Planning a trip to Japan, and had sadly crossed off "visit a traditional forge" on the grounds that only I would be interested.
Today,
Son: Can we go and see swords being made?
Daughter: No, I want to have a go at making one myself.
Me: Well... I'll see what I can find...
Today,
Son: Can we go and see swords being made?
Daughter: No, I want to have a go at making one myself.
Me: Well... I'll see what I can find...
November 18, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Planning a trip to Japan, and had sadly crossed off "visit a traditional forge" on the grounds that only I would be interested.
Today,
Son: Can we go and see swords being made?
Daughter: No, I want to have a go at making one myself.
Me: Well... I'll see what I can find...
Today,
Son: Can we go and see swords being made?
Daughter: No, I want to have a go at making one myself.
Me: Well... I'll see what I can find...
Well, I guess at least Vodafone have given me a good laugh today.
November 18, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Well, I guess at least Vodafone have given me a good laugh today.
Just spoke to a chap at Vodafone who did try to be helpful, but the upshot is:
They don't know why they have sent me an email saying there is a bill to pay.
They don't know why the account is still active.
They don't think they have raised an invoice since June.
There's nothing they can do.
They don't know why they have sent me an email saying there is a bill to pay.
They don't know why the account is still active.
They don't think they have raised an invoice since June.
There's nothing they can do.
November 18, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Just spoke to a chap at Vodafone who did try to be helpful, but the upshot is:
They don't know why they have sent me an email saying there is a bill to pay.
They don't know why the account is still active.
They don't think they have raised an invoice since June.
There's nothing they can do.
They don't know why they have sent me an email saying there is a bill to pay.
They don't know why the account is still active.
They don't think they have raised an invoice since June.
There's nothing they can do.
Fucking Vodafone.
I cancelled the account.
THEY wrote to me to say that they had cancelled the account because I haven't paid the bill (nerfing my credit score) for the non-existent account.
And now they're sending me bills I can't see and can't pay because I Don't Have A Fucking Account.
I cancelled the account.
THEY wrote to me to say that they had cancelled the account because I haven't paid the bill (nerfing my credit score) for the non-existent account.
And now they're sending me bills I can't see and can't pay because I Don't Have A Fucking Account.
November 17, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Fucking Vodafone.
I cancelled the account.
THEY wrote to me to say that they had cancelled the account because I haven't paid the bill (nerfing my credit score) for the non-existent account.
And now they're sending me bills I can't see and can't pay because I Don't Have A Fucking Account.
I cancelled the account.
THEY wrote to me to say that they had cancelled the account because I haven't paid the bill (nerfing my credit score) for the non-existent account.
And now they're sending me bills I can't see and can't pay because I Don't Have A Fucking Account.
Discovered something last night which perhaps should have been obvious and maybe explains why I'm so bad at learning languages:
I can easily remember Japanese words after using them in conversation a few times.
Shocking. But also, as the least talkative person in the room, disheartening.
I can easily remember Japanese words after using them in conversation a few times.
Shocking. But also, as the least talkative person in the room, disheartening.
November 16, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Discovered something last night which perhaps should have been obvious and maybe explains why I'm so bad at learning languages:
I can easily remember Japanese words after using them in conversation a few times.
Shocking. But also, as the least talkative person in the room, disheartening.
I can easily remember Japanese words after using them in conversation a few times.
Shocking. But also, as the least talkative person in the room, disheartening.
Years ago I did a series of posts on Facebook "Conversations with MS Visual Studio" about the subtle ways it hated me.
Today I have a new entry:
VS: Files have changed on disk, would you like me to reload them?
Me: No. No! Nonononono. No.
VS: OK. All files have been reloaded from disk.
Today I have a new entry:
VS: Files have changed on disk, would you like me to reload them?
Me: No. No! Nonononono. No.
VS: OK. All files have been reloaded from disk.
November 13, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Years ago I did a series of posts on Facebook "Conversations with MS Visual Studio" about the subtle ways it hated me.
Today I have a new entry:
VS: Files have changed on disk, would you like me to reload them?
Me: No. No! Nonononono. No.
VS: OK. All files have been reloaded from disk.
Today I have a new entry:
VS: Files have changed on disk, would you like me to reload them?
Me: No. No! Nonononono. No.
VS: OK. All files have been reloaded from disk.
Lunar eclipse (Phobos) as seen from the surface of Mars.
science.nasa.gov/photojournal...
From 2022, but it's the first time I've seen it.
science.nasa.gov/photojournal...
From 2022, but it's the first time I've seen it.
November 12, 2025 at 11:52 AM
Lunar eclipse (Phobos) as seen from the surface of Mars.
science.nasa.gov/photojournal...
From 2022, but it's the first time I've seen it.
science.nasa.gov/photojournal...
From 2022, but it's the first time I've seen it.
My new weighted vest has arrived. I get most of my exercise walking the dog, so...
Anyway, first impressions - on lifting the box into the house - are: fuck me, I used to carry this much extra fat around with me all the time?
Anyway, first impressions - on lifting the box into the house - are: fuck me, I used to carry this much extra fat around with me all the time?
November 7, 2025 at 12:07 PM
My new weighted vest has arrived. I get most of my exercise walking the dog, so...
Anyway, first impressions - on lifting the box into the house - are: fuck me, I used to carry this much extra fat around with me all the time?
Anyway, first impressions - on lifting the box into the house - are: fuck me, I used to carry this much extra fat around with me all the time?
OH birthday cake arrived frozen and packed with dry ice.
November 6, 2025 at 8:39 AM
OH birthday cake arrived frozen and packed with dry ice.
Working on something today that involved repeatedly restarting an application which took fucking ages to restart. "Oh yes, the quants just leave it running."
After a while my patience broke and, well, today I fixed a 15 year old bug that caused an application to take fucking ages to start up.
After a while my patience broke and, well, today I fixed a 15 year old bug that caused an application to take fucking ages to start up.
November 5, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Working on something today that involved repeatedly restarting an application which took fucking ages to restart. "Oh yes, the quants just leave it running."
After a while my patience broke and, well, today I fixed a 15 year old bug that caused an application to take fucking ages to start up.
After a while my patience broke and, well, today I fixed a 15 year old bug that caused an application to take fucking ages to start up.
I've reached the stage of this analysis where coffee isn't cutting it and I start wondering how easy it is to get methylphenidate off prescription.
<Looks up side effects>
"Weight loss", oh no, better not take it after all.
<Looks up side effects>
"Weight loss", oh no, better not take it after all.
November 3, 2025 at 3:29 PM
I've reached the stage of this analysis where coffee isn't cutting it and I start wondering how easy it is to get methylphenidate off prescription.
<Looks up side effects>
"Weight loss", oh no, better not take it after all.
<Looks up side effects>
"Weight loss", oh no, better not take it after all.
My Japanese tutor has me writing diary entries, memorising them, and then starting off the lesson with me reciting them.
I've hit a minor snag in that my life simply isn't interesting enough to write about.
とにかく, to cut a long story short, I've decided to become an international jewel thief.
I've hit a minor snag in that my life simply isn't interesting enough to write about.
とにかく, to cut a long story short, I've decided to become an international jewel thief.
November 1, 2025 at 9:40 PM
My Japanese tutor has me writing diary entries, memorising them, and then starting off the lesson with me reciting them.
I've hit a minor snag in that my life simply isn't interesting enough to write about.
とにかく, to cut a long story short, I've decided to become an international jewel thief.
I've hit a minor snag in that my life simply isn't interesting enough to write about.
とにかく, to cut a long story short, I've decided to become an international jewel thief.
Half dog, half bat, 100% pain in the arse. Weirdly unfussed by fireworks.
November 1, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Half dog, half bat, 100% pain in the arse. Weirdly unfussed by fireworks.
Suited chap on the train last week was playing a mobile game; no headphones; constant gunfire and yelling sounds.
When I looked over to ask him to stop... he was just watching the intro, over and over again, wide eyed, grinning.
So I followed public transport rule #1: don't mess with the junkies.
When I looked over to ask him to stop... he was just watching the intro, over and over again, wide eyed, grinning.
So I followed public transport rule #1: don't mess with the junkies.
Boomer couple at our hotel bar are playing Dire Straits’s Brothers in Arms on their iPhone, raising the question of “is this grossly inconsiderate if it is a banger?”
November 1, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Suited chap on the train last week was playing a mobile game; no headphones; constant gunfire and yelling sounds.
When I looked over to ask him to stop... he was just watching the intro, over and over again, wide eyed, grinning.
So I followed public transport rule #1: don't mess with the junkies.
When I looked over to ask him to stop... he was just watching the intro, over and over again, wide eyed, grinning.
So I followed public transport rule #1: don't mess with the junkies.
My Vodafone £18.88 missing payment for a closed account hassle is having far reaching consequences.
My credit card company have just emailed to say they're cancelling the borrowing limit increase that they were going to give me.
Can only be a Brazil style downward spiral into madness from here.
My credit card company have just emailed to say they're cancelling the borrowing limit increase that they were going to give me.
Can only be a Brazil style downward spiral into madness from here.
October 30, 2025 at 6:13 PM
My Vodafone £18.88 missing payment for a closed account hassle is having far reaching consequences.
My credit card company have just emailed to say they're cancelling the borrowing limit increase that they were going to give me.
Can only be a Brazil style downward spiral into madness from here.
My credit card company have just emailed to say they're cancelling the borrowing limit increase that they were going to give me.
Can only be a Brazil style downward spiral into madness from here.
New low in AI narrated videos: English accent (clearly based on a particular sports commentator) but with American intonation and word choice.
October 30, 2025 at 3:36 PM
New low in AI narrated videos: English accent (clearly based on a particular sports commentator) but with American intonation and word choice.
Microsoft Azure DevOps,
How do I hate thee?
Let me count the ways.
I hate thee to the depth and breadth and height
My despair can reach, when I see thy management console
For the the distance between UI and UX.
I hate thee to the level of every day's
Most urgent need for a working build system.
How do I hate thee?
Let me count the ways.
I hate thee to the depth and breadth and height
My despair can reach, when I see thy management console
For the the distance between UI and UX.
I hate thee to the level of every day's
Most urgent need for a working build system.
October 27, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Microsoft Azure DevOps,
How do I hate thee?
Let me count the ways.
I hate thee to the depth and breadth and height
My despair can reach, when I see thy management console
For the the distance between UI and UX.
I hate thee to the level of every day's
Most urgent need for a working build system.
How do I hate thee?
Let me count the ways.
I hate thee to the depth and breadth and height
My despair can reach, when I see thy management console
For the the distance between UI and UX.
I hate thee to the level of every day's
Most urgent need for a working build system.
Got a threatening letter from Vodafone over the weekend (dated 2 weeks ago) saying I owed them £18.88p, and they were going to send the boys round if I didn't pay in 14 days.
Turns out it's extremely difficult to talk to Vodafone if you neither have nor want an account with them.
Turns out it's extremely difficult to talk to Vodafone if you neither have nor want an account with them.
October 27, 2025 at 9:46 AM
Got a threatening letter from Vodafone over the weekend (dated 2 weeks ago) saying I owed them £18.88p, and they were going to send the boys round if I didn't pay in 14 days.
Turns out it's extremely difficult to talk to Vodafone if you neither have nor want an account with them.
Turns out it's extremely difficult to talk to Vodafone if you neither have nor want an account with them.
Vaguely considering buying a motorbike; as in childbirth the memories have faded.
A quick mosey around the manufacturers shows I have the choice between:
1. £25k 230hp hyper bike widow maker.
2. 80hp parallel twin "sports" bike snoozathon.
3. A V-Twin.
4. Proper bike from the mid-2000s 2nd hand.
A quick mosey around the manufacturers shows I have the choice between:
1. £25k 230hp hyper bike widow maker.
2. 80hp parallel twin "sports" bike snoozathon.
3. A V-Twin.
4. Proper bike from the mid-2000s 2nd hand.
October 24, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Vaguely considering buying a motorbike; as in childbirth the memories have faded.
A quick mosey around the manufacturers shows I have the choice between:
1. £25k 230hp hyper bike widow maker.
2. 80hp parallel twin "sports" bike snoozathon.
3. A V-Twin.
4. Proper bike from the mid-2000s 2nd hand.
A quick mosey around the manufacturers shows I have the choice between:
1. £25k 230hp hyper bike widow maker.
2. 80hp parallel twin "sports" bike snoozathon.
3. A V-Twin.
4. Proper bike from the mid-2000s 2nd hand.
Through no fault of my own I have become, in my own tiny little area, an expert. This means I must suffer the fate of all experts: the enthusiastic amateur.
October 23, 2025 at 10:35 AM
Through no fault of my own I have become, in my own tiny little area, an expert. This means I must suffer the fate of all experts: the enthusiastic amateur.
Just seen a group of adults miss their stop on the train because they couldn't work out how to operate the train doors.
Just stood there not pressing the button.
The best bit was when they ran from their set of doors to another that somebody else had opened, which then closed, and they gave up.
Just stood there not pressing the button.
The best bit was when they ran from their set of doors to another that somebody else had opened, which then closed, and they gave up.
October 22, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Just seen a group of adults miss their stop on the train because they couldn't work out how to operate the train doors.
Just stood there not pressing the button.
The best bit was when they ran from their set of doors to another that somebody else had opened, which then closed, and they gave up.
Just stood there not pressing the button.
The best bit was when they ran from their set of doors to another that somebody else had opened, which then closed, and they gave up.
Much hilarity in the office today as we did our 'Active Shooter (UK)' training.
Particularly proud that I scored full marks by (unlike everybody else) choosing to leave the injured and save myself.
Honestly the best work training course I've done, really brightened my day.
Particularly proud that I scored full marks by (unlike everybody else) choosing to leave the injured and save myself.
Honestly the best work training course I've done, really brightened my day.
October 22, 2025 at 12:50 PM
Much hilarity in the office today as we did our 'Active Shooter (UK)' training.
Particularly proud that I scored full marks by (unlike everybody else) choosing to leave the injured and save myself.
Honestly the best work training course I've done, really brightened my day.
Particularly proud that I scored full marks by (unlike everybody else) choosing to leave the injured and save myself.
Honestly the best work training course I've done, really brightened my day.
15 years ago somebody used slightly the wrong word to describe an event. As institutional knowledge has been lost, people who know what words mean have come to believe the event happens during a process rather than between two processes.
Two letters are causing quite a lot of hassle.
Two letters are causing quite a lot of hassle.
October 21, 2025 at 4:17 PM
15 years ago somebody used slightly the wrong word to describe an event. As institutional knowledge has been lost, people who know what words mean have come to believe the event happens during a process rather than between two processes.
Two letters are causing quite a lot of hassle.
Two letters are causing quite a lot of hassle.
Having read the replies; once again it's just a case of muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/articl...
People being unaware of the difference in meaning between 'performance' and 'performative'.
People being unaware of the difference in meaning between 'performance' and 'performative'.
October 17, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Having read the replies; once again it's just a case of muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/articl...
People being unaware of the difference in meaning between 'performance' and 'performative'.
People being unaware of the difference in meaning between 'performance' and 'performative'.
Betteridge's law is a harsh mistress.
According to the equations that govern black holes, the larger one of these cosmic behemoths is the lower its average density – given that the universe contains a lot of relatively empty space, could the whole cosmos be a black hole?
Is the universe really one big black hole?
According to the equations that govern black holes, the larger one of these cosmic behemoths is the lower its average density – given that the universe contains a lot of relatively empty space, could the whole cosmos be a black hole?
www.newscientist.com
October 17, 2025 at 7:18 AM
Betteridge's law is a harsh mistress.