mattypenny

🎶 My Crucial Track for 16 September 2026 - Rock & Groove Riddim Freestyle | 1Xtra Jamaica 2020 by Sevana, Jaz Elise, Lila Ikè and Naomi Cowan

Share a song that makes you want to dance every time.

This is the four women who are on Rock and Groove LP doing bits of the songs somewhere outdoors that looks a lot warmer than it is in the UK at the minute.

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As Socrates almost said, “The untested backup is not worth having”

Pic: Al-Mubashshir ibn Fatik, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

An illustration from a medieval manuscript depicts a seated elderly man in green robes and a turban, appearing contemplative or distressed, while three standing men in colorful robes and turbans engage with him against a backdrop of stylized plants and Arabic script.&10;&10;

This is about Bud Flanagan, from Wikipedia. Flanagan was most famous for being one of Flanagan and Allen, and for ‘Underneath the Arches’ and the ‘Dad’s Army’ theme.

“Flanagan was born in Whitechapel, in the East End of London. His parents, Wolf Weintrop (1856–1932) and Yetta (Kitty) Weintrop (1856–1935) were Polish Jews who were married in the city of Radom, Poland, and fled to Łódź on their wedding day to avoid a pogrom. Wolf and Yetta Weintrop intended to escape to the “New World” from Eastern Europe – they paid for a ticket to New York, but a dishonest ticket agent gave them a ticket to London.”

The bit I like is this:

“In the Army, he worked as a driver and entertained the troops with his singing and impersonations. Here he met the anti-Semitic Sergeant-Major Flanagan, on whom Reuben later had his revenge when he adopted the name “Flanagan” as his stage name.”

The vid is ‘Underneath The Arches’

youtu.be/q7HoMWuXC…

Back at the home of the Champions of the World

I didn’t entirely expect this would be 3rd against 4th when I got the tickets

⚽ #ChelseaFC #cfc

A football stadium with a well-maintained pitch and a large screen displaying the logos of Chelsea FC and their opponent, with a few spectators seated.

I should have got this stencilled on the kids' bedroom walls

“Honour thy father and thy mother, Daughter, authors of thy being, upon whom a heavy charge has been laid, that they lead their child in innocence and righteousness along the fearful narrow path to everlasting bliss, and render her up at last to her God a pious and a virtuous soul; reflect, Daughter, upon the joy in Heaven as the souls of these tiny creatures wing upward, released before they have learned aught of sin or faithlessness, and make it thine unceasing duty to remain as pure as these”

Currently reading: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson 📚

🎶 My Crucial Track for 08 September 2026 - One Piece at a Time by Johnny Cash & Tennessee Three

Pick a song from an artist or band that’s had the biggest impact on your life.

The song that supposedly introduced the word psychobilly to the world.

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#TodayILearned that I can do emoji’s in vim, and I’m inordinately pleased. Some of them look particularly good in a green-screen style

A green smiling poop emoji is positioned next to a yellow number 1, followed by the yellow numbers 2 and 3 below it on a black background.

0-2 down, end up winning 6-3 against Dirty Leeds.

As they say… imagine not being Chelsea.

⚽ #ChelseaFC #cfc

The Chancellor just said he’d ban “vexatious legislation”, before correcting himself to “vexatious litigation”.

It’s a shame they are not banning vexatious legislation, particularly if the other lot get back in.

🎶 My Crucial Track for 07 September 2026 - Under Mi Sensi (feat. Mr Vegas) by Alozade & Hollow Point

What is a song that instantly energizes you?

I don’t smoke, but I do like the word ‘herbalists’

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At 10 miles I thought I could run forever

At 11 miles I wanted it to stop

At 12 miles I wanted to die

I loved the Big Half though - my favourite run. Huge thanks to all involved, particularly to whoever kept the Portaloos so clean. Marvellous work.

A mapped route is traced along the River Thames and surrounding areas including Shadwell, Poplar, Rotherhithe, Bermondsey, and the Isle of Dogs.

🎶 My Crucial Track for 05 September 2026 - Give It Up by KC and the Sunshine Band

_Did you sing along to anything today? Describe the moment.

I was in the 10th mile of a half marathon this morning, and someone had this on their headphones but was singing it aloud. A few of us joined in.

A great song, but singularly inappropriate in the circumstances

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🎶 My Crucial Track for 06 September 2026 - Eddie Cochran by Summertime Blues

What song do you wish you had written?

Because it’s a great song, and because this line tells you more about politics than any number of protest songs

I called my Congressman, and he said ‘No’ I’d like to help you, son, but you’re too young to vote

Younger people are still less likely to vote. In my humble opinion, that’s why there’s a ‘triple lock’ on pensions, but going to college costs an arm and a leg.

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Dirty old river, dirty old town

People are standing on a bridge near a colorful BRIT HALF banner with a river, city skyline, and partly cloudy sky in the background.A clear blue sky stretches over the River Thames, flanked by modern buildings including The Shard on the left and the Walkie Talkie building on the right in London.

🎶🎶 I’ll join the Legion, that’s what I’ll do 🎶🎶

A man wearing glasses and a white cap with neck protection is smiling on a crowded pedestrian walkway of Tower Bridge in London on a sunny day.

Big run for me today, and a big match for Chelsea, against the ‘orrible Arsenal

Both these things on their own always make me nervous….I possibly don’t need an caffeine this morning

Today I’m doing my first half marathon since I had skin cancer. All gone now, but the bits of me that aren’t covered in vaseline and now covered in Piz Buin. I’m Mr Slippery.

A nice thought for a Sunday morning

Tall modern buildings rise against a partly cloudy sky near a train station platform with tracks and a digital billboard.

I always read MVP as “Most Valuable Player”, rather than the viable product thing.

Is there a three-letter acronym for getting your three-letter acronyms muddled?

I am loving The Haunting of Hill House.

But having only just read the Stepford Wives, I think that, for the good of my nerves, I need to stick to Wodehouse, and the lightest of rom-com’s from now until Christmas

Currently reading: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson 📚

A dark, eerie Victorian-style house is set against an orange sky with leafless tree branches obscuring parts of the view, evoking a spooky atmosphere.

“In tech, the point that we understand everything is generally the point to move on to the next thing:”

From Benedict’s Newsletter — Benedict Evans

If you squint very hard and use a great deal of imagination, you might be able to see a couple of smudges in the middle of this photo which are actually a baby swift poking his or her head out of a swift nest

It’s not a Hamza Yassin quality pic, but I was pleased to see it

Two things that looks like wasp nests but are actually swift nests are attached to the underside of a roof structure near the corner of a brick building.

There are 34 Presidents here.

I did a degree in politics at the LSE, but I’m not sure I could name 34 Prime Ministers, let alone meaningfully rank them.

I don’t know if that reflects a difference in the way history is done here, or whether it’s just that Mr Trump is a keener student than I am.

A pyramid chart categorizes U.S. presidents into five levels of greatness, placing Donald Trump at the top as The Greatest.

I like the idea that the Indieweb is punk, and I’m particularly glad there’s a lot less spitting, and violence 😃

Very disappointed to see Chelsea drop points at home to AFC Richmond tonight

⚽ #ChelseaFC #cfc

A soccer match scene from the show Ted Lasso is displayed, showing players from Chelsea and Richmond with the subtitle indicating a 1-1 draw.

🎶 My Crucial Track for 23 August 2026 - Baby Love by The Supremes

Share a song that perfectly captures longing.

When the winds blowing in the right direction, I might be inclined to say that this is the best pop song ever recorded

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