Brett Gray

Image of Shax from Star Trek Lower Decks with the words "Sufficiently advanced incompetence is indistinguishable from malice"

We all know Clarke's "sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic"

Well we have corollary:

So yesterday, after years of living here, I became a British citizen. It was weirdly emotional. I didn’t realise how much I thought of myself as a foreigner in someone else’s country.

‘My confusion is daily before me’. My signature Bible verse.

Today I learned how much Robert Frost disliked TS Eliot, almost taking the Wasteland as a personal affront.

Left the house in a disoriented and hassled rush this morning. Came back to find I'd never locked the door. I want to say how grateful I am still to have a stereo, passport, TV, etc.

The giant looming Gnome freaks me out, but the beer is good

Great pub, been there a couple of times.

Instead of banning trans women from places, let's ban the woman who was playing Pump Up the Jam through her phone speakers in my swimming pool changing room this morning

Merle Haggard - If We Make It Through December (1974) YouTube video by jan novák

Happy Advent!

I am vaguely uncomfortable with my country doing war crimes. By 'vaguely uncomfortable' read 'horrified', 'disgusted', and 'ashamed'.

The two moods of Advent:
1) Sooner or later God’s going to cut you down.
2) Stollen is breakfast food.

Going to try to start a rumour that the original themes of the Advent candles were Death, Judgement, Heaven, and Hell.

Well, William Nye going a bit 'German Christian' in his choice of books of the year in the Church Times is a thing.

My general rule of thumb is that anyone who uses 'woke' as an easy insult or derisive term goes on probation. It is possible they are ignorant, but it is likely they are an asshat.

‘Smart Casual’ is a tool the upper middle classes use to confuse and frustrate middle and working class folk. It’s class warfare as dress code.

I good rule of thumb is that numbers never speak for themselves, and when someone tells you they do it's time to become suspicious.

Things I've actually said out loud to myself while reading some Barth today: 'Great f**king line Karl!'

That is dark, so very dark…

I am going into a meeting for which I have written a pre-circulated report. I will not 'speak to' this report. I will assume people have read it and ask if there are any questions and queries. Think how much of human life could be reclaimed if more people did this simple thing.

I wish some Democrat lawmakers would wake up, smell the coffee, and recognise that this is existential for democracy. Playing by the normal rules won't work when the guy you're playing against doesn't do rules. Or morality.

A concentrated attempt by the funded and organised right to undermine the BBC is not beyond the realms of possibility.

I think we need to stop calling it empathy and go back to calling it decency. It isn't a favour you're doing someone else, it's you proving that you aren't a fucking ghoul

Here to tell you that making progress in therapy isn't always as much fun as it sounds.

I just got up and had breakfast, and a couple of really productive hours. I thought I made the right move... until this mid-afternoon present. Now, not so sure.

Snap!

The temptation to just invent words and throw them into conversations with fellow academics to see what happens is stronger than it should be.

The new Florence and the Machine album may really be that good.

Not looking for a fight, more a sly provocation.

Happy Reformation Day to my Anglican friends in total denial of their Protestantism. All the scares today.