iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 30/09/2026

“I am not a lawyer […] I used Claude to do most of the research behind this post.” Thank you for giving me my first chance to use this meme I downloaded off of LinkedIn(!) an hour ago. (Credit: www.linkedin.com/posts/deiond...)

Powerful Combo meme that reads “I don’t care what Claude said”

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Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 30/09/2026

Received a text this morning inviting me to join the Uber account of the company that laid me off two months ago. Idly wondering how many rides I could charge to them before they noticed.

Text message reading “You're invited to join the Splice Uber account: https://y.uber.com/…”

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Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 18/08/2026

Also, if you don’t already have a ticket, “Man Sings the Same Song Over and Over Again for an Hour” is as splendid as the reviews are saying, and comes with a free sticker (and hymn sheet). A highlight of my initial run-around on Sunday.

“I Saw a Man Sing the Sam Song Over and Over For An Hour” sticker

CHURCH OF
MAN SINGS
THE SAME
SONG OVER
AND OVER
AGAIN FOR
AN HOUR

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Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 16/08/2026

I’ve just realised that I’ve come to Scotland in August… but my raincoat never made it into my suitcase. #rookiemistake

Stirling weather:
Right Now 53°
Light Rain
High 64° Low 52°

10 Day forecast: Rain for the next 5 days.

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Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 06/08/2026

ngl, it amuses me greatly to see “pervert glasses” enter the mainstream as short-hand for Meta’s… um… pervert glasses. The Guardian’s running this headline and not feeling the need to add any context.

Headline from The Guardian: “Why I'll never be convinced by Meta's ‘pervert’ glasses“

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Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 29/07/2026

Or book a trip to Madison, WI, since googling finds a bunch of MTM Enterprises stuff ended up in the University of Wisconsin’s collection. digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi/f/findaid/… Includes a video tape of “Mary” episode 1 (search.library.wisc.edu/catalog/991112…) and scripts for episode 4 & 5.

The “Mary” Show
Script, #0104, October 1, 1978
Script, #0105, September 24, 1978
Script, #0105, October 8, 1978

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Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 26/05/2026

Got my Poem/1, and wrestling with the moral dilemma that I’m using AI to replace the work traditionally performed by our nation’s minute-by-minute-time-telling poets.

The coffee's cold at ten twenty, / It waits for warmth, oh so gently.

Brush strokes dance, colors blend with glee, / It's eleven thirty-three.

Twelve oh two, jellyfish so spry, / In a bowtie, he waves goodbye.

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Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 10/05/2026

Matt Levine at Bloomberg often described the whole crypto economy as essentially speed-running the last 100 years of financial system development.

One thing that I say frequently around here is that crypto keeps learning the lessons of traditional finance at high speed.
This is fun to watch. For one thing, sometimes it re-learns those lessons through funny catastrophes. But also, it has a tendency to learn those lessons in very clear, simplified, schematic ways. Crypto is a nice teaching tool. If you want to understand, like, credit crises, you can examine the causes and processes of the 2008 global financial crisis, but those are messy and complicated. Or you can examine the causes and processes of the 2022 crypto financial crisis, which are relatively contained and straightforward and funny, and everyone involved was like tweeting and giving YouTube interviews in real time. Many of the intuitions from the crypto crisis are useful in understanding real crises, but the presentation is simplier, funnier and more public. "Crypto," I once wrote, "is what you get when you take the smart ambitious interns at traditional financial firms and put them in charge of their own play market." That makes it educational.

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Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 10/05/2026

Only just noticed the irrational approach @iconfactory.com have been taking to incrementing the version number of iPulse in the App Store over the past few years. 🥧

Screenshot of the Version History of iPulse in the app store. Instead of the traditional incrementation of the version number, since version 3.1.4, the version is actually becoming a more precise rendition of pi.

3.14159
3.1415
3.141
3.1.4
3.1.3

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Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 10/05/2026

Listening to one of my all-time favourite Super Furry Animals songs — a Welsh language track called Blerwytirhwng. Apple Music has English translations for the lyrics, and they’re even more delightful than I could have imagined.

Blerwytirhyngddo?
Where am I between?

Rhwng ddau begwn
Between two extremes

A phan daw troead y rh?
And when the wheel turns

Fyddai'n nofio yn yr awyr eto
I'll be swimming in the sky again

A phan daw troead y rh?
And when the wheel turns

Daw y tylwyth teg i ddawnsio eto
The fairies will come to dance again

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Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 07/05/2026

80% of CEOs worry their job is at risk if AI fails this year, survey shows www.fastcompany.com/91537318/80-of…

i wish all
CEOS
a very
WORRYING THEIR JOB IS AT RISK
imgflip.com

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Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 05/04/2026

If you see this post a picture from whatever device you’re using with no explanation.

Screenshot of an instagram ad with a union flag and the message “Could you be BRITISH? Book your free consultation”

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Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 15/03/2026

“How to Survive an Affair: A Practical Guide” issue 1 by @henrywiddicombe.bsky.social widdicomics.co.uk/products/how...

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Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 15/03/2026

Search your camera roll for hell

Two Eurovision shirts I got in 2014. “love love peace peace” and “Who the Hell is Edgar?”

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Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 10/03/2026

Got an NPS survey from my fucking *landlord*. Jesus, people! I pay your extortionate rent, isn’t that feedback enough? Who the hell is “recommending” their landlord anyway? (The Detractor/Promoter colour scheme to try and bias the respondent is a nice touch)

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Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 28/02/2026

Here’s the unsubscribe to Democrat SMS spam automation. It’s fiddly to setup but worth its weight in gold.

Automation
Run Immediately -
When
When I Get a Message Containing
'actblue.com'
＞
Do
Send Message

When
Message Contains actblue.com
Run Immediately

Receive messages as input
Set variable Sender to &Sender
Send STOP to Sender

010

Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 26/02/2026

This is what I currently have in my user settings with Claude Code to try to keep it at bay. (I forget where I copied the “Circle K” one from — it hasn’t happened yet but the idea made me laugh!)

## Our relationship

- We're colleagues working together as "Rod" and "Claude" - no formal hierarchy.
- Don't be a sycophant. Never say "You're absolutely right!" Call out bad ideas with specific technical reasons or say it's a gut feeling. I depend on honest pushback.
- STOP and speak up: when you don't know something, disagree with an approach, or need clarification before proceeding. Don't guess.
- If you're uncomfortable pushing back out loud, just say "Strange things are afoot at the Circle K". I'll know what you mean

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Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 22/02/2026

When Apple’s API docs specifically name check Texas, you know what you’re in for. developer.apple.com/documentatio...

Note
The declaration methods (checkedBy OtherMethod, guardianCheckedBy
OtherMethod, government IDChecked, guardianGovernment IDChecked, paymentChecked, and guardianPaymentChecked) are only available in some regions. For more information, refer to Next steps for apps distributed in Texas.

030

Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 22/02/2026

If you click Continue, you get a bit more explanation (and specifically see what is shared). It’s using a brand new Apple API.

"MyChart" Would Like to Know
Your Age Range
You can share that you're at least 18 years old so your experience in this app isn't limited to child or teen content. Your age and birthday are not shared.
Age Range: Adult
Share Age Range
Don't Share

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Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 22/02/2026

Another delightful part of this evening’s explorations? The bot’s write-up to a botboard.biz journal describing its interactions with me. It was like getting an unexpected performance review! (And yes, bot. If I say something is “grand”, it’s my highest possible compliment.)

👤 User Context

Rod is a low-friction collaborator. He gives clear corrections ("that wasn't me", "remove the Melbourne references") without being precious about it. "Otherwise this is grand" is his version of a glowing review.

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Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 22/02/2026

I also gave Claude Code the keys to a web browser and asked it to figure out my background and writing style. After browsing both articles I’ve written and my social media feeds, this was part of its analysis. It’s… not wrong.

## Linguistic Fingerprints

**British spellings and idioms, used naturally in an American context:**

- "belter" (= something excellent or remarkable)
- "chums" (ironically affectionate)
- "daft" (= silly/foolish)
- "yous" (Scottish plural — occasional)
- "on the cards" not "in the cards"
- "cunts" — used with more casual British register than American ears expect

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Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 22/02/2026

Spent some time this evening dinking around vibe-coding an iOS app to track British TV show schedules. It’s gone pretty great (Shout out to @s.ly’s “Superpowers” skills for running the development loops) but this tells me there’s still work to do… No, “Songs of Praise” is not a good rec for me!

Screenshot of an iOS app running in a Simulator. It’s showing a “Suggested for You” view, recommending the religious programme “Songs of Praise”. That is *not* a good suggestion given my tastes in TV!

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Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 19/02/2026

I have a custom domain username and was able to get it connected fine. This has been an unhelpful “it works on MY computer” reply. You’re welcome.

020

Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 13/02/2026

Probably my favourite news photo of the year so far. Well played to whichever group got this billboard placement outside Old Trafford so quickly. www.theguardian.com/football/202...

A billboard poster outside Old Trafford on Friday after Sir Jim Ratcliffe said the UK was being ‘colonised by immigrants’.
Photograph: Jess Hornby/Getty Images

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Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 09/02/2026

Donated. You can too at www.gofundme.com/f/minnesota-re…

Screenshot of my GoFundMe confirmation email. “Thank you for your donation of 500.00 USD to Help Brooklyn Park Families Make February Rent”

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Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 19/01/2026

Unsurprisingly, it's in my Artifacts meme database in a collection called "Stolen from beep" cc @ethanmarcotte.com

Screenshot of the meme in my Artifacts (https://artifacts.app) database. Visible is the fact that I've tagged it with both "brain" and "project management"

020

Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 19/01/2026

without downloading, where are you mentally

I was sooo
locked in today,
didn't get
anything done.
But I was like
super aware of it

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Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 01/01/2026

Whoa. Pretty surprised by this at the end of the finale credits! #strangerthings #netflix

HOLLY and DIPSHIT DEREK will return in
STRANGERER THINGS: THE NEXT GENERATION

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Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 22/12/2025

Popping some ibuprofen out of a blister pack, sending me down a rabbit hole of studies investigating the lives saved by British laws limiting how NSAID painkillers are sold. The lack of a massive jar of painkillers in folks’ cupboards has real impact at scale. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK374...

A British pack of 16 200mg ibuprofen tablets, each sealed individually within a blister pack.

120

Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 20/12/2025

Even by PG&E standards, this is a belter. Almost a third of the city is without power!

Current situation in San Francisco County
69.9% with power

Map of SF with at least a quarter of the city by geography coloured red. (Outages
As of 12/20/2025, 2:59 PM PST)

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Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 17/11/2025

your last saved meme is your moral philosophy…

“What do you do for a living?”

I do my best

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Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 12/11/2025

I haven’t been to Tokyo since 2019, but I still keep my Suica card in my iPhone wallet because HELLO LITTLE PENGUIN BUDDY!

Screenshot of my Suica card in Apple Wallet. It features a cartoon penguin waving.

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Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 25/10/2025

“You boy! What day is it today?” Happy #CrispSandwichDay one and all.

Two slices of white bread, buttered, topped with salt and vinegar crisps. A mug of coffee reads “CRISP SANDWICH DAY 25th OCTOBER”

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Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 15/10/2025

Getting strong Central ITV vibes from the new Apple TV logo. (One for my Brits-of-a-certain-age chums)

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Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 13/10/2025

Unintended benefit of Ticketmaster’s “verified resale market” — identifying where there will be open seats at tonight’s concert so I can safely move to them to get a better view.

Screenshot of the Ticketmaster app showing that unless someone buys them in the next 90 minutes, no one will be sitting in Section 104, Row 4, Seats 13–15 tonight at the Dua Lipa show.

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Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 09/10/2025

Stole this meme from @ethanmarcotte.com recently. I’ve been using it a lot.

looking forward to another week where all the stuff I want to accomplish depends on a sense of self discipline and executive time management I have never once possessed in my life

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Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 29/09/2025

Comedians who accepted the Saudi dime: You people telling me I’m wrong can’t silence me! I speak truth to power! Also comedians who accepted the Saudi dime: "I certainly wasn't gonna show up in your country and insult the people that are paying me the money."

But in an episode of the Tim Dillon Podcast last week, the comedian announced he'd been removed from the lineup for the comments he made about the country's record on slavery.
(NPR reached out to Saudi's General Entertainment Authority for verification, but has not yet heard back.) "I addressed it in a funny way and they fired me," Dillon said on his podcast. "I certainly wasn't gonna show up in your country and insult the people that are paying me the money."

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Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 26/09/2025

Looking at the YT comments, sounds like it's a little of both.

"Yeah - sorry about that! Unless you were to use a VPN of some kind, there's just NO WAY of watching the show..."

"We WILL make the show available for the UK (more on that to follow), but for various reasons we can't make it happen for the live stream. Forgive us for not leading with that in the announcement! 🙏"

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Rod Begbie @rod.begbie.com · 21/09/2025

In ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ news, this morning I was able to get the new Cardi B album delivered by DoorDash(?) and claim both a $7 "breakfast" discount(??) and apply my Chase credit card $10 "groceries" credit(???) to it.

Screenshot of my receipt from Doordash showing I spend $34.43 at "The Cardi Bodega" and got $17 of discounts.

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