Hail November! Stop doing whatever you're doing and read this! Used up my exclamation mark quota for the month already!
“My husband points out that I can now make the charts in Masquerade read anything I want them to,” complained one of Kit Williams’ correspondents. Another, a clergyman, wrote out of concern for one of his parishioners: “The problem is that she has become obsessed with the puzzle, and sees everything that happens to her in terms of it.” He was worried about her mental health, but even more about her soul: “Could you please, therefore, confirm definitely that there is no hidden religious or occult meaning to Masquerade?”
‘This Goes All the Way to the Queen’: The Puzzle Book that Drove England to Madness
In excellent tech writing, Matthew Hughes manages to make the story of Windows XP non-upgraders fascinating.
Most of the towers and laptops Samuel sells have Windows XP installed using the same license key. Those tend to be the cheaper computers. Windows 7 commands a premium, so he saves it for the more powerful and expensive machines.
I wanted to know what the enduring appeal of Windows XP is, over fourteen years after it was first released.
'Why Windows XP Won’t Be Going Away Anytime Soon'
Finally, some sportsballing scribbling. This is a really great piece of writing about rugby culture in New Zealand, well worth it even if you've no interest in the sport now that it's not all over the telly any more.
“So where are you going next?” Daniell asks.
“Auckland grammar.”
“Good idea.” He looks me over. “But you should probably shave before you go. Last time I was there I had a beard and the coach told me I was setting a bad example to his players.”
I laugh.
“No,” he says, “I’m serious.”
'The making of an All Black: how New Zealand sustains its rugby dynasty'
Worth Pondering
Eye Candy
'New York City sends old subway cars to a watery grave in the Atlantic ocean'
Totally Confused
Highway to hell, 'Hi Marc', while Jeb was gone, terrible sports bras and Thicke as two short planks.
Yours etc., @loughlin
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