Tuesday is my day for being in the office in Northampton. I left home at 7.40 to avoid the traffic, got there, realised I'd forgotten my laptop, came back, picked up laptop. UoN graduation day, so car parks heaving. Got in the office to find a colleague having a major personal crisis 1/2

9.30pm and someone has started a reenactment of some badly thought out battle. I have no idea why anyone thinks that 11pm is a suitable cutoff time for anything that makes so much noise. Or why anything that makes so much noise is required at all.

Finally found the app setting that stops my dishwasher from telling me it needs salt and rinse aid.

There's nothing worse than getting a form email from a company you previously contacted to say you have a problem with their product saying "we're really sorry you're not paying us money anymore, please pay us again" instead of "thanks for letting us know, here's what we've done to address that"

Changing broadband to Vodafone. So far it's been the most stressful switch since an old dial up ISP went bust in about 2002 and locked all their customers in for 30 days to a company that was 3 times the price. I'm hoping things can only get better from here.

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There’s no screening for ovarian cancer and it’s really difficult to spot: you can’t squidge your ovaries in the shower to check for lumps. Also it’s very good at masquerading at other things, like IBS and diverticulitis. Please take a look at this list of symptoms - and share if you can.

Just got back from a weekend Up North. Now off to see Back to the Future for its 40th anniversary re-release. I remember taking Ma to see it when it first came out. (I had misremembered when, I thought it was 83, when she & I used to have tea & film / play in town on a Wed when Pa did night school.)

Getting increasingly ticked off by our IT bods' lack of botheredness. We are a UK organisation. I have my PC & apps setting set to UK date format. But anything that links to the company cloud shows in US date format, no amount of help tickets can change this! It matters!

It's official. I love Go 8 Bit more than Richard Osman's House of Games.

Fun night of tag sparring in both kids' and adult classes, marred only by the first entry in the accident book since before Covid when a couple of the adults got a little over excited, resulting in a dislocated finger joint. All sorted now.

Non-training night in winter. Just watched 2 TV shows I've never seen before. Taskmaster - what a pile of pants. That's 45 minutes I'm never getting back. Go 8 Bit - I'm addicted to watching people play ancient video games. Good thing I'm kicking people tomorrow night!

It's insurance renewal time 😬 House insurance, no problem. Minor increase and I like their lack of drama over claims. Monthly payments for no extra cost. Car insurance renewal quote £94 more than last year. Comparing options, managed to get it at £8 less than last year while paying monthly. 👍

@girlsown.bsky.social Did the artists miss out on this originally?

Yay. Priceless. The right column at the right time. And a gleefully English two fingers to the haters.

<smug> It took me 4 button presses to change the clock on my car to the correct time.

I've done 3 loads of washing, including hats, scarves & gloves, and thrown 3 large bins of mostly empty cardboard boxes away, but nothing looks any less cluttered. I have found Pa's name tapes, which means I can sort his Christmas pressies before I lose them again.

I worked for the college for 12 years. We seemed to change colours more often than I changed offices (I was in 6 different rooms over 3 sites).

Tidying up! I found this from one of my very first groups of apprentices in 2007. The Maths teacher was off for a term and I had to get them though Key Skills. I told them I'm not a Maths teacher and I like Maths, but I got that they didn't. They all passed their exams and their apprenticeships.

My first ever fibre pile jacket. I think I had it in 1978/9 and wore it pretty much constantly, with or without a cagoule, until I finished school. Shipmate were a Sheffield company, down the road from us. It just about still fits as is used for gardening when it's cold.

Filled up the bird feeders today. The peanuts and mealworms seem to be particularly popular.

Did someone say free energy? Second load of washing in, dishwasher on, kettle boiling, devices plugged in and battery charging. And then I've got to do it all again tomorrow! @octopus.energy

I'm staffing a stall at a conference today. At least the location is interesting.

If the US government is shutdown and effectively redundant, due to GOP congressional choice, shouldn't all government salaries be stopped? Why should politicians be paid for doing nothing when other government employees are not?

Why didn't Teddy die in the explosion? She's always been my least favourite attending and has done nothing but screw up Owen's life in the last 10 years. Now she's Chief, she's getting worse.

No sh1t, Sherlock! I think I may knock.out a few AI tomes and raise some cash for Christmas.

Moving to a unitary council structure can be beneficial but the planning and execution need to be done properly. Biggest is definitely not best when it comes to legacy systems and processes. Look for best practice and make sure good staff stay!

If I were a USian med student, or a Seattle resident, the last hospital I'd want to spend time near would be Grey Sloane. In the last 21 years, they've had more shootings, bombings, hostage situations, explosions or random acts of $deity than is good for staff & patients. Choose Seattle Pres, folks!

In an era when everyone has headphones / ear buds and we issue headsets to all staff, why do people feel the need to sit in an open plan office and have a teams call or do online training on speakers? Crucifixion is looking like a justifiable option right now!

In my own personal "NorthantsHenge", today was the morning that the sunrise was perfectly aligned to be in my eyes for about 98% of my drive to work. Only one of the many reasons why I don't like working in head office and I'm glad I'm only here once a week.

It was our martial arts organisation awards ball on Saturday, when black belts were awarded. Fantastic to see the new 3rd degree (dan) students - including a new Sifu - in their higher grade mandarin suits tonight. Tomorrow the new black belts will be showing off their new outfits. 🥋

Perhaps if we spent money on building an alternative to AWS instead of pumping billions into AI server farms, we wouldn't be so bothered about "small, common errors" causing major outages and we could still increase jobs in the IT industry.

When I see headlines such as "Declutter Your Crowded Entryway With One Simple And Stylish IKEA Breadbox Hack", I wonder how other people live. It's not that it's not a good idea, it's that I wish my "clutter" would fit inside two bread bins!

Tron is one of my all time favourite films*. I was less keen on Tron: Legacy. Really enjoyed Tron: Ares this evening, so will rewatch both in the near future. * I was always very partial to Mr Boxleitner.

The seasons must be turning, I've just put a chicken stew in the slow cooker.

I've refilled the bird feeders. I think I'm safe in the garden for the weekend.

Flu jab booked 💉

I ❤️ Viz

How to avoid seeing "personalised" ads on social media without paying £36pa per platform - don't use social media platforms that have ads!

Balloons from last night's 3 generational birthday celebrations. I am now older than my maternal grandma ever was. Ma is as old as me & Elder Adorable Niece (tm) combined.

I have a friend whose wife, back in 1995, was convinced that everyone on the internet is a mad axe murderer. The more Jack Reacher books I read, the more I think Lee Child has taken this view and run with it.

Hearing that the BBC have adapted Lord of the Flies for television increases my view that not paying for a BBC licence and using the cash for an unlimited cinema ticket is a sensible decision. Never read the book, but I know how much having to read it affected my brother at 12. I trust his view.

Why is it that almost every time I open an app these days it demands I update it? These are apps I use regularly. Are they not tested before roll out, such that they need to be repaired the following day? Are hackers so good they can break them before anyone uses them?

Heading Up North for Ma's 90th birthday today. Apparently some bloke called Eddie was born on the same day.

Back from 2 weeks in forrin. Looking forward to a decent kip in my own bed.

@petemckee.bsky.social I saw this and thought of you!

Huzzah! At last!

Free energy tomorrow 12-2pm. Trying to work out what time to remote start the dishwasher based on local v UK time difference.

The express poll asking whether reforms migrangt visa plan is racist is about 91% "no" so it REALLY needs your help - this is a direct link to poll xd.wayin.com/display/cont...