel looking at it from their points of view. All very enlightening with the different views coming together into we can all do better.
Session Three – A Healthy Digital Public Sphere
- Solana Larsen – Mozilla Foundation – Editor of Mozilla’s Internet Health Report
- Miles Metcalfe – Campaigner and activist
- Tim Cowlishaw – BBC R&D – Project Technologist and Senior Software engineer at BBC R&D
Solana started things with a look at what makes up the internet heath report with Miles and Tim talking about the looking further and deep into what we mean by healthy and society
Session Four – Public Service Networking
- Paulien Dresscher – Publicspaces & NFF – Independent curator, researcher, writer and educator
- Ira Bolychevsky – Redecentralize – Data consultant, digital strategist and Director of Redecentralize
- Alexandra Deschamps-Sonsino – Designswam – Internet of things author, consultant, public speaker and entrepreneur
Paulien kicked off the last session with a look at Publicspaces,net and their projects including the badges project. Ira followed up by exploring the notion of publicservice networking through the Redecentralize organisation. Alexandra then followed with her experience looking at the internet of things with a more ethical lens.
The whole event was very well attended and served as good follow on from the previous year. So what about this year? Well as you know Mozilla have moved the festival to Amsterdam but the pandemic has shifted things to a mainly virtual festival next year in March. Plans are a foot to follow up with something in collaboration with Publicspaces.
