Blog

Weeknotes #45: internet writing

Week commencing Monday, 27 November 2023

London is all decorated for Christmas
London is all decorated for Christmas

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 7/7; Exercise 5/7 and Move 6/7. (86%). Morning walks: 3/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 1/5. Total steps: 72,752

Life

  • I spent a long time this week going through my blog archives. A blog from the early 2000s is fascinating: mainly a collection of links to interesting things happening at that point in time (with little commentary) and of its time, sometimes more thoughtful and sometimes a personal journal.
  • Related: I’ve probably forgotten more plays and films that I’ve seen than I remember. Shame I didn’t diary/blog for my whole life.
  • Relatedly related: I’ve been looking for ways to combine my internet writings – and maybe pictures – in a single place. There’s no obvious solution.
  • Rooting for Matty in the Bake Off final because he seemed like the underdog and, if you’re not following it too closely, why not cheer the underdog? Also, nice smile.
  • Thursday night couldn’t do Nando’s with the team as we did The Real Greek instead of Thirsty Thursday. Behind me in the queue, “I thought the Elgin marbles were marbles: the round things”. Then I read this. Smiling all evening.
  • London is all decorated for Christmas (see photo)

Media

Archive

To save the links getting lost in the future I checked the Internet Archive to see what they had saved for the posts linked here. YouTube links don’t seem to archive well so I don’t list them. If the source above no longer works, these should.

Weeknotes #44: nutrition analysis

Week commencing Monday, 20 November 2023

Raynes Park Christmas tree before they turned on the lights

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 7/7; Exercise 5/7 and Move 7/7. (90%). Morning walks: 3/5 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 0/5. Total steps: 66,809

Life

  • A while ago I purchased Zoe, The personalised nutrition program but there was a problem with the glucose monitor. Monday, I tried again. Now, I’m obsessed at looking at the graph. The muffins were dry.
  • Tuesday, the boiler was serviced. No issues. I need to arrange for all the other house fixes.
  • The Christmas Tree arrived in Raynes Park (pictured) but they didn’t turn it on until later in the week and I wasn’t there to see it. Not sure there was any ceremony.
  • Let’s face it: young people can’t understand the value of long-term friendships. Which is why I loved my Thursday drinks. Cheers, Jules. Cheers, James.
  • To Shrewsbury on Friday afternoon. Difficult to have a conference call on a busy commuter train but I managed it.
  • Related: Saturday lunch sat one table away from their MP. Heard complaining that the venue can’t get staff.
  • Probably related: aforementioned MP almost always voted against a right to remain for EU nationals living in the UK pre-Brexit.
  • Friends round on Saturday evening meant a quiet Sunday watching Doctor Who (see below). Many LOLs with Sooz Kempner in the evening.

Media

Archive

To save the links getting lost in the future I checked the Internet Archive to see what they had saved for the posts linked here. YouTube links don’t seem to archive well so I don’t list them. If the source above no longer works, these should.

Weeknotes #43: Palladium, pie and a political return

Week commencing Monday, 13 November 2023

Beverley Knight at The London Palladium, 14 November 2023

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 7/7; Exercise 7/7 and Move 7/7. (100%, I’ve not done that for a while). Morning walks: 5/5 (no days in the office). Total steps: 75,450.

Life

  • My new morning thing is Bend. Let’s see how long this lasts.
  • First thing Monday, I may as well quote the BBC, David Cameron: Former PM making stunning comeback.
  • I tried multiple combinations of lightbulbs to try to solve a problem and none of them worked. I really don’t want to call an electrician but I may have to.
  • Tuesday, Chicken & Champagne Pie was not quite what I thought. But Beverley Knight was brilliant. The company was wonderful.
  • Diamond Geezer tried to find something, in London, named after King Charles. Best bit of the story? A gas bill can get you in to The Tower of London.
  • Christmas Ad Update: who won’t be making their oven glove sing this Christmas? Genius.
  • Wednesday, my train was delayed so I missed my class. First time that has happened.
  • Thursday, virtual drinks with a colleague. Just like the pandemic years but worked well. The low alcohol beer was nice.
  • Friday, walked to Wimbledon to see the ice rink before the opening. People working late to get things ready. Saw it again on Sunday when it was still skater-less because we saw it between groups.
  • Saturday, COVID booster. In and out in under ten minutes including climbing the stairs. Then to the recycling centre Merton brought to town. Nice idea. Then the shivers started.
  • Lovely pizza dinner with friends Saturday night but I had to call an early night as I wasn’t feeling great.

Media

  • In the late 80s I answered phones for BBC Radio Shropshire. The first time I heard Alex Lester was when he hosted the Sunday morning show and I worked through the glass. Lovely to listen to his career story on the Crunch and Roll podcast.
  • Took us a while to find a movie to watch on Sunday. Spider-Man: No Way Home was our choice. Excellent even though I was confused as I hadn’t seen the previous movie.
  • Tiny Houses: UK Actors Spectacular Tiny Home On London Outskirts

Archive

To save the links getting lost in the future I checked the Internet Archive to see what they had saved for the posts linked here. If the source above no longer works, these should. YouTube links don’t seem to archive well so I don’t list them.

Weeknotes #42: sunset boulevard – get there in your slippers

Week commencing Monday, 6 November 2023

Sunset Boulevard at The Savoy Theatre. Sign outside the theatre.
Sunset Blvd.

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 5/7; Exercise 4/7 and Move 5/7. (67%, maybe, average). Morning walks: 0/3 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 0/5. Total steps: 47,434

Life

  • Back in London after a peaceful weekend on The Island. Robert Elms on BBC London thinks you should move back to London as you get older, “Old age is when you need to be here … because everything is near and you can get there in your slippers.” He has a point.
  • Wouldn’t textcasting be cool?
  • Jamie Lloyd’s reimagining of Sunset Boulevard was brilliant. We booked for Monday Guest Star, Rachel Tucker, and she did not disappoint as Norma Desmond. A show, in black and white, with no props doesn’t sound great. It’s wonderful. The video techniques are impressive.
  • There’s a couple of innovative video scenes in Sunset Boulevard which, appear to be live … but who knows with theatre magic? I thought I might have to stand outside The Savoy Theatre one night to see but on Thursday, at Rachel Tucker’s album launch event, she confirmed it was live.
  • Also, Thursday, a good catch-up with ex-colleagues at our usual Thirsty Thursday venue off Carnaby Street. Now the Christmas lights are up. They’re not that festive but quite impressive.
  • I wrote top-line product requirements, in my own time, for fun. My current employer won’t build this but other ad tech might. It’s not wholly original – other systems do similar – but it is needed by smaller broadcasters or steamers who monetise with ads. I don’t know why I did it except to get it out of my head.
  • Oh come on Wikipedia, if you live in London, and have even the remotest interest in the transport around you, it’s the Dangleway!

Media

  • Christmas ad update: John Lewis 2023 is out. Apparently, they changed advertising agencies this year. Obvious Little Shop of Horror vibes. Not sure about it. The pros at work reckon TK Max is a great one.
  • I binge-watched Heartstopper Season 2 on Friday night and it was a good at the first season – although the characters started to annoy me by the last episode. But I don’t think I am the intended audience.

Archive

To save the links getting lost in the future I checked the Internet Archive to see what they had saved for the posts linked here. If the source above no longer works, these should.

Weeknotes #41: Christmas is coming (with a chutney pasty)

Week commencing Monday, 30 October 2023

A swan, pictured through the reeds, at Seaview nature reserve

Quantified Self

This week: Stand 7/7; Exercise 4/7 and Move 7/7. (86%, good going). Morning walks: 1/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 1/5. Total steps: 60,995

Life

  • To the gym Monday and Tuesday so that habit had made week two. I wish they’d reconnect the machines to all the AV stuff.
  • No Halloween callers on Tuesday night but a few out on the street. We didn’t get any sweets in stock this year because we’d end up eating them.
  • Finished Bryant & May: Ten-Second Staircase which I really enjoyed. Took me a while to decide what’s next.
  • Wednesday first first: I lead a stand-up. Basically, I called out people’s names and they said technical things (only some of which I understood).
  • Wednesday, second first: I saw my first Christmas TV ad. It was for M&S. Too early? I am certainly not thinking about that stuff yet. I recognised Hannah Waddingham, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Tan France. I believe there were others. Thursday I saw another: Waitrose with Graham Norton
  • Fifteen minutes late departing Waterloo on Thursday evening and a half-length train meant we were standing to Guildford. Not the most fun way to head off but the ferry crossing was not as choppy as you would imagine.
  • Friday and Saturday were very wet but there would be intermittent dry periods when we all thought the rain might have stopped. Got wet several times.
  • Friday night’s entertainment from a musical trio was wonderful. There was a real community feel in the Arts Centre.
  • Our Airbnb host from a few weeks ago described us as “polite interesting people”. That was nice.
  • Busy Bees has an impressive Christmas Wold shop selling anything you want to decorate your home for Christmas. I might think it’s too early. The rest of the world does not.
  • Sunday, the swans were more peaceful than the last time we went to the nature reserve and chutney pasty with the cheese was delicious.
  • A long route round on the train back to London but we did break our journey in Woking to help with some bags.

Media

  • Great interview with Macklemore as part of the Zane Lowe interview series. Made me listen to the latest album again.
  • Behind the scenes at Scary Fast: Apple’s keynote event shot on iPhone and edited on Mac.

Archive

To save the links getting lost in the future I checked the Internet Archive to see what they had saved for the posts linked here. If the source above no longer works, these should.

Weeknotes #40: back, back, back

Week commencing Monday, 23 October 2023

A model of a green-faced witch, riding on a broomstick, is positioned above the bar.
Broomstick riding

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 7/7; Exercise 3/7 and Move 6/7. (76%, Good). Morning walks: 1/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 1/5. Total steps: 57,976

Life

  • This week, back 4 times: back home (I’m noticing the cold); back dieting (gotta lose those holiday kgs); back gyming (not convinced about the refurbishment) and back at work.
  • Related, back at work after a holiday has advantages when you work form home. It’s not as jarring. My ex-colleague, Duncan, has written about recent headlines encouraging people ‘back to the office’. I agree with everything written.
  • Unexpectedly attended the office halloween party. I didn’t have a costume. Ravi found a green wig for me. Obviously, I didn’t win for best costume. Apparently, the punch was excellent (which I interpreted as ‘strong’) but I didn’t even notice there was a punch bowl.
  • There’s an impressive witch above the bar at The White Swan. On Thursday, we watched from round the side of the pub, as a crew were putting up the Carnaby Street Christmas lights.
  • The answer to the question posed in Weeknotes #33 is that, yes, they do.
  • I got a flu jab but it cost me. No side-effects to report, which is good, as we went for a lovely lunch with family in Woking.
  • Related, Centre Court Shopping Centre in Wimbledon is morphing into Wimbledon Quarter as the boards hiding the redevelopment come down and they open the roof.
  • Sunday, I did some cleaning and it really boosted my mood. And then I cheered up even more by going to see people sing Cher songs.

Media

Archive

To save the links getting lost in the future I checked the Internet Archive to see what they had saved for the posts linked here. If the source above no longer works, these should.

Weeknotes #39: Palermo was 32°c

Week commencing Monday, 16 October 2023

A street in Palermo, Italy
Palermo, Italy

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 6/7; Exercise 5/7 and Move 7/7. (86%, feeling happy). No office days as I am on vacation. Total steps: 108,762

Life

  • Monday, awoke in Palermo: walking tour; beautiful churches. Fountain of Shame. Arancini, pomegranate granita and panelle were all tasty.
  • Holiday Apple Maps: Quattro Canti (passed); Orto Botanico di Palermo (failed, took us to the wrong part of town for the entrance); Famila supermarket (failed on generic search, passed when we worked out the name); Le Catacombe dei Cappuccini (passed); Maxim Theatre (failed when we tried to use Opera House as the look-up); Fud Bocs (passed); Hotel Politeama (passed) but it failed the Fountain of Shame as it needed the official name, Fontana Pretoria, which nobody uses.
  • Saw a snake in the botanical gardens. That wasn’t what was biting and I got off better than the others who suffered more.
  • First train sold out to Cefalù; we went on the later one. Nice lunch near the sea. Squeezed into a bar, with a view, for an over-priced limoncello spritz, which was new to me (the drink not the pricing).
  • Thursday, No Mafia Memorial and, then contrasting, a department store rooftop bar in the shade as it was 32°. Then, up a level for the unshaded fabulous view. Then, down a level, where it was Christmas!
  • Friday, tour of the third biggest theatre in Europe. The view from the royal box is as impressive as you’d expect to give dignitaries. Later the wind got up on the terrace – the weather warning coming true – and we had to remove anything that would blow away. It calmed enough for us to eat there.
  • The temple at Segesta was unfinished, impressive and you could see the bosses on the blocks of the base (used for lifting the stones into place but usually removed when finishing).
  • Erice is up a winding mountainside road. Our driver was great. That they built a town there is impressive.
  • Lunch with our guide and the Chilean couple was great (couscous with fish for me). I was schooled on the linguistic definition of a dialect.
  • The cannoli was enormous (and messy). The salt pans on the way back less impressive.
  • The restaurant we planned to go to was booked on a Friday night. So, our last Italian dinner was delicious but the most expensive.

Media

Archive

To save the links getting lost in the future I checked the Internet Archive to see what they had saved for the posts linked here. If the source above no longer works, these should.

Weeknotes #38: race car backwards and machine guns

Week commencing Monday, 9 October 2023

Plane taking off over London Heathrow Terminal 5. There's a sunset in the background.
Dinner with a view of takeoff.

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 4/7; Exercise 2/7 and Move 4/7. (48%, I’m embarrassed ). Morning walks: 0/3 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 2/5. Total steps: 46,514

Life

  • Monday to the office. Is it Agency, Advertiser or Brand? Can you have déjà vu for déjà vu?
  • I’ve read a lot of discussion about an apostrophe in a Burger King ad this week. At least there is one, was my thinking. I needed Daring Fireball to explain and tell me Shift-Option-] is what I might need.
  • Tuesday, World Mental Health Day (mental health is a universal human right): a seminar at work reminded us that the little things can make a big difference. The effects of giving off good vibes can’t be underestimated.
  • Also, Tuesday, Keir Starmer announced plans for a publicly owned renewable energy company and new towns. Investing in infrastructure not killing it off seems a better way forward to me.
  • In a call with Mum and Dad, I was asked what does RACE CAR spell backwards? How come I’d never noticed that before?
  • Same call, we learned that, after the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, the Tommy gun gained notoriety with the mob. We also discussed violin cases and if it was used by the Italian mafia.
  • ITV: She has been at the heart of This Morning for the past 14 years, and she is adored by our viewers. Holly Willoughby has said she is quitting This Morning.
  • Kind of related, Diamond Geezer’s been to the location of all three Big Brother houses.
  • Saturday, I rode the pods again. Still a fun thing to do if you need to stay near Terminal 5.
  • Sunday, to Palermo. Early start for the plane. On time flight in spite a truck being parked behind the plane. Train into Palermo easy but the station sparse.

Media

  • As recommended in the mental health seminar, and recommended by me, Brené Brown: The power of vulnerability. Feeling connected is why we are here.
  • Roman Kemp’s Dad doesn’t have many friends, at least according to Roman in this Radio Times podcast

Archive

To save the links getting lost in the future I checked the Internet Archive to see what they had saved for the posts linked here. If the source above no longer works, these should.

Weeknotes #37: Willkommen! And bienvenue! Welcome!

Week commencing Monday, 3 October 2023

View across Hersey Nature Reserve, Seaview, Isle of Wight
Hersey Nature Reserve, Seaview, Isle of Wight

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 6/7; Exercise 3/7 and Move 4/7. (62%, similar). Morning walks: 0/3 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 2/5. Total steps: 65,485

Life

  • They fixed my access to the mandatory training platform. Monday afternoon spent understanding fire extinguishers and bribery. And, by Friday, I completed the lot (including the extra one that was added on Thursday).
  • Celeb spotting: AJ Odudu and Will Best, presenters of the new version of Big Brother, hosted an event I attended. I was at the back and couldn’t hear but there was a free bottle of beer.
  • Regardless of how you feel about HS2, it seems bonkers to me that it’s the major policy announcement at a party conference. I asked an AI bot what it thought and it summed up the responses reasonably well.
  • A workshop at work on Thursday, I learnt a lot about some existing technologies; I don’t think that was the point of the day. I had one drink after work before coming home.
  • Early Saturday evening, PY thinks I said yes to the second bottle of wine when everybody else didn’t want one. The service was attentive but not with a smile.
  • Wilkommen to Cabaret: Rob ordered a bottle of champagne; perhaps the default drink for this production. It feels decadent which, I guess, is the vibe. Jake Shears was excellent, but not the most uplifting show.
  • Sunday trip to Ryde. Lunch looking out on the water across to Portsmouth. It’s very tranquil and a lovely way to spend Sunday afternoon.
  • Then, walked to the nature reserve where we sat in the hide watching the wildlife. There was nobody around and we spent half an hour watching the birds on the water.
  • Related: I made tea in my reusable, insulated drinks cup. It was still very hot three hours later.

Media

Archive

To save the links getting lost in the future I checked the Internet Archive to see what they had saved for the posts linked here. If the source above no longer works, these should.

AI-sourced views on HS2 Northern leg cancellation

Some of the text on this page was written by 'AI' using gpt-3.5-turbo. I have corrected some US spellings to UK spellings in the response as the prompt for British English seems to have partially ignored

Back at the start of the year, I shared a piece of generative AI that I had created to try to understand how a mainstream tool worked in a specific, more technical context. I think it’s great but, at this stage, it was a generalist.

One of the limitations of the models used is that they have been trained on data to a fixed point in time and many are not able to look-up new data or information against the wider knowledge of the internet. Poe is a collection of AI tools and I noticed a bot had been released that is capable of conducting a web search.

So, with this week’s news that HS2 is to be scrapped I thought I’d try out the this AI to see what it came up with. I am quite impressed with both the output and the referencing but it is limited to a couple of sources. In particular, the references to the Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) are to a single 185 word statement. Nonetheless, I thought interesting new capabilities from AI.

The Prompt

Summarise responses to the cancellation of HS2 to Manchester. Use British English.

The AI generated response

The cancellation of the HS2 leg to Manchester has generated various responses. Here is a summary of the key reactions:

Disappointment and Concern

  • Many individuals and organisations have expressed disappointment and concern over the cancellation [1].
  • The Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) described the decision as “extremely disappointing” and a significant blow to the UK construction sector [3].
  • Former Prime Minister David Cameron criticised the cancellation, stating that it was the wrong decision and would make it harder to build consensus for future long-term projects [2].

Impact on Plans and Confidence:

  • The cancellation has raised concerns about the impact on people who had made decisions based on the HS2 plans, such as moving or selling their homes [1].
  • The CPA warned that the decision could undermine confidence and impact future investment in the construction sector [3].

Alternative Funding and Projects:

  • Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has promised to use the £36 billion of savings from scrapping the HS2 line to fund other transport schemes [2].
  • The government’s commitment to completing the HS2 line to Euston and diverting funding to other projects aimed at boosting transport infrastructure in the north has been highlighted [3].

Learn more:

  1. Tell us: will you be affected by the scrapping of the HS2 leg to Manchester? | HS2 | The Guardian
  2. LIVE: HS2 Manchester link cancelled by Rishi Sunak – updates and reaction – Manchester Evening News
  3. CPA Response to Cancellation of the Manchester Leg of HS2 | Construction Plant-hire Association

Follow-up

Interestingly, WordPress (which is used to maintain this site) now includes an AI assistant that can review what has been written on this blog. I generated a review of this page. One of the pieces of feedback was, “Include diverse perspectives by including reactions from a wider range of individuals and organisations”. It amused me that an AI was, effectively, telling another AI to do better.

Weeknotes #36: out the city to a vineyard

Week commencing Monday, 25 September 2023

Denbies Greenfields was crowned ‘Best Sparkling Wine from the United Kingdom' in 2017
Best Sparkling Wine from the United Kingdom, 2017

Quantified Self

This week: Stand 5/7; Exercise 4/7 and Move 5/7. (66%, slipping again). Morning walks: 0/3 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 2/5. Total steps: 58,729

Life

  • Monday, a quiet day. Tuesday, to the office then, in the evening, managed the trains successfully to get to Kingston on Thames on time for the Beverley Knight showcase ahead of Friday’s album launch.
  • Related, Royal Mail sent me two emails to confirm the time the CD would be delivered but it went through the letter box and I didn’t need to be listening out for them.
  • Thursday, a team meeting. A discussion on the use of generative AI in the media. Some interesting use cases. Technology has moved on a little in the few months since I wrote this. Later, a social cricket experience. I hit the ball and am counting that as winning.
  • Friday, to Declan Bennett’s Boy Out The City. We saw the ‘workshop’ at The Turbine Theatre in 2021. It’s been a hit at the an Edinburgh Fringe and remains as wonderful and powerful as I remember. It is enhanced by the staging. The words could almost be songs. In fact, I hope he turns some of them into songs.
  • Saturday, with friends to plan our forthcoming break. Train strike day and packed buses to get to Streatham. The first, just after 5pm, might be expectedly busy but at 1:15am the next morning? Packed.
  • Sunday, lovely return to Denbies. Little train ride to see the vineyard, 360,000 vines and 13 grape varieties, harvesting started but not visible. Then, delicious afternoon tea.

Media

Archive

To save the links getting lost in the future I checked the Internet Archive to see what they had saved for the posts linked here. If the source above no longer works, these should.

Weeknotes #35: an end and a beginning

Week commencing Monday, 18 September 2023

A view of Television Centre with The Broadcaster pub in the foreground.
Television Centre

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 5/7; Exercise 3/7 and Move 5/7. (62%, slipping). Morning walks: 0/1 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 4/5. Total steps: 62,418

Life

  • Monday, a nice few drinks with people who will soon be ex-colleagues. Have to admit to, quite a bit of, ‘why am I doing this?’
  • Related, noticeably cold on the platform waiting for the train home.
  • Tuesday, completing the circle. On my first day the trains were cancelled to mess up my arrival and, now, the same on the last.
  • Lovely final day where the developers showed me completed software and it was exactly what I imagined. Good stuff.
  • Nice words to end the day, handed back IT and then a nice email from my boss.
  • First day in the new one was a quiet day in the new – but familiar – office. I don’t like the crowded trains from Clapham. Home, a different way was marginally better. Thursday, trains the other way around were much more pleasant so that’s going to be my route.
  • Friday was much quieter but I did get to upgrade my phone to the new software, iOS17. I am not sure I can immediately tell the difference.
  • Lots of good advice from Merlin Mann: No one has ever died wishing they’d spent more time documenting their “minimalist desk”.
  • Back at The Crazy Coqs for Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks and it was fantastic. I don’t know if it’s because there’s been a gap between shows or because I am not as familiar with all the music but I thought the evening was wonderful.

Media

Archive

To save the links getting lost in the future I checked the Internet Archive to see what they had saved for the posts linked here. If the source above no longer works, these should.

Weeknotes #34: watching sailing boats

Week commencing Monday, 11 September 2023

View of the entrance to Cowes marina
Cowes, Isle of Wight

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 5/7; Exercise 4/7 and Move 6/7. (71%, better than last week). Week off work so I am not trying to count my morning walks. Total steps: 62,519

Life

  • It took a day to change the ‘fuse box’ but the new lamp is lovely.
  • Sitting watching sailing boats is remarkably peaceful, especially from a pub rooftop terrace with a glass of wine in glorious sunshine.
  • They appeared to hold the Shrewsbury train to allow those of us on the late-running train from London to make the connection; sometimes the trains work well.
  • Friday, morning wasted but I can’t quantify why. Did place my order at 1pm. That’s a lot of money splurged.
  • Enormous pot of chilli made. Half real minced beef and half a veggie equivalent with a lot less fat. You could’t tell. I forgot to cook the sweetcorn.
  • To Woking. The fish lunch PY prepared was brilliant. We didn’t succeed with all the errands.
  • Sunday, PY was volunteering. His message at 9:21am read, “You have to see this – it’s in incredible!”
  • So, to the the only Grade 1 listed cinema in the country. Cinemas of the time featured an organ to accompany the films. This Wurlitzer was installed in Sacramento but came to the UK for the cinema’s opening in 1931. It still rises from beneath the floor, but only once a year for the Open House festival. The bingo players of Tooting never see it otherwise.
  • To dinner. K is off to university in the middle of next week. I remember lots of lovely things but, today, I recall the bricks and drums their 1st Christmas. I don’t want to think about how fast the years have past.

Weeknotes #33: little big things

Week commencing Monday, 4 September 2023

Outside the theatre where The Little Big Things is playing
The Little Big Things

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 2/7; Exercise 3/7 and Move 4/7. (42%, terrible). Morning walks: 0/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 1/5. Total steps: 36,122

Life

  • The Little Big Things is a wonderful new musical based on the life of mouth artist Henry Fraser. It’s opened at the lovely Soho Place Theatre. We went on Friday night where there was a full standing ovation. I followed Lord Lloyd Webber down the stairs afterwards. If that’s not a seal of approval then I don’t know what is.
  • Business software 1: I do like a sequence diagram when explaining a product feature. I should do more of them. I did a couple to explain projects I am handing over.
  • Related: websequencediagrams.com makes it easy. I subscribed in my last job. I may do in my next.
  • Business software 2: Jira is a tool used by a host of software companies. People love it; people hate it and people love to hate it. But lots of people use it. It’s (almost) endlessly flexible. And in my job, it has all the info in it. So, why don’t people use it to get the info instead of scheduling meetings?
  • Related: labels are good in both Jira and Confluence: use them with abandon.
  • Related, related: tidied up a lot of tickets this week and wrote my final piece of documentation which was, in reality, an update to an existing doc but it felt like I was completing something. The list of closed tickets looks remarkably short.
  • Related, related: Team lunch on Tuesday was nice, although service was slow and a couple of people had to run off at the end for calls.
  • (Not business) software: when did WordPress get an AI assistant that reviews what’s been written? Interesting take on last week ’s Weeknote: “Overall, the content is informative and provides a good snapshot of the week. With some structural improvements and additional visual elements, it can become even more engaging for readers.”
  • I’ve previously mentioned the UK government’s position on messaging app encryption. Today a u-turn that the government says isn’t: “A new statement concedes that the tech to access messaging without breaking security protocols does not exist” BBC: Government denies U-turn on encrypted messaging row.
  • Thursday. How are you supposed to know if his advances are welcomed or not? Still, does anybody who is a ‘close protection bodyguard’ say that’s what they are?

Media

  • Started the second series of Apple TV’s The Morning Show. We enjoyed the first season but – and I have no idea why – we didn’t engage with the second. Suffice to say that we needed the recap and still have gaps in our recollection of the first. Episode one is confusing (are you fired or not?) but by the end we were hooked and went straight into episode two. And later in the week, episode 3.
  • Currently, politics is divided but this interview with David Lammy, shadow foreign secretary feels inclusive and suggests our future policies could be better than the ones we have.

Archive

To save the links getting lost in the future I checked the Internet Archive to see what they had saved for the posts linked here. If the source above no longer works, these should.

Weeknotes #32: vineyards, wine with a view

Week commencing Monday, 28 August 2023

View from the hotel restaurant at Denbies Vineyard, Dorking.
Denbies Vineyard, Dorking

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 5/7; Exercise 4/7 and Move 5/7. (66%). Morning walks: 0/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 0/4. Total steps: 58,802

Life

  • Holiday Monday train to Dorking for Denbies Vineyard Restaurant Food & Wine Matching Experience. Beautiful views with perfect food and wine matching.
  • Would you Adam & Eve it? I met up with an ex-boss and JB for beers and Bone Daddies. Hiccups after food spoiled the evening. Debate later in the week about having visited Bone Daddies before or not. Pork Chilli Broth is recommended. Adam & Eve? A reference to the pub we met in.
  • Train strike: walked to Curzon Wimbledon to see Barbie as National Cinema day got me a £3 ticket. I wasn’t wowed as the plot is too clearly signalled and there are some strange set pieces. What on earth is that office-based chase scene about? Barbieland is impressively brought to life. I am not as bought into Ken as a lot of people seem to be. Sorry Ryan. Are those abs real? We know the tan isn’t.
  • Then a walk from Wimbledon to Streatham via the M&S Cafe at the Collier’s Wood branch: not really up to M&S standards.
  • Dinner with friends at the Streatham Kitchen: Prawns & Spanish Chorizo and Aubergine and Halloumi Burger were both delicious. Recommended. Too much wine consumed and, for some reason, I stayed up drinking tea when we got back.
  • Sunday, train to Shropshire with an early start because yesterday’s train strike messes up the next day too. Not helped by yesterday’s wine and late night tea consumption. Tried hard to stay awake on the train north (succeeded). Carriage much emptier than suggested when I booked a seat.
  • End the week like I started it: wine and beautiful views. Lunch at Hencote Vineyard with panoramic vista overlooking Shrewsbury and the Shropshire Hills in glorious sunshine. My choices of, to start, chalk stream trout tartare and, main, crispy Gloucester old spot pork belly were delicious but Dad’s Pim Hill Farm wholemeal flour crumpet (36-month aged parmesan custard, ricotta stuffed tempura courgette flower, piperade & poached Legbar egg) was the most unusual. Glad I made the trip.

Media

  • It was podcast week for me, starting with The High Performance Podcast: Emily Maitlis: How I Approached THAT Prince Andrew Interview. Interesting insight into how the big interviews have elements of careful planning and luck.
  • James O’Brien’s Podcast, Full Disclosure with Mark Gatiss
  • Another journalism interview on The News Agents: David Dimbleby was an enjoyable discussion about the state of TV political journalism; mourning the loss of the long-form political interview.
  • Reading, not listening: has the rain put the fire out at Burning Man?

Archive

To save the links getting lost in the future I checked the Internet Archive to see what they had saved for the posts linked here. If the source above no longer works, these should.