Interesting Links for 19-03-2025

[andrewducker]

1. I am very amused to discover that I'm distantly related to Magnus Hirschfeld.

(tags:lgbt history sex family )

2. Why does every book come from the same country? And why is its capital city Swindon?

(tags:books viaSwampers numbers )

3. Basic Woman's Entire Personality Revolves Around Things She Enjoys

(tags:happiness satire funny )

4. How Apple restricts Pebble from being awesome with iPhones

(tags:apple OhForFucksSake )

5. Naoshima - Japan's island of art

(tags:japan art )

6. Benefit cuts aren't going to help.

(tags:welfare uk OhForFucksSake )

Comments

[cmcmck]

1. I can think of many worse people to be related to!

[andrewducker]

Very-much so! I'm intrigued as to why my Genealogy site decided to tell me about that particular person!

(Entirely possible they are the only remotely famous person within 5 degrees of separation.)

[mountainkiss]

I’m really hoping that this site only tells people whether or not they’re related to Magnus Hirschfeld.

[andrewducker]

That would be absolutely hilarious

[channelpenguin]

The same thought crossed my mind...

[bens_dad]

If Magnus is genealogy's answer to Paul Erdos, Kevin Bacon and Black Sabbath, then he will have more close relatives than almost anyone else.

(My Erdos-Bacon number is ten*, but I don't sing so haven't looked for a possible Sabbath number.
*5+5, counting stage-plays for my Bacon number.)

[channelpenguin]

I have sung on stage at jam nights with enough old semi-famous British and German rockers that I am sure I will have a Black Sabbath number ... if only I could recall any of their names. LOL. How rock n roll!

(Fun Fact: I used to have a Black Sabbath tribute band. We were good, too!)

[fub]

We've been to Naoshima, and it is indeed spectacular if you like modern art and/or the works of architect Tadao Ando.
Stay two nights on the island so you have enough time to see everything (really see rather than take a photo with your phone and move on immediately, the art is worth it to take the time to really experience it) -- renting bicycles is most convenient but there is also a bus service that hits all the highlights, but that puts you on a timetable.
My highlights are:
- The two Kusama pumpkins (we stayed in a yurt on a camping within short walking distance to the yellow one);
- The Lee Ufan museum;
- The Chichu art museum;
- The Minamidera art house.

Certainly one of the highlights of all of our trips to Japan. (I also used it as an (off-screen) plot point in my cyberpunk RPG scenario "International Waters", still the writing I'm most proud of.)

[trailer_spot]

This is not a very profound comment of me to make, but I want to tell you that I find it very cool that you made the trip to visit that island.

[fub]

It was part of a larger trip to Japan, and we'd been to Japan a few times before (and since!) so we wanted to roam a bit further afield. And my partner is a huge enjoyer of the work of Tadao Ando, and there's a lot of that on Naoshima. There is even an art book focused on only the work he did on the island. So when we suggested to our travel agent that we would want to visit, they fit it into our itinerary. And it remains one of the highlights from all our visits to Japan.

[trailer_spot]

Your profile says that you live in the Netherlands, so I suspect you've been to the Museum Insel Hombroich in Neuss, close to the Dutch border? With places like the Langen Foundation.

[fub]

To my embarrassment I have to admit that we haven't been there -- even though it's less than an hour's drive away from where we live! But it's a good point -- we should put it on the list for a daytrip one of these days.

[andrewducker]

I am envious. Some day I would like to make it to Japan.

[fub]

You know there are daily flights to Japan, yes?

Ok, so the tickets are pricey, but Japan can be enjoyed pretty cheap otherwise. Business hotels are a cheap option to stay. Food is delicious and cheap -- eateries around the train stations serve cheap home-style cooking. For all the rest, you can rely on the convenience stores.
What makes a trip to Japan expensive are all the souvenirs you will want to bring with you.

[andrewducker]

Looks like it would be £3000 for flights.

Which is significantly out of what we can afford for the foreseeable future.

(Once neither of the kids are out of nursery we should have the capacity to save up for that kind of thing. It would take a while though.)