#TodayILearned that:

Initialisms are made from the first letter (or letters) of a string of words, but can’t be pronounced as words themselves (e.g. FBI, CIA). Acronyms are made from the first letter (or letters) of a string of words but are pronounced as if they were words themselves (e.g. NASA, hazmat). What I Learned: The Phoenix Project Audiobook - IT Revolution

Personally, I’m not sure that this is a very useful distinction, but it’s interesting

I guess ‘SQL’ is an initialism to those who pronounce it ‘S.Q.L’ and and acronym for those who say ‘sequel’.

How to set default parameters for other people's Powershell cmdlets

Not exactly #TodayILearned because I vaguely remember learning that you can do this, but had never got around to doing so.

This is how you can set a default parameter in Powershell. As far as I know, it works with any cmdlet. I’m using it here to set the default for Pester to show me all the results of all the tests….because I love seeing that sea of green :)

$PSDefaultParameterValues += @{ 'Invoke-Pester:Output' = 'Detailed' }

#Powershell

As an ex-resident, I love this, from Sara Pascoe:

“i live in Lewisham, which is brilliant. If you haven’t been there just go south-east from here [Hammersmith] until you start getting scared”

Tbf, some of the intervening places have probably come up in the world since I lived there πŸŽ™οΈ

Midnight Meets With Colin Murray - Sara Pascoe

Sara pascoe

#TodayILearned that a ‘wolf tone’ is “an undesirable phenomenon that occurs in some bowed-string instruments…. It happens when the pitch of the played note is close to a particularly strong natural resonant frequency of the body of the musical instrument.”

I’ve listened to them for about 30 years….but I never realised that the name of the band had two meanings

Wolf tone on Wikipedia

poster for the Wolfe tones show at Finsbury park on 5th july

To save you looking…..I’m not a member :)

“Garrick Club’s men-only members list reveals roll-call of British establishment” https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/mar/18/garrick-club-men-only-members-list-roll-call-british-establishment?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

I was sure Jeremy Clarkson knew the answer to the last question on Who Wants to be Millionaire and I’m pretty sure he raised his eyebrows when the contestant said she thought it was one of the wrong answers

If I’m ever on it I shall watch Jeremy’s eyebrows πŸ“Ί

logo of the show

Really enjoyed the Bath Half today. Bath is as lovely place…not as good as Salisbury though, obviously

Huge thanks to organizers and volunteers

And Seamus, was pleased with a new medal on Saint Patricks Day πŸƒ

bath halfarathon medalslightly spooky leprechaun figure wearing  various medals

#TodayILearned that the lyric is

“You don’t have to say you love me Just be close at hand”

…not

”You don’t have to say you love me Just because of him"

Dusty Springfield - You don’t have to say you love me

Mark Steel’s impersonation of George Galloway is worth this year’s license fee on its own πŸŽ™οΈ

The News Quiz

One of the odd things about being a year behind in my podcasts is listening to people and knowing what happened in their lives over the next 12 months πŸŽ™οΈ

This one is a case in point

Nick Robinson talks to the director general of the Confederation of British Industry, Tony Danker

I’m wondering whether Google will soft-pedal their ‘best take’ ads after the recent royal kerfuffle

Google pixel best take advert

R.I.P. Freddie. Two years gone. So very sad

BBC News - Freddie Fontete-Jones' mother backs anti-violence campaign

Saw this on Facebook…..I’m not a huge fan of Fleetwood Mac, but this happened about a 15 minutes walk from where I live, and I really wish I’d been there 🎡

The facebook text says Here's another little gem from the Salisbury City Hall's back pages. In November 2004 Mick Fleetwood took his mum to see the tribute act Rumours of Fleetwood Mac at the City Hall and delighted both band and audience by taking the stage and getting behind the drumkit for a couple of numbers.

I found this recording of a thing I was at just 43 years ago - Killing Joke playing in Trafalgar Square. Very atmospheric . The band were very off-message 🎡

KILLING JOKE - CND Rally, Trafalgar Square, London 26/10/80 (Full Set)

probably a scan from the NME of killing joke in Trafalgar square

#TodayILearned that Charlie, Ronnie and Reggie Kray got Β£255,000 from the 1990 film πŸ“ΊπŸ“½οΈπŸŽ™οΈ

The selling of the Krays: how two mediocre criminals created their own legend – podcast

Krays film poster

I need to decide whether I’m going to use $SplatParams or $SplatParameters….and then get that tattoo-ed on the inside of my eyelids or something

#Powershell

Watching a Word in Your Attic video which features a vaguely disappointing David Bowie Monopoly set

I was thinking you could make a good, slightly bleak Pogues monopoly set - Euston Tavern, the Hammersmith Broadway, the metal doors of Vine Street etc

Other acts might work too πŸŽ΅πŸŽ™οΈ

youtu.be/K08mW_zr5…

Bowie monopoly

Being an Elvis nerd of many years standing, in the normal run of the things I don’t often come across any new Presley trivia….but #TodayILearned that Colonel Tom was born on Boxing Day. 🎡

I got an email about HIMSS24. It stands for ' Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society 2024'….and I’m sure it’s marvellous, but being a sad, techie sort of geek I thought ‘HIMSS24’ looked like a datetime format gone wrong.