For those snowflakes, wokes and libtards who may not be able to cope with some of my Rants etc., then select here:

Thursday, 01 January 2026
Lazy morning then in the afternoon a gang of us go axe throwing.

In the evening Neil and his family come round for a farewell drink. It’s been great to finally meet them.

 
Katie Hopkins review of Batshit Bonkers Britain 2025:

If only it were a joke!

 
Esther’s Christmas present is a Disney cruise in April. Next day she’s all packed and rearing to go. The simplicity of the young.

 

Fri, 02 January 2026
Wendy volunteered at the pantry.

Mike and I went for a stroll around the White barn, along with free espresso at Dan’s.

Went for dinner with friends at a pop-up, whatever that is, at Hills kitchen. Have to say general opinion was the worst food so far this year, but then again the year is young. Mine wasn’t too bad, shrimp and sausage. I think what few shrimp there were suffered from anorexia.

 
Put them in the dishwasher.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTXOgoPE3HZ/?igsh=NXg2ZGMxc2YyOHFw

 

Saturday, 03 January 2026
Lazy morning followed by some shopping.

Quiet night in with some great Zinfandel from a box.

 

 

Monday, 05 January 2026

Most days this Heron is sat patiently fishing. Sadly I don’t think there are even any fish in this stream.

It snows all morning and then once it stops the roads and paths are all cleared within an hour. Pickleball all morning, then in the afternoon I lead my first winter hike around the White barn trails. No yaktracks no snowshoes, but so nice trudging through the snow.

In the evening we go out to the Blue Boar Inn with Mike. Awesome meal and service as usual. For me it’s French onion soup and then Venison. Back home for some wine and cognac.

 

 

Tuesday, 06 January 2026
Welcome to your first day 76 years old, as a reward for living this long let’s inflict a searing back ache on you. Isn’t old age grand, still better than the alternative, or so they say.

Down to the wig shop in salt lake for Wendy to try on some wigs. Then it’s Costco and Trader Joes. Wow we sure know how to live.

Quiet evening in with a very supple box of Zinfandel. Sure helped me suffer TV with a pleasant snooze. All these programs and majority are just tripe. Put you to sleep in seconds.

 

Wednesday, 07 January 2026
Lazy morning. Geriatric back ache so no Pickleball – joy. Archery in the afternoon. Dinner at M&B’s. Wendy managed to drive home in a raging snow storm – well done.

 

Thursday, 08 January 2026

Screenshot

 

 

Friday, 09 January 2026
Short stroll in the morning. Tenpin bowling in the afternoon. A great TGIF in the evening. Great food, plenty of meat and knew a lot of the people there

 

Saturday, 10 January 2026
Went clay pigeon and pistol shooting. Too damn cold. How come my first round was 4 out 5. Couldn’t believe it and then downhill from there on.

Shopping with Wendy followed by a quiet, alcohol free night in. Watched a great series – Red Eye season 2 – can’t believe it, I managed to stay awake.

 

 
Let’s hope that Trump has been made aware of this. You just cannot trust any deal Iran signs up to. We need regime change. Frees the people of Iran from their suppression under that tyrannical ideology called Islam and frees the world of so much killing and terrorism. Bring it on.

Sunday, 11 January 2026

Another gorgeous sunny but sub zero day. Nip over to Mikes to pick up some snowshoes.

After Wendy’s lunch we go for a stroll around the golf course in about 6″ of snow. It’s hard work, should have used the snows shoes.

 
**SSDD (Same Shit, Different Day)**

Why is global incompetence apparently the world’s fastest-growing industry?

1. The absolute geniuses at the USPS have lost Wendy’s hair dryer. Truly inspiring how postal services manage to be universally useless, regardless of country, culture, or century.

2. Zion’s Bank still hasn’t delivered my debit card after **31 days**. In hindsight, I should’ve trusted my instincts and walked out the moment I witnessed their opening act of professional incompetence.

3. The wig shop *still* hasn’t emailed Wendy to confirm they even received the wig she wanted to try. At this point, I’m unsure whether emails, wigs, or basic business practices exist in their reality.

4. The Kimble Arts Centre *still* hasn’t confirmed whether they can do stoneware. A bold stance for an arts centre: refusing to acknowledge materials.

And that’s before we even get into the daily clusterfucks courtesy of the IT world and its army of 10-year-old “experts.”

SSDD. Consistency, if nothing else.

Friday, 16 January 2026
Lazy sort of day with a gentle stroll.

In the evening I’m off down to the Maverick Center with the Lads group to watch the Grizzilies ice hockey team play. Have a weird but pleasant meal of Shrimp and Dungeness crab in a giant plastic bag. Along with a few beers, the most expensive pint ever at $13 plus tax. Great evening.

 

 

Saturday, 17 January 2026
Yet another bluebird day so off on a PCMSC hike around Round Valley. Only 4 miles and 400+ feet but in the snow and ice it was hard going. Need to invest in some spikes.

In the evening Mike and his family come round for a farewell dinner for Carmel.

 
A totally misleading and marketing driven sign in the local supermarket. Just more Bolloxs from the woke brigade:

When gluten-free is healthy (or necessary)
A gluten-free diet is important if you have:
* Celiac disease (autoimmune reaction to gluten)
* Non-celiac gluten sensitivity
* Wheat allergy

For these people, avoiding gluten improves digestion, energy, nutrient absorption, and overall health.
When gluten-free is not necessarily healthier

If you don’t have one of the conditions above:
* Gluten itself is not harmful for most people
* Whole grains that contain gluten (like whole wheat, barley, rye) are linked to:
* Better heart health
* Improved digestion
* Lower risk of type 2 diabetes

Common pitfalls of gluten-free diets
Many gluten-free packaged foods:
* Are more processed
* Contain less fiber
* Have more sugar, fat, or salt
* Can be lower in iron, B vitamins, and magnesium

So someone eating gluten-free cookies, bread, and snacks may eat worse, not better.
Summary: Medically Defined Gluten-Related Conditions
Condition Estimated Global Prevalence
Celiac disease ~0.7–1.4%
Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) ~1–13% (most estimates ~6%)
Wheat allergy <1% (rare) So what percentage actually needs to avoid gluten for health reasons? * Absolutely medically required: ~0.7–1.4% (celiac disease)

Sunday, 18 January 2026
Another lazy day with a stroll with Wendy.

In the evening Carol and Angela come round for dinner.

 

 
Asylum seekers are set to be housed in brand-new council homes under a controversial Labour Government pilot scheme, sparking fears of public fury amid a crippling social housing crisis. The Home Office is pumping £100 million into the programme, allowing councils to build or refurbish properties specifically for asylum seekers, with around 900 new homes expected.

However, the plan risks exploding in Labour’s face, with 1.33 million households languishing on England’s social housing waiting lists – the highest since 2014. Critics warn it could fuel outrage, pitting asylum seekers against hard-pressed locals.

Batshit Bonkers Britain and the daily lunacy goes on. How can anyone be so stupid. What about Brits on the waiting list. SO glad we’ve escaped this lunacy, but I wish Wendy would stop telling me what’s going on.

Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Another blue bird day. But alas there’s no new snow on the forecast for the next 10 days. Skiings getting pretty desperate.

 
If you believe all the hype about climate change then sign up for this, who knows, it may enlighten you and change your mind:

https://www.prageru.com/climatechange101

Friday, 23 January 2026
Up at the crack of sparrows fart to take Carmel down to the airport.

Back in time for some pickleball.

Then in the afternoon we’re off ten pin bowling.

In the evening it’s a TGIF. Sadly not a carnivores delight more vegetarian’s delight.

 
If people come to live in Britain, they should accept they will live under English or Scottish law

They must not be allowed to import their own legal systems

If they want Sharia law there are over 60 countries which can provide it for them

Saturday, 24 January 2026
Off on a 4 mile hike in Round Valley with Bub and a few others. It’s a 23F bluebird day. Glad I bought some spikes, they’re great on the packed snow and ice.

Afternoon is Wendy’s delight with a trip to Smiths. I’m in attendance too, joy.

Evening its off to Black Rock ice rink for an ice hockey game with Joe. He’s booked front row ice level seats behind the goal. I thought it was a crazy choice but in fact they were fantastic. Thank the Flying Spaghetti Monster for a strong sheet of Perspex to protect us from the punch and players hitting the Perspex screening. A fantastic event. They were only amateurs but a great game and you really feel in the action.

 

 
Common sense at last.
The United Nations climate bureaucracy has long been a source of bad science and destructive public policy. As such, we welcome President Trump’s withdrawal from the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change.
 
The U.N.’s most widely circulated reports on climate change are politically motivated works of propaganda presented as scientifically based findings of credible research. These documents are used to demonize carbon dioxide, a beneficial plant food, and fossil fuels, a source of reliable, affordable energy. The effect over the last 30 years has been to impede economic development, deplete national treasuries and unnecessarily add to human misery.
When will the USA quit the UN altogether and kick them out of New York. Sad to say it’s just a liberal, leftwing, woke talking shop with no real teeth. Wouldn’t it be great if it was truly effective on the World stage.

Sunday, 25 January 2026
Another dazzling Bluebird day in paradise—except it’s a crisp, soul-crushing 15°F with a wind that’s basically auditioning for the next horror movie. Stayed in for a gloriously lazy morning because nothing says “living my best life” like wearing yesterday’s socks annd pyjamas and negotiating with the coffee maker.

Post-lunch we summoned the will to catch the bus down to Main Street, where we could properly judge—sorry, admire—the annual parade of beautiful people. They’re out in full force, strutting, posing, and queuing for literally everything: Sundance screenings, overpriced cocktails, the privilege of standing in another line. It’s like fashion week had a baby with a cattle call and nobody told either parent about birth control.

Tragically, there’s zero snow on the ground. No pristine powder to watch $800 stilettos and $2,000 “chill” parkas sink into. No glorious wipeouts of women tottering like newborn giraffes in cocktail dresses and statement earrings. Mother Nature really dropped the ball this year—where’s the chaos when you need it? I came for the schadenfreude, not this disappointingly dry catwalk.

 
To help our American friends understand what we’re up against in the uk and why we want asylum in the USA.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSpGRu1AVyV/?igsh=Y3pyNjJheDB2bTY=

 

Wednesday, 28 January 2026
Dropped Wendy off at the pantry so only an hours pickleball.

Went up to Round Valley for a walk. Get me spikes on and dressed for the cold but after 100 yards I wimped out too cold with a windchill factor of 20F – oh so nest.

In the evening Mike takes us out to a Brazillian steak house down in Trolley Square, Salt Lake. Awesome, just what a carnivore needs.

 

Starmer the Dalek bans free speech and X. This is the shit we have to put up with here in Batshit Bonkers Britain.

https://x.com/i/status/2009928339138498859

 
Fantastic Christmas, not “festive”, lights at the Canyons.

Thursday, 29 January 2026
At last a quiet night in watching Netflix snooze, the opium of the masses, TV to put you to sleep.

 

Friday, 30 January 2026
Pickle ball in the morning and bowling in the afternoon.

There’s a TGIF in the evening. Great food, plenty of meat. But as usual there’s two massive dogs marauding around trying to steal off your plate. It seems a ver y American thing to fill their big houses.

 

Screenshot

Saturday, 31 January 2026
Lazy day with a pleasant stroll. Still no snow just another bluebird day.

In the evening we pick B&M and Janelle up and we’re off for the best Shrimp and Grits this side of the Atlantic. It’s the Mercantile. Nice to see Janelle after all these years.

 
More from the frontline of Batshit Bonkers Britain. If only it weren’t such a joke.

 
Oh, Apple, you pretentious, overpriced cult of mediocrity. You strut around like you’ve cracked the code to effortless computing, yet the moment someone dares hop between your holy trinity—iPhone, iPad, MacBook—it’s like walking into a family reunion where everyone speaks a different dialect of gibberish and refuses to make eye contact.

You lot pat yourselves on the back for “seamless integration” while your interfaces look like they were designed by three separate kindergarten classes on three different continents, each convinced the others don’t exist. Continuity? More like **Discontinuity**: the feature that lets you start something on one device and finish it on another… assuming you enjoy playing “guess which goddamn gesture/swipe/menu/keyboard shortcut this particular app decided to invent today.”

Instead of vomiting out yet another wave of emojis that only teenagers and corporate middle managers still pretend to care about, perhaps—wild idea here—sit your overpaid senseless 10 year old designers down (you know the clueless ones who need their Mummies to tie their shoelaces) in the same room and force them to agree on **one single way** to do anything. Anything at all. Because right now your so-called “ecosystem” is less unified than a group project where everyone submitted their part in Comic Sans, Wingdings, and crayon.

Behold, a non-exhaustive list of your greatest hits in sheer, infuriating inconsistency:

1. **Clock placement**: iPhone and iPad shove the time in the top-left corner like it’s hiding from responsibility. Mac? Top-right, naturally, because why would consistency matter when you can make users crane their necks 0.3 inches in existential confusion? Tim Cook should forfeit his salary until this is fixed. No, really. Dock his pay per millisecond this travesty persists.

2. **Delete email**: Sometimes it’s a left swipe. Sometimes right. Sometimes it depends on whether Mercury is in retrograde or if Siri is feeling sassy. Pick a lane, you indecisive cowards.

3. **Cut/copy/paste/save to photos and files**: These basic operations are apparently too pedestrian for consistent shortcuts or gestures. Microsoft—yes, the Evil Empire you love to sneer at—somehow managed to nail this decades ago. Meanwhile Apple treats muscle memory like an optional DLC.

4. **Apple Mail**: A quirky, half-baked toy pretending to be an email client. Outlook laughs at it from its air-conditioned server room while quietly dominating actual productivity. Apple Mail is what happens when you let a minimalist designer run wild with zero regard for power users. It’s cute. It’s also useless.

5. **Auto-capitalization and periods**: Some text fields graciously add a full stop and capitalize the next sentence like a polite butler. Others? They just stare blankly like they’ve never heard of punctuation. Consistency is apparently optional when your QA department is busy worshipping at the altar of skeuomorphism.

6. **Contacts icons**: Different app, different icon. Why? Because screw you, that’s why. Visual coherence is for peasants.

7. **Third-party apps**: You let developers ship whatever Frankenstein UI they dream up, then act shocked when the ecosystem feels like a flea market. Mandate **one** Human Interface Guideline worth a damn and enforce it. Or keep wondering why people call your “ecosystem” a chaotic yard sale.

And the list does, indeed, go on. And on. And on.

So please, for the love of whatever deity still tolerates your hubris: stop faffing about with emoji skin tones and augmented-reality party tricks. Standardize the bloody interface across your three flagship platforms. Make it actually easy to use, not just easy to market.

Until then, spare us the “it just works” mantra. It doesn’t. It never really did. And the only people still buying that line are the ones too deep in the reality distortion field to notice they’re drowning in inconsistency.

If this is genuinely beyond your capabilities, do the sensible thing: hire some grizzled, 50-something IT veterans who’ve actually suffered through real-world enterprise software hell. They might teach you what a **standard** looks like before you bankrupt another generation of designers on gradient fluff.