iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Has autocorrect been fixed? I just left a comment on a FB post criticising the use of an AI image. I wrote 'fecking', the machine corrected it to 'fucking'. Probably says more about my vocabulary.

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Perhaps I wasn't paying attention, but why TF have we even allowed Fairford to be used to bomb Iran? Trump and Netanyahu's illegal war shouldn't be conducted from UK soil. #fairford #iran

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

There's a new Top Trumps Superbikes deck and I can wait to get my hands on it. Cue furious arguments over which machines are incuded and which not. #motosky

Two of the cards from the new Top Trumps Superbikes deck, showing the 2024 Suzuki GSX 1300R Hayabusa and the 2024 Norton V4SV. I've always wanted a Busa...

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Nothing like a bit of citizen science on a Sunday. Just taken part in the #UKWaterBlitz organised by @earthwatcheurope.bsky.social . Simple colorimetric tests for nitrate and phosphate using samples from local stream. Looks like nitrates up but phosphates down cf last year.

Concerned looking spaniel considers the meaning of the colorimetric test chart, specifically whether she's still allowed to swim in these waters and whether there might be a biscuit reward for posing for me. The answer to both questions is yes.

Colorimetry test chart with my two sample tubes. A critical part of the test is accurate timing for the reagents in the tubes, and it was interesting to see the NO3 tube (nitrate) continuing to darken after the three minute test was complete. The PO4 tube (phosphate) registered virtually no colour, suggesting that few if any phosphates have been applied to nearby agricultural fields this year (because of weather?) it perhaps that the test was faulty or inexpertly performed by me. This is of course very unlikely.

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Oh dear how sad what a shame never mind

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

The most joyful thing you will see today.

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Thank you all for being so considerate and not dropping any spoilers. I'm all caught up with the Sewing Bee now so please speak freely.

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Lovely bit of pareidolia here

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Lovely bit of pareidolia here

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

New power tool day, hurrah. It comes with safety goggles, hurrah. The safety goggles have their own instruction book, running to 32 pages. Hurr...ah?

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

A brief moment of excitement today when a letter on House of Commons stationery arrives. Quickly followed by underwhelment when it is merely our MP inviting us to a meeting at a local pub. I was hoping for canapés on the HoC terrace at least.

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

BBC News just showed a weatherwatchers image of the sunset over the sea at Tynemouth. Tynemouth faces east.

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Simon Kuestenmacher @simongerman600.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Wonderful ridgeline map of Australia. The very cool interactive atlas by @habibicode allows you to download a map like this of any country on the planet! Source: buff.ly/Ctw65tx

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b3ta @b3ta.com · 03/09/2026

Artist: jah-york b3ta.com/board/11430776 From the 'Product Placement Books' challenge b3ta.com/challenge/productplacement… #ProductPlacementBooks

An image made by jah-york posted on B3ta, front paged by the moderators, and reposted on Bluesky by code automatically.

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

I'm happy to report that Coyote vs Acme is pretty damned good actually. #meepmeep

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

A day of cultural contrasts, starting with the Worst Record Covers in the World exhibition by Steve Goldman. Some are laugh-out-loud hilarious, others made me want to bleach my eyes. [1/2]

Four dubious album covers including Lionel Richie in ill-advised open-leg pose, a curious mashed image of Aretha (Franklin?), a four-piece group called Bummm! and some dude licking his guitar on an inappropriate way.

Four more of the world's worst album covers including one with a sad clown on a waste tip, a bare chested hairy man carrying a flute on his shoulder as if it were a rifle, a couple called Norman Castle and Gill, the album called Boney Fingers, on which Gill's expression suggests Norman is using his boney fingers in a not altogether pleasurable way, and the accordion-playing teenage Currie Brothers with matching tartan trews, who probably suffered merciless bullying after this came out.

General view of the exhibition. I haven't laughed so much in ages, but I also felt a little but sick.

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

My rain gauge shows 35mm in the last 24 hours, which brings the total for June, July, and August so far to 35mm. #rain #drought

$Close up of a transparent plastic vessel calibrated in millimetres, showing 35mm. The distorted pink shapes are my fingers, refracted through the plastic and water.$

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b3ta @b3ta.com · 27/08/2026

pea Artist: Ya What b3ta.com/board/11430543 From the 'Modern Day Greek Myths' challenge b3ta.com/challenge/moderndaygreekmy… #ModernDayGreekMyths

An image made by Ya What posted on B3ta, front paged by the moderators, and reposted on Bluesky by code automatically.

Subject: pea

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Tough week to be an 80 yr-old entertainment icon. Aren't these things supposed to come in threes? Who else is 80, I wonder.

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Jess Zafarris @jesszafarris.com · 22/08/2026

Entertaining words for “cool” or “excellent” and, per the The Historical Thesaurus of English, the approximate dates they're first recorded: 1613: topgallant 1666: spanking 1776: ripping 1802: smick-smack 1828: supernacular 1838: lummy (originally probably a variation on "Lord love me") (1/2)

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Optimist: The cup is half full Pessimist: The cup is half empty Engineer: The cup is 100 percent oversized

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

It's easy to make fun of Welsh place names, so let's not do that. #fingerpostfriday

A finger post sign in north Wales, near the border with England, black lettering on white with a blue sky behind and the gable of a house. Llansanffraid ym-Machain, Croeseswallt, and Llanrhead(something) ym-Mochnan are among the destinations indicated. Pic by me (c) 2016.

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

You can tell it's August because Sainsbury has started using the C-word.

Wrapper of Sainsbury magazine received today, reading: it's never too early to start planning Christmas.

Yes it is. It is too early. By about four months.

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

It's raining here in Nottinghamshire. Repeat, it's raining. #rain

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

I know somebody who knows somebody who used to date Amy Hunt. I feel like I'm finally moving in exalted circles. Go me. Go Amy.

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Ta da! #wordle Wordle 1,884 2/6 🟩⬜⬜🟩⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Have I got this right? The Count was at the count but the c*nt chickened out?

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Have I got this right? The Count was at the count but the c*nt chickened out?

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Pᴜʀᴇ Dᴇᴀᴅ Gᴀᴍɪɴɢ @puredeadgaming.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Fair play to Danny León, the Spanish Olympic skateboarder. This shot may never be eclipsed.

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Today's pointless AI invention is this smart birdfeeder (that might actually be a surveillance cam), which removes the joy of learning about your avian visitors by identifying them for you, for only 220 of your English pounds. Yeah, fuck off.

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

What the #eclipse looked like from inside Southwell Minster.

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

You've all enjoyed my Eclips-o-scope images; this is what my phone saw through the #eclipse glasses at about maximum.

A view of yesterday's partial solar eclipse, taken from central England. A fuzzy glowing orangey crescent shape with fuzzy lighter orange bands of colour forming a cross shape, against a dark sky.

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Marco Langbroek @marcolangbroek.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Very happy with this result. Combination of #eclipse images (time lapse) with 35 mm lens, one image per 5 minutes, from #Leiden, the Netherlands. Old Leiden Observatory bottom right.

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Seems the #BBC has a new dumbing-down policy. Wednesday's celestial event is now a 'sun eclipse', not solar. This follows railway stations becoming train stations. Bah.

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Met Office - weather and climate @metoffice.gov.uk · 10/08/2026

Planning to watch the eclipse on Wednesday evening? The best viewing conditions are expected in the south, whilst a weather front pushing into the northwest is likely to bring cloud and some rain Check our app and website for the most up-to-date forecast where you are 🌘

Map of the UK with likelihood of clear skies on Wednesday 12 August, 6-8pm.

Northern Ireland and Scotland = low to moderate.
Northern England and North Wales = Good
Southern England and South Wales = Excellent.

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Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 10/08/2026

#NASAWebb imaged the Lion Nebula in near- and mid-infrared light just in time for #WorldLionDay. The stellar core, looking like the lion’s “nose,” is responsible for sculpting the nebula’s complex gas and dust structures: news.stsci.edu/4x639kM

$Planetary nebula NGC 2392, the Lion Nebula, against the black background of space. The nebula is at center, circular in shape, and looks like a male lion’s head. In the very center is a small, pinkish-white circle with eight-point diffraction spikes, a white dwarf star. Surrounding the star are light purple-pink cavernous bubbles and shell-like rings. The bubbles and shells collectively form an oval with two small, wide arcs near the top, reminiscent of a lion’s face and its ears. What appears to be extended outward from the lion’s face is a thick ring of purple-blue material. The width of the ring is consistent throughout and resembles a mane. The area closest to the lion’s face looks cloudy, while the edges of the mane look like there are clumps of dust with comet-like tails and strands. In the background are distant galaxies and stars. Some galaxies appear as yellow and orange points of light and others with visible spiral structures. A couple of the stars have diffraction spikes.$

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

I mean, she doesn't even have a passport.

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

It's International Cat Day, apparently. I'm afraid I don't have an international cat, just this local apex predator.

Lola, a cat who adopted us last year, displays her awesome fangs.

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

What could possibly go wrong?

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Golly #wordle Wordle 1,874 2/6 ⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Precipitation within sight! Not seen this for many weeks. #rain #precipitationwithinsight

A pair of oak trees stand in a hedge marking the horizon line, with a golden stubble field (barley until the recent harvest) in the foreground. The sky above shows heavy clouds and dark bands of rain showers, and a small amount of blue sky at top of frame.

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Ra, the sun god, has staged a takeover of the Christian church in England. Here sun worshippers escape the heat of the midday, er, sun to view Luke Jerram's latest work, Helios, at Southwell Minster. Pics by me, today. #Helios #Ra #LukeJerram #Southwell #Nottinghamshire

A 7m diameter spherical representation of the sun, showing areas of solar activity - sunspots, prominences - is suspended in the centre of Southwell Minster, a large and ancient church or cathedral in Nottinghamshire, England. An unknown person stands directly beneath, reaching up towards the sculpture.

The large spherical sculpture, Helios, is seen through ornate ironwork gates and is framed by the Gothic masonry of Southwell Minster.

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Rich Neville @richneville.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Rod Liddle was very much like Marmite, in that you wouldn’t want him on your television screen, radio, or newspaper.

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

To the 35th anniversary event at Triumph's Hinckley factory. I inadvertently registered my 32 year old Trident Sprint for the exhibition. Did not win any prizes.

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✨[redacted]✨ @britculpsapp.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

christ if that’s not a metaphor for our times

reuters:

Sunken Nazi warships resurface as water levels drop
Scuttled German WW2 warships have reemerged from the Danube in drought-hit Europe.

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Rob Arnol @robertarnol.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Morning. ☕️

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Gunther von Hagens has died. I went to his Body Works exhibition in London around 2000 or 2001. Human cadavers reduced to constituent structures. Fascinating, and surprisingly not very macabre. Can't help wondering what he had in mind for his own corpse.

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Russ Swan @russs.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

My hot take on The Odyssey: very loud, unnecessarily violent, glad I watched Dan Snow's primer on TV beforehand or the 'plot' would have been incoherent. Also, the dog was a spaniel as a puppy but a sort of terrier at the end. Altogether epic, happy to have seen it, won't buy the t-shirt. #Odyssey

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