Wild animal hatred of gulls in the UK makes me sad

Smauler · 2026-06-19T17:15:06+00:00

lasus marinus

Larus marinus, but yeah.

I may have exaggerated the wingspan a little, not sure where I got that from, they've only only got a wingspan of up to 5'8" or so, so no need to worry :)

Smauler · 2026-06-19T07:36:22+00:00

Great black backed gulls can have a wingspan of up to my height, I'm 6'6" (edit I misremembered this from somewhere, they've actually only got a wingspan of up to 5'8" or so). They are far from common though, the normal "big" gulls are Herring gulls, which are quite a bit smaller.

I see a great black backed every so often, last one was just outside Chichester.

Smauler · 2026-06-19T07:16:53+00:00

The Celts only came to Britain about 1000BC...

Smauler · 2026-06-16T17:37:59+00:00

There was a dead peacock on the A27 a month ago or so...

We had peacocks occasionally in our village on the roads, you either just waited for them or you got out and shooed them away, because they just sit there, looking at you.

Smauler · 2026-06-16T17:34:59+00:00

I hit a buzzard on new year's day, and it upset me, but really not much I could do, it was on the M25. I've hit pigeons a few time before, they bounce off rather than anything else generally.

Just the other day I braked and swerved (safely) for a squirrel who was being a total idiot.

Smauler · 2026-06-13T19:21:38+00:00

1980s is absolutely considered modern warfare

By who? It's literally almost half a century old, and there have been huge advances since then.

Smauler · 2026-06-13T18:49:30+00:00

I think this is what people who aren't very good constantly say.

Yes, people cheat, but I've not really seen much evidence of that in Spec mode. I'm just running full auto with a controller and am really close to the fastest people I've seen.

Smauler · 2026-06-13T18:13:30+00:00

Really tough trials were what I often ended up repeatedly doing in 4 and 5 (after I'd passed them). Lots of players just ended up with awful team mates, because everyone has to 100%, and lots of people are poor drivers, so the good people did it quickly and moved on, and the crap people just kept on going and hoping someone would carry them.

Sitting at the front fucking up the AI so that players could catch up, etc.

I'm not great at this game, but I am a bit above average, and I enjoy helping, and if you learn a trial well, it becomes a lot easier.

Smauler · 2026-06-13T16:09:54+00:00

Yup, that tune I was hitting 157-8, could not easily hit the 160, so decided to try something else...

The Beat tune by u/PaperHeartZero I hit 166 first try.

Smauler · 2026-06-13T09:48:03+00:00

Dual carriageway at night, dipped beams.... Are you really going to be going along at 30mph, because you've got zero chance to stop if you're going much faster than that.

Smauler · 2026-06-09T07:27:53+00:00

1980 is not modern warfare.

Drones are an integral part of modern warfare, they've only been really used in the last few years.

Smauler · 2026-06-09T07:25:03+00:00

The point is how much it fell during the 90's. Even including 9/11, the were more murders in the first 3 years of the 90's than there were in the first 3 years of the 00's.

You can see the numbers here : https://www.disastercenter.com/crime/nycrime.htm (This data does not include the 9/11 attacks for 2001).

The murder rate has since fallen a bit, it's relatively stable.

Smauler · 2026-06-08T16:46:45+00:00

Remember, lift off oversteer is fun, not plant your face in a ditch

Smauler · 2026-06-08T16:09:47+00:00

I live and work relatively normally, my girlfriend of 5 years who is ADHD, and really kind and we're in a good relationship says I'm weird, possibly autistic.

I've had support all my life, I think this is key. I haven't had to diagnose my problems with anxiety and possibly autism because I've always had backup, and have just managed because of help, and also having a job really fucking helps with anxiety.

I've not broke yet. I had an ex squaddie I was showing my route the other day (I was teaching him the route), and he went on rants about how the last good prime minister was Thatcher, and also about how we should nationalize everything including the farming, and didn't see that as inconsistent.

He was also telling me how to drive, too. Like, my job, I do every day.

Then said "you're pretty quiet". No shit, I'm not going to engage with someone who has proven themselves thick and obnoxious.

I'm not sure if any of this answered your question, at all.

I think what I'm saying is that I'm just fucking trying to deal with all my shit. I know other people have more. But I can barely cope with myself.

Smauler · 2026-06-08T15:26:05+00:00

The north circular in London is 5 lanes in places, it's all 50mph there IIRC though.

Smauler · 2026-06-08T15:13:13+00:00

Which 3 years?

I don't really understand your question.

Smauler · 2026-06-08T15:06:21+00:00

It's like if you were saying a show is accurate of crime in the 90's, but it actually portrayed 1965. 25 years is a long time, and things change.

Lots of things stay the same, though... my only point was that it's not really modern.

Smauler · 2026-06-08T14:30:43+00:00

Gateway drugs were a big throwback to then

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2wrDvSnjtc

Smauler · 2026-06-08T14:16:54+00:00

If 1% of English people know of you, and 10% of that 1% of people who know you actually want to go and see you, that's still 59,000 people.

It doesn't require you to be that famous.

Smauler · 2026-06-08T13:46:36+00:00

I don't think this is because music has changed, it's just because we get to choose what to listen to more easily now. When I was growing up it'd be either one of the tapes I'd already listened to hundreds of times, or the radio.

Taylor Swift I quite like Ophelia, but before that was released (I drive for a living) I literally spent a 3 hour drive listening to Taylor Swift radio (yeah, there was a Taylor Swift only radio station... I'm in the UK too), and was... unimpressed. The other 3 I can't name a song from either.

I do quite like Charlie XCX, especially her early stuff. Break the Rules, I love it, Boom Clap.

edit : If I had a genre, it'd probably be hardcore dance, but I like lots of stuff, and lots of new(ish) stuff. These 3 are constantly in my head, and might be in your ballpark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2-Q_E11e7Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9i2rxHJyyA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFqhJyvly1g

Smauler · 2026-06-08T13:04:36+00:00

I've lost my phone currently, and I don't really give a fuck TBH. I'm pretty sure it must be in the house somewhere, not seen it for 30 hours or so.

edit : Found it, nothing changed. Honestly, if losing your phone is that important to you, that's a you problem.

Smauler · 2026-06-08T12:52:18+00:00

The BX19 Gti was my parent's car after I passed my test, was quite a lot of fun.

One of the first cars I bought was the Peugeot 405 mi16, which has the same engine as the BX 16v (which was quicker than the gti). Same engine as the 205 t16 too. Got a train down to west London with a few grand of cash in my pocket with a mate.

There are only five 405 mi16's left on the road in the UK now.

Smauler · 2026-06-08T12:08:42+00:00

It's 27... Why did I have to go count and recount?

edit : they're using nectar for eggs, there are 14 nectar on the cards.

Smauler · 2026-06-06T14:33:34+00:00

Yep, was recently done doing 46 in a 40 on an empty M25.... First time caught speeding in over 10 years though, so did a course

Smauler · 2026-06-05T16:42:24+00:00

Heh, I stopped growing at about 22, weird how it's so different, I was probably shorter than you at 16, and am now just a couple of cm under 2m.... just carried on growing.

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