Alex@rtnVFRmedia Suffolk UK

Old roaming Tom Cat (zwerfkater) but still young at heart. Toots EN, (NL,FR,DE). #DevOpa - interested more in retro tech / culture / aesthetics than new stuff. Also transport and public infrastructure in general (with a UK/European focus)

Welcome to the secret goose shed!

Avatar is a tabby point Siamese cat - header picture is a Stentor FM radio transmitter designed in the Netherlands; popular with small pirate radio broadcasters in late 1980s

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Last Notes

2026-05-21 21:16:38 UTC

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@nprofile…z4eq @nprofile…x58r
AI news broadcasts aren't uncommon in smaller radio stations, but the one I work with would use manual override for the playout for something like this.
We already had that when the Queen kicked the bucket and had to tell the lads on air "turn off the pop music now so we can switch the programme feeds - don't look at your phones either to check, she's definitely brown bread!
The main Royals are mostly old and not in the best of health, but they aren't likely to keel over suddenly and there's plenty of warning given (they would normally spend some time in hospital before and its obvious whats going on)

2026-05-19 19:04:53 UTC

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@nprofile…z4eq I was a teenager when they first talked about building Crossrail / Elizabeth Line.
By the time it was finished, I was over 50 and my nephew had already started school..

2026-05-17 21:29:37 UTC

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@nprofile…pt5r also in USA, confusing situation of having multiple different state traffic laws, and lack of effective public sector (particularly health and social care authorities) mean any crashes caused by pot smokers are likely not recorded as such - especially low speed damage only collisions where no one is injured and insurance companies aren't notified.
Smoking pot /does/ affect reaction times, I still remember abruptly headbutting front seat when my stoner friends managed to rear end the car in front in the 1990s (on a notoriously bad road layout), he had misjudged traffic abruptly stopping in a jam.
Its less likely to result in major crashes with fatalities, but there's enough minor scrapes/prangs that insurers here don't like it and lobbied for stricter laws..

2026-05-17 21:20:24 UTC

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@nprofile…pt5r AFAIK its only partially legalised in USA, and even in countries where it is DUI remains an offence. As its not easy to test yourself unlike the alcotester you can buy just about anywhere which is similar to what the cops use and works like a vape in reverse, I suspect stoners are playing it safe and waiting until they are sober (about 4-8 hours is recommended by many sources) and would not be motivated to drive anyway when high.
Those in cities may well also be getting public transport or walking, where there isn't any safety risk..
UK and other European nations still have an unfortunate way of testing folk which will show positive even if they are sober and not impaired for driving, many people get their licenses yoinked for a year or more this way..

2026-05-17 12:45:57 UTC

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@nprofile…z4eq Reform really have only 2 clear policies.
Limiting immigration and making life harder for existing ethnic minority communities, and walking away from environmental regulations, especially those that restrict private vehicle owners and create extra work for small businesses.
Alas, thats enough to get a significant proportion of the British public to vote for them..

2026-05-17 12:22:14 UTC

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@nprofile…z4eq what also worries me is as useless as she is, how many ex-Tories are now likely supporting Reform simply because they are angry that a Black woman is in charge (and that the Tories produced Britain's first brown Prime Minister, even if he was also useless)

2026-05-16 18:36:04 UTC

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@nprofile…u8z9 here there are only about 3 (Openreach (part of British Telecom), Trooli and CityFibre) and Openreach often own most of the infrastructure anyway and rent it to the others so they tend to be called first.
All poles here have markers showing who owns them (UK Power Networks / Openreach / anyone else and the Fire Brigade are taught how to identify these)

2026-05-10 17:23:39 UTC

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@nprofile…3sg0 @nprofile…uatj @nprofile…35pf
About £160 to £280 ($218 - $382) - these seem to be most reliable stats I could find but don't make any distinction between new and used cars (although used cars < £5000 are often purchased outright from savings)
https://www.moneyexpert.com/car-insurance/what-is-the-average-monthly-car-payment/

2026-05-10 17:03:15 UTC

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@nprofile…rs99 @nprofile…dqzr
I only started driving late in life (in 2019) - when I passed my test got handed govt approved "First Car" magazine clearly aimed at teenagers.
Magazine was *full* of ads from insurance companies advertising modern versions of this system, younger drivers (age 17-21) now invariably end up with it for a year or two.
This might work in short term, but many (especially young men) compensate for it by driving faster and more aggressively once its no longer required..

2026-05-10 00:05:04 UTC

An #arrest for attempt #murder rather than simply causing #injury by dangerous #driving is relatively unusual - and in line with #Norfolk and Suffolk Constabulary's own policies suggests this #collision in #Norwich between a car and cyclist was *deliberate* (at very least there appears to also be #DUI and both #alcohol and #drugs playing a factor)
#RoadSafety #UrbanRoadSafety #Norwich
https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2026-05-09/driver-arrested-for-attempted-murder-after-cyclist-seriously-hurt-in-crash

2026-05-07 18:14:11 UTC

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@nprofile…uwer thats what I was saying - you shouldn't be charged 2 quid for data they already have..

2026-05-07 18:10:03 UTC

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@nprofile…uwer I just looked up the Radius offerings, but I'd be highly surprised if the different fuel cards didn't all use the same online portal which they are trying to upsell (for data they have already collected with you, and share with marketing providers)

2026-05-07 17:59:58 UTC

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@nprofile…uwer the usage data would likely be shared with petrol stations and oil companies providing the fuel (you mentioned the larger discount being at Esso, although I see the card works with a variety of filling stations).
So it seems are charging you to get the same data they are harvesting and sharing with the other companies (rather than give it away for free)

2026-05-07 17:55:24 UTC

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@nprofile…uwer @nprofile…wud3
on one level this just seems like pure greed, Esso are already getting the value of your purchase data (and even registration mark of your car when you fill up due to ANPR which can be used to sell to adtech companies), but I suspect they are quite deliberately trying to discourage "small fish" and pick up medium/large fleet business

2026-05-07 17:07:38 UTC

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@nprofile…z4eq @nprofile…v2v2 @nprofile…s4ce
I suspect the migration can still fail silently halfway through if it encounters someone on an instance which no longer exists (it certainly was an issue a few years back)

2026-05-07 15:53:56 UTC

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@nprofile…7q7j @nprofile…gvek
to be fair it does cause collateral damage, as well as interfering with existing GSM/LTE comms for once the feds/Communications Ministry *aren't* exaggerating when they warn of interference to vital services, unless spammers correctly configure their kit to correctly route 112/999/911 calls (which is unlikely!)

2026-05-02 00:57:28 UTC

#Clownstep is an actual term for certain types of #DrumAndBass - over here its associated with lads who drive used BMWs from the 2000s (same era where it was most popular) badly (some of these lads aren't even *that* young, well into their 30s and 40s!)

2026-04-28 17:37:11 UTC

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@nprofile…jzyc @nprofile…cj3j
exact same applies to the UK's Labour Party...

2026-04-26 20:48:44 UTC

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@nprofile…da7m @nprofile…gxzg how did anyone think that was a good idea? Even in the 20th century it would have been sub-par..

2026-04-26 20:44:19 UTC

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@nprofile…99sl @nprofile…appe presumably USA show?
School buses vary wildly in size here in Britain, they can be anything from the bus version of a panel van to a single decker or a full size double decker service bus on contract hire from the local bus company
(I have hybrid working and drive to the office in the afternoon, and I've seen every one of these being used for school transport in my town)

2026-04-24 16:38:06 UTC

Having now worked in #health/ #social care for 20 years I'm conflicted about this - the delay is also going to be held up as a victory for more theocratic minded folk, but I'd support human #euthanasia more if we had a less fractured society and fewer financial pressures on #healthcare
I'm already hearing of claims in NL, BE and CA (including from people I trust) there is pressure being put on patients to end their lives rather than have more complex/expensive forms of treatment, and really would *not* put it past some British families "having Grandad put to sleep to save on care home costs (and to keep hold of property that seniors might own outright, but is often sold to pay for care costs!)
Maybe #neoliberalism / #capitalism needs to die first?

2026-04-21 16:28:40 UTC

found #bug on both #FireFox and #WaterFox - neither will display apps page on #MS365 - it doesn't appear on main portal menu with Copilot, nor on URL with
//m365.cloud.microsoft/apps
workaround is to go into outlook.office.com and use the square of 9 dots to get the app menu. Its curious as it *used* to work!
Looked for other reports or solutions but not found any - I guess Microsoft will just say "use Edge or Chrome", and Firefox/Waterfox users generally don't like MS365 so aren't interested in fixing it (I use Firefox to stay logged in to a different MS365 tenant on that particular browser rather than my main work one (which is left logged in on Edge)

2026-04-21 15:16:20 UTC

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@nprofile…99e4 on DOS both Wordperfect and IBM Displaywrite had a blue background and white/grey text, Lotus 123 sometimes had black background and green text (or was used on a monochrome green monitor).
Presentation software wasn't that common in DOS days, folk were still using slides and overhead projectors so anything from a computer was made into a 35mm slide (if folk had the budget), printed to a B&W laserjet on acetate film (there was some types specially made for this) but a lot of presentations were still folk in suits pointing at flipcharts like in 1980s...

2026-04-21 15:09:35 UTC

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@nprofile…99e4 Until mid 90s many folk were still using DOS office applications, although Wordpefect for Windows also had a blue UI and so did the Windows versions of Lotus 123 - there wasn't as much distinction in UI colours between 1990s office apps
(I was working in an office around the exact time everything changed over from DOS to Windows)

2026-04-19 23:26:34 UTC

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@nprofile…az0m @nprofile…c2ry
I remember some years ago when the oil spill happened in Gulf of Mexico a Sherriff from that area mentioning how they had the FBI on standby and all sorts, but what actually happened (other than big cleanup operation) was a massive rise in domestic violence and road traffic collisions, as folk couldn't cope with setbacks (particularly the loss of jobs and impact on the local economy), and everyone across the World seems to be being affected by some crisis or another and its played out on the roads.
Another less drastic (but equally risky) factor (maybe more in UK/Europe?) is flex/hybrid working hours, although these aren't a bad thing this has expanded the rush hour and also encouraged some to take more chances to get home early..

2026-04-19 23:12:48 UTC

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@nprofile…az0m @nprofile…c2ry
I turn down music at roundabouts and busy junctions (or other situations where there are greater hazards).
TBH in recent months I've been driving in silence - other than engine and ambient noises)at least during daytime/afternoon as there is almost always /some/ kind of sketchy stuff happening around me..
Athough UK roads are generally fairly safe, this is because traffic laws are strictly enforced with a *lot* of cameras and when those aren't around, some folk compensate for it out of spite by playing a game of brinkmanship with everyones lives on the road, and this has all got worse in recent years..

2026-04-19 22:00:24 UTC

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@nprofile…fg9t were you doing this by hand or machine? And if a machine polish, which grade of pads did you use?
I should get my DAS6 out again soon (waiting for weekends where it doesn't randomly start raining)

2026-04-19 19:34:33 UTC

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@nprofile…35xm even in my own living memory, until my teenage years, many older folk were unwilling to drive a Volkswagen because of the association with the Nazi-regime (in spite of the civillian VWs all only reaching the market after the Allies had literally wrestled away the means of production from the Nazis post-war)

2026-04-19 16:29:37 UTC

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@nprofile…9q77 I have Asian ancestry but I can read and speak German and like Volksmusik - *both* ululating and yodelling are cool!

2026-04-19 15:35:53 UTC

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@nprofile…c3ey this is exactly why I ended up paying for the TomTom app - I tried all the others ( OSMAnd, Magicearth, OrganicMaps) and they had worse UX and lacked features - to be fair OSMAnd was OK, but there was an issue with average speed cameras in an area I drive through not being fully mapped and no easy way of finding out exactly what was recorded (I *did* try looking) nor fixing it (you would have to ride a bicycle on the path next to live traffic on A12 and tag each camera individually - even though the path is there its is not without personal risk, hence why the cameras were put up in the first place!)

2026-04-19 15:31:09 UTC

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@nprofile…yj83 @nprofile…la7y except people get a choice to ride bicycles and when they go out on the road, horses do not.
I don't have a problem with people having and riding their own pet horse, but when they get used for commercial enterprises like this there's always the risk of animal welfare coming second to profit and revenue..

2026-04-19 14:39:28 UTC

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@nprofile…la7y it doesn't seem safe at all for the horses with todays traffic and the way people drive in Kent..
according to British Horse Society 56 horses are killed every year in road traffic collisions and that's even with the riders choosing "safer" rural areas (there was a nasty crash involving a pony and trap in Kent quite recently), and this came up
A lot of the problem is bad drivers, but that needs to be tackled *first* before putting *more* horses into a built up area where they are no longer a common sight.

2026-04-17 16:05:18 UTC

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@nprofile…f4gm @nprofile…nfcl
UKPNs service cables often need upgrading to handle the extra load of EV chargers, and they have a limited number of engineers who can do this work (even when folk are willing to pay for it) - they are struggling with keeping the existing infrastructure working (a neighbour who doesn't have an EV had a service cable overheat, it took UKPN about a month to fix it properly, they had to take up half the pavement and restrict parking for 50m around and didn't even tell the Council the correct days when the were doing this)

2026-04-17 15:43:22 UTC

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@nprofile…nfcl @nprofile…f4gm the issue with any extra apps (assuming these are independent of any charging company) is you have to install them first (and also pay by handing over whatever data they harvest).
I tried a few sites and they all want logins/apps before divulging the prices! At least petrolprices.com lets you look on a normal computer without a login (although it does also do so quite begrudgingly and limit features).
Also I looked at several charger displays at South Mimms and also by the village shop, none of them show you the price until you've logged in / put in a card (whereas I can glance at a petrol pump and its immediately shown)
The lady at work also mentioned that most chargers were slow (her EV is a 74 plate car so quite new)

2026-04-17 15:30:52 UTC

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@nprofile…f4gm the only thing now holding many folk back is when they have to park 50m away from their house and rent seeking of charger companies - was speaking to a young woman just yesterday who lives in Mid Suffolk and was going to trade in her EV for a petrol car, she didn't want to but all the commercial chargers have raised their prices, used incompatible apps and/or are unreliable. This isn't a insurmountable problem by any means, but means these businesses need a boot up the arse from the Government..
One quick win would be insisting on "totem signs" or at least a prominent price display on a charger *before* you need any app/login (same as a petrol pump has)

2026-04-17 12:46:51 UTC

Whoever posted this on #LinkedIn was correct about CCA #network #cable (and there is way too much of this cursed stuff around nowadays) being sub par to decent copper - but didn't realise that the cable has two brown pairs rather than blue and brown!
(probably some #AI slop, which makes even less sense as its a simple drawing)
https://f2.tchncs.de/media_attachments/files/116/420/093/005/620/729/original/58338b04cbac9514.png

2026-04-15 22:35:20 UTC

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@nprofile…etys alas, this is not uncommon at petrol/gas stations the world over, due to cracks in the storage tanks and poor maintenance (rather than checking the fuel quality regularly some garages wait until its got to a stage where folk are breaking down, which surely costs them more in the long run but I guess oil companies would rather pay for lawyers/insurance than maintenance staff..)

2026-04-14 23:46:34 UTC

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@nprofile…nsae
this is one of the articles (they are all linked to the work of the same Professor, who also has a book to sell), a similar article exists on APA website.
https://boingboing.net/2026/04/13/our-attention-spans-are-one-third-what-they-were-in-2004.html

2026-04-14 14:50:48 UTC

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@nprofile…5fek hmm - just realised your name is also Alex and remembered that I also recently had strange emails such as a car dealer (which I did buy a car from last year) setting up a sales enquiry of a Lamborghini Urus (something I never asked about, couldn't afford and as a single man a large SUV wouldn't appeal to me anyway). I didn't get any human contact me, so I suspect someone realised they had made a mistake and quickly stopped the pre-sales process.
I do wonder if our names get used as "test subjects" for new marketing initiatives / test of AI software (simply because they would be near top of a list of given names)..

2026-04-14 14:43:04 UTC

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@nprofile…zctx @nprofile…5fek
I can read Dutch, so I looked up the shop myself - it doesn't seem like its selling anything particularly unusual/esoteric (by the standards of Dutch electronics shops, especially those which cater to radio enthusiasts 😁 ) - so this use of AI makes me *really* suspicious. I even suspect that the real reason is one or more items are out of stock/delayed (in spite of being shown in stock), and rather than lose the whole order they prompt the AI to try and use these delaying tactics to buy some extra time to restock..

2026-04-12 20:38:49 UTC

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@nprofile…6cvp it means you don't have the dilemma of not inadvertantly supporting former regime because things just marked "made in EU" (for instance light bulbs for cars) can be from Hungary, and you only know this *after* you've opened the box (and when someone else had gifted these bulbs (as they weren't correct for her own car, but fitted our fleet car at work) and you have already taken front bumper of an Opel Corsa apart to fit them and someone needs that car by the evening..
This example does show an Achilles Heel of the EU, as the "lowest common denominator" country can still end up profiting from the single market, which makes it important to push back against shitty regimes in member states (there are times when I'm surprised the UK didn't get yeeted before they left)

2026-04-12 20:22:10 UTC

The political change in #Hungary isn't that revolutionary - if we compared it to UK it would be the same as Reform losing support and the Tories (or maybe the Tory/Lib Dem coalition rather than the current incarnation) getting back in power - but it is at least a step forward...

2026-04-11 21:51:19 UTC

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@nprofile…063n I guess if you did ever get one, it would be simple enough to ask DEFRA and neighbouring Councils for advice (there's zoos in Suffolk and Essex, and quite a lot of unusual pets there including servals, and venomous snakes (these seem especially popular in Essex)

2026-04-11 21:43:52 UTC

Someone literally had a #monkey on their back - #driver failed #drugs test and #nicked for #DUI , passenger nicked on suspicion of keeping a #primate without a #licence (which isn't even /that/ heard to get but you need to prove to the Council and DEFRA you can look after your exotic #pet
The monkey is going to be rehabilitated at a #wildlife rescue centre...
#Cumbria #Carlisle #WildlifeCrime
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn4315244wpo

2026-04-08 19:20:17 UTC

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@nprofile…5dlp @nprofile…yxhd this will actually work in USA, where the mobile numbers are mixed up in the dialplan with all the others (in other parts of the world, mobile numbers have their own code prefix and most of the scammers know this (although we do also have Communications Minstries and regulators with more teeth, so its not that common to get a real human making a scam call (more often only odd voice messages, sometimes in Chinese))

2026-04-07 20:55:55 UTC

What am I fishing for here? #telephone calls 😁
This is all above board (as its internal monitoring)- but old tech way is surprisingly most GDPR compliant - it separates call metadata (which I don't want, I can get that from other sources) from audio which I do want.
I'm not even interested in exact *content* of calls here, what I'm monitoring is overall audio quality to make sure nothing is glitched / daleked at our end now calls are 100% #VOIP (alas, I can't do anything about ropey #LTE networks our staff and service users might be using)
I'm also testing how #Grandstream #ATA and cloud #PBX handle long telephone calls (such as intercept feed from the other #PBX)
Contents of #tape are not kept long term, they are be erased once I've assessed the audio quality..
https://f2.tchncs.de/media_attachments/files/116/365/343/700/029/255/original/9ff23c0c45d514b8.jpg

2026-04-07 19:23:11 UTC

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@nprofile…nfcl I think there are two problems - firstly the use of Airwave radios, shared talkgroups and GNSS data makes doing this a cheap stopgap, but theres also the fact that once its gone as far as someone being sectioned, if they don't want to comply *some* level of force may be required and most NHS staff don't want to get involved in that (and those who *do* shouldn't be working in health/social care anyway)

2026-04-07 19:09:08 UTC

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@nprofile…p95z @nprofile…r6ca
I used to be involved with pirate radio in my country (and still do some work for a community radio station which has both normal transmitter and online streaming).
Before streaming radio you had 0 idea how many people were listening - whilst it was possible to interact with the station via pagers and later mobile phones, many of the listeners would be young and still at family home or without much money, and until late 90s it cost a lot to call a pager or mobile phone.
But people *still* kept the stations going without "metrics" (although you would often get randoms come up to you at raves and say in person at raves that they listened to the station).- and this was the case for many creative endeavours well into the 2000s...

2026-04-07 18:54:24 UTC

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@nprofile…nfcl the job he was being sent to would have been better dealt with by a paramedic NHS Ambulance RRU (rapid response unit) but there are even fewer of those on the roads than police, and they are likely occupied with dealing with aftermath of incidents such as stabbings or other RTCs..

2026-04-07 18:40:25 UTC

I'm surprised the #officer actually got sent to #prison for this #RTC - but in *all* training for blue light response #drivers ( #Police , #Fire and #Ambulance ) there is a *big* warning not to let "red mist" take over (its mentioned a lot in my copy of Roadcraft, which although intended for blue light drivers is also available to civilians)
I've seen a couple of incidents recently here in Suffolk where RPU officers have made sketchy manoeuvres which could *easily* have gone bad for themselves and others (particularly one where they appeared to be trying to stop a vehicle, luckily the driver was compliant) - seems to be caused by lack of resources and them being sent out single crewed and spread too thinly,..
#RoadSafety #EmergencyServices #UK
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c20d5g6v4z0o

2026-04-07 11:49:57 UTC

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@nprofile…la7y @nprofile…nl0g what concerns me is we are increasingly becoming dependent on folk at the Pentagon baulking at actually starting WW3 (which may or may not happen, as Hegseth is replacing the more sensible generals with those who are more compliant).
Trump could kick the bucket on the loo tonight but all his supporters and enablers would still be around..

2026-04-07 11:04:40 UTC

If you make #fursuits or #furry art as a side hustle then surely you are not as much trying to keep the #wolf from the door, but actively welcoming it? 🐺
(Awoo)

2026-04-07 11:00:51 UTC

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@nprofile…nhy8 Zak the lad from Swindon who was at the rave, not Zak from the Green Party 😉
Although Zak Polanski is also straight edge but open minded about drugs policy

2026-04-07 10:58:50 UTC

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@nprofile…nhy8 for being naïve enough to think the rave scene is breaking down social barriers and a force for good
(the events *are* fun, but there is a big knock on impact to wider society in the medium to long term, which I saw at first hand over my 20+ years on that scene)

2026-04-07 10:56:04 UTC

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I'm not going to blame Zak for this - he comes across as a good lad, may have #BritishAsian or Middle Eastern ancestry, and its not unlikely some of my old mates know him - but I've also seen less #solidarity on the #rave scene over 25 years than there should have been.
Before I nuked my Facebook account I'd see old skool ravers *still* moaning about immigration, , some considered wider politics as "too woke" and moaned about eco-protesters - on our internet forums in 2000s you'd get same culture war bullshit so the scene *didn't* really break down that many barriers - its mostly privileged youths with easy access to vehicles.
Also many good folk self-destructed through #drugs -this is why today I'm not rushing to defend these events more like I would have done a few years back...

2026-04-07 10:45:46 UTC

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I'm glad #BBC at least allowed Zak some publicity, and I believe he *is* straightedge (his other social media show he's got an interest in cars, if he was partaking of any substances old bill would soon have tracked him down and yoinked his licence), but I fear he doesn't realise that once the #rave has gone over a certain level and enough locals have complained, the #Police are authorised to use whatever force is necessary to close it down and seize the equipment - anyone who was on the scene in 90s/00s would have witnessed something like this (or worse( at least once
There's a whole 50 page document online from the College of Policing showing exactly how #raves are dealt with nowadays, its been recently updated by #MetPol and is freely online (not classified)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0krn1m327jo

2026-04-07 00:59:11 UTC

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@nprofile…e245 @nprofile…qhj6 there's *loads* of these suburban gamer lads everywhere in my town, its taken over from things like drugs and raves because those have been clamped down on, and parents and other normies generally don't mind because they "aren't on streets causing trouble" and they are middle class lads who have jobs.
They are harmless *provided* they can keep a head on whats real and what is not, and don't get drawn into all the "manosphere / alt-right" bullshit via whatever social networks they are part of..

2026-04-07 00:53:57 UTC

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@nprofile…e245 @nprofile…qhj6 and the only reason I was a bit wary about the sound coming from the neighbours is one of the lads there *had* previously been involved in drugs scene and got his car firebombed, I was one of the first to call 999 for the Fire Brigade (this is a suburban street where stuff like this doesn't usually happen!)
the whole street was lined with people and I remember another gamer lad watching the burning car, livestreaming the video to somewhere and me and this lads own mum having to warn him "don't get too close!" as it seemed he genuinely wasn't sure what was the game and what was real (he wasn't that young either, easily in his late 20s or 30s)

2026-04-07 00:47:35 UTC

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@nprofile…qhj6 @nprofile…e245
During summer when windows are open late at night, I've heard someone lad in the opposite house in my street playing some kind of war computer game and it sounds like there was going to be a fight/stabbing (and some of the lads living in that house at the time had "chequered histories")
Of course I knew what it was so didn't call 999/112, but it would be easy for an older person without knowledge of modern computer games and tech to get the wrong idea..

2026-04-07 00:36:14 UTC

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@nprofile…masm @nprofile…eqsh TBH its also likely I was immediately more suspicious then I would be of a similar incident over here as only an hour or so ago I was reading about how homeless folk in some bits of USA are being forced further afield to more remote and unsuitable areas, as well as lack of a welfare safety net and the much larger physical size of the area..

2026-04-07 00:29:27 UTC

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@nprofile…masm @nprofile…eqsh it does seem odd for a park built in 1977 unless it was built on first nations burial grounds (although it now appears its not 100% certain this skull is from a human - we've had similar incidents where the bones have turned out to be of a large animal)
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-04-05/possible-human-skull-found-during-easter-egg-hunt-police-say

2026-04-07 00:23:39 UTC

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@nprofile…masm @nprofile…eqsh its something that really isn't as much publicised by recent USA governments/society (or maybe it once was, but Trump has gutted the national parks / history organisations which were already underfunded).

2026-04-07 00:14:34 UTC

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@nprofile…eqsh thats way more worrying in USA - over here its not *that* unusual to unearth human remains from ancient burial sites (like from Roman times or similar) - they do get checked out by the Police CSI + specialist staff linked to museums and its usually discovered fairly quickly they aren't from anyone who died recently, but USA doesn't have that level of history..

2026-04-06 23:51:48 UTC

"hip pocket nerve" - #AustralianEnglish for an (imaginary) nerve that reacts with pain when an Australian has to spend more money (as they stereotypically keep their wallet in their hip pocket)

2026-04-06 16:18:48 UTC

Oof - thats 3 different #constabularies involved shutting down the #rave - #Dorset , #HantsPol and #AvonAndSomerset (you can work this out from the two letters on the officers public order helmets), and a lot of arrests
Bank Holiday #rave is always a risky one, old bill are more determined to shut it down as otherwise its likely to carry on until Monday Evening, these things often look like Lord of the Flies by then and then there's multiple sleep deprived and not sober drivers trying to make their way home which isn't really safe, but with these events increasingly being dispersed to corners of the country folk who have spent 4 hours driving there aren't simply going to turn back home and situation easily escalates..
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cddqm316mvjo

2026-04-05 15:37:52 UTC

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@nprofile…tj4e I did install GNU Units (which even works out of the box on Windows, the Linux computer is next door) and even *that* hints that US liquid measures are cursed (had to look in the manual to find that its "usgallons" without the space)
This is to be fair useful when comparing fluid volumes for car-related stuff (I drive a European car which is also popular in USA, and folk on those forums insist on measuring engine oil in US quarts etc)
https://f2.tchncs.de/media_attachments/files/116/352/785/776/935/712/original/31abaabf3fb85ba4.png

2026-04-05 15:18:31 UTC

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@nprofile…xtea I gave up on Ecosia when they *repeatedly* moaned about me using adblockers (as its only rebranded Bing search anyway, same as DuckDuckGo)

2026-04-05 14:05:13 UTC

For all the many faults of Reagan, I don't recall him ever making statements so unhinged and with a level of profanity that requires a trigger warning on the news website of a European state broadcaster...

2026-04-05 12:36:49 UTC

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@nprofile…g5d5 @nprofile…tld0 worst part of this is these days when I read about such a collision (not only in USA but in UK, Germany etc) and its someone of one skin colour crashing into a group of people of another (or mixed ethnicity) my first thoughts are often "at least its *only* a DUI rather than a targeted attack" (although maybe deliberate targeted collisions are more common here in UK as guns are heavily restricted, but SUVs are easy enough to get)

2026-04-05 10:14:42 UTC

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@nprofile…cmq0 Trump was posting on Truth Social at 05:21 UK time about the remaining airman being rescued (hiding the fact that USA had to blow up two of their own aircrafts which somehow got trapped behind enemy lines), so is still alive, but it is of course possible to use mobile devices from hospital..

2026-04-04 21:27:08 UTC

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@nprofile…xnks @nprofile…nrvh
are they not even worried about being knocked down? Or maybe they quite deliberately don't want to be seen for a variety of reasons, and are willing to take the risks..

2026-04-04 17:39:52 UTC

FFS - whole fake girl band created with #AI which risks diverting attention and money away from real female artists and is probably one man's creepy fantasy (its buried fairly deeply in the site that its an AI project)
thanks to @nprofile…t6lw for the heads up..

2026-04-04 14:30:27 UTC

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@nprofile…kdma what pisses me off is the attacks on the Greens during the Manchester elections, claiming they were going to give everyone free heroin and other bullshit. It seemed like the same tactics Reform use.
I've been a Labour supporter since age 18 - but it is increasingly likely I am going to vote Green (especially as it seems the party are realising they have to be more realistic about the timescale for completely banning petrol/diesel vehicles (whilst not abandoning this altogether, its probably feasible for 2045-2050)

2026-04-04 13:17:47 UTC

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@nprofile…akdx @nprofile…qewy @nprofile…9rjk
its a mix of both,. The misogyny was already slowly developing 20-30 years ago as pard of "lad culture" *before* social media became that popular, nothing was done about it as it was considered "free speech/expression". Those lads are now the fathers of todays schoolboys.

2026-04-02 18:11:27 UTC

A truck driver has ignored warnings that his vehicle is too high to get through the Schipoltunnel - officers of the Netherlands highway authority stop all the live lanes and escort the truck to a safe place.
Unfortunately this happens too often, and costs everyone a lot of time, especially during busy periods!

2026-04-02 12:43:55 UTC

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@nprofile…5qg3 @nprofile…tfur govt and insurance industry have been trying to nudge all drivers to have these for years - although I don't have any diagnosed conditions I only took to driving in middle age and drive cars with auto 'boxes so have to pay at least £120 extra on my own insurance *not* to have one)
All new/young drivers are being punished for sins of those form 30-40 years ago (when UK roads *were* pretty lawless), road safety has been part outsourced to insurance companies with a commercial interest, and young disabled folk are an easy target (their own age peers as well as folk in motor trade are grassing up on those who do make mistakes when driving on top of the rights desire in Britain to make life miserable for *everybody*

2026-04-01 17:58:12 UTC

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@nprofile…f20p I had to move out of my family home to a new town 20 years ago and our cat stayed behind with my mum and sister (as he was not well and eventually passed away) - I was working late in my office and a random cat wandered in from the yard (she was from some nearby house, but would visit me for a few months after that).
There are some yard cats here even today (some might even be the offspring of this cat), but those ones are wary of humans other than the lady in the house about 50 metres away (she rescued them as stray/feral cats), Ithey don't like the noisy repair garage next to my office and all the cars/traffic (even though the mechanic also tried to befriend them)

2026-03-31 20:13:28 UTC

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@nprofile…30yh not surprising this happens with all the work being so fucking precarious and production companies being too cheap to hire drivers they can trust - someone who could also be valuable to such an organisation if they want to shoot footage from inside vehicles, I see this too often being done in a sketchy and unsafe way - especially on YouTube but the legacy broadcasters can be equally bad...

2026-03-27 23:51:54 UTC

£50 000 worth of #windows busted by *one* angry man in #Kent - unclear what the motive was for this (nothing was stolen from either business), and it doesn't seem the businesses (a motor factors and a funeral director) were targeted for their nature (it may simply be they were in a corner of town that has an easy getaway route, as the Police turned up fairly quickly according to Facebook reports about same incident)
#vandalism #crime SE #England
The #CCTV these days is of really good quality, as sharp as ITV's own news cameras!
https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2026-03-27/cctv-captures-hooded-man-smashing-shop-windows-with-hammer

2026-03-27 23:18:58 UTC

The worst bit about these #crimes is surely the #thieves must have some links to the fandom, I barely know one #Pokémon card from the other or which ones are common and which are rare..
#crime #Cambridgeshire
https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2026-03-27/pokmon-cards-worth-thousands-stole-from-family-run-shop

2026-03-27 02:40:45 UTC

This is a good initiative - Laser make decent #tools - I didn't even realise they had been around 50 years!
In UK #apprentices are expected to swallow the cost of buying their own tools, which is partly why there is a shortage of #mechanics in the whole country (the toolkit is worth about £500)
https://garagewire.co.uk/news/company/laser/laser-tools-launches-future50-initiative-to-support-apprentices/

2026-03-27 02:21:30 UTC

Doesn't seem to be *that* many #crimes TBH, and stats aren't much good without being compared against the population of each district - also main town centre area is obviously going to be on top, as its got the most people in it late at night, some of whom may have consumed #alcohol or #drugs and be more prone to impulsive behaviour?
I wouldn't say #Ipswich is that bad for #crime I've lived in worse places and the bulk of the violence is either between folk who know one another or if going to nightlife areas with heavy booze consumption, which I don't do these days (and 20 years ago it was just as sketchy at night if not worse, but if you keep your head down you are generally OK)
#Suffolk #UK
https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/25926853.dangerous-area-ipswich-revealed/

2026-03-27 02:12:18 UTC

Thankfully it doesn't seem like this #doctor is on UK GMC (General Medical Council) - and knowing the poor quality of journalism these days he could equally be just a University Professor or just some techbro with a PhD - you don't want dishonest folk like that looking after actual patients..
#parking #traffic #Reading
https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2026-03-25/doctor-caught-using-dead-fathers-disabled-blue-badge-to-park-for-free

2026-03-27 01:29:24 UTC

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@nprofile…08e5 alas, I've found many non-Amazon UK retail sites to be notoriously sketchy and flaky (as well as their customer service), with the exception of a handful for things like network/VOIP equipment, power tools and car detailing supplies / accessories / parts, but I don't buy stuff like that every week..

2026-03-27 01:23:11 UTC

This seems a bizzare thing to get yourself in trouble for if you are a fairly well off celeb - surely James May would have enough money to keep his #oldtimer #motorcycle off the public roads until it was properly insured? Its not even a particularly uncommon or unusual machine...
https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/national/25970695.james-may-settles-court-motorcycle-insurance-charge/

2026-03-27 01:16:00 UTC

#Gammons complain that #immigrants are men of "fighting age" and "running away" from conflict in their home countries - but here a family in #Felixstowe #Suffolk has abandoned their successful local business to go *back* to #Iran - in spite of the obvious personal danger in doing so..
https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/25964560.quick-stop-felixstowe-repossessed-due-rent-non-payment/

2026-03-27 00:30:47 UTC

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@nprofile…nrlp I boycotted a local radio station which plays electronic dance music (which I was a big fan of, even used to be a DJ) as they have become near fully dependent on funding from a sketchy online casino
Its hardly any better from the days of pirate stations funded by laundered drugs money, and I'm surprised the Communications Ministry permit it to stay on air, given the exact same govt are wanting to clamp down on all social media for teenagers yet saying "anything goes" as soon as they are 18

2026-03-27 00:26:55 UTC

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@nprofile…raga @nprofile…4hde I like to read stuff in other languages, one dead giveaway I've seen is for instance looking at a site in German and even with adblockers running some articles randomly appear in English (as they have been inserted by adtech companies, which assume that as my IP is geolocated to UK I am there)

2026-03-27 00:21:04 UTC

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@nprofile…la7y @nprofile…x0tx the impression I get is kids would, and do still play outdoors when they are allowed to, but parents are worried about them being knocked down by cars (probably due to the horrendous driving they witness every day on the school run, over here it sometimes looks like a 1980s wildlife documentary from Anglia TV where animals in the jungle are fighting for space at a watering hole).
Teenagers also would go outdoors, but many are worried of bullying/violence from their own peers plus (in towns/cities, especially London) getting hassle from old bill for "hanging around".
So its a vicious circle and young people can't be blamed for staying indoors with their phones and other devices..

2026-03-26 22:38:10 UTC

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@nprofile…yec9 I once sent some to a friend in an AOL CD during the time when these were always sent free in the post.
Even then this was from a post box completely the other side of town where I lived, and keeping an eye out for CCTV cameras (which had started to appear where I then lived by the late 1990s)

2026-03-26 22:34:07 UTC

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@nprofile…yec9 a few years back (even when we were in the EU) some old boys into prog rock told me that their vinyl albums ordered from the Netherlands were often delayed and the package sometimes even opened up by Border Force and resealed, who were convinced that LSD tabs or other contraband would be shipped along with them..

2026-03-26 22:27:10 UTC

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@nprofile…24n7 also its way more likely to be left alone on the back (which often also contains a manufacturers marketing label) than the front of the road sign (highways authorities don't like that for understandable reasons, particularly if its a safety related sign)
You could get away with wearing full hi vis and putting up the stickers, 99% of passers by will think its a legit highways worker, and the back of a sign is going to be on the other side of the road to where folk are driving so they won't be looking that closely)

2026-03-26 22:15:33 UTC

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@nprofile…3mz6 @nprofile…5rsp
I was always partly sceptical about it, but if anything its at least a credit to Chinese motorists (and/or their civil engineering) that all the doggos were able to walk next to a 100-120 km/h highway with live traffic and all got home safely..

2026-03-26 22:08:50 UTC

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@nprofile…c5mz @nprofile…cmq0
Even in summer if I am shining a large mechanics LED lamp around at night (which is not uncommon when working on my car) I'd struggle to attract that many (and wouldn't want to catch them for fear of hurting them, as it is I already relocate and release those which land on my car!)
Also projectors are much brighter these days and often used in a building with the house lights still on, reducing the level of disruption caused.

2026-03-26 21:58:08 UTC

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@nprofile…dpdc its based in TX, I really wouldn't put it past these apps being used to collect data by the oil companies to work out just how much they can push up the prices.
My experience of "free" motoring-related apps is they are only given away so companies can try and market you car-related services (my country has compulsory yearly inspection and insurance, so there's loads of companies fighting like rats to try and get this business)

2026-03-26 21:55:26 UTC

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@nprofile…m666 @nprofile…550p
I'm not a healthcare professional, but I spent 15 years working on the tech/maintenance team of a senior care home.
I know how old men (often with dementia) act and behave, and particularly in recent months Trump is behaving more like the patients at my former employers (who of course are *not* trusted with starting wars and atom bombs)

2026-03-26 21:32:33 UTC

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@nprofile…6rny decrim/legalisation would remove at least some of the cartels (although coca leaves can't grow in Northern Europe!), but would have to be done carefully in stages.
My country (UK) and others in Europe, possibly by accident, experimented with a liberalised drug market for what are known as new psychoactive substances - they were in a legal loophole for some years you could buy them online and get them delivered as easily as an Amazon parcel, and they were as strong and pure as any illegal stuff.
It *did* partly reduce illegal drug usage and dealing (and there was a reduction in associated violence) but health service was overwhelmed with overdoses (rarely fatal, but took up a lot of resources) and consequences of addictions, so this stuff all got controlled around 2016..

2026-03-26 21:11:36 UTC

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@nprofile…6rny driving under influence of drugs (even legally prescribed ones) is already illegal worldwide - its part of UN road safety guidelines same as speed limits, road signs and markings, driving tests and licences, obeying stop signs etc.
The problem is some folk already tend not to do these things if they think laws aren't going to be enforced (and/or live in areas where the traffic authorities are already overwhelmed) and are more likely to take a chance with DUI if there isn't an easy alternative transport method...

2026-03-26 20:54:50 UTC

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@nprofile…5g9u @nprofile…pd8p
They get hauled out either for re-use or the scrap metal value.
(I've helped put on raves in actual abandoned tech buildings in the early 2000s, I used to live in a town called Reading in SE England which is basically "British Seattle" and had all the tech companies in it (it still does to some extent), but quite a few folded in early 00s and/or sent all their work to lower income countries..
By the time the tech company is gone, all thats left is the empty warehouse and maybe some legacy telecoms kit (by mid 2000s I had so much of it from these places BITD that there were phones and network in every room, and you had to dial 9 for an outside line when making a phone call 😁 )

2026-03-26 20:04:18 UTC

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@nprofile…68m4 helium used in balloon gas is impure and often a byproduct from decommissioning old medical and scientific equipment - it is still not feasible (or cost effective) to refine it to a standard where it could be reused in the more critical applications..