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Mark Norman Francis

@cackhanded.net
450 followers 309 following 1K posts

Internet boffin.

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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 05/09/2026
Geeks love… #daily #tshirt norm.hasworn.com/tshirts/geek... — This is the 11th time I've worn this since October 2012. It is my 135th most frequently worn tshirt. And I wear it every 5th September in memory of its designer, Cindy Li. Gone too soon.
A brown tshirt with a design featuring pink stylised glasses, a heart, and an asterisk — to denote “geeks love everything” (but with a second, secret, meaning too).
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 12/08/2026
Lens flare eclipse
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 03/08/2026
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 02/08/2026
From my time at Yahoo! circa ‘07
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 30/07/2026
Film you've watched more than six times with a gif. Hard mode: no Star Trek, Star Wars, LOTR, Marvel, Disney, or Ghibli. Extra-hard mode: you made the GIF.
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 21/07/2026
I have been out of work for a while, after a year of full meltdown burnout and then two of trying and failing to get a job. So it’s quite exciting but also a bit nerve-wracking to start a new job today.
Screengrab of my invitation to join the mySociety org on GitHub.
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 20/07/2026
I switched to paying for Kagi. It’s not perfect, by any means, but I notice it failing much less often.
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 28/03/2026
I would like to know more
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 28/03/2026
Screenshot of the block account action
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 27/03/2026
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 14/03/2026
Making some progress
Summary output of tasks, showing how much is done and how much is not, per file. On this project I am currently 98 of 212 tasks done.
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 06/03/2026
Anthropic CEO may or may not be full of shit, may or may not be huffing what he’s selling, may or may not be trying to remain relevant, may or may not be trying to impress his mates in the pub after work.
Screenshot of a Polymarket post to X: “BREAKING: Anthropic CEO says Claude may or may not have gained consciousness, as the model has begun showing symptoms of anxiety.”
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 15/02/2026
Drop an album that was important to you when you were 19
Album cover of Prince of the Deep Water by The Blessing. A picture including an arty four poster bed, a swing, an anchor, a stormy backdrop, double exposure where some boots are visible but fades out before the leg, the album name spelled out in physical letters in a circle. It is in colour but muted, almost sepia.
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 25/01/2026
PHRASING
Screenshot of an Apple Health notification saying “You scored a 69 last night due to getting fewer hours of sleep.”
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 23/01/2026
Itsy, sleeping under my desk
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 23/01/2026
Roxy, in the smallest sunbeam
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 09/01/2026
I only communicate in pictures now
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 09/01/2026
No but apparently I can eat it for you.
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 09/01/2026
I scrolled down to see how much it’d be and turns out it fits on one screen
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 09/01/2026
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 08/01/2026
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 06/01/2026
GIFs
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 05/01/2026
The egg in question.
An M&S custard cream biscuity Easter egg.
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 26/12/2025
*slaps the roof* and you can store many post it notes on these bad boys
An old Mission speaker with about fifty multicoloured postit note pads stacked on top. General detritus lies around.
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 25/12/2025
Order up!
A plate of roast poussin, carrots, peas, brussels sprout, pigs in blankets, and of course the potat done in goose fat.
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 25/12/2025
The obligatory “before”
Three stuffed poussin ready for roasting in a tray and on a vegetable base
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 23/12/2025
Klaatu Barada … Necktie … Nectar … Nickel …
The robot Gort standing in front of a landed Flying Saucer imposingly.
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 12/12/2025
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 11/12/2025
Is … is it a bomb? A nuclear bomb? Have I somehow triggered Judgement Day?
Screenshot of an Evri delivery tracking page saying I’m getting a package from Skynet Worldwide Express today.
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 08/12/2025
Movie you've watched more than six times with a gif. Hard mode: no Stars (either War or Trek), LOTR, or Marvel. Ultra-hard mode: you made the GIF — gifs.cackhanded.net/wargames/the...
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 02/12/2025
Firefox, now: AI all the things Firefox, then:
A poster from Mozilla, dated around 2006-8. A drawing of a supercute fox looks imploringly at you with huge eyes. The words below read: Please don’t hurt the web — use open standards.
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 30/11/2025
I don’t think the recommendation engine quite gets the brief
A playlist entitled “Songs for My Funeral”. I’ve added a track from the GTA:V soundtrack called “No Happy Endings”. The recommendations are other tracks from that soundtrack.
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 23/11/2025
And it’s … HI HO SILVER LINING And away you go baby I SEE YOUR SUN IS SHINING but I won’t make a fuss though it’s obvious
Karaoke Pontifex
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 12/11/2025
I have played so much Surviving Mars. So much. And here I am buying it again with the Relaunched edition.
My PlayStation gameplay stats for Surviving Mars. Played 768 hours. One platinum trophy unlocked, two gold, thirteen silver, and 48 bronze.
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 30/10/2025
If you see this, post a vampire that isn’t Dracula.
Darla, the first on-screen vampire in Buffy the Vampire Slayer tv series.
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 30/10/2025
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 25/10/2025
Thought I’d get a little fancy today and have a cucumber sandwich. #CrispSandwichDay
A bag of Korean Lays cucumber flavour crisps, a glass ramekin and knife with remains of butter, and two slices of buttered white bread in a plate, one of which is covered in crisps.
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 25/10/2025
norm.hasworn.com/tshirts/cris... — This is the fourth time I've worn this tshirt, the last time was a year ago.
A green tshirt showing a cartoon slice of bread and bag of crisps (which in NO WAY resembles Walkers, no siree) holding hands, surrounded by text “Crisp Sandwich Day —  October 25th”.
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 09/09/2025
Bubblin’
A stockpot full of gumbo-to-be bubbling away on the hob.
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 05/09/2025
Geeks love… #DailyTshirt norm.hasworn.com/tshirts/geek... — This is the tenth time I've worn this since October 2012, and the second time in the past twelve months. It is my 138th most frequently worn tshirt.
A brown tshirt with a design of pink spectacles, a pink heart, and a pink asterisk — a visual pun on “geeks love everything” and a second, ruder, meaning.
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 19/08/2025
Nice. @vole.wtf
I got 69% in my last game of vole.wtf’s Daybrix.

My record over the past month is patchy, most days I didn’t even play.
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 26/07/2025
No cheating; post your Lock Screen.
iOS Lock Screen, the image is an Iconfactory render of the “Ad Astra Per Aspera” poster from the Those Old Scientists episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. The widgets show some events that will occur soon, the weather, and a shortcut to Things.
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 19/07/2025
Hello darkness, my old friend I’ve come to drink from you again
A bottle of Biona tart cherry juice. It does not lie, it is tart. Whoof.
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 26/06/2025
Got new glasses!
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 19/06/2025
Suddenly filled with The Fear.
A screenshot of an email from Ocado telling me the app and website are being replaced next week. This makes me nervous that nothing will work and I will starve.
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 18/06/2025
No, you’re a nerd.
A photo showing the cover of Space: 1999 The Roleplaying Game core rulebook sat on my desk.
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 17/06/2025
If you see this, quote a show with an awesome theme song.
“CHiPs” title card, letters superimposed on a shot of the badge of the California Highway Patrol on the fuel tank of a motorbike.
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 15/06/2025
What’s your sign?
An American freeway sign showing exit 404.
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 05/06/2025
Putting’ leftover gumbo in the freezer
In the freezer we see several metal sheets on which rest ziplock bags, full of delicious food, kept separated by stock cubes so they can freeze as flat as possible.
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Mark Norman Francis @cackhanded.net · 21/05/2025
There’s not many celebrity deaths I would add my voice to (though they are all sad) but I feel the death of George Wendt a little more. I loved Cheers. It’s why my middle name is Norman. RIP.
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