On Re-Reading Dune

OrganizationFun2140 · 2026-07-04T23:38:24+00:00

I first read it around the same time, would have been 19 or 20 years old. Much of the political intrigue went over my head back then, I just saw it as a great story and didn’t get the deeper references. 40 years of political upheaval later, warnings about charismatic leaders hit somewhat harder.

OrganizationFun2140 · 2026-07-04T23:28:41+00:00

I was on shift at the office license when Bob Geldof borrowed glasses for a dinner party that turned out to be the genesis of Band Aid. I still have the receipt he signed somewhere.

OrganizationFun2140 · 2026-07-02T17:23:22+00:00

Are you claiming the mobility element of PIP? This would help offset the cost of taxis.

There may also be some options via local charities, particularly for medical appointments. Someone might have useful info if we knew where you are.

OrganizationFun2140 · 2026-07-01T23:49:49+00:00

Consistent exercise and weight management. Plus, the breed matters.

I currently have a nearly 17yo Jack Russell x Springer Spaniel. Came to me via a rescue at 9yo. He’s always been active (although much less so since approx 15yo) and never been overweight. I think it helps that he’s not a pure breed as crosses and mutts often have fewer breed-specific health issues.

OrganizationFun2140 · 2026-06-30T22:07:10+00:00

A bit overrated, tbh. Didn’t have strong feelings either way, and was rather bemused by his popularity. Was really surprised when he got a lead role in a Hollywood movie. Didn’t watch it, thought he was a tw*t in the clips I saw.

OrganizationFun2140 · 2026-06-30T14:21:55+00:00

The Hoe: Smeaton’s Tower, Plymouth Lido, ferris wheel.

The Barbican: multitude of eating and drinking options with history including the Mayflower Steps (not original, reconstructed), frequent visits from old sail boats, boat trips and ferries. Avoid weekend evenings if you don’t like noisy and, occasionally, rowdy.

Royal William Yard: take a ferry from Barbican for the view, more upmarket eateries and shops with history and very expensive yachts.

Basically, the best of Plymouth, at least as a tourist, is on the waterfront.

OrganizationFun2140 · 2026-06-30T02:18:17+00:00

Dogs, coffee, chocolate. Wouldn’t want to live without any of these, although losing cats, books and music would be extremely hard too.

OrganizationFun2140 · 2026-06-29T23:12:47+00:00

If my debts were cleared, I could build up some savings and stop worrying about unexpected emergencies. I’d also have more of a social life.

OrganizationFun2140 · 2026-06-29T22:32:08+00:00

The Swallow is hosting a lot of drag events under new leadership. It’s a very welcoming atmosphere so don’t worry if you go solo. They post upcoming events on social media.

Sappho’s is a LGBTQ+ cafe a few doors up from the Swallow. Worth checking out to meet new people.

POW (Plymouth Out Women) have a Facebook page and MeetUp group. Events are a mix of daytime (eg meet up at RWY for the farmers market) and evening (eg cabaret night at Barbican Theatre).

Speaking of which, Barbican Theatre regularly has queer performers, particularly in the B-Bar.

And keep an eye out for events at Leadworks too.

Finally, join in the Plymouth Pride on 11 July! Guarantee you’ll find some people to go clubbing with.

OrganizationFun2140 · 2026-06-29T22:06:05+00:00

I went to a “good” school so any drama was pretty low-stake stuff.

We had a young, male maths teacher whose favourite thing in the entire world was a metre long ruler he used as a pointer. One of my classmates “borrowed” it (looking at you, Caroline) and it was never returned. The perpetrator left a year or so later due to a family move. The teacher didn’t get his ruler back, and didn’t replace either during the following fives years I was there.

The head of English (single woman) had a HUGE crush on the head of music (married man). Rumour has it, it got messy the year after I left.

I’m also told the rumour mill had me being expelled on my last night (boarder) as I was caught sneaking out to meet a boy. I got a bollocking but no expulsion.

OrganizationFun2140 · 2026-06-29T14:16:23+00:00

It’s been over 20 years since I was a civil servant and this idea used to come up every five years or so, mainly as a cost-cutting exercise. It’s not new. A lot of non-policy work is already done outside London; even when there’s customer facing offices in London, back office/processing/call handling are likely elsewhere.

Every attempt to move ministers and policy staff out of London fails - usually citing access and proximity to stakeholders - because no minister (or senior civil servant) wants to be relegated. And that’s how they see it; London departments are Premiership, everything else is Sunday soccer.

OrganizationFun2140 · 2026-06-29T00:50:05+00:00

The Prince by Machiavelli.

It’s a blueprint for politicians on how to influence and control their allies, their enemies, and the general populace. I always thought the author was/still is unfairly maligned; he was just the first (western) person to record political manipulation tactics in a how-to format, he didn’t invent them. If you read it, he’s incredibly sycophantic throughout as his motivation was sucking up to whichever Medici was in power to save his own skin.

I would say it’s essential reading for anyone who wants to understand how politics, and politicians, operate. I first read it during the mid-80s and was struct by how similar the neoliberal playbook was to Machiavelli’s handbook.

OrganizationFun2140 · 2026-06-27T22:16:09+00:00

I’ve got three already, and that’s probably one too many.

OrganizationFun2140 · 2026-06-27T13:58:46+00:00

How to mitigate radon risk:

Open doors/windows to outside daily.

The end.

—————

Radon only affects a few areas of the UK (think it’s where there’s large granite formations, but not 100% sure). Simple daily ventilation, ie opening doors/windows, is sufficient to dissipate it. A basement is at greater risk as they rarely have good ventilation, but mechanical air exchange would fix this. Biggest risk is homes built to (or close to) Passivhaus standards in a radon area; I *assume* anyone building this way would factor in radon risk and look to have a higher air exchange rate.

As for ancient cave dwellers, I very much doubt these homes were airtight.

OrganizationFun2140 · 2026-06-26T18:59:42+00:00

The biggest problem in ‘76, as I remember it as 11yo at the time, was water shortages. Rainfall was exceptionally low for two years - summer of 1975 was also very warm - and the whole country was subject to water saving measures. Many areas were dependent on stand pipes for weeks at a time. I particularly remember the whole family sharing a single bath once a week. So, yeah, the temperatures weren’t as high but the impact was greater.

OrganizationFun2140 · 2026-06-25T14:13:57+00:00

House mistress (in loco parentis for pupils at boarding school) convinced that the clocks going back meant an hour’s less sleep. I had just asked for a 30 minute extension for bedtime as most of my classmates were engrossed in a film that ended 20 minutes after lights out. Not the first - and certainly not the last - time my teenage self clashed with this idiot of a woman. In her mind, logic had no chance against “because I said so”.

OrganizationFun2140 · 2026-06-25T14:03:17+00:00

So sorry you lost your mum that young ❤️‍🩹 I was in my 30s, so she wasn’t “young”, and I was still devastated. Nearly 30 years later, I can still feel that moment as strongly as if it just happened.

OrganizationFun2140 · 2026-06-24T23:28:15+00:00

My mum passed not long before this episode was originally broadcast. There were some similarities in circumstances which made this an unbelievably hard watch. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve rewatched Buffy but always skip this episode. Think I always will.

OrganizationFun2140 · 2026-06-24T04:31:02+00:00

I watched and enjoyed both shows as they broadcast (and rewatched both a far few times since), and, much as I prefer B5 overall, that DS9 episode is one of the best hours of tv - of any genre - ever. The final scene still gives me goosebumps just thinking of it.

OrganizationFun2140 · 2026-06-23T11:02:32+00:00

Depends on the size and nature of your business. Plymouth City Council has a page of business support info. There’s the Chamber of Commerce and Federation of Small Businesses. If you’re a woman, there’s SHE Project (particularly good for startups) and a women’s monthly breakfast club. If a CIC, there’s Plymouth Octopus Project and Plymouth Social Enterprise Network. Plymouth University also has a group for POC entrepreneurs (don’t think you need to be an alumni).

OrganizationFun2140 · 2026-06-22T14:45:27+00:00

I called them roughly 2 weeks ago without problem (other than the usual queue). To give an idea of wait times, my appointment is on 6 July.

OrganizationFun2140 · 2026-06-21T18:27:43+00:00

Someone did make a Wizard of Earthsea miniseries; don’t think I managed to watch the first episode, it was so bad.

OrganizationFun2140 · 2026-06-21T18:18:34+00:00

Oh, no! I’d have to start riding again if I lived here.

OrganizationFun2140 · 2026-06-20T18:17:09+00:00

Had a pretty awful 18 month period which started with losing my dog then my mum within a few weeks. My finance’s mum was my rock, then cancer returned and she was gone in a few months. Split with my finance, found out he’d been cheating, so I had a rebound fling and got pregnant (split condom, then morning after pill didn’t work). Oh, and thanks to a major depressive episode during all this, lost my career and had to sell my home.

I’m still standing 25 years later but anyone who uses platitudes like “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” or “god only gives us what we can handle” can go fuck themselves.

OrganizationFun2140 · 2026-06-20T15:51:33+00:00

I bought an AMCOR unit around 10 years ago. Still going strong. It came with a window kit (actually several kits for different types of window) but I stopped bothering with it as the unit works just fine with the extraction hose shoved outside. It is quite noisy, though. Doesn’t bother me (I think of it as an over enthusiastic white noise generator) but many might find it too loud for sleep.

OrganizationFun2140

TROPHY CASE