I updated my blogroll to add Annie Mueller’s blog. Annie’s candid writing is captivating.
Ukrainians in Switzerland
SWI:
Two years ago, the Swiss government activated protection status S for Ukrainian refugees – a first in the Alpine country. Integration into the labour market, however, remains a problem.
[A] round 66,000 Ukrainians are holders of a status S permit. But the government sees the need to take action: only 20% of working-age Ukrainian refugees currently have a job.
This is despite the fact that several sectors are desperately looking for labour amid a shortage of skilled workers. Ukrainian refugees often have a high level of education. In November 2023, the Federal Council announced that it wants to double the rate of employment among Ukrainian refugees to 40%.
I just updated my Blogroll. Dave Winer has really motivated me to keep it updated.
Updated Guide for Visiting Paris
I added two sites to my guide for visiting Paris:
- Musée de la Préfecture de police (Police Museum), Hôtel de police – 4 rue de la Montagne Sainte-Geneviève – 75005 Paris (Quartier Latin). See also, Le musée de la préfecture de Police.
- Abbaye de Royaumont – See also, Pierre P. Photography (about an hour from Paris)
PopClip Leaves the Mac App Store
The last released version of PopClip on the Mac App Store is v2023.9. This is the final update that will be available through the store. You can continue to receive PopClip updates by migrating to the Standalone edition.
See also, Michael Tsai’s Tech Blog.
I’ve been using this useful app for years.
Why Blog? ‘A record of the roads I’ve traveled’
First, I like to share things I’m thinking about. This can have the effect of exposing others to things they might not have known about or considered. But just as important is that blogging about my interests provides me with a record of the roads I’ve traveled, so to speak. I find this hugely valuable, even if it sometimes seems it’s the same roads over and over again.
I just updated my list of Paris photographers. It’s a work in progress. Suggestions are always welcome.
John Howard Payne's Memorial Stone, Oak Hill Cemetery, Washington, D.C. (2024)
John Howard Payne (June 9, 1791 – April 10, 1852) was an American actor, poet, playwright, and author who had nearly two decades of a theatrical career and success in London. He is today most remembered as the creator of “Home! Sweet Home!”, a song he wrote in 1822 that became widely popular in the United States and the English-speaking world. Its popularity was revived during the American Civil War, as troops on both sides embraced it. Payne died in Tunis in 1852 and was buried there in St. George’s Protestant Cemetery. Philanthropist W. W. Corcoran of Washington, D.C., arranged for Payne’s reinterment in his last home city. (He was the founder of the Corcoran Gallery.)
A memorial service marked the reinterment of Payne’s remains at Oak Hill Cemetery in the Georgetown neighborhood. (Corcoran had founded this cemetery, where many Civil War veterans were buried.) The memorial service was held on the 91st anniversary of Payne’s birth and was attended by President Chester A. Arthur, members of his cabinet, the State Department, and the Supreme Court; the Marine Band, and a crowd of 2,000-3,000 that included numerous literary and other prominent people. Organizers arranged for a full choir to sing “Home, Sweet Home.”
(Source: Wikipedia)
The Washington Post: Fatal heat wave strikes unspoiled swath of Great Barrier Reef
NYTimes: Automakers Are Sharing Consumers’ Driving Behavior With Insurance Companies
LexisNexis, which generates consumer risk profiles for the insurers, knew about every trip G.M. drivers had taken in their cars, including when they sped, braked too hard or accelerated rapidly.
List of Paris Photographers updated to add Laura Leijnen, a French-Belgian photographer, mostly street, mostly Paris.
Suggestions of other photographers to add to this list are always welcome.
Disparition de l’amiral Philippe de Gaulle (1921-2024)
L’amiral Philippe de Gaulle, ancien résistant et sénateur de Paris, nous a quittés à 102 ans.
Sa haute silhouette, son profil aquilin, paraissaient immédiatement familiers. Philippe de Gaulle ne pouvait nier sa ressemblance physique avec son père Charles de Gaulle, de même qu’il avait reçu en héritage son courage, son goût pour les affaires militaires et politiques, et sa passion pour la France.
The Washington Post: Picasso tried to ruin his ex’s career. The Picasso Museum will show her art.
Le Monde: Écouter tous les articles en version audio
Si vous vous inscrivez au journal Le Monde, vous pouvez maintenant écouter tous les articles en version audio dans l’application. Pour profiter de cette fonctionnalité, cliquez sur l’icône casque située sous l’article, dans les fils d’actualité. Ou bien, depuis l’article, directement dans la barre d’actions. J’aime bien cette fonctionnalité mais je préférais l’audio sans la musique de fond. Quand même, je suis bien content.
Blogging About Blogging
Manuel Moreale, an Italian freelance developer and designer, has a weekly newsletter entitled People and Blogs. In each issue of his newsletter, he invites one blogger to describe his or her blog. I’m enjoying learning what motivates other bloggers.
Previous editions include :
- Manton Reece
- Rachel J. Kwon
- Kev Quirk
- Brian Koberlein
- Toby Shorin
- Andrea Contino
- Ana Rodrigues
- Jim Nielsen
- Ray Thomas
- Jamie Crisman
- Piper Haywood
- Chris Coyier
- Robin Rendle
- Nicolas Magand
- Eli Mellen
- Jamie Thingelstad
- Chris Butler
- Derek Sivers
- Arun Venkatesan
- Rachel Smith
- Tom MacWright
- Ran Prieur
- Winnie Lim
- Phil Gyford
- Peter Rukavina
- Herman Martinus
- Cassidy Williams
You can subscribe here.
Are Social Media Worth the Time and Effort?
I don’t want to wake up to a social media timeline of any sort
No, not even the ethical ones like Mastodon or Micro.blog. Heck, I don’t want a separate timeline for videos (YouTube) or podcasts either. Or one for news or newsletters. Everything, and I mean everything, that I want to follow or subscribe to from anywhere on the Internet goes into my organized RSS reader because of its unmatched efficiency and control. Now I have a single feed to check, which I do when I want to or need to. It doesn’t notify or nag me, doesn’t screw up the order of posts, and doesn’t recommend things. It can be trusted to do nothing on its own.
No posting on social media, or even my microblog
Most people don’t blog, sadly, but tend to have three places to post: a Twitter-like network, an Instagram-like visual space, and LinkedIn. But microblogging is a terribly contextually deprived way to create and consume things, one hiding behind a gratification trap. It often felt like I’m sharing purposeful things there but had the interface not artificially limited me to 300 or 500 characters—and had I not been writing for (algorithmic) reader reactions—I often had more nuance and references to share. And so I’ll not post on any social media. I shall only blog now, a slower but more thoughtful way to communicate publicly. This way I also own the connection to my readers based on open technologies that have stood the test of time: Email and RSS.
I found this interesting but I would not personally go this route. For exampIe, I enjoy those I follow on YouTube and Micro.blog. I have an Instagram account but spend far less time there than before. The primary place I share my photography is Flickr, which I value.