James Hough
@hough-like-cough.bsky.social
A random South African software developer 🇿🇦. Sci-fi nerd. The world needs less hate right now. End Apartheid everywhere 🇵🇸
Reposted by James Hough
zoomers are ruining the planned obsolescence industry
November 29, 2025 at 3:20 AM
zoomers are ruining the planned obsolescence industry
Reposted by James Hough
💥 BLACK FRIDAY FAIL 💥
We need more well-being, not more useless stuff 💯
Overconsumption is eating up our future. Even buying “green” reinforces a system based on overextraction and overproduction. Time to reset our economies!
We need more well-being, not more useless stuff 💯
Overconsumption is eating up our future. Even buying “green” reinforces a system based on overextraction and overproduction. Time to reset our economies!
November 28, 2025 at 12:54 PM
💥 BLACK FRIDAY FAIL 💥
We need more well-being, not more useless stuff 💯
Overconsumption is eating up our future. Even buying “green” reinforces a system based on overextraction and overproduction. Time to reset our economies!
We need more well-being, not more useless stuff 💯
Overconsumption is eating up our future. Even buying “green” reinforces a system based on overextraction and overproduction. Time to reset our economies!
"In the end, America does not weaken South Africa by lashing out. It weakens itself. And it strengthens the very actors it claims to fear."
Trump may believe he can single-handedly rewrite the rules of geopolitics with threats and hashtags. But the G20 is bigger than him. The world is bigger than him. And South Africa’s leadership is already proving that.
South Africa delivered at the G20, Trump delivered a tantrum | Daily Maverick
www.dailymaverick.co.za
November 27, 2025 at 11:07 AM
"In the end, America does not weaken South Africa by lashing out. It weakens itself. And it strengthens the very actors it claims to fear."
If you can believe it, I sat through a presentation (given to staff at one of the largest financial institutions in South Africa) from a Corporate Strategy "expert" who showed a montage of Trump saying "in two weeks" at least 10 times as proof of a constant changing world stage that corp strategy 1/
November 25, 2025 at 10:02 AM
If you can believe it, I sat through a presentation (given to staff at one of the largest financial institutions in South Africa) from a Corporate Strategy "expert" who showed a montage of Trump saying "in two weeks" at least 10 times as proof of a constant changing world stage that corp strategy 1/
Reposted by James Hough
FML I have to explain why we didn't alert to this outage happening before our users complained. There's no way to know before users experience this. Our system (which I can monitor) never had a hiccup but because our system can't be reached its now our fault 🤬
November 18, 2025 at 2:26 PM
FML I have to explain why we didn't alert to this outage happening before our users complained. There's no way to know before users experience this. Our system (which I can monitor) never had a hiccup but because our system can't be reached its now our fault 🤬
Reposted by James Hough
Reposted by James Hough
What about any gold they might have in their teeth?
Govt minister Alex Norris is asked if the govt will take jewellery from people [fleeing war and persecution]. Norris says the govt won't be taking peoples wedding rings but they will seize assets.
November 17, 2025 at 8:29 AM
What about any gold they might have in their teeth?
Reposted by James Hough
There's a weird etymology here.
In the 11th century, a pre-arranged army command was 'CRIER HAVOT', which means in Old French: "order to pillage."
This was corrupted to "cry havoc" in English.
Wreak, meanwhile, is Old English for "punish/avenge".
So "wreaking havoc" is revenge pillaging.
In the 11th century, a pre-arranged army command was 'CRIER HAVOT', which means in Old French: "order to pillage."
This was corrupted to "cry havoc" in English.
Wreak, meanwhile, is Old English for "punish/avenge".
So "wreaking havoc" is revenge pillaging.
November 14, 2025 at 1:27 PM
There's a weird etymology here.
In the 11th century, a pre-arranged army command was 'CRIER HAVOT', which means in Old French: "order to pillage."
This was corrupted to "cry havoc" in English.
Wreak, meanwhile, is Old English for "punish/avenge".
So "wreaking havoc" is revenge pillaging.
In the 11th century, a pre-arranged army command was 'CRIER HAVOT', which means in Old French: "order to pillage."
This was corrupted to "cry havoc" in English.
Wreak, meanwhile, is Old English for "punish/avenge".
So "wreaking havoc" is revenge pillaging.
Equal Rites reminded me of an embarassing memory from when I met Terry Pratchett at a signing for Jingo. My lame way of introducing myself to him was "please sign it to James, but not Jaims like in Equal Rites".
He was confused. And there I am spelling J A I M S, "but *don't* spell it that way". 🫣
He was confused. And there I am spelling J A I M S, "but *don't* spell it that way". 🫣
It's always a good idea to bookmark this link as Terry Pratchett's books go on sale all the time. I pick up a couple of them every time i see them.
I'm currently reading Equal Rites.
I'm currently reading Equal Rites.
Terry Pratchett: books, biography, latest update
Follow Terry Pratchett and explore their bibliography from Amazon's Terry Pratchett Author Page.
www.amazon.com
November 12, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Equal Rites reminded me of an embarassing memory from when I met Terry Pratchett at a signing for Jingo. My lame way of introducing myself to him was "please sign it to James, but not Jaims like in Equal Rites".
He was confused. And there I am spelling J A I M S, "but *don't* spell it that way". 🫣
He was confused. And there I am spelling J A I M S, "but *don't* spell it that way". 🫣
Reposted by James Hough
Stories of imagination tend to upset those without one.
- Terry Pratchett
- Terry Pratchett
November 11, 2025 at 6:32 AM
Stories of imagination tend to upset those without one.
- Terry Pratchett
- Terry Pratchett
Reposted by James Hough
10 years old and maybe never more relevant than in contemporary software development
www.commitstrip.com/en/2016/08/2...
www.commitstrip.com/en/2016/08/2...
November 10, 2025 at 9:11 PM
10 years old and maybe never more relevant than in contemporary software development
www.commitstrip.com/en/2016/08/2...
www.commitstrip.com/en/2016/08/2...
Reposted by James Hough
This week's column is on Billionaire Brain: the condition which seems to prevent extremely rich people from perceiving the utterly bleeding obvious.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
I wish we could ignore Bill Gates on the climate crisis. But he’s a billionaire, so we can’t | George Monbiot
Money talks – and his essay denouncing ‘near-term emissions goals’ at Cop30 mostly argues the case for letting the ultra-rich off the hook
www.theguardian.com
November 8, 2025 at 8:19 AM
This week's column is on Billionaire Brain: the condition which seems to prevent extremely rich people from perceiving the utterly bleeding obvious.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by James Hough
You pay fuel duty. Why don’t billionaires?
This week, we launched WeWingAnyCar.com to help you qualify for the same tax breaks that private jets get.
Because tax loopholes shouldn’t just be for billionaires.
They’re for everyone.
This week, we launched WeWingAnyCar.com to help you qualify for the same tax breaks that private jets get.
Because tax loopholes shouldn’t just be for billionaires.
They’re for everyone.
November 6, 2025 at 6:02 PM
You pay fuel duty. Why don’t billionaires?
This week, we launched WeWingAnyCar.com to help you qualify for the same tax breaks that private jets get.
Because tax loopholes shouldn’t just be for billionaires.
They’re for everyone.
This week, we launched WeWingAnyCar.com to help you qualify for the same tax breaks that private jets get.
Because tax loopholes shouldn’t just be for billionaires.
They’re for everyone.
Reposted by James Hough
1. In the wake on Mamdani’s win, we’ll see a lot more far right anti-urban sentiment. Here’s a thread on its roots and evolution.
The idea that the city is evil and corrupt, and the countryside innocent and pure, goes back a long way: to Theocritus in Alexandria, and to the Old Testament. 🧵
The idea that the city is evil and corrupt, and the countryside innocent and pure, goes back a long way: to Theocritus in Alexandria, and to the Old Testament. 🧵
November 5, 2025 at 7:58 AM
1. In the wake on Mamdani’s win, we’ll see a lot more far right anti-urban sentiment. Here’s a thread on its roots and evolution.
The idea that the city is evil and corrupt, and the countryside innocent and pure, goes back a long way: to Theocritus in Alexandria, and to the Old Testament. 🧵
The idea that the city is evil and corrupt, and the countryside innocent and pure, goes back a long way: to Theocritus in Alexandria, and to the Old Testament. 🧵
I left LinkedIn more than 10 years ago when a data breach leaked my info. Much happier today that this news doesn't affect me. But I think a similar sense of betrayal may hit many of their current users and cause another exodus.
Microsoft-owned LinkedIn will be collecting your data to train AI models — starting today.
November 4, 2025 at 9:29 AM
I left LinkedIn more than 10 years ago when a data breach leaked my info. Much happier today that this news doesn't affect me. But I think a similar sense of betrayal may hit many of their current users and cause another exodus.
Reposted by James Hough
Britain is not in the grip of mass violence.
The Cambridgeshire train stabbings were horrific - and incredibly rare.
Your odds of being attacked by a stranger are much lower than they were.
Here's the facts! 👇
www.owenjones.news/p/britain-is...
The Cambridgeshire train stabbings were horrific - and incredibly rare.
Your odds of being attacked by a stranger are much lower than they were.
Here's the facts! 👇
www.owenjones.news/p/britain-is...
Britain isn't in the grip of mass violence
The far right are trying to whip up fear and panic with lies
www.owenjones.news
November 3, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Britain is not in the grip of mass violence.
The Cambridgeshire train stabbings were horrific - and incredibly rare.
Your odds of being attacked by a stranger are much lower than they were.
Here's the facts! 👇
www.owenjones.news/p/britain-is...
The Cambridgeshire train stabbings were horrific - and incredibly rare.
Your odds of being attacked by a stranger are much lower than they were.
Here's the facts! 👇
www.owenjones.news/p/britain-is...
You don't have to be an Australian to appreciate this absolutely brilliant speech about art.
Tim Minchin’s Full Speech at The Art of Tax Reform Summit 2025 - NSW, Australia
YouTube video by Tim Minchin
youtu.be
November 3, 2025 at 2:58 PM
You don't have to be an Australian to appreciate this absolutely brilliant speech about art.
Post a movie you’ve seen more than 7 times with a gif…
November 3, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Post a movie you’ve seen more than 7 times with a gif…
Reposted by James Hough
Reposted by James Hough
I’m putting phishing training in my Halloween candy this year.
October 31, 2025 at 12:18 PM
I’m putting phishing training in my Halloween candy this year.
Reposted by James Hough
Starting this year, the winner of the annual Speed Chess Championship will be awarded the Naroditsky Cup.
The cup will have the winners of previous years engraved on it and become the permanent trophy of the SCC.
The cup will have the winners of previous years engraved on it and become the permanent trophy of the SCC.
October 30, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Starting this year, the winner of the annual Speed Chess Championship will be awarded the Naroditsky Cup.
The cup will have the winners of previous years engraved on it and become the permanent trophy of the SCC.
The cup will have the winners of previous years engraved on it and become the permanent trophy of the SCC.
Reposted by James Hough
