iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Alan @apertum.ie · 25/09/2026

Mapping out where my underfloor heating goes.

Picture from a thermal camera showing glowing red lines on the floor where the pipes go

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Alan @apertum.ie · 12/09/2026

Did a bunch of folk coming from Rome get dumped in *Belfast* due to Trump? Why not divert to Kerry or Knock of Dublin?

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Alan @apertum.ie · 11/09/2026

This isn't quite how I imagined firearms held as evidence would be stored.

bunch of guns tossed in an understairs cupboard.

010

Alan @apertum.ie · 10/09/2026

Cool and normal. Brent Crude is at $105, which means 1000l of heating oil in County Clare is €1,529. The dickhead who did it is coming to visit this weekend. #speirgorm

graph of the Brent Crude oil price, rising to the current price of $105.03

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Alan @apertum.ie · 06/08/2026

First egg from the new chickens. Much squarking then they were all sitting around it in a circle staring at it.

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Alan @apertum.ie · 10/07/2026

Yeah, he has got a point.

"The pub urinal at the centre of Count Binface's bizarre manifesto"
The hand dryer is between a urinal and a sink.

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Alan @apertum.ie · 06/06/2026

I am not falling for that

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Alan @apertum.ie · 05/06/2026

Entirely surrounded by carpark

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Alan @apertum.ie · 26/05/2026

Looking at the Shannon data, these are all the days that have had max temperature of 30+ since 1945

29-jul-1948
29-jun-1976
30-jun-1976
02-jul-1976
13-jul-1983
18-jul-1989
29-jun-1995
18-jul-2006
27-jun-2018
28-jun-2018
29-jun-2018
18-jul-2022
13-aug-2022
12-jul-2025

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Alan @apertum.ie · 26/05/2026

now 30. Looks like we will beat the 1997 May record by a clear 2 degrees.

$"name": "Shannon", "temperature": "30", "symbol": "01d", "weatherDescription": "Sun / Clear sky", "text": "\"Sun/Clear sky\"", "windSpeed": "7", "windGust": "-", "cardinalWindDirection": "S", "windDirection": 180, "humidity": " 37 ", "rainfall": " 0.0 ", "pressure": "1025", "dayName": "Tuesday", "date": "26-05-2026", "reportTime": "17:00"$

010

Alan @apertum.ie · 26/05/2026

That is 29 degrees in May, recorded at Shannon just now. Might get up to 30 later. This is a new record for May. #speirgorm prodapi.met.ie/observations...

$"name": "Shannon", "temperature": "29", "symbol": "01d", "weatherDescription": "Sun / Clear sky", "text": "\"Sun/Clear sky\"", "windSpeed": "7", "windGust": "-", "cardinalWindDirection": "E", "windDirection": 90, "humidity": " 50 ", "rainfall": " 0.0 ", "pressure": "1026", "dayName": "Tuesday", "date": "26-05-2026", "reportTime": "15:00"$

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Alan @apertum.ie · 25/04/2026

Rather impressive, and the 12th century building is the new one

000

Alan @apertum.ie · 25/04/2026

Just did the Cashel run in under 12 parsecs #speirgorm

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Alan @apertum.ie · 15/04/2026

Signature of John F Kennedy Jr, when he was junior, in June 1967. From the Shannon airport visitor book.

A signature page with several Kennedy signatures

000

Alan @apertum.ie · 17/03/2026

There was a new record set, on Valentine's day. We set a new record most years as more generation comes on line. It isn't necessarily the very windiest day, as they will furl the blades in very high winds. High consistent winds over a large area is best.

all time max wind generation 4,718MW for Ireland

011

Alan @apertum.ie · 17/03/2026

Wind energy is dominant at this time of year, all the interconnectors are maxed out exporting, and it can go so much further.

pie chart showing how Ireland's electricity is being generated. Renewables 74%, gas 24% other 1.54%. No coal in use.

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Alan @apertum.ie · 05/03/2026

At some point a missile or drone is going to land right here. It could be soon.

A map showing a point in the sea off Africa in the Gulf of Guinea, latitude 0 longitude 0

020

Alan @apertum.ie · 11/02/2026

Chaser data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachta...

The use of a house, part of a house or unit for short term letting
purposes is a material change in the use of the house, part thereof or
unit, as the case may be

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Alan @apertum.ie · 11/02/2026

Shot www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/d...

The Taoiseach
The Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 has nothing to do with short-term letting.

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Alan @apertum.ie · 11/02/2026

this is the list of population centres > 20,000 where either *planning permission will not normally be granted* or perhaps *the regulations apply only in these places*.

Carlow, Counties Carlow & Laois
Dublin city and suburbs, Counties Dublin & Meath
Balbriggan, Co Dublin
Swords, Co Dublin
Celbridge, Co Kildare
Naas, Co Kildare
Newbridge, Co Kildare
Kilkenny, Co Kilkenny
Portlaoise, Co Laois
Drogheda, Counties Louth & Meath
Dundalk, Co Louth
Navan, Co Meath
Mullingar, Co Westmeath
Athlone, Counties Westmeath & Roscommon
Wexford, Co Wexford
Greystones-Delgany, Co Wicklow
Bray, Counties Wicklow & Dublin
Ennis, Co Clare
Cork city and suburbs, Co Cork
Tralee, Co Kerry
Limerick city and suburbs, Counties Limerick & Clare
Waterford city and suburbs, Counties Waterford & Kilkenny
Galway city and suburbs, Co Galway
Sligo, Co Sligo
Letterkenny, Co Donegal
State

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Alan @apertum.ie · 11/02/2026

sorry, wrong filter, it is this list

120

Alan @apertum.ie · 11/02/2026

So we think that <20,000 you need planning permission before May 20th complying with the new planning statement that will be published *after* May, and >20,000 you won't get it. Perhaps. We just don't know. www.brockdelappe.ie/blog/short-t...

010

Alan @apertum.ie · 11/02/2026

yeah, did that yesterday, it is these places Thing is, we have *no* idea what the 20,000 means because it seems to have no relation to what the 10,000 it updated was.

210

Alan @apertum.ie · 11/02/2026

Ordered a little tool for measuring threads so I can 3d print stuff that screws onto things. Checked the technical specifications and I am now not entirely sure what is going to arrive. www.amazon.ie/dp/B08MT6KYVW

020

Alan @apertum.ie · 07/01/2026

Not really my area of expertise, but if I was talking to a senior administration official who said that the oil had been put in to barrels I think I would find another official to talk to.

010

Alan @apertum.ie · 25/11/2025

Well I like to inform myself on Irish political topics I may have a cursory understanding of as I wasn't resident at the time. AI popped up to help:

a steaming pile of nonsense from AI search results saying a mixture of "it is a USA thing" and "it was repealed in 1984"

100

Alan @apertum.ie · 04/11/2025

In todays low-truth environment I had dismissed the local lion sightings with accompanying video proof as AI slop. Turns out it wasn't AI at all (or a lion). It is a dog called Mouse with some creative grooming.

A Newfoundland dog groomed to give it a mane and tail with end floof. It is being petted or perhaps arrested by an Irish Garda.

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Alan @apertum.ie · 21/10/2025

Idiocracy was a documentary.

031

Alan @apertum.ie · 26/09/2025

well, OK but that isn't normally how we write that.

020

Alan @apertum.ie · 24/08/2025

We have chickens! Put the house and run together and got the feeders. One egg already!

A chicken house and run with an amber star, black rock, spackle moran and Rhode island red chicken

130

Alan @apertum.ie · 13/08/2025

Well that ain't right.

A double socket with fairly severe scorching on the left side.

010

Alan @apertum.ie · 04/08/2025

Power cut this morning, cuppa from the hob kettle while we wait. #stormfloris

000

Alan @apertum.ie · 02/08/2025

Computer says you can't move country.

010

Alan @apertum.ie · 31/07/2025

Great afternoon out at Ardnacrusha power station.

The turbine hall. The blue and red things are magnets in a north south alternating pattern on a turbine being serviced

The penstocks, 100 tons per second of water through each

The power station, architecture is german

110

Alan @apertum.ie · 25/07/2025

What is on the annual service schedule for my Nissan Leaf then?

Spark Plugs
Replace spark plugs if applicable (though this is less common in electric vehicles)

000

Alan @apertum.ie · 17/07/2025

Part of our first year strawberry harvest as jam.

8 jars of strawberry jam on a baking tray

010

Alan @apertum.ie · 19/06/2025

Sunset at Doolin harbour looking out to the Aran Islands

Sunset over the sea with islands in the background and the Doolin Ferry fleet in the foreground

011

Alan @apertum.ie · 06/06/2025

I believe a bit of a rethink is in order to achieve an aimed crash of the International Space Station into the pacific. www.astronomy.com/space-explor...

Once the final crews depart the ISS, NASA plans to allow the station’s orbit to further decay over 12 to 18 months. Then, a final deorbit will be facilitated by a modified version of the highly successful SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. This one-off craft will be larger than a standard Dragon, have six times the propellant, and four times the thruster power. The deorbit Dragon vehicle will use 46 Draco thrusters to perform several propellant burns to shift the orbit ever lower, as well as undertake a final burn to precipitate the ultimate descent of the station.

100

Alan @apertum.ie · 01/06/2025

First harvest from the barrel garden. Spuds, carrots, garlic, mint, strawberries, broad beans.

000

Alan @apertum.ie · 31/05/2025

Our guests rented a car and got a ticket for not displaying a tax disc. On closer inspection Europcar had given them a bit of paper saying "Tax applied for" which unsurprisingly means nothing. The car had a disc that expired in February!

000

Alan @apertum.ie · 21/05/2025

I thought for a while they were not going to South Sudan, but it seems they are carefully picking their way through friendly airspace corridors high over the middle east

screenshot of a flight map, showing a flight from Shannon South East across Europe over Egypt and Saudi Arabia then Oman, avoiding Yemen and heading West up the gulf of Aden in the direction of South Sudan

163

Alan @apertum.ie · 20/05/2025

Multinational shops also have problems, but I assume that is re-used text from other markets. www.lidl.ie/c/lawn-care-...

What can I do if I have a mole in the garden?
Moles are a protected species. They may not be caught, injured or killed. There are numerous methods to drive them away. Methods that attack the mole's sense of smell or hearing are particularly promising. For example, spreading buttermilk, garlic water or mothballs on the ground can help. The sound of a wind chime can also often help.

100

Alan @apertum.ie · 20/05/2025

The confidence of a hallucinating AI is really problematic. There are no moles in Ireland. #speirgorm

Moles are a natural part of the Irish ecosystem, playing a role in soil aeration and nutrient cycling

1102

Alan @apertum.ie · 03/05/2025

We have some cracking tourist attractions out in rural Ireland, come and see the unusual tree! Might have to cycle over and check that it is in no way a perfectly normal tree.

screenshot of google maps, in the middle is St Flannan's Holy Well + Unusual Treet

010

Alan @apertum.ie · 24/04/2025

Aldi Ireland are doing a robot mower in a couple of weeks. It looks quite good selling at €249, it is a Yardforce MB400 which they sell for £450 uk.yardforce.eu/product/mb40...

screenshot of the Aldi flyer showing a robot mower on grass

250

Alan @apertum.ie · 21/04/2025

Well if it is reduced to €1.98 I am quite happy to have a slice of Spiderman birthday cake with a cup of tea.

000

Alan @apertum.ie · 19/04/2025

It isn't what I like best, but it is ok.

000

Alan @apertum.ie · 19/04/2025

This is apparently what Tiggers like best.

110

Alan @apertum.ie · 10/04/2025

The White House has replaced the stars and stripes with a red flag.

tweet from The White House "DO NOT RETALIATE AND YOU WILL BE REWARDED"

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