We have bus lanes here. But during a tube strike, my bus was stuck at a traffic light for about 20 minutes, I’m not exaggerating. This was central London, and yes, it was all because of the cars clogging up the roads.

Most on the main road in my area is one person. How many times have I missed the bus and had to wait 20 mins for the next one, because I can’t cross the road to the stop, because 4 people need to get by in their cars.

I can tolerate Mariah, the one I can’t stand is the band aid one, patronising crap. Every damn year I gotta put up with those muppets telling me how nothing ever grows in Africa. Dammit, now I have it in my head!

Yes! I was in Walthamstow last week and the difference between their cycle lanes and my area is like night and day. A proper delineated cycle lane, separate from both the road and the pavement. Compare that to my area where the cycle lanes abruptly cut off and are just a line of paint separating them from the pavement, therefore pedestrians walk all over it and I have to use the bus lane to cycle. Walthamstow is like cyclist heaven.

I have chronic ear problems, and I’ll usually get someone telling me I should try ear candling. Luckily they stop when I tell them to look up the videos of people using the candle with a jar and getting the same “wax” extracted.

Man, that sounds rough. I hope you’re okay now. I suppose the rider got away?

Those delivery riders with their often illegal e-bikes are a scourge. They’re like that in London too. I’ve seen them on pavements with their throttle modded bikes, even though we have both a bus lane and a cycle lane.

I’ve had a black screen of death on Mint. All I was trying to do was crop a video on kdenlive. It black screened on me and somehow even messed up the boot menu so that my Mint was showing up as just Ubuntu. I went straight back to Shotcut after that. I really wanted to switch from Windows to Linux, but so far, Linux, or at least Mint, really hates me. Up till recently, I was still using Mint for my music storage, but it has trouble even moving files onto my phone now. I’ve pretty much given up.

I can confirm. I use Mint and I don’t understand it.

But rock doves and feral pigeons are the exact same species, Columba livia. QED.

A TFL-run rickshaw service is also something I’m hoping for. I used to see a lot of tuktuks when I worked in central London about 10 years ago. I think a lot of them weren’t licenced or something?

Every time I walk through that car park, half the vehicles are those awful 4x4s. And I always think how nice it would be if all that tarmac was replaced with grass and wildflower beds and footpaths and cycle paths and bike stands and trees. But instead it’s just a rogue’s gallery of these monstrosities.

I wish there was some sort of e-cargo bike taxi service or something so that the “but how will I carry my shopping home” crowd don’t have an excuse.

Ridiculous things.

I don’t need to. I’m a cyclist, I get it on a regular basis.

I bought a few junk vinyls just because I really like the texture. I was touching one on the tube home and my friend told me later I was causing visible distress to the man opposite.

Little cutie! What’s his name? I bet he puts a smile on your face very easily. Little nutters, aren’t they? Nothing like a hyper budgie telling everything in the room about its day! I’m glad you’re doing better!

Here’s my birb tax:

He turned 14 in April, I’m hoping he can make it to 15.

I’ve been at the point where I wanted to die, but never bad enough to actually try to make it happen.

Here’s an article by the lovely Lene Marlin about her failed attempt:

G00gle translated version: https://www-aftenposten-no.translate.goog/meninger/kronikk/i/Bjqe/Lene-Marlin-Jeg-ville-ikke-leve-lenger?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp

Original Norwegian: https://www.aftenposten.no/meninger/kronikk/i/Bjqe/Lene-Marlin-Jeg-ville-ikke-leve-lenger

Oh gosh, my nephew was obsessed with that game when he was 11.

I probably would have been diagnosed ARFID as a kid if it was a thing back then. But switching to a plant based diet ten years ago actually made me try MORE foods. Before that, it was tea and toast for breakfast, jacket potato or chips for lunch and crisps and chocolate for dinner. Maybe once or twice I week I might boil a bit of sweetcorn or carrot to go with my lunch. So yeah, very poor diet.

Even my mum, who was quite against my diet change at first, had to admit that it was the best thing for me. You tend to become more aware of what you’re eating in terms of nutrition.

Also a lot of my physical and mental health problems eased up. I used to find it very difficult to eat breakfast if I had to wake up early, I’d feel sick and struggle to swallow food, I don’t know why exactly, but after I switched, I can eat at 5 in the morning, no problem.

I’m not vegan (I eat a fish finger or two now and then, maybe 3 or 4 times a month), but yeah definitely I feel better in both mind and body since cutting out dairy and eggs (I know for a fact eggs were triggering my anxiety and low mood, dairy was the physical).

Here in the UK, it’s much easier to follow a plant based diet in recent years. On the negative side, there’s a lot more vegan junk food and highly processed meat alternatives available now.

The key to enjoying a plant based diet is to appreciate plant foods for what they are. Don’t think that you need to replace your meat with a fake meat. It’s more costly too.

Sorry for the essay. Good luck!

What’s the difference?

That was a great read, thank you for sharing that. My apologies to the man who suffered acute psychological lacerations, I’m about to cause one more by shamelessly stealing that line for my own use (my ancestors were also colonised by the English, so it’s okay. I think?).

Offensive to lemons and fans of lemons.