“Only women can use the herbal dumbbells. Thyme weights for no man”. beyondthejoke.co.uk/content/1712...

#Day10 of music challenge #DavidsMonthOfMusic has theme ‘a song from a #concept album’ which is a bit tricky as few of these seem to appear these days. Still, #IronMaiden had recorded such, so I pick 1988 track “Can I Play With Madness” from their seventh studio album ‘Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son’.

Have moved on to the latest series (unbelievably this is now onto #Series96 - roll on for the centennial series!!) of #JustAMinute which is broadcast on #BBCRadio4, and is hosted by the wonderful #SuePerkins… great guests, as always sharp #PaulMerton…

Just when I thought my Monday was improving… I appear to have run out of #BBCRadio4 show “The News Quiz” episodes with the wonderful @zaltzcricket.bsky.social and guests… Will have to wait extremely impatiently for this week’s episode!! Need more comedy shows whilst I wait!

#MosaicMonday - time flies over a week or is it that I am just old??! This is a pin brooch, quite modern I suspect, maybe 6x4 cm, but with the tiniest #tessellae… depicting Rome’s #Colosseum in its current state, so nothing like an ancient mosaic but hopefully pleasing to see all the same!

So, today’s theme #Day9 for #DavidsMonthOfMusic ‘a song with a primary colour in the title’ - assume this is #red, #blue, and #yellow (paint) rather than #green (TV), my choices are: “Yellow Dog” (2004) by #SeasickSteve “Blue Angel” (1995) by #SquirrelNutZippers “Sad Old Red” (1985) by #SimplyRed

Second week of #DavidsMonthOfMusic has already started!! Here’s a pic with #altText fo days 8 to 14 of the themes to challenge you…

Today’s theme was ‘a song with a title relating to fire or heat’ - a challenge for #Day8 of #DavidsMonthOfMusic - but it came to me relatively easily today. I pick “Too Darn Hot” (written by Cole Porter in 1948 for musical “Kiss Me, Kate”) but sung by #StaceyKent (who I loved seeing live in London)…

Still hoping my other favourite podcast (“Winning Isn’t Everything” from #ChrisMcCausland and #DiabneBuswell) makes it back with a new episode but I fear I will not be lucky… it’s leaving quite the hole in my weekly joy.

Finding I thoroughly enjoy listening twice on a Sunday to #MurderOfAFamousBastard podcast from @watsoncomedian.bsky.social & team - murder mystery & it’s very enjoyable to get submerged into! Episode 9 was cracking, characters keep popping up when you least expect it! But what’s behind *that* door?

Ooooh, it’s Sunday, and that means #Episode9 of @murderbastard.bsky.social podcast murder-mystery has landed this morning. This has cheered up my day already! Excellent start to the day…

The next week of #DavidsMonthOfMusic with #altText included… starts tomorrow for #Day8 to #Day14….

Now this *is* an interesting colouring book!! Hoping it might include a mosaic carpet, perhaps?

Lovely!! #ducks - gorgeous piece of #Chinese #art…

Changes on schedule today so I must maximise things to get the best out of it. Not running around for child activities today, so tackling long-awaited piles of stuff to throw out or give away, and try to make some Room in the house again. One room being lovely is not enough!!

But onto #Day7 of #DavidsMonthOfMusic now… theme being ‘a song with a word that starts with “Un” in the title’… first thought was #NatKingCole and “Unforgettable” from 1951, but then remembered #GirlsAloud and “Sound Of The Underground” from 2002, and was mightily pleased!!

Realised I missed posting anything for #Day5 of #DavidsMonthOfMusic, theme ‘a song you play when you’re sad’. A bit ambiguous; should a song reflect your #sadness or try to pull your sadness into #joy? Hmmmm. Needed much thought. Perhaps “They Dance Alone” by #Sting from 1987 would do?

#DavidsMonthOfMusic #Day6 has a wordy theme today: ‘a song with the same title as a movie, book or TV show’ so I’ve had a think and shall pick on “Happy Feet” recorded by #ThePasadenaRoofOrchestra (1987) although it was originally recorded in 1930. The movie “Happy Feet” was 2006!

When we say alt text, what do you think we’re talking about? 🤔

Good news for The Bedford’s #BananaCabaret in #Balham. Always tricky when #retirement means something may fall by the wayside, but people don’t live forever & should be able to enjoy a retirement if they can.

This has been so much fun to record, all the guests excellent and somehow edited down to 15 mins. Imagine that, a podcast with no waffling…it’s a first for me, certainly.

Remember #JohnVirgo and his #snooker playing back in the 1980s. #RIP a long life at the green-baize tables…

An #excellent addition for @murderbastard.bsky.social & its podcast episodes!! I listen to it every week with high anticipation but I don’t use Discord, for discussions about it, so I enjoy reading thoughts about it here. Thanks @watsoncomedian.bsky.social & team, & @nocontextnmj.mas.to.ap.brid.gy!

Today, on #WorldCancerDay we welcome the Government’s 10-year National Cancer Plan for England.📋️ News this morning has reported that patients will receive faster diagnosis, quicker treatment, and the support to live well with cancer under this new plan.

#Day4 of #DavidsMonthOfMusic and the theme this time is ‘a song you play when you’re angry’ - in my case, something loud!! Would say “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by #Nirvana from 1991, which is full of emotions and energy!

Hooted with laughter at #ChrisMcCausland’s #BBCRadio4 show “You Heard It Here First” (broadcast last night) with his guests trying hard to guess things from sounds alone… loved the section of “1-in-3-telling-the-truth”! Helps you understand what being without vision must be like. No visuals to help!

Thoughts on the #Day3 theme of ‘a song you play when you’re happy’ made me think again. Often I play things to bring me into happiness again, but what do I play when I’m already happy? #DavidsMonthOfMusic I chose “Valerie” by #MarkRonson featuring #AmyWinehouse from 2007…

#MosaicMonday and I looked to what I saw in #TheVatican art galleries as they have an extensive collection of artefacts from around the world of all kinds, including Egyptian mummies in the best condition!

Today is a tricky day, & #DavidsMonthOfMusic #Day2 has the theme ‘a song from your favourite album’. This is hard because I have so many fave albums in my lifetime, so struggling to pick one! Hmmmm…. I pick song “Blue Skies” from album “One Hour Mama” (1996) by #LavaySmith&HerRedHotSkilletLickers!

#DavidsMonthOfMusic #Day1 is going with a theme of ‘the last song you sang’ - this is hard to recall, but was educating teenage child in a bit of #Musical #Theatre, namely “Guys & Dolls”, and so I think it was “Luck Be A Lady Tonight” from the 2023 London production.

Starting the month of #February2026 off… #DavidsMonthOfMusic

#DavidsMonthOfMusic for #February has started…

Today the theme is ‘a song with a number in the title’ which is a little easier since I saw one of my faves when searching for yesterday’s theme through my collection. So today I go for the German version of “99 Luftballon” from #Nena in 1984! Always liked this one… #Day31 of #DavidsMonthOfMusic

Almost at the end of #Day30 for #DavidsMonthOfMusic challenge and this time it’s on a theme of ‘a song from 1984’, which is more my era!! So many to choose from. I’ll go for the phenomenally-smooth #Sade and “Your Love Is King”… and there were many songs to choose from!! Too many!!

After 43 years, Banana Cabaret slips away

1994 was a tricky year for me to find any track fitting the #DavidsMonthOfMusic #Day29 theme of ‘a song from 1994’, as I had started to move into jazz scenes too by then. But I liked #KylieMinogue’s track “Confide In Me” in 1994… so that’s what I’m plumping for this time…

Been enjoying the podcasts on #BBCSounds app from #ace @pierrenovellie.bsky.social entitled “Why In The Name Of Pierre Novellie” - the latest episode about #fashion made me laugh but feel a bit sad at the same time!! Also, I can’t buy some shirts where sleeves are not built big enough for my arms!!

Closely related to this: "But what if the requirements change?" They very probably will, multiple times. And then I'm often glad to have fast-running regression tests to make changing code safer. And it still doesn't explain how devs can write implementation code without *some kind* of intent.

As a long-time teacher of Test-Driven Development, I've heard every reason under the Sun for why teams *can't* do TDD. One of the most common is also one of the more puzzling: "How can I write tests first if I don't know what the code's supposed to do?" codemanship.wordpress.com/2026/01/28/r...

LABYRINTH TURNS 40 THIS YEAR - and to celebrate, Jim Henson’s fantasy classic returns to the PCC in a dazzling 4K restoration. This beloved adventure screens Wed 4th Feb at 5:45pm, with two extra encore shows added: Sat 21st March and Fri 10th April. 🎟️: buff.ly/xZMMaKl

Today is #InternationalLegoDay, so why not have a go at making a few of our #LEGO brick models at home! Will you build the the ship, the raising of the Mary Rose, Henry VIII or the ship's dog? maryrose.org/things-to-ma...

#TheKillers and “Somebody Told Me” is one of my fave tracks for being loads of energy in music on the theme ‘a song from 2004’ under the music challenge #DavidsMonthOfMusic for #Day28. I nearly went for another 2004 fave, #FranzFerdinand’s track “Take Me Out” though, both from great albums!

Had to look this one up for #Day27 of #DavidsMonthOfMusic as I find it tricky to think back ten years in normal circumstances!! ‘A song from 2014’: my contribution is going to be “Chandelier” by #Sia. It was quite the hit that year! But I nearly went for “Shake It Off” by #TaylorSwift, though!

Almost forgot… it’s #MosaicMonday again today, and I found another lovely mosaic to post, from our trip to #Rome… I loved lots of the collections there, a love I’ve had since visiting @romanpalace.bsky.social as a child!! This one is a bit abstract…

#Day26, & the last of the alphabet themes for #DavidsMonthOfMusic is ‘a song with Z in the title’! Could go with the pop hit “Crazy In Love” (2003) from #Beyoncé, or “Zoot Suit Riot” (1997) by the fab #CherryPoppinDaddies, or the brilliant “Ziggy Stardust” (1982) by #Bauhaus - I choose #Bauhaus!!

Is your board game collection at home taking up too much space? Try out those games in digital format, including old classics, new takes on time-honored formats, and everything in between. Steam Board Game Fest is live now, running until February 2! store.steampowered.com/category/boa...

Oh no!! Sad to hear that #Sly of #SlyAndRobbie has died today… #RIP His talents will undoubtedly be missed…

A new line has started for #DavidsMonthOfMusic this week and the below are the challenges (with alt text too) until the end of month:

Mark Tully, the BBC's 'voice of India', dies aged 90

Phew!! ‘A song that starts with Y’ is considerably easier to find for #DavidsMonthOfMusic #Day25 challenge today… I went for “You Can’t Hurry Love” (Nov 1982) by the excellent #PhilCollins… a great teenage memory! I’ve been listening to podcast “Eras” from #BBC #Radio2, this week was #PhilCollins!!