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franki23.bsky.social
Franki
@franki23.bsky.social
220 followers 170 following 1.2K posts
computing teacher. website maker. ally. pixel shooter. gen x. he/him. do no harm. take no crap.
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franki23.bsky.social
So FIFA gave Trump a sculpture of a human head weeping into it's hands. Bleak man, bleak

www.theguardian.com/football/liv...
Trump accepts what appears to be a sculpture of a crying baby or other bald person. Screenshot from the guardian. Text reads: DONALD TRUMP WINS THE FIFA PEACE PRIZE!!! Have that, Greta! In your face María Corina Machado! Well, who could have seen this coming? Gianni welcomes Donald Trump to the stage. "And now, the liars ..." DONALD TRUMP Ina shocking turn of events, Gianni Infantino gives Donald Trump a shiny gold bauble. Photograph: Michael Regan/FIFA/Getty Images Last Updated: 17:34
December 6, 2025 at 12:28 AM
franki23.bsky.social
Christmas you will have. Merry may it be.
Yoda plushie sits on the top of a Christmas tree, a green fairy light clutched in his hands.
December 2, 2025 at 9:49 AM
franki23.bsky.social
Yesterday, today

That escalated quickly
Yesterday the Whitehouse posted an AI image of trump dressed in Master Chief's armour, saluting something only he can see and holding a Covenant energy sword in his left hand. I bet the onlookers exhaled as one when he raised his right hand to salute. Microsoft didn't object to any of this Today searching for "Microsoft" it seems all their base are belong to someone. Microsoft Azure outage has taken out Xbox. Also my central heating controls but that's a me problem.
October 29, 2025 at 8:38 PM
franki23.bsky.social
How's my morning going?
Screenshot of a blood glucose monitor. Shows falling sugar at night labelled "Ham sammich before bed" then rising sugars from 7am labelled "liver says good morning" peaking at 9 labelled "INSULIN" then crashing labelled "brownies" in a chunky font. After this the readings level off at 4 mmol/L and the little green marker for right now is singing "do-de-do" to itself.
October 29, 2025 at 12:59 PM
franki23.bsky.social
#duolingo energy cuts you off mid lesson then makes you watch an ad to then cut you off again mid lesson. It's a killer for me. A note at the start of the lesson saying "you won't get through this" would be nice. The free tier just went anti-learning by penalising when you quickly answer correctly.
The new "you ran out of energy" screen on Duolingo's free tier. Mid lesson the learner has run out of energy and is given in game currency, referral bonuses or a free trial that you must remember to cancel it be charged for 1 year's membership. The other option is to quit mid lesson.
October 16, 2025 at 11:31 PM
franki23.bsky.social
This one speaks to me
A yellow and black warning sign with two icons of a running human crossed out in red and a walking human circled in green. Text reads Don't chase your dreams! ​Humans are persistence hunters. ​Follow your dreams at a sustainable pace until they get tired and lie down.
September 28, 2025 at 10:41 AM
franki23.bsky.social
AI once again favouring talking points of the right hand side of UK politics. Adding the word "actually" to the query "are millionaires leaving the UK" turns the answer 180 degrees.

Do your own research people.
In response to a Google search "are millionaires leaving UK" the AI response is: Yes, reports from Henley & Partners and New World Wealth predict the UK will experience the largest global net outflow of millionaires in 2025, with 16,500 individuals projected to leave. This trend, which began reversing a decade ago after years of net immigration, is linked to the abolition of "non-dom" tax rules and other tax increases, making the UK a less attractive destination for wealthy individuals. Popular destinations for these migrating millionaires include the UAE, Portugal, and Greece, which offer more favorable tax regimes and investor visa routes. In response to the Google search "are millionaires actually leaving UK" the response is: While reports have suggested millionaires are leaving the UK, a recent review by the Tax Justice Network indicates that the number of millionaires migrating from the UK is insignificant, representing a tiny fraction (around 0.3% in 2024) of the total UK millionaire population and not an "exodus" or "mass migration". This data challenges the narrative presented in some initial reports, suggesting that while some wealthy individuals are leaving, the trend does not equate to a large-scale flight of the super-rich.
August 28, 2025 at 3:49 PM
franki23.bsky.social
Seriously though
A scene from Marvel Agents of Shield. Agent Hill taking to agent Ward Hill: What does S.H.I.E.L.D. stand for agent Ward? Ward: Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division Hill: And what does that mean to you? Ward: It means someone really wanted our initials to spell out SHIELD
August 15, 2025 at 1:51 PM
franki23.bsky.social
Happy Birthday!

Credit to Nathan W. Pyle
www.nathanwpyle.art
A Nathan W Pyle comic. Panel 1: three beings toss confetti "this is where the planet was when you emerged" a fourth being looks joyous and says "tiny trash" Panel 2: "and now we sing" "ok I'll just look at you" Panel 3: the three beings hold out a cake with candles. "This is on fire" "I will exhale on it!" Panel 4: they gather around the being blowing out the candles and chant "Extinguish! Extinguish! Extinguish! Extinguish!"
August 9, 2025 at 11:49 PM
franki23.bsky.social
I have panels and batteries but somehow managed to cook mac and cheese and watch TV last night after sundown. Witchcraft!

It's like not understanding the car doesn't need to be connected to the pump at all times.
A large pyrex casserole dish full of roasted courgette and onion, tomato, macaroni and cheese. Topped with more cheese and baked until the top turned brown and bubbly. It could feed four hungry people.
July 31, 2025 at 3:34 PM
franki23.bsky.social
I love this. My buddleia blew over and now the cat can reach the lower flowers. Gonna have to trim them. Wild lawn means a lot of clover too which the bees love!
An overgrown garden full of clover
July 12, 2025 at 11:59 AM
franki23.bsky.social
I'm sure the card at the end of the movie was meant to be reassuring but honestly right now, really not.
AS OF JANUARY 1996, PRIMARY AUTHORITY AND ABILITY TO FIRE NUCLEAR MISSILES WILL NO LONGER REST WITH U.S. SUBMARINE COMMANDERS... PRINCIPAL CONTROL WILL RESIDE WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
July 5, 2025 at 3:13 PM
franki23.bsky.social
This is Big Charlie. This is as close as I ever got to him.
Big Charlie. At a glance he doesn't seem so big until you notice the size of his head compared to his body and his general roundness. He's a good eater and happy with his life. He comes round my place for cat drugs but dines and dashes.
June 27, 2025 at 1:12 PM
franki23.bsky.social
5:11am before it was visible from Castlerigg Keswick, it had some mountains and trees to get past first. Beautiful night for it.
The Solstice sun starting to peak between low cloud and treetops viewed from Castlerigg stone circle near Keswick.
June 23, 2025 at 8:51 AM
franki23.bsky.social
I let my garden grow whatever it wants, got lots of clover this year and now lots of baby ladybirds hanging out on the wall 😊
A patch of back garden overrun with flowering white clover. It took over the path, only one stone remains. It's now making a play for the whole lawn. Close up of a ladybird pupa in late stage. It's mostly orange and small black spots are visible. It's sunbathing on a rough white exterior wall. This ladybird pupa may be younger than the really orange one so it's black with orange patches. I think these spread until it's majority orange. It's ladybird shaped but ridged like an armadillo or a Klingon. Apparently this is a 7 spot ladybird. Right now this pupa is matt grey. It's outer shell is divided into bands like a sand worm but this one is less than 1cm long. It has ten bands plus head and tail and is shaped like an open croissant if croissants also had about ten sets of black toothbrush brushes on every band. How this becomes a ladybird is beyond me. Two bands have orange spots on them but they just look like paint on an alien tank.
June 22, 2025 at 8:38 PM
franki23.bsky.social
It never causes any complications. Certainly not given that Mates are a brand of condom.
A scene from Doctor who with David Tennant and Catherine Tate as Donna Noble. Doctor: I just want a mate. Donna: You just want to mate?! Doctor: A mate! I want a mate! Donna: You ain't mating with me, sunshine!
June 16, 2025 at 8:58 AM
franki23.bsky.social
Please high five whoever made iPlayer and sounds have a volume control that goes up to 11.
the volume control for BBC Sounds website which goes up to 11
June 5, 2025 at 1:31 PM
franki23.bsky.social
Bibs approves. Sitting still reading is quality cat time.
A grey floofy cat showing his tummy in appreciation of Tom Cox's books and Tom's father's cat owners postcard.
May 21, 2025 at 10:18 AM
franki23.bsky.social
Working just fine 😁
Screenshot of Deadwinter RSS feed and it's most recent items
May 12, 2025 at 4:43 PM
franki23.bsky.social
I love lantern season and it's had a lot of love here too. My second fave was this of Kim waiting for destiny
Kimiko Ross sits next to a receiving device of some kind with a headphone helmet plugged in, listening for the sound of destiny approaching perhaps? In the background, the night sky and horizon are split by a line of purple and pink sunset. In a cutout showing a detail of the horizon we see Hob peering over the horizon.
April 29, 2025 at 10:03 AM
franki23.bsky.social
It's like when Liz Truss met the Queen.
Liz Truss shaking hands with Queen Elizabeth II two days before the Queen's death. King Charles III shaking hands with the new PM Rishi Sunak. Caption reads: "Hi, I'm am the replacement for Liz." "Same here"
April 22, 2025 at 10:05 AM
franki23.bsky.social
Have some blossom from Kyoto last week. Not sure if it's cherry or something else. One of the early ones for sure.
Blossom in the Kyoto imperial palace gardens March '25
March 28, 2025 at 11:52 AM
franki23.bsky.social
Without downloading any new pictures, where are you mentally?
Grey cat looking worried under a cosy blanket. Not a fan of all the crazy.
March 23, 2025 at 5:16 AM
franki23.bsky.social
If the FBI are investigating Tesla arson as domestic terrorism this means they can focus on you just for talking about it online and presumably for attending protests.

Also Elon can claim government money back for acts against Tesla.

www.wired.com/story/fbi-te...
Five years ago, the FBI used the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to surveil people participating in Black Lives Matter protests, investigating whether they had ties to terrorists. The DOJ Inspector General called the incident an example of the FBI’s “widespread non-compliance” with FISA rules. German claims that in this case, instead of focusing on people who are alleged to have committed arson or acts of violence, the FBI’s focus could ultimately be scrutinizing people who it thinks are expressing “anger or animosity towards Tesla or Elon Musk.”
March 22, 2025 at 11:35 AM
franki23.bsky.social
Post a picture of when your pet was little
A grey kitten with white feet and white bib lies on his back with his back feet showing all the toebeans. He looks a bit confused.
March 11, 2025 at 12:58 PM