Ivor Macfarlane

@stephenmann My job title at IBM in 2007-2009 was service management evangelist. Involved lots of talking to folks all round the world. I’ve had worse jobs.

Where Did ITSM Evangelists Go? And Why the Industry Needs Them Back in 2026 itsm.tools/itsm-evangelis… #ITSM

@DrJaninaRamirez Why try and fix what isn’t broken. Black is the new black.

I find myself in a familiar pickle. Off to a big fancy wedding on Saturday so looking for something to wear. I’m telling myself - go for bright colours, sparkles, glitter. That’s what everyone else will be wearing. But it’s too strong…. The only clothes I can look at are black.

@TigayBarry @RepMTG And did the American people support agent orange and the destruction in Laos and Cambodia? And did that make them all culpable?

So, the people of Gaza are just like the people of America? This is a misleading comparison. People are different. Cultures are different. The people of Gaza not only elected Hamas, they aided, cheered and praised the atrocities. They still to this moment support Hamas. Those who don’t support Hamas support other Islamist supremacists. Americans aren’t the same as the death cult jihadists. Christians and Jews aren’t the same as Muslims.

If America was being bombed day and night because of something horrific our government did, and many innocent Americans and American children were being killed and traumatically injured, and we begged for mercy, but the rest of the world said, “Americans voted for their government so they deserve it, their government is bad so all Americans are bad, therefore this is what they get and must be done” And the world was silent to our suffering. And no one came to our aid. And our cities and homes were bombed and turned to rubble. And our infrastructure was destroyed, no farms, no grocery stores, no more organized society. And no one helped our injured and hungry children. How would you feel? What would you think? What would you do? This is what is happening to Gaza where in spite of what we have all been told, many innocent people and children are being killed and they are not Hamas. Does Hamas deserve it? Yes. Do innocent people and children deserve it? No. The innocent people in Gaza did not kill and kidnap the innocent people in Israel on Oct 7th. Just as we spoke out and had compassion for the victims and families of Oct7, how can Americans not speak out and have compassion for the masses of innocent people and children in Gaza? Is one type of innocent life worthy and another type of innocent life worth nothing? For me, I think God sees all innocent lives the same and he loves them all. As a matter of fact, He sent his own son for all people, that’s how much He loves us. America funds Israel $3.8 billion annually for military aid. Actually correction. U.S. taxpayers fund Israel $3.8 billion annually for military aid. That means every U.S. tax payer is contributing to Israel’s military actions. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to pay for genocide in a foreign country against a foreign people for a foreign war that I had nothing to do with. And I will not be silent about it.

@wmarybeard I passed my test in 1970 by reading a number plate. Now living in Portugal and have to take proper eye test and get assessed by doctor every two years to renew licence. It’s tedious to have to do but obviously good sense. We cope.

As an over 70 I will be happy to take a driving eye test. But headlines are so full of emotive language. “FORCED” to take a test (“required” wd be better) “BANNED” if they fail (“would not have licence renewed”). After all we all took compulsory eye test when we got our licences.

@mpscomms @LBFlyawayhome Maybe that’s why they are only taking one child?

@LBFlyawayhome It would be at least two more decades from 1978 that some genius thought of putting wheels on suitcases!

Old Ladybird Books updated, 1964 and 1978 Holiday clothes (From ‘Our Friends’) Artist: Martin Aitchison

@LBFlyawayhome It sort of makes sense to have a late start on the longest day. Plenty of time to catch up.

And, of all the days to oversleep and post late, I chose this one 🙄

Today is the #SummerSolstice The longest day - and it’s a Saturday 😊 Artist: David Palmer

@MarinaPurkiss I can’t imagine Trump waiting to come second

Are we absolutely sure Trump isn’t the Second Coming?

@LBFlyawayhome Equally interesting that in the later one parents keep the children in view while in 1964 you’d be allowed to wander farther off. Certainly that was my experience between being the child in the sixties and a parent early eighties.

Old Ladybird books updated, 1964 and 1978. Jane changes her mind about fishing. Artist: Martin Aitchison

@LBFlyawayhome For when they were new it would have been wildlife. For now I’d love to read the going to school one.

Ps Please like or rt even if you don’t reply or this important challenge will get buried

Non-fiction. You can only pick one. Which one?

@DrJaninaRamirez Still looks good to me

Have been to the hairdressers. She’s cut off way more than I like. Not sure……

@DrJaninaRamirez Just keep on being you. We follow you because we like what you post.

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking while I’ve been ill. I’ve been thinking it doesn’t matter whether I share things on social media or not. I’m a very small entity. If you do follow me and think I should keep bothering with sharing, let me know what I can do to be helpful?!

@Joannechocolat Have it worked out now. When we have steak, mine goes on bbq then I set the table, sort out drinks, make a salad and go back and put my wife’s steak on for the last minute or two.

Huge appreciation for my waiter, faced with an English couple who wanted their steak well done…

@McneillHot @MrBenSellers @BobSmithWalker @lukeakehurst Until this morning my north Durham vote would have gone to labour. Now it’s looking much greener.

@MrBenSellers @BobSmithWalker @lukeakehurst Bigger question is will anyone vote for him? Hopefully decent people will have an alternative.

It should be noted that the imposition of @lukeakehurst in North Durham will not just piss off the left. Leader of the Labour Group, Carl Marshall, was widely regarded as a shoe-in to replace Kevan Jones & will be furious. Which begs the question, will anyone campaign for Luke?

It's been a while since I wrote anything that went public. Thankyou #manageengine for showing off a couple of blogs from me - one on ITIL history manageengine.com/products/servi… And another with my take on ITIL's 4 dimensions manageengine.com/products/servi…

@DrJaninaRamirez True. But I suspect parenting was never as easy as us old folks seem to remember it was.

Parenting now is hard. In one ear, parents whispering ‘in my day kids would play for 2 hours with a stick’. In the other, a voice from our childhood saying ‘oh my god! All music, books, knowledge, contacts, games, entertainment… everything! In the palm of your hand!’ #BigChanges

@tomjennings @simonharris_mbd No. He was remembering that those people don’t matter.

@simonharris_mbd I fear he was forgetting not everyone has access to VIP private drivers and fast-track private jets out of City Airport

@GaryLineker Rugby not only does their video check in public but makes the referee's mike available all the time. Not sure football is quite that brave. And maybe much of it would get bleeped out?

It would be very helpful for this all to be heard live, particularly for those in the stadium who have no idea whet is going on.

@theAliceRoberts teenagers

Lupa’s gone from nudging me, walking around excitedly (she’d have the lead in her mouth if she’d thought of that), to groaning and now actual sulking…

@rob_england The frameworks are littered with words stolen from languages and given new meanings - sprint, problem, scrum and many more. False friends confuse and entertain when using more than one language, but people are mostly used to it. Try talking to your kids for much the same effect.