An introduction to my music recommendations

After my last article it struck me that I don't post music recommendations on this blog. Instead they've all been dumped on Facebook where they become part of that mushy landscape, receding into the past almost immediately, never to be seen again. Given that I take quite a lot of time to listen and advise, this seems somehow inappropriate. Music does not have an expiry date.

Recommendations for Bandcamp Friday (May 2026)

It's Bandcamp Friday, a day when all proceeds go to the artists. If you are like me, you bookmark your favourites through the preceding month and then make one grouped purchase to optimise the lives of artists.

Read on for five recommendations. And please post your own, so I can prepare for next month.

Full flavour. Long aftertaste.

This article is a birthday gift to my dear friend Ed. He and I bonded during our university years over a strange shared love for instant ramen noodles. I say "strange" because this was back in the 1980s. To find said food you had to travel to the East end of town and visit the only Chinese grocer. Times have changed!

And in more than one way. Though I still sometimes resort to ramen packs, I am no longer a starving student and my tastes have become more refined. Here I share a far superior instant noodle that you might be lucky enough to find locally.

USA military interventions

It is with great sadness that my first post of a new year must once again contextualise violence in the world. Today I am seeing many social media posts blaming the current president, Trump, for the latest Usonian violence. This time it's a military incursion into Venezuela. Trump is a sociopathic puppet manipulated by darker forces... not even in the shadows but standing right there beside him. But in this case he is carrying on a long tradition of bullying by the USA.

Here is a short list of military interventions by that state, omitting both World Wars and the slaughter of the native peoples of North America. Drug-running, assassination, overthrowing elected leaders, bombing of suburban homes, mass murder of civilians, support of dictators, arming of fanatics, chemical warfare... the USA is a world-leader in all of these.

The rights of nature: a rebuttal

Last year Brian Eno initiated a plan to treat Nature as a revenue partner on streaming music services such as Spotify and Apple Music [Savage 2024]. This grants Nature the same rights as, say, Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar. At that time I drafted a reply on social media. Here I expand the text in the context of the Slovenia 2025 meeting of the Central European Network for Sonic Ecologies (CENSE). Much more could yet be written from this brief outline, should time and health allow.

Real Malaysian food at KTS Food & Bakery

Limerick's Wickham Way was once a disused driveway and warehouse area between two grungy city blocks. Now it's a semi-thriving food and culture spot. I say "semi" because the biggest problem with this assemblage is knowing when any of the stalls will be open. And while this small area can't compare with the sprawling markets of larger cities, it's got character. For one, it's enveloped by the grooving Downbeat Records with their giant reggae sound system. Though I'm not here to talk about where to buy your vinyl... this is where you buy your vinyl. 

Food blogging begins!

Not that I have the time, but I've been encouraged to blog about food. Why?

First, because it can be hard to find decent cuisine in Ireland. This island is not known as a hot-bed of delightful meals. Yes, we have the famous spice bag. Yes, we have fish and chips the size of your face. And the curiosity that is curry chips. But notice that all of those have something in common... often rather soggy, flavourless potatoes.

This is the food that most people encounter. What else can we eat?

Configuring a computer for gallery use

This article will explain how to set up a Windows 11 Pro computer for unattended operation, for example when running a gallery installation or kiosk. This article is a companion to Remote Computer Access.

These articles do not assume that you are an expert, but do require you to be familiar with using Windows. If required, you can find more detailed tutorials online. My aim here is to be concise and precise since I have not yet found an overview of this kind.

Remote computer access

I regularly create gallery installations where audiovisual material is run on a computer that a) might difficult to physically access, and b) must be run with the minimum of technical knowledge. In these cases it is much easier to administer the functionality using a second remote computer.

First, read Configuring a Computer for Gallery Use, which explains how to set up the host computer. Then return here.

On democracy (from 2019)

As I wrote in 2019...

I am very sorry for my friends in Brazil. It is hard not to despair.