Clearing the tabs

Thanks to my week and a half off I’ve got a bit of a backlog and need to clear the decks. Here’s some things I’ve half-read and think might be of interest. Cravat emperor, or whatever. We used to be able to buy things in this country — The shoplifting panic in the US (which we had a taste of over here last year) has resulted in everyday items being locked in perspex. The picture of the tin of ham in its presentation box is just perfect. The voice of Google 🪜 — An extract from Claire Stapleton’s ‌Don’t Be Evil: Bad Bosses, Fake Promises, and My Escape from Big Tech. The Iran War threatened a food crisis. The next Gulf conflict could do the same. — This is one of those infuriating animated essay things where a small amount of useful information is buried under a load of visual bollocks but the issue of nitrogen-based fertiliser shortages, and its dependence on natural gas, is really interesting. He’s Just That Guy: Jeffrey Wright on “Basquiat” — Longtime fan of Wright ever since seeing…