Matt Ballantine
@ballantine70.bsky.social
Sociologist. Musician. Technologist. Dad.
Current side project: randomthebook.com
Current side project: randomthebook.com
Interesting observation from one of my dinner guests last night: how baby British people can accurately draw the British flag?
It's not like it's got complicated animals on it. Yet I'd bet most people can't.
We are a very strange nation. All these ideas of patriotism, and yet...
It's not like it's got complicated animals on it. Yet I'd bet most people can't.
We are a very strange nation. All these ideas of patriotism, and yet...
November 16, 2025 at 12:36 PM
Interesting observation from one of my dinner guests last night: how baby British people can accurately draw the British flag?
It's not like it's got complicated animals on it. Yet I'd bet most people can't.
We are a very strange nation. All these ideas of patriotism, and yet...
It's not like it's got complicated animals on it. Yet I'd bet most people can't.
We are a very strange nation. All these ideas of patriotism, and yet...
Is Labour trying to follow the Conservatives into oblivion by right-winging itself?
I cannot think of a way that this strategy makes sense electorally.
I cannot think of a way that this strategy makes sense electorally.
November 16, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Is Labour trying to follow the Conservatives into oblivion by right-winging itself?
I cannot think of a way that this strategy makes sense electorally.
I cannot think of a way that this strategy makes sense electorally.
Well the first version of RandomTheBook.com is now with our proofreader...
Given our deadline is still 3 weeks away, I think this amounts to "ahead of schedule". Well done to @sonofsuntzu.bsky.social and me!
Given our deadline is still 3 weeks away, I think this amounts to "ahead of schedule". Well done to @sonofsuntzu.bsky.social and me!
Random the Book
Matt Ballantine and Nick Drage's experiment in serendipity and chance.
RandomTheBook.com
November 9, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Well the first version of RandomTheBook.com is now with our proofreader...
Given our deadline is still 3 weeks away, I think this amounts to "ahead of schedule". Well done to @sonofsuntzu.bsky.social and me!
Given our deadline is still 3 weeks away, I think this amounts to "ahead of schedule". Well done to @sonofsuntzu.bsky.social and me!
An odd week, but at least there was cake.
hweeknotesitii.mattballantine.com/2025/11/07/weeknote-755-still-waiting/
#weeknotes
@weeknotes-bot.bsky.social
hweeknotesitii.mattballantine.com/2025/11/07/weeknote-755-still-waiting/
#weeknotes
@weeknotes-bot.bsky.social
Weeknote 755: still waiting
This week I have learned: the surprisingly life-affirming experience that was Jury Service. that spending a week with barristers gets you into a different mindset when it comes to assessing what pe…
mmitii.mattballantine.com
November 7, 2025 at 3:13 PM
An odd week, but at least there was cake.
hweeknotesitii.mattballantine.com/2025/11/07/weeknote-755-still-waiting/
#weeknotes
@weeknotes-bot.bsky.social
hweeknotesitii.mattballantine.com/2025/11/07/weeknote-755-still-waiting/
#weeknotes
@weeknotes-bot.bsky.social
Reposted by Matt Ballantine
Which one is more English?
November 6, 2025 at 11:58 AM
Which one is more English?
This is not normally what's involved in being detained at His Majesty's pleasure.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Andrew in line for six-figure payout and annual stipend from king, sources say
The former prince remains under scrutiny as Buckingham Palace finalises plans for his future as a commoner
www.theguardian.com
November 1, 2025 at 10:12 AM
This is not normally what's involved in being detained at His Majesty's pleasure.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
A week in which, for one reason or another, there's been lots of waiting. #weeknotes
mmitii.mattballantine.com/2025/10/31/w...
@weeknotes-bot.bsky.social
mmitii.mattballantine.com/2025/10/31/w...
@weeknotes-bot.bsky.social
Weeknote 754: waiting
Things I have learned this week: I’ve been (separately) experiencing aspects of both the health system and the judicial system this week. Both involved extensive periods of waiting with littl…
mmitii.mattballantine.com
October 31, 2025 at 10:52 AM
A week in which, for one reason or another, there's been lots of waiting. #weeknotes
mmitii.mattballantine.com/2025/10/31/w...
@weeknotes-bot.bsky.social
mmitii.mattballantine.com/2025/10/31/w...
@weeknotes-bot.bsky.social
Tell you what. That Andy Windsor bloke seems to be losing an awful lot of stuff given he maintains he didn't do anything wrong...
October 31, 2025 at 7:45 AM
Tell you what. That Andy Windsor bloke seems to be losing an awful lot of stuff given he maintains he didn't do anything wrong...
The format of the book about Randomness that @sonofsuntzu.bsky.social and I are writing forces readers to do some work.
It's slightly depressing how many people are mildly horrified by that idea. That somehow books should be frictionless insight devices.
Randomthebook.com
It's slightly depressing how many people are mildly horrified by that idea. That somehow books should be frictionless insight devices.
Randomthebook.com
Random the Book
Matt Ballantine and Nick Drage's experiment in serendipity and chance.
Randomthebook.com
October 27, 2025 at 7:37 AM
The format of the book about Randomness that @sonofsuntzu.bsky.social and I are writing forces readers to do some work.
It's slightly depressing how many people are mildly horrified by that idea. That somehow books should be frictionless insight devices.
Randomthebook.com
It's slightly depressing how many people are mildly horrified by that idea. That somehow books should be frictionless insight devices.
Randomthebook.com
I think sometimes it needs reiterating that the Neural Networks used by computers are metaphorical Neural Networks, and not actual biological ones.
October 17, 2025 at 8:13 AM
I think sometimes it needs reiterating that the Neural Networks used by computers are metaphorical Neural Networks, and not actual biological ones.
Are LLMs the first real moment of technonovelty for the digitally native generation?
mmitii.mattballantine.com/2025/10/17/t...
mmitii.mattballantine.com/2025/10/17/t...
Technonovelty
I am, however I look at it, getting quite old. I’m old enough to remember the 1970s and the Christmas present I received, a CBM Electronic Calculator. I was amazed by how I could enter number…
mmitii.mattballantine.com
October 17, 2025 at 7:53 AM
Are LLMs the first real moment of technonovelty for the digitally native generation?
mmitii.mattballantine.com/2025/10/17/t...
mmitii.mattballantine.com/2025/10/17/t...
Reposted by Matt Ballantine
Still looking for someone, haven't found a single person so far (that I can contact). I have a 46-episode script that I need translated. This would be a paid job!
Completely unrelated to my 2am doomposting but does anyone know an English to Japanese translator, ideally with experience in screenplays?
October 14, 2025 at 2:56 AM
Still looking for someone, haven't found a single person so far (that I can contact). I have a 46-episode script that I need translated. This would be a paid job!
"we're speaking to procurement"
In honour of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand.
rm -rf ~/
rm -rf ~/
"The chancellor approved it"
October 12, 2025 at 8:49 AM
"we're speaking to procurement"
"You've got backups, right?"
"While we liked the"
In honour of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand.
rm -rf ~/
rm -rf ~/
October 12, 2025 at 8:30 AM
"You've got backups, right?"
Ah, those poster children for AI and data Netflix...
October 11, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Ah, those poster children for AI and data Netflix...
@sonofsuntzu.bsky.social and I are at the stage where we are looking for beta testers for randomthebook.com
Sign up here and you'll get to peruse 5 stories from the book about serendipity, chance, fate and other random things.
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Sign up here and you'll get to peruse 5 stories from the book about serendipity, chance, fate and other random things.
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Random the Book
Matt Ballantine and Nick Drage's experiment in serendipity and chance.
randomthebook.com
October 11, 2025 at 2:13 PM
@sonofsuntzu.bsky.social and I are at the stage where we are looking for beta testers for randomthebook.com
Sign up here and you'll get to peruse 5 stories from the book about serendipity, chance, fate and other random things.
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Sign up here and you'll get to peruse 5 stories from the book about serendipity, chance, fate and other random things.
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
If only Farage understood that the metaphor of the bad apple is that it ruins the whole barrel...
I called this out on #BBCQT last night and I'm calling it out again now.
He is gaslighting a nation.
He is gaslighting a nation.
Farage insists ex-Reform UK Wales leader convicted of bribery is ‘bad apple’
October 10, 2025 at 5:02 PM
If only Farage understood that the metaphor of the bad apple is that it ruins the whole barrel...
The world's shittest ventriloquism act.
October 7, 2025 at 12:06 PM
The world's shittest ventriloquism act.
750 weeks with #weeknotes attached. That's a distressingly large number of weeks.
mmitii.mattballantine.com/2025/10/03/w...
@weeknotes-bot.bsky.social
mmitii.mattballantine.com/2025/10/03/w...
@weeknotes-bot.bsky.social
Weeknote 750: which feels like a big number
This week I have learned: the reason we fly flags at half mast when mourning. Apparently, it comes from the naval tradition of when one country defeated another, the victor’s flag would be fl…
mmitii.mattballantine.com
October 3, 2025 at 12:18 PM
750 weeks with #weeknotes attached. That's a distressingly large number of weeks.
mmitii.mattballantine.com/2025/10/03/w...
@weeknotes-bot.bsky.social
mmitii.mattballantine.com/2025/10/03/w...
@weeknotes-bot.bsky.social
