I'm currently doing the 1,001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, and right now I'm stuck on Ella Fitzgerald singing the George and Ira Gershwin songbook. Every single song has a Star Wars crawl to help you understand the context. It's OK lads, I think I get the joke without it being explained!

@pierrenovellie.bsky.social @thenewsatglenn.bsky.social Plague pit Tetris does exist. It was a level in Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail youtube.com/shorts/3zsz1... A game I got SO close to completing but never did. Sorry if you’ve already had this mentioned!

Bone Temple was excellent. They’re treating this storyline right. That aside, I think we’re witnessing one of the components of the rage virus now, in people’s inability to turn their goddamn phones off and STOP TAKING CALLS WHILE SITTING IN THE CINEMA.

It feels wrong that an MP can get elected on one platform and then just... swap? 🤷‍♀️ I’ve signed this to demand a by-election when MPs cross the floor. Let's make sure our votes actually count. Add your name: you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/re...

I have such a hard TV crush on Dr King from The Pitt.

Connections: Three rows of clues you can decipher + one that has the logic of a joke told by a toddler.

The Pitt season 2 had me worried with all the “As you know Bob” lines in the first few minutes. But it’s looking back on track. Goddamn I loved that first season.

“Podcast” is now fully just a genre, or an aesthetic. Look at the Traitors recap show. There’s no reason for them to use visible mics on boom arms other than to create the “look” of a video podcast.

Music is roughly in a 30-year cycle. The 80s harked back to the slick-haired 50s, the 90s gave us a second British Invasion, and the late 2000s into the 2010s revived the synthy pop of the 80s. In roughly 5 years, that means music will be influenced by the 2000s. That doesn't seem right.

The NYT’s Connections puzzle, but it’s in actual English rather than American English

Looks like Aunty got the feedback about the gasp sound effects. Good job. #traitorsUK

I wake up in the morning and I step outside I take a deep breath and I get real high And I scream from the top of my lungs I hope this email finds you well

I am so thoroughly #conformityGate pilled. I’m loving all these Brits making TikToks at 3am piecing together sounds from Reels and WSQK clips. Tempted to stay up tonight and follow it all. Or be crushingly disappointed. Either way, makes early January fun.

Delighted that Channel 4 have finally shipped an LGTV app. Trying to AirPlay from my iPhone was a nightmare.

Guys, I just want you to know I am 100% faithful.

1.5/10 B14 #uksnow

Watching the Night Manager and marvelling at the slow conjoinment of the two great British acting Hughs. In 2026, you will believe a Hugh can be both Grant AND Laurie.

True fact: you can tell the age of my Christmas tree by counting the rings of gaffer tape around the box.

I've been a long time away from big website builds. It's great to be back doing them again, but sifting through feedback from branding agencies does bring this image to mind:

Does anyone know where the setting in iOS is that tells Apple I’m not interested in the F1 movie?

Watched the Rest is Politics interview with Polanski. It's the splash of cold water Zackolytes like me need, because we have to know where we've the most work to do. We've got the idealism and the hope. Now we need to work on the understanding of the economy we're looking to reshape.

Knocked out Pluribus ep1 last night. I think I’m either going to really love this show or be infuriated by it. I’m leaning towards the former as the climax of the episode was charming. And it’s Vince Gilligan. Might watch it again as I was very very sleepy.

For about 2 years I’ve been using the same starting word in Wordle. This past week or so I’ve wanted to change it up as I do from time to time. Today I didn’t start with that word, so I got Wordle in 3 with my usual starting word. Devastated.

My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings. Look on my works and gimme 3 rings when you get home.

Oh god, someone needs to tell Chris Packham his ads on the Bold Politics podcast aren't as charming as he thinks they are.

Just watched “Together”. Phenomenally gross body horror with that nice young lady from Community. Genuinely funny in parts like a lot of recent horror has been. And an exquisite song choice for the final scene. Conjoined-nightmare-fuel out of 10.

Today’s Mini was 5mins of confused frustration followed by a moment of pure satisfaction. Well done, editor.

Anyone else got their Wordle streak cruelly robbed from them this week? I was working towards my second longest streak and despite completing Monday’s puzzle, my number got reset. Boo I say. And also yes, I’m still playing Wordle. 😉 Love you bye xx

Learning how easy it is to make your own Greggs style bakes at home is like a hidden power-up. I mean, the years of my life I would have saved by not eating them literally aren’t worth it. Scallop bake next?

Idiocracy is one of those films that isn’t as good as Americans think it is, but it’s hard not to think of it when watching the “president”’s latest AI masterpiece with him in a King Trump emblazoned fighter jet dropping shit onto protestors.

Settles in to some ice cream and the TV show Daddy Issues. Been meaning to watch it as I had a sneaking suspicion I’d like it. Then I discover it’s written by Danielle Ward who was a guest on a podcast of mine and who I listened to on the weekly. Good shit.

I wonder if all the Paddington musical sounds like Hamilton or if it’s jest that taxidermist’s song? Either way I don’t mind it.

Ta-da! Erin posing like they own the joint 😆

Part one of my Green Party adventure is up. Check it out. Consider supporting me. Or at least share this about a bit? open.substack.com/pub/probably...

I always bristled at those App Store screenshots that weren’t screenshots but were images of phones with marketing text. But now that my app is in the Store, the screenshots look shit so I see why people do it. Oh yeah, and I’m in the App Store, baby!

Watching an episode of House: "His blood pressure's already 160/110. Any higher and–" Mrfcker, I'd _kill_ for 160/110!

Dunno if this is neurodivergence but I once got asked by a kid, about my laptop, “Does it run apps?” My brain shorted for a sec because it had to recalibrate. I asked him if he meant little square icons in a grid. And then tried some lame-as thing about “app” being short for “application”.

If there is a sketch about this I will not watch it, but I’m suddenly wondering who was the first person to be like “Hey can you not chew with your mouth open? We’re not animals.”

We are now In Review. 😱

My first iOS app in 8 years is in Apple's hands now.

The Eye of the Bedlam Bride is my favourite DCC novel so far.

I used to read mentions of pop culture or pop sci in novels and go ”I get that reference!” Now, at 42, I’m still reading, but it’s blood pressure medications I’m recognising by name.

Our @hellosteadman.com has been busy making a mobile app. Here's a quick peek.

Hey, I know no-one really reads my posts, but I’ve capacity if anyone’s looking for a freelance Django/Wagtail SaaS or CMS developer. Includes WordPress if needed. Tired of being ghosted or forgotten by my podcasting clients, and I’m ready to get back to work.

Who’s the absolute try-hard singing quietly to himself as the original Tide is High is playing in the café, just so everyone knows he knows the original Paragons lyrics? Why that would be me!

Stop saying backslash when you mean forward-slash. Also stop saying forward-slash when you mean slash. It’s just slash, guys. Always has been. Only people on Windows use backslashes, and no-one needs to say Windows path names out loud ever. tl;dr: “/“ is always just the word “slash”.

Hi friends I did some writing. Please check it out and if you like it please share it about? It's so hard to get things out there. edgetrinkets.co.uk/2025/09/01/a...

I’ve had an unpleasant weekend so far, but the highlight is definitely when I dropped my Bluetooth speaker in the bath only for it to survive completely unscathed. Thank you, Anker.

The next episode of our podcast is out! 🎙️ Flurry wants to be an app https://podcast.hellosteadman.com/5

Gratitude postitude: Roscoe is sitting on his favourite blanket in my studio, and is chilled. (This is not the normal scenario for post-lunch Roscoe, hence the gratitude.)