Mark Ferguson

To Whom This May Concern, by Jill Scott 19 track album

Listening to the new Jill Scott album. Favourite song: Beautiful People.

jillscott.bandcamp.com/album/to-who...

Presuming United break the bank to bring in one (or more) of our well publicised central midfield targets.

Do you think we will unearth more relatively cost-effective, under the radar, but still first team ready gems like Dorgu, Lammens and Heaven to bolster the squad?

Would you recommend?

I originally watched Requiem for a Dream when it came out in 2000. I’ve just watched it again.

It’s a traumatic and heartbreaking depiction of the downward spiral of addiction.

It’s such a good film! The cinematography, soundtrack acting and editing and all on point.

I’m starting to see the crocuses and snowdrops emerging on my morning walk.

The first signs of spring.

I’m happy to pay to support good journalism.

I’d be happy to pay £8 for ad free version. But getting the same (or worse) as non-payers for that amount is annoying. E.g. I pay for YouTube Premium to support creators and to go ad free.

We’ll see if they send me a last minute offer. Nothing yet.

It’s sad, but I feel I need to stand up to the stripping of benefits and rampant profiteering that’s been going on.

My subs cost £7.99 a month. But is offered to new subscribers for £1.50 raising to £3.00 after a year (no mention of the price I’m paying in the small print for new subscribers). Someone else renewed for £12.50 a year.

Without cancellation, I can see no way to reduce the cost of my subscription.

I’d be better off putting my time and energy into writing on a platform where I don’t pay for the privilege and where I could probably build my own audience in the process.

If the only remaining benefit of paying for my subscription is access to a the section of the website where the value is created by paying subscribers.

That seems like a bad deal!

I have commented on 100s of articles. My words have sparked debate, drawn agreement and made people smile. I’d like to think that my time, thought and energy has made the comments section of The Athletic a better place. Adding value to the community of readers I have conversed with there.

Paying to subscribe gave me the ability to comment on articles. This now seems to be the only remaining benefit of a subscription. There is definite value in the below the line discussion. But that value is created by subscribers.

A subscription used to mean I have access to ad free podcasts through app. Yesterday we were told ads will now be added to podcasts. So paying subscribers get the exact same product The Athletic puts out for free for non paying people. Again, I expect the same dubious companies to be forced on me.

I now have to scroll past ads by nation states and gambling companies.

Ironically, ‘reader mode’ users who don’t pay, get an ad free experience!

I have friends who don’t subscribe but can still access all the articles anyway, for free, by using reader mode. A subscription used to provide me with an ad free experience on website/app. But that benefit was lost when adverts were added.

My subscription to The Athletic gave me three things:

1. Access to the quality journalism.
2. Access to great podcasts.
3. A thriving below the line comments section that was a bit more thoughtful than Twitter.

I have been a subscriber to The Athletic for many years. I stated when they launched as a plucky upstart, cherry picking the best sports journalists from traditional media. But I regretfully cancelled my membership yesterday.

Why do that, you ask?

I just cancelled my subscription to The Athletic.

Here’s why.
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It has a warm honesty to it. Episodes head down random rabbit holes but it always seems to make sense.

I think it’s great!

It follows the protagonist around New York as he tries to figure out life. The wobbly camera and faltering deadpan narration adds to the charm. Images support his words - a sausage frying in a pan while talking about circumcision - he finds patterns and elevates the normal.

How To with John Wilson: Official Trailer | HBO YouTube video by HBO

I’m watching How To With John Wilson. It’s like nothing I’ve seen before! Street photography meets documentary film, woven together with a pinch of Lewis Theroux. Funny, awkward and highly original.

youtu.be/w7aSybHRa6s?...

My first 5 ‘Discover’ posts are in the most recent 10 ‘Following’ posts. So I’m not discovering anything.

I don’t want to see algorithm bumped rage-baiting or pluralising posts that frequent the other place, but some variety, and interesting new people to follow would be good.

Why does the @bsky.app ‘Discover’ tab contain at least 60% of the posts I’ve just read in the ‘Following’ tab? @jay.bsky.team

We set up a wildlife camera to keep an eye on what’s going on.

To our surprise and delight, it captured a badger wandering through the garden.

Female fox making a den under the shed at our new house.

I’m not going to read this game as a premonition of what’s to come. Just enjoy it for what it was. A great game.

I wasn’t feeling at all optimistic before the game. But that’s been a really enjoyable half of football. United playing with intensity and drive. Creating chances. #mufc

I must have at least 40 versions of I Feel Love - remixes and remakes - but this is new to me. Haunting and hypnotic, so good! Thanks for sharing.

Monday morning. Back to work. And after less than two weeks off, it feels like I’m learning how to type again!