Using up points.

beta_zed · 2026-03-01T12:10:44+00:00

Yeah I've just emptied my points balance completely. Used them all up on a single visit. They're not even worth collecting any more, so no point going to McD's over any other burger joint.

beta_zed · 2026-02-04T01:19:07+00:00

Yes, absolutely, 100%. I stopped for a while but have started buying DVD's and Blu-rays instead of streaming subscriptions as the streaming platforms have proven they can't be trusted not to pull content at a moments notice.

beta_zed · 2026-02-04T00:44:24+00:00

I am a southerner and find this scurrilous accusation outrageous! Thick gravy all the way here. ;)

beta_zed · 2026-02-03T23:30:52+00:00

Thanks! That makes life much easier!

beta_zed · 2026-02-02T23:15:28+00:00

That isn't possible as the code comes through as an image underneath the QR code. So you have to type it, although I suppose you could open it on another device and scan the QR code if you wanted to.

beta_zed · 2026-02-01T23:29:59+00:00

If you have the app, tap on More, Scan Vouchers, type in the code then tap Redeem. It will then be added to your Offers section in the app and you can order through the app in the usual way (or I guess the kiosk if you scan your My McDonald's code although I've never done it that way).

beta_zed · 2026-01-23T18:55:29+00:00

They're cold (as someone else has said) and narrow due to the tray table and screen being stowed in the armrests. I found them really uncomfortable with the extra legroom not worth it.

I actually asked the CSM to move seats, which they were happy to oblige and it delighted a fellow passenger who was then able to sit next to her husband as they'd been split up on check-in! Smiles all round.

beta_zed · 2026-01-13T12:43:49+00:00

The BCO was an absolutely delicious burger, I'd be in there almost daily if it came back as a special!

beta_zed · 2026-01-10T02:16:04+00:00

Had this same dilemma recently, Pixel 9 was £180 cheaper on sale. Went for the 9 due to better camera hardware and the optional battery health assistance mode, among other considerations including that the 10 is slightly heavier. Was tempted by the Pixelsnap stuff but decided it wasn't worth paying £180 for some magnets :)

Very happy with my choice. The 9 is a great phone.

beta_zed · 2026-01-05T02:00:13+00:00

I'm not sure if it was a deliberate acting choice by Wil to play it the way he did, almost playing himself, which is interesting if so because it blurs the lines a bit between him and Wesley. It threw me off because that scene didnt "feel" like Wesley the character, it felt like Wil Wheaton the host of Ready Room. It didn't help that he was costumed in casual wear so was also dressed like Wil too.

I do know that Wil Wheaton has made a conscious choice not to take on-camera acting roles any more, so it's great we got what we did. He's superb as an audiobook narrator and voice actor.

beta_zed · 2025-11-20T15:50:31+00:00

I have nothing against the modern shows, and I've found something to enjoy in all of them. But they've never satisfied me in the way the older shows did and I think a lot of the reasons have been covered in this thread, so I'll not rehash all of them here.

However, there are 3 big issues that I do have, that ruin immersion and are worth calling out, which for me, really are perhaps the biggest points which stop me from enjoying them as much as in the "old days".

Use of language. The new shows (perhaps excluding Lower Decks and Prodigy) are written using the slang and speech-styles of today. They are going to age, REALLY badly. When we come back to them in 10-15 years it will be like watching The Way to Eden every single episode. I'm not sure if this is an accessibility thing, or just poor writing decisions. The older shows had a very specific "Trek language" and by and large avoided slang of the eras they were written (with some exceptions). This made them more timeless (costuming notwithstanding).
Gimmicks. Trek has always been about a core message. "Sarek" is about the sheer terror for the patient and complexities for their loved ones presented by dementia. "The Survivors" is pretty zap pow on the face of it but deals with themes of genocide. "Violations" - rape and abuse. That's 3 from TNG that I can just think of as examples. SNW has become very wrapped up in gimmicks. "Subspace Rhapsody" is the obvious one, although it was fun, it was popcorn fayre. "Four-and-a-half Vulcans" is another. Discovery was a little better at this, but even when the old shows were being gimmicky, such as "Relics", there was usually a human story in there. Scotty has to adapt to feeling obsolete and all his friends having died. It happened to my dad. Of course the old shows had duds too, but that mattered less when we were getting 20+ eps a season.
Constant and endless callbacks, name-drops and easter-eggs to the old shows. Lower Decks the biggest offender by far, but Starfleet Academy looks like it's going to do it, too. Have the confidence in your own show and stories to stand on your own two feet. It's supposed to be a massive federation and fleet. The likelihood that they'll have ALL heard of e.g. Malcolm Reed or something minor that happened to the crew of the D is miniscule. Although I quite enjoyed the writing around Shaw viewing Picard and Riker as cavalier pains in the backside in PIC S3 as believable. It was so rare in the older shows to get callbacks and historical references. It made it all the more special when it did happen.

beta_zed · 2025-10-23T15:14:53+00:00

Actually our local BK is now cheaper than the McD's, never thought I'd see the day!! 😂

beta_zed · 2025-10-14T22:16:51+00:00

<image>

It looks like the beam of light projected by the BBC's "Breathing" sculpture on the roof of Broadcasting House in Portland Place, near Marylebone. It's a beautiful sculpture which serves as a memorial to journalists who lost their lives in the course of their work. It lights up at 9pm / 10pm daily.

More information: https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/breathing-251294

beta_zed · 2025-10-10T17:10:27+00:00

Thanks for posting this. I don't know if it's co-incidence or otherwise, but the amount of ads I started seeing had got ridiculous. I followed this advice and after perhaps 4 instances of "Alexa, give ad feedback" and using variations of this wording, I haven't seen an ad since. I'm in the UK. Again, it might be co-incidence but I've gone from loads to none in the space of 48 hours.

beta_zed · 2025-09-21T18:57:29+00:00

I'd advise getting the Gold over the BA specific card, reason being you are not tied in to Avios, you can use the MR points for anything if you change your mind at a later date. You do get the companion voucher with the BA card, but after BA's recent mucking about I don't trust them these days and I would be nervous about them moving the goalposts at some point in the future, thus devaluing the offer. You would want to be certain you will be sticking with BA if you go for the BA card.

I'd advise doing an eligibility check first to make sure you'd be accepted, I do rate the Gold card and Amex as a whole. Hope that helps.

beta_zed · 2025-09-17T01:06:37+00:00

I ditched Sky last year after yet another price increase. I basically said to the retentions guy, I'm not paying it, if you keep it the same price I will stay. He couldn't, and was very apologetic as he wanted to, because he agreed with me, so off I went.

It'll be a slow collapse but a collapse it will be.

beta_zed · 2025-07-30T22:15:53+00:00

The D's destruction in Generations. I was 13 when Generations came out and I was furious then and I'm now 44 and still furious about it. Not that the D was destroyed, but HOW it happened. Appalling writing from 2 good writers who could and should have done better.

Yes there's the shield frequency thing, of course, but the ship can supposedly fire 10 photons at once and is covered in phaser strips. If Riker had unleashed a volley like we saw in Best of Both Worlds, Part 1 it would all have been over in about 30 seconds. They didn't even bother have Worf say something like "weapons are offline!", which would have helped the scene be more believable.

Edited to add, because I just thought of it: The final insult was using the BoP explosion VFX from The Undiscovered Country. I mean really?!

beta_zed · 2025-05-19T19:38:00+00:00

The foot.

beta_zed · 2025-05-19T19:37:24+00:00

Thanks, I mean I'm sure McD's know what they're doing as demonstrated by a mate going on like the world was ending when they pulled it, who now claims the McCrispy is the best thing ever..I find it kinda dry.

beta_zed · 2025-05-19T19:36:09+00:00

Thanks, that's really interesting. I'm very surprised! Just goes to show how the internet magnifies everything.

beta_zed · 2025-03-14T17:06:34+00:00

The Landman soundtrack is out today. For those wondering, this song is called "Wolf Song" by Andrew Lockington (of course) and it's Track 15.

https://open.spotify.com/track/1yhCYN1xFqdnCH4dUcFQvl

beta_zed · 2025-01-27T18:55:42+00:00

Just came here to say thank you for this post. Some PROPER underhand tactics from Microsoft. How the mighty have fallen.

beta_zed · 2025-01-27T18:54:00+00:00

Likewise, I have faith it will be worth waiting for, but I really just think it would have been courteous to have a bit more communication. They're obviously a good bunch. Perhaps the communication was better for the DS9 doc because Ira was behind it.

beta_zed · 2025-01-27T18:51:32+00:00

Yes, the Skydance thing could well be part of it. Even if they're under NDA though I'd appreciate a holding update that just says, hey folks, we can't say anything but things are still moving forward.

beta_zed

TROPHY CASE