Mabel and Barney are not pleased with the humans returning to work and the reduction in attention. This morning , Barney (the cat) complained until I gave in and agreed to take him and Mabel to the park. Mabel was rather pleased to get an extra walk as it meant extra treats!

My friends in Austria sent this and I can't stop watching...wait for the end. 🤗💜

What just happened ... Comedy: Jamie Kaler

Waiting for Starmer to step up and show some backbone. I reckon it might be a while.

Anyway, any Brit wishing to escape all the international news today can settle down with BBC2 at 3.20pm, when "The Eagle Has Landed" is showing. It's a film about a group of soldiers attempting to kidnap another country's head of state. I'm not kidding. It really is on today.

Introduce yourself with what almost killed you. Hi, I'm coasteering in Cardigan Bay. 🌊

Been to the cinema with Nic to watch Marty Supreme. It's excellent, but I'm not sure that I enjoyed the experience (if that makes any kind of sense).

Never a fucking tsunami around when you need one.

That when Nobel-winning physicist Max Born fled Nazi Germany to the UK, his daughter ended up working at Bletchley Park, where she met and married a RAF officer. After the war they emigrated to Australia and had a daughter: Olivia Newton-John.

Antidote to the madness.

Barney feels seen!

For me it's whenever someone says "Barcelona", I want to sing "it was the first place that we met!"

via The New Yorker, Ellis Rosen cartoon

A measure of how bonkers the weather has been this year is that my wife has a delphinium that is still flowering. The tip has been frosted but it's quite amazing nonetheless!

This is a lovely review of the Royal Berks. Both our sons were born there. Both my parents died there. They glued my lip back together after my bike smash. The staff have always been brilliant and it always has a positive atmosphere. We're very lucky in Reading to have such a place as our hospital.

Absolutely nobody asked for this BUT English Anglican cathedrals that have burned down, fallen over, and sank into the swamp: a thread.

I love the fucking internet, part 972964386: "One Night In Bangkok" arranged and performed as a 16th century chanson. youtu.be/i3jHv0GZB9U?...

Really good to hear "Coast" by Kim Deal on BBC 6music. Just realised that it reminds me of the theme to the old Rupert the Bear TV series.

That old stick about the Roman Empire, and how the actual sign of the collapse was a bridge falling down and nobody coming to fix it.

Way back in the mists of time (probably the late noughties) , Lush did used to sell something called "shower jelly". Shower gel but the same consistency as Hartley's jelly cubes....

I love matrix signs. I made one for my brother in law to mark his retirement. It can be switched between showing the times of Reading Buses or the trains at Reading Station. I'll be making one for me over the Christmas break..

We've started on the Christmas movies. Tonight , Champagne Problems! Excellent so far! Classy trash. And France is looking superb.

Also, Mabel greeting her fellow Goldie Scout!

Mabel loves a roll in the frosty grass.

the next generation of MERL merchandising bsky.app/profile/derp...

I saw a lot of people posting their favorite cover songs and thought I’d add mine to the mix

I see the Australian social media ban is off to a great start. Nobody knows you're a dog on the Internet. 🐕

Not a story from The Onion!

battlestar galactica what do they do with the paper corners

Alien (1979, Ridley Scott)

Rather excited to discover that this year's Ghost Story for Christmas is some EF Benson and starring Joanna Lumley! www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/...

“And what is the charge? Eating a seal? A succulent Chinese seal? GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY PENIS!”

Hmm, not convinced. Barney greets me more because I'm his servant. He knows Nic regards him as a fellow household member not someone whose every wish should be granted immediately! Ycmv!

Dammit, so History Hit has to go. So disappointed as I have enjoyed the show in the past but Dan made his choice . Plenty more history podcasts in the sea.

BBC2 wins hands down. Least awful schedule by far!

Barney has injured his tail, he's been bitten near the base. Vet has given him some antibiotics and sent him home with cat anti-inflammatory liquid. No cone of shame though his tail has been shaved around the base so it looks like a stem of pampas grass! His dignity has taken a battering!

Woah! Did the @projectmoonbase.com guys ever cover this on their show? It has a very funky theme tune!

I heartily recommend Adrian's reading of Service Model. His narration of the adventures of UnCharles and The Wonk is brilliant. I loved it. Get this book, doesn't matter if it's audio, physical or ebook, but you have to read it.

Went up Fulham way to have lunch with the boys to celebrate Nic's birthday. Had a very nice roast pork Sunday lunch at a bustling Italian restaurant.

You all know about this, right? Not one of nature's natural aviators, the beaver, and yet... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaver_...

Britain: American taxes and Scandinavian public services for the old. Scandinavian taxes and American public services for the young.

Ooh, this is a lovely version of Tiny Children.

Sorry if you've all seen this already, but I only discovered this last night. youtu.be/XCXZ4MaYBpw?...

You’ve been kidnapped. The characters from the last TV show you watched are trying to rescue you. Who’s coming to save you? As long as the kidnappers are bent coppers then I'm probably going to be okay!

i’m not crying you’re crying xkcd: Fifteen Years

She's flying in the face of fashion now. Seems to have a will of her own.

Oh FFS, not content with putting more political news coverage on 6Music, now the BBC is playing trailers on there for gobshite vox pops on 5Live. The BBC news people are the BBC's worst enemy.

Tall Betsy looks metal as fuck I bet the kids had a blast.

We've just been to the pub for a sneaky burger and chips. I think Barney and Mabel are annoyed that we went without them. This was the sight that greeted us on our return.