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Uitlander

@uitlander.co.uk

260 followers 180 following 1.6K posts

A wanderer in space and time

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Reposted by Uitlander

Quite Interesting @qi.com · 13h

Vallvidrera, near Barcelona, has a curling club. Each season, the members of the club go to the local reservoir and toss a stone in to see if the ice is strong enough to play. Since the water never freezes, they go for brunch instead and raise the toast, ‘We shall play one day’.

Uitlander @uitlander.co.uk · 9h

You know that reindeer can swim, yes?

Reposted by Uitlander

Mark Hamill @markhamillofficial.bsky.social · 12h

Respect to those who got here first.

Reposted by Uitlander

bleary @bleary.off-the-records.com · 12h

If anyone needs me I will be in the museum, lying down next to the bog bodies.

Did people really memorize phone numbers before cell phones, or is that just a movie thing?
2? Questions
I was watching some old shows from the 90s and noticed people would just dial numbers from memory - like they'd call their friends or family without looking anything up.
Made me wonder if that was actually normal back then? Did people genuinely have all their important numbers memorized, or did most folks keep a little address book or written list nearby?

Uitlander @uitlander.co.uk · 10h

I got into the posh private school and did the A-Levels my parents had picked. I did not do the A-Levels I wanted to do. I got acceptable, but not excellent grades. My contemporaies hated me and spent 2 years making my life hell. I went to University, and the switched to a much better University.

Uitlander @uitlander.co.uk · 10h

It was impessed on me that this was my future and I was in the last chance saloon. I had to shine.

I did my best, but secretly I wanted to go to the local 6th form college and do completely different A-Levels. I succeded or failed depending on your POV.

Uitlander @uitlander.co.uk · 10h

They were mostly interested in why someone had come to the school without their parents to sit the exam. They took this as a sign of someone wanting to improve themselves without parental support.

The truth was different. My father had a business dinner that night.

Uitlander @uitlander.co.uk · 10h

We had never covered this in my Tudors & Stuarts O-Level sylLabus. In english I was asked to compare and contrast 2 books I had not read for O-Level. I wrote a lot about Lord of the Rings, I contrasted it with the Picture of Dorian Gray (don't ask).

Uitlander @uitlander.co.uk · 10h

In Maths I was asked to differentiate an equation. I had no idea what this meant, but apparently I got 90% through a proof for differetition from first principles before giving up. In history I was asked to wriite about the potato famine in Ireland.

Uitlander @uitlander.co.uk · 10h

At 7 I sat their enterance exam and failed it, At 12 I sat their enterance exam and failed it. At 16 I sat their enterance exam and failed it, but they had questions...

Uitlander @uitlander.co.uk · 10h

So in the UK I had a broadly similar experience. My mother had been offered a place at "posh public school" during WW2. But due to WW2 and the bombings her parents had refused to let her go. Fast forward 50 years and she wanted me to avenge this.

Uitlander @uitlander.co.uk · 10h

Meanwhile I am dismayed at the media coverage which is all Trump. Trump, Trump and not about the hostages. As a reminer the hostages did nothing, they were the orginal victims of the Hamas assault on October 7th and many of them were murdered.

Peter Sagal @petersagal.bsky.social · 11h

This is true, and…

It also reflects the assymetry in media. RW media trumpet every GOP/Trump achievement as a glorious success, because that is their job.

Actual journalists see puffing up those in power as the opposite of their job.

Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 11h

The hostage release is a reminder of how bad the Dems are at politics. Not only did Biden refuse to force this deal on Netanyahu & thereby help Harris win, but most people aren’t even aware that Biden got way more Israeli hostages (over 100) released with his 2023 ceasefire than Trump did with his.

Uitlander @uitlander.co.uk · 12h

This morning I awoke to find that the current feline in residence had left a half eaten rat on my bathmat. There were some entrails scattered around the bathroom a la David Hockney. I am seriously considering whether he is going to try and do his own innovative take on the 12 days of Christmas.

Reposted by Uitlander

Maybe It Will Happen Today @today-maybe.bsky.social · May 28

A digital homage/ripoff of Magritte’s painting ‘The Treachery of Images’. An image of a brown and black tobacco pipe with a curved stem sits isolated on a plain tan field. Below the pipe in black cursive handwriting is the phrase ‘Peut-être que cela arrivera aujourd'hui’ which I sincerely hope is an adequate French translation of ‘Maybe it will happen today’

Uitlander @uitlander.co.uk · 12h

I am sure there are some archaeologists out there who have a few things they can submit for this.

London Topographical Society @londontopsoc.bsky.social · 16h

‪ANN SAUNDERS ESSAY PRIZE FOR 2026

A prize of £1,000 is offered annually for an original and unpublished 8000-word research essay on the topography, development or buildings of London in any period.

Submissions by 1 April 2026.

Details can be found at: londontopsoc.org/about-us/ann...

Uitlander @uitlander.co.uk · 19h

On the bright side it meant I no longer had to deal with the sound and smell of her bathroom visits when I spent the night there (loo was next door to the guest bedroom). They had a partition wall & door installed for the bedroom loo before they sold the house and called it an en-suite.

Uitlander @uitlander.co.uk · 19h

To my horror my elderly parents had a toilet installed in their bedroom. This was to deal with the practicalities of my Mum's Crohn's disease, which as it got worse meant she often couldn't make it to the loo down the hallway in time at night.

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God @thegodpodcast.com · 1d

Street art in LA:
Guardians of Pedophiles

Reposted by Uitlander

Bouba's Delivery Service @fernmonkey.bsky.social · 2d

My friend Sascha is a professional musician and he's lost a viola bow on the way to Heathrow. Please signal boost to help him get it back.

Lost viola bow on the way from Honor Oak Station to Heathrow Terminal 2. The bow slid from its bow case somewhere along the way, possibly on the train. TFL contacted already.
It weighs 68.2 grams and has got a stamped DODD next to the frog. If any info on this, please pm me.

Reposted by Uitlander

<Primary Salutation> @stevesparshott.bsky.social · 2d

How do we get 100 Mr Blobby suits over to Portland?

Reposted by Uitlander

Kelly @broadwaybabyto.bsky.social · 2d

A 15 year old boy with autism went missing earlier this week

He was selling fruit with his family in Springbranch when he disappeared

They filed a missing person’s report & begged the public to help find him

Turns out he was in a Houston ICE detention facility

They kidnapped a disabled child!

Uitlander @uitlander.co.uk · 1d

Next it will be female archbishops. You mark my words!

Parody Keir Starmer @parodypm.bsky.social · 1d

You wouldn't believe the number of morons on Twitter pretending that a temporary exhibition of vinyl stickers at Canterbury Cathedral is permanent graffiti, just so they can feel outraged. Then JD Vance joins in, because clearly this is an international crisis.

Reposted by Uitlander

Dr. David McBride (dwm) @dwm.me.uk · 1d

In honour of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand.

“Block device split brain”

Orthanc @orthanc.nz · 2d

In honor of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand.

“Didn't test the restore”

Suzi and Rose @suzirose.bsky.social · 2d

In honor of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand.

“There’s no recovery plan”

Reposted by Uitlander

@DrJoePajak CSci CChem FRSC @drjoepajak.bsky.social · 1d

Data for England show COVID levels increasing.
Little likelihood that these data have peaked yet.
Issues?
🛑Limited testing
🛑Waning immunity
🛑Low priority by leaders
🛑Limited vaccine eligibility
🛑Scant use of face coverings
🛑HCAIs in healthcare settings
🛑Mixing in poorly ventilated, cramped spaces.

Data for England show COVID levels increasing.
Little likelihood that these data have peaked yet.
Issues?
🛑Limited testing
🛑Waning immunity
🛑Low priority by leaders
🛑Limited vaccine eligibility
🛑Scant use of face coverings
🛑HCAIs in healthcare settings
🛑Mixing in poorly ventilated, cramped spaces.

Reposted by Uitlander

Tamara Keel, but spooky @tamslick.bsky.social · 2d

The counteroffensive to reclaim the frog from the very online incel Nazis is going splendidly.

Rhonda Henry @rhonda234567.bsky.social · 2d