Nice clip of Grandsire Triples from yesterday's practice at @stmaryskirk.bsky.social . (Photo is the historic bridge near the Kirk, taken in Oct 2024, just because you cannot post audio without video on @bsky.app )

Probably worth a sign, if only because the resulting Westminster Hall debate would be soooo embarrassing.

Now, I know we are not supposed to judge people by their appearance. But am I the only person looking at Reform UK's new leader in Scotland, ex-Lord Malcolm Offord, and thinking: "he is surely an utter wrong-un"?

Greenland really is as big as Africa, even if you include Wakanda.

There have been a lot of posts on the Robert Jenrick business, but I think this one is the best so far . . .

Well done @coyleneil.bsky.social , nice to see politicians showing up on @bsky.app ! (Yes, I reposted this yesterday, but I had not spotted that Mr. Coyle had a bluesky account at that time.)

If you are not following @secret-labour-mp.bsky.social , you need to check them out today for a range of suggestions of who the single military officer should be.

If you are wondering how things are going at the University of #Edinburgh, check out this thread.

Check this out, ladies and gents, it is fab.

I grew up sailing small boats and had several books with less-interesting versions of this figure, so I really enjoyed this XKCD .

Wait, @bsky.app is serious now? @theregister.com is here!

I always refer to the untidy cupboard where the University of #Edinburgh School of GeoSciences keeps its gravity meters as "the secret gravity den". It is about as secret as this room in the new embassy of 中国. (See blogs.ed.ac.uk/hughpumphrey... for more detail . . . )

Watching the rebooted "Lynley". It's OK, but a bit superfluous: Nathaniel Parker and Sharon Small were iconic and not that long ago. Bothered by the fact that Daniel Mays' character has walked straight out of "Ashes to Ashes".

This is high quality advice. One specific aspect of not being a dick is avoiding snitch-tagging, that is, tagging user X into a conversation that mentions them (presumably among people who didn't know user X was on @bsky.app ) and where a post is uncomplimentary about user X. (1/2)

I feel seen by this. (That exotic duck species is not likely to be seen by me in the wild, though.)

Now, I was aware from a recent visit to some convenience stores in 成都, 中国, that you can get crisps in some weird flavours. But eel? WTF? Paging @greenleejw.bsky.social .

Well, I am glad I went for a little outing yesterday. Today it is, uh, not really the weather for it.

This post is +5 insightful.

No snow in Dunbar (right on the coast) but enough up in the Lammermuirs to make it look like winter.

This thread makes an important point. You should read it even if you disagree with @dhothersall.bsky.social on a particular point of politics.

Y'all need to read this whole thread for the replies: they are absolute gold.

I have told you all several times to follow @ceefaux.bsky.social . I am telling you again and quote-posting this example because #ifyoufollowceefauximightwinanmug

Srsly, @uk.diplo.de , very well played indeed. Your understanding of a UK audience is excellent.

I know little about horses, but they strike me as an animal with a wicked sense of humour and a determination to take the mick out of humans.

Yay! For the first time ever. I have filled in the very long answer in the @privateeyenews.bsky.social special big Christmas crossword. (As usual, I have already missed the submission deadline for the prize.)

More-or-less all of the grumbling in this thread is justified. The fact that documentary TV these days assumes the attention span of a concussed chaffinch is the main reason that I do not watch as much of the stuff as I used to.

Yesterday's quake in Taiwan picked up in #Edinburgh on both the gravity meter and the @raspishake.bsky.social . Today's quake in Peru only shows on the gravity meter. (Gravity meter is drifting quite badly RN, so it is failing to track the gravity tide.)

Nice sunsets both Christmas day and boxing day. Today's was not as dramatic, but was nevertheless the end of a lovely afternoon for a walk.

Christmas day sunset over the Denbigh moors with Eryri (Snowdonia) in the background, taken on the short walk that I managed to escape on with my two children. There must be a day a week or two further from the solstice when the sun sets directly behind Carnedd Moel Siabod.

Couldn't be bothered with royal icing this year: went for the glace cherries and nuts option. No sign so far of anyone wanting to eat a slice. (This is possibly on account of the size of the roast dinner I cooked for them.)

For those of you who do not work in the UK higher education sector, this is painfully relatable. (*Cough* University of #Edinburgh *cough*)

This morning's earthquake in Taiwan definitely detected in Edinburgh on the gravity meter, marginally so on the @raspishake.bsky.social .

Bit of a last chance to see. These trains were withdrawn from the ECML a while ago, and from GWR recently. But there are still a few operating from #Edinburgh Waverley to Helensburgh and the far north.

Caught myself woolgathering and left work too late for my usual train. Had time to admire #Edinburgh Waverley's tree.

This is truly awful. NCAR is an absolute beacon for those of us working in climate and atmospheric science. Most of us will have been there for some meeting or other, co-authored papers with people who work there, walked the hiking trails that start at the Mesa lab . . . (1/2)

Unlikely to achieve much, but every signature is a tiny push on the current government to remind them that not all voters are Farageist brexiteers. You might as well sign it . . .

I would say that @kjcharleswriter.com and Mr. KJC have succeeded here. A thread to enjoy . . .

I do hope some of the BBC staff who are on @bsky.app ( @ashcasting.bsky.social @vicderbyshire.bsky.social @pallabg.bsky.social . . . ) are following the many angry and sad posts on here about @robinince.bsky.social being pushed to resign from the Infinite Monkey Cage.

My late father would have thought that this was brilliant. (He was an industrial chemist; he once spent the last afternoon in the lab before Christmas making glass tree decorations.)

This is very sad. I have been a fan of the show for a long time. Even if @profbriancox.bsky.social and the rest of the team keep making the show it won't be the same.

I suppose that @natrail-bot.bsky.social is a useful service, but the way it posts generic rail pics that are nothing to do with the disrupted service takes a bit of getting used to. This one is kinda obvious, others less so.

Favourite post of the morning so far.

This has something in it for my geographical colleagues (duh) but also my meteorological colleagues (in the first half) and my fellow choir members (right at the end).

Regarding today's weather I have only one comment: Euuuurrrrgh. Bad thing: my cycling jacket is no longer waterproof. Good things: my waterproof trousers are waterproof and the radiator in my office is working again. (Image from www.weatheronline.co.uk )

Yesterday's quake in Japan detected clearly on the @raspishake.bsky.social at the University of #Edinburgh . A previous quake had stuck the gravity meter at its endstop, but it is working again now (see www.geos.ed.ac.uk/~hcp/gravity/ for current data )

This (direct link maps.nls.uk/view/263278990 ) is rather splendid; any of my more fossil-oriented colleagues will probably enjoy taking a look at it.

Christmas lights up in the turret room. Apologies to my neighbours; I kept forgetting to turn them on; I usually do that as soon as the town's high-street Christmas display is up and running.

Thanks to a visitor we had a band for a nice round-at-handstroke touch of Grandsire triples this morning at @stmaryskirk.bsky.social , as well as some brisk rounds and call changes.

Laxton's Superb still coming off the tree in December, even though the leaves are all gone. They keep well; I expect to be eating them well into the spring.

Last night's quake in Alaska detected in #Edinburgh on both @raspishake.bsky.social and gravity meter. Signal strong enough to stick gravity meter on its end stop; the signal will not resume until I get into Edinburgh to reset it.