Paul Varley
@paulpower.bsky.social
I like popular maths and science (particularly astronomy), cricket, trains, sometimes I obsess over videogames. I've been working at @techniquest.org for 13 years now. Autistic, non-binary, he/they.
Profits are arguably the biggest inefficiency of them all.
October 23, 2025 at 5:01 AM
Profits are arguably the biggest inefficiency of them all.
Speaking as someone who does a lot of public speaking about science, that's just... not true? The more I groove what I plan to say, the more confident I get, the less stuttery I get and the easier it is to respond to something unexpected.
October 17, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Speaking as someone who does a lot of public speaking about science, that's just... not true? The more I groove what I plan to say, the more confident I get, the less stuttery I get and the easier it is to respond to something unexpected.
If it helps, there's a course in the Mario Kart series called Kalimari Desert. Presumably the link is to the Blooper enemies in Mario, though none show up at the course. Unless they're all on the train...
October 17, 2025 at 4:39 AM
If it helps, there's a course in the Mario Kart series called Kalimari Desert. Presumably the link is to the Blooper enemies in Mario, though none show up at the course. Unless they're all on the train...
I suppose a lot of the "looking nice" places have done relatively well in recent years for the simple reason that you can't get them online. Sucks that you don't have any grocery stores though. My local row of shops has a lot of hair and tattoo places but at least it has groceries and takeaways too.
October 15, 2025 at 6:27 AM
I suppose a lot of the "looking nice" places have done relatively well in recent years for the simple reason that you can't get them online. Sucks that you don't have any grocery stores though. My local row of shops has a lot of hair and tattoo places but at least it has groceries and takeaways too.
Sure, I have a calculator watch because I'm a giant nerd.
October 11, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Sure, I have a calculator watch because I'm a giant nerd.
@vicas3.bsky.social @serenedragon3.bsky.social Mario swapping the colours of his overalls between SMB1 and the other games might end up being convenient for differentiating the sprites of all these All-Star games...
October 11, 2025 at 6:40 AM
@vicas3.bsky.social @serenedragon3.bsky.social Mario swapping the colours of his overalls between SMB1 and the other games might end up being convenient for differentiating the sprites of all these All-Star games...
Personally I feel like Americans just need to learn to accept and love draws.
October 3, 2025 at 5:25 AM
Personally I feel like Americans just need to learn to accept and love draws.
Reorganising on Serene's scale of 2*happy - angry, we have:
1. Mega Man X: 6½
2. Cool Spot: 5½
3= Demon's Crest: 5
3= Addams Family: 5
5. Mickey Mania: 3
6. DKC1: 2
7. Aero: 1
8. Doom Patrol: ½
9. Daffy Duck: -½
10. Bubsy 1: -1
11. Alfred Chicken: -2
12. Beethoven: -3½
13. Flintstones Movie: -4
1. Mega Man X: 6½
2. Cool Spot: 5½
3= Demon's Crest: 5
3= Addams Family: 5
5. Mickey Mania: 3
6. DKC1: 2
7. Aero: 1
8. Doom Patrol: ½
9. Daffy Duck: -½
10. Bubsy 1: -1
11. Alfred Chicken: -2
12. Beethoven: -3½
13. Flintstones Movie: -4
September 30, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Reorganising on Serene's scale of 2*happy - angry, we have:
1. Mega Man X: 6½
2. Cool Spot: 5½
3= Demon's Crest: 5
3= Addams Family: 5
5. Mickey Mania: 3
6. DKC1: 2
7. Aero: 1
8. Doom Patrol: ½
9. Daffy Duck: -½
10. Bubsy 1: -1
11. Alfred Chicken: -2
12. Beethoven: -3½
13. Flintstones Movie: -4
1. Mega Man X: 6½
2. Cool Spot: 5½
3= Demon's Crest: 5
3= Addams Family: 5
5. Mickey Mania: 3
6. DKC1: 2
7. Aero: 1
8. Doom Patrol: ½
9. Daffy Duck: -½
10. Bubsy 1: -1
11. Alfred Chicken: -2
12. Beethoven: -3½
13. Flintstones Movie: -4
@vicas3.bsky.social @serenedragon3.bsky.social Roll over, Beethoven.
September 30, 2025 at 10:35 AM
@vicas3.bsky.social @serenedragon3.bsky.social Roll over, Beethoven.
On the other hand, very funny watching a Tom Cardy video where he clearly says "arse" at one point and all the commenters who quote that line are saying "ass" out of some weird refusal to accept reality.
September 30, 2025 at 6:21 AM
On the other hand, very funny watching a Tom Cardy video where he clearly says "arse" at one point and all the commenters who quote that line are saying "ass" out of some weird refusal to accept reality.
I mean, for my last year or so in my primary school, *I* was the librarian... and the computer person 😅
September 29, 2025 at 10:44 AM
I mean, for my last year or so in my primary school, *I* was the librarian... and the computer person 😅
The "problems are bad but the causes are very good" people got us into this mess in the first place.
September 29, 2025 at 10:01 AM
The "problems are bad but the causes are very good" people got us into this mess in the first place.
Draws can be great. I mean, speaking as a fan of a sport where one side can be demolishing the other and still draw because the other side ran out the (five-day long) clock. Takes some real Dunkirk/Apollo 13/Shackleton spirit to manage that.
September 29, 2025 at 4:40 AM
Draws can be great. I mean, speaking as a fan of a sport where one side can be demolishing the other and still draw because the other side ran out the (five-day long) clock. Takes some real Dunkirk/Apollo 13/Shackleton spirit to manage that.
Swansea is the Graveyard of Ambition, so I'm pretty sure we could make a syndrome based on it...
September 28, 2025 at 11:33 AM
Swansea is the Graveyard of Ambition, so I'm pretty sure we could make a syndrome based on it...
Picked Sri Lanka for two main reasons:
1) Their history is long enough to be interesting but short enough to be manageable.
2) I have a Sri Lankan colleague at work who I thought would get a kick out of it!
1) Their history is long enough to be interesting but short enough to be manageable.
2) I have a Sri Lankan colleague at work who I thought would get a kick out of it!
September 28, 2025 at 6:11 AM
Picked Sri Lanka for two main reasons:
1) Their history is long enough to be interesting but short enough to be manageable.
2) I have a Sri Lankan colleague at work who I thought would get a kick out of it!
1) Their history is long enough to be interesting but short enough to be manageable.
2) I have a Sri Lankan colleague at work who I thought would get a kick out of it!
I can go stargazing at a sensible hour!
September 24, 2025 at 4:25 PM
I can go stargazing at a sensible hour!
Seems like "chronic aggression" would be a good name.
September 23, 2025 at 2:24 AM
Seems like "chronic aggression" would be a good name.
@vicas3.bsky.social @serenedragon3.bsky.social If Max looks a little weird, it's because I couldn't actually find any sprite sheets for Doom Troopers! So I hastily edited a screenshot I found. Frankly I'm not sure the game's graphics deserved better :v
September 12, 2025 at 7:11 PM
@vicas3.bsky.social @serenedragon3.bsky.social If Max looks a little weird, it's because I couldn't actually find any sprite sheets for Doom Troopers! So I hastily edited a screenshot I found. Frankly I'm not sure the game's graphics deserved better :v
I'm just bugged that in all these years since Augustus, no-one could think of a better name for September and co. Bunch of placeholders.
September 12, 2025 at 12:53 AM
I'm just bugged that in all these years since Augustus, no-one could think of a better name for September and co. Bunch of placeholders.
Although I do sort of want to add: buying an $8k because you like cool watches: sure, everyone needs a hobby and it's your money. Buying an $8k watch as an *investment*: eeeehhhhh...
September 10, 2025 at 6:58 AM
Although I do sort of want to add: buying an $8k because you like cool watches: sure, everyone needs a hobby and it's your money. Buying an $8k watch as an *investment*: eeeehhhhh...