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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npub1htw8068v80s4jcm8jlkwm7jjs4kncuf80gtd5fxhqte853vc80sqsr444t

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vfrmedia@social-tchncs-de.mostr.pub

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nprofile1qqst4hrharkrhc2evdne0m8dlffg2mfuwynh59k6ynts9un6gkvrhcqpz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerfw36x7tnsw43q78vuum

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relay.ditto.pub

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npub1htw8068v80s4jcm8jlkwm7jjs4kncuf80gtd5fxhqte853vc80sqsr444t

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Last Notes

2026-08-15 19:39:41 UTC

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@nprofile…r3l3 @nprofile…a006
The web publishers pissed in the soup about 25 years ago, as soon as everyone got some kind of broadband rather than dial up.
They wanted *more* revenue and started actively working with the adtech companies.
I also noticed on mobile apps where its harder to block ads, that companies using online advertising are those with sketchier business operations and customer service.
Also most mobile sites are unusable without an adblocker, ads are set up to interrupt the content on a relatively small screen..
When/if the entire adtech economy collapses, I don't think a great deal will be lost, we will still be able to buy groceries and tech and car parts (I do have some sympathy for some young folk with "online creator" careers, but these didn't exist 30 years ago)

2026-08-15 17:26:12 UTC

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@nprofile…vvv8 it will (depending on size of house and any interference sources) if you have a decent antenna. You do need a bit of electronics and RF knowledge though and the setup doesn't look pretty although even a car transmitter can cover most of a small house and garden if you add an external antenna to it.
In USA I think there's Part 15 and this allows you a bit more legal power than in Europe..

2026-08-15 17:20:08 UTC

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@nprofile…vvv8 I've done it in the past using various setups (ranging from the "in car" transmitters for oldtimers which have FM radio but 0 MP3 playback) to some custom modules.
I have to resist the temptation though to keep increasing the power to the point that Ofcom would start taking an interest (I'm a former pirate) 😁

2026-08-14 18:03:34 UTC

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@nprofile…hw6s surely we have known for a whole entire week that its very hot, and many things can (and will) catch on fire?

2026-08-03 17:49:37 UTC

#RealityTV star Jack Tweed got a 12 month #driving ban for #DUI in #Essex after officers detected #cannabis in his system whilst on the road in #Chelmsford area
He claims this will affect his new job as an #electrician and his recovery - but its not first #DUI charge he's had and stoned workmen are a menace on the roads - although they don't speed and cause big crashes they cause many low speed collisions/scrapes especially when parking or loading/unloading and cost other drivers a lot of money in repairs and insurance
https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2026-08-03/jade-goodys-widower-jack-tweed-admits-drug-driving-charge

2026-08-03 11:47:37 UTC

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@nprofile…08e5 volunteer at cat rescue? rest of the volunteers are mostly non threatening seniors and otherwise its cats and kittens who are often semi feral and are equally wary of eye contact, but the idea of these places is to get the felines used to any kind of human interaction..

2026-08-01 14:37:23 UTC

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@nprofile…a638 @nprofile…w305
The series is set in the more affluent outer suburban/semi rural areas of the Thames Valley in SE England.
I'm a PoC from Britain and spent a lot of my youth there - in the suburb of Reading known as Caversham, bordering South Oxfordshire, where my parents moved after London got too sketchy in 1970s due to race riots.
Demographics of Midsomer *are* accurate - region gets much "whiter" further away you move from London and big multicultural towns like Reading and Slough, and TBH although level and causes of serious crimes are ofc exaggerated for books/telly, real life crimes aren't /that/ far off sometimes (until 2005 when cops got digital kit you could listen on radio scanner, both me and the cat would sit and listen (he'd alert me if I missed anything 😸 )

2026-07-28 18:36:37 UTC

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@nprofile…ktlk ITV is de commerciële publieke omroep van het VK (vergelijkbaar met RTL in Nederland); de omroep is voor zijn voortbestaan afhankelijk van adverteerders (en dus van het kapitalisme)

2026-07-23 21:59:50 UTC

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@nprofile…ghse its not a 24/7 video feeds, solar panel and batteries won't handle that and signs don't have 230V feed.
They are aimed to only trigger on cars and registration marks (they don't capture kids or anyone else unless it they are walking in the live traffic lane!)
DVLA won't even hand over registered keeper info to the Council, what they do is capture a portion of speeding drivers data and send this to Suffolk Constabulary and work together to send out the warning. No private companies are involved, its all public sector organisations.
A bicycle will show up on the sign with the recorded speed, but there isn't a speed limit for one anyway (you'd have to be as fit as Chris Froome to trigger the sign, and it wouldn't be safe to ride at that speed anyway due to potholes)

2026-07-23 21:34:54 UTC

French Police fired *live rounds* to break up an unlicensed #rave in Morbihan, Brittany, France.
They launched a surprise attack in the morning when many people were asleep in tents. This (unsurprisingly) caused panic, and a dog was badly injured.
I'm not aware of *any* other incident in in EU+UK (even in countries where Police are routinely armed) where this has happened, not in the 20 years I was part of the rave scene nor in the period from 2010 to present day..

2026-07-23 21:29:29 UTC

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@nprofile…ghse they get round that by the wording of the letters (its not *that* easy to get one either, you have to be repeatedly lighting up the "sad face" through excessive speed) - they are not an accusation such as NIP (Notice of Intended Prosecution, which only the Police can issue with calibrated equipment), just a warning that if you keep hooning it down that road you will get in trouble (every so often the cameras are swapped for a check with real Police officers and the correct equipment)
The placement of them is also carefully worked out, its usually where school kids walk or areas where there have been previous collisions..

2026-07-23 19:57:43 UTC

Some local speed signs here (run by a "safer roads" quango which is a combination of cops, Fire Brigade and local authority staff) in #Suffolk #England do contain #ANPR cameras (not Flock and maybe not even 24/7 online)
It is more devious as out of 15 or so signs, only about 5 contain cameras and they are moved around every few months.
The sign isn't calibrated to level required for a Court case, but repeat speeding offenders do get warning letters, and are put on a shitlist that is sent to the Constabulary every few months (so they can be targeted for further scrutiny)

2026-07-19 11:18:57 UTC

Cars were also *only* made less dangerous by *extensive* government intervention and regulation ( from local Council level all the way up to national governments and the UN )
I've got a collection of books on motoring in Britain and Germany from the early 20th century to present day, and it was also clear that cars were mostly a thing for the elites (who already had horses and the space to put them) until late 1960s, with a rise in ownership amongst younger people in the 1980s/90s, and their wider impact on society was ignored until 1990s and much of the backlash is only because there has been migration in Europe and folk got angry seeing immigrants (whether first or second generation) driving around in decent motors..

2026-07-19 11:03:59 UTC

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@nprofile…tfur yep thats also a Savannah, their sheer length and appearance does sometimes give folk a scare (there's one who has decided to become station cat somewhere in Essex at off peak times, but the commuters are giving him a wide berth, calling BTP etc..)

2026-07-19 10:27:37 UTC

Its good the #Savannah #cat has been found and can go back to its family, but the media makes out like it is a leopard and is going to carry off small children, when it is merely a slightly larger pet cat (this one was F3 or below and wouldn't even need a DWA licence)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9q9gq7xllyo

2026-07-18 16:06:53 UTC

Bloody hell, looks like young lads from #Essex went to the effort of stealing a car, fitting false registration plates and kidnapping and murdering another young lad just for his #LouisVuitton #trainers ( #sneakers ) - the #crime report doesn't mention anything else being nicked from him..
https://www.essexlive.news/news/essex-news/police-name-man-centre-murder-11065813

2026-07-16 20:52:52 UTC

None of this is unusual to older people of colour (including myself) who grew up in #London and SE England - but it is understandably shocking to younger folk and a warning as to how #British society is moving backwards.
Also, your parents *didn't* just "put up with it".
Some fought back in various ways - there were constant tit for tat attacks of property damage and outbreaks of violence - it seems the sheer level of this has been forgotten about over the decades..
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp3x3487zl9o

2026-07-16 18:43:47 UTC

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Looks like even #DfT are using wrong #font elsewhere - unless there's a licensing issue and govt don't want to pay for Rail Alphabet 2 - but thought they would have enough clout to have a blanket licence for it they can use anywhere, and its apparently Network Rail who own the copyright who are part of GBR?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g9kx0je10o

2026-07-16 18:39:25 UTC

#fonts are wrong on this new #branding - should be Rail Alphabet 2 with a #Helvetica style R - instead of some variant of #Arial
Did no one check the #typography before they made these vinyls for the #train?
#UK #Transport #Railways
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg7m9vk788yo

2026-07-15 20:26:30 UTC

These claims from gammons are bullshit.
Some migrant support centres might have free classes to train folk on basic road safety, but someone without correct immigration documents is never going to be able to get a UK driving licence (not even a provisional, which they need for practical driving lessons) as their immigration status is checked when applying for the licence!
The quote from the law firm mentions David Blunkett as Home Secretary, which was over 22 years ago.
There have been free/subsidised driving lessons for care workers, who already have legal immigration status and a provisional UK licence, and its only 3 lessons, they have to pay for the rest.
Free lessons have also been made available for native British folk on benefits/with disabilities..

2026-07-15 17:42:19 UTC

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@nprofile…p8q9 @nprofile…3e6m @nprofile…kyv9
the group can still share the cats location -its not like he's sharing GNSS coordinates to the group from a LTE enabled collar (I think these even exist, for multiple species!), but they won't be getting constant ads to buy extra cat food 😺

2026-07-09 15:24:37 UTC

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@nprofile…zyu6 @nprofile…g2hn
I live in a very multicultural suburb of a large town but work in a semi rural area. As a brown person, if anything I'm warier in the rural areas and more remote smaller towns.
Whilst I don't think they are /full/ of bigots, their distance from larger minority communities - especially those where the younger men make their presence known on the streets (hence gammons' paranoia about "fighting age men) as well as Police response and less CCTV means its easy for a handful of angry men to carry out low level harassment like busting in windows of ethnic owned businesses and incidents like these seems to be happening more often in these places (just like they were in 1970s/80s as you might remember)

2026-07-08 22:17:49 UTC

We should start doing this for Britain too, exposing local businesses that harbour Reform / Restore and other hard right wing supporters...

2026-07-05 16:52:10 UTC

#Sky / #Comcast will take over Britain's commercial public service broadcaster #ITV (which now falls into American hands)
They will still have their public service broadcasting obligation to make regional news until 2034 but ITV's regional programming has been heavily diluted compared even to 20-30 years ago anyway.
ITV Studios is not being sold to Sky, this remains in ownership of the original shareholders (so they will be competing with many other companies to get their programmes on ITV!)
I wonder if Comcast is gambling on the UK abandoning commercial linear public service broadcasting altogether in 2034?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c04yx44xq19o

2026-06-29 21:07:34 UTC

Not impossible the couple share the truck and she /wanted/ to change the wheel and make sure she could do it in a safe area with good weather whilst her partner was there to give support /if/ required, so if she is later driving alone and gets a flat tyre in a remote area she knows she can carry out this task without needing to depend on anyone else (which is a good skill to have)

2026-06-29 17:28:45 UTC

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@nprofile…3h99 @nprofile…xrwy
Sweden is 2nd safest country in Europe for road safety, and UK 3rd (which surprises me, I don't think its /that/ good here, and I think a lot of our safety is simply because cyclists and pedestrians have been intimidated off some roads compared to other Northern European nations).
Interestingly the skills required to get a driving licence are exactly the same in *all* the European countries mentioned in the link below, and vehicle safety inspections are compulsory everywhere, so other cultural and infrastructure factors clearly impact on road safety...
https://logistics.org.uk/logistics-magazine-portal/logistics-magazine-news-listing/auto-restrict-folder/22-02-24/the-safest-and-most-dangerous-european-countries-t

2026-06-29 14:30:33 UTC

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@nprofile…xrwy @nprofile…3h99 in Britain its more normal to have professional lessons with an instructor (you can have private practice with your parents or anyone else who has had a licence more than 3 years, but it may not reach the standard required to pass the driving test, which is quite stringent (as it is in most of Europe) and a good deal more so than some states of the USA..

2026-06-29 12:26:26 UTC

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@nprofile…lkrp @nprofile…ndhn @nprofile…sqs7 not really, just make sure that the hose has a clear path to the outside. The noise can be a problem though in somewhere like an office..

2026-06-29 12:23:30 UTC

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@nprofile…lkrp @nprofile…ndhn @nprofile…sqs7
they look like this, there's also an outlet hose that connects to them
https://f2.tchncs.de/media_attachments/files/116/833/369/271/276/247/original/407145b1312a45d1.png

2026-06-29 11:58:35 UTC

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@nprofile…ndhn @nprofile…sqs7
the smaller relatively affordable ones that are becoming increasingly common in Northern Europe aren't so bad for a few reasons - they do work but are noisy as hell and you need to find space and open a window for the outlet vent pipe - this limits how long folk can run them for and thus their extra impact on energy usage..

2026-06-29 11:00:18 UTC

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@nprofile…3mwa @nprofile…z8s9 @nprofile…k9hc
1980s/early 90s teenage/youth life already had youth centres losing funding, and hanging out in the park as a teen either got the Police moving you on, or became a magnet for alcohol and drugs use and various levels of anti-social behaviour..

2026-06-28 14:22:28 UTC

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@nprofile…d6qz I've not bought an avocado since the war started - as I'm suspicious the supermarkets would simply take off the Israel stickers and put some other country name on them, and I have 0 way of checking that (also I went on a diet, and avocados are surprisingly fattening)

2026-06-26 10:19:03 UTC

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@nprofile…063n @nprofile…appe
TBH I don't even think the panels are the culprit - its likely something more mundane.
I've only recently seen sparkys using torque wrenches (in contrast to automotive) and I suspect a lot of them have been using kit from the Continent, ignoring the torque specs as "woke EU rules" and stripping the fasteners of terminals, busbar bolts and the like.
This is guaranteed to result in poor contact and localised heating, which with constant high currents is going to end badly sooner or later..

2026-06-26 00:41:16 UTC

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@nprofile…v4t3 whilst that is an AI fake, there genuinely were egg vending machines in England and some modern variants exist to this day...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58SB9JDHsrE

2026-06-25 20:56:04 UTC

All #solar panels temporarily switched off at 80 #Suffolk #schools following a number of #fires in roofspaces - whilst Suffolk #FireandRescue investigate.
Its not confirmed the fires occurred for the exact same reasons, but there's a lot of high current equipment involved which can get very hot indeed if things go wrong..
Alas, this has happened just as Reform have control of Suffolk County Council so might be used as an argument against solar energy (rather than ruthless capitalism and cost cutting which is more likely to have caused these issues)
https://archive.ph/qIr9z

2026-06-22 17:43:35 UTC

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@nprofile…08e5 @nprofile…c9kz TBH I'm not even sure when that was, I've always associated tech in the UK with surveillance and assisting authorities since Cold War eras, either at home or sold to foreign nations (even China, Cleartone sent a few ANPR schemes up there in the 2000s)
If there have been occasions where it was the opposite its due to crumbs from the table being picked up and turned against the system (for instance the use of the endstages of old Met Police VHF mobile radio equipment to build pirate FM transmitters, which happened a lot in 1990s due to the Police finally leaving the Band II FM frequencies for broadcast (and thus a lot of amplifier modules already tuned for these frequencies hit the surplus market)

2026-06-22 17:38:57 UTC

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@nprofile…08e5 @nprofile…c9kz already basic pattern matching with machine learning is being used for traffic enforcement cameras (being jointly developed between UK and Australia).
Currently the ones used in UK can detect speeding and drivers using handheld mobile device, but they are slowly being enhanced to pick up suspected DUI (which is slightly harder, as although abrupt lane changes and weird changes in speed can be a giveaway, plenty of sober drivers sometimes behave like that (although it might be an algorithm trained to spot any type of distracted / sketchy driving)
Systems to pick up suspected convoys of vehicles and follow them through ANPR schemes already exist pre-AI (Cleartone in Wales makes them)

2026-06-18 20:31:56 UTC

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@nprofile…h749 how even does USA, the land of cowboys and ranches, manage that?
Here in Britain with all our regulations, taxes, the big mistake of Brexit and the same potential risks of livestock diseases, whilst the price of beef has risen its still not anywhere as much as in USA..
The overall percentage rise in petrol (gasoline) prices in USA is also way higher in USA than UK (this surprised me too, given there is more domestic oil production)

2026-06-17 23:22:42 UTC

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@nprofile…a2ht I had a second phone line even in 1994, but my cat (then a kitten) was annoyed I wasn't paying him attention and pulled out a splice in the telephone cable (I had to make up a special cable due to UK telephone plugs being wired differently to RJ11 used in USA and other countries)
I10 years later I'd got broadband and set up a home LAN, but had another spliced cable due to using cable recovered from abandoned buildings and only having two shorter lengths.
The same cat, now an adult, pulled out *that* splice as well and put part of the network offline 😸

2026-06-17 21:55:54 UTC

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@nprofile…4qhg In UK an organised political protest letter writing campaign is sometimes just treated as "one voice" rather than counting the actual number of letters and brushed off with a press release (usually justifying the authorities actions), but with a small town like this the impact of the protest would be more making the Council workers heartily sick of having to haul mailbags, and also worried that there could be further protests with "boots on the ground"

2026-06-17 21:24:31 UTC

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@nprofile…4qhg do you know how many admin staff they have and what their other workloads might be? is this on a public record somewhere?
That would give a start as to how many letters could overwhelm them (although its possible they have mitigation measures against this)

2026-06-17 13:29:30 UTC

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@nprofile…q8p3 @nprofile…slgg maybe LGBT+ literature / zines can be shared there for people living in areas with Reform Councils who might not be able to access it that easily, as although its still not yet not outright banned and the librarians *will* push back hard against this it may well be hidden..

2026-06-17 13:12:49 UTC

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@nprofile…q8p3 @nprofile…slgg whilst I don't think we even have any currently in UK, maybe it could be a way of distributing some that could be later securely shared with our American friends..

2026-06-16 19:44:06 UTC

A #Cybertruck has been seized by #Police in Greater #Manchester NW #England
It is not road legal anywhere in #UK and thus very unlikely to have valid #insurance
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cz0lldd30xlo

2026-06-13 19:32:01 UTC

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@nprofile…et8s @nprofile…sk9j
I didn't get confused, but I do work in the tech/operations management side of health and social care 😁
(there is an internal defibrillator - but as a surgeon has to cut someone open to put it inside them its not the sort of thing easily available for use in an emergency situation)

2026-06-13 17:09:31 UTC

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@nprofile…dm53 @nprofile…ch3z
I'm a single childless older man - whilst I don't feel lonely, I feel society (especially in Britain, although might be same everywhere else) is geared too much towards couples and families/kids, and increasingly in many "public" spaces (even commercial ones) a single man is often viewed with suspicion and even considered a potential predator (whereas one with a partner or kids less so)
I can understand this, especially in night time environments, but it does also mean its harder for single men who aren't doing anything bad to take part in social activities (even drinking alone in the pub is viewed with suspicion, its a way to get into bad habits and I don't drink alcohol much these days anyway)

2026-06-11 15:43:04 UTC

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@nprofile…v2f9 I was allowed to watch TV news at very early age (and this was when my country had regular bomb attacks as well as sectarian war in Northern Ireland (which has started again)
But TV (and radio) news doesn't get age verification as there's a hard limit on what can be shown set by the Communications Ministry of each country, and the broadcasters generally obey it (or else they get fined or even restricted from broadcasting)
So there is already a tried and tested way of regulating such content, but governments seem scared to apply it to big tech companies like they already do for broadcasters..

2026-06-10 17:55:12 UTC

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@nprofile…08e5 there is a lag of several seconds between the site loading and the ads appearing, suggesting that something is being used to reinsert them.
The ads are coming from the "Adchoices" network
I'm not sure how to report that to UBlock devs as they want you to do a lot of work to get the info they want (but couldn't find any open issues either)
https://github.com/uBlockOrigin/uAssets/issues

2026-06-10 17:42:20 UTC

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@nprofile…08e5 just tried the Linux PC as well (I'm tooting from the same PC) and 0 ads there
this is the uBO version
>uBlock Origin 1.71.0
I don't know how to get the filter versions but its standard ones you get on install and all auto update

2026-06-10 17:37:47 UTC

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@nprofile…08e5 maybe filter update glitched? Just tried it with both Ublock lite on Chrome and Origin on Firefox and I get 0 ads on both (but the blanco space around the main content giving away fact that ads have been blocked)

2026-06-08 23:35:36 UTC

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@nprofile…m27f problem I spent 20 years on the UK rave scene - problem with coke is too much of it combined with toxic masculinity *does* tend to make men violent, and lads behaving like arseholes when high spread throughout the partydrugs scene in the 2000s (not to mention driving when under the influence and getting into crashes)
I can't speak for other countries, but in UK we had a chance at decrim in the 90s/00s (especially with the new psychoactive substances, for about 5 years there was even a partly tolerated partydrugs market with reliable online sales!) but we fucked it up due to young men especially not being able to self-regulate their use..

2026-06-08 23:21:11 UTC

This is a *lot* of #prison time for these two, but it was a lot of #cocaine !
I compared the sentences with others for lower level dealers (of a variety of ethnicities) - it seems the main factor in this very long sentence was the sheer amount being trafficked (nearly a quarter ton of the stuff!) and the amount of effort/deviousness put into the operation rather than their ethnic origin..
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crr852xneneo

2026-06-04 11:03:51 UTC

County lines are not even that new and were starting to develop in 2006 when I first moved here.
One reason they are so prevalent today is authorities in #EastAnglia have been relatively *successful* at clamping down on the more noisy, hedonistic and long lasting aspects of #partydrugs use such as illegal raves, whilst not addressing reasons *why* folk are drawn to #drugs use in the first place.
So many young people are now going straight to the harder and addictive stuff, rather than staying with partydrugs which stop being fun anyway if you do too much of them, and folk usually *have* to grow out of the lifestyle when they start driving or getting a more responsible job / becoming parents (but that also assumes youth feel they have the opportunity to do those things)

2026-06-03 23:19:09 UTC

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@nprofile…anc6 @nprofile…30yh
Both Australia and UK currently have laws used to goldplate drugs prohibition as much as enforce road safety by denying drug users (even prescribed ones) use of the roads/driving, which is a big impact in car-dependent countries/regions, over here I regularly read about medical cannabis users and those on ADHD meds can also be pulled over - they risk getting a 1-3 year ban from driving and they are treated as "guilty until proven innocent" which isn't going to help their mental health..
We would still need to keep a very sharp eye on insurance companies, who might simply load premiums for medical cannabis users as they get treated as "higher risk"

2026-06-03 18:51:51 UTC

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@nprofile…yxhd this sort of thing happens with the Fire Brigade the world over, there's been a few arsonists in the service (especially amongst the retained (volunteer) firefighters) and regular purges of bullies, racists and misogynists.
Nearly all our main set radio channels are encrypted (apart from some legacy UHF fireground radios), but everything on the Airwave digital network seems to be logged and recorded /somewhere/..

2026-06-03 16:17:02 UTC

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@nprofile…sayx what denomination is the church, and how religious are those producing the parish magazine?
It seems at least the CofE are at least /trying/ to be environmentally aware, but it might not be immediately obvious how much resources AI generated images use..
https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/net-zero-carbon-routemap

2026-06-02 18:36:29 UTC

British steal - four #Welshmen are nicked and 3 sent to #prison after being found guilty of a high value #metal #theft from #Tata in #Wales
3 of the men were Tata employees - the company has now banned on-site parking for *all* their staff and spent large amounts on extra #security
https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2026-06-02/tata-steel-workers-jailed-after-tin-worth-12m-stolen-from-site

2026-05-29 20:07:36 UTC

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@nprofile…d6qz a half drunk ex-soldier in early middle age told me exactly this when I was on a bus about 20 years ago..
He was curious about my ancestry, as I'm Asian and he said the only good bit of the Army was going to "hot countries".
I asked him if he'd served in Malaysia during 1970s (when HM Forces were requested to help the Malaysian Army keep stability in a relatively newly independent country), which in military terms would be one one level a compliment/honour as it was a Special Forces operation - but it turned out he'd only been in Cyprus and I'd aged the poor blighter by a couple of decades (he wasn't a great deal older than I was at the time!)

2026-05-23 13:07:12 UTC

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@nprofile…yrxm i would just keep an eye on them, if they don't keel over or look unwell then leave them be, if they do then either call for paramedics or notify staff at the clinic..
Drug use is rarely immediately lethal unless it's a gross overdose so if they were in the clinic it could be for other conditions or the facility is running a needle exchange (although it would be better if they had gone elsewhere before injecting as that's the sort of thing that gets these schemes closed down)

2026-05-22 21:01:36 UTC

In UK (and rest of Europe) although same applies to amateur radio, the rest is slightly different - our short range licence free UHF service is PMR446 (which doesn't permit repeaters) but is still useful.
In UK there are also "simple light" licences with both VHF and UHF allocations available which cost £75 for 5 years and don't require an exam - they do need correctly programmed kit to be legal (although not difficult to obtain nor that expensive), but are more suited to use amongst a known group of people such as club members taking part in outdoor activity rather than comms across the general public).

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)

2026-05-20 12:02:59 UTC

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LB: For those outside North America who are curious as to exactly how much wood this is, its a volume of 7,25 m3 and could weigh 4 000 to 4 500 kg (this is the weight of about 3 small European motor cars)
@nprofile…az0m

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 21:35:16 UTC

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@nprofile…pt5r I'm not sure if there's as much of an increase in cannabis use since legalisation, I think its the same folk doing it who would have before but they don't need to hide it any more (which isn't a bad thing).
Stats would have to be also compared with miles/km travelled - and in some urban areas there's also a decrease in /driving/ as folk select jobs that do not require it (such as remote IT work), or wait until later in life to get their driving licences (so aren't as interested in drugs, or even if they are have more maturity and can self regulate their use to reduce risks to themselves and others..)

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 13:06:15 UTC

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@nprofile…a006 maye it was in someones work van and left in the car park when the van was filled up in other items, or the outsourced company was instructed "deliver 20 recovered trolleys" and they only had 19 of the correct ones and used the Morrisons one to make up the number..

2026-05-17 13:00:41 UTC

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@nprofile…pky2 @nprofile…j7pl
I remember the boycotts, and that they were enough to make Outspan walk away from the UK market in spite of being a major brand (do they even exist these days?)

2026-05-17 12:53:05 UTC

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@nprofile…a006 A shopping trolley is often "liberated" by youths who have some heavy/bulky item to carry, but do not have access to a motor vehicle and can end up in any random place. Or even by someone with a rented van who is doing heavy work they don't normally do, but didn't invest in a sack trolley or other such item for carrying materials.
These days I expect a lot of the logistics of provision and recovery shopping trolleys are outsourced, and one company does the lot for all the supermarkets..

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)

2026-05-16 18:31:01 UTC

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@nprofile…u8z9 many outer suburban areas worldwide have "joint poles" which are shared between telecoms and mains electricity distribution, and with increasing use of ABC (aerial bundled conductor) insulated cable for mains rather than bare overhead wires its hard to tell them apart from telecoms (especially overhead fibre in shielded outer housing) unless you have specialist knowledge.
Advice here in UK is to treat all downed cables as potentially live, call 999 / 112 and the Fire Brigade will deal with it..

2026-05-16 09:12:18 UTC

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@nprofile…20ra Solche geringen Bußgelder werden nur zu „Kosten des Autofahrens“ - genauso wie man bei höherer Geschwindigkeit mehr Benzin verbraucht, anstatt als Abschreckung gegen gefährliches Verkehrsverhalten zu wirken.

2026-05-16 08:50:24 UTC

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@nprofile…rqyr if vehicles lack registration marks (so can't be snagged by ANPR) its hard to prove to requirements of due process in any civilised country who is riding unless there is a "hard stop" which requires boots on the ground (or officers on their own motorcycles!) hence why in UK its only larger constabularies such as Metpol, GMP (Greater Manchester Police) who are able to make much impact with enforcement ..

2026-05-16 08:41:37 UTC

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@nprofile…rqyr same in Britain and (as we share basic traffic laws) likely for same reasons - folk refuse to accept they are small mopeds (rather than bicycles) and require licensing, manufacturers won't provide compliance/testing data so transport authority often can't licence them without procedures such as individual vehicle approval, insurance companies don't want extra effort of dealing with them and Police lack resources to enforce traffic laws (all this behaviour would be equally illegal and reckless on a bicycle and already illegal under most countries domestic laws)
Recently Scotland Yard found time away from nicking harmless political protesters to crack down on illegal e-bikes/scooters in London (although probably only because folk complained about non-white ppl riding them)

2026-05-12 15:38:44 UTC

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@nprofile…a2a9 @nprofile…54eq amny of the older ones have been waiting for this moment since the 1990s (as they were really angry when Britain finally started to become more diverse and inclusive)

2026-05-12 14:25:27 UTC

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@nprofile…x5pe regulation - the Communications Ministry (such as Ofcom) sets a watershed time (21:00 in UK) before which content which is considered unsuitable for minors may be broadcast.
There are fines for not complying with that (MTV had to fork out about £110 000 in the 2000s as they put wrong barcode on a video cassette and this led to Ray Cokes show (with a lot of swearing) going to TX at 11:00 rather than 23:00 - this may not seem like a lot but its a few peoples salaries (and indeed, there were layoffs not long afterwards)
non-linear content delivery creates a dilemma, as anyone of any age could be trying to access it 24/7..

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 15:02:14 UTC

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@nprofile…wmla @nprofile…47jv he gets votes for the same reasons Geert Wilders and younger "piano man" chap (Thierry Baudet?), and BBB do - in both our countries theres also about 33% of constantly angry people looking for someone to blame. They were angry about immigrants 30-50 years ago, but when neoliberalism provided short term economic gains hate got /temporarily/ pushed aside, but returned when the economy declined..

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

2026-05-09 22:44:47 UTC

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@nprofile…m28f @nprofile…hh4j
At present it appears to be a concept rather than actual device but the girl is now a young woman in her 20s (I think she later went up to University) and still trying to push the construction forward
There would still be technical barriers reducing such a covert device to the size of an earring, but there are already spy glasses with similar tech that aren't obviously bigger than a normal pair of spectacles
https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/perspective/20260416-bohlale-mphahlele-inventor-of-alerting-earpiece-on-helping-save-women-s-lives

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!)

2026-05-05 18:08:25 UTC

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@nprofile…8ee8 I moved here 20 years ago, have had to avoid potholes on foot (there are some rural roads without pavement), dodge them on my bicycle and in my car I clouted a wheel on the kerb when avoiding potholes (I'd already spend 4,5 hours last year replacing a wheel bearing on the other corner, which likely got knackered by previous owners going over potholes)
That said, I think Suffolk's red rating is more due to their early 2000s era reporting website and lack of communication with those who do report road defects which leads to reports for same defect being widely duplicated - if they are sending this data to London I'm hardly surprised they get a bad rating (they do recently seem to be fixing the potholes slightly quicker, but only after weeks/months of reports)

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!)

2026-05-01 17:19:47 UTC

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@nprofile…udtr
I think a lot more is home grown than people realise or want to admit, I can remember British folk being angry about "permissive society" and also increasing immigration from the days it started in late 1960s, long before I was born (and I'm in my 50s now)
The same folk are still alive, still angry and hoping to reverse these social changes (many are also now great-grandparents and have transferred their hate and anger to their family groups)
@nprofile…la7y

2026-05-01 16:47:55 UTC

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@nprofile…udtr
Exactly, Palantir is nothing magic, it is only doing what ICL/Fujitsu would have done back in the day (and probably would still have been asked to do had they not outsourced their work and deskilled UK staff to the point they made a complete pigs ear of easier projects such as the Post Office systems..)
@nprofile…la7y

2026-04-28 17:37:11 UTC

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

2026-04-27 18:21:21 UTC

I'm surprised they kept the shops running that long, thought #Claires had gone bust *ages* ago?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg4047qnpk2o

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?

2026-04-23 17:21:08 UTC

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@nprofile…nd7w there are contact details on the website of our radio station (I don''t run it myself, I just help out with the tech stuff hence why I have access to that transmitter PC) - if you let me know what sort of music you make I can see if I can get it to the right people..

2026-04-23 16:49:40 UTC

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@nprofile…nd7w @nprofile…8ama most of our volunteers are from Ipswich (a large town in Suffolk, England), but we do get music and audio content from other countries
(the website gives a good idea of what is on the station. You should also be able to listen online from your country..)
https://www.ipswichcommunityradio.com/