Tag: weeknotes

Weeknotes #119: Draw Me Like One of Your French Musicals

Volunteering celebration, good company, and fun-filled musical weekend.

Week commencing Monday, 28 April 2025

Promotional sign for the musical Titanique at the Criterion Theatre in London's West End. The show, which combines the story of Titanic with Céline Dion's music, is currently running at the Criterion Theatre. The blue sparkly background displays "Enough hits to sink a ship!" in elegant script above "MY HEART WILL GO ON" in bold white lettering, advertising the comedic jukebox musical parody.
Near, Far, Wherever You Are… You Can Hear Céline

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 3/7; Exercise 4/7 and Move 4/7. (52%). Morning walks: 0/4. Office days 1/5. Total steps: 45,714

Life

  • It’s been almost two years since the King’s Coronation. PY and I spent part of the day volunteering as wayfinders for visitors on the South Bank. In January, we were delighted to learn that volunteers had been awarded a Coronation Medal—a longstanding tradition dating back to King Edward VI in 1547. We collected ours on Tuesday.
  • We had a ‘happy path’ discussion at work, aiming to understand the ideal workflow without failures and to facilitate early testing. It’s a concept that always amuses me, and thirty minutes was too short a time to reach a solution.
  • Drinks on Thursday night, where I was (almost) persuaded to apply for an old job, but I think that was just the combination of drinks and good friends.
  • Saturday, to Woking, for a family barbecue, where there was too much fantastic food. Nice to see everybody. Way too stuffed to eat in the evening, but we could catch up on Doctor Who.
  • Sunday, to see Titanique, a jukebox musical blending the story of the Titanic with the music of Céline Dion. It’s a comedic take on the film; Céline Dion is portrayed as having survived the sinking of the Titanic. Enjoyable and much funnier than I expected.

Media

  • In End of the Street Linda Melvern tells how Rupert Murdoch moved his newspapers from Fleet Street to a new, technologically advanced plant in Wapping, bypassing traditional union agreements, triggering a major industrial dispute marked by mass picketing and violent clashes. Ultimately, the move broke the power of the print unions and transformed the British newspaper industry. It’s a story of making a big business change and its brutal consequences.
  • Lucky Day is the fourth episode of the current Dr Who series in which The Doctor and Ruby fight an anti-UNIT conspiracy theory and a campaign of disinformation against them. Set in the current year, bits of it felt too real. The Little Mermaid’s Prince Eric was the villain.

Weeknotes #118: Culture, musicals and cheese

Culture, musicals, cheese and travel made for a joyful week.

Week commencing Monday, 21 April 2025

Several Italian cheeses were displayed at what appeared to be a delicatessen counter with handwritten price labels on small chalkboards. Artisanal Italian cheese display at Lina Stores delicatessen, featuring traditional varieties like Ubriaco, Fontina D.O.P., and Prosecco-aged cheeses with handwritten chalkboard price tags. Located at 18 Brewer Street in the heart of Soho, London, this beloved Italian delicatessen has been trading for 80 years since 1944.
Artisanal Italian cheese display at Lina Stores delicatessen

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 5/7; Exercise 5/7 and Move 5/7. (71%). Office days 1/4. Total steps: 56,504

Life

  • Lovely Monday morning in Shrewsbury, and a train home the long way around because of engineering works. The train from Moor Street was busy, but we secured a seat, and that’s all that is really needed.
  • A not-so-secret leaving drinks happened on Friday night. A colleague is going for the second time, so I didn’t want a big event—delightful time with nice people.
  • Friday, to a small theatre in Lower Marsh to see The Rise and Fall of Vinnie and Paul, a musical based on Paul Gauguin’s turbulent cohabitation with Vincent van Gogh in 1888. Van Gogh’s infamous breakdown and the severing of his ear ended the piece. A truly intimate, small show—really well done.
  • Our Saturday cheese adventure started at Fortnum and Mason and ended in Neal’s Yard. There was much delicious cheese and some fizz.
  • Another new musical on Sunday, Stiletto: set in 18th-century Italy, follows Marco, a castrato singer, and Gioia, a talented black woman, whose love story is challenged by a murder. I learned the non-show meaning of Stiletto as part of this experience. Also, brilliant and deserves wider recognition.
  • To the Actors Church in Covent Garden for Songs I’ll Never Sing, a charity concert featuring West End performers singing songs outside their typical range, in aid of Chicken Shed and The Brain Tumour Charity. Always great singers, but it does feel quite wrong drinking alcohol in a church pew.

Media

  • I started it at the weekend, and by Tuesday I’d finished Careless People, a memoir by Sarah Wynn-Williams, a former New Zealand diplomat who joined Facebook and was there while I was. The book reveals a very different view of the company’s culture than I experienced, but the more I hear about things that happened around that time, I am beginning to think I was very sheltered.

Weeknotes #117: A family Easter

Enjoying walks, family moments, reading, and fun outdoor activities.

Week commencing Monday, 14 April 2025

A tranquil view of Colemere, a natural lake in Shropshire, surrounded by mixed woodland in early spring. Young trees with fresh green foliage frame the calm blue water, whilst reeds grow along the shoreline. Fallen branches and natural debris are visible in the foreground, with dense forest creating a peaceful backdrop.
Eater at Colemere

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 3/7; Exercise 2/7 and Move 3/7. (38%). Morning walks: 0/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 1/5. Total steps: 37,770

Life

  • My quantified self metrics are some of the lowest I’ve had. This cough is affecting me more than I care to admit. I need to get out and about for some exercise.
  • The simplified version of the software, for speed, is far from simple, but we should continue to push for it.
  • I finally photographed my 2024 reading list. The books can now be rehomed, although some will remain by the bookshelf, waiting for a charity shop run.
  • I made the wrong call when the train was delayed. We should have taken the risk of the short interchange at Birmingham International, as we would have made it, and it would have arrived first. I’ll try the delay repay, but I bet they see this train still ran.
  • Attingham’s Easter egg trail was a lot of fun. I wore paper bunny ears all the way around. The lady who said to me that we have to do these things for our grandchildren did not make me feel young. The rest of the family laughed for the rest of the day.
  • My niece and nephew were braver on the climbing walls than I would have been. But I watched with a coffee and a flapjack and felt very safe.
  • The walk around Cole Mere was lovely. The Llangollen Canal looked very peaceful.

Weeknotes #116: quiz, beers and dumplings

Enjoyed sunshine, pub quiz, colleagues’ drinks, and homemade dumplings.

Week commencing Monday, 7 April 2025

This image shows the modern skyline of White City in London. The view captures several contemporary high-rise and mid-rise buildings under a bright blue sky with scattered white clouds. A construction crane is visible on the left side, indicating ongoing development in the area. The skyline features a mix of architectural styles, including a prominent glass skyscraper in the centre, cylindrical structures, and angular office buildings with glass facades.
The modern skyline of White City in London

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 4/7; Exercise 3/7 and Move 3/7. (48%). Morning walks: 0/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 1/5. Total steps: 36,322

Life

  • When I asked my doctor if I should try to use my private medical, she didn’t hesitate to recommend it. I found out the process, but didn’t jump to use it.
  • Pub quiz week: Joint 7th sounds poor but is, in fact, excellent—like winning. Our musical round was a let-down, and I missed the obvious Boney M song in the mix.
  • The Technical Design Authority review meeting missed a crucial piece of data, resulting in many extra meetings and work this week (and probably next).
  • The weather has been decent this week. On Thursday, we were able to eat lunch while sitting on the balcony, looking at the high-rise buildings being constructed around White City.
  • Drinks with commercial colleagues at the Exmouth Arms near Euston on Thursday evening. It’s a little hidden away and turned out not to be as rammed as some pubs we had walked past. We secured some seats inside and, later, a booth. A very impressive list of beers is available, so I am not sure why I went for the Madri: I guess it is a known quantity.
  • On Saturday, we attempted to make Chinese dumplings: it was much harder than it seemed, although the handmade ones were better than those made with a plastic crimping tool.

Media

  • Friday, I was a bit tired and had an evening to myself. I’ve been rewatching episodes of The Blacklist. I am now at the point, towards the end of series 2, where I stopped watching when it was initially on Sky. All the episodes will be new to me from now on, but I am glad I rewatched them as I’d forgotten the backstory. I thought I’d settle in and watch a couple of episodes before I made dinner. Instead, I binged on eight episodes back-to-back, something I doubt I would ever have been able to do before streaming.

Weeknotes #115: food, friends and family (and a cough)

Enjoyed friends, food, nature and family despite feeling a bit ill.

Week commencing Monday, 31 March 2025

This image shows Canon Hill Common in Raynes Park, London, on a clear, sunny day with bright blue skies. The photo captures a wide open green space with short grass that serves as playing fields, indicated by several football goals visible in the distance. In the middle of the field, a few people are visible. The common is bordered by mature trees, particularly noticeable on the left side and middle of the image. In the background, you can see houses and buildings of the surrounding residential area of Raynes Park sitting on slightly elevated ground.
Canon Hill Common

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 2/7; Exercise 2/7 and Move 2/7. (29%). Morning walks: 0/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 1/5. Total steps: 30,482

Life

  • Dad chased a missing birthday gift for PY that was dropped at a local shop. No luck. We’ll keep chasing.
  • I wrote something that reflected on Facebook/Meta’s high standards for product success, which was really reminiscing about the Meta Portal, an excellent photo frame and calling device.
  • Workwise, I attended a lengthy work session discussing apprenticeships, which was more interesting than I imagined.
  • Wednesday, I caught up with US tariff predictions and ended the day feeling low about the news.
  • Thursday was Thirsty Thursday again: an evening out at The White Horse where we tried to chat with ChatGPT about our personas.
  • Friday, I woke feeling ill with a persistent cough, so I cancelled next week’s Blood Donor session, but managed to get through the day.
  • Saturday: I enjoyed a lazy morning despite feeling under the weather. I called Mum and Dad about their anniversary flowers and booked train tickets for an Easter break trip to Shrewsbury.
  • Annoyingly, I discovered that AudioBoom no longer publicly hosts some radio clips I wanted to listen to. It’s time to see if I can recover them from AWS.
  • Saturday night, met up with friends in Balham for oysters, sharing plates and garlic prawns.
  • Took an afternoon walk on Cannon Hill Common, enjoying a moment watching local wildlife.

Media

Weeknotes #114: theatre and a weekend in Paris

Family, food, and Paris adventures made for a lovely week.

Week commencing Monday, 24 March 2025

This image shows the Eiffel Tower in Paris at night, illuminated with bright golden-yellow lights that make it glow dramatically against the dark sky. The tower is captured from below, highlighting its iconic lattice structure and distinctive silhouette. A bright beam streaks across the night sky behind the tower, creating an interesting visual contrast with the warm-toned illumination of the monument. The top portion of the tower with its antenna spire is clearly visible, while the base extends beyond the frame of the image. This nighttime view showcases why the Eiffel Tower's evening light display is such a famous attraction in Paris.
Eiffel Tower in Paris at night

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 7/7; Exercise 2/7 and Move 6/7. (71%). Morning walks: 0/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 1/5. Total steps: 56907

Life

  • Monday, attended One Night in Bohemia, a Jonathan Larson tribute concert at the Phoenix Arts Club. An energised performance featuring a standout cast, raising funds for the National AIDS Trust.
  • Tuesday, saw My Neighbour Totoro at the Gillian Lynne Theatre. A visually imaginative and whimsical stage adaptation, great puppetry and creative direction.
  • Wednesday is a change of office day for me. I had a hectic commute, productive meetings, and evening plans cancelled. Dinner included an inventive fridge-clear-out pasta dish.
  • Thursday: I worked from home. It was a quiet day. Mum and Dad arrived. It was strange to communicate with people in the office on the day I would usually be there.
  • Related, a large vegetable chilli dinner was created.
  • Friday to Sunday, family trip to Paris. Travelled by Eurostar and stayed near the Arc de Triomphe. Enjoyed smooth connections, scenic views, and good food throughout.
  • Saturday, took in the sights on a hop-on hop-off bus tour, failed to wander along the Seine, and admired the Eiffel Tower at night during a river cruise.
  • Celebrated Mother’s Day with lunch on the Bustronome, a double-decker dining experience offering panoramic views of the city as we ate.

Weeknotes #113: view to the past and the future

NHS visit, theatre, social outings, art, music, and musings.

Week commencing Monday, 17 March 2025

This image shows a public sculpture of a person lying down on a brown, angular plinth or base with vertical ridges. The statue depicts a person with dark, curly hair resting on their back with their head on a stone-like pillow, one hand placed on their chest, and knees bent upward. They're wearing a blue-grey shirt and dark trousers or jeans. The sculpture is "Lying Down" by sculptor Sean Henry, known for creating figurative sculptures of ordinary people in everyday poses, often slightly larger than life-size and placed in public spaces.
“Lying Down” by sculptor Sean Henry

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 6/7; Exercise 5/7 and Move 7/7. (86%). Morning walks: 0/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 1/5. Total steps: 56,671

Life

  • Another nice experience with the NHS. The doctor is very pleasant, which makes the visit less worrisome.
  • Tuesday’s view on the past: a last-minute decision to see Alterations at The National Theatre, a new staging of a 1978 play. Set entirely in the upstairs alterations shop, the characters rush to complete an order, keeping them close – with all that brings – for the duration. The playwright, Michael Abbensetts, was the first Black British writer to have a series commissioned by the BBC. Ambitious Walker, who runs the shop, is complex, driven, and ultimately not likeable. I don’t know how close to the original it is, but it didn’t feel dated. Are the issues of identity and the complexities of Black British life the same today as they were almost 50 years ago?
  • Related, there were many chatty bodies in the audience and people taking photos throughout the single act. I’m not sure if the photographer’s pictures were deleted, but the front-of-house staff were trying.
  • Thursday was a night out to say goodbye to one of our Polish team. Excellent company.
  • Friday’s view to the future: to a performance space near Bethnal Green for Séayoncé: The Oral-cle’s Prophesissy. The Venezuelan food eaten in the early evening was delicious.
  • On Saturday, I saw Sean Henry’s Lying Down. I also watched, via the doorbell camera, the carpenter install a new bit of the door without the need for anybody to be home.
  • I Can’t Dance, Against All Odds, Invisible Touch, One More Night, Easy Lover, Sussudio and In The Air Tonight – a Sunday evening of Genesis and Phil Collins at The Crazy Coqs.

Weeknotes #112: Design Museum and surprises

London walks, birthday surprises, and AI made a memorable week

Week commencing Monday, 10 March 2025

This image shows a gallery installation from "The World of Tim Burton" exhibition at London's Design Museum, taken in March 2025. The scene is bathed in distinctive blue and purple lighting that creates a dramatic, atmospheric effect reminiscent of Burton's aesthetic. This scene is for materials fro the Batman movies.
The World of Tim Burton

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 5/7; Exercise 4/7 and Move 4/7. (62%). Morning walks: 0/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 1/5 Total steps: 44,027

Life

  • I am often asked to produce my passport or my driving licence to use as identity, but I have not needed my birth certificate for a long time. Thankfully, I found it.
  • I asked Google Gemini to clean up a meeting transcript. It turned a forty-minute meeting into a ten-minute passage and then read it to me. That would have been a great time-saver if I hadn’t had to hear the entire meeting.
  • Related: nice though it was, I am glad I heard the original meeting because that allowed me to spot where Gemini had got it wrong. Unsurprisingly, people trust AI a little too much: Would a computer really go on the internet and lie? Well, yes.
  • Relatedly, related: Revealed: How the UK tech secretary uses ChatGPT for policy advice.
  • Thursday, to the office and met a former colleague in a lovely pub near St Paul’s Cathedral. I walked streets I’d never ventured down before. There are some interesting places in London.
  • On Saturday, for PY’s birthday, we saw The World of Tim Burton at London’s Design Museum. It was very busy, but it was really interesting to see the evolution of the Tim Burton look. Lots of films were covered in a small space, so the exhibition was very much focused on how the look evolved rather than on any particular show. Of course, I loved The Nightmare Before Christmas parts.
  • Related, the themed afternoon tea, rooftop cocktail bar with a view of St Paul’s Cathedral, and Argentinian steak dinner were all surprises. My timings all worked out, even with a delay on the Circle Line.
  • Friends of Sunday Lunch, PY has planned individual beef Wellingtons. After the Argentinian, that was a lot of steak in one weekend.
  • This resonated: How Much Do I Really Need to Know?

Media

Weeknotes #111: A boiler, the NHS and a smaller boat

Recovered, enjoyed exhibitions, and travelled

Week commencing Monday, 3 March 2025

The image shows a colourful poster with the phrase "PRIDE IN SELF" displayed across three horizontal stripes of different colours. The top stripe is red and contains the word "PRIDE", the middle stripe is orange and displays "IN", and the bottom stripe is yellow with the word "SELF". The poster appears to be mounted on a white wall. This poster is part of the "Out on an Island: Pride In Self, Pride In Place" exhibition at Quay Arts Centre on the Isle of Wight. The colour scheme uses warm tones (red, orange, and yellow) that are reminiscent of the pride flag colours, although the poster appears to show only the top three stripes of the traditional six-striped rainbow flag. The design is simple and bold with clear, white lettering against the coloured backgrounds. The exhibition explores themes of LGBTQ+ identity, community, and personal acceptance, particularly in the context of island life on the Isle of Wight.
Out on an Island: Pride In Self, Pride In Place

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 7/7; Exercise 4/7 and Move 4/7. (71%). Morning walks: 0/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 1/5. Total steps: 48,172

Life

  • I continued to feel unwell for much of the week. Wednesday, I tried to go to my Tai Chi class but my coughing fit on the train to Waterloo persuaded me it would be better to return home.
  • I did do Monday’s pub quiz. We were 4th. That might be the best placing for a long time.
  • Last week I mentioned that I managed to get a GP appointment on Monday. Not only did I do that, I got a walk-up x-ray appointment on the same day and there was nobody else waiting when I arrived. The NHS worked for me.
  • Oh, the excitement: the boiler was serviced. The engineer turned up at just the right moment between two meetings. And tested the carbon monoxide alarm, which, I think, is the first time I’ve ever heard the noise it makes.
  • I did go to the office on Thursday. Lots of meetings about the next phase of work. Nothing concrete yet, but progress is being made.
  • Thursday evening to The Island. A smaller boat than usual on the crossing to Ryde, which meant the 8:20pm sailing felt very busy.
  • Related, we turned-up early for the return voyage on Sunday, and made it on to the boat but it was full.
  • On Friday, I succeeded and presenting my ID to the solicitors and failed to get the carpenter to remove the box surrounding the electricity meter.
  • Saturday, to Newport to see Out on an Island: Pride In Self, Pride In Place, an exhibition to celebrate 20 years of LGBT History Month in the UK. Fascinating. We ended up buying the book (and the lunch at Quay Arts was good too)
  • Sunday, to Hedge End and Sunday lunch with T. The pub he found was excellent and the portions superb.

Media

  • The concluding episode of the new Bergerac was good. I didn’t see it all coming together until the end, which I think is the mark of a good detective series.
  • We’re sticking with Prime Target on Apple TV, even though Edward belief in the maths in spite of all that is going on around him, is annoying.
  • Remember Monday was announced as the UK’s Eurovision entry: What The Hell Just Happened?

Weeknotes #110: Github, Bond and man flu

A week of media, illness, and Bond-themed entertainment.

Week commencing Monday, 24 February 2025

The image shows two glass vessels in The Cozy Coqs cabaret lounge during the event "The Crazy Coqs Presents: The West End Sings... Bond, James Bond!" On the left is a stemmed glass filled with wine. On the right is a glass carafe or decanter partially filled with what rose wine. The scene is bathed in dramatic red lighting typical of cabaret venues, creating an atmospheric mood.
The West End Sings… Bond, James Bond!

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 3/7; Exercise 4/7 and Move 4/7. (52%). Morning walks: 0/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 1/5. Total steps: 44,527

Life

  • In world news: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told to leave the White House in a bad day for the world.
  • So, let’s think about something less important: if you use GitHub’s standard of minima for GitHub Pages, and you want to adjust some of the layout, then layout: default just may be what you’re looking for and not later versions which specify base.
  • Weblog was the answer to a question on this week’s Mastermind. I’m glad it wasn’t the only one I knew.
  • Thursday, after work, I decided to go home rather than go for drinks. I thought I was just feeling grumpy; turns out I was getting a three-day cold.
  • Related, my GP has appointments for next week on the app when I decided to talk to somebody about it.
  • It didn’t stop me going for lunch at Rovi on Saturday with family. Good food and very friendly staff. I was glad, however, when I got home for rest.
  • Sunday, and unrelated to last week’s announcement that Amazon has got creative control over the franchise, to James Bond night at The Crazy Coqs. Started with Licence to Kill, which is the best Bond theme of all.
  • After the show, all the pubs around were busy, so we went to The American Bar and spent too much on two drinks each.

Media

  • In my two-day man-flu state, I powered through the last few episodes in Series 1 of The Blacklist. Thoroughly enjoying the nonsense.
  • I never watched John Nettles as Jim Bergerac in the 80s TV series. This week, we just started watching Damien Molony playing the same role in the revival on the streaming service that’s bizarrely called U. We’re hooked enough to finish it next week.

Weeknotes #109: maps and winter light shows

A week filled with reflection, culture, media, and curiosity.

Week commencing Monday, 17 February 2025

Illuminated experiences at Battersea Power Station and St Paul's Cathedral.
Illuminated.

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 6/7; Exercise 4/7 and Move 5/7. (71%). Morning walks: 0/3 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 2/5. Total steps: 53,600

Life

  • It’s been a year since I decided to remove trackers and other logging from this website. It’s not big enough for me to worry about the stats. I wanted to check nothing had crept in. Still not tracking you.
  • Two days in the office this week. It’s happening more and more but not enough to become a trend. It was nice in the office; the commute home remains frustrating. A minor issue with our software on Wednesday evening kept me later than I intended. We had a Chinese takeaway rather than a Tai Chi lesson.
  • Apple removed their most secure privacy capability from the UK. Nice explanation from Ian Betteridge. This is not a good look for our government, but I suspect there just aren’t enough people who think it’s important to make enough noise to change their stance.
  • Friday was an evening of dance seeing Birdboy at Sadler’s Wells East: It’s a lot less ‘dancy’ than I imagined, but the physical contortions and movement are mesmerising. The soundscape ranges from birdsong, through the child’s voice talking about life, to a fast-paced montage of sound snippets of the world: David Attenborough nature shows, weather forecasts, and music. Later, I saw it described as “dark and shadowy”, but I didn’t experience that at all; it was wonderful.
  • Saturday was the final night of Battersea Power Station’s Light Festival 2025. My favourite was the first installation we encountered, Spin Me a Yarn by Studio Vertigo: the pink neon worked well in the twilight and, later, after it got appropriately dark.
  • Related: on the way back, I bought two coffees and two cakes from Black Sheep, totalling £15, which I thought was a bit much given we had to order via screen and there was almost no interaction.
  • St Paul’s Cathedral is currently running a sound and light show, Luminous, which we saw on Sunday evening. It’s very impressive.
  • And, own your garbage. The world thanks you. (Via Kottke).

This week’s rabbit hole

  • When he was inaugurated, the President of the Twelve United English Colonies of North America decided to rename the Gulf between the US and Mexico. Most of the world, like Hillary, chuckled. This week, the providers of the maps most of us use daily—the big American tech giants—updated their maps. Gruber wrote a long thing about what places are called. But the map on my phone now says Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America). We don’t all have to subscribe to this nonsense, so I tried to find out how this is done, because you’d imagine the British, with their history of colonisation, might have something to say about it. Turns out, I can’t find much. Let me know if there’s an organisation I haven’t consulted.
  • First stop: Great Britain’s national mapping service—you’d think Ordnance Survey might do official naming for the UK? Nope. It does maintain a Geographic Database, but that’s only for Great Britain. It contains over half a billion features, all in the UK.
  • Ah, second stop: the UK government’s Permanent Committee on Geographical Names. Quite a bit to say on English conventional names—recognised English-language forms of foreign geographical names, such as Moscow, Cologne or Rome. It has a nice list of country names, which comes close to saying this is how the UK sees the world. But I can’t find anything about the seas.
  • Official Government advice seems to suggest that, for the names of places and features worldwide, I should consult the United States Board on Geographic Names. And that’s returning the new name. So, is that what we should call it now from here?

Media

  • Stylish, absurd yet entertaining: we started watching Prime Target on Apple TV+—a brilliant Cambridge mathematician becomes a target for shadowy forces. A fun way to spend an evening.
  • I’ve been rewatching The Blacklist from the beginning. Still on series 1 and still enjoying James Spader. There are maybe too many crime thrillers on my watch list, this one featuring a lot of high-stakes deception on all sides.

Weeknotes #108: from Kyoto to Åre

A week of great food, entertainment, and cultural experiences.

Week commencing Monday, 10 February 2025

This image shows the exterior display of Sohoplace theatre at night, featuring a digital billboard for a play titled "KYOTO". The billboard includes the RSC (Royal Shakespeare Company) logo and the tagline "SAVING THE EARTH IS A FILTHY BUSINESS". The show's title is displayed in large red letters with an image of Earth in the middle of the 'O', surrounded by what appears to be splatter or debris effects.
Seeing Kyoto

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 5/7; Exercise 5/7 and Move 14/7. (66%). Morning walks: 0/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 1/5. Total steps: 50,828

Life

  • It was pub quiz again. One of the rounds was really tough for us, but it turned out that it was tough for everybody. Mid-table seems to be our position.
  • Food that was batch-cooked last Sunday lasted the week. And it was very useful. Also, tasty.
  • We had an impromptu dinner at Mora Meza on Thursday night, and it was delicious.
  • If I wrote that we went to see a play that dramatises the 1997 climate change treaty negotiations in Kyoto, it would sound a bit dry. If I added that a big scene featured arguments over the placement of a comma, you might think to avoid it. In fact, the high stakes of the event – and the politics for the ten years leading up to the Kyoto summit – were gripping. A fantastic piece of theatre at Sohoplace.
  • Related, it was the first legally binding agreement to commit industrialised countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The US never ratified it. The UK met its obligations for the first commitment period, to 2012.
  • Our Valentine’s dinner was post-theatre. The later hour meant we were the only ones in the restaurant. They were packing up around us. The food was delicious, but the ambience was – perhaps – not so romantic.
  • Saturday, to see Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy at the Odeon in Streatham (£7 seems like a bargain ticket). I’m not sure I’ve seen any of the movies since the original. It’s always best to have low expectations because I came out having thoroughly enjoyed it. Bridget is now a single mother and navigating life once again looking for love, but older, if not wiser. Surrounded by the consistent group of friends (including Hugh Grant, Sally Phillips and Emma Thompson) that helped make previous films. No spoilers, but is Roxster even a name?
  • Relatedly, related. I never read film reviews until after I have seen the movie and have my own opinion. But I love how The Guardian’s website can simultaneously have a poor review (2 stars, Peter Bradshaw) and a much more positive one (4 stars, Wendy Ide). I am not sure who that’s trying to help. My review: engaging, funny and not as clichéd as imagined. Probably 4 stars.
  • We saw Patti LuPone at the Coliseum on Sunday night. As PY quipped, Old Compton Street must have been deserted. The show is just Patti and two on-stage musicians. It had ballads and musical showstoppers, and the music spans her life, woven into her story. I think it was supposed to appear unscripted, but it was a bit too slick into and out of songs to be anything other than pre-written. There was a lack of personal showbiz anecdotes and not much spontaneity, but it was a wonderful evening of song. Did we just see an icon of stage? I think we did.

Media

  • More crime drama. This week it was the turn of Netflix’s Swedish drama, “The Åre Murders”. I was expecting subtitles but got the dubbed version. It was only on episode 4 I realised I could have the original Swedish audio; by then, I opted not to. It’s good, but the underlying reason for the show – detective Hanna Ahlander retreats to Åre after facing suspension in Stockholm – is somewhat glossed over. Be prepared for a lot of snow.
  • While watching another video about Dutch transit, I discovered a new word for the bricks used in road building. Technically, it’s a Dutch word: klinkers. See also this video.
  • Jon Stewart & John Oliver Welcome America to Its Trump Monarchy Era went on a bit. The monarchy bit was funny.
  • More YouTube rabbit holes: it’s been seventeen months since I worked in Staines. But I think it now has TFL contactless payments; no promotion: Gen-Z are saying they have ‘no interest’ in middle management; James May admits he ‘weeps’ about Brexit’s impact on television.

Weeknotes #107: tofu and gardens

A week of discoveries, good food, and reflections.

Week commencing Monday, 3 February 2025

This image shows a winter scene at RHS Wisley, capturing one of its distinctive rock garden areas alongside a reflective pool of water. Despite being taken in February, the garden displays the characteristic year-round interest that Wisley is known for, with various textures and forms creating visual appeal even in the dormant season. The rockery rises in terraced levels, with moss-covered stones creating natural-looking steps and platforms. A gravel path winds through the rocky landscape, leading upwards through the garden.
A winter scene at RHS Wisley

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 5/7; Exercise 3/7 and Move 4/7. (57%). Morning walks: 0/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 1/5. Total steps: 46,616

Life

  • To prove that I am nothing if not a mass of contradictions. After last week’s dive into, perhaps, useful AI, this: “The LAST thing we needed was a better way to generate plausible-looking horse shit for random gullible people to consume unwittingly, but here we are, and it’s only going to get worse.” Rachel By The Bay is also spot on. What a world.
  • Relatedly related. It was announced that Google’s Gemini assistant is being enabled at work. That would allow me to add material to the notebook service I talked about last week. I am not expecting hitherto unnoticed insights. Yet.
  • Thursday was too cold to sit out for drinks for our usual Thirst Thursday, so we moved to Mildreds, where I continued my rule of not ordering anything “chick+n” but broke my rule of avoiding tofu. The kimchi bokkeumbap, which contained salt and pepper tofu, was delicious.
  • Saturday, to the RHS gardens at Wisley. The Orchid House had colour, and there were snowdrops in bloom. I bet it’s even more impressive in summer.
  • Sunday to a crowded Ikea to buy a light. And then a tram and bus to Lower Morden Garden Centre, where we bought some new plants. To avoid carrying it, potting compost was ordered from Amazon for delivery tomorrow.
  • Note to future self: parsnip gnocchi was a lot of work, but delicious.

Media

Weeknotes #106: Happy Lunar New Year

AI experiments, personal reflections, life updates, and intriguing challenges explored.

Week commencing Monday, 27 January 2025

A sea view at Seaview

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 7/7; Exercise 6/7 and Move 5/7. (86%). Morning walks: 0/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 1/5. Total steps: 58,567

The weeknotes are a bit different this week as I spent some time reading and playing with a number of AI tools, specifically using my own material—like these weeknotes—to see what the models might do with them.

Let’s talk about AI

  • Once again, there’s a lot of chatter about AI. The Chinese DeepSeek models made a big splash this week and caused US technology stock prices to plummet. It’s so overhyped.
  • Unrelated, I am experimenting with Google’s Notebook LM, using last year’s weeknotes and a collection of old blog entries from 2002/3. Even though the app says my data is not used to train the AI, I figured it’s public anyway. This is where the real power of AI will come to most people: when it can be used on their own data.
  • – I asked for a cast of characters, which came out OK, but I guess it’s a surprise for people I know IRL called Frank who the AI assumes are the subject of a drag musical. For clarity, they are not the same.
  • – Related, the AI says my weeknotes highlight “a lifestyle that values social connections, shared experiences, and cultural engagement”. I think that’s mainly because I don’t write about the hours I sit at my desk typing product requirements for work.
  • – I was pleased it said that the overall tone of the weeknotes is generally positive and reflective, but it’s missing so much information about me it made me think about how I am characterised online.
  • – In another task, the AI couldn’t distinguish between me and my father when writing about countries where I have worked.
  • In response to this, I asked ChatGPT if it knew who I was. It basically regurgitated materials I have online, which (I think) is good. Other AIs, including DeepSeek, didn’t come back with anything.
  • Google Notebook LM will produce what it calls an Audio Overview which, for me, was like somebody had created a podcast about my life as viewed through those blog entries. It was uncanny. And, yes, I think it’s very much like the fortune reader whereby much of the generic stuff sounds really personal but isn’t, but it was unnerving listening to a podcast about yourself; there was enough reality alongside the generic to make it seem like it knew more about me. It was capable of referencing cultural changes between the early 2000s and today, which made the analysis seem very real. A bit like listening to my own obituary. I can’t decide if I liked it or not.
  • There are a lot of interesting capabilities. I wonder how much longer before I decide to pay for access to more powerful models and tools?

Life

  • I am trying to arrange broadband for a place in Spain while not speaking Spanish nor understanding the format of many things. It’s more stress-inducing than I imagined.
  • On Wednesday, we passed into the Lunar New Year of the Wood Snake. At my Tai Chi class, we all wished each other a happy new year.
  • This week, I learned the government has a Hammersmith Bridge Taskforce. The taskforce met 16 times between 1st October 2020 and 25th November 2021. The bridge is still closed. Pretty terrible such vital infrastructure isn’t funded so it can be repaired.
  • Our first visit to the Isle of Wight for 2025. Delighted by how lovely it was.

Media

Weeknotes #105: more office days, winter lights and Burns night

A busy week of home updates, social events, and reflections.

Week commencing Monday, 20 January 2025

This image shows a large, illuminated "WINTER LIGHTS" sign in bright white neon lighting, creating a striking display against the dark evening backdrop. The sign is part of the Canary Wharf Winter Light festival installation. Several people can be seen around the sign, including some taking photos of the installation. The scene has a misty, atmospheric quality, with the lights from surrounding buildings and the illuminated sign creating a warm glow in the winter evening.
Taking pictures of lights

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 6/7; Exercise 4/7 and Move 5/7. (71%). Morning walks: 0/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 2/5. Total steps: 49,575

Life

  • Monday, a new fridge freezer was installed. Feels bigger but is the same size. Unlike the one that disappeared in the van, the fridge bit works as expected. Now, we can shop properly again.
  • Same day, I cracked and started doom-scrolling the news. Then I remembered, and I went back to being calm again.
  • We got another door quote. £4,000 cheaper than the last one. Then we got references because we’ve never used the second quote company. Came back good.
  • I had two office days this week. Tuesday ended with more leaving drinks for Andy. This time I made the train home.
  • Related, tired by the end of Wednesday meant I skipped my Tai Chi class. That’s a non-resolution broken.
  • Getting home after being in the office on Thursday, a day with no evening work social event, was nice. But I am reminded how short evenings are after I have commuted and opened the door.
  • I thought I might check up on my pension transfers. This is a blood pressure-raising moment as money has gone from one provider, but the new one says it’s waiting. They told me not to do it, but I did it anyway.
  • I am consolidating a number of providers with one of my existing ones. They sent a note to say it was going ahead because they’d detected the new provider wasn’t a scam. It’s the same company; good to know they consider themselves safe.
  • Winter Light at Canary Wharf is always interesting. But, goodness, a lot of people.
  • We made a Burns Night dinner and watched a related BBC Scotland show. It included whisky, and it didn’t give me indigestion.
  • A dinner for Chinese New Year in Covent Garden on Sunday evening. Lots of steamed dumplings.

Media