Mike
@knottinbotswana.org.bw
Civil and structural engineer via Wiltshire and Yorkshire. Emigrated to Botswana at the turn of the century. Built some roads, built some mines, built a family, building a farm. Runs, cycles, reads. Proudly woke. Cats, dogs and misc. wildlife.
Having said that, I have misused "Luddism" in a pejorative sense. Ned's concerns were, and remain, well founded.
A quick search suggests "laggards" and "dynosaurs" as suitable terms for the naysayers.
Also, electric cars in urban and suburban areas are still the root cause of traffic & congestion.
A quick search suggests "laggards" and "dynosaurs" as suitable terms for the naysayers.
Also, electric cars in urban and suburban areas are still the root cause of traffic & congestion.
December 29, 2025 at 8:52 AM
Having said that, I have misused "Luddism" in a pejorative sense. Ned's concerns were, and remain, well founded.
A quick search suggests "laggards" and "dynosaurs" as suitable terms for the naysayers.
Also, electric cars in urban and suburban areas are still the root cause of traffic & congestion.
A quick search suggests "laggards" and "dynosaurs" as suitable terms for the naysayers.
Also, electric cars in urban and suburban areas are still the root cause of traffic & congestion.
Huawei as well, and in China they sell automobiles in shopping mall stores. I have ridden in them, my colleagues own them. The pushback against EV from various sectors in "The West" is absolute Luddism.
December 29, 2025 at 5:13 AM
Huawei as well, and in China they sell automobiles in shopping mall stores. I have ridden in them, my colleagues own them. The pushback against EV from various sectors in "The West" is absolute Luddism.
This week's garden visitor: a four foot long rock monitor lizard.
Alerted by incoherent squealing of family members in the kitchen who saw it wandering down the driveway before it ducked into the garden.
#botswana #wildlife #monitorlizard #rockmonitor
Alerted by incoherent squealing of family members in the kitchen who saw it wandering down the driveway before it ducked into the garden.
#botswana #wildlife #monitorlizard #rockmonitor
December 26, 2025 at 12:37 PM
This week's garden visitor: a four foot long rock monitor lizard.
Alerted by incoherent squealing of family members in the kitchen who saw it wandering down the driveway before it ducked into the garden.
#botswana #wildlife #monitorlizard #rockmonitor
Alerted by incoherent squealing of family members in the kitchen who saw it wandering down the driveway before it ducked into the garden.
#botswana #wildlife #monitorlizard #rockmonitor
Best start the psychological preparation now. November is just around the corner.
#GSRC10x10Challenge #OurStridesOurStories
#GSRC10x10Challenge #OurStridesOurStories
August 4, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Best start the psychological preparation now. November is just around the corner.
#GSRC10x10Challenge #OurStridesOurStories
#GSRC10x10Challenge #OurStridesOurStories
Bolide (probably) meteorite over Gaborone circa 3am CAT on 3rd August 2025. Camera faces roughly north-west if you want to try and workout direction of movement and so forth.
#meteorite #Gaborone #Botswana
#meteorite #Gaborone #Botswana
August 4, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Bolide (probably) meteorite over Gaborone circa 3am CAT on 3rd August 2025. Camera faces roughly north-west if you want to try and workout direction of movement and so forth.
#meteorite #Gaborone #Botswana
#meteorite #Gaborone #Botswana
Dramatic storm clouds as the end of the rainy season draws nigh in Lualaba Province, DRC. Bit of a sticky 5km in the aftermath.
May 3, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Dramatic storm clouds as the end of the rainy season draws nigh in Lualaba Province, DRC. Bit of a sticky 5km in the aftermath.
I may have chosen to ignore context for dramatic effect!
Botswana has quite a lot of academic research on human-wildlife conflict, especially in the Okavango region - cordon fences, bees, chili powder, Maginot Line fortifications...
Gratuitous "take your children to work" pictures.
Botswana has quite a lot of academic research on human-wildlife conflict, especially in the Okavango region - cordon fences, bees, chili powder, Maginot Line fortifications...
Gratuitous "take your children to work" pictures.
March 23, 2025 at 8:27 PM
I may have chosen to ignore context for dramatic effect!
Botswana has quite a lot of academic research on human-wildlife conflict, especially in the Okavango region - cordon fences, bees, chili powder, Maginot Line fortifications...
Gratuitous "take your children to work" pictures.
Botswana has quite a lot of academic research on human-wildlife conflict, especially in the Okavango region - cordon fences, bees, chili powder, Maginot Line fortifications...
Gratuitous "take your children to work" pictures.
Wise words at Gaborone Glen Valley Waste Water Treatment Plant, Botswana.
I'll try my best.
I'll try my best.
March 23, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Wise words at Gaborone Glen Valley Waste Water Treatment Plant, Botswana.
I'll try my best.
I'll try my best.
Abundant.
He decided humans were a good deal when I pulled a large acacia thorn out of his chest. He went on to piss in my bed on several occasions.
(Francolins are not endangered, and that episode was shortly after he adopted humans, before becoming more civilised.)
He decided humans were a good deal when I pulled a large acacia thorn out of his chest. He went on to piss in my bed on several occasions.
(Francolins are not endangered, and that episode was shortly after he adopted humans, before becoming more civilised.)
March 23, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Abundant.
He decided humans were a good deal when I pulled a large acacia thorn out of his chest. He went on to piss in my bed on several occasions.
(Francolins are not endangered, and that episode was shortly after he adopted humans, before becoming more civilised.)
He decided humans were a good deal when I pulled a large acacia thorn out of his chest. He went on to piss in my bed on several occasions.
(Francolins are not endangered, and that episode was shortly after he adopted humans, before becoming more civilised.)
Went looking for a cat picture to demonstrate them having style in abundance and found this furry bastard who came into our lives 13 years ago and departed more recently.
Anyway, I made a blog post: knottinbotswana.org.bw/tunes-of-the...
Anyway, I made a blog post: knottinbotswana.org.bw/tunes-of-the...
March 23, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Went looking for a cat picture to demonstrate them having style in abundance and found this furry bastard who came into our lives 13 years ago and departed more recently.
Anyway, I made a blog post: knottinbotswana.org.bw/tunes-of-the...
Anyway, I made a blog post: knottinbotswana.org.bw/tunes-of-the...
Something I saw last year in Beijing. I was expecting something a little more grand, to be honest.
Shabby.
I hope he pisses off China and they tell him to GTFO.
#teslatakedown
Shabby.
I hope he pisses off China and they tell him to GTFO.
#teslatakedown
February 15, 2025 at 10:44 PM
Something I saw last year in Beijing. I was expecting something a little more grand, to be honest.
Shabby.
I hope he pisses off China and they tell him to GTFO.
#teslatakedown
Shabby.
I hope he pisses off China and they tell him to GTFO.
#teslatakedown
Time for an engineering/trades equivalent of the people in lab coats pretending to be scientific but with absolutely no clue how things work thread?
(see alt text for explanation)
#allthegearnoidea #chainsaw #sharpening
(see alt text for explanation)
#allthegearnoidea #chainsaw #sharpening
February 8, 2025 at 9:49 AM
Time for an engineering/trades equivalent of the people in lab coats pretending to be scientific but with absolutely no clue how things work thread?
(see alt text for explanation)
#allthegearnoidea #chainsaw #sharpening
(see alt text for explanation)
#allthegearnoidea #chainsaw #sharpening
Been doing this thing seven whole years.
Engineer turned commercial manager, helping the project team keep everything on track.
2.5 major construction phases, 3 EPC contracts, plus various other contracts for peripheral developments.
#copper #cobalt #africa #mining #hydrometallurgy #fidic #epc
Engineer turned commercial manager, helping the project team keep everything on track.
2.5 major construction phases, 3 EPC contracts, plus various other contracts for peripheral developments.
#copper #cobalt #africa #mining #hydrometallurgy #fidic #epc
February 8, 2025 at 9:34 AM
Went to add the underdeveloped Africa book to my "want to read" list and found it already there. I need to turn it into "read."
Bought this one recently as well:
Bought this one recently as well:
January 30, 2025 at 10:34 AM
Went to add the underdeveloped Africa book to my "want to read" list and found it already there. I need to turn it into "read."
Bought this one recently as well:
Bought this one recently as well:
Getting back into it after a lazy festive. Longest jog of the year so far.
Interesting fungal outbreak.
The rainy season seems to have started properly now, after a slow, dry start before Christmas.
Interesting fungal outbreak.
The rainy season seems to have started properly now, after a slow, dry start before Christmas.
January 26, 2025 at 8:33 PM
Getting back into it after a lazy festive. Longest jog of the year so far.
Interesting fungal outbreak.
The rainy season seems to have started properly now, after a slow, dry start before Christmas.
Interesting fungal outbreak.
The rainy season seems to have started properly now, after a slow, dry start before Christmas.
My wife sending me updates on progress at the farm (I work a fly-in fly-out job).
January 25, 2025 at 6:47 AM
My wife sending me updates on progress at the farm (I work a fly-in fly-out job).
Anything other than pine is ridiculously expensive round here.
When we get as far as stocking chickens they are going to feast.
Let me introduce you to some of our termites:
When we get as far as stocking chickens they are going to feast.
Let me introduce you to some of our termites:
January 22, 2025 at 11:22 AM
Anything other than pine is ridiculously expensive round here.
When we get as far as stocking chickens they are going to feast.
Let me introduce you to some of our termites:
When we get as far as stocking chickens they are going to feast.
Let me introduce you to some of our termites:
How much is that doggy in the window?
(make me an offer...)
(yes, he is on the windowsill, inside of the burglar bar, in the first frame)
(make me an offer...)
(yes, he is on the windowsill, inside of the burglar bar, in the first frame)
January 18, 2025 at 6:53 PM
How much is that doggy in the window?
(make me an offer...)
(yes, he is on the windowsill, inside of the burglar bar, in the first frame)
(make me an offer...)
(yes, he is on the windowsill, inside of the burglar bar, in the first frame)
Thank you for sharing. It deserves to be reposted annually.
Without thought of Heroes' Day I actually bought the Adam Hochschild book a couple of weeks ago, on the way back to work in DRC 🇨🇩.
I wonder what this country would be like if he had lived out his vision?
Without thought of Heroes' Day I actually bought the Adam Hochschild book a couple of weeks ago, on the way back to work in DRC 🇨🇩.
I wonder what this country would be like if he had lived out his vision?
January 18, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Thank you for sharing. It deserves to be reposted annually.
Without thought of Heroes' Day I actually bought the Adam Hochschild book a couple of weeks ago, on the way back to work in DRC 🇨🇩.
I wonder what this country would be like if he had lived out his vision?
Without thought of Heroes' Day I actually bought the Adam Hochschild book a couple of weeks ago, on the way back to work in DRC 🇨🇩.
I wonder what this country would be like if he had lived out his vision?
Decided to relocate and resurrect something: Hello world!
knottinbotswana.org.bw/hello-world/
knottinbotswana.org.bw/hello-world/
January 16, 2025 at 9:24 PM
Decided to relocate and resurrect something: Hello world!
knottinbotswana.org.bw/hello-world/
knottinbotswana.org.bw/hello-world/
Just another airport to job site transfer in DRC.
January 16, 2025 at 6:53 AM
Just another airport to job site transfer in DRC.
A reminder of the calibre of the man about to lead the "free world." 🤢
January 12, 2025 at 11:30 AM
A reminder of the calibre of the man about to lead the "free world." 🤢