Everything changes, nothing ends [489]

Greetings from the shed...

I really had no idea what was going on. All of a sudden my inbox was rammed with new and interesting people. And you are all very welcome.

If I had to sum up this dispatch in a single word, it would be ‘Exploration’.

In more detail; I look at how social trends influence our interactions, connections, and storytelling. I’m especially fascinated by how personal identity is shaped by innovative and unconventional ideas.

Expect a mix of science, technology, art, and culture. As well as some personal reflections as I seek to find joy and fulfilment in the simple things.

I’m Christian Payne. Thank you for joining in.

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#TheAction

I’m not always in my shed. Last weekend I headed into Cambridge for a wonderful little gathering called PuntCon. I still have the bruises.

This tax-deductible floating unconference started in the early 2000’s as ‘Geek Punt Picnic’ and I’m so glad it continues today.

Once safely aboard a number of flat bottomed boats, an eclectic group enjoy informal discussions while leisurely punting along the River Cam.

The conversations continue on the river banks where a picnic is enjoyed and a few of the braver participants might have a swim.

The bruises I have are from the traditional bridge climb where you leave and return to the punt by climbing up and over a footbridge. This is me heading up and over captured by Paul Clarke.

Photo by PaulClarke.com

And here is a little film by Leeky from a few years ago that really captures the spirit of Puntcon. Thanks to Bill Thompson and Sam Smith for organising this every year.

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Then later this week when my notifications would not stop pinging as a thousand new emails poured into my inbox, I googled ‘Documentally’ to see if someone had written about this publication. I found nothing. I then spotted an email from Substack congratulating me that i’d been featured. As you can see from the graph below, growing a community can be a long slog, and then the flick of a switch suddenly putting an algorithm in your favour can really give you a boost.

I’ve a feeling that this graph will look very different in a few weeks …as only the curious will survive. ;-)

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#ThePictures

I feel i’m a bit late to the party in regards to Loki. I’ve almost finished the second series and have quite enjoyed it.

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This video is a brave statement from Apple.

In reality when I test the Safari Browser against the Brave Browser using the AdBlock tester I shared last week, these are the results.

Both browsers were in standard mode and I feel far more protected using Brave. In fact it’s become my main means of viewing Youtube. Once I move my bookmarks over from Safari, Brave will be my default browser.

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#TheWords

While googling to see if my dispatch had been mentioned, I resurfaced this article in the Guardian I was in from 2010. I’d said all kinds of stuff, but also predicted/hoped that physical media would make a comeback in 2011. On reflection (all these years later) 2011 did see a spike in the Euro-games style market with some big releases, as well as a spike for vinyl sales. Plus Wizards of the Coast released ‘Commander’ after it became a successful player defined format.

Since then we hear of the occasional comeback for some form of media or another, with the latest being HMV announcing a 5% rise in physical media sales this year. Blue-ray appears to be the focus once again as people tire of the adverts interrupting their streaming pleasure.

Recently Stuff TV wrote about investing in a CD player to resurrect an old CD collection. And I can’t blame them. With my 12 cassette players, 3 record players, plus a few CD and Minidisk units… I know where my allegiance lies.

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This article I spotted on Numlock about The Shakers is fascinating. I’d heard of Shaker furniture but not this particular flavour of religion that focusses on communal living. But it’s their adherence to strict celibacy that has this utopian experiment down to only two members. Will they soon be extinct or might the NYT article bring new members?

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The spellbinding life of Koji Kashin Japan’s legendary wandering magician

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#TheSound

Here are a few words from me…

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I’ve been dipping into the podcast ‘Search Engine’. The episode ‘Can I Microdose Veganism?’ left me with some new ideas and although I already heard the news behind What is the best phone to do crimes on? I really enjoyed this deep dive into an amazing story.

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#TheConsumed

I know I normally only put food based stuff in this section, but you can of course consume books and this article very much fits. Book Star Ratings: some food for thought.

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#TheBody

Could the smell of Menthol reduce inflammation in the brain.

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Gene involved in cell shape offers clues in Left-Handedness. Should you be left handed here is a shop selling things for lefties. I bought a left handed Swiss Army Knife once, but i’m so used to right handed ones it was hard to relearn. Same with scissors. I use right handed scissors and just rotate the paper with my left.

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#TheFound

The flying spaghetti monster is finally caught on camera.

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#TheThings

I didn’t watch the Apple Keynote as the over-coached presenters seem so theatrically keen for us to believe them that it creeps me out. But I’m a sucker for a new camera and that’s how I’m justifying my purchase of the new iPhone 16 Pro. Nothing else really excited me about the phone. I don’t need a new actual camera, (I’m enjoying the X100VI) but with having skipped the iPhone 14 and 15 and with a couple of phone-focused content creation workshops in the diary… I feel it’s time for an upgrade.

‘Apple Intelligence’ feels like too-little-too-late and I really hope it is as secure as we are lead to believe. If not it could well be the most dangerous surveillance tool yet. It used to be that I ‘loved’ Apple. I still have a soft spot for them, even while concerned about their world domination. But I’m so embedded into their ecosystem it feels like I need them. And have you ever tried to leave?

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I won’t bang on about something as simple as an electronic screwdriver/mini drill but if you are looking for one… I bought this from Amazon is a formidable little power tool. I got it for £23 but the price fluctuates. [Sometimes in this free email I share affiliate links …but only to things I genuinely recommend]

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Ever heard of Meshtastic nodes? I don’t normally talk about this kind of technology here as I have a radio publication that focuses on radio things. But this kind of mesh-networking zombie apocalypse communication tech doesn’t require a license. Anyone can use it.

Simply explained, it is a small, portable communication tool using LoRa (Long Range) technology to enable text messaging and location sharing without relying on traditional cellular networks or Wi-Fi. It creates a mesh network, allowing users to send messages to one another over long distances, even in remote areas. the £15 ($20) devices connect with each other, extending the range of communication as more devices are added to the network.

Why? Well these are particularly useful for outdoor pursuits, festivals, holidays, places where there is no mobile network or internet and end-of-the-world type scenarios. You can even create secure encrypted messaging groups so the smarter Zombies can’t eavesdrop. Plus, if you happen to live on a hill with one of these, you may well be considered a hero if you are the main node in a long range network.

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I love this halfway house to physical media in the shape of an NFC Movie Library.

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#TheThanks

Thank you to all the paying subscribers that support my time here and keep this dispatch free for everyone. I did say that I was going to put the price up this week but as there are so many reading this for the first time, should you think my work here is something you might be able to support, the monthly price you subscribe to now will be fixed for the length of your subscription. So please consider upgrading to become a paid supporter. And I will wait a few days before I put the price up.

Full subscribers get to read all the content in this publication, listen to the occasional podcast and have access to the Discord and Wire channel. You also get to have a shout out in an issue.

Thank you for reading, sharing and liking.

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#TheWeb

• Brazil’s Twitter ban had over one million of them join Bluesky. I’m on there as Documentally. But still prefer Mastodon.

• Welcome all the new readers from the African Continent. If you’d like to top the charts in Substack, there doesn’t appear to be any newsletters based in Congo, Gabon or Angola (to name a few). If I lived in Congo (I worked in Zaire once) I’d write one focusing on river exploration. In Gabon it would be Biodiversity and Conservation. And for Angola I’d cover stories of recovery during post-war reconstruction. I give free tips to supporting subscribers ;-)

• How to make millions as a professional whistle blower.

• I was just reading about zero-click AI worms. Another compelling argument for unplugging everything and going to live in the woods.

• Some of my other places include Letterboxd, Discogs, GoodReads, Flickr, my audio RSS feed, LinkedIn, YouTube, Mastodon, Birdsite or search ‘Documentally’ on Wire.

• Debate in nuclear-armed former colony fails to reassure global community.

• If you have read this far there is a chance you might be back. If that’s the case, why not immortalise your place in the community by adding yourself to the Documentally community map? Should you be the first person logged in a country previously unlisted and can prove you live there, send me an email ;-)

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#TheEnd

Thanks for reading.

I usually add more photos than this but I ran out of space. If you liked this email there are 488 other ones in the archive.

Next week will be welcomed like an old friend—who no matter how often you see, always brings joy and excitement. Although I do have to MOT my car.

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“One’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes

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Embrace.

See you out there.

Over…

A ❤️ is a high-five, a comment is a hug. A supporting subscription earns my undying love.