AnneNov 19, 2022
Alex Andreou

I am so incredibly grateful to all the people here. New migrants like me have been nothing but hopeful and existing accounts nothing but helpful.

Best thing of all, by reinforcing the idea of social media as a shared space, it’s put me in listening, rather than just transmit mode, and made me a lot more mindful of why, how, and what I post across ALL platforms. #mastodon #fediverse #community

Nov 19, 2022 at 2:11pmWeb
Show threadPip GreenNov 19, 2022
@SturdyAlex lovely that you're on here too, I arrived a feww days ago and am still getting used to it.
Show threadBen BreenNov 19, 2022

@SturdyAlex Nice to see you here Alex.

It's like a breath of fresh air over here compared to 'the other place' - on so many levels.

Show threadSteelyCityDanNov 19, 2022
@SturdyAlex So true. I don't know what it is about this place but it makes my usual fare on The Other Place feel positively loutish in comparison. It's like the difference between dinner at a cosy family-run restaurant, and a McDonalds after closing time on a Friday night
Show threadAndrew C.A. ElliottNov 19, 2022
@SturdyAlex great to see you here, Alex. Always enjoyed your posts on the other place.
Don't be in TOO much of a listening mode here!
Show threadStever RobbinsNov 19, 2022
@SturdyAlex I think part of what we’re seeing is that many of the people taking the time and effort to join the #mastodon #community are the ones who really value(d) the community elements of Twitter, or the ability to find good information versus just passively scrolling. At least, my initial experience is that there’s a bit more effort required here, and that translates into thoughtfulness. Also, the need for manual boosting provides an implicit filter that I like.
Show threadMichaela DeasNov 19, 2022
@SturdyAlex Very good to see you here, Alex!
Show threadBrian JohnsonNov 19, 2022
@SturdyAlex Very well put. I'm so glad to have moved over, too.
Show threadAndrew HowardNov 19, 2022

@SturdyAlex my observation of the bug difference here is that you have to go looking for people and engagement and it’s simply less frenetic as there is no algorithm feeding you a rage-based serotonin boost.

Which strikes me as altogether healthier.

Show threadAndrew HowardNov 19, 2022
@SturdyAlex also, I wrote big and meant big. I could edit that ….
Show threadMike WrigleyNov 19, 2022
@SturdyAlex
I feel the same.
Show threadJezbers #FBPR #FBPPRNov 19, 2022
@SturdyAlex Definitely. Super nice bunch, very supportive, and amazing diversity. My tendency is always to walk cautiously anywhere new (assuming I haven't walked into a rock club after numerous shots of tequila!), but starting to feel comfortable.
Show threadVenetia Strangwayes-BoothNov 20, 2022
@SturdyAlex hello. Good to see you here. Was worried that all my favourite podcasters might decide not to come.
Show threadRin (Rins2pworth Twitter)Nov 22, 2022
@SturdyAlex good point 👍 Twitter is like online road rage
Show threadJohn LockhartNov 22, 2022
@SturdyAlex That is such an important point. Too many in social media are only ever on 'transmit' mode. We need to listen to voices other than our own!
Show threadJP McLaughlinNov 22, 2022
@SturdyAlex
Show threadSebastiaan HekmanNov 22, 2022
@SturdyAlex Welcome! In the real world, is there any place were so many migrants were welcomed with open arms and help? #mastodon #fediverse #migration
Show threadFuflunsNov 22, 2022
@SturdyAlex Delighted to see you here. Your incisive commentary is always much appreciated.
And thank you for the brilliant chicken, pea, and leek traybake recipe that you contributed to Nigella Lawson’s website. It did indeed work its magic on the chicken thighs: the meat moist and delicately flavoured by the vegetables, the skin puffed up and crisp. Highly recommended! https://www.nigella.com/recipes/chicken-and-pea-traybake
Chicken and Pea Traybake

I thought I had exhausted the culinary possibilities of a pack of frozen peas, but my friend, and excellent cook, Alex Andreou, led me by the hand — it does take a leap of faith — to his method of using them, still frozen, as the first layer of a traybake. It’s a life-changer. The peas become soft and sweet in the heat — duller in colour, but so much more vibrant in flavour — and the steam they produce as they bake makes the chicken beautifully tender, its skin crackly and crisp on top. What’s key here is the size of the roasting tin. I wouldn’t go any smaller — measuring from inside rim to inside rim — than about 38 x 28cm / 15 x 11inches (a little larger is fine) as there needs to be space around the chicken thighs for the magic to happen. For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

Nigella.com
Show threadWinterMuteNov 23, 2022
@SturdyAlex Hi Alex, another bird site refugee here.
Show threadDom PatesNov 23, 2022
@SturdyAlex The sense of (relative) calm as an alternative to the urge for incessant doom scrolling is quite a…joy, really.