I’m now excessively mature so my memory is seeing multiple covers of the Sex Pistols’ Never mind the Bollocks filling the HMV window (I did say I was old) but with the word Bollocks covered up. That and CD’s first appearing in the store at more than twice the cost of vinyl LP’s (£13 vs £5.49).

That tells us something about where our culture has gone and is going. I feel what you are seeing reflects this. There’s a herd mentality driving a lot of norms.

That’s an interesting question. I don’t think the advantages of the fediverse are part of any zeitgeist so are not attracting new and diverse users other than maybe through places like Flipboard and maybe Ghost. The future of social media is certainly going to remain fragmented and the fediverse fragments itself by default anyway. I do think that how people use social media is changing; people are tired of overuse to some extent. Does the fediverse have a future? I think it’ll remain its own niche as corporate offerings come and go. Increased Interest may come from an unexpected growth in a specialism that is federated. I think my idealism for what the fediverse could achieve is now muted as I probably no longer have faith in open networks as the cultures are way too different so I probably now see the fediverse less through the email analogy and more through the linux analogy. If fedi plods on refining itself in its own slow way (volunteers and no money make for slow progress) then who know the next time a corp offering destroys itself and people search for a less awful and exploitative environment then it might just win out in the long term though I’m not entirely convinced about that. Does that mean i’m off to corporate networks. Not really. I’d rather just stop altogether than fall down that rabbit hole again.

To me any war on homeland soil would mostly mean crippling infrastructure via hacking & inciting unrest. Worst case scenario a strategic nuclear or emp strike on military sites though by that stage we’re clearly in a very worrying place.

I get that most objections will be on religious grounds but with appropriate checks I believe this is a good thing to have in place.

Ha. He should’ve put in an offer. £1.20?

Overpriced? I’d want bogoff for that money.

A mixed bag but manageable. Think I’m in the middle of an attack of sciatica right now but got a mercifully quick NHS physio appointment next week so we’ll see. Best wishes all.

Good luck with your test. Took my third tries. By the third attempt I was used to the drill and went in assuming I’d fail again but it took the nerves away and passed (in truth I think I’d finally got some road sense) .

I’m aged 6 (mouths the word “six” ala the Joker in The Dark Knight) and I see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for the first time and think I realised I really enjoyed music and where it took me. I then nagged my Mum for the soundtrack album and tried to work out how to play the tunes on my Grans piano.

You know what? I enjoyed the Capaldi era and would’ve been well happy if he had continued for another 13 episodes. Bill was a great companion too with terrific acting chops.

Scotland calling (technically UK but you know…)

Our music teacher (whose name was Tom Jones. If only that Tom Jones) would deal with disruptive pupils in a class by hurling the wooden blackboard eraser at a pulls head where it would hit them directly on the forehead. He was a supreme marksman. Saw a kid lose consciousness from the impact one. Wham! And suddenly there’s was just a cloud of chalk where a kid once sat. This man was also in the Salvation army (clearly attack division)