It's great to see Sindarov play such bold, attacking chess in the Candidates. He absolutely steam rollers Pragg in this game, and with the black pieces too. Also, Sindarov was my pick at the start of the tournament, so these performances make me feel like I know what I'm talking about.
Take using AI chat bots to learn languages. They have a use, but many people find there's a limit to which they can chat with a stochastic parrot that has no inner world. Discussing music or ethics with a machine that has no real care for either becomes tiring extremely quickly.
I remember Magnus Carlsen saying something along the lines that he doesn't play AI bots, as such games lack a psychological dimension that makes chess interesting. It's a point that has broader application.
The camelia has given the garden its first flower of 2026. Spring is now officially springing. #gardening
I'll check it out!
Interesting. Although Chicago wasn't the birthplace of these genres it definitely played a crucial role in transforming and popularising variants of all three. A lot of this is a consequence of the Great Migration (e.g. Waters, Wolf and BB King all migrated from the Delta.).
#MusicChallenge
#IsmuasMonthOfMusic
Day 16 - A song about being misunderstood
'Misunderstood' by Wilco.
#MusicChallenge
#IsmuasMonthOfMusic
Day 15 - A Song That Defines An Artist
'New Paths to Helicon, Pt. 1' by Mogwai
I'm flying the Scottish flag once more. Mogwai have created so much incredible music in their career, but this single from 1997 captures what I call 'unhurried Mowai'. It's magical.
A bunch of Carolina Repear seedlings crammed into a tiny pot.
When you're not convinced your old Chocolate Carolina Repear seeds are still viable and chuck a load in a tiny pot only for the whole lot to germinate. #allotment #gardening
👏👏👏
The slowest of slow hand claps those phone manufacturers who have developed a swipe text system that produces gibberish and have allied this with a keyboard whose buttons are so small it's impossible to tap type accurately. Bravo.
Max Dowman eh? I don't think I've ever seen a teenager move with the ball like he does. His balance is absurd.
Ooft! We're about five months away from that. Is there a Blackpool in Peru I don't know about?
I'm late with this observation, but it's worth noting the extent to which Instagram has been enshittified. You used to be able to view a hashtag feed chronologically (I used to browse the allotment one). Now it's packed with the same crap infulencer posts. This means your own posts are rarely seen.
A Kashmiri chilli seedling. It's still early days in the chilli growing calendar here in Scotland. #allotment
#IsmuasMonthOfMusic
#MusicChallenge
Day 14 - A song that feels like advice.
'Sit Around The Fire' by Jon Hopkins (with Ram Daas)
When the piano kicks in...
Monehjags!
#MusicChallenge
#IsmuasMonthOfMusic
Day 13 - A song with an unexpected drop.
'Festival' by Sigur Rós
La couverture de "Cœur de crystal" par Frédéric Lenoir.
Mon prochain livre. Voyons s'il est aussi bon que « L'âme du monde ».
#MusicChallenge
#IsmuasMonthOfMusic
Day 12 - A Perfect Song For Background Listening.
'Morning Side' by Four Tet
When I'm working I like something with a driving beat in the background. The Morning/Evening EP is massively underrated. The samples of Bollywood singer Lata Mangeshkar are gorgeous.
#MusicChallenge
#IsmuasMonthOfMusic
Day 11 - A Song With A Subtle Meaning
'Wish You Were Here' by Pink Floyd
It's a song about Syd Barrett of course, but it's also a wider commentary on fame, alienation, betrayed ideals, fading dreams, commercialisation and the music industry machine.
On the bright side, at least the algorithm's obsession with convincing me to do Tai Chi walking has abated.
I'm unsure as to why YouTube thinks I need luggage that can survive being thrown from a plane.
#QuitGPT Don't feed the machine.
Enseigne à la clef de sol.
1908. #Paris
#MusicChallenge
#IsmuasMonthOfMusic
Day 10 : A song that feels like a memory replaying
'An Empty Bliss Beyond This World' by The Caretaker
This incredible piece seeks to recreate the fragmented experience of someone with Alzheimer's as they attempt to recall songs from their past. Groundbreaking.
"L'orgueilleux... pense n'avoir besoin de personne. Il se croit supérieur aux autres et a une fausse image de lui même. Bien souvent l'orgueilleux commet de grandes erreurs de jugement, car il est aveuglé par le soleil de son ego. L'orgueilleux est ridicule." (Frédérick Lenoir, L'âme du monde).
#IsmuasMonthOfMusic 🎼
#MusicChallenge 🎶
Day 9 - A song about insecurity
'The State I Am In' by Belle and Sebastian
I had to go with a Glaswegian band today.
