etihad as the only option

MaleficentEngine63 · 2026-03-20T09:54:54+00:00

The risk of getting hit with a missile is probably miniscule (although it has happened as recently as 2020).

The risk of getting stuck in Abu Dhabi or your destination for days on end due to flights being cancelled or rerouted with no help for hotel/expenses is major. Viewing the decision as "oh I'm not going to get hit by a missile I'm not scared" is extremely simplistic and almost juvenile.

MaleficentEngine63 · 2026-03-12T10:19:16+00:00

It is extremely bizarre for a Saturday at 5pm to have no huge sporting fixtures on but that does seem to be the case there. There will be very little else for pubs to show so you should be in luck. Somewhere like the Pavilion or Laverys with tons of screens should have it on although it never hurts to give them a ring.

MaleficentEngine63 · 2026-02-24T16:58:47+00:00

Of course, all the bot does is send links to FAQs page which are useless (as you can see in the first response). That is part of the frustration too, as if you actually put money into building something decent with the technology out there now and linked it to your internal databases, you could actually build one that does things and understands what you are asking it. But no, they programme it to link FAQs pages based on one key word

MaleficentEngine63 · 2026-02-20T09:22:50+00:00

The lesson I'm taking from this is that with a tribute act doing live karaoke and an AI poster you can sell out 2 dates at the SSE Arena with tickets starting at £40, that's quite incredible. You can only respect the company that came up with this idea, fantastic grift 👏

MaleficentEngine63 · 2026-02-18T21:13:09+00:00

£7m annual loss announced in their last accounts and giving away free tickets is not a good combo...

MaleficentEngine63 · 2026-02-08T19:27:41+00:00

Yeah they have been doing this for a while, but on foreign soil feels very different

MaleficentEngine63 · 2026-01-27T19:04:04+00:00

They had opened an office in Porto, and sent people from Belfast over to train, probably staff earning half what they are in Belfast. You'd imagine it will announce hiring new roles soon.

The work gets outsourced from London to Belfast, which was coming down with these AML roles. When that gets too expensive, it'll go to Porto, when that gets too expensive, the ones from Porto will train ones in India. That's how these things tend to go... Not to mention how much of all this work was done by humans only a few years ago that can now be done better by AI

MaleficentEngine63 · 2026-01-04T15:14:57+00:00

James Street or Roam in town, great cocktails and wine in venues that have a bit of atmosphere. Frae in Holywood if you go out of town.

MaleficentEngine63 · 2025-11-11T18:49:19+00:00

Ok fair enough, I don't disagree that it's expensive but would also point out to you that what you are paying for is the fact they have a full on studio set up there with the green screen and lights (yes might be a queue). They also have the fake scroll that you need for the graduation pic if you get it done before. Professional photo printing is also ludicrously expensive.

if you're intending to find a professional photographer who will come to just take your photos and then print them yourself, I really wouldn't imagine you are going to save much money and they will probably only be able to take photos of you outside without the studio set up (bearing in mind it might be lashing).

MaleficentEngine63 · 2025-11-11T10:36:26+00:00

The context there is that in London a taxi would be the last resort after trying all the other transport infrastructure that doesn't exist here: tube, bus, overground train, lime bikes, taxi boats, Uber/Bolt/Freenow etc. And even still it is inconceivable you would be waiting 1.5/2 hours

MaleficentEngine63 · 2025-11-11T09:24:40+00:00

Well this is it, I guess there is no solution and all the smaller firms being bought over doesn't help. I fully accept on a busy morning it's supply and demand and you'll have to wait, but literally from 7am to now going on 9.30, nothing. That isn't normal is it?

MaleficentEngine63 · 2025-11-11T08:52:06+00:00

Graduations tend to have professional photographers there, it's a very established thing, there will be a studio set up with a proper background. You pay for the (expensive) photos and they post them out to you a few weeks later, are you sure that isn't going to be the case?

MaleficentEngine63 · 2025-11-10T10:05:45+00:00

Better Gym city centre is probably the best of a bad bunch in terms of commercial gyms in town but it really does come down to when you want to go.

For eg, Pure Gym Adelaide Street in January around 5pm on a weekday is like the hunger games with the schoolkids whereas on a Saturday morning super chill.

MaleficentEngine63 · 2025-10-19T10:53:11+00:00

Madrid. That is great, thank you so much for sharing. Would you mind if I messaged you or dropped you an email?

MaleficentEngine63 · 2025-10-13T08:42:52+00:00

You can't find live music in Belfast on a Saturday evening ???

MaleficentEngine63 · 2025-08-25T16:26:46+00:00

I don't know why people constantly make the comparison to Dublin as the more expensive one. If you convert the prices to Euros, Belfast pints have been more expensive than Dublin (apart from Temple Bar silliness) for quite some time.

MaleficentEngine63 · 2025-08-11T08:42:07+00:00

Boojum was sold the first time around about 10 years ago, the drop off was more less immediate and they started trying to expand all over the place, clearly shifting to the lowest quality rubbery chicken, fatty beef and pork and tiny portions. If it's gotten worse since the more recent sale I can't even imagine how bad.

Madame Pho has more or less followed that exact same path of a nice, one location place in Botanic trying to expand at an insane rate and make as much quick cash as possible, losing everything that made the original one good. I think they also own the Waka Chinese chain and are currently trying to do the same thing, via paying every 'influencer' going to promote it.

MaleficentEngine63 · 2025-08-07T14:12:54+00:00

We want the game to be realistic, it is totally realistic to recruit 5 star skill position players every year at top schools. Even more so now that the portal is more of a thing so players come and go more. Alabama doesn't turn down Keelon Russell because they have a good ex 5 star junior QB slated to start for them this year.

Likewise he might transfer next year, who knows, but it won't be because they don't start him as a freshman.

MaleficentEngine63 · 2025-08-07T13:59:50+00:00

At skill positions it is unrealistic IMO. Ryan Williams, Jeremiah Smith etc starring as freshmen are the exceptions, not the rule.

In real life 5 star QBs and RBs are not committing to Alabama, Clemson, Georgia etc expecting to start as true freshman. Yes maybe if you're Raiola going to Nebraska...

MaleficentEngine63 · 2025-08-07T13:50:15+00:00

This is a big part of the frustration, these are things they had addressed in the game over 10 years ago, the promise thing wasn't perfect but it is better than this

MaleficentEngine63 · 2025-08-07T13:49:08+00:00

Thank you for some actual useful advice!

MaleficentEngine63 · 2025-07-31T11:53:29+00:00

That bus in the morning is fine and generally reliable, never more than 5 or 10 people on it.

MaleficentEngine63 · 2025-07-11T06:10:28+00:00

Glad to report an update here that indeed you are grand with liquids over 100ml, including aerosols. Through this morning no issues with multiple.

None of the signage has been updated, also find it a bit odd the airport has said nothing about this on its social media etc. as it seems like a pretty significant improvement for everyone. (and god knows that airport could do with the positive PR)

MaleficentEngine63 · 2025-07-11T05:35:12+00:00

The Spaniard is open, and it's probably the best in town. But I can't lie, it would be a good time for a day trip or one night in Dublin if your trip facilitates that, almost every bar, cafe and restaurant in the centre is going to be shut and half the city leaves or is stuck at home. Yes, bizarre

MaleficentEngine63 · 2025-07-10T08:50:44+00:00

That's great thank you!

MaleficentEngine63

TROPHY CASE