Will Humphrey

Both things are true. A reward system being predicated on awards was never going to end well.

Adding alt text to this because this is fucking amazing and everyone deserves to read it.

I like this suggestion a lot. When I was in Vienna, I sought out a locals schnitzel place, and had a lovely evening quasi-working and listening in.

I like people. I find them interesting. I also loathe groupthink. I'm not an otrovert, i'm an extroverted introvert (love presenting, but it's exhausting).

I have found that i'm better thinking about 2-3 big things than 40+ small things (I'm more of the latter at the mo!) Lists are not for me.

If you can carve out one Thursday/Friday a month for an early morning coffee (8-9am), you will get people. I used to do it when I lived in London.

Also, yes, I do the school run too. So perhaps if that's an issue, why not 10-11 on a Friday? Aim it at those wanting to learn/refresh their knowledge..

Solidarity.

Now, networking doesn't fill me with dread, BUT it has to be a context where there's no end game (i.e. at a conference, with a clear need to SELL). I always liked a coffee morning with relevant professional friends.

Why not put one on? You might surprise yourself if it's on your terms.

Yes, I think my mental issue is/has always been oscillating wildly. As a personality, i'm either all in, or really not fussed. Over the last year, the latter has been winning - and I blame a lack of people.

Fighting very hard to not let the nihilism win. (I blame too much time working from home).

<Insert joke about middle aged planning / creative directors here>

It's just such guff. You'd have thought thought leadership would've run out of steam, but no.

Brand worlds are back, everyone.

Looking forward to the Finish Dishwasher tablet world, though you could argue we exist in one, as there's lots of frothing and some things end up squeaky clean despite all the muck they've accumulated.

SIR CLIFF RICHARD'S CHRISTMAS GRAVY

you call it diarrhoea I call it

Both, by the looks of things. :)

Heartily agreed.

Ian Marchant obituary Writer, performer and broadcaster with a talent for being interested in everything and a particular fascination with British counterculture

The definition of a life well lived. www.theguardian.com/books/2025/n...

May I suggest a yayoi kusama exhibition? closest i've been in real life..

Interesting. A few years ago, Morrisons held the 'much much better than you expect' crown. I shall have to investigate.

Go on. Enquiring minds have only a week to consume this year (will be in Australia over Christmas), so do tell.

Now 'Tiny Spark' by Brendan Benson (he's criminally overlooked).

For example: I live in wealthy part of the country, where there are a lot of HENRYs (those earning between 100k-149k pp).

That budget has been horrible for them. They might agree with Labour socially, but without a guiding principle/vision - it feels like a tax raid without much justification.

They are just a government that is terrible, AWFUL at communicating a vision.

So you get the 'strivers' revolting against them, up and down the country. Those can be from any economic background or class.

Side return, but YES.

The Ashes: England plan extra training in Brisbane before second Australia Test England add training sessions to their schedule in Brisbane following their hammering by Australia in the first Ashes Test.

OH, LOOK, ENGLAND ARE ACTUALLY TAKING THEIR TIME TO PREPARE. PERHAPS BLINDLY SLAGGING THEM OFF WASN'T THE RIGHT THING AFTER ALL. ahem.

(yes, they are still very stubborn, but let's sample the pudding to obtain proof...)

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricke...

Shareholder value? Same thing they do anything these days, IMO.

Now 'The Laws Have Changed' by the New Pornographers. Ah, power pop.

The builder who did our house is / was a conspiracy theorist. I didn't have the heart to mention I once marketed 5G. Good builder, though.

+resonates (that'll teach me for typing too quickly).

Bluetooth earbuds in, mouth 'i'm on a call', problem solved. :)

Following this up with the House That Heaven Built by Japandroids. What a tune.

Twitter 2007 - 2011 was great fun. YT I wasn't as close to, but i'm a twitter OG, back to 2006.