Ross's Micro Blog

I hear that this new movie “The Odyssey” is based on a book.

Do you think I should read the book before seeing it at the cinema?

🤔

I find myself wondering if there is a job in optimising LLM agent skills by converting them to run deterministically with real programming/scripting languages.

I see so much “if…then”, decision trees, and even literal “for each” mechanics in instructions to LLMs.

This week I reduced a part of a skill that took 14s to run with an LLM to a PHP script that took 2 seconds (mostly querying an API) and used zero tokens.

With companies asking people to reduce token use, this seems like a no-brainer.

@samir I just took time to properly read https://functional.computer/blog/llms-cant-program

It’s very good. Thanks for writing up your experiences.

I’m intrigued that you are having/have had success with getting LLMs to fill in the gaps or identify weaknesses.

In my experience LLMs are very good at summarising code – they work well when they have all the information they need to respond.

I’ve found them very hit and miss when asking them to be inventive. Sometimes they are amazing, but it’s unreliable.

I am particularly proud of the TikTok-worthy, white-man-bakes-sourdough / ASMR crossover video! 😂

The people asked (well, some friends over on Bluesky did!), and the people have now received.

After sharing a photo of my sourdough loaf this morning, I was encouraged to write up my process/recipe.

So here is my almost-jargon-free, real-life sourdough guide!

https://rosswintle.uk/2026/07/a-real-life-jargon-free-sourdough-bread-process/

Rise up, Wordlers. This is no longer a fun daily puzzle. It’s now us – the people – against them. Bring your pitchfork. We storm the NYT at dusk!!!

I don’t understand football deeply, but it seems like England keep having problems because a player is sitting on the ground and complaining instead of getting on with things.

Is this just the most British way of playing?

I was pretty chuffed that I could not only point at a moving light in the sky and correctly state that it was the ISS, but I could also, within seconds of thinking about it, correctly state where on earth it was flying over!

Yes. This is what I get proud about!

Oooh! I did good at this today!!

hankgreen.com/smush · 11 Jul
1052 pts · PERFECT 💯
🥞🥞🥞
🥞⭐🥞
🥞🥞🥞

This is such a fun little … retro tennis RPG? Played through it in a few days. Like Tom, I got really invested in it. It’s a really fun little game.

https://masto.yttrx.com/@tommertron/116836461058623495

An excellent example of this comedy genre. Well played.

https://mastodonapp.uk/@IanDSmith/116885284448937459

It turns out you can’t resign as an MP. But you can be disqualified from being one if you are appointed to an "office of profit under The Crown”.

So they keep a few fake positions available that they can appoint MPs to who don’t want to be MPs any more.

Bonkers country.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_stewards_of_the_Manor_of_Northstead

I appreciate the humour of Rachel Reeves’ “talking to a bin” Tweet. But it was the official announcement that piqued my interest:

“I will accept Nigel Farage's request to be appointed Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead.”

You what now?? …

I can’t help thinking that if you’re a tech person then you are probably in the privileged position of understanding the link between AI use and technology prices right now.

If you want more tokens and better models, this is what happens.

AI use was a vote for this.

https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/samsungs-chip-division-expects-to-out-earn-its-entire-40-year-history-in-2026

I actually hate that I had to write this. But really it’s just too much right now and it’s making ME stressed.

I have the greatest respect and love and admiration for teachers and school employees. They are true heroes.

But please can you stop making having a school child such immensely hard work?

I have a job, and it’s not reading all the emails and taking random time out several times a week to be present at events.

It’s relentless right now & I’m exhausted.

Also, many smart kids are neurodivergent, struggle with executive function and need help with planning and prioritisation. Please learn this!!

I swear that somehow my kids have wired every “play” button on my phone – YouTube, Podcast, etc – to send them a notification. Because pressing play seems to summon them with their “Daaaaaddd???” EVERY time!

(Of course, like everything, this does not work when I actually DO want to summon them)

My daughter gets me to help with practicing her taekwondo moves because I forget what they are.

So… of course… we made a web page for that!

https://taecombo.veryuseful.app/