Help needed. I'm putting together a radio doc, celebrating boybands from a fan's perspective; how much you loved a boyband, the lengths you went to to see them, friendships/marriages/fall outs/tattoos that happened... It would only take 10 minutes online. Deadline looming so help, people, help!

Whether Badenoch drones on about this today or not, the point still stands. The purpose of university is not to be able to earn more money. Or at least, it shouldn’t be. It’s about critical thinking, the foundations of lifelong learning and becoming a richer person (of mind rather than income).

Today is my birthday. And one of my cards has a big Royal Mail warning sticker on it because it has a counterfeit stamp. That’s going to be an awkward conversation.

I have a blister on my hand from grinding coffee beans too much at the weekend. Not a euphemism.

That’s Normally Weird & Weirdly Normal AND Bibliomaniac squared off in 2025. But every post it note is a link to another book or another shop. Damn. Hoping @robinince.bsky.social knows where I can purchase another lifetime.

Just for the record, if you start your podcast with the words “I’m your host”, I instantly dislike you.

I give AI every opportunity I can to impress me. I really try. Today’s response “you appear to have uploaded a list of tracks for broadcast on Friday 1st October 2025. Today is Thursday 2nd October 2025. Who are these people impressed by LLMs? My ‘whelm’ has never been more undered.

I think we have different concepts of the word ‘big’

I’ll never feel sorry for Tr*mp but jeez, watching him having to look interested as about 9,000 horses are led past him in Windsor, whilst he stands under the kind of tent you’d put up for a small wedding reception, for no obvious purpose, gets me close.

Today is a “search for some ridiculously energetic, youthful 1980s stage performances from Thompson Twins on YouTube” kind of day.

I dunno. Ask him yerself.

If people really loved this country they wouldn’t be flying flags off motorway gantrys. They’d know the only thing we fly off motorway bridges is bedsheets wishing nan/Julie a happy 60th

I have an occasional running buddy who says things I massively disagree with… very occasionally. Unfortunately he times it perfectly with the times I can either choose to breathe or speak. Reader, I chose the former.

Blocked from watching Channel 4 on demand because I’ve left Nord VPN active. Switch off VPN. First pre roll advert Channel 4 shows… “get Nord VPN”.

Truth bombs from the RAC. They’re not wrong.

It appears I’m unique within my demographic on here but I’m f****ng loving the 1975’s set. Although I need to go to bed now. Because I’m old. But demonstrably less grumpy than many.

I’m not saying I’m tired but I’ve just spent the last 20 minutes searching the entire house for my half consumed cup of coffee.

As a general rule, I hate Teams. But, aw, this is quite a cute little auto-icon.

Whilst suggesting to ‘get away’, Lenny Kravitz proposes “the Milky Way, or EVEN Mars” as if the red planet was a topper to the Milky Way itself (and fails to clarify that Mars is contained within it anyway). It’s the musical equivalent of a Big Mac Meal or even fries. Fortunately, it’s a banger.

Having App Store parental approval to my download-hungry daughter is becoming a full time job.

There is no greater phrase in the English language than “school sports day is cancelled”.

Long story but I have a spare ticket to #StewartLee this Friday 16th at #Bath Forum (doors 6.30, show 7.30). You'd have to sit next to me, I'm afraid, but that's the only downside. #freeticket (no unnecessary extra conversation or bar bill required)

In Tangerine Dream related news, this isn’t even out yet but they sold a few copies at the gig. Amazing collab by Mr Tangerine, Mr Marillion and Mstr Elbow. Highly recommended and available on pre order. Very Gilmour Metallic Spheres-esque.

It took a trip to Manchester to see Tangerine Dream to make me wonder what happened to Boddington’s. It’s been gone for years. It has gone to meet its maker. It is an ex-bitter. Etc. I had no idea.

Listening to the latest Origin Story and fear the pronunciation of Cliveden is ‘Cliv-den’. At least I thought so @dorianlynskey.bsky.social @iandunt.bsky.social. I just don’t want this to be your next Badenoch.

Things I never thought I’d post… the keys/synth breakdown in Manfred Mann’s ‘Davy’s On The Road Again’ is utterly sublime.

My wife watching TOTP: “look up how old Bjork is now”. Me watching TOTP: “bass player from M People has his guitar strings inverted… is that a thing?”. (It is a thing)

Dear I.T. departments, if you’re going to ask me the impact level of my fault ticket, but then go ahead and move it from medium to low anyway, don’t bother asking me in the first place. Dammit.

I made another thing. An hour long national radio documentary... featuring exclusive interviews with Elton, Brandi, Bernie Taupin and producer Andrew Watt. Voiced by the very brilliant Richard Allinson and available to listen to now on Rayo. hellorayo.co.uk/greatest-hit...

My wife is very pleased that work have given her a “Windows 11”. In other news, I’m thinking of getting myself a Sequoia 15.

We’re going to cut away from Tr**p now because, frankly, he’s rambling. We’ll return to him when he says something of significance.

Whoa! Chumbawamba up to number 3! Last week they went down to number 5, from number 2 the previous week! They should write a song about that #totp

And thou mayest aske thyself, 'How do Ich werke thys?' And thou mayest aske thyself, 'Wher ys that large destrier?' And thou mayest telle thyself, 'Thys nys not my beautiful castle!' And thou mayest telle thyself, 'Thys nys not my swift goshawk!'

It might be just me but I detest the gamification of apps. I left Strava cause of the stupid ‘local legend’ rubbish and whilst I love a bit of DuoLingo, I really don’t care that I’m “at risk of falling out of the silver league” or whatever. In fact, I almost willingly want to fail as a result. Grrr.

It’s 2025. And I’m strangely soothed by the fact a bloke still heads up our street once a month shouting “any old iron”.

I don’t ask for much in life but standardised colours for flavours when it comes to crisp packet flavours is a red* line for me. *Red clearly delineating ready salted

Saturday night viewing: youtu.be/Y_Skt--n07I?... Baby, life's what you make it. Celebrate it.

My Selina Gomez, Taylor Swift loving daughter was with me in the car when AC/DC came on and asked “is this Thunderstruck?” and proceeded to sing the guitar riff note-perfect. The next generation of music fans are going to be just fine, eclectic and varied.

Bona fide Apple fanboy here but... the new Siri tools might need a bit of work still. Unless I've genuinely got 4 million coming my way (that would be really lucky 'cause I've already got millions promised by a Nigerian prince and it looks like I've won the green card lottery). Thoughts @hilli.tech?

It's times like these I miss @herring1967.bsky.social 's 'As It Occurs To Me'. "I only want peace. I'm a peacemaker". "Sotto voce. Aside, I'm not" (I am not equating Tiny Andrew Collings to the U.S. President) (Aside, I am) #2009 #iamold

Forgot my noise-cancelling AirPods for today's train journey and had forgotten how bloody irritating human beings are.

Bless him. There’s a man on this train loudly snoring. And I’m wearing noise cancelling headphones. And three rows away.

Meta have sent me an email that says “We are sending you this email because you have previously broadcasted a Facebook Live video”. And now I’ve gone down a whole rabbit hole of whether ‘broadcasted’ is an actual word. Outcome: not really, but kind of.

The view from my Exeter Premier Inn and the echoes of a past life. If you know, you know #thisisheart

Spent the morning scheduling the music for a classic rock station. This afternoon’s listening…@cherryredrecords.bsky.social

It does (n’t) surprise me how when outcomes go a little well for the government’s policies, the headlines are “surprise/shock”* and when they’re not going well, it’s “ah yeah well, no surprise there. Idiots”. Good = chance. Bad = poor policy *Surprise growth, surprise retail sales

Just started rewatching the West Wing. 10 minutes in. I could cry.

Is it unreasonable of me to think that saying it’s an increase of 19% rather than 4% (20.9%-24.9%) would be a bit more… er… honest?

FFS Rachmaninov do you want to just simmer down a bit

Called out an emergency plumber and appear to have invited Watchet’s angriest man.