Neil Hewitt
@neilhewitt.bsky.social
I'm a fat, sarcastic Star Trek fan trying to be less fat and more sarcastic. I write code (mostly C#) and manage teams. All opinions are mine.
Just ordered a fume extractor / filter combo, because it's becoming clear that I'm somewhat sensitive to PLA fumes, and presumably PETG as well. Lord knows what I'd make of ABS.
December 24, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Just ordered a fume extractor / filter combo, because it's becoming clear that I'm somewhat sensitive to PLA fumes, and presumably PETG as well. Lord knows what I'd make of ABS.
I don't read anywhere near as much as I used to. I would have a book on the go at all times and read a chapter or two a day, with longer binges when bored. Now I have a book on the go but it takes me six months to read it and by the time I'm halfway through I've forgotten how it started.
December 24, 2025 at 12:28 AM
I don't read anywhere near as much as I used to. I would have a book on the go at all times and read a chapter or two a day, with longer binges when bored. Now I have a book on the go but it takes me six months to read it and by the time I'm halfway through I've forgotten how it started.
In other news, I think I'm coming down with a cold / Covid / Super-Flu (I don't think it's the latter - onset is too gradual). This will derail my Christmas plans, since I'm not about to go to my friend's house and infect all his relatives. This may be my first Christmas alone at home since 2020.
December 23, 2025 at 8:46 PM
In other news, I think I'm coming down with a cold / Covid / Super-Flu (I don't think it's the latter - onset is too gradual). This will derail my Christmas plans, since I'm not about to go to my friend's house and infect all his relatives. This may be my first Christmas alone at home since 2020.
Today, in 3D printing news, I've had a bed adhesion failure on two models simultaneously, leading to a top surface that looks like a Pollock painting; and then, two CFS filament jams. In short succession. On two different spools. Frustration? I've heard of it.
December 23, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Today, in 3D printing news, I've had a bed adhesion failure on two models simultaneously, leading to a top surface that looks like a Pollock painting; and then, two CFS filament jams. In short succession. On two different spools. Frustration? I've heard of it.
Oh, the weather outside is frightful. That is all.
December 18, 2025 at 5:26 PM
Oh, the weather outside is frightful. That is all.
Should be a special place in Heck for anyone who opens a bus or train window in London at this time of year.
December 13, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Should be a special place in Heck for anyone who opens a bus or train window in London at this time of year.
I've just designed my first thing in Fusion 360. It's not much of a thing, but it's a thing, and I designed it. Now I just have to 3D print it successfully.
December 13, 2025 at 1:48 AM
I've just designed my first thing in Fusion 360. It's not much of a thing, but it's a thing, and I designed it. Now I just have to 3D print it successfully.
FINALLY tracked down a tiny little bug introduced several months ago in my Z80 emulator which was breaking the Spectrum emulation. That only took TWO MONTHS to find.
December 1, 2025 at 12:51 AM
FINALLY tracked down a tiny little bug introduced several months ago in my Z80 emulator which was breaking the Spectrum emulation. That only took TWO MONTHS to find.
Surprised that every time I am late getting lunch these days I'm apparently perfectly happy to skip it. Especially the day after mounjaro. I'm just not hungry. Thirsty, yes - thanks, Type 2 - but not hungry. The way I feel now I could probably not eat all day. But I definitely *should* have dinner.
November 24, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Surprised that every time I am late getting lunch these days I'm apparently perfectly happy to skip it. Especially the day after mounjaro. I'm just not hungry. Thirsty, yes - thanks, Type 2 - but not hungry. The way I feel now I could probably not eat all day. But I definitely *should* have dinner.
It's snowing. And raining. Not sleet. Just a mixture of snow and rain. Never seen that before. Also: SNOW, the week after it was 16C? Our climate is having a laugh.
November 19, 2025 at 9:58 AM
It's snowing. And raining. Not sleet. Just a mixture of snow and rain. Never seen that before. Also: SNOW, the week after it was 16C? Our climate is having a laugh.
Cloudflare outage has killed twitter for me. Perhaps it's a good time to finally exit the hellsite. It's like an intervention.
November 18, 2025 at 1:16 PM
Cloudflare outage has killed twitter for me. Perhaps it's a good time to finally exit the hellsite. It's like an intervention.
Just watched the first 3 eps of Pluribus, and I'm intruiged. That's quite a concept. For a vaguely comedic show it doesn't shy away from dark themese, either. I suspect I will enjoy this one. Vince Gilligan strikes gold again.
November 16, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Just watched the first 3 eps of Pluribus, and I'm intruiged. That's quite a concept. For a vaguely comedic show it doesn't shy away from dark themese, either. I suspect I will enjoy this one. Vince Gilligan strikes gold again.
I'm having a go at vibe-coding a small app that I need using Claude 4.5 and I'm pretty shocked at how good it is. Things have come a long way in a short timeframe. It's still not something that a non-technical user could feasibly use without any coding experience IMHO.
November 8, 2025 at 10:48 AM
I'm having a go at vibe-coding a small app that I need using Claude 4.5 and I'm pretty shocked at how good it is. Things have come a long way in a short timeframe. It's still not something that a non-technical user could feasibly use without any coding experience IMHO.
So, AWS goes down hard recently because DNS, then Azure goes down hard today because DNS (apparently?). That seems awfully suspicious.
October 29, 2025 at 11:17 PM
So, AWS goes down hard recently because DNS, then Azure goes down hard today because DNS (apparently?). That seems awfully suspicious.
So this is how the world ends. Not with a bang, but drowned in AI slop.
October 27, 2025 at 3:59 PM
So this is how the world ends. Not with a bang, but drowned in AI slop.
I was supposed to be getting an extra hour's sleep last night. Woke up at 3am (AKA 4am the day before) and could not get back to sleep, other than a fitful half-hour nap at 5.30 which ended when I sneezed myself awake. Thanks, body.
October 26, 2025 at 7:53 AM
I was supposed to be getting an extra hour's sleep last night. Woke up at 3am (AKA 4am the day before) and could not get back to sleep, other than a fitful half-hour nap at 5.30 which ended when I sneezed myself awake. Thanks, body.
Just existing in the modern world is exhausting. If I live long enough to see the end of all this bullshit (unlikely, but a man can dream) then I shall be getting righteously drunk to celebrate the eventual unenshittification of the world. One day. I hope.
October 22, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Just existing in the modern world is exhausting. If I live long enough to see the end of all this bullshit (unlikely, but a man can dream) then I shall be getting righteously drunk to celebrate the eventual unenshittification of the world. One day. I hope.
I've got an HP Color LaserJet multi-function workgroup printer that I bought ten years ago. I justified it then by imagining that I was going to use it for my home cockpit project for printing panel surfaces. I didn't. So it's sat about for a decade and has printed < 200 pages in that time. 1/7
October 19, 2025 at 8:35 PM
I've got an HP Color LaserJet multi-function workgroup printer that I bought ten years ago. I justified it then by imagining that I was going to use it for my home cockpit project for printing panel surfaces. I didn't. So it's sat about for a decade and has printed < 200 pages in that time. 1/7
I enjoy many streaming series, but the fact that streamers have almost universally reverted to the weekly drip feed model of broadcast TV is fantastically irritating. I don’t want to be tied to a schedule. Give me everything at once so I can watch it when I want to.
October 5, 2025 at 9:56 PM
I enjoy many streaming series, but the fact that streamers have almost universally reverted to the weekly drip feed model of broadcast TV is fantastically irritating. I don’t want to be tied to a schedule. Give me everything at once so I can watch it when I want to.
So, on the one hand I'm glad there's a petition to stop Digital ID that will doubtless get several million signatures. On the other hand, you have (in theory) to give your name and details to sign it, and I don't trust the government to not put you on their enemies list as a result.
September 26, 2025 at 9:59 AM
So, on the one hand I'm glad there's a petition to stop Digital ID that will doubtless get several million signatures. On the other hand, you have (in theory) to give your name and details to sign it, and I don't trust the government to not put you on their enemies list as a result.
I swear Thameslink’s timetable is specifically designed to ensure I always *just* miss my connection at London Bridge.
September 25, 2025 at 7:49 PM
I swear Thameslink’s timetable is specifically designed to ensure I always *just* miss my connection at London Bridge.
If you think the correct way to verify the truth of a fact is to ask Grok (or any LLM) then I have a bridge to sell you. Real cheap.
September 25, 2025 at 7:39 PM
If you think the correct way to verify the truth of a fact is to ask Grok (or any LLM) then I have a bridge to sell you. Real cheap.
Given that my ongoing foot pain isn't being caused by gout, I'm moving on to a bunion (maybe with associated bursitis) as the suspect. I've ordered some bunion protector / correctors and I'll see if they help at all.
September 16, 2025 at 12:17 PM
Given that my ongoing foot pain isn't being caused by gout, I'm moving on to a bunion (maybe with associated bursitis) as the suspect. I've ordered some bunion protector / correctors and I'll see if they help at all.
Good lord. Will it ever stop raining? Worst. September. Ever.
September 14, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Good lord. Will it ever stop raining? Worst. September. Ever.
Discovered a wall in my office / back bedroom that I thought was a relatively recent stud-framed plasterboard wall is, in fact, plasterboard over the old laths on (maybe) the original frame. Never seen that before. But it's to my advantage. 1/3
September 14, 2025 at 10:44 AM
Discovered a wall in my office / back bedroom that I thought was a relatively recent stud-framed plasterboard wall is, in fact, plasterboard over the old laths on (maybe) the original frame. Never seen that before. But it's to my advantage. 1/3