2026-03-06 05:42:06
Once there was a mermaid called Amelia who could never be content in the sea, a mermaid who longed to know all the world and all its wonders, and so she came to live on land.
Once there was a man called P. T. Barnum, a man who longed to make his fortune by selling the wondrous and miraculous, and there is nothing more miraculous than a real mermaid.
I am not familiar with the true story of PT Barnum and the Feejee Mermaid but, from the little I know of Barnum, this fictitious retelling of the story from the point of view of the mermaid herself feels highly accurate.
Like previous books by Henry that I've read such as "The Lost Boy", it seems Henry has a knack for putting a believable yet fantastical slant on a story so it blends seamlessly with reality.
I felt so much for Amelia; I was rooting for her as she tried to navigate a world so alien. Much of human society was observed as ridiculous through her eyes and, honestly?, hard agree on all of it!
If you've enjoyed any of Henry's other books, there's no reason to not pick this one up too.
2026-03-02 03:29:39
The dog is lying in a parallelogram of golden sunshine streaming through the patio doors across the tiled floor of the kitchen. Her eyes are closed and is still as death; only her gently heaving chest tells me she is alive. That and the way she is immediately behind me, awake and expectant, when I crinkle a packet.
Last week's fever boiled into bacterial tonsillitis so now I'm on antibiotics 😭
Grateful I live in an area where I can get a doctor's appointment!
Politics at work has, once again, got in the way of delivering something useful to genuinely help people. It's really quite disheartening.
I had to write a Point of View report this week on domain name strategy and URL structures. Half of it was pulled together from my own notes on the subject collected over years. I should probably write them up and publish them here. I have a fair amount of documentation like this, I realise!
Yes, the daffodils are in full flower. And, sure, I can see blossom on some of the trees. But it's still too early to go and do gardening.
2026-03-01 17:29:50
Happy March!
Here are a few photos from my phone from the last month with neither rhyme nor reason to the theme.
2026-03-01 15:28:35
Last year, Robert Birming called for us all to share "The text that appealed to you most during the month, for whatever reason." and, thus, Fabruary was born.
My pick for this year is Sophie Koonin's "Stop generating, start thinking".
Sophie is a much better writer than me and has articulated a lot of my thoughts and feelings in this article.
Even though I am not at the coal face of writing code anymore, I am responsible for ensuring our clients' digital output isn't dog shit.
I have spent a lot of the last few years watching "AI" (which AI do you mean?) gain a footing in the industry and trying to work out what that means for me as a technologist.
What does my work look like now? What does it look like when the bubble bursts?
Sophie's article has provoked further thought and reflection — surely the goal of any decent writing!
Ultimately, I feel (like Sophie) that the majority of my job is thinking and, crucially, understanding. That's not something that will be outsourced to machines just yet.
2026-02-27 23:54:14
Manchester, UK. Late 1999; I don't recall the exact month but it was post-September because the Freshers had arrived.
The Roadhouse was legendary for its low ceiling dripping sweat, loud speakers, and knee-high stage — a truly intimate venue.
Cyclefly were playing and the crowd were ready!
Touring "Generation Sap", their debut album, the Irish/French alternative rock band were fronted by the charismatic Declan O'Shea; a striking figure with neon red dreadlocks, yellow PVC pants, and nothing else.
I was front and center, surrounded by a heaving mob of fans with a face full of Declan's crotch. I tucked a cheap necklace into his waistband and got a wink in return.
Anyway, this is a "new music" post, not a "music you've been into for nearly 30 years" post.
Fast-forward a decade and Declan (now dread-less) and Christian have formed a new band called Mako DC. I presume that's their initials there to differentiate them from the various other bands called Mako.
A handful of singles and two albums; 2012's "Living on Air" and "TIMELESS" arriving in 2021 (did they do that with the dates on purpose?)
Of the two, I think "Living on Air" is probably my favourite. As you'd expect from two key players in Cyclefly, there's a touch of the old magic in there. Declan's voice takes a softer approach which, at times, slides into a Brian Molko impression and the guitar is equally laid back. It's clearly alternative rock but alt rock that has matured out of its late-90's post-grunge phase and kind of found its own feet.
I don't see either album replacing Generation Sap on my playlist — that album stands up surprisingly well to repeated listens over the last three decades — but I will be returning to them.
2026-02-26 03:58:22
When the chief suspect in the disappearance of Áróra's sister is found dead, and Áróra's new financial investigation leads to the street where her sister was last seen, she is drawn into a shocking case that threatens everything
This is the final part of a five book series that I've been reading now since 2022, eagerly awaiting each new release. Despite one of the leads being a police officer, I've become quite invested in the characters and their development through the series.
The dramatic conclusion, however, felt rushed. This sometimes happens at the end of a series when you have 40,000 character arcs to neatly tie off but the Áróra Investigates series is largely two people and one crime.
The reveal of the killer came suddenly and was surprising more for that than the actual identity; without too much in the way of spoilers, the killer confesses within 30 seconds of being in a police investigation room!
That said it was nice to get more of the back story on Ísafold's murder (the entire reason for the series). The structure felt nice; almost alternating chapters of flashbacks working their way forward, and the investigation working it's way back until they both converge with Ísafold's death.
I was saddened by the ending proper (there's a Three Weeks Later chapter) and, while not as bleak as some of Sigurðardóttir's endings, it's pretty bleak.
If you were hoping for sunshine and rainbows, prepare to be disappointed.