Interesting Links for 27-02-2022

[andrewducker]

Some Russians thought they'd take Ukraine in hours. One of their own colonels sets them straight

(tags:Russia Ukraine war viaDanielDWilliam )

Thousands of Romanians parked at the border waiting to take Ukrainian refugees home with them

(tags:Ukraine refugee Romania )

Your regular reminder that the UK's Home Office are inhuman scum

(tags:immigration asylum UK refugee OhForFucksSake )

EU and USA move to cut off Russia from making international payments and to paralyse its central bank

(tags:Russia banking Europe USA )

Millions in Bitcoin pouring into Ukraine from donors

(tags:Ukraine bitcoin war Russia )

"I'm common as muck and spent £150 in a Michelin star restaurant to see if it was worth it"

(tags:food review )

Russia-Ukraine Update (not going well for Russia, but they still have a resource advantage)

(tags:Russia Ukraine war )

The mystery of Anthrax Island and the seeds of death

(tags:death disease Scotland )

Brandon Sanderson has an incredibly impressive working output

(tags:work writing impressive )

Brandon Sanderson's Advice for Doing Hard Things

(tags:advice writing planning )

How would we get ourselves off of Russian gas?

(tags:gas viaDanielDWilliam Russia UK )

Comments

[nancylebov]

I'm pleased to hear about bitcoin pouring into Ukraine, but what can they spend it on?

[andrewducker]

I believe a mixture of drugs and hitmen, from the popular press guide to bitcoin.

One of those would be quite handy!

[mountainkiss]

I do dislike Cal Newport. His advice is in principle so very very good, but all he ends up writing about is how marvellous he is and how contemptible the people are who don't stick to his principles. I can't think of any other writer by whom I feel so hectored.

[andrewducker]

I haven't encountered him before, but that does sound like it's going to be draining.

[calimac]

Brandon Sanderson's Advice for Doing Hard Things wouldn't have been much help for the hardest thing I ever tried to do where Brandon Sanderson was concerned, which was trying to read one of his novels.

[channelpenguin]

Haha! I actually finished one. But only out of sheer stubborness!

I guess he is the Ed Sheeran of fantasy. Impressively productiven popular with many - but really really not my thing.

Foodie

[channelpenguin]

I found the Michelin-star restaurant write up utterly charming.

Re: Foodie

[andrewducker]

She was having such an unexpectedly nice time!

Re: Foodie

[wildeabandon]

I enjoyed reading it so much! It perfectly captured what I love about fine dining, and tasting menus in particular.

I know that some people find it ridiculous that I would spend as much on a meal as they would on a short holiday, but for me it's very much the same sort of thing - the creation of glorious memories of moments of utter joy and surprise and delight.

Re: Foodie

[anna_wing]

Yes! My friend and I had dinner at Kikunoi in Kyoto (in February, so booking was a doddle), and it was an experience I will never forget. Particularly the bit where they very sweetly brought out their cookbook in English, with the relevant dishes marked with post-its so that we would have no doubt about what we were eating. I bought the book too, just as a souvenir.

Re: Foodie

[anef]

It made me smile, which was worth it!

[fub]

I'm doing good business with my solar panels and air/air heat pump. I'd happily pay for the gas I saved as well, if it gets routed back to Russia, straight into Putin's ass.

[andrewducker]

How well does the air source heat pump work when it drops down to freezing?

[fub]

It transfers heat from outside to inside, or from inside to outside. If it is very cold outside, then the amount of power it takes goes up quite steeply, and the outside unit can actually freeze over. So we certainly are retaining our gas-fired central heating system for such cases. But yesterday it was 8C, and it worked nicely, so apparently it's quite good at extracting heat!

[andrewducker]

That makes sense. Air Source Heat Pump + Gas Boiler seems like a good combination. Until gas stops being allowed, of course.