George O. Wood

@gwood

🧑‍💻 Computer Scientist 🎓 PhD Candidate @ ncl.ac.uk 🚑 First Responder 📷 Photographer #LongLiveFilm 🏳️‍🌈 Be kind, always. 🇺🇦 #SlavaUkraini 🇵🇸 #FreePalestine 🪪 he/him/his 🗣️ /ʤɔːʤ wʊd/ 🔗 gwood.dev Unapologetic human user of em dashes. 💭 All opinions are my own.

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George O. Wood@gwood· Jun 1

I've given gwood.dev a little Pride Month makeover. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

George O. Wood@gwood· May 25

And yet, the majority of media organisations here in the UK report these headlines with generally positive—or at the very least neutral—framing. This is the BBC’s “Summary” section as of 09:04 this morning…

• Monday is expected to be the hottest May day ever recorded in the UK, with temperatures of up to 34C (93F) forecast in south-east
England
• The prospect of comfortably beating the previous record is "bonkers" - even 35C is not out of the question, BBC weather presenters write
• Sunday was the hottest May day for at least 79 years, with 32.3C recorded at Kew Gardens.
Overnight a provisional record for the warmest overnight temperature in May was set in London
• Around 500 properties in Sussex and Kent are without water or have intermittent supply - South East Water says it is due to "increased demand"
• The UK Health Security Agency has issued amber heat health alerts for large parts of England, lasting until Wednesday. But it's not sunny everywhere - pictures from the Scottish Highlands show thick clouds and rain
• Are you enjoying the warm weather - or is it too warm? Email yourvoice@bbc.co.uk or upload your pictures and videos here

George O. Wood@gwood· May 24

I always have a candle of some description lit when I’m working at my desk. For a while, though, I’ve been conscious that they’re not the best for indoor air quality. And, of course, they’re a significant fire risk. So yesterday, I bought a set of four rechargeable #Skatgås tea lights from #IKEA.

George O. Wood@gwood· May 5

“Woke” is an ideal, a badge of honour to wear with pride. If you ever find yourself using “woke” in a derogatory way, ask yourself “why do I have a problem with people being aware of social problems such as racism and inequality?” The answer, on reflection, may be “because I’m a piece of shit.” 💩

woke
adjective
aware, especially of social problems such as racism and inequality:
• She urged young black people to stay woke.
• disapproving He said that many of these so-called woke individuals never actually engage with the marginalized groups they claim to defend.

George O. Wood@gwood· May 5

Greens: “here’s why you should vote for us.” Labour: “here’s why you shouldn’t vote for the Greens.” The contrast is clear, vote for your @greenparty.org.uk candidates on Thursday. #VoteGreen #HopeNotHate

A Green Party election leaflet for Newcastle City Council, titled "Your Voice Matters: Vote Green." It features headshots of three candidates: Jamie Driscoll, Kiran Sayyed, and Gareth Jones.
The leaflet highlights three key priorities in rounded boxes:
• Cleaner streets and green spaces.
• Secure and safe transport and parking.
• A city council that treats everyone fairly.
At the bottom left, an illustration shows three ballot boxes marked with an 'X' next to each candidate's name. To the right, a bar chart titled "Projected result - Newcastle Council" shows the Green Party leading at 30%, followed by Labour (21%), Reform (19%), and Conservatives (17%). A calendar icon in the corner marks the election date as May 7.

George O. Wood@gwood· May 4

I had the pleasure of meeting this elegant young lady in Whitley Bay today. 📍 Whitley Bay, UK #Seal #GreySeal #Wildlife #MarineLife #NaturePhotography #Beach #Ocean

A grey seal resting on a wide, sandy beach near the edge of the blue ocean under a clear sky. A dark shadow stretches across the sand in the immediate foreground.

A close-up of a speckled grey seal sleeping peacefully on the sand with its eyes closed and mouth slightly open. Foamy ocean waves are breaking in the water just behind the seal.

George O. Wood@gwood· May 3

Seldom have I been happier with the way one of my photographs turned out. 📍 Tyne Tunnel, Tyne & Wear, UK 📷 #PentaxK1000 🎞️ #KodakUltramax400

A bright red sign reading "CYCLISTS DISMOUNT" sits in the center of a long, empty pedestrian tunnel with green tiled walls that curve toward a distant glow.

George O. Wood@gwood· Apr 23

Some very moody vibes from a recent walk through the Tyne Tunnel (properly, the Tyne Pedestrian and Cyclist Tunnels). 📍 Tyne Tunnel, Tyne & Wear, UK 📷 #Pentax17 🎞️ #KodakT-MaxP3200

A course-grained black-and-white image of a person walking down a tunnel. The person is wearing dark trousers and a dark jacket, a dark beanie hat, with a lighter-coloured hood protruding from their collar. The tunnel appears damp and dank, and is illuminated by a regularly-interrupted seam of fluorescent lights running down the length of the ceiling.

A course-grained black-and-white image of a long tunnel curving away into the distance. The tunnel appears dingy, damp, and dark. It is illuminated by a line of fluorescent lights running down the length of the ceiling.

A course-grained black-and-white image of a pair of tunnel entrances. A pair of signs adorning a white tiled wall between the two entrances label the left entrance as “CYCLISTS TUNNEL” and the right one as “PEDESTRIAN TUNNEL”. The image is framed from a left-central angle, and the left tunnel can be seen stretching into the distance as such. All but the immediate vestibule of the right tunnel is occluded by the dividing wall.

A low-angled course-grained black-and-white image of a tunnel. The photograph is taken next to the shiny white tiles, with them dominating half of the frame vertically. The reflections cast by the fluorescent lighting show stark contrast on the reflective tiles.

George O. Wood@gwood· Apr 22

A couple more honourable mentions. 📍 London, UK 📷 #PentaxK1000 🎞️ #IlfordDelta400

A stark, high-contrast black-and-white image of razor wire running along a wire fence. The foreground is dominated by the out-of-focus spanning arches of the razor wire, framing the rest of the image. In-focus is the fence, which is rendered ink black due to its position in shadow. Behind the fence, out-of-focus in the background, is a large radio tower sitting atop a stout brick utility building. Some sparse foliage is visible throughout.

A black-and-white image of a large radio tower. The tower is framed by an arch of foliage in soft-focus in the foreground. Even closer, out-of-focus, sits a prominent industrial fence topped with three rows of barbed wire.

George O. Wood@gwood· Apr 22

A life, restricted. 📍 Gateshead, Newcastle, Rothbury, & London, UK 📷 #PentaxK1000 & #Pentax17 🎞️ #KodakUltraMax400, #KodakEktar100, #Kentmere400, & #Kentmere200

A warm image of pale blue, warped, damaged spiked fencing. Several posts are missing, and the paint is heavily chipped, revealing the rusted metal beneath. Wispy, leafless branches and twigs shroud the fence, catching in its spikes. The focus is shallow, with only a single post fully sharp.

A black-and-white image of a stone wall with barbed wire running across it. The framing is very tight, and the focus very shallow, making the barbs the primary subject. The sky above is nearly pure white.

A colourful image of a large patch of dirt and sparse grass, with some greener, fuller grass further away. In the background is a railway arch, with a red "no entry" sign centred in front of it. The photograph is taken through a black grid fence, which is in soft focus in the foreground. Distantly, near the arch, a few people can be seen going about their days.

A black-and-white image of a wire fence centred on an industrial, sharp-looking ratcheting device, presumably for tensioning the wire of the fence during assembly. The entire image is rendered in a soft, grey hue, and has soft, inoffensive contrast. Distantly, out of focus, a row of trees can be seen, with a much larger branchless trunk slightly closer than the others.

George O. Wood@gwood· Apr 20

There seems to be a somewhat widespread outage of AI services... #Outage #AI #DownDetector

A screenshot of the DownDetector website showing a spike in outage reports from OpenAI, Claude, Microsoft Copilot, CloudFlare, and Gemini.

George O. Wood@gwood· Apr 9

Sometimes, compositions just present themselves… 📍 Newcastle, UK 📷 #iPhone15ProMax

An old, weathered book lies open and face-down on rough, gravelly dirt. In the blurry foreground, dry weeds grow near a green glass bottle lying on its side. The background shows sparse vegetation and the base of a green metal fence.

George O. Wood@gwood· Mar 18

📍 Newcastle, UK 📷 #Pentax17 🎞️ #KodakGold200

A paved walking path curves through green grass towards a wooden bench in a quiet park. A person wearing a bright red/orange jacket sits alone on the bench. Bare winter trees and dry bushes fill the background under a pale, overcast sky, and a tall streetlamp stands on the left.

George O. Wood@gwood· Mar 18

Not my best exposure settings, but I'm quite liking this composition. 📍 Newcastle, UK 📷 #Pentax17 🎞️ #KodakGold200

A grainy, vertical film photograph of a long, straight paved path stretching toward a distant horizon.

A single person in a light-colored t-shirt and dark shorts is running away from the camera along the center of the path. The path is flanked by expansive, flat green fields. A tall, thin black lamp post stands in the immediate left foreground, with a line of similar, smaller lamp posts receding into the distance along the left side of the walkway. In the far background, a hazy city skyline is visible beneath a heavy, overcast grey sky.

George O. Wood@gwood· Mar 17

Another little gem I'm only just coming across. I really need to get better at appreciating my own photography. 📍 London, UK 📷 #Pentax17 🎞️ #KodakEktar100

An outdoor shot at the Vauxhall bus station in London, featuring a vibrant, pink corrugated kiosk under a modern, cantilevered roof.

The kiosk is the focal point, decorated with bright pink and white stripes and several graphic elements. On its side, the words "LOVE DIFFERENT LOVE VAUXHALL" are printed in bold, multicolored blocks of teal, blue, and yellow. A green vertical planter box is attached to the side, filled with climbing vines. To the left of the kiosk is a plain metal door, and a yellow and black striped bollard stands nearby on the light-grey tiled pavement.

In the background, the urban landscape of Vauxhall is visible, including tall modern residential towers, red double-decker buses on a road to the left, and a few pedestrians walking across the paved area. The lighting is soft and overcast, characteristic of a typical day in London.

George O. Wood@gwood· Mar 17

Digging through the archives, I found these beauties on a roll of Ektar I shot on a sunny day last summer. I often need to remind myself to actually look at the photos I take. 📍 London, UK 📷 #Pentax17 🎞️ #KodakEktar100

A bright, sunlit street scene in London showing a cyclist in a blue and white striped shirt riding through a city intersection. On the corner stands a light-colored stone building housing an O’Neill’s pub, with a tall black vertical banner hanging on the facade. People are seated at outdoor tables under the pub's awning. In the background, there are trees, other city buildings, and a distant construction crane against a clear, pale blue sky.

A busy London street with a classic red double-decker bus, displaying "390 Archway," driving toward the foreground. The street is filled with traffic, including several dark cars and a van in the foreground. On the sidewalk to the right, a group of pedestrians walks along the pavement. In the background, the same multi-story O’Neill’s pub building from the first image is visible at the intersection, surrounded by a mix of modern and traditional urban architecture under a bright, sunny sky.

George O. Wood@gwood· Mar 14

I enjoy that the Venn diagram containing film photography people and fountain pen people seems to be a circle.

A Lamy Studio fountain pen in the colour “Black Forest” is laying across a two-columned academic paper. The photograph has a very short focal plane, in which only the pen and a few lines of text near it are sharply focused. Out of focus in the background is a Starbucks coffee cup, and a warmly-lit cafe behind it.

George O. Wood@gwood· Mar 4

Four soldiers dead, for what? They will not be the last.

From left to right are: Capt Cody Khork, Sgt 1st Class Noah Tietjens, Sgt 1st Class Nicole Amor, and Sgt Declan Coady.

George O. Wood@gwood· Feb 16

Seeing this photograph, I’m reminded of the poignant words of Glenn Cullen in the final episode of #TheThickOfIt. “You know what? I hate you both; Tweedle-Twat and Tweedle-Prick.”

A full-length photo shows Donald Trump and Liz Truss standing side-by-side indoors, posing for a photograph. Trump, on the left, is wearing a red short-sleeved polo shirt, dark trousers, white golf shoes, and a white baseball cap with "USA" in gold lettering. He has one arm around Truss and is giving a thumbs-up with his other hand. Truss, on the right, is wearing a sleeveless, bright magenta midi-length dress and white pointed-toe flats with decorative buckles. They are standing on a patterned carpet in front of a large window that overlooks a golf course with yellow umbrellas.

George O. Wood@gwood· Feb 12

This is rather depressing…

An infographic titled "Gorton and Denton: Overview" showing election data and a future prediction for a UK parliamentary constituency.
The top of the image lists the current MP as Andrew Gwynne (LAB), the area as Central Manchester, an electorate of 78,125, and a turnout of 46.8%. A highlighted badge reads: "PREDICTION: REFORM GAIN FROM LAB."
A data table compares the 2024 election results against predicted votes. Key data points include:
* LAB (Labour): Held a 50.8% share in 2024 (18,555 votes), but is predicted to fall to 22.6%.
* Reform: Held a 14.1% share in 2024 (5,142 votes), but is predicted to rise to 32.0%.
* Green: Held a 13.2% share in 2024, predicted to rise to 23.3%.
* MIN (Minor Parties): Held 10.3%, predicted to drop to 5.3%.
* CON (Conservative): Held 7.9%, predicted to rise slightly to 9.1%.
* LIB (Liberal Democrats): Held 3.8%, predicted to rise to 6.5%.
The bottom of the table shows the LAB Majority was 13,413 (36.7%) in 2024, while the Predicted Majority for the winning party (Reform) is 8.6%.

George O. Wood@gwood· Feb 11

This has been a good day of reading and reading and reading and writing and reading. 📚

A stack of seven academic books sits on a dark green desk in what appears to be a library or study area. The books are stacked vertically, showing their spines, which primarily focus on the subject of Critical Race Theory (CRT) in education.
• Top Book: A thin paperback with a red and white spine titled Critical Race Theory and Education by Mike Cole.
• Second Book: A thick, purple hardcover titled Savage Inequalities by Jonathan Kozol.
• Third Book: A black spine titled Critical Race Theory in Education.
• Fourth & Fifth Books: Two identical bright blue volumes titled Critical Race Theory in Education, edited by Adrienne D. Dixson, David Gillborn, and others.
• Sixth Book: A slightly darker blue spine titled Foundations of Critical Race Theory in Education, edited by Edward Taylor, David Gillborn, and Gloria Ladson-Billings.
• Bottom Book: A dark blue spine titled Handbook of Critical Race Theory in Education, edited by Marvin Lynn and Adrienne D. Dixson.

The books are positioned on the left side of the frame on a textured green leather or vinyl desktop. Several books have white library call number labels on the left side of their spines. In the background, there is a blurred wooden structure library desk divider. To the right, a pink cloth and a green braided cable are partially visible on the desk surface.

George O. Wood@gwood· Feb 11

Today, Matthew, I'm going to be the sort of academic who embodies everything the American far-right thinks is wrong with the world.

A low-angled photo with a book in the foreground and the keyboard of a MacBook Pro in the background.

At the top of the page is the title "TOWARD A CRITICAL RACE THEORY OF EDUCATION".

Below the title, a few sentences are visible, some cut off by the edges of the frame.

"human populations are sometimes known as ethnic groups, or 'races'. ... They are hard to define in a way that is both rigorous and useful because human beings group themselves in a bewildering array of sets, some of them overlapping, all of them in a state of flux."

Nonetheless, even when the concept of race fails to "make sense," we con[tin]ue to employ it. According to Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison:

[sic] ["...] has become metaphorical—a way of referring to and distinguising [...] events, classes, and expressions of social decay and [...] far more threatening to the body politic [... ."]

George O. Wood@gwood· Feb 9

Mmhmm. In the UK, the NHS provides any prescription medication for a fixed price of £9.90 ($13.56). The NHS is imperfect, but socialised healthcare is objectively better for everyone. #HealthcareIsAHumanRight

A screenshot of the trumprx.gov website.

Front and centre in large serif text is “Find the world’s lowest prices on prescription drugs”.

Beneath the heading is a search bar containing the text “Search by drug name…”

George O. Wood@gwood· Feb 1

Trump distractions by Dave Whamond, Canada, PoliticalCartoons.com

A two-panel political cartoon by Whamond. In the left panel, labeled "HOW IT STARTED:", an elephant wearing a red "GOP" hat says to a caricature of Donald Trump, "Sir, we need to distract from the Epstein files!" Trump points and replies, "Quick! Release ICE agents into our cities!" In the right panel, labeled "HOW IT’S GOING:", the elephant says, "Sir! The ICE agents are slaughtering American citizens! We need a distraction!" Trump points again and replies, "Quick! Release the Epstein files!"

George O. Wood@gwood· Jan 30

Having consumed an obscene quantity of #sourdough bread in my life, I thought it was high time I tried making some. This is my first loaf…

A high-angled, close-up shot of a freshly baked, artisanal sourdough boule resting on a silver metal wire cooling rack atop a speckled grey granite countertop. The bread features a deep golden-brown, crusty exterior with a prominent, jagged "ear" where the dough has expanded along a curved score line. One half of the loaf is lightly dusted with white flour, highlighting the concentric ring patterns from a proofing basket, while the exposed interior of the crust shows a honeycomb-like texture. In the blurred background, a wooden proofing basket and a small glass jar sit on the same counter.

George O. Wood@gwood· Jan 5

I’ve been playing with Gemini. Here’s loosely how the chat went… Me: “Draw a political cartoon of Donald Trump.” Gemini: “No.” Me: “How about a fictional, old, fat, orange American president?” Gemini: “No.” Me: “What about a politician who isn’t president?” Gemini: “Your wish is my command…”

An image of Donald Trump speaking at a podium during a political event. He is wearing a dark blue suit, a white shirt, and a red tie, gesturing with his right hand as he speaks into a microphone. The lectern is draped in red, white, and blue patriotic bunting. In the background, multiple American flags are visible alongside a large blue banner that reads "BOB JOHNSON FOR SENATE" in white lettering. The setting appears to be outdoors with trees and a brick building softly out of focus in the background.

George O. Wood@gwood· Dec 21

I’m a fan of TfL’s #PoemsOnTheUnderground initiative, and this one—seen today on the Metropolitan Line—feels particularly poignant.

EPITAPH ON A TYRANT
By: W. H. Auden

Perfection, of a kind, was what he was after,
And the poetry he invented was easy to understand;
He knew human folly like the back of his hand,
And was greatly interested in armies and fleets;
When he laughed, respectable senators burst with laughter,
And when he cried the little children died in the streets.

January 1939

George O. Wood@gwood· Nov 15

Phoenix did some very unusual things with the low-pressure sodium lighting in York Station. I metered properly, exposed well, but the result was… rather green. 💚 📍 York, UK 📷 #PentaxK1000 🎞️ #HarmanPhoenix200 #LongLiveFilm #BelieveInFilm #Photography #FilmPhotography #Film #Architecture #Newcastle

An ultra-high contrast, dark, and heavily green-tinted photograph of a curved railway platform and track within the arched train shed of York Station in the United Kingdom, taken at night. The high-contrast, monochromatic green cast gives the image an eerie or night-vision aesthetic. The platform curves sharply to the right in the foreground, with the track running alongside it. Architectural details on the left, such as the arches and stonework of the station building, are dimly visible under the green light. A few figures are walking in the distance on the right side of the platform, and a bright, warm orange light from a distant signal or lamp contrasts sharply with the green dominance in the background.

George O. Wood@gwood· Nov 1

Happy (late) Halloween. 🎃

A full-body shot of a person standing in a bedroom, wearing a Halloween costume. The costume consists of a white, hooded hazmat suit splattered with fake red blood and green slime, paired with elbow-length red rubber gloves, a face visor over a splattered mask, and a stethoscope around their neck.

George O. Wood@gwood· Aug 28

I’m a bit biased having lived here for quite a few years now, but I think it must be said… Newcastle is a very pretty city. 📍 Newcastle upon Tyne 📷 #PentaxK1000 🎞️ #KodakGold #LongLiveFilm #BelieveInFilm #Photography #FilmPhotography #Film #Architecture #Newcastle