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Podcast: Biography of Tor

Tor: From the Dark Web to the Future of Privacy This episode of Peoples & Things completely nerd sniped me. On recommendation from Biella Coleman, hosts Lee Vinsel and Paula Bialski interview Ben Collier about his new book Tor: From the Dark Web to the Future of Privacy (available Open Access from MIT Press. I love ethnographic works on computing history and especially admire Biella’s book Coding Freedom: The Ethics and Aesthetics of Hacking.

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Today I hung out with the German GOAT Goethe at his house, learned a bunch about the Romantics, meditated in a glass prism, and now it is time to say Gute Nacht to Frankfurt. Tomorrow is my last day before I fly back to Canada.

Chad posing with a portrait of Goethe later in his lifeChad posing with a portrait of Goethe earlier in his lifea series of blue class triangles terminating in the distanceSkyline of Frankfurt from the river as the sun goes down

Have some journaling to do. What better pace than the warm platz at Römerberg, just a couple of blocks from Goethe House

A few more shots from Heidelberg 🏰 on a warm sunny day 🌞

Crowded Heidelberg street in the old down. The spire of the Heiliggeistkirche pokes up above the rooftops in the distanceHeidelberg Castle on its hill above the lower townChad stands in front of the ornate inside wall at Heidelberg castle which is covered with statues of kingsThe Theodor-Heuss-Brücke bridge over the Neckar River from above

Lovely warm spring day at Heidelberg Castle

Made it to the little southern German village where the wedding is happening. Lovely bucolic view from my top-floor (4) hotel window. My ears ring with the sound of music 🎶 but @expede.wtf says she hears the WinXP startup sound 🪟

A green hill and blue sky

As part of the pre-wedding I just did a West Coast Swing lesson in German! 🕺🏼 🇩🇪

Made it to Germany!

🤯 At the Frankfurt Airport Train station ⛲️ at the Wasserturm in Mannheim 🍟🌭 vegan currywurst

Chad in front of a statue of three arms holding up a head Chad selfie with a German tower and a fountainCloseup of fries and currywurst

Off to Germany! 🇩🇪

Thanks London, was a blast.

Under the wing of a plane on the tarmac

Wow I got 英語お上手ですね’d by a London cabbie this morning on the way to the train station!

Last day in London. Visited Westminster Abbey. A few fun wide angle shots of the complex interior design. 🇬🇧

Chad selfie pointing at Westminster AbbeyThe main altar of Westminster Abbey in wide angle capturing the arched ceiling The complete cieling of the lady’s chapel in Westminster AbbeyA corner window with complex designs. It’s like this place was designed by an alien spider race

Round 2 at the British Museum 🥊

Chad selfie in front of the British Museum on a perfect blue sky afternoon

Had so much fun reconnecting with everyone at Newspeak House last night (and meeting some of the other fellow-candidates I hadn’t met before) that I am going to go again tonight for Ration Club to hang out more. If you are in London, come by for 7pm

newspeak.house

As is the custom, I got lost in the Barbican

Some brutalist 1960s architecture above a pond and a crumbling corner of a Roman fort.

Spending some time at the British Library 📚

The Treasures exhibition is such a brilliant reminder of why books are important, and how they can be such beautiful objects.

The British Library in the foreground with St Pancras Station in the back to the rightChad selfie pointing to Isaac Newton statue by Eduardo PaolozziThe King’s Library, a multi story column of books in the center of the libraryA shot of the King’s library from above at an angle

Somewhat embarrassing that I got lost trying to find the tea room at the Royal Geographical Society 😅

One of the large rooms of the RGS with high ceilings and a bare wooden floor, pictures of explorers and kayaks hanging off the walls.

On an absolutely brilliant day I am at the Royal Geographical Society about to check off a 20+ year bucket list item: examining Sir Francis Younghusband’s notes on Tibet, Kashgar, and the Roof of the World 🏔️

(No, I did not intentionally wear the brand colours 😅)

Chad selfie pointing to the Royal Gepgraphical Society sign which is orange like his sweater

England is kinda like Japan in how it blends old and new…

“EAT, REST, & PRAY”

wework

A church with a gothic sign above the door “EAT, REST, & PRAY” but a small sign on the wooden door with a “wework” logo

Chat, what do you say when the Finnish guy sitting at the table next to you, with a fresh commemorative military tat on his arm, says he just got back from 2 years in Ukraine and he would go back if it weren’t for his 15 year old son sitting across from him eating a plant-based burger? 😳

Well I got the Shard! ☝️

Been wandering around all afternoon. Hopefully between the sun ☀️ this cookie 🍪 and this Colombian handdrip ☕️ I can stay awake until the evening.

Chad selfie pointing up at The ShardChad brandished a cookie on a sunny street wearing sunglassesA glass mug full of coffee in a wooden tray with a business-card sized info sheet on the Granito De Oro Chirosso beans from Colombia

Landed at Gatwick 🇬🇧

Just having a toastie and a coffee before heading into London. Gorgeous sunny day 😎