Job interviews are batshit. You don't do a driving test by turning up on the day and they go “nope we don’t want you to sit a theory test like the recruiter said, we actually want you to improv driving a truck, right now, imitate the horn sounds” and yet in job interviews this is completely normal

I found a bunch of people calling themselves "sociotechnical architects" just now and it's taken all my willpower not to add this gif to the github repo. The more latin and greek there is in your bloody words (in business comms), the less likely you are genuinely getting through to people.

fwiw - you can be pro regulation in tech *and* believe that the current attempts to regulate are foolish and need rethinking. Both of these things can be true at the same time.

I really need to remember to lock my screen when at home, I had “dergbh” in spotlight just now and a very innocent looking cat in the hall.

I think I am mainly spending today putting things in correct places or correct rooms 🤯

Without cheating, most recent pic of your pets. This is me documenting that ours queue. They also queue for the litter box.

I have walked past Phil Jupitus multiple times now in two different countries and half awkwardly *run away* with no real prompt to do so to “not be a bother”.

Neurospicy was one of those in-community only tumblr originated terms that was meant to mean “look the labels keep shifting right now but damn the school bullies could smell us out anyway. Stop assuming we are subhuman” It was never meant to be cute, or medical. Just an attempt to reclaim.

Marvellous, moving and wise column by @martinsandbu.ft.com:

“I’ve found people are maybe decorating their coffee with too much cream sometimes so yeah it’s ok for us to just let us use the cat litter box for the milk and coffee beans now”

You will be visited by 3 spirits

New ink painting of pyramidal cells #sciart artologica.etsy.com/listing/4430...

Btw I will go quieter later it’s just me right now into the other half wakes up then we drive to his parents. Only so many treats I can consume solo

From 2016 all George Michael bangers are Christmas music. 🎄 Scare your relatives with the pop culture trivia behind the Outside music video everyone!

ONLY YULE

Woman in the park: She was 96. Her friend: 96. I guess she was ready to go. Woman: Are you kidding? She ordered new curtains last week. When I called her and asked, ‘Are they nice?’ she said, ‘No they're not. I won’t use that company next time I need new curtains.’

#OnThisDay in London's festive history: parliamentary Puritan ban on Xmas is widely ignored in London, 1644. wp.me/p74yfw-gc

Weirdly excited today - we did the big meal last night so it’s basically a curry today and then my coconut rice pudding. Here is me last night picking out the cardamom pods with a head torch.

Live map of bus services in the UK and Ireland on Christmas Day, 25 December 2025, at around 8:40am. Bus services are largely suspended. London and Dublin shut down completely, with only a few local operators and airport coaches running limited services.

got my adhd upgraded to ad4k

In the 2025 form of A Christmas Carol, the ghost of Christmas future puts all the AI bandwagon slop he's forcing on everyone else in charge of Scrooge's real money, and he loses it all. Merry Christmas 🎄

I will say PRINCE2 didn't teach me project management. But it did help me understand the actions of a lot of project managers, in a way that assisted me and them when working together. Does this concept have a name? 😅

Come on, the Class 125 is iconic AND it's like over 50 years old now. My dad is in his 60s and it's his favourite train. Why can't I get it on a Christmas card without having to upload a photo? Why did we decide to integrate Harry Potter into Christmas so fast (90s) and not any non-steam trains?

If you ever get the chance to design, or redesign a public service/platform, please *start* with delegated authority user needs. It's *the* hard problem you can't afford to leave until later.

Almost 3.5k words on making data explainable to users in complex systems (inc. AI) To adopt a technology change of any kind where it impacts data and calculations they are exposed to, this is a playbook that *works* and I constantly use and have evolved over time ashley.rolfmore.com/ux-design-in...

Some reflections on the difference between seeing systemic problems and being responsible for fixing them, and how authority, boundaries, and neurodivergence shape what makes meaningful change possible.

I have fantastic inspiration for a post about data and system explainability right now as part of product experience - pretty excited to finally get this down, as it ties together bits and pieces I have worked on for the past 15 years. Mainly posting for accountability to force me to do it!

fwiw, I tend to go quiet on here when work is super busy, or I'm on holiday having a lovely time. Broadly, I know this happens because my other half goes "did you know Blompbedomp Foog died" and I will have no idea.

Why are tech leaders obsessed with uk politicians from the 2010s coalition? I appreciate it’s like two now, but it’s still bloody weird.

After a stellar day in Lisbon, we are trying again today. Looks like stuff is landing fine today too, hoping the weather holds up!

Am I going home today? Let us roll the dice…

To save you reading the 'Living on £100 a week' Times article: *Yes, their kitchen looks like an interior design magazine spread *Yes, they use stuff they already had *No, sudden emergencies aren't included *The husband is a director of a food poverty charity so you'd think he'd know all this stuff

Only 4 hours late! Not half bad for 2 cancelled planes and the airline telling me to collect my bag and go home. It *is* often about asking the right questions and being polite but persistent. And some good luck🤞

You will be visited by three spirits

Cancelled flight. Beg for a rebook - get one for a couple hours time. British person near me is horrified that I attempt to talk to them *about the weather affecting the flights*. Isn’t solidarity about bad weather allowed? Have I forgotten a Brit rule again? 😅

Lloyds decided to give me a “your banking unwrapped” as a modal (ie non cancellable or stoppable) on my phone. When I was quickly trying to transfer money to pay for something at a cashier. No. Do not do this. I do not want a year unwrapped of my banking activity either.

I promise you I’m not saying this because I’m middle aged, but stop using age drop down menus. Please. People can type a year of birth *fine*

granny's garden, screenshot, zx spectrum (1983) www.mobygames.com/game/29747/g...

Steam homepage in December 2006 #WebDesignHistory

♥️

Just had some news come through which has quietly confirmed how good I am at what I do for a living, on a macro scale. Do take these moments people. They help.

“The government only started tracking immigration figures in 1964. For the next two decades, net migration was consistently negative.” This week's New World column is a brief history of migration to the UK.

Imagine striking a note so strongly that people just assume a character is you 😁

My controversial opinion - travel insurance should charge a premium for budget airline usage depending on their delay policy - much like winter sports or cruises have their own extras.

Mad Men 4K

Alt text for those who need it. This is amazing.