: New post: Describing beauty In which I try to describe a painting in words, and probably fail …
: I saw this and immediately thought of @jean but I think many of us could use a video of a Parisian …
: New post: Exploring desktop Linux: Part 2 In which I figure out Aylur’s GTK Shell and how to …
: Finished reading: Artificial Condition by Martha Wells 📚This series keeps getting better.
: Finished reading: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel 📚I wasn’t sure if this was too close to …
: I just came across my Corel Linux Tux toy in a corner at work. A blast from the past as I got it …
: New post: Exploring desktop Linux In which I talk about buying a mini PC and experimenting with …
: Finished reading: Death and Fromage by Ian Moore 📚
: New post: Devilish fun with a modeless modal editing mode. In which I mess about with devil-mode in …
: Finished reading: The Sussex Downs Murder by John Bude 📚Very much a book of its period (Golden Age …
: Despite all that, I had a really nice time sewing, but I am a bit pre-occupied with where the end of …
: You know those ‘Site Safety’ boards reading ‘Number of days since last …
: New post: On the ‘Emacs From Scratch’ cycle Here I go round again…
: Finished reading: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus 📚Loved this: it had strong Mrs Maisel vibes, …
: Finished reading: Death and Croissants by Ian Moore 📚This was a fun read.
: New post: Spinning on the Electric Eel Wheel e-spinner I’ve bought an e-spinner and have been …
: Such a good morning: I spun my first 30g or so of Jacob fleece on my new Electric Eel Wheel 6.1 …
: Day 30: hometown (well, kind of). And now it is home time. #mbapr
: New post on ‘but she’s a girl…’: Wolfwalkers I review a second viewing of …
: Day 28: community #mbapr Ozzy the mechanical bull has become part of the community since the …
: Day 27: surprise #mbapr. (Trying this again) We were surprised, when turning a corner in this …
: Sigh. Photos are not appearing in posts again, despite apparently uploading ok? I feel as if I …
: Ok, where has Superkey been all my life? Elegant, beautifully functional, and an insta-buy from me.
: Day 26: critter #mbapr. This one has been ‘helping’ me work from home today.
: Day 25: spine (we call her Spines)
: Day 23: dreamy #mbapr. The castle of light at night, Lewes, Sussex.
: Day 21: mountain (well, not quite, but the best I can do in the Midlands) #mbapr. This is British …
: Day 17: transcendance #mbapr
: Day 17: transcendence #mbapr
: Day 16: flaneur #mbapr. I didn’t go out forr my lunchtime wander planning to take photos, but …
: Day 15: small #mbapr. Much smaller than the real thing!
: New post on ‘but she’s a girl…’: The joy of folded pyjamas I have become …
: Finished reading: Black Summer by M. W. Craven 📚Another pacy read.
: How did I not know that Netlify had its own image CDN which can resize images on the fly? I had been …
: Day 12: magic #mbapr Maybe some people think that the coins will magically grant their wishes?
: Finished reading: The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers 📚 What a beautiful, moving end …
: Day 9: crisp #mbapr (one from 2017)
: Day 7: wellbeing #mbapr When I am anxious (as I am today), I find coding oddly soothing. There are …
: Day 3: card #mbapr Mr Bsag knows my relationship to chocolate very well.
: Day 1: toy. Mr B spotted some kids zooming around in this shopping cart a few days ago. #mbapr
: The clocks have gone forward, and our kitchen wall clock (that we need to use a step ladder to …
: I’ve been playing around today with Nitro the RAW photo library/editing app for macOS (with an …
: Well, this is fun: The Mortimiser, generating names to Bob Mortimer’s formula. My favourite so far …
: I’ve been off with ‘flu this week, and not for the first time, I’ve wished that there was some …
: Finished reading: Dagger of Death at Honeychurch Hall by Hannah Dennison 📚Good fun, though a lot of …
: Ignore me, just testing I can post now…
: I love people, but I find face to face (or Zoom) time exhausting. 5 back to back contact hours …
: I forgot to post this on Wednesday - it was an incredible sunset.
: Finished reading: All Systems Red by Martha Wells 📚 Loved this and will seek out the next books in …
: I am wrestling with an irritating tech problem. I have a script which fetches webmentions using the …
: This is my solution to Bianca sitting on top of my keyboard mat (and therefore on top of my …
: Question for the IndieWeb folks I have now set up Micro.blog to pull in posts from my main (external) blog via its RSS feed, and …
: As part of my ongoing tweaking, I have finally entered the 21st Century and upgraded my fruitbat …
: I’ve been pottering with my site, having a minor revamp (that ancient Twitter link had to go!) and …
: It’s Friday, so it’s peanut butter sandwich day. I don’t have particular foods I habitually eat on …
: I’ve been having a fun Sunday pottering with my ‘macroblog’, trying to add …
: Finished reading: Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner 📚 Funny, poignant, joyful, and a …
: New post: Productivity rethink In which I discuss a change in my tools and workflow, prompted by a …
: I’m really loving this book. So many bits of wry humour.
: Finished reading: The Puppet Show by M. W. Craven 📚I wasn’t sure if this was going to be too …
: Today’s sewing music is Han’s Zimmer’s soundtrack to Interstellar. Grading seams has never felt so …
: New post: Christmas Crafting In which I talk about my sewing and knitting activity over Christmas.
: Apparently I’ve adopted yet another hobby (English paper piecing), simply in order to use the …
: Year in books for 2023 Here are the books I finished reading in 2023. It’s actually not all of them, as I only recently got …
: Finished reading: Murder on Black Swan Lane by Andrea Penrose 📚 This was quite a fun, Regency-set …
: Finished reading: Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear 📚
: New post: TOTEM keyboard number two or three They breed like rabbits!
: Nice colour sky this evening.
: If it is winter where you are, can I recommend spending just over 12 minutes in Panama, looking at …
: New post: Review of Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne My review of Katherine …
: Finished reading: The Book of Why by Judea Pearl 📚
: Finished reading: A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers 📚Absolutely loved the first of this …
: Wow. I don’t read a lot of non-fiction outside of work, and even less biography, but this book was …
: Finished reading: Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel 📚A gentle and humane time-travelling …
: Fingerless mitten knitting progress: not too shabby, though I have anxiety about tackling the thumb …
: New post: Reading with Kobo In which I rave about my new Kobo e-reader, and the joys of Libby.
: Currently reading: The Western Wind by Samantha Harvey 📚 A Medieval detective story of sorts, this …
: Finished reading: The This by Adam Roberts. I found the start of this book intensely irritating (I …
: Well. I have just finished amalgamating my many book wishlists into the app Book Track, and it seems …
: Finished reading: Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes 📚 Fresh view from the perspective of the mythical …
: New post: Friendly streets In which I think about what makes for a friendly and liveable street.
: Hearing “In the Meantime” by Spacehog in the soundtrack of Guardians of the Galaxy 3 …
: Finished reading: The House of Fortune by Jessie Burton 📚I loved spending time in Nella’s world of …
: Finished reading: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig 📚
: Finished reading: The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley by Sean Lusk 📚Loved this - fantastically …
: I’ve got a new spindle! It’s a Turkish spindle and it spins for days! I’m finally able to spin …
: Ozzy the mechanical bull at New Street Station, Birmingham. He’s a lot bigger than I imagined!
: Finished reading: How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu. I admired this book more than I …
: I forgot to add a photo to that post. The skein on the left is the first one that I spun (knobbly …
: New post: Spinning and balance In which I manage to acquire yet another hobby while recovering from …
: Finished reading: The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman 📚 Another entertaining and touching outing …
: Finished reading: Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear 📚 This is a series I had no idea about, but I …
: We had a power cut for an hour or so and it has caused all manner of havoc with our heating system. …
: Finished reading: Queen High by C J. Carey 📚 This started more slowly than the previous book in this …
: New post: TOTEM keyboard In which I am very much down the keyboard rabbit hole. Again. 🐇
: I’ve just switched to the Tinylytics site analytics app by @vincent for all my sites. All the …
: Just finished the last ever episode of ‘The Marvellous Mrs Maisel’. I didn’t want it to end, but it …
: New post: Merlin Bird ID app In which I rave about the joys of being able to identify bird songs and …
: Finished reading: The Distant Echo by Val McDermid 📚 I enjoyed this much more than the first in the …
: The little kid next door is singing ‘Holding out for a hero’ by Bonnie Tyler, but apparently can’t …
: I found this album a few months ago, after hearing an interview with the artists. It’s a …
: New post: Current command line setup I seem to have gathered a few new tools 🧰
: New post: Exercising little and often In which I try 10 minute strength workouts (nearly) every day …
: It works! I’m looking forward to reading some news that I don’t usually get exposed to. …
: For those of you (particularly in the UK) wanting a bit of respite from the ubiquitous Coronation …
: Why is getting old an broken plumbing parts removed so much harder than fitting the new ones? After …
: Look at this georgeous thing: another Gravitas pocket pen (in Titanium this time) that I am using as …
: New post: Rescued by skylarks A more personal post than is usual for me, talking about eco-grief.
: Finished reading: Widowland by C.J. Carey 📚 I practically inhaled this book in one go: chilling but …
: Spring seems to finally have sprung.
: New post: Nine keyboard layout tweaks More tiny keyboard fun!
: Apple’s Photos app just offered me a slideshow of my “Feathered Friends” over the years. Turns out I …
: New post: Neovim again I’m editor-hopping again!
: This kind of shenanigans does not help with the Bluetooth range of my keyboard.
: Finished reading: Down Cemetery Road by Mick Herron 📚This took a while to get going, but then it was …
: I have also published the source files for the keyboard and case, and the firmware if you are …
: New post: Nine keyboard Part 2 - the case In which I talk about the successes and failures of my …
: I love Detectorists. The theme tune alone relaxes me. What a treat to get a feature length episode …
: I will write it up properly soon (likely after Christmas at some point) but I couldn’t resist …
: I got the case I designed for my Nine keyboard delivered today. I had convinced myself that it was …
: New post: Introducing the Nine keyboard I designed a PCB from scratch and made a new keyboard! Still …
: Finished reading: Murder Before Evensong by Richard Coles 📚 This was very enjoyable, but I felt that …
: New post: Happy 20 Year Blogiversary to me In which I marvel about how many words I have written …
: That glorious moment when you get to turn off the 6am weekday alarm for a couple of weeks.
: New post (first in a very long time…): Hold me closer, tiny keyboard In which I talk about …
: Someone has decided to sleep in Mr Bsag’s discarded trousers. Honestly, I sometimes think she is …
: I’m reminded again what an extraordinary voice Lisa Gerrard has. I’m listening to a new …
: I was out for a gentle walk this morning to decompress a bit after a tough week, and saw this …
: It’s probably because I’ve had a pretty stressful couple of months, but I’ve …
: I just noticed that an order for keyboard components I made includes Kailh MX hotswap sockets, not …
: Ali by Vieux Farka Touré and Khruangbin This is a fabulous album if you like desert blues. 🎵
: New post: Goodbye Bella (2006-2022) 😿💙
: New post: Keyboard layout updates and Meow More fun with keyboards and Emacs.
: Cats and vet visits It was annual vaccination/check-up time for our two cats today. Bella was still asleep when it was …
: There are so many terms and sayings that come from printing: getting the wrong end of the stick, …
: Yesterday I learned that uppercase and lowercase comes from the practice of typesetters keeping …
: I’m staying in a beautiful place in Sussex for a few days. It has such a lovely feel and is deep in …
: New post: Work Clean My review of Dan Charnas’ book ‘Work Clean’ on adapting the …
: Ooof. I just got the ‘Barbecue Meatbag’ achievement on Carrot weather with the current 36C …
: New post: Sprucing up the design again I’ve had a tidy up on the blog, added dark mode and search!
: New post: Setting up a development environment with Nix and Home Manager Paging @NatHarari and …
: I somehow persuaded myself to try using Nix to to manage my dotfiles and command line environment …
: Day 31: Despite the smiley clippy, marking exam scripts is a bit of an endurance test. 📷 #mbmay
: I’ve currently got zsh set as my login shell, but when I start a fish shell using an iTerm …
: I have a question for fish shell users: do you use fish as your login shell, and have you …
: Day 29: Thankfully only one of those stripes! 📷 #mbmay
: Day 28: The weather was very fair that day. 📷 #mbmay
: Day 27: written. One of Eric Ravilious’ lovely dust jackets. 📷 #mbmay
: Day 26: May’s schedule has been very busy. 📷#mbmay
: Day 25: Not quite a mountain, but the closest we’ve got in the Midlands - British Camp on the …
: Day 24: This nerve plant has an intricate pattern of veins. 📷 #mbmay
: Day 23: Today the rain in Spain Birmingham has been falling mainly on the plain. 📷 #mbmay
: Day 22: textile. This linen blend textile is one of the nicest I have bought for making clothes. It …
: Has anyone else had this warning pop up constantly after the latest Apple Watch update? The watch …
: New post: Gravitas Picket Pen In which I review my lovely new copper pocket fountain pen 🖋
: Day 21: symmetry. This finger post marks the line of the Greenwich Meridian dividing the Earth …
: Day 20: My beverage of choice (water) during the work day today. 📷 #mbmay
: Day 19: indulgence. If you live with cats you have to indulge their world view that any receptacle …
: Day 18: I would have loved it if the random sample came out as 42, but sadly that was not to be. 📷 …
: Day 17: I can’t tell you how nice this beach pebble is to hold. It fits so perfectly in my hand. 📷 …
: Day 16: what’s the time according to the dandelion clock? (This may be one of those odd UK customs) …
: Day 14: we have been trying to hide our fence with clematis 📷 #mbmay
: Day 13: The best kind of community 📷 #mbmay
: Day 12: tranquility - no-one is as tranquil as a sleeping cat 😻📷 #mbmay
: Day 11: You don’t want to maroon yourself in the gap! #mbmay
: Day 10: pot - lots of pots in fact. 📷 #mbmay
: Day 9 (late!): The bloom of an orchid which is one of the few house plants I can grow successfully. …
: Day 7: The park looked very fresh from the dew this morning. 📷 #mbmay
: Day 6: Not quite a silhouette but almost 📷 #mbmay
: Day 5: earth, specifically the bit of Earth that is the Sahara. #mbmay 📷
: Day 4: thorny, or at least hawthorny (I was desperate! 😂) #mbmay 📷
: I’m trying an experiment with a new keyboard layout. Day 3 #mbmay
: A photo of all the cats #mbmay 📷
: New post: Larks to nightingales in one day I’m which I try (maybe unsuccessfully) to convey how …
: May Photoblogging Challenge - Day 1: switch (or switches, mechanical ones) 🤓
: 🖋New pen day! This is the Gravitas Pocket Pen in copper, with a 1.1 stub nib (my first stub). Just …
: New post: Rest In which I get a bit philosophical about mistle thrushes and the past two years.
: Finished reading: The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman 📚. In another author’s hands, a …
: Finished reading: Atomic Habits by James Clear 📚 I don’t often read what you might call …
: New post: Back to BEAKL In which I explain some recent changes to my keyboard layout, including …
: Idly perusing ‘Coming Soon’ on Apple TV+, I was really excited that they are doing an …
: Sometimes I underestimate how stupid I can be when tired and stressed. Yesterday (when in both those …
: Finished reading: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke 📚 This is my second reading of this book. I loved it …
: It’s quite some time since I last used the BEAKL 15 layout, so I’m surprised to find …
: Ferris Sweep number 2 finished yesterday. Now I’m fooling around with the BEAKL 15 keyboard layout. …
: I Want You Back, 2022 - ★★★ Perfectly amusing and entertaining at the time, but also instantly forgettable.
: On the plus side, I felt that Week 1 was easier this time than the first time around, so I must be …
: I recently skipped my Sweat HIIT workout programme for nearly 3 weeks because I was exhausted and …
: New post: Ferris Sweep keyboard and layout In which I talk about my latest keyboard build (which is …
: Finished reading: Record Of A Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers 📚I absolutely love the …
: The keyboards I can’t seem to stop making are getting smaller! This is a Ferris Sweep.
: New post: Weekend sounds on BBC Radio 3. In which I talk about the weekend breakfast shows’ …
: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, 2021 - ★★★★★ I was so in the mood for this. Awkwafina and Morris were the icing on the cake for me, though Tony …
: New post: Hi Ho Hi Ho, it’s back to Doom I go I probably need a sign like one of those …
: You know that idea that people had biphasic sleep periods in Medieval times? I reckon that — …
: Wild rose hips from a walk this morning. Great walk but my boots may take some time to dry out!
: I’ve learned a lot since starting to sew, but I think the most important thing is this: it is …
: New post: Building a hand-wired Corne keyboard My latest keyboard building adventure, which has been …
: I’ve finished my hand wired Corne keyboard finally! Too tired to blog in long form about it now, but …
: I may be the tiniest bit obsessed with building Corne keyboards. I was determined not to be defeated …
: Finished reading: All Among the Barley by Melissa Harrison 📚 A vivid picture of rural Suffolk life …
: Finally got around to fitting the 3D printed case for the second Corne keyboard I built.
: Well, that didn’t go as planned: I was trying to make a cup of tea and - tired after work - knocked …
: New post: Emacs from scratch again In which I admit that I’m going around the ‘from …
: We’ve been stating the radio alarm clock to BBC Radio 3 for a gentler start than the news doom of …
: One of my favourite neighbourhood oaks looked lovely in the light this morning.
: I spent most of today fiddling with my QMK settings to make the OLED displays on my keyboard useful …
: Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard, 2021 - ★★★ Sometimes you’re just in the mood for a big dumb film. This was that film, and it hit the …
: New post: Learning stenography with Plover. In which I justify, I mean explain, why I’m …
: Finished reading: The Children of Jocasta by Natalie Haynes 📚. This didn’t grip me in quite …
: Finished reading: Rotherweird by Andrew Caldecott 📚. It took me a few chapters to get into the …
: New post: Building a Corne low profile keyboard Some details (plus backstory) about my recent foray …
: I can’t quite believe it, but I have made myself a keyboard. And it works! Full post to come …
: I wanted a cheap project to practice through the hole soldering on so this Conway’s Game of Life kit …
: Guess who taught herself to solder from YouTube and has soldered her very first project? Quite proud …
: Bella is keeping my trackpad warm. She kindly left me a small corner to work with.
: I should really take my keycaps off more often: good lord there was a lot of cat hair lurking under …
: On a whim, I bought some Gateron Clear key switches (linear, 35 g) and installed them on the main …
: It took me so long to write that last post stenographically (and I dropped back to qwerty for the …
: I’m having fun trying stenography, using Plover and a layer on the Ergodox EZ. It is a bit …
: New post: Ginger jeans 4. In which I make my fourth pair of Gingers on my new Pfaff sewing machine, …
: Finished reading: Underland by Robert Macfarlane 📚. So lyrical and curiously moving in places. I …
: Getting there. The complicated bits are done. 🧵
: Ah, Sunday morning. Chopin nocturnes on the speakers and a new pair of Ginger jeans under the needle …
: New post: Apparently I collect sewing machines now. I’ve added another machine to my …
: New post: Exporting references from Zotero to Tiddlywiki. In which I expand on the rabbit hole that …
: I blame @jack for pointing me to Soren Bjornstad and his Grok TiddlyWiki book. I’ve been messing …
: Finished reading: London Rules by Mick Herron 📚 This is the 5th book in the Jackson Lamb series, …
: New post: Singing with nightingales. We finally got to attend a Singing With Nightingales event, and …
: While in an interminable tailback on a motorway today, I spotted a sticker on a white van that made …
: New article: Creativity. In which I reflect on the effect of deadlines on me in an attempt to better …
: I’ve just had most of my hair cut off for the first time in more than a year, and I can’t tell you …
: TIL (via Kate Davies), that in the 16th Century, the City of London had sock police, described as …
: New article: Learning Go After having fun building my Alfred Workflow for Johnny.Decimal systems, …
: I got us a tree tag for our wedding anniversary lately through a charity (Heart of England Forest) …
: Johnny.Decimal fans on macOS: I’ve just realeased the first public version of my Alfred workflow, …
: I know there are some Johnny.Decimal fans here, so you may be interested in an Alfred workflow I …
: New post: Digital spring clean In which I talk about switching banks to one that doesn’t have an …
: There’s a house near us which always has spectacular Christmas decorations. This year, they have …
: Oh, nice! Ulysses also lets you make scheduled posts to Micro.blog, as well as saving to a draft.
: Great to see that Ulysses now enables you to post to Micro.blog! I also like using MarsEdit for …
: Woohoo! I got my first COVID-19 vaccination today. I had to resist the temptation to high five the …
: My latest letter to nature: Falling tree.
: After reading about HEY World, I had a whimsical idea to use it to write a series of love letters to …
: I had forgotten how hypnotic this track is. I haven’t listened to it for a while, but …
: Part of my digital de-cluttering has been to rationalise multiple email accounts into 2 hey.com …
: I don’t know why, but over the past week or so, I’ve been in a frenzy of digital …
: New post: Re-visiting poetry On which I think about the way that the meanings of poems change …
: I made a homemade Valentines card for Mr. B with a geeky touch.
: In Fabric, 2018 - ★★★★★ This film is everything you might want from a Peter Strickland film: weird, creepy, funny, …
: New post: Using the tab-bar in Emacs. In which I get to grips with configuring the tab bar to …
: Setapp continues to be my most valued subscription. Example: I had wifi issues and wanted to see …
: Yesterday I tried a couple of the Apple Fitness+ dance classes. I danced like someone who has …
: Conditions were perfect for my walk today, and the sky was a crisp pink-blue gradient.
: New post: Cutting my own hair 😱
: I woke at 5am this morning and looked out of the window at the pre-dawn snow. Just at that moment, a …
: Foggy morning walk from a couple of days ago.
: Goodness, macOS Big Sur is buggy! First my external drive wouldn’t mount so I had to format it, and …
: A useful binding for expand-region in Emacs I’ve always found expand-region really useful in Emacs… when I remember to use it, …
: New post: Flannel Carolyn pyjamas Third time around for this pattern, but this time made in a cosy …
: It’s time to play that game of skill and chance “Will My Bobbin Thread Run Out Before I Finish This …
: I tried out a Fitness+ workout today. It was pretty good but I’ll probably stick with Sweat for the …
: New post: Switching to Selectrum for incremental narrowing in Emacs Probably one for the Emacs …
: Well, I guess I must need sleep. I woke up at 9am today which is very unusual for me, even when my …
: New post: Wiksten Haori jacket. My latest sewing project designed to stash-bust my fabric pile, …
: New post: Obsidian I’ve moved from using org-roam to Obsidian to handle my academic and …
: I was watching a pair of dik-dik while I ate my lunch today, and - thinking idly about today’s …
: Exhaustion has been near all day. I’ve just battled through my workout for today and feel like …
: I can’t believe that I have only just got around to installing Drafts for macOS on my desktop …
: The word ‘astonish’ makes me instantly think of Philip Larkin’s poem …
: Reading ‘Made from fresh apples, never from concentrate’ on a bottle’s label is always an excellent …
: New post: Keeping track of the day In which I use the Apple Watch Solar Dial to help me stay …
: There’s a dreary familiarity to the feeling of approaching the 4 week lockdown coming to England …
: I processed some of the photos I took on last Sunday’s walk in the Heart of England Forest. …
: I had my first day back at my fieldwork site in more than 6 months. Today was just catching up with …
: Birmingham, UK / 2020-10-14 / 08:07 am On my daily walk I see natural beauty marred in places by …
: Walking the deer path This weekend, we went for another walk around the Heart of England Forest. Part of the route was on …
: 🔗 Down the ergonomic keyboard rabbit hole This makes me feel better about my keyboard layout …
: Heart of England Forest A couple of weeks ago, Mr. Bsag and I drove over into Warwickshire and went for a walk in part of …
: New post: A shelf and keyboard mat for my desk I’ve been up to some DIY (sewing and …
: It’s a lovely golden morning this Monday. I’m grateful that I was able to get a walk in before work.
: New post: Back to evil key bindings in Emacs Sometimes you just have to admit you’ve made a …
: This was tonight’s cider: a more traditional tannin-rich cider, but very good. Lovely artwork too.
: New post: Using Tailwind CSS I’ve updated the design of my blog recently and been really …
: I had this cider yesterday which was delicious. I think the name is a top class play on words too 👌
: You might notice a slightly different look to my blog, as I’ve had a bit of a revamp using …
: New post: Reverting to qwerty As the anonymous commenter predicted, using another keyboard layout …
: Classic DeBryn moment: Strange: Choke on his own puke did he Doctor? DeBryn: [after a moment looking …
: Today I’ve been playing around with Tailwindcss to style the site. It takes a bit of getting used …
: New post: Comfort re-watching. In which I rave at length about the brilliance of Endeavour and The …
: New post: Advising Emacs In which I talk about my most recent Emacs tinkering adventures.
: Where has howdoi been all my life? (Hat tip to Brett Terpstra who finds all the best command line …
: Sigh. My Mac mini has died. Luckily it is less than a year old so under warranty but I could really …
: Thanks to Kottke, I have just found out about the musical mash-up genre of ‘bardcore’, …
: New post: Confessions of a reluctant exerciser In which I marvel at the fact that I’m doing …
: Mr. Bsag and I just collaboratively cut my hair (him: the length at the back; me: the fringe). …
: I’ve just made another couple of face masks from scraps left after I made my birthday shirt. And yes …
: Today was the last day of an online conference that I have been attending all this week. Since most …
: New post: Linen Persephone Sailor trousers My latest sewn garment.
: New post: Portrait of a Lady on Fire Apparently, I can’t stop thinking about this film and had …
: Portrait of a Lady on Fire, 2019 - ★★★★★ What an extraordinary film. I don’t think I’ve watched one with this level of quiet …
: New post: Re-mapping my keyboard and re-wiring my brain In which I relate moving to the BEAKL15 …
: New post: The joy of the usual route In which I talk about my daily lockdown walk.
: The Vast of Night, 2019 - ★★★ I really wanted to love this, but ended up just liking it. The middle is tense and exciting but it …
: I’ve been rewatching the 1995 TV adaptation of ‘Pride and Prejudice’ with Colin …
: Extra Ordinary, 2019 - ★★★★★ Father Ted meets the Exorcist! The emphasis is firmly on the comedy in this comedy/horror, but it …
: New oak leaves are a fabulous fresh green colour. 📷🌈
: For it might be the mothering of your sweet soul If you open your eyes and see That the life of a …
: “I meant,” said Ipslore bitterly, “what is there in this world that truly makes …
: Hello Earth Hello Earth With just one hand held up high I can blot you out Out of sight Peek-a-boo …
: “Time, not important. Only life is important.” — Mondoshawan, The Fifth Element. 💬
: “[…] the great Tree of Life, which fills with its dead and broken branches the crust of the …
: “Supposing a tree fell down, Pooh, when we were underneath it?” “Supposing it …
: “How long the same things? Surely I will yawn, I will sleep, I will eat, I will be thirsty, I will …
: New post: Building a Raspberry Pi Roon endpoint My fun weekend project!
: I made a floor pouffe yesterday from a free Closet Case Pattern. It is designed to be made from …
: Just had breakfast listening to a duet between Hildegard of Bingen (Medieval plain chant, on Radio …
: New post: Extending org-roam In which I create a monstrous pile of scripts in order to make notes on …
: I came across a wren on my walk today. Its song was as sweet and sharp as lemon sherbet. The …
: New post: Making things in isolation In which I sew an incredibly bright shirt to celebrate my …
: Ah, my old friend Fraycheck (aka ‘Rafelstop’) - you save my sewing bacon again when I get a bit …
: This fox was enjoying a patch is sun in our garden this morning, while sparrows shouted at it from a …
: From my one allowed outdoor exercise walk per day: I noticed that the willow catkins are just …
: I’ve been trying to get two PhD students working overseas emergency flights. Things are moving so …
: I’m going to make the brightest, most colourful shirt I can this weekend. When we are all able to …
: One of my colleagues has informed me that it’s time to knock off work and deliver her food.
: Number of times my cats have video-bombed a work video conference this week: 5.
: Getting in the groove with a knitting pattern After making a hat with the brioche knitting technique, I reckoned that I had enough yarn left over …
: Micro.blog 2020 February Photoblogging Challenge I didn’t get myself organised enough to participate in the November 30 day blogging challenge, …
: Vision. Whenever things get a bit stressful, I have a vision of this lovely walk and feel a bit …
: Leap. I’m so glad I made the leap into sewing my own clothes 6 years ago. It has been an exciting …
: Below. Below the spouts of the portafilter is where all the good stuff happens. 📷
: Together. They still sometimes sleep mirroring each other like this. 📷
: Escape. As a vim bindings user (in Doom Emacs) I’m grateful my keyboard has an escape key. 📷
: Hurdle. It’s a low one, but designed to keep motorbikes out of the green space, not always …
: Double. Two TWSBI Go fountain pens. I love these little things. 📷
: Station. Lifeboat station near St David’s, Wales. 📷
: New post: DEVONthink Pro 3. I’ve come back to DT after a time away and I am loving my …
: Finished brioche hat At the weekend, I finished knitting a hat using brioche knitting. I practiced initially by making a …
: Spectacle. My first pair of varifocals. I’m getting on with them much better than I expected. 📷
: Space. This is my space for the next 2 nights while I attend a workshop. 📷
: Oppose. A bit more lateral today as I was struggling a bit! 📷
: Cool. Isambard Kingdom Brunel on a Brompton is cool. 📷
: Rest. Cats achieve Olympic levels of rest. 📷
: Balance. Carreg Samson, Pembrokeshire. It has apparently been balanced like that for about 5000 …
: Warmth. There’s nothing like the warmth of your mother. Especially if she is very hairy 😍 📷
: Plain. I didn’t think through my lunch. These crispbreads are nice, but a bit plain (and dry!) …
: Sign. The signs are that I am anticipating a wet and windy day of field work! 📷
: We lost a roof panel on our “conservatory” to the high winds. I put it in quotes because it’s a …
: Ex Machina, 2014 - ★★★★½ This was far better than I expected it to be. Tense, engrossing, subtle in places, it is a film …
: Lull. Waiting for a lull in the storm while listening to Welsh folk music. 📷
: Contrast. The white of this harbour marker in Porthgain really contrasts with the dark rocks. 📷
: Above. Looking up is often quite rewarding. 📷
: Plant. Plants make urban life a little more bearable, even when they are sleeping in winter. 📷
: Hide. This is from quite a few years ago when Bianca could still squeeze underneath this Ikea step. …
: Spot. I genuinely spotted the flower on this in our front garden as I was leaving this morning. 📷
: Sight. Bella’s got great sight and beautiful eyes. 📷
: New post: Further adventures in org-mode. In which I create a complicated workflow for a new role …
: Open. Well, not quite, but I am willing this bud to open so that I get some winter colour. 📷
: The women who sewed space suits Hey Sisters, Sew Sisters I’ve just listened to this fascinating documentary produced by the …
: I’ve had a fun day tweaking Emacs and scratching a few itches in my set up.
: New post: Tweed waistcoat My latest sewing adventure, drafting my own waistcoat pattern from a …
: Oh, Mark Gatiss’ Dracula has been fantastic. I’ve had to hide behind a cushion for a lot of horror-y …
: Darning A couple of days ago, I darned a much-loved cardigan. I didn’t make the cardigan, but I wear …
: New post: Listening for the return of spring, in which I talk about worrying that I might never hear …
: I’ve just learned (in a radio programme about Mary Somerville) that before the title ‘scientist’ was …
: New post: Emergency hats and other knitting. I’ve been doing a heck of a lot of knitting …
: I’m really enjoying this album by Syrian artist Omar Souleyman. It’s uplifting and …
: London is looking rather fine this morning.
: Dolemite Is My Name, 2019 - ★★★★ I have to admit that I have never heard of Rudy Ray Moore, but I thought this was really fun. It is …
: The Aftermath, 2019 - ★★★½ This could be seen as a pretty standard period romance (love across the divide!), but it is elevated …
: New post: All in with org-mode In the latest update on my Emacs/org-mode explorations, I explain how …
: I’ve just had my third wisdom tooth extracted. It was a bit of a whopper, and was emerging sideways, …
: Morning sky This morning I saw an incredible sky. I was driving so couldn’t photograph it, but it was the most …
: Booksmart, 2019 - ★★★★★ Sweet and funny story of two smart and ambitious girls who suddenly realise they need to live a …
: New post: My latest completed sewing project, a silk noil Kalle shirt. With bonus wonky collar!
: New post: My standing desk setup. I’ve got a new standing desk and I’m loving it.
: These ponies on St David’s Head made me laugh. They look as if they are posing for an album cover.
: I’ve finally got around to editing the photos from our holiday in Pembrokeshire and uploading …
: Well, it’s just as well that I don’t want to sit down.
: I’m back from holiday and have written about watching ravens.
: It’s burrito shirt time! My trusty Singer 201 and I are about to treadle the shoulder seams closed. …
: Logitech MX Ergo After years of using a Magic Trackpad, I got a Logitech MX Ergo trackball. It has taken a little …
: New post: Doom Emacs Tweaks: Org Journal and Super Agenda My latest Lispy adventures. Hat tip to …
: The Many Selves of Katherine North by Emma Geen - ★★★★★ My husband often buys me books he thinks I will like. He’s really good at picking them, but as …
: Old Boys, 2018 - ★★★★ By all rights, this ought to be awful: an adaptation of the Cyrano de Bergerac story set in a …
: Wildlife, 2018 - ★★★ This was a beautifully shot film, with good and subtle performances by all the cast, and I found it …
: We just caught the end of Angélique Kidjo’s set at the Proms on TV. Wow. She is an incredible force …
: My Peak Design Tech Pouch has been an excellent travelling companion on this trip.
: I’ve got my bags packed and I am leaving Indonesia today after a very enjoyable but packed workshop. …
: New post: Self-drafted sleeveless top My first proper garment using Seamly2D to draft the pattern.
: We enjoyed a few drams during a nice whisky tasting session to celebrate Mr Bsag’s birthday (which …
: I’m having fun with some lovely fabric (bought in Indonesia 2 years ago), and making a simple …
: New post: Feeling the fear and sewing anyway, in which I talk about making a dress from fabric that …
: My newly cleaned up and oiled 1911 Singer 127. She sews like an absolute dream! The wooden base is …
: Right. I’m going to attempt to make this dress. That page is the pattern and the only instruction. …
: Still a bit of work to do, but this lovely old Singer is sewing again!
: Just look at these lovely illustrations. The old Singer manuals were very well written and …
: Gradually cleaning my Singer 127 today. There’s a lot of antique grit, but it is satisfying work.
: Mr Bsag got a print in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition after trying for many years, so I took a …
: New post: Choosing the right tool. I finally get a couple of things fixed (one greasy, one not so …
: The Favourite, 2018 - ★★★★★ Quirky doesn’t quite cover it, but this is a terrific film. Wonderful performances by all …
: Wine Country, 2019 I'm of a similar age to many of these women, so I could relate strongly. Great, knock-about comedy …
: Thanks to @blot and the lovely new ‘Archive’ theme, I’ve converted my photo blog to use Blot: Wings …
: I’ve just listened again to Death of a Cosmonaut. If you have access to BBC Sounds, I highly …
: Ergodox EZ config changes I’ve just updated my Ergodox EZ with a new configuration. I’ve moved the Command, …
: We watched “Free Solo” yesterday about Alex Honnold’s ascent of El Capitan. Stunning. I’m still …
: When I come across one of my cats looking at something fixedly, I say (out loud), “What are we …
: New post: Sewing 1911 style. I’ve been setting up a 1911 Singer treadle table with my 1945 …
: I’m having enormous fun learning to treadle-power my 1945 Singer in the 1911 treadle cabinet I …
: New post: The joy of The Repair Shop. I wax lyrical about a favourite BBC Two programme about …
: I’m so excited: I’ve just bought a gorgeous Singer 127 treadle sewing machine (made in 1911!) in an …
: There’s nothing more satisfying than visibly mending a favourite pair of jeans.
: One day over one month’s progress on my Knit the Sky Scarf. We’ve had an amazing run of sunny …
: Communities within us I caught a bit of a conversation on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour the other day, which …
: New post: All change on the fonts front. I’ve made some changes to the design over at …
: The Breadwinner, 2017 - ★★★★★ Beautiful and heartbreaking. I loved ‘The Secret of Kells’ and ‘Song of the …
: It’s the perfect time to listen to this album, at least here in the UK:
: Tombland by C.J. Sansom - ★★★★★ I’m a huge fan of C.J. Sansom’s ‘Shardlake’ books, and have read all the …
: I had the great pleasure and honour of chatting with @macgenie for this week’s Micro Monday …
: Finally finished sewing a Harriet bra today! Fits like a dream.
: Spring definitely seems to be springing!
: New post: Rethinking my dotfiles setup. I’ve been around the houses with this one, but settled …
: Progress so far on my ‘Knit the Sky’ scarf. We’ve had some stormy days this week, but today was …
: Link: Dead Rats and Meat Cleavers Growing up in Suffolk, Nathaniel Mann, heard stories passed down by his grandma about a tradition of …
: Yaoundé, Cameroon, early morning.
: The Sahara from the air. Nothing but deep ochre and blue as far as the eye could see.
: Today I started my Sky Scarf, which was exciting. Only 364 more days of knitting until I finish it! …
: New post: Back to Doom Emacs Yes, I’ve gone back to an Emacs framework, and fallen back into …
: New post: Persephone Sailor trousers, in which I write about making trousers and trying to remember …
: A lovely evening sky that I forgot to post yesterday.
: Wrangling image file sizes, DPI and dimensions Mr. Bsag is a printmaker, and often submits his work to open exhibitions. The requirements for this …
: New post: Juggling projects with org-mode. I’ve been trying to get better at handling multiple …
: Ant-Man and the Wasp, 2018 - ★★★★ I enjoyed this as much as the first. This section of the Marvel Universe has been a playful, …
: New post: Trying out Commento. I’m trying a out a new commenting system which is much more privacy …
: Really, who could have predicted that international trade deals would be difficult? International Trade Secretary, 2017: replicating the 40 free trade deals that the UK currently …
: Cleaning the TWSBI Go fountain pen Over on the main blog, I wrote about my TWSBI Go fountain pen a few months ago. I had almost emptied …
: New post: I kept meaning to write about Fathom analytics, and now I have finally done it.
: Someone is ‘helping’ me at the computer today.
: Aargh, our cats are too adorable, I can deny them nothing! That big eyed look that Puss in Boots …
: New post: Getting comfy with Emacs - in which I share my latest adventures with packages, and wonder …
: Woohoo! Officially on holiday now. I’m very ready for a break: knitting, sewing, Emacs tinkering and …
: Incredibles 2, 2018 - ★★★★★ This was a delight. It’s not perfect by any means, but I loved the focus on Helen coming out …
: New post: Finding serenity in which I remember a rainy afternoon on a Welsh beach and a surprise …
: This week I swapped the positions of the tab and backspace keys on my Ergodox keyboard. Ultimately …
: Our cats are staying in the cattery while our bathroom is redone as it would stress them out. It is …
: Just Jim, 2015 - ★★★★ A very assured directorial debut from Craig Roberts, with a quirky, downbeat, dark, but often funny …
: Electricity, 2014 - ★★★½ Watched on Saturday November 26, 2016.
: Love Wonderful, sharp comedy of manners. The characters are so beautifully drawn, and the dialogue is …
: Sisters, 2015 - ★★★½ Started unpromisingly, but picked up steam, with some brilliant laugh out loud moments. Not a …
: The Man Who Knew Infinity, 2015 - ★★★ This was an OK film that could have been a really interesting and ambitious film. Dev Patel was very …
: Adult Life Skills, 2016 - ★★★★ I hesitate to use the word ‘quirky’ to describe this film, because that often suggests a …
: Maggie's Plan, 2015 - ★★★★ Snappy dialogue, interesting characters, and a great ensemble cast add to this funny and engaging …
: Ant-Man, 2015 - ★★★★ I watched this first on a plane (with low expectations), and then again at home, because I enjoyed …
: Paterson, 2016 - ★★★★★ A beautiful, quiet, contemplative film about an extraordinarily content man (the eponymous Paterson, …
: Hunt for the Wilderpeople, 2016 - ★★★★★ I don’t think this film will be to everyone’s taste, but for me it was pitch perfect, …
: Café Society, 2016 - ★★★ This was enjoyable enough, but ultimately a bit forgettable. I think if it hadn’t been for the …
: Doctor Strange, 2016 - ★★★½ I’m not familiar with any of the backstory of Doctor Strange, so I came to this film with a …
: Everlasting Moments, 2008 - ★★★½ A lovely, reflective film about a woman in 1900s Sweden who finds solace in photography. She wins a …
: Toni Erdmann, 2016 - ★★★½ I’m at a slight loss to know what to say about this film. I enjoyed it throughout, laughed a …
: Rams, 2015 - ★★★★ On the surface, as simple film about sheep-farming brothers in Iceland, but there’s a whole …
: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, 2016 - ★★★ An enjoyable New York-based spin-off/prequel of the Potter Universe, this was a fun couple of hours, …
: The Salesman, 2016 - ★★★★ An amazing portrait of the profound effects of shame. It’s part thriller, part …
: I was pretty behind on my film reviewing, hence the sudden opening of the floodgates! We’ve seen …
: Phantom Thread, 2017 - ★★★★★ Well, this really went in directions that I didn’t expect it to. The acting by the whole cast …
: The Mercy, 2017 - ★★★★ This is the big-budget, big-name companion to ‘Crowhurst’ which was released in the same …
: Blade Runner 2049, 2017 - ★★★½ I wanted to love this as much as the original, but I didn’t. Visually and conceptually, it is …
: Crowhurst, 2017 - ★★★★ We managed to watch two interpretations (both released this year) on successive weekends of this …
: The good thing about sewing is you end up with lots of scraps for fun projects. Today I made a phone …
: I’ve written about my latest adventures configuring Emacs from a clean slate. Follow me on my …