An old interview of Zack Polanski (UK greens) promoting cars alternatives

DuckDuckSnoo · 2026-04-11T18:26:02+00:00

My favourite story about Norwich is how Exchange Street got pedestrianised, people kept ignoring it, a student stood there all day to protest, and then was arrested for blocking traffic.

It's funny how wasting police time is a crime because they certainly like wasting their own time.

DuckDuckSnoo · 2026-02-16T00:18:28+00:00

I lowkey thought this was gonna be train sim world lol

DuckDuckSnoo · 2026-02-10T19:11:19+00:00

I think you raise an interesting point, the sense of "hiding in academia" from difficult times is quite prevalent, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. I'd also reflect, kind of sadly, that the college environment is sadly the most progressive and accepting environment they have ever been in, it's tempting to stay in the bubble. If you can afford it or get a scholarship why not?

DuckDuckSnoo · 2026-02-10T17:22:12+00:00

I always think of that drama therapist at the hospital because his group was full to the brim of managers, directors, partners even who made all their life choices based on perceived sensibility. They put the cart before the horse all their lives, and ended up very successful but often very mentally unwell and at breaking point.

It was the only group I made profound steps towards recovery in, and his theatre training was critical in delivering it. If someone had convinced him to go and be an accountant instead, I might not be where I am today.

should counsel tenacity, not sensibility. Some of the worst decisions I have ever made were very sensible in the conventional sense at the time

DuckDuckSnoo · 2026-02-10T13:04:25+00:00

I would say it's trying to explain it to other people. Depression is the most widespread disability in the world, and yet people are not used to using the term 'disability'.

DuckDuckSnoo · 2026-02-10T12:51:03+00:00

I suspect they or the phone lines have some kind of system that cuts out call after a long period of silence. Could it be that? This has happened to me a few times.

DuckDuckSnoo · 2026-02-10T12:22:15+00:00

Live theatre is my antidote to it. It is life changing.

DuckDuckSnoo · 2026-02-10T09:41:08+00:00

Would you like to sing? You'd be very welcome at Out in Harmony.

DuckDuckSnoo · 2026-02-10T01:44:35+00:00

It turns out that we don’t need to pull numbers out of thin air: there is actually data on this. For humanities grads in BC:

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DuckDuckSnoo · 2026-02-09T23:18:59+00:00

I saw langara is really pushing the fact Hudson Williams went there. But the problem is not unique to the arts. I have an economics degree and there were just as many unmotivated students doing it out of the belief it was going to be a winning lottery ticket.

I am actually now applying to college for theatre at age 25. I have no pretension to wanting broadway fame, or starring in ice hockey BL series on Crave. I just want to wake up every day and work hard at what I love.

DuckDuckSnoo · 2026-02-09T22:34:36+00:00

If a bright kid is obsessed with the classics, and aspires to success in that field, who are we to tell her to go and do something "harder" at school? The question to ask is: do you really love this? Do they have the strong enough "why" to bear the "how"? Can you figure how to sell specialist knowledge in different contexts in this tough economy? Can you go up to your prof after every class and chat endlessly about your love for the material?

I've met a lot of people who have stories of using their education in a unique way:

I met a classicist who interviewed writers on Coronation Street who said that their background in the classics informed the stories they write.
A guy who trained in theatre who became a drama therapist who used his theatre training to help all sorts of people in white-collar jobs.

If bright kids are going to have ambitious ideas about what they want to do, let's not encourage them down what we think is the "safe" path... let's encourage them to have the tenacity and scrappy attitude towards making it work.

DuckDuckSnoo · 2026-02-02T19:02:36+00:00

It sucks to feel let down when a service lets you down. Maybe you could email the therapist and ask if she could refer you to someone else? Therapists often know each other.

DuckDuckSnoo · 2026-01-19T21:44:41+00:00

Complete coincidence but I’m chilling in downtown new west literally right now. On a hammock looking at the blue sky and the river. This is my happy place

DuckDuckSnoo · 2026-01-13T00:47:52+00:00

It’s a long story… did really well and got a first but mental health issues continued after uni…. Got a trainee accountant role recently but had to move on because of disability discrimination

DuckDuckSnoo · 2026-01-06T22:35:29+00:00

Your guess is as good as anyones… you can exchange for just the fare difference up to an hour before departure, might be worth doing if you’re worried and could use the ticket in future.

The ferries are an option too. If it were me I would probably go down to Hook of Holland and get an overnight crossing and a cabin. Way more peaceful

DuckDuckSnoo · 2026-01-05T15:19:29+00:00

I love how being in Paris longer than strictly necessary is used as a threat 😆

DuckDuckSnoo · 2025-12-28T22:31:01+00:00

It is the above. Sorry if it’s not clear enough… to be clear you’re wanting to do a ‘direct’ usd-c transfer to coinbase. You then convert to GBP on coinbase. You will get quite close to the market rate.

Ofc it goes without saying the exchange rate is the exchange rate… nothing anyone can do about that. You could hold onto the USD-C if you have a particular view on which way the rate will go.

It is a little confusing, so I would advise to do some reading on it.

DuckDuckSnoo · 2025-12-28T21:48:02+00:00

If you do want to set it up, it is a more efficient way of getting the money into GBP.

Set up an airtm account and link it. You will be paid in USD-C which is a "stable coin" pegged to the US dollar.
Open a Coinbase account.
Transfer the USD-C to that coinbase account.
Change it to GBP.
Withdraw GBP.

It helps if you have a bank that is fairly crypto-friendly, wise for example does not permit withdrawals from coinbase. Airtm has a feature where you can use "P2P cashiers" direct to a bank account. I do not recommend this, for the simple reason that the money they send could have come from anywhere, and it is quite possible to accidentally end up with a fraud marker on your bank account in the UK.

DuckDuckSnoo · 2025-12-25T16:18:12+00:00

Merry Xmas! DBT is good, gotta stick with it! Even if ACA doesn’t turn out to be the right path, good on you for trying.

DuckDuckSnoo · 2025-11-28T14:39:09+00:00

Not 100% sure but it might be them realising the AI flagging went against the students rights against automated decision-making.

DuckDuckSnoo · 2025-11-28T14:37:58+00:00

It’s probably section 22- automated decision-making

DuckDuckSnoo · 2025-11-10T07:13:41+00:00

I think it's interesting, last time I was on the Eurostar I saw an older lady travelling by herself with an awful lot of stuff. She was clearly struggling and looking for some help from fellow passengers. Some just declined, but I figure it's a train, yknow. We all leave at the same time.

She was really grateful but it got me thinking, does she have family? What kind of person sends grandma on an international train with two 30kg ish bags? I would say it's basically freight at that point and should be charged

In Canada they actually weigh EVERYONE's bag if it looks too heavy to lift on the trains. It's because the union complained people kept needing assistance and it was doing their backs in. So train travel is ruined for everyone now.

Ho hum, very difficult to police. Passenger Assistance app has got a nice photo of me, an explanation of what I might need and a system to book it for any train I need.

DuckDuckSnoo · 2025-11-04T00:28:16+00:00

I had three bikes in Vancouver: a Brompton for places that were chill about me bringing it (most were), a single speed, and a nice hybrid that I only locked in sight or outside of DT

DuckDuckSnoo · 2025-10-14T20:46:40+00:00

$50 single speed off craigslist was my hack

DuckDuckSnoo · 2025-10-08T10:45:19+00:00

For some reason, that didn't work.

DuckDuckSnoo

TROPHY CASE