Ian Robinson
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ianrobinson.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
Ian Robinson
@ianrobinson.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
150 followers 16 following 7.3K posts
Belfast-based writer, walker, atheist, cinema lover, hobby musician, science junkie, perpetual maths student, cricket fan, chess patzer. I post about new music a […]

🌉 bridged from ⁂ https://mastodon.social/@ianRobinson, follow @ap.brid.gy to interact
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ianrobinson.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
I forgot to post this a few days ago. The Dundonald Christmas Reindeer has a calf this year.

Alt-text generated by Claude.
Two large illuminated reindeer statues standing in a parking lot at night, featuring geometric wire frame designs covered in warm white LED lights, with the taller reindeer on the left displaying golden antlers and the smaller reindeer on the right featuring blue and white antlers with hanging ornaments, set against a dark sky with storefronts visible in the background.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
December 20, 2025 at 10:32 AM
ianrobinson.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
I ordered a copy of the Folio Society edition of God Emperor of Dune. Rather than wait for the sales. I didn't want to miss out if it sells out. I need it to complete my set. See picture.

I'm planning a significant redecorating project for my office room in […]

[Original post on mastodon.social]
A bookcase in my living room with various books in it. Including three Folio Society Dune books with a space for the new fourth God Emperor of Dune book I've just ordered.
December 16, 2025 at 7:34 PM
ianrobinson.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
I haven’t posted a picture of the Premier Tree™️ recently. Here’s on from the 4th of December. All the leaves are gone.

I’ll post a video made with the pictures taken over the course of the year, over the holidays.

#tree #trees
A large tree standing alone in Moat Park Dundonald. It’s lost all of its leaves and the branches are dark against the grey clouds in the sky. There are puddles around the base of the tree due to the heavy rain.
December 14, 2025 at 1:17 PM
ianrobinson.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
I encountered a street Buddha (I think) when walking to the cinema on Friday.
A small white plaster Buddha head sitting on the pavement beside a fence. The head is about 15 cm tall (6 inches). Close up picture of a small white plaster Buddha head sitting on the pavement beside a fence. The head is about 15 cm tall (6 inches).
December 13, 2025 at 12:31 AM
ianrobinson.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
The now traditional box of Tunnocks Teacakes has been procured.

#tunnocks #teacakes
A yellow box with red Tunnocks logos and Tea Cakes on it. Containing three trays of 12 individually wrapped Tunnocks Tea Cakes. 36 in total.
December 12, 2025 at 7:44 PM
ianrobinson.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
Post cinema pint and fries. It’s been a while. 2026 I must get back to one cinema trip per week minimum.
A pint of Pravha lager and a small bowl of fries.
December 12, 2025 at 6:06 PM
ianrobinson.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
Rutger Bregman is delivering this year's BBC Reith Lectures. Just subscribed to Downcast. I'll listen over the holidays.

I read his book titled Humankind in 2020, and enjoyed it. I wrote on Twitter on 25th June (typos uncorrected):

"I finished Humankind by […]

[Original post on mastodon.social]
Screenshot of the Tweet mentioned in my post. From my Twitter Archive. The Tweet is from 25th June 2020 and says: "I finished Humankind by Rutger Bregman today. Everyone should read it. Lots of the stories that peoples worldview and also policy is based on are incorrect. The Stanford Prison Experiment for example."
December 12, 2025 at 3:04 PM
ianrobinson.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
Bought the new @hutchinsondave.bsky.social novel on Apple Books. It joins the previous Dave Hutchinson novel on my Apple Books to read queue. Looking like 2026 reads at this point.

If you haven’t read his Fractured Europe tetralogy, you definitely should […]

[Original post on mastodon.social]
The Essence by Dave Hutchinson on Apple Books store.
December 10, 2025 at 11:32 PM
ianrobinson.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
A rare photo of Schrödinger’s cat. See picture.

As see on the iunify Instagram feed: https://www.instagram.com/iunify?igsh=Y3Izd2E2MWppYjRt
A screenshot of an Instagram post showing a glass doorway. On the near side of the glass pane, there is an empty cardboard box. You can see this reflected in the glass, making it look like an identical box is sitting on the far side of the door. A cat is sitting on the far side as well, so it seems like there is a cat in the reflected box. So there is no cat on the near side, but it looks like there is a cat on the far side box.
December 8, 2025 at 10:58 AM
ianrobinson.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
Tree! 🎄
A Christmas tree beside my TV on a low, long wooden TV cabinet. With Christmas lights on the tree, spread out on the flat cabinet surface, wrapped around a Lego Saturn V rocket model, and looped around a framed picture on the wall to the top right of the TV. The TV backlight is off to allow the Christmas lights to shine. A Christmas tree beside my TV on a low, long wooden TV cabinet. With Christmas lights on the tree, spread out on the flat cabinet surface, wrapped around a Lego Saturn V rocket model, and looped around a framed picture on the wall to the top right of the TV. The TV backlight is on.
December 7, 2025 at 4:16 PM
ianrobinson.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
Just to be different, here are my Top 6 2025 Artists, Albums, and Songs as reported by Apple Music Replay.

#music #reviewoftheyear #applemusicreplay
A screenshot showing my top 6 most played artists on Apple Music in 2025. I listened to 1,827 total artists. Here’s the top 6 with the minutes for each: 1. Charlotte OC on 742 minutes. 2. Queen on 691 minutes 3. Daisy Jones & The Six on670 minutes. 4. Hawkwind on 489 minutes. 5. Fionn on 439 minutes 6. The Beaches on 352 minutes. A screenshot showing my top 6 most played albums on Apple Music in 2025. I listened to 2,838 different albums. Here’s the top 6 with the minutes for each: 1. AURORA by Daisy Jones & The Six on 554 minutes. 2. scum. by Fionn on 202 minutes. 3. Warrior on the Edge of Time by Hawkwind on 176 minutes. 4. Serene Demom by Art d'Ecco on 154 minutes. 5. The Wrong Side of 25 by Grace Davies on 139 minutes. 6. Rachmaninoff: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 3 by Khatia Buniatishvili, Czech Philha... on 124 minutes. A screenshot showing my top 6 most played songs on Apple Music in 2025. I listened to 4,679 different songs. Here’s the top 6 with the number of plays for each: 1. Sprinter by Cat Ridgeway with 37 plays. 2. Change Me by DYLYN with 36 plays. 3. The Little People Work by John Williams & London Symphony Orchestra with 34 plays. 4. Rey's Theme by John Williams with 31 plays. 5. Fame is a Gun by Addison Rae with 28 plays. 6. The Ceiling by Elephants and Stars with 27 plays.
December 4, 2025 at 7:39 PM
ianrobinson.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
The YouTube Recap stats are also out. My top 5 most watched channels were:

Molly Burke
UK Met Office
Seinfeld
Surrey County Cricket Club
Sky Sports Cricket.

The Seinfeld entry at 3 surprises me. I don’t recall watching a lot of Seinfeld clips. I did watch a […]

[Original post on mastodon.social]
A screenshot from my YouTube Recap stats. Showing the top 5 channels in watched as follows: Molly Burke UK Met Office Seinfeld Surrey County Cricket Club Sky Sports Cricket.
December 4, 2025 at 4:34 PM
ianrobinson.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
Reprovisioned.
Two M&S shopping bags filled with various grocery items.
December 3, 2025 at 12:26 PM
ianrobinson.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
My Apple Music Replay highlights video. Generated by Apple Music.

Image description: a 21 second video showing my most played artist, song, and album in 2025.
Artist is Charlotte OC, song is Sprinter by Cat Ridgeway, album is Aurora by Daisy Jones & The Six […]

[Original post on mastodon.social]
December 3, 2025 at 11:28 AM
ianrobinson.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
I think Readly app is a keeper. I’ve a free trial that runs until March to decide.

#readly
A screenshot from the Readly app on iPhone. Showing the magazines and newspapers I’ve added to my library. Visible titles are The Observer newspaper, Rolling Stone UK, New Scientist, Variety.
November 30, 2025 at 11:01 AM
ianrobinson.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
@keefeglise Loads! Eight artists in my library have albums releasing in January according to MusicHarbor app. See pic.
A screenshot from MusicHarbor app on iPhone showing the upcoming album releases by artists I already have in my music library. There are 8 albums scheduled for release during January in the picture.
November 29, 2025 at 8:21 PM
ianrobinson.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
Some photos of sunny Dundonald, Belfast from earlier today.
The sun shining through some trees on the top of a hill. I’m at the bottom of the hill. A footbridge connecting the Dundonald Omniplex Omnipark complex to the Comber Greenway. With the sun behind me casting my long shadow up the footpath on the bridge. The footbridge connecting the Dundonald Omniplex Omnipark complex to the Comber Greenway. From the other end looking back towards the Ommipark. With the sun shining brightly in a mostly cloudless blue sky.
November 25, 2025 at 4:23 PM
ianrobinson.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
Tree 🌳
A large tree beside the road in Dundonald, Belfast. It’s got brown orange leaves and is framed against a cloudless blue sky.
November 24, 2025 at 11:23 AM
ianrobinson.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
Brrrr. It’s cold out. 🥶
The sun shining from behind some dark clouds over the trees at the end of my garden. It’s dark and cold.
November 19, 2025 at 3:34 PM
ianrobinson.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
Properly toasted toast.

#toast #gratuitousfoodpost
Two slices of Brennan’s White Pan Loaf uniformly toasted to be a deep golden brown all over.
November 17, 2025 at 11:47 AM
ianrobinson.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
Red! 🔴

#combergreenway #animalfriendlylights
The Comber Greenway walking and cycling path in Dundonald Belfast bathed in a deep red glow from the animal friendly red lights.
November 16, 2025 at 6:55 PM
ianrobinson.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
And for contrast, here’s just after sunset at Dundonald, Belfast today.

#sunset https://mastodon.social/@ianRobinson/115558918349141839
The dusk sky with an orange glow near the horizon just after sunset. With the silhouettes of mostly leafless trees in the foreground. The cloudless sky just after sunset from Dundonald in Belfast. The sky goes from dark blue at the top of the picture to orange at the horizon. Via various shades of blue in between.
November 16, 2025 at 6:44 PM
ianrobinson.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
Sunrise this morning. Between 08:15 and 08:40 in Dundonald, Belfast.

#sunrise
A bright orange sky due to the rising sun. The sun is hidden behind some houses just after sunrise. The newly risen sun shining through some trees just above the horizon. A bright orange sky due to the rising sun. The sun is just appearing from behind some houses shortly after sunrise.
November 16, 2025 at 10:33 AM
ianrobinson.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
Cleaned my kitchen worktops.
My black stone composite worktop in my kitchen. With the items I use all the time on it. Kettle, toaster, Apple HomePod 😊
November 13, 2025 at 8:45 PM
ianrobinson.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
Emptying!

#weather #onewordweather
The rain chart from the Apple Weather app on iPhone. Showing rain bar chart above moderate for the next hour.
November 12, 2025 at 10:45 PM