Dave
@dwalg8.bsky.social
Tofu-eating wokerati. Manbag carrier. Crafting enthusiast. Cycling commuter. Dad to two humans, one cat, one dog, and four* fish.
*at time of writing
*at time of writing
The Mavericks - Things I Cannot Change
YouTube video by TheMavericksVEVO
youtu.be
December 10, 2025 at 7:30 AM
On Wednesday I encountered a distraught recent immigrant - almost no English, no money or phone, hopelessly lost in MK. I spent an hour getting her to her accommodation. The 50p/year of my tax that goes on taxis is money well spent for a rich and compassionate country.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Government to ban asylum seekers from using taxis
The ban is set to come in February and any exemptions will have to be signed off by the Home Office.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 29, 2025 at 10:13 AM
On Wednesday I encountered a distraught recent immigrant - almost no English, no money or phone, hopelessly lost in MK. I spent an hour getting her to her accommodation. The 50p/year of my tax that goes on taxis is money well spent for a rich and compassionate country.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Nearly all the "massive tax increase" is fiscal drag, which has been a thing for years. Every way of increasing tax take is unfair to someone, this is one of the least bad ways of doing it. It wasn't heralded as a massive increase in tax on working people when male Tory Chancellors did it repeatedly
November 28, 2025 at 7:06 AM
Nearly all the "massive tax increase" is fiscal drag, which has been a thing for years. Every way of increasing tax take is unfair to someone, this is one of the least bad ways of doing it. It wasn't heralded as a massive increase in tax on working people when male Tory Chancellors did it repeatedly
My financially secure household will pay an additional £7 per year, all on voluntary expenses, so that 400,000 children in this financially secure country can be properly nourished. I'm probably not going to get too cross about that.
November 28, 2025 at 6:53 AM
My financially secure household will pay an additional £7 per year, all on voluntary expenses, so that 400,000 children in this financially secure country can be properly nourished. I'm probably not going to get too cross about that.
My car insurance renewal premium has gone up £1.66, remaining less than £300. Surely that's a mistake. They're supposed to increase it by 80%, then bring it down when I phone them to say I won't pay it.
October 31, 2025 at 7:51 AM
My car insurance renewal premium has gone up £1.66, remaining less than £300. Surely that's a mistake. They're supposed to increase it by 80%, then bring it down when I phone them to say I won't pay it.
Tesco reduced shelf special - winter veg medley and edamame beans, stir fried with rice noodles and a sweet teriyaki sauce. A nice seasonal dish for the onset of dark evenings. #veganuary
October 27, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Tesco reduced shelf special - winter veg medley and edamame beans, stir fried with rice noodles and a sweet teriyaki sauce. A nice seasonal dish for the onset of dark evenings. #veganuary
Proper autumny this morning. A little frost lingers in the shade.
October 24, 2025 at 7:35 AM
Proper autumny this morning. A little frost lingers in the shade.
By my own subjective assessment, because what else is there, People Watching is the best album released in the last 25 years. Like the great North American AOR writers of the 70s, Sam combines social themes with deeply personal observations seamlessly. And unlike some of them, he's a lovely chap too
Sam Fender wins the 2025 Mercury Prize for his third album, People Watching
"I didn't think that was going to happen at all," the star says, as judges laud his "classic" album.
www.bbc.com
October 17, 2025 at 6:12 AM
By my own subjective assessment, because what else is there, People Watching is the best album released in the last 25 years. Like the great North American AOR writers of the 70s, Sam combines social themes with deeply personal observations seamlessly. And unlike some of them, he's a lovely chap too
294 months old, about 15000 miles, roughly half of that post-Covid. It's finally got an irreparable fault. I'm going to have to learn to love the new bike I got 30 months ago.
October 13, 2025 at 1:08 PM
294 months old, about 15000 miles, roughly half of that post-Covid. It's finally got an irreparable fault. I'm going to have to learn to love the new bike I got 30 months ago.
Small one asked his stylist (me) for a "messy textured fringe" today. I think I nailed it.
October 10, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Small one asked his stylist (me) for a "messy textured fringe" today. I think I nailed it.
78 year old Don Henley completes a third consecutive decade-long interval between solo albums. I think he still has one left on his contract. On the pattern the next one will be when he's about 90.
September 25, 2025 at 6:26 AM
78 year old Don Henley completes a third consecutive decade-long interval between solo albums. I think he still has one left on his contract. On the pattern the next one will be when he's about 90.
Can we hide a rubber duck in the pub well enough that it's still there a year later? Yes. Of the five we hid: One gone, three still there, one we can't remember where we hid it.
September 20, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Can we hide a rubber duck in the pub well enough that it's still there a year later? Yes. Of the five we hid: One gone, three still there, one we can't remember where we hid it.
Repurposed a broken Ikea double wardrobe into a sturdy-ish single wardrobe to fit into this gap. Eureka moment was putting the other door on the back like a portal to Narnia to regain the rigidity. And using the middle rail for additional structure. Dougal protesting because he doesn't like change.
September 13, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Repurposed a broken Ikea double wardrobe into a sturdy-ish single wardrobe to fit into this gap. Eureka moment was putting the other door on the back like a portal to Narnia to regain the rigidity. And using the middle rail for additional structure. Dougal protesting because he doesn't like change.
I hadn't seen a single flag around Wolverton or Stony Stratford until yeaterday. I walked the dog after the school run and encountered a mobile Nissan Note proudly flying two roof-mounted ensigns. It failed to move the dial on my support for the cause, whatever that is.
September 6, 2025 at 7:04 AM
I hadn't seen a single flag around Wolverton or Stony Stratford until yeaterday. I walked the dog after the school run and encountered a mobile Nissan Note proudly flying two roof-mounted ensigns. It failed to move the dial on my support for the cause, whatever that is.
Unlike most parents on social media I can believe the child I had ~140 months ago is starting big school today. That feels about right.
September 3, 2025 at 6:58 AM
Unlike most parents on social media I can believe the child I had ~140 months ago is starting big school today. That feels about right.
Day 126 of topping up my French on Duolingo, 29 years after my A levels. The Duolingo syllabus feels somewhat more random.
September 2, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Day 126 of topping up my French on Duolingo, 29 years after my A levels. The Duolingo syllabus feels somewhat more random.
Remarkably this five-year-old observation is still the case. Osaka has just won a fourth-round match in a slam for the fifth time. The previous four times she won the tournament.
September 1, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Remarkably this five-year-old observation is still the case. Osaka has just won a fourth-round match in a slam for the fifth time. The previous four times she won the tournament.
Bought this car 63 months ago, when it was 15 months old, and the carplay has never connected properly. Even had the entire infotainment system replaced at £1200, covered under the balance of the warranty, still didn't work. I think I might have just fixed it with a £15 Chinese bluetooth dongle.
September 1, 2025 at 6:59 PM
Bought this car 63 months ago, when it was 15 months old, and the carplay has never connected properly. Even had the entire infotainment system replaced at £1200, covered under the balance of the warranty, still didn't work. I think I might have just fixed it with a £15 Chinese bluetooth dongle.
Summer holidays! Working 16 of the next 39 days. #davestats #cough
First item on the itinerary, Staines for Jane's wedding.
First item on the itinerary, Staines for Jane's wedding.
July 24, 2025 at 11:31 AM
Summer holidays! Working 16 of the next 39 days. #davestats #cough
First item on the itinerary, Staines for Jane's wedding.
First item on the itinerary, Staines for Jane's wedding.
Rainy football tournament today.
July 19, 2025 at 10:15 AM
Rainy football tournament today.
Not getting the same level of attention as the Beatles' final song did. Scatman John's final song dropped yesterday. Showcasing the depth of his talent and his everlasting message of love and hope. May have a little tear in my eye.
youtube.com/watch?v=_nv1...
youtube.com/watch?v=_nv1...
Can You Hear Me - Scatman John
YouTube video by Scatman John Official YouTube Channel
youtube.com
July 17, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Not getting the same level of attention as the Beatles' final song did. Scatman John's final song dropped yesterday. Showcasing the depth of his talent and his everlasting message of love and hope. May have a little tear in my eye.
youtube.com/watch?v=_nv1...
youtube.com/watch?v=_nv1...
Stop over in Sheffield tonight and a long evening wander. One of the things I love about this city is the still-thriving little local centres like this one at Sharrow Vale Road. Eclectic and modern, but with loud echos of the past. Wonderful.
July 7, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Stop over in Sheffield tonight and a long evening wander. One of the things I love about this city is the still-thriving little local centres like this one at Sharrow Vale Road. Eclectic and modern, but with loud echos of the past. Wonderful.
He's not even in the top three in my goldfish's lifetime.
July 5, 2025 at 6:18 PM
He's not even in the top three in my goldfish's lifetime.
Do you think Emma Raducanu ever looks wistfully at the ten million quid she's made in four years and thinks "if only I'd listened to more of the barrage of advice from middle aged white guys"?
July 5, 2025 at 12:31 PM
Do you think Emma Raducanu ever looks wistfully at the ten million quid she's made in four years and thinks "if only I'd listened to more of the barrage of advice from middle aged white guys"?