Finally watching an episode of this series of The Traitors live. What a time.

Successfully lasted the entirety of its run as a series without seeing a single episode of Stranger Things. 🫡

My most played artists, songs and albums of 2025. Yes 13 of my top 15 songs are from Mayhem. At least it’s my first year since 2022 that Taylor Swift hasn’t been my top artist.

Just a few hours left to influence my 2025 LastFM listening stats so I don’t look like a basic bitch pop fan. (It’s already too late)

My top 40 albums of 2025 (In written form) 8oh8s.com/2025/12/29/b...

There’s a ‘recent’ episode of The Simpsons on TV and it looks to be an entire parody of White Lotus. 🫠

If I’ve “saved” you money by persuading you to buy even more records in the Boxing Day sales and you’d like to say thanks, you can buy me a coffee over on Ko-fi ☕️ Sharing and liking my posts about sales is always appreciated too 🙏 ko-fi.com/cheapindievi...

Have written nearly 5k words on my 2025 album of the year list but I ‘don’t have the time’ to get outside and do any exercise. 🫡

🎄

All I want for Christmas is a way to easily play SSX3 on a modern console.

Merry Christmas 🥳

Proud to have given my 3 points to the actual song of the year If Not Now, It’s Soon by Self Esteem along with just one other person who gave it 1 point.

I know that’s right. 🙌

Continue to think the internet is playing a joke on me that they think this music is good.

You know I’m not exactly Sabrina’s biggest fan, but this did get heavy rotation from me this year. That makes 2 songs from her so far that have passed the ‘stayed on Sam’s playlist’ test. It’s still not top 40 of the year though.

Christmas Eve tradition listening to this and remembering that my own take on these pop songs isn’t what everyone else agrees with.

And as a playlist for anyone that would rather not read a few thousand words of my ramblings. music.apple.com/gb/playlist/...

The top 40 best songs of 2025. No idea where the narrative that 2025 has been a weak year for music has come from, I guess people just weren't listening to these songs. 8oh8s.com/2025/12/23/b...

It's the 🚨 final full day of voting 🚨 and as things stand it's the closest Top 3 since 2021!!

Had the pleasure of telling a big Beatles fan I work with about the Sam Mendes 4 film simultaneous release thing that’s happening and he looked appalled and amazed at once.

I should love The Game Awards. I love award shows. I love games. But watching those 2 minute sections where they hand out 5 awards like an afterthought and developers don’t even get to say a word is so weird. Have a non televised bit at least if it’s supposed to be about celebrating people.

This entire grift relies on convincing people that they don't know how to do the things they have always known how to do, and ironically, if it works, we will, in a very short amount of time, forget how to do all the things we have always known how to do.

So glad to finally ‘complete’ Balatro and I clearly have nothing left to do in that game, especially not win with every single deck on Gold Stake or win with every single joker on Gold Stake.

Definitely spending my Saturday going to see Wicked For Good again and have absolutely no regrets.

Enjoyed Pillion. The ‘Dom-Com’ label checks out but I was shocked at home much of a ‘com’ it was.

NEW PODCAST: Episode 93 of Picky Bs and we are back with 4 more new releases, a classic album and a Why I Love. This month's playlist includes Sigrid Dave Tame Impala Just Mustard Dave Van Ronk TORRES pickybs.com/2025/12/04/p...

The Switch 2 may actually have my least favorite approach to physical case design of any game system. NINTENDO SWITCH 2 METROID PRIME 4 NINTENDO SWITCH 2 EDITION ᵀʰᶦˢ ᶜᵒⁿᵗᵃᶦⁿˢ ᵗʰᵉ ᴺᶦⁿᵗᵉⁿᵈᵒ ˢʷᶦᵗᶜʰ ² ᴱᵈᶦᵗᶦᵒⁿ ᵒᶠ ᴹᵉᵗʳᵒᶦᵈ ᴾʳᶦᵐᵉ ⁴

Haven’t been to the gym since the start of October and it’s now meant my ‘very easy to achieve’ goal of going to the gym 52 times in a year is near on impossible. I would need to go 17 times in December which is technically doable but impossible for me.

Managed to get nearly everything on my Record Store Day Black Friday wishlist by getting to the shop at 2pm. Big win for someone too lazy to queue.

It’s nearly the end of November and I still haven’t settled on my AOTY for 2025. There’s at least 3 that could potentially be my #1 once the year ends but I can’t commit just yet.

Train based trauma this morning.

Why am I in a Dublin gay bar on a Tuesday night that’s playing a dance remix of Fly Me To The Moon?

Been in Ireland for literally minutes and have discovered that they still air TV’s best quiz show ‘Who Dares Wins’ here.

Dublin lads.

Having an actual holiday for once. (Ireland’s version)

9am commuting thoughts: Sometimes I feel like the peak moment of my life would be performing a Paso Doble on Strictly to a ROSALÍA song.

Just booked an actual holiday after booking next week off months ago but never getting around to sorting it. We are having a few days in Dublin so I need recommendations for two very boring people to do while we are there. 👋

Nobody bought me the hers and hers matching Wicked electric toothbrushes for my birthday so it’s actually been a waste of a day.

My birthday party was pretty good this year. 🥳

Not exactly feeling like Eurosummer when going to see Zara Larsson on a rainy November night in Manchester.

I’m 34 in half an hour. I guess I’ve reached the stage of life where you leave birthday drinks at 10:30 and buy profiteroles on the way home.

Does anyone else have an almighty fear that they’d go on Bake Off and then stand there and they say the challenge is something completely different to what you spent all week practicing? #GBBO #BakeOff

London Day 3 but less exciting because our train is in an hour.

❗️

London lads.

Started a new GRAMMYs Ranking series. This time I’ve listened to all 67 Record of the Year winners. A list of ridiculously big hits. It’s not quite popped off like the AOTY series, so any shares/favourites are appreciated. 🫡 vm.tiktok.com/ZNd3R3GPm/

Just made the fatal error at the supermarket of picking up a dessert, main and two sides instead of a starter in the Meal Deal for Two. Didn’t realise until I got home. 😩

I’m about to film another GRAMMYs ranking series. This time all 67 winners of Record of the Year. A much less impressive task when you realise my playlist of them all is only 4 hours long.

Started playing Death Stranding 2 via the PS+ game trial. 5 hours free means you get through the entire intro and some of the ‘main’ game too. Loving it so far.

Was supposed to be off work at Alton Towers today. Instead I’m off work at home with Covid. 😩