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Smylers

@smylers.uk

Looks like the BBC's schedule is claiming that the King's speech at 3PM on Christmas Day this year will be a repeat?
www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p0...

Screenshot from the linked page, with the programme at 15:00 being ‘The King’, the episode shown as “2025”, and the description “HM King Charles III delivers his annual Christmas message to the nation and the Commonwealth. (R)”

December 3, 2025 at 2:08 PM

Smylers

@smylers.uk

EBay: How likely are you to recommend this thing?
me: 8 out of 10.
EBay: We're sorry you had a less than optimal experience.

I gave it 8 out of 10! That's a good score!!

Screenshot from an EBay survey asking how likely it is I would recommend their ‘Click & Collect’ program to a friend or colleague

The next question in the survey, which starts “We're sorry to hear that you had a less than optimal experience. What was your main issue?”, with options: “I faced an issue on the eBay site”, “I faced an issue when collecting the item from the store”, “I faced an issue with the delivery of the item”, “I did not face any issue with the experience”, and “Other (please specify)”

December 3, 2025 at 1:24 PM

Smylers

@smylers.uk

I can't help but think this email subject from DHL eCommerce UK has too many words in it.

And I bet that when the driver is asked about their job, they don't say “I work for DHL eCommerce UK”.

“Your DHL eCommerce UK parcel is with your DHL eCommerce UK driver for delivery …”

December 3, 2025 at 10:01 AM

Smylers

@smylers.uk

And I tried to open door 1 in my advent calendar, but got this instead: bigdave44.com/2025/12/01/d...

An old newspaper advert showing a woman with a clothes peg on her nose and the heading “better still … install Vent-Axia”, with a picture of a circular device with holes in it and the caption “fresh air in … stale air out … quietly!”

December 1, 2025 at 6:08 PM

Smylers

@smylers.uk

Also, today's unrelated book review is ‘How to Solve Your Own Murder’ (a novel, not a guidebook!) by @kristenperrin.bsky.social, which I very much recommend:
bigdave44.com/2025/12/01/d...

Cover of ‘How to Solve Your Own Murder’ with the text in white and yellow on a red background, and a black bird which has landed on a skull

December 1, 2025 at 6:05 PM

Smylers

@smylers.uk

Today's Telegraph #CrypticCrossword has some great clues, including:
Silicon Valley disposing of a creep (5)
Field force to meet large alien flier (7)

The hints and explanations include these pictures and 2 hidden songs: bigdave44.com/2025/12/01/d...

Just ask if you want a gift link to the puzzle.

A Booths shopping bag with the slogan ‘Up Hill and Down Ale’

December 1, 2025 at 6:02 PM

Smylers

@smylers.uk

Re-added some tickets, clicked through the same bits again to pay, first 3 pages seem to be going well, and then … the Cloudflare error has been replaced by a direct web server error:

Service Unavailable
The server is temporarily unable to service your request due to maintenance downtime or capacity problems. Please try again later.

November 28, 2025 at 10:30 AM

Smylers

@smylers.uk

Ah, thank you — I had been wondering why I'd never noticed the mansion on top of Boots Opticians, but that explains it!

An excerpt from the map, showing a blue circle over a block of shops, overlapping Boots Opticians

November 28, 2025 at 9:58 AM

Smylers

@smylers.uk

This page for a Fairphone 5 says in different places it comes with Android 15 and Android 13: broadband.yourcoop.coop/mobile/phone...

So I asked which it is, and the chatbot told me it's … Android 14!

Is it just taking the average‽

A heading saying “Android 15”, with cut-off text underneath saying “Smooth, secure and sta … customise. Clean Android with zer …”

A feature list with an android line-drawing next to the words “Android 13” (as well as “50MP Selfie” above and some tools with “5 year warranty and 8 years of software” bellow)

A chat conversation, with me asking “Which version of Android comes on the Fairphone 5?”, the bot's response of “The Fairphone 5 comes pre-installed with Android 14 [in bold] and benefits from extended software support with updates available until 2031, ensuring long-term use and security”, followed by another response of “Was this helpful?”, and my reply of “No”

November 27, 2025 at 9:45 AM

Smylers

@smylers.uk

From a forum asking about giving up on watching TV shows — what does Peter think “second chances” means?

“PeterDo - 45 minutes ago

Bergerac. Sheerwater. No second chances from me but I do give them two episodes to see if they improve. I will not return to a failure. Streaming vs TV no difference.”

November 26, 2025 at 3:15 PM

Smylers

@smylers.uk

Disappointed that ‘The Guardian’'s interactive budget calculator only has options for cutting overseas aid or leaving it as it currently is, not for reversing previous cuts:
www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-...

“Cut overseas aid info
Labour has cut overseas aid, but the Conservatives and Reform UK are pushing for further reductions. The Tories estimate savings of about £3.5bn a year”

November 25, 2025 at 10:15 AM

Smylers

@smylers.uk

I can accept we might have to spend $200–$400 on a device for the child. I do not accept that wouldn't count as spending much or make it something we'd be OK with loosing:
uk.pcmag.com/mobile-phone...

Also, prices in dollars in a UK publication?

A paragraph from the linked article: “When you do step up to a smartphone, don't spend too much money. Kids generally aren't responsible with high-priced items. They might lose, drop, soak, or otherwise break the phone you get them. Assume that all of those events will happen. A ton of good phones in the $200 to $400 range run relatively new, secure versions of today's operating systems, aren't frustrating to use, and don't look shamefully uncool. And many have at least some sort of IP rating.”

November 24, 2025 at 10:37 PM

Smylers

@smylers.uk

Ah, KaiOS devices can't run WhatsApp any more anyway: faq.whatsapp.com/420008397294...

Glad we didn't buy a child a KaiOS phone just before that happened. (But WhatsApp being able to do things like this is precisely why I wish people and orgs wouldn't use it!)

“Ending support for WhatsApp on KaiOS

WhatsApp is no longer available on devices running KaiOS”

November 24, 2025 at 5:38 PM

Smylers

@smylers.uk

Apparently @yougov.co.uk's survey designers don't believe in the existence of people who've never bought a car:

A YouGov survey question “When was the last time you purchased a car?” with the only options being: within the last 6 months; 6–12 months ago; 1–2 years ago; and more than 2 years ago

November 24, 2025 at 9:35 AM

Smylers

@smylers.uk

‘The Nutcracker and the Music Box’ is on in #Ilkley Thu–Sat.
stagestubs.com/wta-dance-ac...

Here's my contribution to the cake stall:

A group of cupcakes, each decorated with a top hat with gold embellishments, eyes, and a moustache in 2 separate pieces

November 19, 2025 at 11:47 PM

Smylers

@smylers.uk

My unrelated book review is of Trevor Noah's memoir ‘Born a Crime’ — which he was, having a black mother and white father in apartheid South Africa, and being unable to be seen in public with either parent: bigdave44.com/2025/11/17/d...

Highly recommended.

Cover of ‘Born a Crime’ by Trevor Noah, featuring a photo of a wall covered with a painting of the author, and a woman walking past looking at it

November 17, 2025 at 1:19 PM

Smylers

@smylers.uk

Hints and explanations for today's Telegraph #CrypticCrossword feature a board game, a model village, a mountain goat, and Asterix's friend: bigdave44.com/2025/11/17/d... — with music from Bellowhead and Pavement, and more sausages than I was expecting in the comments.

The box of the ‘7 Wonders’ board game, featuring depictions of the ancient wonders in a single scene, with a large statue holding a flame in the foreground

A model village representation of the Royal Crescent in Bath

Asterix's strong friend, carrying a menhir on his back

November 17, 2025 at 1:12 PM

Smylers

@smylers.uk

Having enjoyed the show, this ‘Matilda’ Q&A sounds really interesting. It's also free for Friends of Bradford Theatres, which I am …

.. but it's at a time I can't go! To get there I'd have to set off 10 min before the children's school bus gets them home. *Sooo* close!

“Don't miss these exclusive Friends Events!

Matilda The
Musical Q&A
📅 Wed 12 November 2025

🎫 Free. Booking Required.

✨ Now Open to ALL Friends

Want to hear all about how Matilda The Musical was created and how this spectacular show is toured around the UK? Join us for an exclusive Q&A to chat with the company members and ask your burning questions.

Please arrive at the Alhambra Theatre Pit bar from 5.10pm. The Q&A will begin at 5.30pm and end approx. 6pm.

To book: Call our Box Office Team on 01274 432000. 2 placer per Premium Friends Member. Limited availability.”

November 10, 2025 at 12:26 PM

Smylers

@smylers.uk

A surprising addition to this morning's commute: being assaulted by a train door.

A form, with this filled in to a large text field:

“Walking from the toilet carriage to #74484. I pressed the button for the doors; both opened. The first doors were fine but as I was passing through the second set, they suddenly closed on me, surprisingly viciously. They bruised both of my shoulders before they detected I was there and released me.

1. Please sort out the timing so it's possible to get through both doors before they try to close.
2. Please make the sensor more sensitive so it doesn't hurt if they do close on you.

Thanks.”

November 4, 2025 at 8:24 AM

Smylers

@smylers.uk

This evening Spouse and I are going to see ‘The Unfriend’ at #Ilkley Playhouse. I don't know much about it other than it's by Steven Moffat, who also wrote ‘Press Gang’ on TV (among other things).

ilkleyplayhouse.co.uk/IlkleyPlayho...

A hand poking out of a wide velvet sleeve, with long red painted fingernails, holding a red apple, with fire in the background

November 3, 2025 at 6:21 PM

Smylers

@smylers.uk

We all saw ‘Matilda the Musical’ at Bradford Alhambra yesterday. It was as wonderful as I'd been hoping! One of the most impressive things I've ever seen on stage.

Lovely meal in the theatre's 1914 restaurant before the show as well.