The “ I’ve got something to say, but it doesn’t warrant its own thread “ thread.

[FoxesDeb]

Social media is the absolute pits these days

[Parafox]

Just now, FoxesDeb said:

Social media is the absolute pits these days

 

I think it always has been going way back before FB, X, TikTok etc. 

 

It's just that over the last decade I'd say, it's become even more toxic and open to every kind of freak that's out there.

 and is now more or less out of control. Particularly when the likes of Musk and Zuckerberg control so much of it and all they (seem) to care about is how much money and power can be accrued. Their unwillingness to get a grip on the deeply unpleasant and quite frightening and possibly illegal stuff that is posted suggests that they don't care.

[leicsmac]

10 minutes ago, FoxesDeb said:

Social media is the absolute pits these days

 

2 minutes ago, Parafox said:

 

I think it always has been going way back before FB, X, TikTok etc. 

 

It's just that over the last decade I'd say, it's become even more toxic and open to every kind of freak that's out there.

 and is now more or less out of control. Particularly when the likes of Musk and Zuckerberg control so much of it and all they (seem) to care about is how much money and power can be accrued. Their unwillingness to get a grip on the deeply unpleasant and quite frightening and possibly illegal stuff that is posted suggests that they don't care.

Social media could have been so much better.

 

Instead, it is allowing a proliferation of digital information that is, I think, heavily contributing to the nasty political climate at the present time.

 

However, knowing the problem, I've no idea what the solution is. The Chinese have theirs, but I'm not sure how many people want that.

[UniFox21]

20 minutes ago, Parafox said:

 

I think it always has been going way back before FB, X, TikTok etc. 

 

It's just that over the last decade I'd say, it's become even more toxic and open to every kind of freak that's out there.

 and is now more or less out of control. Particularly when the likes of Musk and Zuckerberg control so much of it and all they (seem) to care about is how much money and power can be accrued. Their unwillingness to get a grip on the deeply unpleasant and quite frightening and possibly illegal stuff that is posted suggests that they don't care.

It's one reason I love this forum. 

 

Yes some of us are absolute weirdos and we have our moments of being toxic, but on the whole it's a relatively great place to be. Some of the threads are incredible - whether that be humour or actual care/advice given out. 

[Chiltern Fox]

Has anyone been able to use Google Pay on the android uber app?

 

I can't.

 

Only get credit/debit card, PayPal and gift card as payment options. 

 

Thanks 

[Foxdiamond]

I really can't understand why smartphones were not banned in all schools immediately 

[The Bear]

3 minutes ago, Foxdiamond said:

I really can't understand why smartphones were not banned in all schools immediately 

Certainly during lessons. 

[Suzie the Fox]

Had a leaflet shoved through the door a few days ago for gardening work. Needed my confirers tidying up (sides and top) Had it done 2 years ago and cost £450. I called the guy who said he would come to give a free quote the following day... Arrived looked at the job, said it would take a full day (last guy took about 4h) and quoted £1200, instantly declined and he reduced to £1000 but that just seems ridiculous and i was tilted he could reduce the price straight away so declined. He called back after he left reducing further and saying he could do it tomorrow but sod that. 

 

Will call a few more people as i know prices have gone up, but nearly trippling in price (especially where materials arnt involved) seems like a piss take. 

 

Anyone have any recommendations ? I'm based around Melton area. 

[Foxdiamond]

20 minutes ago, The Bear said:

Certainly during lessons. 

Shame it was not all nipped in the bud as soon as they appeared. 

[Nalis]

This whole extreme day trip trend doesn't do it for me at all. 

Edited 22 March by Nalis

[Stadt]

6 hours ago, Nalis said:

This whole extreme day trip trend doesn't do it for me at all. 

3 hours minimum on a flight in total plus, another few in the airport and probably another hour each way going to and from the airport for half a day somewhere - not for me.

 

I basically cut it as fine as possible getting into an airport. “Get there at least two hours before” no. Especially without checked in luggage.

[bovril]

I was actually thinking of doing a day trip to Paris soon, get the first train out last train back and do a gallery and nice brasserie 

[FoyleFox]

7 hours ago, Suzie the Fox said:

Had a leaflet shoved through the door a few days ago for gardening work. Needed my confirers tidying up (sides and top) Had it done 2 years ago and cost £450. I called the guy who said he would come to give a free quote the following day... Arrived looked at the job, said it would take a full day (last guy took about 4h) and quoted £1200, instantly declined and he reduced to £1000 but that just seems ridiculous and i was tilted he could reduce the price straight away so declined. He called back after he left reducing further and saying he could do it tomorrow but sod that. 

 

Will call a few more people as i know prices have gone up, but nearly trippling in price (especially where materials arnt involved) seems like a piss take. 

 

Anyone have any recommendations ? I'm based around Melton area. 

I had a guy remove a large, sadly dead tree in my garden. Matt, 07717 738932. Unfortunately, I Haven't the company details to hand as, I'm away. Ash something from memory. Did a good job and a reasonable price.

[FoxesDeb]

34 minutes ago, Stadt said:

3 hours minimum on a flight in total plus, another few in the airport and probably another hour each way going to and from the airport for half a day somewhere - not for me.

 

I basically cut it as fine as possible getting into an airport. “Get there at least two hours before” no. Especially without checked in luggage.

Not necessarily. UK to Spain, France, Belgium and the Netherlands are all under 3 hours, and some of the airports are much closer than an hour transfer time. 

 

You can be much longer in a destination than half a day, and the whole point originally was that you can go somewhere in Europe for a day cheaper than a day out in the UK. It's not for me either, but I understand why some people do it. 

[FoxesDeb]

12 minutes ago, bovril said:

I was actually thinking of doing a day trip to Paris soon, get the first train out last train back and do a gallery and nice brasserie 

I've done Paris on the Eurostar in a day a couple of times many years ago, it wasn't called an EDT then though, it was just a day in Paris

[Parafox]

7 hours ago, Suzie the Fox said:

Had a leaflet shoved through the door a few days ago for gardening work. Needed my confirers tidying up (sides and top) Had it done 2 years ago and cost £450. I called the guy who said he would come to give a free quote the following day... Arrived looked at the job, said it would take a full day (last guy took about 4h) and quoted £1200, instantly declined and he reduced to £1000 but that just seems ridiculous and i was tilted he could reduce the price straight away so declined. He called back after he left reducing further and saying he could do it tomorrow but sod that. 

 

Will call a few more people as i know prices have gone up, but nearly trippling in price (especially where materials arnt involved) seems like a piss take. 

 

Anyone have any recommendations ? I'm based around Melton area. 

As long as they don't offer to tarmac your drive or replace your soffits. 

[The Bear]

2 hours ago, Stadt said:

3 hours minimum on a flight in total plus, another few in the airport and probably another hour each way going to and from the airport for half a day somewhere - not for me.

 

I basically cut it as fine as possible getting into an airport. “Get there at least two hours before” no. Especially without checked in luggage.

I mean, you can get Ryanair flights for £15-20 either way nowadays all over Europe, so it's nice and cheap. You just have to like getting up really early and spending half the day in the airport and on the plane. 

 

You can always find a cheap hotel if you find you really like the place and want to stay an extra day. 

Edited 22 March by The Bear

[Soar Fox]

2 hours ago, FoyleFox said:

I had a guy remove a large, sadly dead tree in my garden. Matt, 07717 738932. Unfortunately, I Haven't the company details to hand as, I'm away. Ash something from memory. Did a good job and a reasonable price.

Was it Ashmanor? If so he used to do the gardening at our workplace. 

[Blarmy]

Speccing a new Mac for my music hobby and finding the arbitrary “to the nearest £ 100” jumps in price when increasing storage and memory hard to accept.

Edited 23 March by Blarmy

[ozleicester]

[Bilo]

On 20/03/2025 at 18:24, FoxesDeb said:

Social media is the absolute pits these days

Not unrelated to this, but when did the right-wing turn so ****ing weird?

 

Until recent years, they were largely emotionally detached, pragmatic people. They were always absolutely obsessed with money to the point they were fairly disinterested in the marginalised,  but were also vaguely sane and you could have a conversation with them. 

 

And now? Absolutely nuts. All conspiracy theories, soundbites, unquestioning hero worship of right-wing politicians or indeed anyone who uses the same soundbites as them, performative cruelty and extreme anti-intellectualism. 

 

It's difficult to see how anyone can use the term 'loony left' in 2025 and maintain anything resembling self-awareness. 

[FoyleFox]

12 hours ago, Soar Fox said:

Was it Ashmanor? If so he used to do the gardening at our workplace. 

That does sound familiar, so, could well be.

[grobyfox1990]

46 minutes ago, Bilo said:

Not unrelated to this, but when did the right-wing turn so ****ing weird?

 

Until recent years, they were largely emotionally detached, pragmatic people. They were always absolutely obsessed with money to the point they were fairly disinterested in the marginalised,  but were also vaguely sane and you could have a conversation with them. 

 

And now? Absolutely nuts. All conspiracy theories, soundbites, unquestioning hero worship of right-wing politicians or indeed anyone who uses the same soundbites as them, performative cruelty and extreme anti-intellectualism. 

 

It's difficult to see how anyone can use the term 'loony left' in 2025 and maintain anything resembling self-awareness. 

There are plenty of the left who aren’t loonys and plenty on the right who aren’t deranged lunatics. Spoiler alert…don’t judge life via your heavily cherry picked social media feeds solely designed to extract profit from you 

[Bilo]

1 minute ago, grobyfox1990 said:

There are plenty of the left who aren’t loonys and plenty on the right who aren’t deranged lunatics. Spoiler alert…don’t judge life via your heavily cherry picked social media feeds solely designed to extract profit from you 

It's what I've witnessed in real life. 

 

I find the chronically online left, in person, to be po-faced, humourless and insufferable.

 

But the right? Nuts. Angry, unencumbered by critical thinking, bitter, hateful and confused. Not online. In person.

[Sampson]

1 hour ago, grobyfox1990 said:

There are plenty of the left who aren’t loonys and plenty on the right who aren’t deranged lunatics. Spoiler alert…don’t judge life via your heavily cherry picked social media feeds solely designed to extract profit from you 

But the right wing parties, at least in UK and US purged their parties of the reasonable moderates tbf and don’t represent those viewpoints anymore. Labour and the Democrats actually represent more moderate right wing views much more than the Tories, Reform or the Republicans do these days. The latter absolutely do represent the weird, radical, performative cruelty ideals nowadays.
 

That isnt judging heavily cherry picked social media feeds opinion. It’s literally the policy and open ideals of these parties.

Edited 23 March by Sampson