maxjam

2 hours ago, JoetheRam said:

Wasn't too interested when first released as was moving house but started looking a month or so ago and every time there's a "stock drop", which you have to be on Twitter to know about seems they're snapped up in seconds by bots.

Can't really believe this is still a problem 6 months after release. 

There's some shady looking websites that seem to be selling them at inflated prices but don't really want to use them.

Would have pre ordered one if I'd known it would be such a hassle.

Don't really understand why you can't put your name down with Game/Curry's etc and wait for one to turn up.

2 hours ago, r4derby said:

I know, it’s frustrating that companies don’t have a queue of people waiting to buy one already to stop the bots snapping them up. It’s strange that scalpers are still doing it anyway, as I know a couple of people paid £650 plus at Christmas for one (as many did) but no one is interested in paying over the odds anymore.

In the end, it’s still an issue because I’m not sure how much Sony cares. There consoles are getting sold at rapid pace for the retail price, so it doesn’t matter (really) who is buying them. They must realise that not as many players are using the system and do something (eventually)...

Its out of their hands tbh, their has been a global chip shortage going on for a while now effecting everything;

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/mar/21/global-shortage-in-computer-chips-reaches-crisis-point#:~:text=The shortage in chips%2C the,the coronavirus pandemic first hit.&text=“There is a perfect storm,demand factors going on here.

6 hours ago, Steve Buckley’s Dog said:

Thanks for that. He has minecraft on his iPad and loves that. We have tried Lego Star Wars games on the iPad but never really fathomed them out. Perhaps better on a console? I might give that a try. I also thought about Star Wars episode 1 racers - older game but ‘re-released’ and meant to be ok. I thought a racing game would be ideal to get used to the controls. He’ll probably end up on fortnite though I would imagine! 

Fortnite is pretty good tbh - maybe you can also get him into the creative that comes with it?  One of my lads had great fun designing his own maps etc.  

Also you should look at 'Save the World', its the solo/multiplayer PvE game that comes with Fortnite.  I've personally had hundreds of hours of fun with that and it teaches you to build/shoot etc without the pressure of some PvP god gunning you down before you realise you're under attack ? You can get it pretty cheap now-a-days or iirc you can pick it up free with a fortnite membership.

41 minutes ago, JoetheRam said:

Anyone actually been able to buy a PS5?

 

https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/gaming/1431436/PS5-UK-restock-Argos-GAME-stock-today

28 minutes ago, Ramslad1992 said:

Thought I’d resurrect this... I really like my PS4 but unfortunately I have 2 little people who use it for Disney+ 99% of the time! The majority of my money goes on them so I can’t really justify paying big bucks for the new releases... anyone got any recommendations of old games that would be cheap? I’m just about to finish Just Cause 3 which I paid the extortionate price of £4.49 for! 

https://blog.playstation.com/2021/03/17/play-at-home-2021-update-10-free-games-to-download-this-spring/

Subnautica is the pick of the bunch imo, well worth a play.

Dunno if Horizon Zero Dawn is still free, but thats a stunning game if you've not played it yet.

Just found my dogs asleep on their chair after I'd taken them for a long walk...

Penalty missed by Forest ? 

Oh dear ? 

The really sad thing is that if we had just drawn with Rotherham twice this season we would have already been 10 points clear of them.

If they do pip us to safety those 2 games will have been key in our demise.

Before we go to Mars we have to go back to the moon.  I was to young to understand what was going on the last time we set foot on the moon, really looking forwards to seeing it in the near future.

5 minutes ago, ariotofmyown said:

It's convenient for Amazon they have benefitted from lockdown. And that is all it is. To see some hidden agenda that helps some types of big business, but not others (airline industry, hospitality etc) is false.

This has been my argument for a while now, as a consequence of the first lockdowns some big business and the media made substantial profits.  Since then we have seen the goalposts shift time and again and the arguments for remaining locked down grow steadily weaker.  

I hope in the fullness of time we get a proper inquiry into the various responses to the pandemic - and if, as the related CNN sting shows us, some big businesses have been putting pressure on Governments to prolong lockdowns for profit or promoting a certain narrative for selfish reasons, appropriate action is taken.

30 minutes ago, ariotofmyown said:

Probably worth remembering that 10s of 1000s of people have died through Covid and it's left lots of people in grief, including people on this thread. Of the 30 or so people I know who have had it, of them have been left with long term issues (asthma and quarter of lung usage instead). I know a few people who have lost people too.

I know you and others are not heartless by any means, but possibly worth watching your language when posting on this subject. Covid deaths are very real for some people and they could easily get hurt/emotional to read posts saying it's all hype, or profiteering by big companies.

I'm no lover of big business, but recognise that the logisitcs infrastructures built up by the likes of Amazon and the food industry have been pretty useful over the last year. I also appreciate that companies like Netflix have been able to keep us entertained. They aren't all bad.

I thought @TexasRam was speaking accurately and very specifically about the negative circle of hype that has surrounded covid, which we can surely separate from any personal distress it has caused?

And whilst the likes of Amazon etc have helped out during the crisis, they have also profited massively from it - both in the short term financially and in the long term as many of their smaller rivals will have folded.  Furthermore (and not a topic for this thread) it is difficult to give them much benefit of the doubt when even their push to increase the minimum wage for example has altruistic motives.

2 minutes ago, TexasRam said:

It’s a crappy position to be in granted, but it’s exciting isn’t it. I’d never of dreamt of watching Rotherham V Coventry on a Thursday night and actually be nervous about the result. If only my Dad had told me 40 odd years ago, about what really being a Rams fan would be like!!!! 

My brother-in-law is an Everton fan, I often take the p1$$ as all they ever do is exist in the PL - occasional flirt with the top 6 or relegation but generally its one drab forgetful season after another.

Yeah we might go down this season, in recent seasons we might have gone up - one thing its not, is boring!

Beat me to it @TexasRam, I was about to post the full version which provides a bit more context.

I don't blame CNN for the bias, they all do it - it is nice to hear 'from the horses mouth' that they do it though rather than try to convince you you're going mad when you accuse them of it!

Regardless, the point for posting isn't the bias or the politics its the fear mongering over covid for profit.  The previous video from Project Veritas had the same guy saying that after people had recovered from covid fatigue they will be pushing climate change heavily as 'fear sells'.  So look forwards to that ?

25 minutes ago, ariotofmyown said:

Great post.

As @GboroRam mentioned though, is it worse than before?

In the past, media sensationalism taught us to despise those who are different. Now that is mostly no longer acceptable, we are taught to despise those with different opinions. It's progress of sorts as at least people can change their minds!

Maybe people have to stand up and reject sensationalism, but I'm not sure that's possible. Social Media has just amplified this massively as it's full of nobodies looking to earn money from extreme views. There is even less of a filter these days.  This also drowns out moderate voices looking for compromise.

Heard an interesting radio programme a few months back about gerrymandering in the US, where election boundaries were kept being redrawn to sure up either sides support.

So originally, you may have two election areas, both mixed between rich and poor, black and white etc. To win an election, a candidate had to appeal to a broad spectrum of voters.

Over time, boundaries were redrawn to end up with one party's voters in one area and vice versa. This then meant the winning party was a given and the only challenge came from within the own party, attempting to push further from the centre ground towards the extreme.

This seems to be how the media also seems to operate these days, perhaps as the are so driven by commercial need to sensationalise. Think we need the BBC more than ever, but one that can always provide an unbiased factual account of what us going on. Maybe the news could be replaced with More or Less?

Worse, definitely worse.  Driven in part by 24/7 news outlets that have to turn a profit and social media. 

I agree with a lot of what you said and would like to expand upon others but this isn't the thread for that and I'd only be putting the effort in to write an off topic post that may end up being removed. 

I think regarding covid however, as we emerge from the pandemic we really need to start pushing back against the Government, big business and the media now.  In an ideal world we'd be given the truth, get our freedoms restored, learn lessons for the future and have those that profited from the crisis or exploited it in some way pay their dues.

24 minutes ago, GboroRam said:

I don't disagree with you. But none of that answers why world governments have tanked their economies, or why excess mortality is through the roof since q2 last year. 

There's an issue with sensationalism in the media, but it long predates covid. I don't know about US media politics, but is CNN just the flip side of Fox Media? 

Oh yeah its not just limited to one news station/political party - everyone does its cos it generates money, power or both.  It is killing society however as we're forever being told the other side is evil.  We're being manipulated and shepherded into boxes and taught to despise people that don't agree with us rather than focus on what we do have in common. 

As for covid, I think we all agree that the first lockdown was warranted but as time has gone on not only have the goal posts have moved but they continue to move.  IMO politicians, big corp and the media gained a lot of power and money during the initial outbreak and its been in their interests to prolong the pandemic ever since. 

Does it really matter if a country has been financially ruined for example?  The rich can even make money betting against economies anyway and move to some sunny tax haven to avoid any fallout. 

What we really need is someone to give us the truth, for politicians to ensure we get our freedoms back and for those that have made millions/billions throughout the pandemic to pay their share.  I'm fairly certain non of that is going to happen though.

2 minutes ago, GboroRam said:

But the narrative that none of this is necessary doesn't make sense. Why would the UK government, the Chinese government, the collective European governments etc etc etc lie and cripple all their economies if they didn't believe that there was a serious public health risk? That's what I'm being expected to believe. And that the excess mortality figures around the world aren't real. 

Why? Can anyone give me a reason that doesn't sound completely tinfoil hat territory? 

The problem is that we're all being manipulated by the media and politicians.  

The Guardian article that sparked this conversation was designed for its audience to get clicks, giving it a more balanced approach wouldn't have worked so well - or generated as much income.

The latest Project Veritas sting is a great example of this.  CNN have basically admitted that they were a propaganda wing of the Democrat party and there sole goal was, by hook or by crook, to get rid of Trump.  They also said (and to keep this on point) that after covid fatigue has died down the next thing they are going to go overboard on is the climate because and I quote 'fear sells'.  

There are very few balanced articles these days, we are all being shepherded camps and made to despise the opposition for profit and power. 

6 minutes ago, TexasRam said:

Me too! just  watch out for those pesky variants out there. The UK one has proved to be no more harmful so now guess what, the South African one is back on the radar getting scientists worried. All scaremongering BS, life’s getting back to normal unfortunately that seems to spite some people who have been given recent powers & status. 

Eh? I don't believe that for a second.

Oh...

9 hours ago, Stive Pesley said:

How is it going for "no lockdown Sweden" @TexasRam?

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/13/sweden-has-highest-new-covid-cases-per-person-in-europe

Surely the penultimate paragraph tells you what you need to know?  Regardless of lockdowns some places in the world were always going to get hit more/less severe than others due to a variety of factors.  Which is why despite Biden calling out the Texas and Florida Governors for their 'Neanderthal thinking' their infection rates are plummeting despite having fully reopened whilst other states in the US are suffering despite being in lockdown ? 

50 minutes ago, GboroRam said:

I thought we'd gone over this before? Covid ravages some people's lungs, and a serious number of people end up dying of pneumonia caused by the effects of Covid. That's why the "died with Covid" figure is still relevant.  Look at excess deaths if you want to get a feel for the true effect.

I'd like to see a proper breakdown of stats before I pass judgement tbh.   What percentage of people that died with covid had pneumonia vs those that died with heart disease or cancer etc.  But tbh, I'm tired of it all now and don't really care anymore - just looking forwards to some sunny weather and getting back to 'normal'.

The next lot of old buggers can get their jabs booked now!

Not exactly the right thread for this, but it is pretty cool!

FWIW here is my two peneth...

Mel clearly wants out (for a number of reasons) he's given it his best shot and not quite got us over the line.  Fair play to the guy, he invested his time, energy and considerable wealth into the club and given us more good times than bad.

He has tried to find us the best new owner possible and settled on Erik Alonso who is talking the talk at least.  My personal view is no one really wants to own a football club to lose £X million so his intentions will be in the right place, whether he succeeds or follows through with any promises time will tell - but its the start of another journey and hopefully we'll enjoy the ride.