JR "Sceptred Isle" by @helencarr.bsky.social, an excellent history of the 14th century chock full of brutal and or narcissistic kings, intrigue, overpowerful courtiers abusing a weak monarch, revolting french and plague. So nothing like modern times at all. Heartily recommended.

Fantastic piece of work this

I've yet to listen to the podcast, but I have done my homework, and watched this execrable film for the first and I suspect last time. While Peter Cushing is always good value, and he's carried a few stinkers in his time, this is beyond even his powers.

Earlier this year I walked across a frozen lake in outer Mongolia. How is it that Cambridgeshire feels colder than that right now?

Good moanng Amazon, this looks like it could be an innovative take on the JB Priestly play.

First got into @aimeemann.bsky.social in the early 90's with the release of "Whatever", been a fan ever since, so really happy to see this article. Not my top 20, but that's more down to the impossible task of choosing between so many excellent songs. www.theguardian.com/music/2025/n...

Season 5 of "Only murders in the Building" stacked up and ready to binge watch. Some things in life are good.

I feel seen by W. Somerset Maugham

Alien: Earth - 3 excellent episodes, 5 fair to middling. It's fine, but could have done with more alien and a bit less philosophy. Added points for Ade Edmondson who will forever be Vyvyan for me.

OMITB season 5 has started and I didn't realise? One the one hand poor form on my behalf, on the other, chance to binge watch what there is, so definite silver lining.

Having moved house, finally the new bookcases have arrived. Of course this now means I have to organise the books. Possibly a first world problem.

Bravo @ftweekend.com, loving this crossword. FT Crossword: Number 18,141 - on.ft.com/3Vec5DJ via @FT

RIP Jim Lovell

JR "Blood and Treasure" by @duncanweldon.bsky.social. Engaging, well written account of 1000 years of conflict and the changing incentives behind it. Mr Weldon knows his military history and his economics and writes an excellent book.

JR "Knife" by Salman Rushdie, an account of his near murder and subsequent recovery. An amazing unflinching book.

The other day I drew a subway-style map for The Hobbit, and it was very well received. Some of you asked if I could do one for LoTR, so I have! Forgive the eel watermark; I'm working on making these something you can buy, if you like.

Just read "John and Paul" by @ianleslie.bsky.social. A fantastic biography of Lennon and McCartney delving into what drove them rather than what just happened. Made me revisit the back catalogue and hear old favourites anew.

Ok @ftweekend.com, while certainly plausible, I'll need more than two data points before I accept this claim. Maybe a log chart too.

@warmovietheatre.bsky.social Following a successful viewing of "The Rock" I'm now going through 80's action classics with the 15 year old. Don't suppose I can convince you that "Predator" is a war movie?

No, not Alex. A sad day.

If he'd been in power 10 years ago, I suppose we'd have had a government drive on the importance of washing faces.

To my uneducated ear, John Williams is a god among film composers. TIL of this anecdote that makes me love him more.

Don't think I'd have used the word congratulations.

There’s a great interview with Nick Park about Wallace And Gromit in last month’s Empire, and this bit in particular stood out. It sums up what artists have been trying to say about AI. The mistakes and the learning aren’t things to be bypassed, but a vital part of the process 🤟

Missed putting milk in earl grey, but otherwise pretty accurate xkcd.com/3022/

Yay, Blue Sky can be just as big a cess pit as X it appears.

Using that insomnia well to fix bug by 4.30am.

Goal for today: find a way to use "wretched, pie-faced wambler" in conversation. From "Very good, Jeeves"

JR "the war of the worlds" by HG wells. Prior to this I was really only familiar with the Jeff Wayne adaptation, the book however turns out to be worthy of the tag classic. Wells' description of the rout of London is stunning.

If you see this, post a photo taken in the mountains

Let's come back on here. Seems that over on the bird app messages containing the word "BlueSky" are being muted. Almost as though the platform is run by a jackass.

Big news day, don’t miss this one on.ft.com/473QCBs

Spreadsheet solutions? Can't we as a nation at least upgrade to something like python? www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Of all the names you could have picked, you went with the one whose acronym is CDO.

Have now finished "The West Wing" (again), and now have to adjust to a world where Matt Santos isn't president, the republicans aren't led by a genial centrist ex Korean war surgeon and smart phones exist.

From one of today's crosswords:"Mystery Play"; also one of the most disappointing school trips ever as a bunch of 9 year olds discover there are to be no detectives in the theatre performance they've been taken to.

West wing rewatch and have reached the point where Toby is annoying (as if that narrows things down) and you really wish they'd kept Emily Proctor on.