Mark Thompson
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markreckons.bsky.social
Mark Thompson
@markreckons.bsky.social
Comedy, politics, poker and popular culture more generally. Also tech given my day job involving 1s and 0s.
Pinned
Tomorrow I am running the London Parks Half Marathon for SANDS in memory of our first son Olly who died at 9 months in 2012.

www.justgiving.com/page/mark-th...

SANDS has been a wonderful support to our family and does great work providing help in hospitals. Anything you can give is welcome. Thanks
Mark's fundraiser for Sands
Help Mark Thompson raise money to support Sands
www.justgiving.com
You'd have to work pretty hard to find a set of lines better constructed than this
November 14, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Is this an example of an "eggcorn"? The author surely meant "fomented" but "fermented" still sort of works I think. What do you reckon?
November 3, 2025 at 12:30 PM
I was interested to see they made no apology/warning in the continuity announcement despite the fact that one of the characters describes Manuel as a "Dago"!
Special one-off showing of an episode of Fawlty Towers on BBC One tonight at 8 pm in tribute to Prunella Scales. S1E2 The Builders.
October 29, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Special one-off showing of an episode of Fawlty Towers on BBC One tonight at 8 pm in tribute to Prunella Scales. S1E2 The Builders.
October 28, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Reposted by Mark Thompson
Try as I might, I can't get Reform to answer a simple question about their candidate in the Caerphilly by-election Llyr Powell.

When did he last have contact with Nathan Gill, the party's former leader in Wales who has admitted taking Russian bribes?
willhaywardwales.substack.com/p/why-cant-r...
Why can't Reform answer this question?
Plus predictions for the Caerphilly by-election
willhaywardwales.substack.com
October 19, 2025 at 7:10 AM
I want to learn more about the Falklands War. Can anyone recommend a good, fairly neutral book on the subject?
October 18, 2025 at 12:28 PM
Your nan's just invited me round
October 15, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Used Uber for myself for the first time ever yesterday. I was trying to hail a cab outside Hyde Park. The nearest tube stations were closed and I'd never used Uber because I live in the middle of nowhere and normally drive everywhere. I have to say it was a positive experience.
October 14, 2025 at 11:17 AM
Finished it yesterday. Apparently you can still sponsor me though if you wish so It's not too late and my knees won't have died in vain 👍
Tomorrow I am running the London Parks Half Marathon for SANDS in memory of our first son Olly who died at 9 months in 2012.

www.justgiving.com/page/mark-th...

SANDS has been a wonderful support to our family and does great work providing help in hospitals. Anything you can give is welcome. Thanks
Mark's fundraiser for Sands
Help Mark Thompson raise money to support Sands
www.justgiving.com
October 13, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Reposted by Mark Thompson
Just sponsored Mark, please give if you're able 😘
Tomorrow I am running the London Parks Half Marathon for SANDS in memory of our first son Olly who died at 9 months in 2012.

www.justgiving.com/page/mark-th...

SANDS has been a wonderful support to our family and does great work providing help in hospitals. Anything you can give is welcome. Thanks
Mark's fundraiser for Sands
Help Mark Thompson raise money to support Sands
www.justgiving.com
October 12, 2025 at 11:50 AM
Tomorrow I am running the London Parks Half Marathon for SANDS in memory of our first son Olly who died at 9 months in 2012.

www.justgiving.com/page/mark-th...

SANDS has been a wonderful support to our family and does great work providing help in hospitals. Anything you can give is welcome. Thanks
Mark's fundraiser for Sands
Help Mark Thompson raise money to support Sands
www.justgiving.com
October 11, 2025 at 6:17 AM
I mean this is great and everything but why has it trajectory 3.5 years? They could have been doing this the whole time surely? And note "Ready to use", not "Will use".
October 11, 2025 at 6:14 AM
@samebattime.bsky.social Can he get out? Will he get out? Course he will.
October 7, 2025 at 4:52 PM
I am running the London Parks Half Marathon for SANDS in memory of our first son Olly who died at 9 months in 2012.

www.justgiving.com/page/mark-th...

Less than 5 days to go now!

SANDS has been a wonderful support. Anything you can give is welcome. Thanks.
Mark's fundraiser for Sands
Help Mark Thompson raise money to support Sands
www.justgiving.com
October 7, 2025 at 12:49 PM
There was a time, only a few years ago that a comment like this from any shadow minister, especially the shadow Justice Secretary would have been an immediate resignation offence.

The fact it's tolerated nay encouraged by many in his own "mainstream" party shows how far the Overton window has moved
October 7, 2025 at 12:48 PM
I am running the London Parks Half Marathon for SANDS in memory of our first son Olly who died at 9 months in 2012.

SANDS has been a wonderful support.

www.justgiving.com/page/mark-th...

Exactly one week today so I'm having one last push. Please RT and anything you can donate is welcome. Thanks.
Mark's fundraiser for Sands
Help Mark Thompson raise money to support Sands
www.justgiving.com
October 5, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Does anyone else remember an 80s advert for lager (possibly Harp) where at the end one of the blokes who thinks the other one is a bit stupid looks into his ear and says "Stone me! I can see daylight!" I can't find it anywhere and I'm convinced from memory it was a young Robert Glenister. Anyone?
October 4, 2025 at 4:09 PM
It took less than 5 minutes to do this and I've ended up with a basic but playable version of Space Invaders. And I didn't have to write a line of code myself.

This is definitely food for thought for any computer programmers.
I installed GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio and gave it these instructions

Can you help me create the game Space Invaders?
Add invader movement and collision detection.
Handle win/lose conditions.
Add scoring and sound.
Make the invaders look like spiders?
Make the firing sound like an explosion?
October 4, 2025 at 12:43 PM
I installed GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio and gave it these instructions

Can you help me create the game Space Invaders?
Add invader movement and collision detection.
Handle win/lose conditions.
Add scoring and sound.
Make the invaders look like spiders?
Make the firing sound like an explosion?
October 4, 2025 at 12:41 PM
One of the best films of the 1980s. Probably ever. Just finished it. They absolutely nail that neo-noir aesthetic. I think Blade Runner pioneered it but this gets it even better I think.
Having a little rewatch
September 30, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Having a little rewatch
September 30, 2025 at 6:50 PM
I mean the best you can say about those is that she did have Morrissey absolutely nailed.

But it is a bit frustrating that the way the media generally works is that if for example you've got a massive pair of breasts you're qualified to review music.

And Panic is one of the best songs ever written
September 30, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Started rewatching Peep Show from the start. It's very strong right from the get-go. The inner monologues are sometimes sublime in how they contrast between thought and deed. I think it helps that the writers knew Mitchell and Webb and wrote the parts specifically for them.
September 29, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Reposted by Mark Thompson
Shot himself and nobody heard a thing due to the excellent soundproofing on his Everest windows
September 28, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Just mentioned Ted Moult to someone who is pretty clued up on old TV etc and they had no idea who I was talking about. He was famous for decades right through to his untimely death in 1986 and yet seems to have culturally disappeared.
September 28, 2025 at 6:49 PM