# Hello Darkness, my old friend... #

Surely if you're really gonna pun on Matt Goodwin's name you have to use the first name as well? In that spirit: "So with him coming out for all these excuses and conspiracy theories for why he didn't win, he shouldn't be called Matt Goodwin, he should be called Gloss Badloss."

I agree with this. But on a side note: why were police officers present at EVERY polling station? That feels abnormal. I don't think I've ever seen one within 100 yards of one.

The question now becomes: did Keir Starmer save Andy Burnham from himself, or did Keir Starmer piss away a safe seat to protect his own position? Personally, I think Burnham might have had a lucky escape.

Bought a ton of books in Waterstone's yesterday and I've just realised I must have left one of them in the shop. The priciest one, of course. God, I shouldn't be allowed to go out on my own. No way is someone going to believe that if I go in and ask for it. What a fucking idiot.

I would be interested to know how they knew family voting was going on.

A couple near me are complaining that the new Overground line names are pointless because they don't tell you where the trains go. Nor does the Jubilee line, so I'm not sure what the problem is.

The guy next to me in the RFH is halfway through one of two glasses of wine that he ordered about ten minutes ago, but has just ordered a double espresso for some reason.

There's a guy in front of me asking Chat GPT to tell him the rules of curling and I don't understand why he doesn't take the equally easy step of looking at the rules on the World Curling website. He's not even asked for a summary: he has asked for the full rules. How is ChaT Gpt adding value here?

Has anyone ever run Brindlewood Bay or something Carved From Brindlewood? I have no idea how I would run something where I don't know the answer to the mystery.

Must read by @alanrenwick.bsky.social

There is so much fascism in one post. Outright lie presented as fact, comments involving a subject you love who is from a group that you hate, genetic supremacy, toxic nationalism. It's all in there in just two sentences.

Snoop Dog has shares in Swansea City and was walking round the pitch with a guy in a giant swan costume. What a time to be alive.

"Happy birthday little brother". "Thanks mate". I and my little brother communicate efficiently.

This all seems like perfectly sensible guidance that any emotionally mature adult would go along with.

That quote sounds like the opening to an Edwardian novel.

God, this book on the Wars of the Roses has some odd moments, but the very final line might be the worst: "History is the mistress of life and I have tried to make love to her as she deserves". Won't be rereading this one.

The Winter Olympics is a posh kids sports competition. Why try and pretend otherwise?

When I hear lovely birdsong in the morning, I remember this comic and laugh

I'm 43 and if someone thinks I look as young as 45, I am thrilled.

Seen talk about taking Andrew out of the line of succession. This could take ages, because there's something like 15 countries that would have to agree with this, and then there would have to be an Act of Parliament. First part could take ages.

I know it's hard to pick a low point for Tony Blair, but endorsing Donald Trump's Gaza plan at the megalomaniac's Board for Peace has to be up there.

By the time I leave this pub, I will have had four pints and will be going to Waterstones. RIP my bank balance.

I like this line from a review of Wuthering Heights.

Literally the only thing I know about Wuthering Heights is what's in the Kate Bush song.

Zara is great and you should all go to this.

So burned out even tho I just had a week off. Kat is in Glasgow Monday to Wednesday next week and it's so tempting to just call in sick and zone out for three days, but then I'm stacking up an untold amount of work for the week after. Still gonna run RPGs tho. I'll give that shit up on my deathbed

Captaining Anthony Gordon worked out alright, I suppose.

Strap in lads, it's time for a rewatch.

Looking for a picture of Mandelson and of course there's a picture of him chatting to J K Rowling at the king's birthday party.

I wish she was.

Bring in a French swordsman.

On his fucking birthday as well.

He's great in Hell on Wheels.

I think it's a terrible waste of dildos.

SAM seems to report to her bosses like she's Mork calling Ork.

Someone asked me this in relation to switching from law to games. It's just codeswitching to me: I have to talk to colleagues differently to friends. This isn't any different to me.

Data and Spot?

Catching up on Starfleet Academy and I'm a bit sad that this is clearly starting to look like it's not a show for me, but happy that there are people enjoying it, perhaps even as their first entry into Trek. But man, that prank episode was a chore to get through. I enjoyed the Klingon episode, tho.

If you need entrance as a woman you need to call concierge?* *I know what it means, but when I first looked, I didn't.

Drinking Worthington's in Wetherspoons and it is like being 17 all over again.

I love medieval history and spent a LOT of time in St Alban's but this is the first time I remember seeing my favourite dyke mentioned in an account of the second Battle of St Alban's. I spent a lot of time tramping around Beech Bottom Dyke as a kid.

Trying to decide if I need to stay up until midnight to tell you that in Wales they don’t celebrate Valentine, they celebrate Dwynwen who wanted to be away from [a specific man] Maelon so SOULFULLY, she literally walked on water until an angel agreed to turn him into ice She felt bad about it, so:

He's had more clubs than Tiger Woods and the particular honour of having been hired and sacked by Udinese twice in just over eighteen months. It's his tenth managerial appointment in ten years (not counting an assistant period at Juventus). This is a Watford FC managerial career path par excellence

Twentieth anniversary of my dad's final birthday. Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy VD day! Hot off the press on this lovely Valentine’s Day- THE DREADED POX - a history of having and living with VD (venereal disease) in London hundreds of years ago. www.cambridge.org/core/books/d...

Nadhim Zahawi thinks London is now unsafe, because the other day a tired-looking man walked past him during the morning rush hour.

Trying what RPG to run next quarter. Too much fantasy and someone's running Star Wars so don't want to run Star Trek. So that points towards horror. I've got an Alien scenario half-written I could use but I just read Starve Acre so leaning more towards something folk horror. But I can't decide.

Having an off morning so watching a random Avengers episode. A man in fancy dress with a giant pig's head. A little old lady killing people with knitting needles. Plus Bernard Cribbins. Feels very typical of my memory of the series.