Favorite TV Themes

#1 in a series of many (particularly when I don't have the time or inclination to write a decent blog entry!)

Modern times

A small but interesting observation from work - I work on clinical studies that involve a lot of subjects and we always have to summarize the demography of these subjects, you know things like age, gender, race and ethnicity.  In a recent change to our standards, we now summarize "Sex at Birth" rather than just "Sex".  I thought this was a small but significant reflection of the progressive nature of our times, and an acknowledgement of the T in the LGBT community.  I approve.

Empire Magazine

I’ve subscribed to Empire Magazine for a while now – but perhaps in a sign of the times, I do not think I want to renew my subscription any more.  I don’t think I can justify the expense or the lack of timeliness (I receive my magazine in the mail about a month after it has been released in the UK shops).  If I really wanted to continue reading it, I could probably get an electronic subscription and read it on my Kindle or Ipad (if I had either of those!).  But honestly, I consume my film news and reviews from any number of other online sources now – so there just doesn’t seem any point to continuing to get the magazine, especially in paper form.  I think the final straw was the latest edition, where they’ve revamped the layout and content in a way I don’t like at all.  The rotating cast of editors they’ve had recently and the recent “modifications” remind me so much of the last days of the Spectrum and the fantastic Your Sinclair magazine as it made desperate changes to try to survive as long as it could.  I hope Empire doesn’t go under, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it did.    

I'm turning into Victor Meldrew

Another day, another complaint about my apartment.  Since the office said they couldn’t (more like they wouldn’t) do anything to address food odors, I decided to take the matter into my hands and left the following note to my neighbor:

Hi,

I”m a neighbor and I hate to write this but I have to say something - but the smell of food odors when you cook on your patio can be quite strong and unpleasant, and it’s happening quite frequently now.  It’s bad enough that I cannot go on my balcony, and I cannot even have my door or windows open otherwise the smell gets into my apartment.  I know I cannot stop you cooking, but anything you can do to reduce the frequency or impact of the smell would be appreciated.

Thank you!

I hope this is polite enough, not too passive aggressive, and I hope I haven’t just made the situation worse.  I don’t think so – better to say something in the hope that it might make the situation better, rather than not saying anything and letting it continue, and they might not even be aware of how much their cooking affects their neighbors.  They are 2 apartments below me, and it seems like they cook using their BBQ almost every night – and the stink goes straight up onto my balcony and into my apartment if I have the door open.  About the only redeeming feature of my apartment is the view, so I want to be able to relax on my balcony.  And I certainly want to be able to leave my door open – since my apartment is exposed to a lot of sunlight (which the blinds are totally ineffective at stopping) it gets very hot, and the ceiling fan is utterly useless at cooling down so I need to let the heat escape somehow.  Of course, all of this is totally meaningless because I have to shut the door to drown out the sound of kids shouting and screaming whilst playing outside, and I cannot relax on my balcony because the neighbor immediately below decided to put in a window AC unit which is really noisy and remarkably annoying (and something I’ve also complained to the office about and that they said they would do something about, though I don’t think they’ve said anything because there hasn’t been one jot of difference in the noise yet).  I hate this place.

Brats

Found this on my door yesterday:

Some observations

-          Some parents really need to teach their kid about punctuation and spellcheck

-          2 “partys”?  Really?  Is just the one party not good enough?  Jeez.

-          Possibly the most disturbing thing to me “at the park”.  If they see the strip of grass which my apartment overlooks as a park, then that would explain the shocking amount of noise these ghastly little brats have been making almost every afternoon and evening since the start of summer.  Just because it has a small playground (which is really only for little kids), that does not make this a park – and there is certainly not enough space for all the ridiculous races they are proposing.   Thank god I’m not in one of the apartments on the ground floor next to this grass strip – I’ve seen these group of boys running roughshod over everyone’s patios, peering into people’s homes and generally invading any personal space you might hope to have. 

I guess I shall have to make myself scarce during these times, because I have a feeling the noise and disruption could be unbearable.  I hate this place.    

President Trump

Oh Bernie supporters, it's time to move on.  He didn't win, so get over it and get behind your candidate.  Otherwise this a-hole is going to win and become President

Mount St Helens

I went to Mount St Helens National Volcanic Monument yesterday.  And I must have taken about 200 photos – it was a gloriously photogenic day with (relatively) clear blue skies and about as colorful landscape as you can get for a volcanic environment , with lots of wildflowers blooming.  For those who don’t know, it’s an active volcano between Seattle and Portland that last had a big explosion in 1980 but is now more of a tourist attraction.  It’s about a 3 hour drive to get to the main visitor center, so I got up nice and early to get there and do a scenic hike there before the crowds really start to swell.  Including lots of photo stops on the way up, a 5 mile hike and some time at the visitor center – I think I spent about 5 hours there.  I’ve been up there a few times before – but never when the wildflowers were out as much as they were yesterday, and I haven’t been for any significant hikes there before – so this was worth it.  And the hike was spectacular – very scenic, very beautiful, quite dicey at times going along narrow trails with steep drop-offs, and quite tough going – I was wearing shoes without much grip and was slipping and sliding a lot, and it started to get very hot so the last half mile uphill in the heat was a real struggle.  But as you can see below, the views were worth it.

Only downside – a bit of sunburn, but I think a lot of that might have been from when I was sitting in traffic in the car on the way home.  The traffic was an absolute nightmare getting back into Seattle, no surprises there.  But I’m not going to let that spoil my day.  And it’s made me determined to go to the less accessible but even closer view of the crater on the west side of the volcano, maybe later this year.  I might even do the helicopter ride over the volcano one day – this is one of the few places where I think this would be worth it.   

TV Picks

Just got back from a long day at Mount St Helens - whew, I am exhausted!  Will blog about it tomorrow and include some photos (it was spectacularly photogenic - clear blue sky and the wildflowers were out).  But for today's entry, a quick list of series that I am currently recording on my DVR.  Generally summer TV is not all that, but these are good enough for me to record: Ray Donovan, The Night Of, Preacher, The Hunt, The Tunnel, Vice Principals, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Angie Tribeca, Suits, The A Word, Any Given Wednesday with Bill Simmons, Mr Robot, The Great British Baking Show, Outcast.  Some of these I may never even end up watching - my DVR is getting close to full, so I have to make some decisions about what to delete.  Too many films and series that I don't have the time or motivation to watch, even though I made the effort to record them.  I clearly need to be more selective!  I've still got a ton of films on blu-ray that I haven't got round to watching yet, and don't know when I will.  Sad.

Coming to America

I had absolutely no intentions, and really had given it no thought whatsoever, to moving to the US until the opportunity came up to transfer to San Diego in 2003.  However, I've been wondering whether the seeds were planted much sooner than that.  I have a memory of watching American Football on Channel 4 from my childhood (and I remember going to Wembley to watch a game in the early 90s).  Then I found this on the internet:

This is fantastic.  I remember the Channel 4 logo as an American Football player, I remember the theme song of Holding Out for a Hero by Bonnie Tyler, but I don't remember the presenter in the clip - I only remember Gary Imlach, but maybe he came later and my memories have got blurred.  What is shocking is that the clip is from 1985.  1985!  I wasn't even 10 then.  I don't have many childhood memories, so perhaps my enjoyment of the game, and by association the States, has been in my subconscious since then...

Summer Picnic

Today was our company's summer picnic.  Naturally, it was the first overcast and rainy day that we've had for ages!  The picnic is not really my thing - more for families with a lot of kids type activities.  I'm also not that great in that kind of social environment - I'm not good at making small talk to people I see and greet regularly at work but who I don't really know, and who I don't really want to know.  The few real friends I've got at work didn't bother going, and I wouldn't have bothered either apart from the fact that it was held by a lake not too far from where I live.  So I popped in to grab some free food, then used it an excuse to take the rest of the day off work.  Nice.

Lease renewal

Yay, only 3 months left on my apartment lease!  I was reminded of this today by the note left on my door detailing my choices for renewing my lease.  And the new rates.  No surprises, they are outrageous.  Last time I rented in Seattle, when my initial lease expired then I was automatically put onto a month-to-month lease at the same rate.  This place also offers the option of moving onto a month-to-month lease - with "only" an approx 35% increase in rent!  Disgraceful, and no chance.  The 12 month lease renewal also incorporates a slight increase in rent (by about $150 a month) - which is not really that surprising considering the inflated and inflating cost of living in the Seattle area.  But there is no chance I want to stay here for another year.  So it looks like I will be moving again soon.  Thank god!

The Republican Party

The Republican Party is an absolute disaster at the moment.  And they’ve only got themselves to blame for selecting Donald Trump as their presidential nominee.  Donald Trump!  What a joke.  The man has no presidential qualities whatsoever, and hardly any redeeming features anyway.  I’ve not been following much of the happenings at the Republican National Convention – mainly because it’s just a ridiculous charade and poor excuse for racist and sexist ranting against Obama and Hilary respectively.  By all accounts, it’s an absolute shambles with shocking speech plagiarism and a rotating set of nutcases ranting and raving about one ridiculous conspiracy theory after another (“Lock her up” indeed.  Whatever).  I’m not surprised most of the Republican leadership is skipping the convention, it’s a total embarrassment.  I don’t expect any proper issues will get discussed at all – instead they are just agitating the already tense atmosphere surrounding policing and racial injustice.  Expect more shootings.  The worst thing for the Republican Party is that if they’d selected a sensible nominee, I think they would have a good chance of the presidency – Hilary is not exactly a particularly liked candidate, with many flaws of her own.  But given the choice between her and Trump, I can only see one victor and it won’t be Trump, and frankly I’d be shocked if it was close.  I hope Brexit has shown the American public that you can’t take any chances with voting on something so important.  

Pokemon Go

Let me just categorically state for the record that I have not downloaded the Pokemon Go app.  Yet.  I will confess to having thought about it.  But I think it is just a fad whose popularity will gradually wane.  Besides, I think I’m about 10 years too old at having missed the original Pokemon phenomena so it doesn’t hold any sentimental value.  What is sure is just how quickly Pokemon Go has spread.  I encountered absolutely loads of people playing it on Sunday, and perhaps more disturbingly quite a few people just when I go to grab a sandwich at lunch during the week.  You can tell because they are just mindlessly staring down at their phone whilst walking around.  I’ve also encountered groups of Millennials hanging around with their phones out, at presumably some known staging areas where rare monsters can be found - including one very close to work.  It’s sad, but I’m still somewhat curious at experiencing this augmented reality.  Something bigger and better will undoubtedly come along soon, that even I might give in to and try out.  

Queen Anne

Went for a 5 mile “urban walk” yesterday around the Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle – just north of downtown.  For the most part, it’s an extremely pleasant neighborhood and somewhere I wouldn’t mind living if I could afford it – and definitely somewhere I would recommend to visitors.  It’s on a hill, so you can get some pretty good views – I definitely plan to go up there again on a clear winter’s day when I can get that postcard perfect photo of the Seattle skyline and Space Needle, with Mount Rainier in the distance.  It was just a bit too cloudy and hazy to see Mount Rainier this time.

Getting there was fun – I parked at work and took the bus.  I don’t know whether the hot weather had drawn them out, but I saw a much higher than normal number of crazy and dodgy characters waiting for and using Seattle’s dubious public transportation.  Getting the bus in downtown Seattle is definitely an adventure – the area around the bus stops tend to be a magnet for the more salubrious residents of Seattle.  Considering the number of tourists you get round there, it’s very strange that the Seattle police and government don’t do more to clean it up a bit.  

Competitive Video Gaming

Apparently competitive video gaming is now a televised "sport" - there are currently 2 tournaments appearing on TV on relatively mainstream channels.  And it is about as unwatchable as you might imagine.  It might even top squash as one of the worst spectator sports there is.  It doesn't help that most of the competitors appear to be either interchangeable characterless Asians for the individual games, or a motley assortment of dodgy East Europeans in the team games.  All male, naturally.  If only there was a competitive video gaming tournament for Operation Wolf on the Spectrum about 28 years ago, my life might have been entirely different!

Burritos

I miss a good burrito.  To think that I had never had one before I came to the US!  Now it is one of my favorite things to eat.  But sadly, I don't currently have a go-to place for my burritos.  I had one in San Diego, I had one in Austin and I had one just round the corner from where I used to live in Seattle.  Sadly, that no longer exists - at least temporarily - after a gas explosion earlier this year destroyed most of the block where that was.  There isn't anywhere I know of near where I live now that is any good.  There are lots of teriyaki places (which is not bad, I'm definitely also partial to a good teriyaki), but I miss a good burrito.  There a couple of places within walking distance of work which are worth an occasional lunchtime visit, but both are a bit pricey and a bit overrated.  There is a Taco Bell not too far away from where I live - but I refuse to go there, because that really is scraping the barrel.

Work

I was in the process of writing a long diatribe about how I feel about my job at the moment, but then I became afflicted from the same amount of motivation and enthusiasm to finish my diatribe as I feel about work.  So instead, here is a meme summing up how I feel.

Not happy.  I’m sure I’ll touch on some of the reasons in future blogs, but the usual culprits – management, culture, colleagues, stress, work environment, etc.  But even with all that, still so much happier here than I was in Austin.  That really was a horror show.  Ultimately, I fear, I’m probably stuck in a profession and career that I’m never really going to like and that I barely find tolerable.  I wish I was doing something engaging, meaningful and that I felt passionate about – oh to be a creative type.  Sadly, I’m not wired that way.  Dare I say it, when I was younger I wish I was pushed (and pushed myself) to study subjects I enjoyed more rather than those I just happened to be good at.  That would be my unqualified advice to new parents.  I’ve got another 30 odd years to look forward to of statistical programming, and that is an absolutely terrifying and horrifying prospect.

... and The Ugly

Well, I was going to say something about the prospect of Sam Allardyce being England’s next manager, a thoroughly backward, baffling and scary thought.  But then I watched the end of today’s Tour de France stage live before heading off to work, and that had some real ugliness.  Tour de France fans on these mountain stages have always been annoying and punchable, but it seems to have got worst – and I guess because they moved the end of this stage lower down the slopes, that meant the crowds reached critical mass and caused the chaos and crash.  Farcical, and avoidable.  I know it’s not feasible to put barriers up along the entirety of a stage, but I think they have to consider it for all those slopes where the cyclists are going slow enough for the crowd to be a real pain in the ass.  If I was there I would intentionally trip up any of those idiots who run alongside the crowds.  Embarrassing, and makes a mockery of what is a great sport, a great spectacle, and a great event. 

... The Bad ...

Oh boy, I came home from work yesterday evening to this outside my neighbors’ door

And guess whose bedroom that is right where all that smoke is going, and guess who had left the bedroom window open to get a bit of fresh air, and guess who came back to their apartment stinking of smoke.  Not happy, and yet another angry complaint fired off.  It is unbelievable just how inconsiderate some people can be, and on top of my terrible living experience in Austin I’m definitely done with apartment living after this.  It seems that summer and the warmer weather have created a whole new set of things for me to find wrong with this place.  Some other neighbors below me have started regularly using some fancy outdoor grill on their patio and stinking out my balcony and my apartment with their food smell.  And that’s not even saying anything about how much more noise I’m enduring from kids shouting and screaming outside and from all the various families living in close proximity who now leave their doors and windows open so that everyone can hear them.  I was worried what this place would be like over summer, and most of my fears have been proven correct.  I’ve been guilty of staying too long in rentals in the past – surely I cannot do the same this time.   

The Good ...

Look what I got in the post today

Should look great next to my Lego Tower Bridge!  Apparently they are on a comparable scale.  And yes, that is 4000+ pieces.  I just need to find an appropriate place to display them now!  I'm not quite sure how sad this is, but what the hell I like building and owning them.

Funny

My kind of surrealist humor.

Final Thoughts on the Euros

Just finished watching the final.  Forgettable tournament, undeserving winners, too many poor quality teams and games, horrific showing for England, great showing for Iceland and Wales, seriously lacking in memorable performances, games or controversial moments, sad return of hooliganism, bad advertisement for the game, by the time the Premiership season starts again will have totally forgotten about the tournament.  And then will get inexplicably psyched up for the World Cup in 2 years time before that inevitably turns into another massive anticlimax.  I should hate the glorious game, but like a terrible affliction I don't and I can't.

A Song For My Mood Today

A hauntingly beautiful song, with lyrics that cut just a little too close to the bone.

Summer Sports

I like this time of year for sports - with the time difference I can wake up and have breakfast whilst watching Wimbledon and/or the Tour de France before heading into work.  I've probably said this before, but I think Le Tour might be the greatest annual sporting spectacle there is.  From the crazy bunch sprints, to the solo breakaway rider holding off the peleton to the pulsating mountain stages, it's just fantastic sporting drama - and I don't care if all the riders are doped up or doing whatever dodgy drugs/blood transfusions they do, it is still mighty impressive to consider the amount of miles they do and, especially, the amount of incredibly intense mountain climbing they do in such a short space of time.  These are proper athletes, not like the spoilt, arrogant, overpaid prima donnas playing in the Euros.

Acronyms

Yet another sign that I’m getting old – I had to look up an acronym that I’ve seen used lots in internet speak but didn’t know what it stood for – GOAT.  Greatest of all time.  Well there we go, you learn something every day...  OMG.  Smiley face emoji.  Etc.  Example usage - I am not goat at writing good blog posts.  I don’t even know if that is right – is it “the goat” or just “goat”?  And is it capitalized or not?  I’m sure it probably doesn’t even matter, especially to me since the only time I will ever use the word goat is in reference to the animal.  LOL.  I feel a bit sad that I’m not fully savvy in internet speak.  Then I’m even sadder when I realize there are at least 3 generations of people younger than mine (Gen X) – Millennials, Generation Z and Generation Alpha – so I will from now on always be “out of touch” at some level.

Fitbit

I think in a previous entry I expressed my desire to get a Fitbit.  In a fortuitous coincidence, I am now a proud owner of a Fitbit Zip!  When my company gets a drug approved for the market, all the employees get a gift - and with a recent approval, we got some token gifts which included a water bottle (about my 3rd or 4th over the years) and a Fitbit!  This may seem like a generous gesture by my company, and it is, but it has been remarked upon by many people that as the company has grown and got more successful (and more profitable) over time, the actual quality and generosity of any gifts to its employees has correspondingly decreased.  Shame.  Or perhaps we're all just spoilt!

Leaving Austin

I’ve been thinking a lot about my future recently and I think it is worth giving some context as to how I ended up in Seattle again.  Seattle was not my first choice of destination after Austin.  I wanted (and, to be honest, I still want) to move back to SoCal.  But alas, cruel fate and circumstance once again had other plans for me.  After quitting my job in Austin and spending an enjoyable and pleasant extended trip back to the UK in the summer of 2015, I came back to Austin with the plan to take my time in finding the right new job for me.  But suddenly that time was taken away from me.  As soon as I came back (or it may even have been in one of my last days still in the UK before I came back), I found out that my apartment had been leased and I had 3 weeks to move out.  Damn.  What to do?

I could have (and maybe should have?) taken a chance and moved to somewhere like San Diego without the security of a job lined up.  I think this was feasible – I don’t think I would have a problem finding a job once there, likely working remotely.  I don’t think it would necessarily have been an ideal job, but at least I would be living in a city I love and want to live in.  The more conservative option was to line up a job before moving out, removing a lot of the uncertainty (and with relocation as part of the job deal, removing a lot of the stress about moving) – and in my somewhat panicked state that is what I chose to do.  Given the extremely tight time frame, and the fact that I didn’t (and don’t) want to move to any of the main hubs for my industry (the Bay Area, Boston, New Jersey) my options were limited, but I knew that there would likely be an opening back at my previous employer in Seattle.  Sure enough I applied, I interviewed and got it – and so here I am.  Once again, my questionable decision-making skills have got me in a position that I’m not entirely happy with – but that is the story of my life.  And once again, I think about what could have been. 

Independence Day

Happy 4th July!  A day for America to celebrate it's independence in a quiet and unassuming way.  And not at all in a bombastic and nationalistic orgy of excess - with parades, parties and fireworks across the country (and not just today, but all throughout the weekend).  And let's not forget to celebrate the servicemen protecting "our" freedom abroad, plus all the less than subtle Christian undertones:

God Bless America!

QF Thoughts

It seems that classic movie scenes

eclipse 90's nostalgia

Physical Ailments

Oh dear, I had plans for the long 4th July weekend - to get out and about and do a lot of hiking.  But then I woke up this morning, stretched my legs and strained my left calf muscle.  It was absolute agony, and I could hardly walk on it.  It's now later in the day and it feels slightly better, but still a bit sensitive so I think I have to dial down the intensity of any hikes I decide to do tomorrow and Monday, if any.  This is not the first time this has happened over the last few years, which has me a little bit nervous.  It would be a disaster if I became incapacitated...
 

Two Dots

I am hopelessly addicted to Two Dots on my iPhone (well, really my iPod Touch since that is where I have all my music and games stored).  I play it at work, I play it in bed, when I get stuck on a level I will get immensely frustrated (though I will never reach the extent of spending any money on the app) and impatient for my lives to regenerate.  The simple addictive nature of these kind of games is ruthless and brutal.  I hate it (but secretly I love it).