Train ticket apps ranked

TrainPal - The best. No fees. Split tickets save a lot. Accurate and timely travel updates tracking your train, notifying you when you're about to arrive. Many discount codes and you can store them in app. Railcard can be stored in the app.

If you need to print split tickets, you might need a customer service desk. Ignore the "spin to win" thing.

Up to 10% off codes: RG04, TCB20, TPAL25

Uber trains - Gives 3% cashback (10% with Uber One), but no split tickets, so likely to be more expensive. A few minutes delay between buying tickets and getting them emailed to you. Sometimes sold me invalid tickets, or couldn't complete the booking.

Trainline - Charges fees, offers terrible refunds instead of recommending Delay & Repay, sells digital tickets when some destinations need physical tickets still, cannot store your Railcard, RMT officials said don't use it.

Operator apps (GWR, Greater Anglia, etc) - no split tickets, no discounts, often sign you out, some will be defunct when they go back to public ownership.

For navigation: 

tfl.gov.uk if you're going via London

nationalrail.co.uk for all else

Don't use Google Maps or Citymapper (inaccurate times, outdated info, no disruption info)

Other train hacks: 

Barriers often open between 10pm - 11:59pm historically for the government-mandated "third class" slow service trains, so if you're doing a return trip late at night, contactless "where required" may be cheaper than a Travelcard for your full journey.

If you don't have a ticket and you're blocked by a barrier to exit a station, you "could" just buy an eticket from the next nearest station to where you're trying to exit.

Windows Reinstall Checklist

1.  Reinstall Windows 11 25H2 from ISO/USB
1. On Ubuntu, use VenToy with the ISO
2. If complete OOBE online, usernames will be shortened to 4 characters.
1. Latest OOBE online asks many more questions
3. Reinstall drivers
1. Check Device Manager is not missing any like Fingerprint or Airplane Mode
2. Rename Headphones if required
3. Install DirectX Redistributable
4. Enable .Net Framework 3.5 in Windows features (for gaming)
4. Complete Windows Update
1. Config
5. Run checks_and_clean.bat to ensure clean Windows install
1. To be uploaded to source
6. Reinstall apps
1. Use a Beyond Compare snapshot, or a UniGetUI export
2. Install AV
3. Repair Library on on Steam directories. Include app manifest when restoring the directories.
7. Restore any data
1. If copying between Linux and Windows, 7z or .zip files to drop the NTFS ACLs
2. Google Chrome - Session Buddy, FVD Speed Dial
3. AppData for game saves
4. RetroArch in Steam directory
5. App other installed games launchers outside of Steam
8. Start menu structure - partially backed up by Windows
9. Map any network drives

Advice I learnt the hard way

 Don't be jealous. Be happy for your friends.

(Seven deadly sins/virtues)

Don't be stubborn. Accept that being vulnerable is a strength, not a weakness. Just say "Sorry my bad". There's always time to research and prove yourself later.

(Vallaint's defence mechanisms) 

Don't hold each other to high standards. We all make mistakes and deserve chances to improve. Most problems are down to systems, not individuals.

Don't mistake innocent curiosity for being interrogative and argumentative. Other people aren't your own personal Google or Reddit.

Don't use logical fallacies or cognitive biases. Educate yourself on how to make better arguments.

Don't be pessimistic about everything. Give compliments, enjoy the pleasure in the little things, be grateful for what millions don't have.

Don't be selfish like Scrooge.

---

And the positive version:

Surround yourself with people who bring out the best in you, not bring you down all the time.

Be open and listen.

"Plussing" (not jumping into criticism)

Humility (admit to mistakes)

Nihilistic Optimism (not being cynical all the time, despite existentialism)

Taking a moment to think before responding 

Respect (complimenting others - it doesn't hurt)

Jonathan Creek episode recaps (spoilers!)

Final Fantasy VII Story recap in prep for Part 3 Remake

 I'm not ready for the end 😭

1997	Event	Remake, Rebirth, Reunion
Disc One	Midgar: Sector 1 Reactor, Guard Scorpion Seventh Heaven Sector 6 Reactor, Air Buster Sector 7 collapse Shinra building (Remake) Jenova Dreamweaver Highway escape	Remake
Disc One	Kalm C1 Nibelheim flashback Chocobo Farm C2 Midgar Zolom Mythril Mine C3 Junon C4 Jenova BIRTH (Emergent) C5 Costa Del Sol C6 Yuffie Corel C7 Dyne Gold Saucer C8 Cait Sith Dyne Corel Prison Gongaga C9 Cosmo Canyon C10 Cave of the Gi, Seto flashback, Gi Nattak Nibelheim, Materia Keeper C11 Lost Number boss Vincent Valentine Rocket Town (absent) Cid Tiny Bronco (appears earlier: Gongaga) Palmer fight Wutai (absent) Keystone C12 Date at Gold Saucer Temple of the Ancients, Red Dragon, Demon Gate C13 Bone Village (absent) City of the Ancients C14 Jenova LIFE (Lifeclinger) Aeirth’s death	Rebirth
Disc Two	Icicle Inn Gast & Ifalna backstory Snowboarding - Great Glacier Northern Crater Whirlwind Maze Zack flashback Cloud levitates Jenova DEATH Black Materia summons Meteor WEAPONs unleashed Avalanche captured Tifa remembers Sister Ray destroys Sapphire WEAPON Tifa slaps Scarlet Highwind acquired Mideel Overhear Shinra discussing Huge Materia Hijack the Corel train, acquire Huge Materia Fort Condor - baby Condor born, Huge Materia acquired Ultimate WEAPON attacks Mideel Cloud’s subconscious in the Lifestream	Reunion
Disc Three	Nibelheim flashback of Cloud’s survival Underwater reactor Submarine chase Rocket launches Huge Materia Bugenhagen describes Holy Diamond WEAPON destroyed by Sister Ray Northern Crater barrier destroyed by Sister Ray Proud Clod boss Hojo reveals Sephiroth origin Emerald WEAPON Ruby WEAPON — Northern Crater Bizarro Sephiroth (Rebirth) Jenova SYNTHESIS One Winged Angel / Safer Sephiroth Sephiroth Meteor arrives and destroys Midgar Epilogue	Reunion

Digital ID cards pros and cons

Pros

Reduce extensive paperwork, Universal Credit is a beaurocratic nightmare

3-13% GDP gain from less fraud (especially with online scammers and ID theft), streamlined banking, productivity

Consolidate and replace many other forms of ID, like Government Gateway, NHS number, National Insurance number, library card, driving licence, blue badges

Helps bring more government services online, rather than phoning someone between 10am and 4pm or posting letters

Remove the need to pay for ID in the form of driving licence, passport, or Citizen ID card

Should help get a bank account and a job for those without one, and without a fixed address or other forms of ID, which makes it easier to vote, open a business, and access justice

Make it easier to access adult content without sharing your data with third parties, rent and buy houses, pay bills, and cars and phone

Streamline applications for migrants and refugees

Many countries already have it and it's considered normal, in Estonia it can also be used to vote

Reduces fraud in benefits such as undeclared income, savings or partners

Cons

Higher priorities for spending money like addressing poverty such as food banks. A good system will cost billions, but weigh that against lost productivity from existing beaurocracy from multiple forms of ID

Risk of single point of failure, stopping or excluding people accessing any service

We already have National Insurance Number, this is just adding to more things we need - it would likely replace it

Not everyone has a smartphone, computer or internet, forcing poor people to pay for one. There would have to be a solid alternative (e.g. physical card, or free phone)

High security and fraud risk, though paper documents are already highly forged

Risk of surveillance by tracking your activities, which could lead to denying public access by creating checkpoints and social credit scores

Errors could cripple someone's livelihood or access with no appeals process

In summary, making them mandatory, and without a solid alternative non-mobile plan, will create barriers for poor people, or just unlucky people.

However, a good, secure, Estonia-like ID system with civilian oversight so it is not misused for surveillance, accessible to everyone regardless of finances, with an easy way to fix errors, would help everyone.

Sandwich

 

https://cuberule.com/

"Sandwich" to me is a very narrow definition.

• When you go to the sandwich isle of Tesco for a meal deal, you expect things like BLT, tuna mayo, cheese triple. You don't expect there to be a roll, a burger, a taco, a baguette, or a hot dog. Those will be in their own section.
• When you go to Split airport in Croatia, and they close the majority of shops at night time with only one stall left open, all they advertise they are selling is "sandwiches". And they only 2 options: chicken, or cheese.
• When there's an announcement on a GWR train saying the cart is coming through selling "sandwiches, crisps, soft drinks, tea and coffee", I'm not expecting them to have a hot dog.
• When I look at a local indie artisan coffee shop brunch menu, and look under the section for sandwiches, hot dog isn't under there, hot dog is in its own section, if at all.
• If you go on Family Fortunes, and you're asked to name sandwiches from a survey of 100 people, the top result is probably BLT.
• If you look for emojis of sandwiches, none of them are hot dogs.

Sandwich has a specific structure, and there is an expected, small subset of predictable sandwiches.

Not a sandwich:

• Chip butty, despite having the structure of a sandwich, has its own name, and does not fall into the category of predictable sandwiches.
• Ice cream sandwich throws a spanner to this: it's not a predictable sandwich, so it's not a type of sandwich, but, it does borrow the sandwich only by name and structure. 
• A sub, wrap, or burrito might appear in a certain subsection of the Tesco meal deal area next to sandwiches, but because they have a different structure and their own name, they aren't sandwiches - even if they have predictable fillings.

When we say sandwich without context, we mean a subset with predictable structure and fillings.

BBC Hustle Episode Recaps

Mobile phone operator history and phones I used

1. 2002: BT (Vodafone) (Philips Cellnet)
2. 2009: Tesco Mobile (O2) (Nokia 1110, Sony Ericsson W300i, LG Cookie, Sony Ericsson W850i)
3. 2010: Three (HTC Wildfire)
4. 2012: Giffgaff (O2) (LG Optimus 2X, Google Nexus 4, 5, 5X)
5. 2017: Vodafone (Google Pixel 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10)
6. 2022 (6 months free): Lebara (Vodafone)

How to use an airport

Pre-req:

• Passport (not expiring within 6 months)
• Booked tickets and boarding pass loaded to phone
• Booked hotels
• Travel insurance
• Online check-in completed as early as possible, not at the last minute 
• If driving, book parking
• Data roaming planned 
• Check for required vaccinations on government travel advice
• Arrive 2 hours before the departure time
• Power adapter
• Generally, no liquids over 100ml or pressured cans
• Cabin luggage (backpack, small suitcase etc) 
• Checked in luggage (suitcases and large items)
• In-flight entertainment (game, book, movie)

Steps:

1. Regularly check the gate and departure time on display boards for cancellations
2. Go to Checked in luggage to drop off suitcase
3. Go to Departures
4. Go through Security. In most cases, remove shoes, belt, jackets, hats, and sometimes electronics, liquids in their own bag, empty your pockets. Check all pockets for water you might still have etc.
5. Go through the shopping labyrinth to the gate waiting lounge
6. Wait until your gate is announced then go to gate. Buy snacks or drink for the plane.
7. Scan boarding pass and board the plane (may involve a bus, corridors, waiting rooms, walking outside) 
8. Find seat, ignore anyone who asks to swap a seat with you
9. Follow instructions. Get up at least once an hour or two either for toilet or water or chat, it really helps with anxiety.
10. Leave plane, double check you have everything e.g. headphones, passport, overhead bags 
11. Arrivals - Passport stamp, customs bags checks if required
12. Collect luggage from the right conveyor for your flight
13. Exit / Transport. Book Uber or get train, etc, using maps app to your hotel