iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Mike Knell @blat.at · 16h

More evidence that Flemish is a made up language that nobody actually speaks.

A web page advertising a burger called the BICKY BASTARD. The copy begins with “Flex je veggie muscles” and continues in a similar vein.

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 03/10/2026

I’m not an economist but I’d suspect the answer to be “because they’re too expensive”.

Guardian headline.
'People are deserting it': why are London mansions struggling to sell?

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 27/09/2026

Watching the 1980 BBC Shakespeare production of The Tempest and amused that it features David Dixon (who played Ford in the BBCtv adaptation of the Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy) as an extremely fey Ariel, clad only in a loincloth and a lot of glittery bronzer.

David Dixon as Ariel, sat on the ground cross-legged. He's completely the same light bronze colour from head to foot.

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 26/09/2026

What, have they changed the ending or something?

Disney+ notification on an Apple Watch.

Continue watching...
Star Wars: A New Hope (Episode IV) and see what happens next.

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 26/09/2026

Gilgamesh, also a perfectly normal cat, says hi.

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 25/09/2026

You should read that in the style of a public information film. Remember before you share: Click, Check. Every time. 2/2

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 25/09/2026

For your consideration: European Jeff Daniels discussing the EU budget on Euronews.

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 24/09/2026

Lots of data science nerds here, apparently.

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 22/09/2026

Aha! Yes indeed! (Also, what a cover)

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 22/09/2026

Alternatively you can get it on CD for about half the price (just under 100 quid rather than 200+) and get the full frequency/dynamic range. Or you can do what I did and pick up a used copy of the BBC's beautiful 1995 release which is *really* nicely done. (Map and booklet not shown) 2/2

Shot of a cloth-coloured CD binder in black with "J.R.R. Tolkien / The Lord of the Rings" and a graphical design blocked out in gold.

The binder open, with one black cardboard sleeve visible with its own design and "The Rings Goes South" also blocked in gold. Also visible is the CD itself, a gold disc wiith the same design as on the outside of the binder.

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 21/09/2026

Blackshorts! "You hear them shouting 'Heil, Spode!' and you imagine it is the Voice of the People. That is where you make your bloomer. What the Voice of the People is saying is: 'Look at that frightful ass Spode swanking about in footer bags! Did you ever in your puff see such a perfect perisher?'"

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 18/09/2026

Absolutely WTF news. The FPÖ has close ties to Identitarians and neo-Nazis and cranks and Holocaust deniers. The first time they joined a governing coalition Israel withdrew its ambassador in protest. Seems Bibi and pals are too stupid to realise that the FPÖ isn’t pro-Jews, it’s just anti-Muslim.

from Haaretz! “Historic Turning Point” - Israel Moves Toward Recognizing Austrian Party Founded by Former Nazis
The Austrian Freedom Party‘s leader gave a speech backing Israel’s righ-wing agenda that was welcomed by members of the Israeli government. Austria’s established Jewish community vehemently rejects the party.

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 18/09/2026

Okay hear me out, a Lord of the Rings remake but with these two taking the One Ring to Mordor.

Asterix and Obelix walking along happiy. Asterix has his usual gourd of magic potion stuck in his belt.

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 15/09/2026

Oor Wullie is assisting police with their enquiries.

A photograph of a metal bucket on a riverbank, captioned "A bucket at the scene".

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 12/09/2026

News: 5kg of cocaine seized after being found in lollipops at Dublin Airport www.bbc.com/news/article...

Mrs Doyle from Father Ted offering some no doubt very tasty cake, and enticing Ted with "Are you sure, Father? There's cocaine in it!"

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 12/09/2026

I will always treasure this photo of a piece of sheet music that had been returned to a music library..

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 10/09/2026

The production values in Apple's launch videos are amazing. If you listen very carefully over the introduction you can just hear Jony Ive still screaming to be let out of the white room in the basement of 1 Infinite Loop which they bricked up in 2019.

Former Apple chief designer Jony Ive in his white room. Captioned "Jony Ive: Locked in a white room since 1992".

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 09/09/2026

Indeed there is. :)

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 09/09/2026

Rather astonishingly, this was 20 years ago this very day. Tag urself - I'm the handsome and alarmingly young-looking dude in the front looking extremely pleased with himself.

A wedding photo taken from an upstairs window looking down on a lawn with a large crowd of guests behind the shellshocked-looking yet happy couple.

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 04/09/2026

The United States included this tweet from Andrew Tate in its evidence opposing his release on bail pending extradition but like the COWARDS THEY ARE they didn’t include Greta’s legendary clap-back.

A page of court evidence with a yellow GOVERNMENT EXHIBIT label in one corner, including a screenshot of a tweet from Andrew Tate aimed at Greta Thunberg in which he boasts about how big his car’s engines are and how much they generate in emissions.

Greta Thunberg’s reply to that tweet, reading - “yes, please do enlighten me. email me at smalldickenergy@getalife.com”

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 04/09/2026

I suspect that the Woodland Tavern in Leamington Spa where I spent far too much time from the age of (cough) 16 onwards is not a place I would find quite so welcoming these days.

Picture of a pub bar. There is a ceiling fan and the usual paraphernalia, but there is also a big flag hanging over the bar in the form of a St George's Cross containing in its quarters a red rose, the "Three Lions" coat of arms of England, and the words "LEAVE MEANS LEAVE". Just so you know where you are it also has "England" written at the bottom in Ye Olde English type and a bloke on a horse in the middle who I presume is supposed to be St George. Yeaahh...

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 02/09/2026

we now go live to the arrival of the USS Abraham Lincoln in port

"The Raft of the Medusa", a famous 19th century painting by French artist Théodore Géricault which depicts the last remnants of the ship "Médusa" sprawled exhausted and starving on a crude raft. For some reason many of them seem to have lost their clothes but hey, that's 19th century art for you.

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 30/08/2026

One of the glittering prizes shown as being on offer for contestants in the first edition of the original NBC "Blockbusters" in 1980. I bet they didn't even have tremendous protein value.

A can of Hormel "6 Ham Patties", tagged "FULLY COOKED" and "SMOKE FLAVORING ADDED". The lower half of the dark brown label is an unappealing looking photo of a fry-up including said patties, egg and mushrooms. At least, I think they're mushrooms. The might be olives, or gall bladders.

"Major" Stewart Nicolle Benest of Benest & Fineprice, a small chain of Jersey supermarkets. Channel Islands Jersey, not Noo Joisey. He is being filmed against a wooden background holding forth on the importance of chipsteaks, which offer tremendous protein value.

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 25/08/2026

The Queen meeting Elisabeth Windsor in 1977.

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 24/08/2026

Job title: UNIX Systems Development Officer Employer: Every university in the world Start date: Sometime in 1985? Maybe? Not sure, they just seemed to appear one day and they're still here 40 years later.

A picture of Gandalf in Bilbo's living room from "The Fellowship of the Eing". He has long hair and a straggly white beard and is about to explain to a senior manager why migrating the email infrastructure to Outlook 365 would be a disaster, advice which they will ignore.

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 17/08/2026

Gilgamesh wishes it to be known that, er...

A tabby cat with a white face and front is looking at the camera with an expression that is best summarised as "derp" - one eye is half closed and his tongue is sticking out.

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 17/08/2026

Idly wondering what the piece of (non-trivial) equipment is that's been in use for the longest uninterrupted period in broadcasting. Can anything beat the BBC L1 lip ribbon mic - designed in 1937, slightly updated in the early 50s as the L2 and still sold today almost unchanged as the Coles 4104?

An L2-type ribbon mic in use at a football ground. The commentator holds the mic in front of their face with a metal guard at the front pressed against their top lip to keep their mouth the correct distance from the pickup for optimal performance.

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 16/08/2026

Where do 12-year-old girls shop? Their answers will surprise you.

The original Games Workshop in London, with a queue of exclusively male anorak-clad customers waiting outside.

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 11/08/2026

Meet the new head of ORF (Austria's national broadcaster), Clemens Pig. @actualnames.bsky.social

A screenshot of an article from
the ORF website, showing Mr Pig and his top management team.

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 07/08/2026

If you see this reply with a picture that illustrates what it's like living in the UK

A still from an Adam Curtis film. It portrays what looks like an industrial washing machine, with the caption “ BUT NOW THE SYSTEM WAS
BECOMING ABSURD..

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 06/08/2026

"So they rang the gas board..."

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 05/08/2026

Saw the Freiwillige Feuerwehr from a couple of villages away go past and thought they were rather off their usual patch. And then I noticed the view to the north. Good lord.

A view from a terrace showing a wooded ridge in the background with a big wide plume of smoke rising from behind it into the sky, maybe 10km or so away.

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 30/07/2026

We needed a minor repair done on the roof. Who ya gonna call? (In this part of the world, anyway)

Egon Spengler from "Ghostbusters", wearing a white shirt and a tie with a grey lab coat. He has a pocket protector carrying an 80s pocket computer and a pair of headphones attached to a stethoscope-like contraption around his neck.

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 27/07/2026

Discounting “various artists” and “best of”s as they’re kind of cheating. The 90s wasn’t all grunge and Trainspotting and shoe-gazing indy kids.

The cover of “Titanic Days” by Kirsty MacColl.

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 24/07/2026

"Roy and his supporters believe that the Church is in a state of permanent emergency Catholicism."

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 20/07/2026

For the first time since 1976 the UK has a Prime Minister who speaks with a Northern accent. And just for good measure he's appointed Healey as Chancellor.

A black and white photo of Denis Healey, Chancellor of the Exchequer under the 1974-1979 governments of Wilson and Callaghan. He has impressive eyebrows and is for some reason holding up two fingers in what appears to be the V-sign.

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 20/07/2026

Getting strong "Smashie and Nicey press conference" vibes from all the completely voluntary ministerial resignations today. "They're sa..." "WE RESIGN! WE RESIGN!"

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 19/07/2026

Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna. Basically no parking but it's got a massive U-Bahn station with an extra platform and direct links to the depot which with the crowd control in place can get 900 people onto a train every 2 minutes or so after major events. Want to drive? Use the park&ride system.

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 17/07/2026

This was one of Johann Strauss's less successful waltzes. Although the Vienna Oboe and the Vienna Horn had become part of local culture Strauss was disappointed to find that conservative Austrian audiences were simply not yet ready for the Vienna Kazoo.

A Vienna street sign from the 21st district, for a road called "An der oberen Alten Donau".

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 15/07/2026

Peoples' kinks seem to be getting more and more specific these days.

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Mike Knell @blat.at · 12/07/2026

oh my, I only just noticed the #Tintin reference in the Last Night of the Proms last year - the bill included the Jewel Song from Gounod's "Faust" ("Ah my beauty past compare, these jewels bright I wear!"), also known as Bianca Castafiore's signature aria (which she sings at every opportunity).

Bianca Castafiore from the Tintin stories - a cartoon rendering of a middle-aged white woman with a blonde bouffant, in a red dress with a sapphire brooch. She is in full song.

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