Mark Taylor @markstaylor@mas.to

My writing with Stories of our Lives: https://markstaylor.uk/blog/2021/04/my-writing-with-stories-of-our-lives

My phone’s ‘Now Playing’ feature thought my neighbour’s lawnmower was ‘Reptilia’ by The Strokes.

Based on the mouse’s descriptions, it’s really not clear why anyone except Fox is so afraid of the Gruffalo.

When I type a password manually instead of letting my password manager autofill, and I type it wrong, I can’t help but see an edge of sarcasm in the ‘Do you want to update this password in Bitwarden?’ popup.

I wildly misunderstood this show as a child.

Brazil with Michael Palin looks much jollier than Brazil with Terry Gilliam

Lots of people dislike the monarchy but aren’t sure there’s a good alternative. I think we can all get behind this: https://www.futilitycloset.com/2021/03/09/one-solution-6/

‘AutoSergei’ demolishes the conceit that the meerkats’ meerkat-comparison service keeps frustratingly getting confused with Compare the Market. It should automatically compare meerkats.

Child won’t go to sleep? Toddler started tantrumming? The government has a great new service for you

I appreciate the way the YouTube Music ‘Discover’ algorithm cautiously proffers new new genres to see if I’m into them. This week it thinks I might like ‘songs that aren’t from musical theatre but sound like they could be’ and ‘songs about zombies’.

Me: Shall we get dressed so we can go outside?
Rory: No. Want to not go outside. Want to hide under the duvet.
The voice of the nation.

Sometimes Google Photos gives me a notification that says ‘New memory for you’ and I can’t help but worry my past is being retroactively constructed by Google’s AI

Paid a couple of quid extra to get something from a seller on eBay rather than from Amazon. The seller bought it on Amazon, had it sent directly to me, and pocketed the difference. Not my most successful ethical stand ever.

Harsh but fair.

Why would anyone want to go to a house party of more than 15 people

Apparently ‘inappropriate or offensive language’ will soon be banned from passwords at my work. A philosophical quandary: if a word is immediately hashed and nobody else ever sees it, can it be ‘inappropriate or offensive’?

There is only one person in this house who my son will say ‘Good morning’ and ‘Goodnight’ to, and it’s the smoke alarm.

‘Elmer’ is surely the ultimate fantasy: to get a glimpse of how people are when you’re not around, discover they’re way less happy without you, and then do a joke so good they decide it deserves an annual parade.

Am astonishing new high for YouTube Music’s tendency to play versions of songs from weird compilations.

I wonder what our ongoing national disaster will announce this time.