World Cup update

I got an e-mail yesterday that officially confirmed I wasn't successful in getting any World Cup tickets in the most recent draw.  This didn't come as a surprise when there were, apparently, about 500 million requests for tickets.  I've kind of accepted I'm not going to watch any World Cup games in person.  And I'm fine with that.  I hate FIFA, and I've got a feeling that this World Cup is going to suck.  And the way that tickets are being sold is an absolute disgrace - I suspect most of those 500 million ticket requests are not by true "soccer" fans but by scalpers.   The ticket prices are outrageous, and it's not just FIFA hoping to fleece money out of true fans of the game.  

GO HAWKS

Congrats to Seattle Seahawks - Super Bowl LX winners!  I can't say I watched much of the game - I can't stand all the nonsense that accompanies the Super Bowl and makes it even longer than a regular American football game.  And I certainly don't care for the halftime show - as much as I am indifferent to Bad Bunny, there was no chance in hell I was going to watch the MAGA halftime alternative with Kid Rock.  I'd rather watch the Puppy Bowl.  But really happy that Seattle won.  And, by all accounts, dominated the game.  Not quite as happy with all the (illegal) fireworks going off after the victory, but that was to be expected.  It's not quite as satisfying as beating a Brady-Belichick New England Patriots, but any victory over the cheating Patriots is always a welcome one.

Crooked

I'm thinking of changing my phone network.

I'm also thinking I need a new watch, new footwear, a new red hat (preferably saying Trump 2028), a new bible and a lobotomy.  Totally unrelated to this, two words that crossed my mind - emoluments and impeachment. 

Day 1

Day 1, and I already hate the Winter Olympics.  I've just noticed that all the Premier League games are being moved to streaming, because Olympic coverage has taken over all the channels that normally air the games.  And I hate watching the games on streaming - because you either have to watch live (which is too early for me) or wait ages for the game replays to become available later in the day.  And even then, you can't so easily fast forward through most of the games like I normally do.  I really wish they did a Match of the Day type highlights show here, but surprisingly (and stupidly) they don't.  Not that I get much enjoyment out of the Premier League now thanks to Palace's woes.   

Waterfall for Sale

Fancy owning a waterfall?  One has gone up for sale in Oregon:

Currently the waterfall and pool is accessible to the public, but the absolutely first thing I'd do if I won the auction would be to put a stop to that.  It would be nice to have a private 90 foot waterfall all to myself.  No idea what the going price is for a 40 acre forested lot featuring such an iconic waterfall.  But it seems quite tragic that it's going up for sale to the public, and couldn't be offered to some kind of preservation trust or made into protected land.

Winter Olympics

So, the Winter Olympics officially begins on Friday.  On Superbowl weekend.  Someone has messed up.  America will not be watching the Winter Olympics - American football has priority.  At least this weekend.  Especially here in Seattle.  I don't know how much of the Winter Olympics I'll end up watching.  I enjoy a lot of the events, but the American coverage - especially its prime-time coverage in the evenings - is almost unwatchable.  And if I thought the Olympics coverage was jingoistic before, I dread to think how worse it will become now in the current political climate.  Does the UK have a chance of winning any medals?  I have no idea, and if I'm going to be honest I don't really care.  Winter sports is not really our thing.  I'm not sure I'll even bother to catch any of the balls-to-the-wall action of curling.

Some Work Memes