There really is nothing like a Christmas Eve visit to A&E. It's fine. Not me, and all resolved. But you never stop being a parent.

15.14 on 24 December, and my Christmas shopping is complete. I don't think I've ever been so well organised.

Walking my dog in the mid-day twilight, and happened upon this solitary, broken, daisy-like flower. Seems somehow symbolic.

My home village of Lambley has made it into @privateeyenews.bsky.social (via @russs.bsky.social ?) Inevitably with a Reform council it's in Rotten Boroughs. I'm presuming the stated bureaucracy was waived by Reform for their own flag nonsense we're all now forced to see.

Christmas day highlights on BBC 1 & 2: White Christmas (1956) Dad's Army Morecambe & Wise (1975) Jaws (1975) When Harry Met Sally (1989) On 3, 4, 5, &6: Sister Act 2 (1993) Peter Pan (2003) Jumanji (1995) Frozen II (2019) Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) Pirates of the Carribbean (2003) 1/2

You know what you don't see any more? Road atlases. I know everyone has GPS but paper maps are still better for for planning and diversions. Also my eldest had just bought his first car and it would make a stocking filler.

Fucking right

As if there wasn't already too much crappy genAI imagery around, check these beauties from the B&Q website. The broken text is because I compressed the screengrab to reduce excesssive white space. Synthetic images of 'real' trees. Not sure that's a great sales technique. #ohchristmastree

Unfortunate line breaks of our time #rude #funny #dogs

Unfortunate line breaks of our time #rude #funny #dogs

SPOILER ALERT: no, they didn't. From today's spam folder. Redacted to deny any potential for publicity.

The "don't have an extra kid if you can't afford it" brigade get awfully upset when you suggest they don't stay in their £2m house if they can't afford it, don't they?

I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture. They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1

"... plant in well-drained, moisture-retentive soil...". I DO NOT UNDERSTAND GARDENING

Up in the gods, for Jools Holland and Imelda May

#captcha #whippet #greyhound #bicycle

#captcha #whippet #greyhound #bicycle

Pity the Bespoke Shutter Company, with this upstairs neighbour. Pic by me, today, at the bottom of Muswell Hill, London.

It's nearly 50 years since the UK adopted metric measurements. Why do we still have to have these dual units, and could they not at least be accurate conversions? Basic innumeracy in this BBC weather article (and yes I'm postponing travel today, grumble grumble).

Am writing a thing (not a song) and the cadence of a section means a rhyme would be interesting. This is what the internet suggests as rhymes for 'national'. #rhyme #songwriting #wtf

Cartoon by Stephen Collins

Hi writers! I’m looking to assign a couple of features for Slate before the end of the year. If you have anything in mind that you think would be a fit please send me a pitch! Jenée.Desmond- [email protected] or dm me. RTs are appreciated so this can reach more people. Thanks!

Well fuck you, company whose services I am in need of but who redirects me to Google for declining cookies. Looks like one of your competitors will get my business.

More choice doesn’t always mean more freedom. Sometimes it just means more faff.

Anybody who has spent any time as an editor will be familiar with The Editors' Curse. That's the thing where any typo, no matter how fleeting, leaps out and demands attention. Tonight I'm watching an old episode of Andromeda, and this is on the opening credits. I'm embarrassed for Eric.

Tom Daley, what the fuck are you wearing?

I've seen a few miniature railways in my time, and there were several steam engines begging for attention. Never seen a mini ride-on Intercity 125 before. At Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre. #steam #railway #heritage

The poppy, remembering those who died in the wars against fascism. #remembrance #antifa

The poppy, remembering those who died in the wars against fascism. #remembrance #antifa

NEWS! Nigel Farage to grow toothbrush moustache for Movember newsthump.com/2025/11/01/n...

How long before the rumour about now ex-prince's real father surface again? Brian or Bill might think that it could save the monarchy, if this wrong'un was never really 'one of us'. But it might bring the whole house down, especially if the the other rumour about the other one also resurfaces.

BBC News practically having an orgasm over another trivial misdemeanour from Rachel Reeve. Had this been Boris or any other Tory it would never have seen the light of day.

I recall in the 60s, Remembrance Day was one solemn Sunday morning. That was it. It was a moving occasion at our local memorial and attended by actual WW1 and WW2 veterans. Unlike the mawkish weeks long competition for the most tasteless display of a poppy that it's become Often, less is more.

On National Clock Confusion Day, a visit to the meridian line within the Bromley House Library in Nottingham. When the sun, shining through the small hole at upper left of the window, falls on the line, it is noon (local noon, 4 mins 33 sec behind Greenwich). Bit cloudy today though.

True. I went past there just yesterday.

Experts suggest the quickest way to burn 2000 calories is to forget your brownies are in the oven.

BY THE WAY If you've updated to Windows 11 recently, you're probably on version 25H2. There's a new setting in Settings: Privacy & Security. Scroll aaaaaaaalll the way to the bottom and you'll see "Text and Image Generation." TURN IT OFF.

No ambiguity in this Halloween decoration from Lidl, none at all. Suitable for all houses of ill repute. Pic by me. #Halloween #Lidl #brothel

Has anybody ascertained, or even asked the question, of the flavour of the chocolate inside this hilariously-bad bit of political merch? #tories #partyconference #typo

Hello BBC and Louise Lear. Your midnight forecast for the week ahead showed this nice pic of Cullercoats and labelled it Tynemouth. Close, but not correct. To put it in London-centric language you might understand, it's like calling Balham Clapham.

The petition against digital ID cards has now reached 2.8 million. Keep sharing, it would be good to get this past 3 million by the middle of the week.

Oh my god. Have I Got News For You just referred to this completely false claim as a fact!!

Superabundance of sloes on this (and every other) blackthorn bush this year. Apparently it is a 'mast' year when fruits, berries, and nuts are produced in great numbers like this. Old fables say this precedes a cold winter. Only got stabbed a few times collecting some (thorns!).

New! Cassetteboy vs Keir Starmer. This took absolutely ages, so if you'd like to buy us a coffee at ko-fi.com/cassetteboy we'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

A two-wheeled excursion today to see this new full-size representation of the Avro #Lancaster bomber near the village of Norton Disney in #Lincolnshire. The #sculpture, called On Freedom's Wings, is complete but unhelpfully the car park is not yet open. #motorcycle

Any #cloud experts here? I think these might be #mammatus clouds, seen last week near #Fribourg, #Switzerland but would appreciate either confirmation or refutation. Ta. (Pic by me) #nephology #meteorology

OK, look, it's true. Immigrant families and spongers off the British state *do* eat swans. They're the only ones allowed to.

Sorry to hear that Robert Redford had died. I had him down to play me in the biopic of my life.