iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

The (apparently now) usual weekly “hipster” beer bollox. Check Alt Text to lose even more brain cells.

Another of my usual pineapple-juice looking hazy pale ales, in a 2/3 glass. In front of a Preston Pub Festival 2026 card, on a Preston Pub Festival 2026 beer mat.

Yep. I am in Preston. Again.

GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Anyway, my art has taken a slightly odd turn. Glad it is a just a hobby and not my livelihood. Digital art created using an App that simulates real art materials, brushes, etc.

A “Paisley” type pattern, Dark & Light blue, with additional small patches of red, yellow and medium blue scattered across the light blue area.

The pattern was created by creating multiple layers, each of a single colour and then “scraping” away the colour on each layer to reveal the colour underneath.

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

I’m drinking yet another different pineapple-juice looking pale ale over 6% ABV. All these “hipster” beers taste different… which is why I drink them.

2/3 of a pint of a hazy pineapple-juice looking pale ale in a posh stem-glass.

As you’d expect from me.

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

I’ve gone to a local source** of “hipster” beers… Chain House in Preston l. **Other sources are available

A pint of a hazy pale liquid, that from its cloudy dark yellow colour one might think is fruit based (pineapple, for example) but is in fact a 6% pale ale.

It was brewed on the premises, as can be seen by the large-scale brewer’s equipment in the background

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Cheers… I’ve gone “hipster”, as I often do these days

A half-pint of a cloudy 8% ABV Double IPA that looks like a cloudy pineapple juice.

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Describe this beer in one word: SOUR

Yet another mango-juice looking hipster glass of ale.

6.5 ABV from Holy Goat (Dundee).

So sour it is hard not to gurn when drinking. Perfect.

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

I am now working even harder…

A hipster 1/3 pint of a 8.5% ABV hazy double milkshake IPA in a pretentious glass on a plain wooden table.

If you weee wondering, it tastes amazing.

Track brewery (Manchester)

BTW, the previous beer was by Vocation brewery, Hebden Bridge

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

I am working really hard, and here is the proof…

A “hipster”glass of 7.5% ABV hazy “milkshake” IPA on a wooden slatted table.

If you were wondering, it tastes really good.i

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Sat in a pub without a TV, shopping whilst England are playing in the World Cup is a great way to enjoy a quiet beer TBH… My current drink: mango, papaya and lime sour by Brew York Brewery. Quite a few other ANTIFIFAs in here with me.

A half pint of what looks like mango juice in goblet-style glass, on a circular beer-mat on a brass-topped table.

It is in fact a glass of “Papaya Roach” ale 5.1% ABV.

It is delicious… and yes, it does look like homebrew.

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

Told you. This is even more “homebrewy”. And even more sour.

A schooner of ultra-sour real ale that looks like a dark orange
pineapple juice but isn’t.

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

I bought another glass of “homebrew”, and I’ll do it again. Really refreshing on a hot day.

A half-pint of a pineapple and grapefruit sour beer, cloudy light orange:yellow.

It looks like a glass of Lilt. And it tastes like a glass of Lilt, with a sour aftertaste.

Beer: Lil’ Tropic by Vault City

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

Not a glass of pineapple juice. Hipster craft beer… just what I needed.

A schooner of a sour real ale (mango and lime) called Quit Your Day Job, 6.1% abv.

Lovely, particularly given the weather and it being 3.30pm on the Friday at the start of a bank holiday weekend.

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

This abstract was done using the same process as the previous picture... this time me just drawing wavy lines. #DigitalArt

Wavy lines seemingly emianate from a bright centre, and extend outwards.

A second "stream" of wavy lines flow from the centre-left edge of the picture and spread out across the entire picture. Where these lines cross with the first set of lines they appear brighter, implying some sort of interference.

The colours range from white, through a light green and blue to a darker blue, all against a very dark blue background.

The artist put no real thought into this, and this picture is the result of just applying lines randomly.

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

This GIF shows the different layers being added from backto front.

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

I was messing around with different layers on the digital art package I use, and came up with this "etching"... I used an eraser tool to remove colour from upper layers to reveal the lighter colours underneath. #DigitalArt

A red maple leaf on a bright green background. The maple leaf has started to turn "autumnal", with vivid red being replaced with oranges and yellows. The leaf's veins stand out more against the lighter colours.

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

Hazy IPA (6.8% ABV) Uber-hipster mode enabled.

A nearly full “posh” glass containing a very hazy orange/tan coloured liquid… it looks like pineapple juice.

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

Black Forest Gateaux Pastry Stout (5% ABV) I’ve gone full hipster.

A nearly empty “posh” glass containing a dark brown liquid

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

Nearly posted this… glad I didn’t TBH.

A screenshot that says “Deadline Day: City should sign Arteta.”

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

There’s repetition in the “shopping” and I’m never gonna lose it.

A double Jura single malt in a large glass which obviously expects a mixer and ice. The glass is on a bar mat on a wooden table. The whole scene is swathed in a purple aura

“Definitely Not Pop”music is “coming in my ears”

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

Extreme “shopping”. I’m definitely doing this again.

A downwards view of a double Jura malt whisky in a gloomy, purple-light setting.

Old-school industrial music is playing on the music.

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

I decided I wanted an "otherworldly" image for a playlist I recently made, and got a lot more invested in it than I expected. And depending upon your point of view, I suppose it might be good news that I've started "arting" again. #AbstractLandscape

This might just be an abstract painting rotated by 90 degrees.

Or it might dark silhouetted landscape (hints of green vegetation) against a deep blue night sky. In the distance is a range of hills, with a very bright light emanating from behind. A snall number of long brightly coloured lines spread upwards from the bright light, streaking across the sky. In the foreground other indistinct bright lights are spread across the ground... a lot of these are nebulous and cloud-like, whilst others appear to very localised.

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 18/01/2026

Brahim Diaz’s Wikipedia page has already been updated…

“He was an absolute melt in the final with his pen.”

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 23/12/2025

This perfectly demonstrates the problem with corporate LLM AIs with their mixing up of genuine facts and how truth can get confused and lost🤦‍♂️...

A browser question with AI's answer:

What is the Sisters of Mercy controversy?

AI Overview

The main controversy surrounding the Sisters of Mercy involves systemic child abuse (rape, neglect, cruelty) in their Irish institutions like industrial schools and Magdalene laundries, leading to major state investigations (like Ireland's Ryan Report) and demands for significant compensation from the order for thousands of victims, with the Sisters expressing regret and offering funds/properties but facing ongoing calls for greater responsibility and redress. Historically, there was also an 1869 case where a Sister sued her superiors for abuse, and issues with the band The Sisters of Mercy regarding record contracts.

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 08/12/2025

New pub. Indie music. Artsy view…

A view looking towards a pub window at an oblique angle. A framed David Bowie poster is on the dark wall to the left. The top of Blackpool Tower is visible above the rooftops, bright red and white lighting against a vaguely blue night sky.

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

Decided not to post this about Elon Musk, because I don’t know how desperate he is for even more money

Elon Musk would probably not give away all his money for one genuine friend.

He would never betray money like that.

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

Refreshing beverage acquired. Monday just got better.

A “hipster” schooner glass of a lovely sour real ale… proper sour too, with lots of lime.

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 21/11/2025

This is a Brazilian Lime gose (a German style sour wheat beer), and it is fantastic.

A small glass (schooner) of a cloudy amber beer in a “posh” stem glass

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 21/11/2025

A nice refreshing “cola”

A nice refreshing 8.4% ABV Irish Cream Profiterole Pastry Stout. Apparently.

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

This glass of cola has remarkable warming properties.

2/3 of a pint of “chocolate fudge brownie” imperial stout. 8.4% ABV. Northern Monk.

I was offered the option of ordering a full pint (local privilege) but decided against because they have another 2 or 3 new refreshments I want to try as well.

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 13/11/2025

I decided to dodge the rain and opted for a dry apple juice.

A pint of dry cider… “Real Cider” apparently. 6% ABV.

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

Global government debt reached $110,000,000,000 in 2025. Only two sovereign states in the world are believed to be completely free of debt: Liechtenstein and Niue. And still we persist with this system.

Gross national debt ranked by country:

1 U.S. $38.27 trillion
2 China $18.68 trillion
3 Japan $9.83 trillion
4 U.K. $4.09 trillion
5 France $3.92 trillion
6 Italy $3.48 trillion
7 India $3.36 trillion
8 Germany $3.23 trillion
9 Canada $2.60 trillion
10 Brazil $2.06 trillion
11 Spain $1.9 trillion
12 Mexico $1.1 trillion
13 Singapore $1.01 trillion
14 South Korea $990 billion
15 Australia $930 billion

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

Bloke with a poppy on staring at me… obviously wants a word. Probably because I’m wearing this Cardiacs shirt and thinks I’m a woke leftist. He is correct.

A Cardiacs white daisy shirt, a cut-down version of the album cover to “A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window” which may look like a white poppy.

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

I’m now on apple juice, because it is healthy

A pint of 6.7% “whisky cask” cider which tastes just like ordinary non-alcoholic apple juice with a slight hint of whisky in the aftertaste.

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

A nice refreshing cola drink, honest

Actually a photo of a schooner of 7% chocolate orange porter. Very nice it is too.

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

Opening Bluesky for the first time each day with trepidation...

A photo from from the 1964 movie Zulu, Michael Caine and Stanley Baker's British redcoat officer characters looking away into the distance with the overlaid text 'Opinions on social media, sir... thousands!of 'em"

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 27/10/2025

I’ve given up on doing anything constructive today, so I’ve gone “shopping”.

The remaining three quarters of a pint of pale ale, in a straight glass on a wood finish table. Photographed from the perspective of someone who is about to take another sip.

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

Judging by the ads I am being fed online, The Algorithm has just decided that I should start dying my hair. The Algorithm is either an imbecile or a troll.

The top of my mostly bald head, viewed from the front, with short white/grey hair visible above the ears.

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

Sometimes I find myself thinking: It wasn't remotely the best of times, it was the dumbest of times...

Opening passage from A Tale Of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 06/10/2025

Describe your Bluesky account with one image. See the Alt Text description for further details.

An abstract image made of an interlocking number of vaguely geometrical shapes. Only three colours are used: black, medium blue and pale yellow. There is no discernible pattern to the picture, which contains both straight edges and curves used seemingly at random.

How does this represent my Bluesky account? Well, it probably doesn't, except for the randomness, but at least I got you to look briefly at a piece of art I did and ponder what it means.

I am thinking of calling this piece: This Artist Is Anti-Fascist.

Fascists don't like art which may cause the viewer to think for themselves. They think that sort of art is decadent.

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

An old digital oil painting, painted on a tablet using an app (Artrage) which simulates real art media.

A view down an English country lane, with sunlight bursting through a wooded area to the left. The viewer is on the road, looking down a long green "tunnel" into the distance. The log dark shadows of 4 thick tree stumps lie across the road indicating that the sun is low in the sky. Although not visible, the sun's location is indicated by the bright green-yellow light bursting trhough the foliage/woodland in the distance. This brightness is enhanced by the shadows cast by the denser low-lying plants/hedgerows by the side of the lane.

With the advantage of hindsight the artist is fairly happy with the lighting effects created in this piece.

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 15/08/2025

Britain gets more right wing every day

A lamppost with a weirdly alien-robot-head like main light, and a second light, which looks like an outstretched arm doing a Nazi salute

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 06/08/2025

Rebellion Festival starts tomorrow. Rebellion Fringe doesn’t like rules. Just saw a band called The P45”s blow the roof off a bar that is usually a good place for a quiet drink on a Wednesday at 4pm. #Blackpool #RebellionFringe #ShickersTavern

An army of punks stood around outside a nondescript small bar which normally has around 5 people in it in the late afternoon.

Decent jukebox.

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 01/08/2025

This unremarkable terrace building was finished in the year 8817. Or perhaps even 8781. I supposed it could be 1788 (given that a pub about a mile away was built in 1776). But that makes it nearly as old as the USA, so that can’t be right. “This pub is older than your country” #NorthernEngland

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 17/07/2025

Yesterday I "accidentally" took a half-decent, dramatic looking, photograph on my old iPhone 6. #Blackpool

A view of Blackpool Tower looking South East from North Pier. The Tower and the other buildings on the promenade are in partial silhouette against the dramatic sky, which is a mixture of blue sky in the distance (towards South Shore) and slightly ominous looking rain clouds over the centre of Blackpool. The tide is out, and a sandy beach lies between the viewer and the sea wall. Water channels and pools of water are visible on the right, in the direction of the out-of-shot sea.

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 09/07/2025

Saw mention of (US-centric) Jock/Nerd, Preppy/Goth test so decided to do it while waiting for the bus. The amount of Goth is about right… I listen to the music and wear dark clothing but don’t sleep in a coffin, light candles, avoid sunlight or take heroin. Not surprised about the nerd bit. So🤷‍♂️

A 2D “spectrum” indicating that GrumpMark is nearly a total nerd, and 50% of the way to being a total goth

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 09/07/2025

Lunch. Not Guinness. Not even a stout.

The majority of a pint of dark mild, on a beer mat, on a wooden table, in a traditional English pub on the Fylde coast

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

I’m “shopping” this Monday afternoon

A cloudy pint of pale ale on a pub bar, with blurred hints of beer pumps in the background. The pint has had one large sip taken out of it. This beer is often cloudy, so no worries there.

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GrumpyMark @grumpymark.bsky.social · 29/06/2025

Music as protest... Bob Dylan: Masters Of War (1963)

Bob Dylan: Masters Of War (1963)

Come you masters of war
You that build all the guns
You that build the death planes
You that build the big bombs
You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to know
I can see through your masks

...

All the money you made
Will never buy back your soul

And I hope that you die
And your death’ll come soon
I will follow your casket
In the pale afternoon
And I’ll watch while you’re lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I’ll stand o’er your grave
’Til I’m sure that you’re dead

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