Raj
@lordofthemoon.com
Irish-Indian software developing geek who's adopted Glasgow as his home. No longer has a turret at the University. Still a European. He/him. All posts entirely personal
Website: https://lordofthemoon.com
Mastodon: @lordofthemoon@mastodon.scot
Website: https://lordofthemoon.com
Mastodon: @lordofthemoon@mastodon.scot
Update on exporting book reviews from GoodReads
Update on exporting book reviews from GoodReads
I wrote some years ago on how I had exported all my book reviews from GoodReads and posted them on a new blog that I host myself. I had also written a PHP script that would use the GoodReads API to pull reviews out as I was writing them and post them to the blog, as well as posting links to social media.
lordofthemoon.com
February 9, 2026 at 7:29 PM
Update on exporting book reviews from GoodReads
yes to coriander, definitely not to the others!
February 8, 2026 at 3:50 PM
yes to coriander, definitely not to the others!
4 of 5 stars to Project Hanuman by Stewart Hotston: lordofthemoon.com/bookreviews/...
#BookReview #LordOfTheMoonBookReview #BookSky
#BookReview #LordOfTheMoonBookReview #BookSky
February 8, 2026 at 3:48 PM
4 of 5 stars to Project Hanuman by Stewart Hotston: lordofthemoon.com/bookreviews/...
#BookReview #LordOfTheMoonBookReview #BookSky
#BookReview #LordOfTheMoonBookReview #BookSky
This one is one I definitely do regularly.
Without naming your job, tell me something you say over and over again at work.
"This bloody place!"
"This bloody place!"
Without naming your job, tell me something you say over and over again at work.
[So many jobs …]
Sshhhhhh…
Er…I think you’re banned, aren’t you?
Pfffft…….
Ow! Bloody hell!
[So many jobs …]
Sshhhhhh…
Er…I think you’re banned, aren’t you?
Pfffft…….
Ow! Bloody hell!
February 7, 2026 at 10:54 PM
This one is one I definitely do regularly.
(This post brought to you after a rather excellent Tchaikovsky concert that was a *little* bit too hot, leading my mind to wander.)
February 7, 2026 at 9:49 PM
(This post brought to you after a rather excellent Tchaikovsky concert that was a *little* bit too hot, leading my mind to wander.)
*Attenborough voice*: see the baby violins and violas gambol and play, watched by the adolescent cellos, while the adult double basses keep a watchful eye out for predators, such as trumpets, trombones or herds of clarinets.
February 7, 2026 at 9:49 PM
*Attenborough voice*: see the baby violins and violas gambol and play, watched by the adolescent cellos, while the adult double basses keep a watchful eye out for predators, such as trumpets, trombones or herds of clarinets.
I asked a question on StackOverflow about an issue with using an Oracle OCI JDBC driver which is giving me an UnsatisfiedLinkError: stackoverflow.com/q/79884204/8...
If anyone can help, I'd be much obliged. #java #jdbc #oracle #oci
If anyone can help, I'd be much obliged. #java #jdbc #oracle #oci
java.lang.UnsatisfiedLinkError: The specified procedure could not be found when trying to use thick (Oracle Instant Client) JDBC connection
Our DBAs want to enable Transparent Application Failover (TAF) in our Oracle databases and we were told to enable this we needed to change from 'thin' JDBC connections to OCI in our Java applicatio...
stackoverflow.com
February 7, 2026 at 1:36 PM
I asked a question on StackOverflow about an issue with using an Oracle OCI JDBC driver which is giving me an UnsatisfiedLinkError: stackoverflow.com/q/79884204/8...
If anyone can help, I'd be much obliged. #java #jdbc #oracle #oci
If anyone can help, I'd be much obliged. #java #jdbc #oracle #oci
Reposted by Raj
BREAKING: Peter Mandelson just sent this secret notice to all UK media, demanding they leave him alone.
He uses IPSO clauses designed to support grieving families in a bid to stop scrutiny of his relationship with Epstein
We have published it in full.
www.thenational.scot/news/2583451...
He uses IPSO clauses designed to support grieving families in a bid to stop scrutiny of his relationship with Epstein
We have published it in full.
www.thenational.scot/news/2583451...
Peter Mandelson issues secret notice demanding press leave him alone – read in full
LATE on Friday evening, this notice was circulated from representatives of Peter Mandelson, via press regulator IPSO and the Press Association news…
www.thenational.scot
February 6, 2026 at 7:06 PM
BREAKING: Peter Mandelson just sent this secret notice to all UK media, demanding they leave him alone.
He uses IPSO clauses designed to support grieving families in a bid to stop scrutiny of his relationship with Epstein
We have published it in full.
www.thenational.scot/news/2583451...
He uses IPSO clauses designed to support grieving families in a bid to stop scrutiny of his relationship with Epstein
We have published it in full.
www.thenational.scot/news/2583451...
It's ruddy freezing at the moment, but the snowdrops and crocuses by my front door are out, and the daffs are well on their way to budding. It might not feel like it, but spring seems like it's getting ready to spring. #WinterIsLeaving
February 5, 2026 at 10:21 PM
It's ruddy freezing at the moment, but the snowdrops and crocuses by my front door are out, and the daffs are well on their way to budding. It might not feel like it, but spring seems like it's getting ready to spring. #WinterIsLeaving
Sunset moving the other side of 5pm always feels like a bit of a milestone at this time of year!
The sun will rise in #Glasgow #Scotland tomorrow at 8:02, 120 seconds earlier than the day before.
It will set at 17:00, 131 seconds later than the day before.
It will set at 17:00, 131 seconds later than the day before.
February 5, 2026 at 10:13 PM
Sunset moving the other side of 5pm always feels like a bit of a milestone at this time of year!
Reposted by Raj
I have a sudden bee in my bonnet about learning to use a drawing tablet. We've got an old Wacom tablet lying around somewhere and it's currently going to waste.
Can anyone recommend any good resources?
I haven't drawn anything since I was in highschool and I know that learning will be slowwww.
Can anyone recommend any good resources?
I haven't drawn anything since I was in highschool and I know that learning will be slowwww.
February 4, 2026 at 5:14 PM
I have a sudden bee in my bonnet about learning to use a drawing tablet. We've got an old Wacom tablet lying around somewhere and it's currently going to waste.
Can anyone recommend any good resources?
I haven't drawn anything since I was in highschool and I know that learning will be slowwww.
Can anyone recommend any good resources?
I haven't drawn anything since I was in highschool and I know that learning will be slowwww.
Had our first in-person #rpg session since the Before Times this afternoon. It was mostly an excuse to eat a prodigious amount of crisps, although we did talk to an old man too (and we didn't even kill him!). #NightsBlackAgents
February 1, 2026 at 5:35 PM
Had our first in-person #rpg session since the Before Times this afternoon. It was mostly an excuse to eat a prodigious amount of crisps, although we did talk to an old man too (and we didn't even kill him!). #NightsBlackAgents
Reposted by Raj
This really is a wonderful thread.
A List of Complaints from 1926
🧵
🧵
January 31, 2026 at 3:52 PM
This really is a wonderful thread.
4 of 5 stars for Shoeshine Boy & Cigarette Girl, by P.A. Cornell
https://lordofthemoon.com/bookreviews/shoeshine-boy-cigarette-girl/
#LordOfTheMoonBookReview #BookReview #BookSky
https://lordofthemoon.com/bookreviews/shoeshine-boy-cigarette-girl/
#LordOfTheMoonBookReview #BookReview #BookSky
January 31, 2026 at 7:34 PM
4 of 5 stars for Shoeshine Boy & Cigarette Girl, by P.A. Cornell
https://lordofthemoon.com/bookreviews/shoeshine-boy-cigarette-girl/
#LordOfTheMoonBookReview #BookReview #BookSky
https://lordofthemoon.com/bookreviews/shoeshine-boy-cigarette-girl/
#LordOfTheMoonBookReview #BookReview #BookSky
My favourite books of 2025
Favourite books of 2025
According to GoodReads, in 2025 I read 122 books, and I wanted to highlight some of my favourites of the year, for those who don't follow my regular reviews over at BooksOfTheMoon. There's Something About Mira, by Sonali Dev I've been reading a lot more (fluffy) romance over the last few years, and while I didn't expect an awful lot from this book, it turned out to have more depth than I expected, with its tale of a lost ring and the bigotry that kept people apart…
lordofthemoon.com
January 31, 2026 at 4:53 PM
My favourite books of 2025
3 of 5 stars for Uncanny Valley Vol. 2, by Tony Fleecs
https://lordofthemoon.com/bookreviews/uncanny-valley-vol-2/
#LordOfTheMoonBookReview #BookReview #BookSky
https://lordofthemoon.com/bookreviews/uncanny-valley-vol-2/
#LordOfTheMoonBookReview #BookReview #BookSky
January 31, 2026 at 3:59 PM
3 of 5 stars for Uncanny Valley Vol. 2, by Tony Fleecs
https://lordofthemoon.com/bookreviews/uncanny-valley-vol-2/
#LordOfTheMoonBookReview #BookReview #BookSky
https://lordofthemoon.com/bookreviews/uncanny-valley-vol-2/
#LordOfTheMoonBookReview #BookReview #BookSky
I've never really noticed how beautiful that building is.
It's a damn shame about the loss of the CCA. It's been part of the Glasgow cultural landscape as long as I've been here.
It's a damn shame about the loss of the CCA. It's been part of the Glasgow cultural landscape as long as I've been here.
Originally known as Grecian Chambers, the CCA building was designed by Alexander 'Greek' Thomson between 1867 and 1868. Constructed as a three-story commercial property with ground-floor shops and upper-level offices.
January 30, 2026 at 11:01 PM
I've never really noticed how beautiful that building is.
It's a damn shame about the loss of the CCA. It's been part of the Glasgow cultural landscape as long as I've been here.
It's a damn shame about the loss of the CCA. It's been part of the Glasgow cultural landscape as long as I've been here.
3 of 5 stars for The Stormborne Vine (Leaf and Scale, #1), by Tilly Wallace
https://lordofthemoon.com/bookreviews/the-stormborne-vine-leaf-and-scale-1/
#LordOfTheMoonBookReview #BookReview #BookSky
https://lordofthemoon.com/bookreviews/the-stormborne-vine-leaf-and-scale-1/
#LordOfTheMoonBookReview #BookReview #BookSky
January 30, 2026 at 6:52 PM
3 of 5 stars for The Stormborne Vine (Leaf and Scale, #1), by Tilly Wallace
https://lordofthemoon.com/bookreviews/the-stormborne-vine-leaf-and-scale-1/
#LordOfTheMoonBookReview #BookReview #BookSky
https://lordofthemoon.com/bookreviews/the-stormborne-vine-leaf-and-scale-1/
#LordOfTheMoonBookReview #BookReview #BookSky
Goodness sake, this is awful. As a member of @ucu.org.uk I am appalled by this behaviour and call on the General Secretary to stop any harassment of staff, and reprimand those found to have engaged in it @drjogrady.bsky.social
📣 Hands off Marie!
Tell @drjogrady.bsky.social and @ucu.org.uk to stop victimising Unite UCU's safety rep.
✍️ jgrady@ucu.org.uk
#HandsOffMarie
#UniteTheUnion @unitetheunion.bsky.social
Tell @drjogrady.bsky.social and @ucu.org.uk to stop victimising Unite UCU's safety rep.
✍️ jgrady@ucu.org.uk
#HandsOffMarie
#UniteTheUnion @unitetheunion.bsky.social
January 30, 2026 at 4:23 PM
Goodness sake, this is awful. As a member of @ucu.org.uk I am appalled by this behaviour and call on the General Secretary to stop any harassment of staff, and reprimand those found to have engaged in it @drjogrady.bsky.social
My friends and I have been playing this weekly for over a year now, it's a huge amount of fun. And £8 is very good value.
Gloomhaven is the cheapest it's even been. £8 is a total bargain. Great game.
store.steampowered.com/app/780290/G...
store.steampowered.com/app/780290/G...
Save 72% on Gloomhaven on Steam
Lead your band of mercenaries in the land of Gloomhaven, work with unsavoury individuals, shape the fate of the region, fight your way through horrific places and get rich or die trying in this ruthle...
share.google
January 29, 2026 at 9:30 PM
My friends and I have been playing this weekly for over a year now, it's a huge amount of fun. And £8 is very good value.
Reposted by Raj
Reposted by Raj
New planet just dropped and it
1) is almost exactly Earth-sized
2) has a year that's almost exactly 1 Earth year.
3) orbits a star that is not a 💢temperamental little shit M-dwarf 💢but is instead a 🧡 good orange boi 🧡
Me for @science.org based on results presented at #RockyWorlds4: 🔭🧪
1) is almost exactly Earth-sized
2) has a year that's almost exactly 1 Earth year.
3) orbits a star that is not a 💢temperamental little shit M-dwarf 💢but is instead a 🧡 good orange boi 🧡
Me for @science.org based on results presented at #RockyWorlds4: 🔭🧪
Earth-size planet spotted with yearlong orbit
Long-overlooked Kepler signal discovered by citizen scientists reveals promising world worth a closer look
www.science.org
January 28, 2026 at 9:42 PM
New planet just dropped and it
1) is almost exactly Earth-sized
2) has a year that's almost exactly 1 Earth year.
3) orbits a star that is not a 💢temperamental little shit M-dwarf 💢but is instead a 🧡 good orange boi 🧡
Me for @science.org based on results presented at #RockyWorlds4: 🔭🧪
1) is almost exactly Earth-sized
2) has a year that's almost exactly 1 Earth year.
3) orbits a star that is not a 💢temperamental little shit M-dwarf 💢but is instead a 🧡 good orange boi 🧡
Me for @science.org based on results presented at #RockyWorlds4: 🔭🧪
Yes! I enjoyed this enough to nominate it for a Hugo in 2024!
January 28, 2026 at 9:43 PM
Yes! I enjoyed this enough to nominate it for a Hugo in 2024!
Reposted by Raj
A reminder to any Scottish Oldhammer types - though I play newish games as well, honest - that the Bruhammer Discord was recently set up.
#nerdlings #warhammercommunity #oldhammer #warmongers #Scottish #bruhammer
discord.gg/5khHsH4zv
#nerdlings #warhammercommunity #oldhammer #warmongers #Scottish #bruhammer
discord.gg/5khHsH4zv
Join the Bruhammer Discord Discord Server!
A collection of Scottish tabletop wargamers, with a particular focus on Oldhammer types north of Hadrians wall | 37 members
discord.gg
January 28, 2026 at 3:12 PM
A reminder to any Scottish Oldhammer types - though I play newish games as well, honest - that the Bruhammer Discord was recently set up.
#nerdlings #warhammercommunity #oldhammer #warmongers #Scottish #bruhammer
discord.gg/5khHsH4zv
#nerdlings #warhammercommunity #oldhammer #warmongers #Scottish #bruhammer
discord.gg/5khHsH4zv
Reposted by Raj
January 28, 2026 at 11:49 AM