Smylers
@smylers.uk
Ilkley Christian geek board-gamer puzzle/quiz/crossword fan and parent
Reposted by Smylers
I don’t know how many ways there are to say “Manchester’s economy is growing, so if we’re not going to do much proactive on infrastructure, can we at least not do stuff that’s actively damaging”
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Soon-to-be-axed 7am Manchester-London train will still run – but without passengers
Exclusive: Rail regulator pulls Avanti service from timetable from mid-December but it is needed for staff travel
www.theguardian.com
November 29, 2025 at 9:52 AM
I don’t know how many ways there are to say “Manchester’s economy is growing, so if we’re not going to do much proactive on infrastructure, can we at least not do stuff that’s actively damaging”
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
It was generous of work to take us out for a Thanksgiving meal, and I'm glad I went.
But that beefburger was not enhanced by having cranberry sauce and stuffing in it.
But that beefburger was not enhanced by having cranberry sauce and stuffing in it.
November 28, 2025 at 6:34 PM
It was generous of work to take us out for a Thanksgiving meal, and I'm glad I went.
But that beefburger was not enhanced by having cranberry sauce and stuffing in it.
But that beefburger was not enhanced by having cranberry sauce and stuffing in it.
The Proclaimers tickets for Bradford successfully purchased in one tab.
And in another tab @bellowhead.bsky.social tickets *were* in my basket, but now the Harrogate Theatre website is giving a Cloudflare error! Hopefully that means nobody else is buying them either ...
And in another tab @bellowhead.bsky.social tickets *were* in my basket, but now the Harrogate Theatre website is giving a Cloudflare error! Hopefully that means nobody else is buying them either ...
November 28, 2025 at 10:11 AM
The Proclaimers tickets for Bradford successfully purchased in one tab.
And in another tab @bellowhead.bsky.social tickets *were* in my basket, but now the Harrogate Theatre website is giving a Cloudflare error! Hopefully that means nobody else is buying them either ...
And in another tab @bellowhead.bsky.social tickets *were* in my basket, but now the Harrogate Theatre website is giving a Cloudflare error! Hopefully that means nobody else is buying them either ...
Why am I getting more insightful Budget analysis from the person who writes Dennis the Menace and Gnasher for the Beano than from the TV news?
Mansion tax.
Owners of houses worth £2m to £2.5m will pay £2,500 a year.
During that year it is likely that, that house will appreciate by somewhere between £20,000 to £80,000
Owners of houses worth £2m to £2.5m will pay £2,500 a year.
During that year it is likely that, that house will appreciate by somewhere between £20,000 to £80,000
November 28, 2025 at 9:53 AM
Why am I getting more insightful Budget analysis from the person who writes Dennis the Menace and Gnasher for the Beano than from the TV news?
Reposted by Smylers
“Traffic was bad this morning.”
”Yeah, there'smoregasboard roadworks on the high street.”
”Yeah, there'smoregasboard roadworks on the high street.”
Update: just heard on the guardian politics podcast that ‘smörgåsbord is probably the wrong word cause it’s not very Christmassy’ which begs the question WHAT DO BRITISH PEOPLE THINK THIS WORD MEANS???
Everyone in British political punditry has decided to use the word smörgåsbord a lot lately and, given that it’s a word that includes two vowels that don’t exist in the English language, I find it a poor choice.
November 27, 2025 at 12:57 PM
“Traffic was bad this morning.”
”Yeah, there'smoregasboard roadworks on the high street.”
”Yeah, there'smoregasboard roadworks on the high street.”
This page for a Fairphone 5 says in different places it comes with Android 15 and Android 13: broadband.yourcoop.coop/mobile/phone...
So I asked which it is, and the chatbot told me it's … Android 14!
Is it just taking the average‽
So I asked which it is, and the chatbot told me it's … Android 14!
Is it just taking the average‽
![A chat conversation, with me asking “Which version of Android comes on the Fairphone 5?”, the bot's response of “The Fairphone 5 comes pre-installed with Android 14 [in bold] and benefits from extended software support with updates available until 2031, ensuring long-term use and security”, followed by another response of “Was this helpful?”, and my reply of “No”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:pjz3dytmsnz3oek5bx3cz5c3/bafkreie7oyelnuubqnvcmaymjefhpdytcx76uxhuueq23l2crabn7rir7u@jpeg)
November 27, 2025 at 9:45 AM
This page for a Fairphone 5 says in different places it comes with Android 15 and Android 13: broadband.yourcoop.coop/mobile/phone...
So I asked which it is, and the chatbot told me it's … Android 14!
Is it just taking the average‽
So I asked which it is, and the chatbot told me it's … Android 14!
Is it just taking the average‽
From a forum asking about giving up on watching TV shows — what does Peter think “second chances” means?
November 26, 2025 at 3:15 PM
From a forum asking about giving up on watching TV shows — what does Peter think “second chances” means?
Disappointed that ‘The Guardian’'s interactive budget calculator only has options for cutting overseas aid or leaving it as it currently is, not for reversing previous cuts:
www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-...
www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-...
November 25, 2025 at 10:15 AM
Disappointed that ‘The Guardian’'s interactive budget calculator only has options for cutting overseas aid or leaving it as it currently is, not for reversing previous cuts:
www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-...
www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-...
Reposted by Smylers
Niamh Callaghan, 38, whose sons Lucas and Finley are in Year 3 and Year 5 respectively, was concerned that she seemed to have accidentally become pen pals with an entire school of 500 children and 40 staff.
Autistic mum quits job to devote herself to correspondence from her children’s primary school
An autistic mother-of-two has reportedly resigned from a successful career as an educational psychologist so that she can give her full attention to the stream of e-mails and text messages from the…
thedailytism.com
November 24, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Niamh Callaghan, 38, whose sons Lucas and Finley are in Year 3 and Year 5 respectively, was concerned that she seemed to have accidentally become pen pals with an entire school of 500 children and 40 staff.
13yo has asked for a smartphone, so they can use WhatsApp.
Any suggestions for what we should get, and what security/safety/blocking/tracking measures we should use?
Thanks.
Any suggestions for what we should get, and what security/safety/blocking/tracking measures we should use?
Thanks.
November 24, 2025 at 4:27 PM
13yo has asked for a smartphone, so they can use WhatsApp.
Any suggestions for what we should get, and what security/safety/blocking/tracking measures we should use?
Thanks.
Any suggestions for what we should get, and what security/safety/blocking/tracking measures we should use?
Thanks.
“Open me for £80 of free wine,” demands an envelope in today's post.
The back offers the alternative: “Return to sender if you're anti-wine.”
It's less about being anti-wine, and more that the named recipient is only 11 years old.
The back offers the alternative: “Return to sender if you're anti-wine.”
It's less about being anti-wine, and more that the named recipient is only 11 years old.
November 24, 2025 at 12:42 PM
“Open me for £80 of free wine,” demands an envelope in today's post.
The back offers the alternative: “Return to sender if you're anti-wine.”
It's less about being anti-wine, and more that the named recipient is only 11 years old.
The back offers the alternative: “Return to sender if you're anti-wine.”
It's less about being anti-wine, and more that the named recipient is only 11 years old.
39 points on #PopMaster — my first since Ken Bruce moved from Radio 2 to GHR!
Sonia and ‘… Delight’ were guesses, but everything just fell the right way for once.
Sonia and ‘… Delight’ were guesses, but everything just fell the right way for once.
November 24, 2025 at 10:38 AM
39 points on #PopMaster — my first since Ken Bruce moved from Radio 2 to GHR!
Sonia and ‘… Delight’ were guesses, but everything just fell the right way for once.
Sonia and ‘… Delight’ were guesses, but everything just fell the right way for once.
Apparently @yougov.co.uk's survey designers don't believe in the existence of people who've never bought a car:
November 24, 2025 at 9:35 AM
Apparently @yougov.co.uk's survey designers don't believe in the existence of people who've never bought a car:
Reposted by Smylers
Just had a doctor interrogate the autism diagnosis on my records due to the ‘high levels of emotional empathy’ observed during our consultation. He then suggested that being a writer and autistic was, in his mind, highly unlikely.
Sorry, lads…but am I in the wrong century?
Sorry, lads…but am I in the wrong century?
November 23, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Just had a doctor interrogate the autism diagnosis on my records due to the ‘high levels of emotional empathy’ observed during our consultation. He then suggested that being a writer and autistic was, in his mind, highly unlikely.
Sorry, lads…but am I in the wrong century?
Sorry, lads…but am I in the wrong century?
✔ Yesterday I finished writing and printing the quiz for today's cast and crew post-show party.
✘ I don't actually know all the answers to the questions myself …
✘ I don't actually know all the answers to the questions myself …
November 23, 2025 at 7:46 AM
✔ Yesterday I finished writing and printing the quiz for today's cast and crew post-show party.
✘ I don't actually know all the answers to the questions myself …
✘ I don't actually know all the answers to the questions myself …
Reposted by Smylers
Was called out of work for an 'urgent meeting' at school today. So was my husband (a teacher).
Guess who got effusive apologies for being pulled out? & guess who didn't?
And guess who's so fed up of having her job treated like a charming little hobby she announced 'I ALSO FINISHED WORK EARLY TODAY'.
Guess who got effusive apologies for being pulled out? & guess who didn't?
And guess who's so fed up of having her job treated like a charming little hobby she announced 'I ALSO FINISHED WORK EARLY TODAY'.
November 21, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Was called out of work for an 'urgent meeting' at school today. So was my husband (a teacher).
Guess who got effusive apologies for being pulled out? & guess who didn't?
And guess who's so fed up of having her job treated like a charming little hobby she announced 'I ALSO FINISHED WORK EARLY TODAY'.
Guess who got effusive apologies for being pulled out? & guess who didn't?
And guess who's so fed up of having her job treated like a charming little hobby she announced 'I ALSO FINISHED WORK EARLY TODAY'.
Reposted by Smylers
Fixed it for you. Idiots! If the exclusion is based on appearance then it will certainly impact cis folks as well as trans folks.
November 20, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Fixed it for you. Idiots! If the exclusion is based on appearance then it will certainly impact cis folks as well as trans folks.
‘The Nutcracker and the Music Box’ is on in #Ilkley Thu–Sat.
stagestubs.com/wta-dance-ac...
Here's my contribution to the cake stall:
stagestubs.com/wta-dance-ac...
Here's my contribution to the cake stall:
November 19, 2025 at 11:47 PM
‘The Nutcracker and the Music Box’ is on in #Ilkley Thu–Sat.
stagestubs.com/wta-dance-ac...
Here's my contribution to the cake stall:
stagestubs.com/wta-dance-ac...
Here's my contribution to the cake stall:
Reposted by Smylers
authors you have the chance to do the funniest thing right now
AI advocates have warned that if every author in the class action filed a claim, it would "financially ruin" the entire industry.
Authors celebrate “historic” settlement coming soon in Anthropic class action
Advocates fear such settlements will “financially ruin” the AI industry.
arstechnica.com
November 18, 2025 at 4:35 AM
authors you have the chance to do the funniest thing right now
I've just discovered an internal zip pocket I didn't know about in this coat I got months ago from a charity shop.
So I opened it, and in there, left by its previous owner was …. nothing. Nothing at all. I feel cheated!
So I opened it, and in there, left by its previous owner was …. nothing. Nothing at all. I feel cheated!
November 18, 2025 at 12:32 PM
I've just discovered an internal zip pocket I didn't know about in this coat I got months ago from a charity shop.
So I opened it, and in there, left by its previous owner was …. nothing. Nothing at all. I feel cheated!
So I opened it, and in there, left by its previous owner was …. nothing. Nothing at all. I feel cheated!
Reposted by Smylers
Will the government do a U turn on their plans to take jewellery off asylum seekers? Or will they find it difficult to re-broach the subject?
November 17, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Will the government do a U turn on their plans to take jewellery off asylum seekers? Or will they find it difficult to re-broach the subject?
Hints and explanations for today's Telegraph #CrypticCrossword feature a board game, a model village, a mountain goat, and Asterix's friend: bigdave44.com/2025/11/17/d... — with music from Bellowhead and Pavement, and more sausages than I was expecting in the comments.
November 17, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Hints and explanations for today's Telegraph #CrypticCrossword feature a board game, a model village, a mountain goat, and Asterix's friend: bigdave44.com/2025/11/17/d... — with music from Bellowhead and Pavement, and more sausages than I was expecting in the comments.
Reposted by Smylers
Months later, those 3 newspapers quietly updated their headlines and added corrections to their articles.
They didn’t write and publish new ones.
Just updated the original, knowing that no one is returning to a 3 month old article to see if it’s changed 🤷🏼♀️
The damage was done
17/
They didn’t write and publish new ones.
Just updated the original, knowing that no one is returning to a 3 month old article to see if it’s changed 🤷🏼♀️
The damage was done
17/
November 16, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Months later, those 3 newspapers quietly updated their headlines and added corrections to their articles.
They didn’t write and publish new ones.
Just updated the original, knowing that no one is returning to a 3 month old article to see if it’s changed 🤷🏼♀️
The damage was done
17/
They didn’t write and publish new ones.
Just updated the original, knowing that no one is returning to a 3 month old article to see if it’s changed 🤷🏼♀️
The damage was done
17/