Like a lot of people, I watched that Jimmy Kimmel return (pleased he's back, obviously..!) What struck me was just how toothless it was. I don't watch much Kimmel, and appreciate he may have have been on best behaviour - but it was like being savaged by a kitten. Swing for the fences, man.

Some days, getting the kids ready for school is a chore. A thankless chore. Other days, you leave the house after getting the whole family to dance to the can can. Happy Thursday.

Marmalade. Cricket. Crumpets.

Yes, it is showmanship. Which makes for very effective communications. Farage, though he's a truly awful person, understands this better than any other mainstream politician, who need to be responding in kind - with memorable soundbites that unpick this fantasyland.

As far as I’m concerned, a stressful school run is worth at least half a day off work.

Goarn Stoke!

'Squad' is a particularly pernicious word in the corporate world. In theory, it means lots of specialists coming together to create a team. In practice, it means hollowing out functioning teams and bundling together part time staff, none of whom quite knows the full picture.

Read a piece about the Death of the Corporate Job (a three parter) this morning. If I’m honest, while I’m sure there will workforce shifts, BS jobs aren’t going anywhere. As long as there’s mid tier jobs, there will be longing. “I could / should be doing more” is evergreen. AI or no AI.

Zarah Sultana and Jeremy Corbyn fell out, you say? I am very, very surprised to hear that.

I am shocked. SHOCKED I tell you. www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Hard to think of a more on-the-nose encapsulation of how far the online speech wars have swung in the year of our lord 2025 than major U.S. corporations racing to fire people whose tweets offended Milo Yiannopoulos

It's incredible how close the Red Arrows fly together, must take nerves of steel

I wish it wasn’t all so bloody stupid. Reform are full of chancers and climate deniers.

Grateful for the NHS. Youngest just had 11 stitches along from her eyebrow. The doctors were brilliant.

Post 5 pleasures in life. 1) Teaching someone something; the experience of them 'getting it' and watching their eyes light up. 2) Hitting a perfectly executed golf shot (doesn't matter what) 3) Test cricket 4) The flow state when writing 5) Warm food when you've been outside/are outside

Editing PowerPoint, and wondering if it really is my natural medium. That's a sobering thought for a Tuesday. I blame too many performance reviews.

A particularly slow clap to the two troglodytes who spray painted a red cross on two mini roundabouts near my parents' place in the Midlands. That'll show 'them', whoever 'they' are.

Goarn Stoke!

Accountability's an appropriate word, isn't it? Inflame rhetoric, or fail to pay your taxes, and see what the endgame is. Or, put it into Jamie Vardyese: 'Chat shit, get banged'.

Time for a bit of advertising’s pseuds corner. Two posters from two venerable institutions.

Being an English football fan is to have to reconcile some of the knuckle draggers that follow the team. Some of the comments about Djed Spence last night - something to celebrate, the first Muslim to play for the men's football team - beggar belief. There's a subset who hate change/are racist.

Morgan Rogers in midfield and Konsa at the back make England so much more mobile. Much, much better tonight.

Guess when I entered the workforce? :(

Friends who also hate Excel but have to use it professionally. Best course you've been on? (Yes, where I work has these, but they are aimed at hyper mathematically minded ex business schoolers; beyond question 2, I'm lost).

Postecoglou is the dictionary definition of failing upwards.

Wondering how many outtages Virgin Media have a day. They certainly make up a massive percentage of our street's group chat. (NB, having worked on the BT account, this was always the stick we beat them with - though it's fast, it isn't reliable. Not what you want when WFH).

I have never ever run for a time. I worry that with the advent of park run breaking out amongst parents - that I will be sucked into it. My poor knees.

When the internet peaked.

Gail's doing book readings is very clever. Surprised non centre upon more Leave centred texts, though, given their chairman's political views.

The Beths' new one is just the thing for a sunny Friday.

Reassuring to see some decency in our politics

Writing about progress and the dangers of dogmatism over on the business cosplay site: www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...

Kids practically somersaulted back to school today. No content clickbait pictures, so you’ll just have to take my word for it that the backflips were surprising and unexpected.

Taco Bell rethinks AI drive-through after man orders 18,000 waters. 🧪 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Give me a band / artist who should've been bigger than they were. My suggestion - Secret Machines (especially after their first album). Give it a whirl: www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7tL...

My first troll on Bluesky. Quaint, in a way.

Day 56003 of the summer holidays. Children still not back at school. Discipline, fading. TV, a constant. Sanity, fraying.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail updated for Britain in 2025.

Goarn Stoke!

Your mam shouts at hotels and your dad paints roundabouts

Dear media. I think controlled immigration is a good thing for our culture & our economy. I think we should be a safe place for people fleeing persecution. I think you’re enabling far right extremism to flourish & become the norm in this country? I think that’s appalling. From a UK citizen.

So pleased for Tommy Fleetwood.

Goarn Stoke!

I love fixing a washing machine to kick off a holiday. Love it.

I'll defend 99% of British food. It is largely stodgy but great. The one I think gets a easy ride = pie, mash and liquor (shite parsley sauce). The pie's crap, the mash is bland AF; the sauce is rubbish. A proper pie (psst, from the Mids/North) is a thing of wonder. The southern thing is not.

If I lived in Australia / was there in November, I would be trying to see Playlunch. The new album dropped today. Excellent stuff. Also, here's to bogan funk as a genre. www.abc.net.au/triplej/prog...

Not embarassed by my hometown's love of poppies turning into aggressive St George's cross flag waving. *Checks notes* Ah, they congregated outside of a hotel they thought was housing immigrants last night. *Checks notes again* And spray painted red crosses on roundabouts. Not embarassing at all.

Patricia Routledge, I love you., I could read this again and again and again and...

All of that said - this is a great ad. A great example of a simple strategy properly brought to life with brilliant writing and casting: www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z7H...