The Sherlock Holmes of code
2026-01-18 20:12:36
On a photo walk to test out my new Minolta SRT303, I clocked this composition out of the corner of my eye.
The 53mm Rokkor lens does not connect to the in built light meter so this whole walk was metred by eye. I don't think I did too badly!
2026-01-18 08:00:00
The robins are in full throat. It sounds like 40,000 of them singing the same song at slightly different times; none of it syncs up and the effect is jarring. The dawn chorus, magical as it is, naught but a complete cacophony.
I took a long walk over the fields to the duck pond because I missed water. It was quiet and peaceful and good for the soul.
My camera lens had endured a battering in my bag on the train home and the focus ring jammed on infinity. I didn't realise until I was a mile from home. It'll need fixing but it forced me into some interesting composition decisions.
The dog lurched at a hedgerow and disturbed a Barn Owl who floated off like the ghost of smoke taken bird form. Lord only knows why it was in a hedge at midday.
Why do the trousers of anthropomorphic animals have holes for tails? Why would they not design them with tail "sleeves"?
Work has been busy. Very busy.
Last year ended with a lot of planning meetings and January we're putting those in place.
Two new clients with similar names and very different projects is giving my short term recall a workout.
"Love Island: All Stars" kicked off again this week; delayed by the South African wildfires. The initial cast look to be a friendly bunch; I look forward to watching it all fall apart 😂
Try as I might, I can't figure out how to get subtitles on live broadcasting through the ITVx app so I will always be a little behind the in-office chats through watching it on catch-up the next day. A timely reminder that accessibility measure benefit everyone and, without them, it can be socially isolating.
I have neglected this blog over the holidays. Hectic work and illness combined to drain me of bothers. I'm not making a New Year Resolution but I will do better in future.
I will have no self imposed penance for problems with easy solutions
Ben Gibbard
1: HT Denis Defreyne
2026-01-12 03:38:45
The first week back at work is over! A few drinks later and the hectic pace is a dull memory; until Monday morning rolls around.
I made a big list before I finished for Christmas of the critical things I needed to do on my return and, as of close of play Friday, I have done none of them. YOLO
Progress on my personal media tracker continues. It's going well apart from finding a CMS. Having very tight restrictions had meant heading down a few rabbit holes to discover it's the wrong software. Right now I'm genuinely considering writing my own CMS. It can't be that hard?!
All I can offer is my own anger, which feels endless, and my hope, which feels endless too.
Victoria Aveyard
2026-01-04 20:36:03
In a quirk of calendular mathematics, this is simultaneously week 1 of 2026 and week 53 of 2025.
I celebrated New Year's Eve with a ceilidh, a beer, and a takeaway with my family.
The ceilidh was amazing; so warm and joyful and wholesome community vibes. I'll be back there!
The new year began with a wan lemony Winter sun trying its damndest to burn through the haze before conceding defeat and giving way to a huge bright moon.
The short days mean my daily perambulations take place mostly in the dark and a full or near-full moon creates a magical atmosphere. I used to listen to music on my walks but now I much prefer the natural sounds around me; birds singing, wind in the trees, rain on the asphalt.
In between festivities, I kept an eye on some machine learning processes that had been set running for a work report. At once amazed by the ability and shocked by the rising costs!
The year is over and I haven't finished The Dark is Rising Sequence. It's still winter though, so it still counts. One book to go!
-7°C even with the sun up. They say snow is coming. I'm keeping my lomography powder dry. Hold until you see the whites of their skies!
You are a museum of everything you have ever loved
@filmsbygabby, TikTok
2026-01-03 17:20:42
On my homepage, I have a carousel of what I call "testimonials" — some nice things lovely people said about me over the years.
For the longest time, I'd pick one from the array to display at build time. As part of my work to reduce build time, I decided to display them all so the homepage wasn't considered "new" for every build.
However, this left the issue that it was always the same testimonials visible. Especially on mobile, where you can only see one, new additions wouldn't be immediately surfaced. Buuut I couldn't shuffle the array at build time or I'd incur the wrath of the Build Time Goblins (or something).
The default experience is acceptable. With a sprinkle of JavaScript, we can make it a little bit better for when JavaScript is available.
const carousel = document.querySelector('.carousel');
const slides = [...carousel.querySelectorAll('article')];
const shuffled = [...slides].sort(() => Math.random() - 0.5);
slides.forEach(slide => carousel.removeChild(slide));
shuffled.forEach(slide => carousel.appendChild(slide));const carousel = document.querySelector('.carousel');
const slides = [...carousel.querySelectorAll('article')];Math.random() methodconst shuffled = [...slides].sort(() => Math.random() - 0.5);slides.forEach(slide => carousel.removeChild(slide));
shuffled.forEach(slide => carousel.appendChild(slide));
The Sherlock Holmes of code
That's a good post.
Was a pleasure to work with, Not sure about his Nic Cage fetish but each to their own.
Really lovely work. Excited to dig into more of your writing.
This is such a cool looking photo!
What a beautiful design, I have been enjoying reading your posts and seeing your photography work!
Couldn’t agree more with your post
Love reading your music posts (and all the others!)
your site reminds me of the way the web used to be.
2026-01-02 17:17:53
Understandably different from both Arch Enemy and The Agonist, the new single from Alicia White-Gluz, "The Room Where She Died" is more hard rock than heavy metal. Nice to hear her clean vocals though — a talent squandered by Arch Enemy! Opening with a moving string piece, I thought for a second she was going to go full Nightwish. I will warn you that a lot of the 8:39 run time is spent on a noodling guitar solo that, imho, could have been shorter.
"She Bangs Like A Fairy On Acid" by Elita is exactly the wtf I needed to start my Friday. Shades of that Gothic Lolita thing from the millennium; all breathy vocals and unsettling melodies.