Happy New Year!

I'm writing this at 8.30 pm Seattle time - which is where I arrived back today.  It is 4.30 am UK time - and that is what it feels like.  So no long blog entry today.  Happy New Year!

Media Consumption

An average day - 3 newspapers, 3 TV news shows, and numerous hours of news and news discussion on the radio.  This is far, far too much.  All the same news stories regurgitated and dissected in one form or another, it is nothing short of pointless.  So please cut it down.  And since the news is utterly depressing most of the time, I don't think it is good for mental health.  Which is why I very rarely watch the news in the US - unlike the UK, there isn't any national news on in prime time.  It tends to be on in the early evening, which is when I'm invariably at work - instead I occasionally catch some of the local news at 10 or 11 pm.  But only briefly, since online news and weather is so much easier to consume.  And I have not, and never will, watch the offensive and repulsive people and rhetoric on Fox News.

Royal Borough of Greenwich

Just time for one last excursion into London, and I chose to take a walk around Greenwich - a part of London I haven't been to very much in the past but which I like a lot.  It is a nice little area with some attractions (e.g. Cutty Sark) and a lot of nice views - perfect for the clear and cold day it was today.  So long as I didn't slip on any of the numerous patches of black ice - which made for some tentative going.  And I particularly like the fact that Greenwich is the home/origin of 2 dimensions - longitude and time.  That makes it a surprisingly very important place.

After Greenwich, I took a quick diversion to Oxford Street on the way home.  But the hoards of shoppers/tourists there just did my head in so didn't stay for long.  I don't think I've ever enjoyed going to Oxford Street - it's just not worth it.    

Rugby

So, I went to see Harlequins versus Gloucester yesterday evening.  I had suggested this as something to do after Christmas whilst I was back home, and didn't think any more of it.  Two fairly mediocre sides in the top tier of English rugby with a few players good enough to play internationally - I wasn't particularly expecting much.  So imagine my surprise to find out that instead of the game being played at The Stoop - Harlequin's home ground with a capacity of 15,000 - the game was actually played at Twickenham in front of a crowd of nearly 78,000!  Didn't even realize all this until after the game - we had just followed the rest of the fans out of the train station to the ground (in retrospect, it was a huge crowd and didn't acknowledge the fact that it was actually Twickenham - despite all the signs indicating it as the home of world and English rugby).  As for the game itself - after a fairly forgettable scoreless opening 30 minutes, the game got a lot more interesting with quite a few tries and Harlequins managing to hold on for a tight win.  Squeezed into our seats, we were a bit unlucky to be seated in the corner where not a lot of the action took place - but still good to go and watch a top tier club rugby game for the first time in nearly 20 years.

More Celebrity Deaths

As has been commented upon, a celebrity who I remarked as being alive in a blog post just 4 days ago is no longer with us - sorry Liz Smith.  Jeez, what is going on with 2016.  Just the last few days has been shocking what with George Michael and Carrie Fisher.  Simply yet more names added to the noticeably long list of celebrities - many from the upper echelons of celebrity - who have passed away this year.  Is this unusual, or is this going to happen more often as the pool of celebrities exponentially grows each year?  We still have a few days left in 2016 - enough time for at least one more a-list celebrity.  I won't try to predict who it will be, though I wouldn't particularly mind or care if it is one of these definitely not a-list and extremely unfunny yet inexplicably popular British comedians: Michael McIntyre, Peter Kay, David Walliams, Alan Carr, Graham Norton or especially the Keith Lemon guy.  

Boxing Day

An old-fashioned Boxing Day - leftover Christmas dinner, family arguments, a game of cards, overindulgence on food and drink, rubbish TV.  Just like every other year I've been around!  Classic.

Christmas Day

An old-fashioned Christmas Day - Christmas dinner with all the trimmings, Queen's speech, family arguments, a game of cards, overindulgence on food and drink, rubbish TV.  Just like every other year I've been around!  Classic.

For my 250th blog entry, that is pretty lame.  Sorry!

Local Celebrity

Godalming's most famous celebrity:

The Royle Family

I watched a 10 year old episode of The Royle Family last night that I don't think I've ever seen before (the one where Nana dies), and it made me cry.  That's the sign of a good episode.  And The Royle Family is a quintessentially British show - shot simply, but with some fantastic characters and dialogue and references that only the British will get.  You just don't get that kind of show in the US, where comedies are generally played for broad laughs and no subtlety (a good recent example, which I saw a trailer for on UK television recently, is The Great Indoors - which despite starring Stephen Fry is quite frankly a dreadfully unfunny typical American comedy - I can only think that Fry is in it for the pay check).  Also, it's sad to think that whilst Liz Smith - the 95 year old actress who played Nana - is still alive, Caroline Aherne is not.  2016 - a terrible year for celebrity deaths in addition to the death of American politics.

Wisley

RHS Garden Wisley.  For the under 7's, paradise.  For a childless, middle-aged man - my idea of hell.  But at least I can derive some pleasure from my nephew and niece's pleasure.  Why you'd want to come here without children is beyond me - this is a place geared exclusively for kids, and there were an awful lot of them here today, along with an awful lot of stressed out parents.

Quizzing

What is it about the British and quizzes?  It seems to be an obsession.  From Sudoku and crosswords in the newspapers, to the obscene number of quiz shows on television - you cannot seem to get enough of them.  Thankfully, it's not the same in the US.  Jeopardy is the only long-running quiz show I can think of on American television, whose closest equivalent is Fifteen to One.  I can't think of any others that require even a modicum of intelligence or general knowledge (I'm not even sure that something like Who Wants to be a Millionaire is on any more).  I think the New York Times Crossword is also a well known challenge, but I imagine only a handful of people tackle that; I used to get my Sudoku fix from an app, but I hardly use that any more.  Perhaps this all goes to explain why the vast majority of Americans are perceived as "stupid" - I don't necessarily think this is due to a lack of intelligence, more just a lack of general knowledge (and lack of education in logical deduction - why do you think so many Chinese/Indians immigrate to America for jobs like mine?).  I'm sadly noticing that I can't answer general knowledge questions nearly as easily as I used to - I'm not sure if this is due to my age or my "Americanization"!  This also makes the vast majority of Americans gullible, which is why someone like Donald Trump can rile them up with lies and exaggerations with horrifying consequences.  

Hampton Court

First time visiting Hampton Court Palace today - and again, somewhere I could easily spend more time at and make more effort at taking and composing some decent shots.  Kind of disappointing that there are places like this, and many many more, that I haven't visited before that were a hell of a lot more convenient for me to visit in years past than they are now.  It's amazing how much we (I) take for granted. 

British Comedy

I think most of my recent exposure to British comedy has been through various comedy podcasts - so it is very surreal to watch some British comedy panel shows (which don't even exist in the US) and actually put some faces to names who I've never seen before.  A lot of the people look nothing like I was expecting, some excessively so.  Although I do find certain British comedians very tedious (I'm particularly not a fan of BBC Radio 4 comedy), there are definitely some good ones out there - and whose sense of humor I enjoy on podcasts, and which I can now also enjoy on TV if I'm lucky to catch them whilst I'm here.

Winchester

Some of the day spent at the very pleasant cathedral city of Winchester - a place I could easily go to again to see more of the sights (and spend some time actually composing some decent photos), preferably with nicer weather and less people (the last weekend before Christmas is not a good time to go to avoid the crowds).

Parenthood

A tip of the hat to all the parents out there.  Although it sometimes makes me feel a bit sad, I don't have any regrets about not being a parent, and probably never being a parent - it's not something I could do well.  I don't have the patience, demeanor or mindset to make a good job of it.  I've accepted that, and I'm fine with it.  Life can take some strange twists and turns, so who knows what's in my future - so I guess you should always expect the unexpected.  But parenthood is one of life's great responsibilities that I'd rather not have - and I salute those of you (with a touch of envy thrown in) that are able to succeed at being good parents.

The Big Smoke

First trip into London today.  A quick visit to Imperial War Museum (one of my favorite London museums, but maybe not quite as good as I remember), and then braving the hoards of tourists with a walk around Westminster.  It's only over my last few visits that I've actually made the effort to try to photograph some of London's sights, and it has not proved easy.

US vs UK #1

TV: In years past, I would have said that US TV was notoriously awful - terrible comedies, loads of ad breaks, loads of channels showing a load of rubbish.  It seems that the UK has caught up.  I haven't even bothered to look at the Radio Times to see what is on over the holidays, apart from some sports there is absolutely nothing I am interested in.  I'm sure there might be a prestige drama worth watching, but that pales in comparison to the golden age of television currently existing in the US - why do you think all these big name actors are suddenly prepared to appear on US TV?  What does the BBC have - why, Pointless and Eggheads.  It's no contest - the US wins.  

Drive

I haven't driven in the UK now for coming up to 10 years.  I haven't driven a manual car for closer to 15 years.  I think driving an automatic car in the US for so long now has made me soft, because every time I come back to the UK I'm struck by how different, and how nervous, I am being driven around here.  I suspect this is mainly because I'm so used to driving on the right, with the wheel on the left side of the car, so my spatial awareness of car position on the road is totally off.  Also, the roads are noticeably narrower in the UK compared to the US, and although the cars are also narrower, it does not make for easy driving.  This seems to be especially bad on the minor roads in Surrey, where there is so much street-parking that there is barely room for 2 lanes of traffic and guaranteed that my wing mirror would not last if I was driving round here.  Also, the US does not do roundabouts - so I'm struck by how fast people approach and drive round them here because I don't think I could do that now.  And to top it all, most people still drive a manual - which frankly I find quite bewildering because driving an automatic takes so much hassle out of driving, but it does probably make me a less skilled driver (I'm not sure I could ever go back to driving a manual).  I think I'll keep on doing my best to avoid driving in the UK for as long as I can, but at some point I suspect I'm going to have to brave the UK roads for myself again.

Godalming

Godalming, Surrey - my base for the next few weeks, about as white and middle-class as you would expect from an affluent Surrey town.  A few photos from the perfectly bland town centre (it does have a Wetherspoon and a Greggs, otherwise everything is suitably upmarket).  But as with most British towns, I like the fact that there are casually old buildings and old remnants scattered around - the kind of things that would be a huge deal in the US but don't even warrant a second look here.

A blogging break?

After a long, tiring and relatively uneventful flight back, I'm back on home soil.  Hooray!  Since I'm staying with family, and the purpose of maintaining this blog was predominantly for family, I haven't decided yet whether I'll continue to blog daily for the next few weeks.  If I do, I might have to be wary of what I say since I don't want to appear ungrateful or glad to be back.  Sadly, that already eliminates a number of possible topics!  We shall see.

Premium Economy

So, I've checked in for my flight later today and it doesn't look as though I've got an upgrade based on my seat placement.  I shouldn't be disappointed, but I really am - because I've been spoiled by multiple upgrades in the past.  At least I'm in premium economy rather than plain old economy, but I'd much rather be in business because that is a significant step up for a nearly 10 hour flight.  I've been wondering if I've done anything differently that hasn't warranted an upgrade - does it make a difference that I booked my ticket much earlier than usual, that I checked in online not long after online checking opened, that I'm flying on a Sunday, that I'm not flying as close to Christmas as I have in the past?  I suspect that it is more likely that Seattle, and more people in Seattle, are so much more affluent than they used to be, so there are probably less free seats in business.  Shame.  I haven't even got a window seat in the premium economy section because none of them were free.  This, combined with the fact that I've got a nagging headache from yet another restless night, could mean a tough flight...  

Alt-right

I hate the term "alt-right" - that seems to have become increasingly prevalent in the media.  Why don't we call a spade a spade - "alt-right" is just an "acceptable" euphemism for Nazism.  It's a term that is sadly only going to become more common under President Trump - where unpleasant traits like racism, sexism and homophobia are celebrated rather than condoned, and when suddenly it is acceptable to express these beliefs.  It is sad that I now live in a country where people (predominantly white, male, middle-America) are proud and not shy about saying they belong to the "alt-right" - that is not a sign of a progressive country.  

Snow

We got some snow overnight - not a lot, maybe a couple of inches at most.  But this is still the first time I've seen something more than a dusting for quite a few years - at least not in the mountains anyway.

As predicted, the morning commute was a slushy nightmare.  But perhaps the worst thing was all the kids playing in the snow right outside my apartment.  It was even noisier than the racket they make during summer.  There was no school, so whilst I was trying to take a teleconference at home, all I could bloody hear was their shouting and screaming.  I didn't have a choice about going into the office.  I hate this place - I have got to move next year.  That is new year's resolution #1.

WFH

Due to the weather forecast, and winter storm warming, I worked from home today.  I didn't need to - it's been clear all day, no colder than yesterday and there wouldn't have been any issues driving to and from work.  The forecast is, again, a shambles.  We were warned that the afternoon commute would be horrible with cold, wind and snow - instead, it just seems to have been horrible due to the normal traffic issues.  The forecasts were off both by when the snow was due to hit - apparently much later in the evening now - and how much snow is actually going to fall - it's come down from a predicted 6'' to less than 2'' now.  I know that with the geography and everything that it is difficult to predict the weather in the NW, and that it is so localized - but this is the second time that they've messed up a big way recently - the other being a major wind event that never materialized.  As I write this in the evening, at 10 pm, it still hasn't started snowing yet - let's see what it's like in the morning, as I do need to go into work tomorrow.  Knowing my luck, that will be when the conditions are at their worse - they predict that the temperatures will warm up to above freezing overnight, but I don't believe anything now.

Holiday Spirit

Probably because I’m going back to the UK for the holidays, I haven’t got into the Christmas spirit at all this year yet.  I haven’t decorated my apartment, and for what feels like the first time in an eternity I haven’t even got a chocolate advent calendar.  Last year, I remember going to see the Christmas ship festival – where you go to one of the Puget Sound waterfront parks and watch/listen to choirs performing on Christmas-decorated ships whilst standing around a big bonfire by the water.  But not this year.  Last year I even went to the church just down the road that does the most ridiculous over the top Christmas light show set to music.  I can even see the lights flashing away from my living room window.  But not this year.  Last year I made the effort to go to one of the downtown malls to watch their evening indoor snow show, where “snow” falls from the ceiling of the mall to musical accompaniment.  But not this year.  I’m going to be away for our department Christmas get-together, and I’m not even going to the company Christmas do this Friday (sadly because that is more of a couples thing, and I feel very conspicuous and awkward going as a single).  I think (and hope!) that I’m saving all my holiday cheer for when I’m back in the UK!   

Company Gift

I'm going to sound remarkably ungrateful, but each employee at work got a gift today.  This is what we got:

Yes, a solar-powered charger and light.  Something I doubt I'll ever use ever.  This is yet another remarkably useless gift our company has handed out.  I should be appreciative of getting anything, but this seems like a tragic waste.  And I don't think this is our company Christmas gift - instead it is something we got for getting another drug approved and on the market - so we might even get something else equally rubbish.  Joy.  What a miserable grinch I am.

Winter Storm Advisory

A “Winter Storm Watch” warning we had has just been upgraded (or downgraded?) to a “Winter Storm Advisory” – cold weather and precipitation is not a good combo in Greater Seattle.  It was snowing this morning, but nowhere near cold enough for it to settle.  But it is getting colder tonight and tomorrow, so may have to cope with icy roads on the commute tomorrow – which will not be fun (there is a bit of a hill up to where I live, and I’ve heard that it can get icy and the police will shut it down to traffic when it gets really bad, though have yet to experience that).  I don’t think I’ve blogged about the “Puget Sound Convergence Zone”, which is an additional risk because now I live close to that.  This is a phenomenon whereby the air flow kind of splits around the Olympic Mountains W/NW of Greater Seattle and converges in a narrow band on the other side – and apparently that convergence zone is often in the vicinity of where my home is.  I’ve experienced it a bit before – so it’s been raining where I am, but clear just a few miles away – so presumably the same thing could happen with snow with worse consequences.  At least I’m not at too high an elevation – I have a friend who lives in Bellevue who lives higher up, and he had to work from home today due to the road conditions.  So, I guess I’m going to have start taking my work laptop home with me most days this week, just in case I need to work from home the following day.  I don’t normally do that (I don’t like to bring my work home unless I absolutely have to – and I think I’m one of the few people left who do that, so I’m very old-fashioned!), and I hate working from home, so the last week before my holidays might not be very constructive! 

Westworld Finale

I'm commenting as I'm watching the Westworld finale live - so needless to say, SPOILERS FOLLOW.

Note to self, don't read ANY of the internet coverage of Season 2 - some of the great twists in the series were called early in various internet threads and discussion.  It kind of spoiled the surprises, but I don't think detracted too much from my enjoyment of the series.  In many ways, this show was purposely constructed for internet discussion and dissection.

Jeez, so much jumping between timelines, even in the same scene.  There is going to be a lot of that.

The setting is amazing - makes me want to spend some time in Utah.  Maybe next year.

Dolores is clearly the key to everything - including the "center of the maze".  Consciousness?  And, to no ones surprise on the internet, is she also the mysterious Wyatt?

Interesting fact - I've actually got Jeffrey Wright's autograph (he starred in a Bond film)!

So many good actors, who don't look as though they are just phoning it in.  Always an encouraging sign.

Excellent, looks like we're finally going to get the robot uprising, led by Thandie Newton.  And with a lot of gratuitous nudity.

The Man in Black is William.  That was an early internet theory that was always considered solid.  And now confirmed.  Even though Ed Harris looks nothing like the younger guy.

Classic line - "for f*ck's sake he's one of us and you're one of them"!

Excellent reveal - Thandie Newton escaping was programmed.  Is this Anthony Hopkins' new story line?

These violent delights have violent ends indeed.

Well this just got very crazy - did Anthony Hopkins just unlock Dolores?  Well he certainly seemed to turn off the safety control.  And he didn't seem like the kind of actor who would commit to multiple seasons, so I'm not surprised he was a goner.

Excellent, if a bit pretentious with the whole consciousness, reveries, Michelangelo thing, finale - looking forward immensely to where this is going to go next season.

Downtown

I took the opportunity today to go into downtown Seattle to do a bit of shopping, and to snap a few shots:

Busy

What a shambles is it at work at the moment.  I'm one of a few people who has been pulled in to help on a study deliverable due today - and it's a classic case of too many cooks spoil the broth, as different people do different things resulting in all kinds of inconsistencies.  It's a mess, and I like to think that if I was leading this study then things would be a lot more organized and it wouldn't be such a disaster.  There are so many issues, and so many contractors working on this who are clearly not competent but who have been given no oversight it is shocking.  Sadly, this is not an uncommon occurrence at this company - where everything is left to the last moment and rushed, resulting in all kinds of mistakes and all kinds of stress.  It's a horrible way of doing things - but it seems to happen all the time.  I think I've got the organizational skills to do a much better job of this, but if they don't want to give me that responsibility then that is their loss.  They can work over the weekend, I'm not.

Gobble Gobble Gobble

No, not another Thanksgiving turkey reference.  I’m talking bowling.  I bowled a turkey last night!  3 strikes in a row.  I think that might be the first time I’ve ever done that – at least if you don’t count Wii Bowling.  Actually, really disappointed that in a game where I threw 4 strikes I still couldn’t break the 150 barrier.  That’s thanks mainly to a horrific stretch of frames in the middle.  

Sadly, that was my peak in our first game and my score actually got worse over the remaining 2 games – and I managed to get a big blister on my thumb as well.  So no plans to turn professional.  Good to have an all too rare late night out – though probably shouldn’t have had a burger at 11 pm and typically inopportune timing as I’ve actually had some proper work to do this week for what feels like the first time in months!      

Early Doors

I am not sleeping well at the moment, and I think it is giving me headaches.  I had another restless night last night – which at least didn’t mean I had any problems getting into work early today as planned.  Nothing more annoying than an 8 am teleconference local time (courtesy of European team members) – which means either taking the call at home and leaving for work late, or leaving for work early – and now I have these meetings fortnightly.  In order to avoid the awful traffic (which just seems to be getting worse), that means leaving really early – so I got up about 5.45 and left home about 6.15 this morning in order to beat the worst of it.  Hate it.  The traffic situation in and around Seattle is just ridiculous, and absolutely zero signs or indications that it’s going to get anything but worse.  Interesting recent article in the Seattle Times (don’t even get me started about the fact that most of their online content is only available via paid subscription now, so I was fortunate to read this as my “last free article”) about why so many longtime Washingtonians are leaving the Seattle area – fed up with congestion, costs and gentrification.  I’m not even a longtime resident and I’m fed up with it.   

DVR Decisions

Once again my DVR is close to full, and I need to make some tough sacrifices to clear some space - not that there is usually much worth recording over the Christmas period, but I will be away from home for 3 weeks so I fear the worst with automatic recordings.  So, what do I lose?  I've got a number of films sitting there for months that I haven't got round to watching yet - Inherent Vice, It Follows, Crimson Peak, Revolutionary Road, 45 Years, Carol, Eddie the Eagle, and most recently Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice.  Or do I drop one of the TV series that I desperately need to catch up on: Season 4 of The Americans (which came highly rated and which I really don't want to delete), Season 2 of Mr. Robot (apparently not as good as Season 1, but still good) or Season 1 of Gomorrah (a rare non-English language show on American TV, so can't be bad).  Tough choices.  I might have to try to binge watch as much as I can in the next few weeks!

Harassment Awareness and Prevention

As a manager now (albeit only a manager of contractors), I had to complete an online course in “Preventing Workplace Harassment” today.  Yes, I had to be told that harassment is bad.  The course was about as awful as you imagine – full of those kind of HR videos that you saw on The Office (both UK and US versions) with poor actors and ridiculous/hilarious workplace scenarios (the funniest being the workplace relationship breakups).  This particular course was for some reason presented as a news story/talk show – it was truly cringe-worthy.  Naturally the course took ages to get through – what a complete waste of time.  I found it particularly controversial in saying it was not recommended that a manager accept a friend request from an employee – I disagree and don’t see an issue with that.  The timing of this course (I think/hope it was rolled out to everyone rather than specifically to me for something I’ve said or done!) seemed suspiciously coincidental with the upcoming change in presidency – President-elect Trump after all is almost definitely guilty of sexual harassment plus has made all other kinds of bigoted statements on religion and race, and is a clear bully.  Arguably – actually inarguably – I have been a victim of sexual harassment in the workplace in the past: someone has pinched my ass in the workplace before.  I could have made a big deal of it, but I didn’t since it was right when I had first moved to the US and didn’t want to create any undue trouble.  In the unlikely event it happened now, I would make a huge stink about it.  So perhaps the course has worked!

The Eagles

Who has the worst record in all 4 divisions of the Football League in the calendar year of 2016?  Why, Crystal Palace of course - worse than even York City or Dagenham & Redbridge, both of whom got relegated from the Football League at the end of last season.  I was worried at the start of this season about how they might struggle, and sadly I've been proved correct - currently in the midst of a 6-game losing streak and only outside the relegation zone on goal difference.  Frankly, I'm surprised not to hear that Alan Pardew got sacked today after yesterday's debacle.  That game was on TV yesterday - I started watching another game after Palace went 3-1 down, then I switched back after they brought it back to 3-3 then 4-3 up, then switched again after it became 4-4 and I missed them eventually losing 5-4.  A great game for the neutral, a tragic game for a Palace supporter.  There is a Welsh guy and big Swansea supporter who works in my office, so I'm going to have to endure a load of ridicule on Monday.  Maybe switching my allegiance to Palace was a mistake!

Spencer Island Natural Wildlife Reserve

In a rare break from the wet weather, I was able to enjoy a walk yesterday - I went to Spencer Island (only really an island because it's in an estuary).  A flat, 4-mile hike - not taxing, and really quite pleasant despite the proximity of a waste treatment facility.  Lots of bird life here - I think I annoyed quite a few birdwatchers by disturbing a load of ducks at least twice by making too much noise!  It's kind of weird that half of the island is the nature reserve, and the other half is set aside for hunting - so the same ducks are both photographed and shot at.

Star Spangled Banner

I can't decide which is my favorite rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, Aretha Franklin's amazing and mesmerizing version before a Thanksgiving game yesterday (it's the first time I think I've ever stopped and paid attention to a national anthem before a game, including the Superbowl)

Or Bleeding Gum Murphy's equally long version from The Simpsons:

Gobble Gobble

Happy Thanksgiving!  I had a vague notion of driving up to Canada for Thanksgiving (since Canadian Thanksgiving is on a different date to American Thanksgiving), but the bad weather put that to bed.  So instead I'm enjoying my time away from work by watching TV and doing chores.  I've not even been outside today because it has been raining all day.  Exciting huh!  I didn't even have any turkey today, but I did go for a Thanksgiving lunch yesterday because we were allowed to leave work early (I still count it, even though it was to a Sichuan Chinese restaurant - no turkey, but the food was damn good!).

Kitchenware

Should I be worried about what my knife set and newly purchased (if impractically small) cutting board say about me?

Thou doth protest too much, methinks

I signed the petition asking the Royal Family to pay for the 369 million pound Buckingham Palace refurbishment themselves: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/make-royals-pay-for-palace-renovation. 

It’s a disgrace that taxpayers have to cough up for this, so I strongly approve of the petition.  I suspect I will be signing a lot of similar online petitions, and maybe even physically joining some protests, once Trump takes office – in particular, his views on global warming and climate change (supposedly a hoax instigated by the Chinese) are profoundly disturbing, although unsurprisingly he has tried to backtrack recently on some of his more ridiculous statements and promises (“Lock her up” would seem to be a redundant rallying call now).  I still expect a LOT of protesting against the presidency over the next 4 years, on all manner of issues.

Missing Issue

I don’t think it is coincidence that the only issue of TIME magazine that has never been delivered to me – something I’ve subscribed to now for some 5 years without any prior problems – is the issue with the cover of Donald Trump celebrating winning the election.  I’m sure there are probably burnt copies of these issues somewhere with the charred visage of Donald Trump – thanks liberal Washington.  And, unsurprisingly, the customer service to try to report this non-delivery was about as customer friendly as a kick in the teeth.  I couldn’t report it online, because it didn’t like the fact that the date on the front of the issue was “in the future” – even though it was today’s date, and should have been delivered over a week ago.  Then, when I phoned customer service it was all automated and didn’t allow me to report this missing issue at all – saying that I was a “new subscriber” and that my first issue to be delivered would be the Dec 12 issue, which is just flat out wrong.  Finally, after choosing some less than obvious menu choices from the customer service number, I finally actually spoke to a real person (who I suspect was in some call center in India) and arranged to get a replacement issue sent to me that won’t arrive for 7-10 days – so most of the news in it will be outdated.  Great.  I’ll probably just end up going out and buying the issue from the supermarket or bookstore in the next few days instead.  At least that gives me the excuse to go for a decent lunchtime walk to downtown!  At least if it isn’t raining.   

The gift that keeps on giving

I'm liking Lego a lot at the moment.  They still haven't contacted me or charged me again on the duplicate order they sent me, so it looks like I've snagged a freebie and not inexpensive Lego set.  And then I got an e-mail this week saying that I'd won a sweepstake and won a limited edition Star Wars Lego set.  Nice!  That's two of my favorite works - limited and edition.  If and when I actually get it, that will not be getting unboxed!

College Football

Whereas Sunday is for the NFL, Saturday is for college football.  Personally, I couldn't give a monkeys about college football.  But here in Seattle, the UW (University of Washington) Huskies team is doing quite well - they are currently ranked 6th in the country.  You really want to be in the top 4 to qualify for the college playoffs, and they were ranked 4th until they lost last weekend to the USC (University of Southern California) Trojans, a rival in the Pac-12 (Pacific athletic conference) where they play.  Next Friday is the Apple Cup, an intra-state annual match up between the Huskies and the Washington State University Cougars.  I probably won't be watching.

Guilty Pleasure

Hooray – my case of the just released new set of James Bond Trading Cards got delivered today.  This is definitely my relatively new (and increasingly expensive) guilty pleasure.  Let’s see what autographs of obscure and random actors playing very minor roles in the James Bond film universe I get this time…!

That's 009 from Octopussy - YESSSSSS!

OOO

In an unexpected development, I had to work from home today.  Our office in Seattle was without power due to an "emergency power pole repair".  I have no idea what constitutes an emergency, but undoubtedly all the new construction and new buildings in the vicinity of my office had something to do with it.  As if the increase in traffic and lack of parking isn't already an issue - I think this is symbolic of the many problems facing Seattle, which has started to become a victim of its own success and an increasingly crowded, expensive and problematic place to live.

This wasn't the first time I was out of the office this week - a few days ago I took an extended lunch break to go out and watch Dr Strange in Imax.  I haven't done this for a while, but I'm not averse to taking a break from work in this manner - and I have no problems with it whatsoever, for the sake of my sanity.  It was a pretty good film, a bit formulaic but worth watching on the big screen.  

Performance Review

My least favorite time of year at the moment at work – performance reviews.  I’m not ambitious and I’m not good at selling myself in my performance review, so I never come across as worthy and as valued as I really am.  Especially since I am reluctant to use corporate speak and buzzwords that they seem to particularly love in the States.  Over the years, this has probably meant losing out on all manner of salary increases, promotions and bonuses.  This year is going to be particularly tough, since I have been so underused that I don’t have much to draw on to prove my competency and value to my new manager.  But with hindsight I tried to word my objectives at the start of the year to be a bit ambiguous and open-ended, so I should at least be able to say that I didn’t fail on any of my goals.  I don’t have high expectations for a big salary bump (even though I think I should because I got screwed over last year), and certainly do not want nor expect a promotion.  The big thing is that I have to provide feedback on my manager – so I’m caught between providing “safe” feedback or providing some honest feedback.  I might go for honest, since I am unhappy at work and I do want something to change.  I’ll probably just end up stirring a hornet’s nest, but whatever!

Come Again Another Day

November is a notoriously grey and miserable month in the NW, so I will try to post some photos on the rare occasion there is some better weather and I’m able to get out and about a bit.  That wasn’t the case today, but here is a nice sunset over Lake Union close to work from last week.

No Spoilers Here

The problem with reading too much internet and fan theories about one of your favorite TV programs is that it can spoil twists.  And so it proved last night, with Westworld’s big reveal at the end of yesterday’s episode being something that had been long been predicted and theorized online.  Although it was still terrific, I think it would have been so much better had I not known it was coming (although it may not have been a total surprise, since the clues were there and the seeds of doubt were already sowed).  There is also another established and well known fan theory that hasn’t been confirmed or denied yet, and so it wouldn’t be a shock if that was proved correct as well.  Still, I am finding Westworld to be must-watch TV – and glad to hear that it has got renewed for a second season (although might be a while until that comes out).  I’m looking forward to Anthony Hopkins going full sinister Hannibal Lecter in the remaining episodes this season. 

Movember

I think Movember is still a thing - growing a mustache during the month of November to raise awareness of cancer - but I haven't noticed that many people around sporting mustaches recently.  It's something over the last couple of years that I've been toying with participating in, but then it slips my mind and I end up shaving sometime at the start of the month before I remember, kind of defeating the object.  My facial hair growth is patchy at best (and increasingly grey, much to my chagrin), but I think I could grow some sort of mustache - even though it wouldn't be particularly well styled, and I don't think it's a good look on me.  Maybe next year.    

Stuff I've got loads of

I have 2 things that I will never ever need to buy again over the rest of my life - soap and pens.  I have accumulated hotel soaps for about 15 years now, and have just this year started to use them.  And I have accumulated pens for even longer - I've still got some pens that I think I've had for over 30 years.  Is that weird?  I can't even tell any more.

The 5 Stages of Grief

The last 72 hours:

1) Denial – no, this can’t be happening can it?
2) Anger – do I blame the Russians, the FBI, white male Americans, Bernie supporters?
3) Bargaining – is this the wake-up call American politics need?
4) Depression – oh god, the world is going to go down the toilet.
5) Acceptance – it’s real.  Let’s see what he actually does before really passing judgement

The horror, the horror

At some point last year, I said that if Trump became President then I would leave the US.  Never did I think that was a real possibility.  Well, here we are.  The unbelievable, the unfathomable has happened.  I, probably like 49% of the American population, are in absolute shock.  What just happened?  What is going to happen now?  How has an openly sexist, racist, xenophobic blowhard actually won the presidency?  Is this an America I want to live in?  I’m doing my best to hold off on profanity in this blog entry (apologies for the last one), but WTF?  There is also a serious sense of deja vu what with Brexit.  So many things I could talk about: a divided nation, Obama’s legacy, climate/environmental impact, polling prediction failures, interesting stock price developments.  I don’t know where to start, but it won’t be now whilst I still digest the new world we live in.   

Post-Election Thoughts

President Trump?!  Oh fuck.

Pre-Election Thoughts

Since we won’t find out the results of the election until late today, I’m going to hold off my judgement for the moment.  Instead, some miscellaneous pre-election thoughts:

-          I have never voted.  Ever.  For anything.  Am I embarrassed or ashamed by this?  No.  I am happy to have exercised my democratic right not to vote – and I’ve never been in a position to vote where my vote would actually be meaningful and make a difference.

-          I think only 2 people have come out of this protracted and nasty election fight really well – and that is Barack and Michelle Obama.  This time last year, I would have said that Obama had over-promised and underachieved on his presidency.  In many ways I still believe this, but I no longer believe it is his fault – the blame has to go entirely on the (Republican majority) US Congress and Senate.  Barack has come out of the election as presidential, trustworthy and a decent guy (no wonder his approval ratings are as high as they’ve ever been), and I think some of Michelle’s speeches have been some of the best of the campaign.

-          The very fact that Nigel Farage supports Trump, and has even appeared on stage with him, speaks volumes.  What reprehensible people they both are.

-          My prediction – a Hillary win, but a lot closer than she or anyone else might have thought or hoped.  The polling here, much like in the UK for Brexit, has proven to be fascinating and fascinatingly bad – so much variability and false conclusions.  I do think a lot of people are embarrassed to vote for Trump, so they won’t say so in a poll, but they might actually vote for him when it comes down to it.  But surely enough Americans recognize what a blowhard this guy is?  I sure hope so.  I guess you’ll know by the time you read this. 

OCD

Is this a weird thing to do?  I’m slowly and meticulously documenting all my belongings room by room.  It’s strange to be compiling a list of everything from the mundane through the junk through to the stuff that has some sentimental value.  Why am I doing this?  Really, it was a way to decide what to keep and what to ditch when I move – whether that is local or eventually somewhere more significant (international not being out of the question if Trump wins!).  I also seem to have accumulated a lot of things over the years without really getting rid of all that much (classic hoarder symptoms!), so I wanted to know exactly what I have.  For example, why have I still got 3 printers!?  I guess there is also an interesting story of my life to be made from my belongings – though it might be a bit of a sad story!  What has become clear is that I should probably spend a lot more on better quality basics, and a lot less on impulse buys – I’ve always favored functional over aesthetic, but I’m now in a position where I can afford to upgrade a lot of my belongings.  I think on some level I’ve always held back on this until I lived somewhere nicer that is worthy of nicer furniture and furnishings.  If I’m going to move next year, which I hope and expect to do, then perhaps this is the perfect time to start this process.  Moving, upgrading my furniture, new car – next year could prove to be a costly one! 

Daylight Savings

Finally, our clocks went back one hour this morning.  Can't say I'm a fan - it now means that the sun sets around 4.45 here, which is way too early.  I think it will come down to around 4.20 around the winter solstice.  I'm one of the many people who thinks having to change the clocks twice a year is just stupid and pointless - I'm with Arizona, the only continental state not to observe Daylight Saving Hours.

I hate my car

I'm suffering from a serious fogging issue with my car at the moment.  Every time it rains and I park outside, when I return to the car and drive off after a couple of minutes my car REALLY fogs up on the inside windows.  Its happened a few times, and its really dangerous because I can't see anything through the windows and I've had to pull over and wait until it clears.  This hasn't happened before and I'm not really sure what the issue is - clearly I've got too much moisture in my car, but whether I've got some kind of leak letting water in or whether the AC and/or demister is not working I don't know.  But it's a real pain.  I'm experimenting with the climate controls in my car to see if there is a quick fix that I just haven't been using properly (e.g. cranking up the temperature and AC), but nothing is really working.  I suspect I'll schedule a car service this week to get it looked at - my ongoing transmission issues seem to be getting worse as well (major shuddering when accelerating from stationary, where it doesn't seem as though the automatic transmission is engaging the low gear properly), so it looks like my plan of getting a new car next year is a go.

Way of the Dragon

Did you know – Bruce Lee is buried in Seattle.  And so is his son Brandon Lee.  The cemetery is a long (and uphill) lunchtime walk away from where I work, perfect for a nice day and when I’m not busy.

World Series

The World Series wrapped up yesterday with the Chicago Cubs winning for the first time in 108 years, and finally breaking the Billy Goat Curse.  By all accounts, it was a series for the ages – 2 franchises steeped in history, 2 franchises who hadn’t won the World Series for a long time (Cleveland Indians last won in 1948), a 7 game series (it is best of 7) that went back and forth wildly between 2 closely matched teams, the 7^th game going to extra innings, an opportune rain break just before extra innings that might have completely changed the momentum, heroics with the bat and ball by a bunch of journeymen.  Unfortunately, one big issue with all this – it’s baseball.  And baseball sucks.  So I hardly watched any of the World Series, and although I don’t mind that Chicago finally broke its long drought (and I bet a certain Steve Bartman is very relieved by that – look it up knuckleheads) I really don’t care that much.  Of the big 4 sports in the US, I have really gone off baseball (my ranking is probably NFL > NBA > NHL > MLB) – I certainly don’t bother watching it on TV, where it is just too slow.  At least you can easily go watch the Seattle Mariners play if you want to, much easier to get tickets for a baseball game than for the Seattle Seahawks.  But I haven’t been to see a game live for a long time, and not many times at all in Seattle - actually I think the last stadium I’ve been to see a game was Fenway Park in Boston and that was several years ago.  Perhaps if my team the San Diego Padres suddenly and unlikely became a good team again (they haven’t made the playoffs for years), then my interest might be drawn back into the game again – but as it is, I don’t like it for so many reasons: I don’t like the biased and weighted coverage of the older franchises at the expense of the newer franchises, I don’t like the repetition, slowness and minimal amount of actual action in the game, and I don’t like the way the drug scandals in baseball have kind of been swept under the rug and none of the cheats properly outed and punished.  American sports writers can try to romanticize baseball as much as they want, but it’s no surprise to me that the passion for “America’s national pastime” is waning.      

Less than 1 week to the Apocalypse

Unbelievably, the possibility that Trump wins the election has still not disappeared.  The suspiciously timed release of more Clinton e-mails and notice of further investigation does not do her any favors, and has conveniently taken all the coverage away from some of the outrageous statements and claims still being made by Trump.  I’m worried.  It’s a very similar situation to Brexit, where I think the people who will definitely vote (predominantly older and white) are the ones who will vote for Trump, whereas the apathetic people (younger, culturally diverse) are the ones who will vote for Clinton.  I can easily see a scenario where turnout is lower than expected, and so somehow Trump scrapes home.  I hope not, but it is a very real possibility.  And obviously he has been sowing all the seeds for not accepting the result, so this could get very messy.  Apparently, Washington State has a 98% chance of voting for Clinton – so not exactly a battleground state here!  As with all presidential elections, it seems that certain swing states will decide the election – so the future of the US is in the hands of people from places like Florida and Nevada.  That’s a scary thought.  Of course, it’s not just about the presidency – I think the Senate race is a lot closer, with the Democrats having a chance of winning back the Senate.  All of this makes the next few weeks very interesting, with the future of the country and/or another 4 years of political gridlock at stake.  Regardless of the results, this election year has been a disgrace and an embarrassment for American politics that I think everyone will be glad to move on from.  But I suspect we won’t be able to, with Republicans probably digging their feet in with regards things like nominating a Supreme Court justice.  I don’t think Hillary’s presidency is going to be smooth sailing to say the least.  I can’t even fathom how awful Trump’s presidency could be.  This is going to be a tense last week of campaigning.

Halloween

Halloween yesterday.  Even by American standards, this is a ridiculously over the top day of excess – think pets being dressed up in elaborate outfits, inordinate amounts of candy (“sweets”) being consumed, millions of pumpkins sold and wasted each year.  Halloween might have pagan or Christian roots, but at least in America it is most definitely an overly commercial and secular event – and the billions being spent on it each year seem particularly wasteful.  Being the miserly curmudgeon I am, I refuse to engage in it.  So no costumes, no engaging with trick and treaters, no bobbing for apples, no parties (not that I get invited to any anyway!).  I’m certainly not giving anything to the ghastly little monsters that live round here and made so much noise over the summer –fortunately I think I avoided them because by the time I got home it was pouring rain and I wasn’t disturbed.  I just stayed in and got annoyed by so many TV shows only having lazy Halloween special episodes this week – for example, I’ve always thought that the Simpsons Treehouse of Horror episodes were among the worse they have to offer. 

Westworld Update

Westworld is still the most fascinating and the most watchable new show this TV season.  I thought yesterday’s episode was a doozy – a ton of crazy stuff went down and it was great.   A bit more action than previous episodes, but I still love the questions of morality and humanity being posed.  I was worried that the episodes would get worse over time, but if anything they’re getting better.  Halfway through the season, and I like where we are – lots of intrigue, lots of philosophy, and a lot of different directions the show can go from here.  This show is perfect for our times – spawning all kinds of discussion, disection and fan theories on the web, which just feeds into the show’s popularity.  Maybe the shows expectations have been excessively raised as a result, but whatever the endgame is it will surely be better than the only comparable show I can think of in recent times - Lost.

Favorite TV themes

#3 in the series - I inexplicably started whistling this in the shower this morning, for no discernible reason I can think of.  Classic - though not strictly speaking a TV theme, as it played over the end credits.

Birdman

I watched Birdman recently - winner of Best Picture at the 2015 Oscars.  Talk about one of the most pretentious, most overbearing, and most overrated films I've ever seen.  Everything from the official title - "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" - to the soundtrack to the overly theatrical nature of the film was artificially and cynically art-house to me.  And filming it as if it was one continuous tracking shot was gimmicky and clear Oscar bait.  I think on some level I must have known I wouldn't like it even before I watched it, since it was sitting on my DVR unwatched for nearly a year.

IMing

We have instant messaging at work now – something I am not a fan of, as it means that people (i.e. your boss) can tell when you’re away from your desk, not good when you’re taking long lunches or ping pong breaks; and it can also be disruptive when you’re busy and trying to get on with things, not something I’ve had to worry too much with this year!  You can also add a little note that anyone can see when they check your status.  So now, if someone tries to IM me they will see the following message:

“The brain is a wonderful organ; it starts working the moment you get up in the morning and does not stop until you get into the office.” – Robert Frost

I thought about adding a David Brent quote, but they were either too rude or nobody here would get it.   

Lake Union

Apparently we’re on track to have the wettest October in Seattle’s history.  Nice.  So when it isn’t raining, I do like to make the most of the opportunity to get out of the office and stretch my legs.  Here are a couple of photos of the Space Needle and Lake Union, near to where I work, from a late afternoon stroll a couple of days ago.

Benefits Fair

Today we had a Benefits Fair at work.  This is an annual event coinciding with Benefits Open Enrollment, which is a 2 week period where you have to make all your benefit selections for the year ahead – things like choosing your medical, dental and vision coverage; choosing whether you want to pay for various supplemental insurances; and suchlike.  It’s all very complicated, especially when having to consider things like HSAs (Health Savings Accounts) and FSAs (Flexible Spending Accounts) – don’t even ask what they are if you don’t know, just another symptom of the lack of universal healthcare and so having to set aside money to cover the potential cost of healthcare here.  I don’t remember ever having to go through this charade when working back in the UK, and despite the length of time I’ve been in the States now I still don’t really fully understand everything nor enjoy the selection process (and if I had a family to consider as well, it would be positively nightmarish).  I’m sure I’m probably not making the best selections – but I won’t worry about it too much until the time comes when I need to properly utilize the benefits.  The fair is basically where a lot of the vendors set up tables and are available to discuss or answer any questions on the services they provide – or, in my case, an opportunity to pick up a load of freebies, some of which make for some excellent gifts (I’ll be bringing some back to the UK this Christmas!).  The only thing I was gutted about was that apparently there was a raffle I could have entered with some pretty decent prizes – but I didn’t even notice it, so I missed out.  Boo.    

Work Rant

After a year of being criminally mismanaged and misused at work, I’ve reached my limit and have to do something about it.  So I think I’m going to ask my manager’s manager for a new manager next year.  I don’t want to do this, but I think I have to if I’m going to get any sense of satisfaction or fulfillment from my job.  Right now, I have got practically nothing to work on.  Not for the first time this year I am being significantly underused, yet there must be loads of work out there since we appear to have hired several new statistical programmers over the last couple of weeks.  Of course, I am not informed about any of this– I’m kept in the dark about an awful lot of things.  And all of this is making me feel anxious about my job and my future – I think needlessly, because if anything my company has difficulty holding on to good people (which I think I am) rather than letting people go – and with us having so many contractors, they will be the first to go if it ever comes to that.  But currently I don’t feel valued and I don’t feel I’m necessary or important – so I don’t think any kind of significant impact would be felt if I was to leave right now, and that is worrying.  It’s ironic that my company has just introduced a new core value – inclusion.  I don’t feel included in anything that is going on – particularly as a token Caucasian in a department full of Chinese and Indians.  An interesting rumor I’ve heard is that my manager and my manager’s manager don’t get on (and I do get on with my manager’s manager, since we share the history of having both left and come back to this company), so perhaps there is something that can be done to improve my situation.  It’s all about timing now – with end of year performance reviews coming up, along with the all-important bonus and pay increase (of which I am going to push for something decent, because I got screwed over last year), I will probably have to wait until the new year because the last thing I want to do is piss off the person making decisions in the upcoming months on my financial compensation.   

The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead is currently the most-watched show on US television.  And so it returned to TV last night with a new series and a new episode.  The problem is that being the most-watched show does not guarantee quality, and Walking Dead frequency skirts the line of being absolutely dreadful.  And so it was again with last night’s episode, which was frankly just torture porn.  And so, I think I am going to stop watching it.  I tried this before, maybe around this time last year, but somehow it nagged away at me and I caught up.  Not this time – I’m done.  It’s a dumb, poorly scripted, poorly acted apocalyptic soap opera with terrible character development and terrible pacing – albeit with a few amusingly graphic and gory zombie kills.  But with so many other competing and better programs (for example, it’s on at the same time as Westworld – and I made the mistake of watching The Walking Dead over Westworld last night, something I’ll never do again), I need to trim the fat.  So goodbye The Walking Dead – I might read the occasional online recap, but I won’t be watching you anymore.  Next up on my hit list – The Big Bang Theory.  A program that has been on for ages, is well past it’s best, and is no longer particularly funny – yet which continues to also have ridiculously huge viewing numbers and which I inexplicably continue to watch. 

Evans Creek Preserve

Another mostly dry weekend day, another hike.  This time I went to Evans Creek Preserve - about 30 minutes drive away.  This was a good one - quiet, good trail, well sign-posted, a few different ecosystems, a few viewpoints, only about 3 miles but sufficiently hilly to work up a good sweat.  I shall be coming back.

Saint Edward State Park

Today, went for a hike round Saint Edward State Park - only 20 minutes drive from where I live, but which I'd never been to before.  An interesting place - its's a former Catholic seminary on the shores of Lake Washington.  The walk was short but steep, perfectly pleasant and much needed - it feels like a long time since I've been out for a hike on a weekend.

The Rollercoaster

Down: neighbor issues, including a confrontation with downstairs neighbor about noise

Up: ping pong excellence

Down: frustration with manager and work

Up: by chance on lunchtime walk coming across a promotion giving away free pumpkin yogurt, and getting a box for “the office” (i.e. my fridge!)

Down: some terrible commutes recently (1 hr 45 min to get into work yesterday)

Up: it’s the weekend!