Garth Gilmour
@garthgilmour.bsky.social
Consultant, Educator, Advocate & Speaker. Learning Consultant at Liberty Mutual. Combatives Coach. Active in APNI. Coding, politics, and angry black pyjamas.
Pinned
Talking Techie About Therapy
Musings on Mental Health in Tech
garthgilmour.medium.com
Before Christmas Simon Whittaker dared me to write a blog on my experiences seeking help for mental health issues. My New Years resolution was to get it out the door 🙂. Special thanks to Catherine Browne for advice, encouragement and proofreading.
garthgilmour.medium.com/talking-tech...
garthgilmour.medium.com/talking-tech...
Stuck in the house ill, so pruning my IT bookcase. Java is all but gone, and I'm almost ready to say goodbye to my Scala books. On the other hand I actually read (and wrote!) some Modern C++ this year. Not what I would have predicted a decade ago - history makes fools of us all.
September 7, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Stuck in the house ill, so pruning my IT bookcase. Java is all but gone, and I'm almost ready to say goodbye to my Scala books. On the other hand I actually read (and wrote!) some Modern C++ this year. Not what I would have predicted a decade ago - history makes fools of us all.
This is it folks! Only two days remain to submit to @nidc.bsky.social
After that our distinguished, impartial, and expert panel of reviewers will rate the talks, and an agenda will be constructed. You have to be in it to win it!
After that our distinguished, impartial, and expert panel of reviewers will rate the talks, and an agenda will be constructed. You have to be in it to win it!
Please remember you only have till Sunday to submit a talk!!
Too late, too late will be the cry, when the NIDC CFP has passed you by!
If you have any issues, doubts or queries please let us know. sessionize.com/nidc-2025
Too late, too late will be the cry, when the NIDC CFP has passed you by!
If you have any issues, doubts or queries please let us know. sessionize.com/nidc-2025
August 29, 2025 at 2:22 PM
This is it folks! Only two days remain to submit to @nidc.bsky.social
After that our distinguished, impartial, and expert panel of reviewers will rate the talks, and an agenda will be constructed. You have to be in it to win it!
After that our distinguished, impartial, and expert panel of reviewers will rate the talks, and an agenda will be constructed. You have to be in it to win it!
TFW The kids have been dropped to school, all the overnight messages have been answered, and you have 5 mins to yourself before the first meeting of the day...
August 29, 2025 at 8:12 AM
TFW The kids have been dropped to school, all the overnight messages have been answered, and you have 5 mins to yourself before the first meeting of the day...
Am on leave and going through a classic cinema phase. Have bought my first Blu-ray player because most of what I'm after isn't available online, and the DVD release is discontinued 😟. Today's viewing is this forgotten gem starring Ed Harris.
August 26, 2025 at 7:59 AM
Am on leave and going through a classic cinema phase. Have bought my first Blu-ray player because most of what I'm after isn't available online, and the DVD release is discontinued 😟. Today's viewing is this forgotten gem starring Ed Harris.
At Belfast Mela to support my boys and the Ojika Dojo. Always a great event! Music, food, culture, and swords. What's not to like? 😉🙂 If you've ever wanted to give Kendo a go come down and visit:
ojikani.com
ojikani.com
August 24, 2025 at 5:56 PM
At Belfast Mela to support my boys and the Ojika Dojo. Always a great event! Music, food, culture, and swords. What's not to like? 😉🙂 If you've ever wanted to give Kendo a go come down and visit:
ojikani.com
ojikani.com
In with my Physio. He has a BLK BOX functional trainer with the ultimate chin-up bar. Any width any angle!!!! I had no idea such a thing existed...
August 22, 2025 at 9:00 AM
In with my Physio. He has a BLK BOX functional trainer with the ultimate chin-up bar. Any width any angle!!!! I had no idea such a thing existed...
Success! Last night's debate on GenAI went exceptionally well. Six excellent speeches leading to in-depth, impassioned, and enlightening discussion.
The £665 in door fees all went directly to charity work at Farset Labs, thanks to the sponsorship of Liberty IT. Congratulations to everyone!!
The £665 in door fees all went directly to charity work at Farset Labs, thanks to the sponsorship of Liberty IT. Congratulations to everyone!!
August 8, 2025 at 6:47 AM
Success! Last night's debate on GenAI went exceptionally well. Six excellent speeches leading to in-depth, impassioned, and enlightening discussion.
The £665 in door fees all went directly to charity work at Farset Labs, thanks to the sponsorship of Liberty IT. Congratulations to everyone!!
The £665 in door fees all went directly to charity work at Farset Labs, thanks to the sponsorship of Liberty IT. Congratulations to everyone!!
Unboxing the shirt I've saved 3 months for just the right occasion. Come along tomorrow night for a public debate on "GenAI will revolutionise our lives for the good in the next 5 Years". 📣
When: Thursday 7th Aug
📍Where: Black Box in Belfast
🎟️ Get your ticket: lu.ma/d94zscul
When: Thursday 7th Aug
📍Where: Black Box in Belfast
🎟️ Get your ticket: lu.ma/d94zscul
August 6, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Unboxing the shirt I've saved 3 months for just the right occasion. Come along tomorrow night for a public debate on "GenAI will revolutionise our lives for the good in the next 5 Years". 📣
When: Thursday 7th Aug
📍Where: Black Box in Belfast
🎟️ Get your ticket: lu.ma/d94zscul
When: Thursday 7th Aug
📍Where: Black Box in Belfast
🎟️ Get your ticket: lu.ma/d94zscul
This is on Thursday! Sign up via the link below for £10, all proceeds to charity. Tickets also available at the door (cash only).
lu.ma/d94zscul
Come along to hear passinate and informed debate, and to ask your own questions. Non-technologists especially welcome.
lu.ma/d94zscul
Come along to hear passinate and informed debate, and to ask your own questions. Non-technologists especially welcome.
New event! I'm helping Farset Labs organise a public debate, based on the proposition "GenAI will revolutionise our lives for the good in the next 5 Years". We have an amazing panel and a great venue. Fun, informative and a chance to participate in debate as it was meant to be.
lu.ma/d94zscul
lu.ma/d94zscul
Public Debate: Will GenAI Revolutionise our Lives for the Good? · Luma
Public Debate at the Black Box
An in-depth and wide ranging public debate on the impact of GenAI
Cross-disciplinary speakers providing expert input from…
lu.ma
August 4, 2025 at 7:24 AM
This is on Thursday! Sign up via the link below for £10, all proceeds to charity. Tickets also available at the door (cash only).
lu.ma/d94zscul
Come along to hear passinate and informed debate, and to ask your own questions. Non-technologists especially welcome.
lu.ma/d94zscul
Come along to hear passinate and informed debate, and to ask your own questions. Non-technologists especially welcome.
This has happened to me (and I believe @antonarhipov.bsky.social ) many times in hotel gyms. Fortunately ceiling tiles don't hurt that much 🙂.
There seems to be some rule that "the rack with the weird bar goes under the lowest ceiling - clearly it's just for decoration".
youtu.be/6BC1DS_38WU?...
There seems to be some rule that "the rack with the weird bar goes under the lowest ceiling - clearly it's just for decoration".
youtu.be/6BC1DS_38WU?...
I Survived BEST vs WORST Gym in My City!
YouTube video by Will Tennyson
youtu.be
August 3, 2025 at 9:32 PM
This has happened to me (and I believe @antonarhipov.bsky.social ) many times in hotel gyms. Fortunately ceiling tiles don't hurt that much 🙂.
There seems to be some rule that "the rack with the weird bar goes under the lowest ceiling - clearly it's just for decoration".
youtu.be/6BC1DS_38WU?...
There seems to be some rule that "the rack with the weird bar goes under the lowest ceiling - clearly it's just for decoration".
youtu.be/6BC1DS_38WU?...
This episode hit a nerve with me. 3 points:
* You don't voluntarily abandon faith. You incrementally realise it's unsustainable
* You have to choose between your beliefs and your community
* There is a very real fear that you are loved only for believing the right things
youtu.be/eDQoan2pm6U?...
* You don't voluntarily abandon faith. You incrementally realise it's unsustainable
* You have to choose between your beliefs and your community
* There is a very real fear that you are loved only for believing the right things
youtu.be/eDQoan2pm6U?...
The Hardest Thing About Leaving Fundamentalism - #exvangelical #deconstruction
YouTube video by C. J. Cornthwaite
youtu.be
August 3, 2025 at 9:46 AM
This episode hit a nerve with me. 3 points:
* You don't voluntarily abandon faith. You incrementally realise it's unsustainable
* You have to choose between your beliefs and your community
* There is a very real fear that you are loved only for believing the right things
youtu.be/eDQoan2pm6U?...
* You don't voluntarily abandon faith. You incrementally realise it's unsustainable
* You have to choose between your beliefs and your community
* There is a very real fear that you are loved only for believing the right things
youtu.be/eDQoan2pm6U?...
If you need a train ticket to Dublin in Belfast's brand new £340 Million Grand Central Station you can't use the ticket machines. Instead you go to Customer Support at the other end of the cavernous hall, to queue behind folks paying for coach trips with loose change. Apparently, this is progress.
July 28, 2025 at 12:11 PM
If you need a train ticket to Dublin in Belfast's brand new £340 Million Grand Central Station you can't use the ticket machines. Instead you go to Customer Support at the other end of the cavernous hall, to queue behind folks paying for coach trips with loose change. Apparently, this is progress.
Not to burst anyone's bubble, but we had Specification Driven Development in the 1990s. We just called it Waterfall 😉.
July 24, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Not to burst anyone's bubble, but we had Specification Driven Development in the 1990s. We just called it Waterfall 😉.
The Larne line timetables have vanished from the NI Railways website this morning. A bit disconcerting to see your neighbourhood erased from the public record...
July 22, 2025 at 8:03 AM
The Larne line timetables have vanished from the NI Railways website this morning. A bit disconcerting to see your neighbourhood erased from the public record...
New event! I'm helping Farset Labs organise a public debate, based on the proposition "GenAI will revolutionise our lives for the good in the next 5 Years". We have an amazing panel and a great venue. Fun, informative and a chance to participate in debate as it was meant to be.
lu.ma/d94zscul
lu.ma/d94zscul
Public Debate: Will GenAI Revolutionise our Lives for the Good? · Luma
Public Debate at the Black Box
An in-depth and wide ranging public debate on the impact of GenAI
Cross-disciplinary speakers providing expert input from…
lu.ma
July 15, 2025 at 1:44 PM
New event! I'm helping Farset Labs organise a public debate, based on the proposition "GenAI will revolutionise our lives for the good in the next 5 Years". We have an amazing panel and a great venue. Fun, informative and a chance to participate in debate as it was meant to be.
lu.ma/d94zscul
lu.ma/d94zscul
Click to the story for Northern Ireland in a single infographic. Where else in the world do you build a bonfire between two major hospitals, adjacent to their power supply and near a pile of asbestos?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Bonfire: Police declare site a major incident
There are concerns of a risk to the power supply at two major hospitals as the bonfire is near an electricity substation.
www.bbc.co.uk
July 10, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Click to the story for Northern Ireland in a single infographic. Where else in the world do you build a bonfire between two major hospitals, adjacent to their power supply and near a pile of asbestos?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Excited about tomorrow, which will be the highlight of my summer here in beautiful, bright, Belfast. Can't wait for the series finale of Murderbot. Everything else not so much.
July 10, 2025 at 8:11 AM
Excited about tomorrow, which will be the highlight of my summer here in beautiful, bright, Belfast. Can't wait for the series finale of Murderbot. Everything else not so much.
Reposted by Garth Gilmour
"The future of American politics may ultimately be defined by the struggle between the MAGA fascist movement and the newer resistance." My new Kibitizing with Lincoln. Please subscribe. lincolnmitchell.substack.com/p/the-new-hy...
The New Hybrid American Regime
On this Fourth of July it is evident that we are experiencing regime change in the US.
lincolnmitchell.substack.com
July 4, 2025 at 11:10 AM
"The future of American politics may ultimately be defined by the struggle between the MAGA fascist movement and the newer resistance." My new Kibitizing with Lincoln. Please subscribe. lincolnmitchell.substack.com/p/the-new-hy...
For reasons best known to themselves, Sync NI were kind enough to do a profile of me 😉
syncni.com/interview/13...
syncni.com/interview/13...
Garth from Liberty IT on AI Revolution, Coding Fundamentals, Career Changes, and Northern Ireland's Tech Scene
Garth Gilmour plays a key role in keeping Liberty IT's engineers ahead of the curve, leading training programmes, internal tech events, and community outreach to help shape the next generation of tale...
syncni.com
July 3, 2025 at 6:58 PM
For reasons best known to themselves, Sync NI were kind enough to do a profile of me 😉
syncni.com/interview/13...
syncni.com/interview/13...
Absolutely loved this book. Really hoping the movie lives up to it...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=m08T...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=m08T...
Project Hail Mary - Official Trailer
YouTube video by Amazon MGM Studios
www.youtube.com
June 30, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Absolutely loved this book. Really hoping the movie lives up to it...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=m08T...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=m08T...
The kind of thinking that implicitly promotes and condones this kind of insanity is why I left the north coast and became an atheist.
Second man (20) arrested over slurry incident in Ballymena bailed as 19-year-old due in court
Second man (20) arrested over slurry incident in Ballymena bailed as 19-year-old due in court
Police are investigating the spreading of slurry in the Co Antrim town ahead of a Pride parade as a hate crime
www.irishnews.com
June 30, 2025 at 9:37 AM
The kind of thinking that implicitly promotes and condones this kind of insanity is why I left the north coast and became an atheist.
Every so often I reflect on how much of Demolition Man has come to pass. Freaky.
June 25, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Every so often I reflect on how much of Demolition Man has come to pass. Freaky.
Reposted by Garth Gilmour
A customer told me she couldn't believe this store would put up a Pride display, because what if children see it??
Anyway, it was my display, and I'm proud of it, and you (and your children) should all see it. #BookSky 📚💙
Anyway, it was my display, and I'm proud of it, and you (and your children) should all see it. #BookSky 📚💙
June 20, 2025 at 7:19 PM
A customer told me she couldn't believe this store would put up a Pride display, because what if children see it??
Anyway, it was my display, and I'm proud of it, and you (and your children) should all see it. #BookSky 📚💙
Anyway, it was my display, and I'm proud of it, and you (and your children) should all see it. #BookSky 📚💙
Even if you don't like Kotlin or IDEA I would recommend this unreservedly. The exuberance, expertise, focus on quality, knowledge, mastery of the tooling, and sheer nerdiness just shine through 😉 🤣 . Thank you @dmitrykandalov.bsky.social and Duncan McGregor.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwNT...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwNT...
47 Refactorings in 45 minutes | Duncan McGregor and Dmitry Kandalov
YouTube video by Kotlin by JetBrains
www.youtube.com
June 20, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Even if you don't like Kotlin or IDEA I would recommend this unreservedly. The exuberance, expertise, focus on quality, knowledge, mastery of the tooling, and sheer nerdiness just shine through 😉 🤣 . Thank you @dmitrykandalov.bsky.social and Duncan McGregor.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwNT...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwNT...
Reposted by Garth Gilmour
“backrooms” and “liminal spaces” are the defining horror format for a generation who saw the facades of capitalism crumble to reveal the emptiness within
June 17, 2025 at 10:50 AM
“backrooms” and “liminal spaces” are the defining horror format for a generation who saw the facades of capitalism crumble to reveal the emptiness within