I refuse to read articles on Substack. People need to stop pretending it's the only way to get readers.

I'm beginning to think I'm not human because I keep losing at the captcha game.

I'll be reading these recommendations. I already use some alternatives but I'm always happy to find more, especially non-US ones.

My motto this year is "If it's not one thing, it's another".

I am so appalled at the 3 directors of our residents company and their lax attitude to the fraud the property management has committed. All our funds are gone and they want to wait for the time limit their lawyer has given before going to the police.

I don't mind all the emails asking if I want to opt out of UK mother's day but they never give the date, so I don't know when it is. I can look it up, but it would be helpful if it were in the emails for the clueless amongst us.

The CBC made this clever & cute video that uses kids to explain the rules of curling:

I went down a Companies House rabbithole looking up someone who has recently (and possibly not so recently) been involved in fraud. You don't often find someone who has been a director/company secretary of 14 companies, most of which are now dissolved. This is going to end up on the news.

Having not grown up in a home with a dishwasher and not having one in my home, I'm fascinated by my mum's new mini one. It can fit quite a lot of dishes and the glasses are sparkling afterwards. My water bottle can be washed in a dishwasher so I'll sneak it in tomorrow.

My mum now has a mini countertop dishwasher. She doesn't have space for anything else. So far, I'm impressed. It has 6 programmes, delay start function and a glass door you can see through. And it wasn't too heavy for me to lift onto the counter.

Simply Cook is a company that have recipes where you choose 4 you like and they'll send you the sauce and spice pots with the recipe. I prefer that to recipe boxes where they send you all the fresh ingredients because sometimes I'm too tired to cook.

While I was off here I went to Spain where it was mostly very windy. The apartment faced the mountains and I saw some lovely sunsets. This odd-looking cloud appeared one very windy evening. I initially thought it was smoke from a huge fire. I would have thought it was AI if I hadn't been there.

I had a month long break from social media in January. I think I'll do one week on, one week off, going forward.

Japan now has the first autonomous passenger ferry which travels from Okayama to Shodoshima (a remote island). The plan is to introduce more autonomous ferries to the many remote islands of Japan. I wouldn't get in an autonomous car but a Japanese ferry seems to me less likely to cause my death.

Last day of the year and last day of posting on social media till February. Happy new year to those who celebrate.

My next door neighbour gave me a plate of baked sweet treats. She said it was home baked but I don't think by her because she has never done this before and they've lived next door for 13 years. It's very nice of her but I can't eat food that sugary. I'll see if my upstairs neighbours want any.

My upstairs neighbours have just come back after Christmas. I have my heating on in my bedroom so I hope they're feeling it because I get some of theirs and I feel a little guilty about it. I never did with previous neighbours because they weren't as considerate as these two.

I bought some chocolate liqueurs. The chocolate is lovely and the liquid inside has flavour but no kick at all. I don't mind because the chocolate is lush.

Freaking love this city and all the people in it so much….a bunch of people went and turned the 4 train into the Polar Express giving out toys to kids along the way from the Bronx to Brooklyn….shoutout to the @newyorkers.live account on IG for doing this 🙏 www.instagram.com/reel/DSnsvWS...

Just got a reminder that 7 years ago I was somewhere warm and sunny where there were lovely beaches and I was having a lovely glass of wine.

Carol of the Meows 🎄

I'm going to look for free rugs on Freecycle so I can suggest to the upstairs neighbours they try to get some to stop the heat loss. It'll help keep them as my neighbours for longer so it's a win win.

Christ on a bike, this is brilliant. And disgustingly historically accurate. 10/10

now for the traditional eating of the christmas tree

My next door neighbours are sitting outside, where they prefer to entertain. It's 3 degrees outside.

I have the heating off in my bedroom and I think the upstairs neighbours have gone away because I just looked at the temperature in my room and it's 11 degrees. I don't feel cold because I have a big hoodie on. I should put the heater on though.

I have decided to not post on social media for the whole of January. Since I'm only on this site, it should be easy. I might occasionally lurk because there is important stuff on here but I don't need to contribute. I used to do it on ex-twitter and it's quite nice to take a mini break.

I was browsing through a recipe magazine and other than the awful January detox recipes, they put peri peri (or piri piri if you prefer) under Asian cooking. Not all spicy food is Asian. And please don't fall for the detox nonsense. It's a scam.

He isn't "losing" this money. This is called "paying tax like a responsible citizen and not hiding your money offshore" and we need to start recognising and applauding it.

An aerial view of Christmas in central London.

My old lady neighbour has gone out this morning and I'm meant to take delivery of her ready meal order if it comes. There are companies that make special ready meals and deliver them. It's a great service for people who can't cook for themselves or who are elderly or too busy and find it easier.

It makes such a difference having decent upstairs neighbours. I feel more relaxed because they're never overly loud and they don't even talk loudly. I had so many years of noisy people. I'm just sorry that they won't stay long because there are problems with their landlord.

I bought a lot of fruit from a fruit seller. I have filled my 3 fruit bowls. Fruit is to me what chocolate is to other people.

I went to Lidl to buy bananas for my mum and the queues for the tills were so long. People are buying food as though the shops won't open again between Christmas and New Year.

via The New Yorker, Ellis Rosen cartoon

I don't want to see podcasts hosts. I listen while I'm walking, doing housework or lying in bed before I sleep (and sometimes while I sleep). Aren't there already enough videos fighting for our attention without podcasts stepping in the ring?

My good upstairs neighbours only play loud music in the bathroom when they use the shower. I don't mind at all. It's hip hop and nothing I know or listen to but I am expanding my music horizons, one shower at a time.

The story of Farage and Putin, told by British-Ukrainian soldier Shaun Pinner on a destroyed apartment block in Kyiv.

My upstairs neighbours showed me their damp and mouldy bathroom. It's the first home they have rented and they got conned. I can't do much to help (other than offer advice) so I bought them a nice shower gel and I hope it makes them less sad to use the bathroom. They are a lovely couple.

Pantone just updated their Color Of The Year

I've used a recipe kit to make Massaman curry in my slow cooker. It won't be authentic but it smells amazing.

Spotted today, an actual pavement pizza, still wrapped in plastic.

I'm a bit late to the smart meter because I've only just recently had one fitted. I'm enjoying working out the costs of running my appliances. I have a heated clothes airer and it's worth the cost. Mine costs 4p an hour to run.

I met my newish upstairs neighbours. They're a young couple who are students and who also work. They got scammed by their landlord. So many things are wrong and there's mould and damp and she won't fix anything or reduce the rent.

I got an appointment with the doctor on Monday afternoon. The receptionist called and apologised for the mix up and for calling early and for only being able to fit me in on Monday. I am so happy I'm being seen by the doctor. This is brilliant.

I had better get some small gifts for the 2 neighbours who insist on giving me small Xmas gifts, even though I don't want anything and it's usually something I really don't want. I'll pop the unwanted gifts in the food bank basket at Lidl since the neighbours don't shop there.

I wrote an online review of a company. A proper honest one, in detail. They've asked me to contact them so I did and explained why I gave them the review. I don't think they can change so I most likely won't use them again.

I was hoping it was a thing you kneel on to slide down ski slopes. Extremely dangerous but definitely fun at first. Tends to get regifted a lot.

When the GP sent me for blood tests, she wrong lots of notes and sent me 2 forms to fill in and asked me to keep a symptoms diary and to book a face to face appointment. The surgery have booked a phone appointment instead. I've queried it. Will they change it? Maybe not.

I listened to a few episodes of The Rest Is Science podcast while I ate my bougie burger. It's as good as you'd expect from Professor Hannah Fry (and there's an American bloke on it too but I can't remember his name. He's good too though.)