flies have changed, haven't they? probably the lack of available water, or something? they've gone bomby and divey, wholly different behaviour patterns. It's all going really well isn't it

I would probably go on a yoga retreat if I could have lots of grilled lamb chops at the end of every day (and possibly also the beginning). But they never do that, do they?

There are no mundane facts about me.

IT'S ON THE ROOF AGAIN

Being paid by a university still remains one of the most excruciating admin experiences that a small limited company may endure

Yes, I think it is. London has always operated a variant Highway Code (like you have to actually step on to a zebra crossing, not stand hopefully near it) but things are definitely changing for the worse

Chris Stokes@nisaccom.bsky.social · 3d ago

Is it a London thing? Motorcyclists often seem less fond of staying alive than other road users, but I've not noticed a sharp drop in the Midlands of late.

Out of curiosity, I checked the penalty for this: £100, no points. Pretty unlikely actually to be enforced. Compare that with being flashed by a 20mph camera doing 24mph. Bigger fine, 3 points, and absolutely enforced. I mean. Come on. The lad could obviously do the basic risk assessment.

Paul Clarke@paulclarke.com · 3d ago

Two days ago, a big sports bike with (illegal) slick tyres and an exhaust you could hear from space ripped up the inside. One of those illegal tiny number plates. Which was a bit academic, as it was entirely covered in a black cloth. 2/5

Exactly! This has very much been on my mind. We saw such effective work on drink-driving. And this *isn't* resource intensive: it's never been easier to spread messages – especially when it's footage of a scrote losing their illegal bike. The nation bloody loves this. It's such an open goal.

Mike Knell@blat.at · 3d ago

And we know the British police can do this. They were a major part of the decades-long campaign that changed drinking and driving from being akin to minor speeding to being something that is so socially unacceptable that if you get caught doing it the consequences are life-changing. So what changed?

I've ridden motorbikes in London for close to 40 years. Today a 125 delivery scooter rushed past me in Hackney and slammed on at the lights. Rider's left hand was hanging down. Immense stink of weed. Sure enough, big fat one burning away. He looked blankly at me, out of it. 1/5

A karaoke party full of people 25 years his junior, playing only songs he's never heard, is a particularly dismal experience for the middle-aged gentleman

Am at a wedding reception. I am being watched over by an enormous effigy of a cat.

Some of those digging into Arden seem to have terrible motivations. And I can see the impulse to reflexively defend him for that reason. But doing so – and defending the 'wrong' person in the wrong way – feels like it could end up even more damaging for black academics. Awful mess.

I'm in group for learners of the language I study. The AI boys have arrived, trying to recruit teachers to train their models. Instead of "GTFO this is going to destroy our livelihood" it's "ooh, 3x market hourly rate, sounds great!"

www.maptap.gg August 1 100🎯 98🔥 100🎯 95🏅 100🎯 Final score: 983

I might be extremely out of touch here: that's an unpleasant case, but it's not 20 years worth of harm, surely? Are people being a bit odd about dead rellies, or are they a massive deal? He's got way longer than for mistreating the living. Maybe I'm a numb psycho.

This finally brought out my repressed Barnsley genes.

Paul Clarke@paulclarke.com · 5d ago

A salad, an open sandwich (piece of bread with some chicken on), 1 cup of tea, 1 apple juice, 1 pastel. £54. IN A STATION CAFE. London, I am finally done with eating out ever again. My Iranian beans and the 3.95 saino's sarnie lunch deal are all I need. Go out of business, all of you. It's over.

For the same price you could probably get a return flight to a regional French or Belgian airport, enjoy a much nicer sandwich and still have money left over.

Paul Clarke@paulclarke.com · 5d ago

A salad, an open sandwich (piece of bread with some chicken on), 1 cup of tea, 1 apple juice, 1 pastel. £54. IN A STATION CAFE. London, I am finally done with eating out ever again. My Iranian beans and the 3.95 saino's sarnie lunch deal are all I need. Go out of business, all of you. It's over.

A salad, an open sandwich (piece of bread with some chicken on), 1 cup of tea, 1 apple juice, 1 pastel. £54. IN A STATION CAFE. London, I am finally done with eating out ever again. My Iranian beans and the 3.95 saino's sarnie lunch deal are all I need. Go out of business, all of you. It's over.

somebody said lovely to emeet you and I skinned and ate them

the air is too thick

I have blogged! The State of the Present: Andy Burnham’s new government or - Why the abolition of DSIT is baffling and bad - Why I'm worried about what it means for civil service reform - Some opportunities for the new government around data, digital, open government medium.com/state-of-the...

The State of the Present: Andy Burnham’s new government

In common with lots of other policy people in recent weeks, I’ve been reading Head North, the (very readable) book by new Prime Minister…

medium.com

A great opportunity for that lovely Yorkshire word "thoil". Even when you can very much afford it, you really can't thoil it.

Michael Bushell @mikeybaby.bsky.social · 6d ago

Popbitch is on your page: "Even multimillionaires are scandalised by pastry inflation. Ringo Starr and his wife were spotted popping into Paul for a pain au chocolat and overheard sounding particularly shocked by the price. Frivolous purchases will eat their way into a $350 million fortune."

Popbitch is on your page: "Even multimillionaires are scandalised by pastry inflation. Ringo Starr and his wife were spotted popping into Paul for a pain au chocolat and overheard sounding particularly shocked by the price. Frivolous purchases will eat their way into a $350 million fortune."

I actually know the answer to this and it's slightly insane. Google pulls from Wikipedia to determine if a place is a city, town, neighbourhood, whatever. Brighton's first line describes it as a "seaside resort" so Google Maps thinks it's a neighbourhood and doesn't display it in the "city" font.

I consider myself reasonably online/on here, but I have absolutely no clue who Mr Stencil is nor what he's done to upset so many people. Are we really bothered about anything connected to _Minnesota_? Baffled.

there's something on my roof

On which planet do you think I'm paying 5.90 for a praline cookie? Not Planet London that's for sure

Good points from James

James Aylett@james.tartarus.org · last wk.

From the Shaping London's AI Future summary: "Bring employers, workers, educators and trade unions together to ensure that AI is introduced in ways that support people as well as technology." Erm. We don't need to introduce anything to support technology; we do not have obligations to technology.

brown pants in whitehall, as a part of government that really, really shouldn't do this sort of thing emails me with a meaningless announcement about their supplier portal, copying in clear the email addresses of every single one of their suppliers

Alice: Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here? The Cheshire Cat: That depends a good deal on where you want to get to. Alice: I don't much care where. The Cheshire Cat: Then it doesn't much matter which way you go.