Bekonscot

A visit today to the "world's oldest and original model village" - Bekonscot Model Village and Railway.  Opened in the 1920's, this is a surreal leftover from some bygone era that feels totally out of place in the modern world.  Basically a series of miniature dioramas interwoven with a massive model railway system, it is kind of charming despite its kitschiness.  But young kids - the predominate target audience for this kind of place - seemed to love it, more often that not accompanied by their grandparents who probably were also brought here back in their childhood.

UK Internet

It's interesting that almost every single website I normally visit in the US now requires me to grant consent to use cookies before I can open it up in the UK.  I guess this is part of the EU Privacy Law?  It's weird and it's a pain.  I even got the same message when I opened up this - my own blog.  And it has also blocked access to me on at least one website I often go to - don't worry nothing nefarious, it's just a Seattle news website. 

Flight Plight

From my Notes App on my iPhone today:

A depressing and long 10+ hour flight to the UK.  Noisy, smelly, unable to sleep, headache, constantly disturbed by other people, mediocre food, terrible film selection that you can't see properly anyway on the crappy screen.  When I've not been able to check in online before, it has resulted in an upgrade when I check in in person.  No such luck this time - if it is even luck?  I might have been the victim of white privilege as I was checked in by a colored woman, who was not exactly friendly.  And, from my vantage point just behind business class, there look to be loads of spare seats there.  Grrrrrr.  Worse, because I hadn't checked in early I got a really shitty seat assignment - a middle seat by the toilets.  Did the check in agent give me any choices?  Did she heck.  I did manage to get that changed to an aisle seat (not even a window seat, my ideal choice) later on - and as an unexpected bonus a free seat next to me.  Some respite.  Would have been nice to at least allow me to check in online when I wanted to with a better choice of seats, but I'll take no one next to me over a window seat.  Still, what a big letdown - perhaps I've been spoiled in the past with generous upgrades, and now I haven't got one and was expecting one that I feel so gutted.  It might also be reflective of how much money is flowing into the Seattle area thanks to big tech, and so there might be less updates available now.  Or BA trying to save a bit money - the most likely reason methinks.  Regardless, it probably also means the last time I take BA - with a wider choice of flights between Seattle and London, might be time to change things up.  If I come back this Christmas - an idea I'm toying with, depending on how this trip goes - it will probably be with someone else.

Collusion

Just finished my first book on Donald Trump’s presidency.

If just a little bit of what it postulates is true – which I suspect it is – then this is more frightening that even the most cocaine-fueled Stephen King horror.  I’ve already got my next book – another doozy – lined up for my trip back.

Feeling Hot Hot Hot

2 blog entries today – since I’m flying back to the UK tomorrow.  Just tried to check into my flight online, and it wouldn’t let me.  That’s a good sign that I will hopefully be getting an upgrade!  It appears that I’m flying from one sweltering hotspot to another –  this is either the hottest or second hottest July in Seattle on record (though I was just reading an interesting article that analyzed whether the official temperature sensor is broken and recording too high temperatures!  Though it definitely feels like it has been a hot month – I’m sure I’ve been wearing shorts a lot more frequently than I’m used to here!).  It’s also worth noting that there is no major city than Seattle in the US that has less air conditioners per capita.  I certainly could do with some AC - my house feels like an oven, and my fans have done little to help, so consequently I’ve had real difficultly sleeping recently.  With hot temperatures continuing here, and me leaving the house with all the windows closed whilst I’m back in the UK (or at least all the downstairs ones), I wonder what kind of hot mess I’m going to come back to!     

PS Having just finished watching The Terror, that's probably another reason I'm not sleeping well due to the nightmares brought on by this brilliantly horrifying and visceral series - highly recommended.

Green fingers

I am no gardener.  I don’t water the garden at all, nor do I really have any “flower beds” as such that need watering, and is the main reason my landlord (or one of my landlord’s sons) occasionally cuts my grass for me - since I have neither the equipment nor desire to do so myself.  Check out part of my “front lawn” currently – more accurately, the patch of grass between the house and the driveway.

You may only notice the weeds, the length of the grass and the browning going on.  But what this photo doesn’t accurately capture is just how spectacular it looks when the morning sun catches those yellow flowers just right.  Long may it remain uncut.   

Pandora

In an attempt to get some variety from my narrow selection of podcasts and music on my iPod, I decided to listen to Pandora at work today.  I think this might be the first time I’ve done this for several years.  My takeaways?  Firstly, there seem to be a hell of a lot more adverts than what I remember.  Depressing.  Secondly, your playlist is predominantly dictated by what songs you have clicked thumbs up and thumbs down on previously.  Clearly my music tastes have somewhat evolved, as I was very unhappy with some of my previous selections – so I decided to try to clear my history.  What a pain in the ass – they don’t make it easy.  And it doesn’t feel as though it really got deleted – as I think it ended up playing all the same songs that I encountered and clicked thumbs up on previously.  I was going to say all the same sounding songs, but I guess you might expect that when you create a music station based on a band you like!  I think perhaps I need to add more stations – my selection definitely has an overly 90s/00s alternative feel.  I was shuffling between Arcade Fire, Elbow, Muse, Portishead and Sneaker Pimps.  All a bit too much of a muchness I fear.

Fire Season

I didn't go to Crater Lake, Oregon last year even though I wanted to - mainly because it was afflicted by smoke from local wildfires when I wanted to go.  So I'd like to try again this year - maybe in September around Labor Day, in order to achieve my aim of going to a National Park that I haven't been to before each year.  But then I decided to check out the webcam from there today:

This doesn't bode well for the rest of the year - that is definitely wildfire smoke.  Again.  I think also Yellowstone is currently at risk of being affected by wildfires.  This could be a bad summer for it - especially if the weather continues to be as hot and and dry as it has been the last month. 

Who is America?

I've been watching Sasha Baron Cohen's latest - though it's a bit of a slog because it is so cringeworthy and difficult to watch.  But what is most disappointing is how unshocking some of the things people - generally elected officials - will say and do nowadays.  Whether they voice their real life morally repugnant beliefs, or whether they say whatever morally repugnant statements are put in front of them just to get on TV, it does not reflect well on America.  Specifically, Trump's America.  This is a sad time for a great nation. 

#5 Worst American City for Driving

Is, surprise surprise, Seattle.

In other random stupid internet lists: the most scenic drive in Washington State is the 440-mile long Cascade Loop, the weirdest town name in Washington State is Electric City, the most underrated vacation spot in Washington State is Spokane, the most whimsical town in Washington State is Leavenworth, and the prettiest town in Washington State is Friday Harbor.  All a load of arbitrary hogwash.

Eye in the Sky

I just watched the film Eye in the Sky - incidentally Alan Rickman's last film - which raised the moral dilemma of drone targeting and collateral damage of drone attacks.  The basic question posed by the film is whether it is justifiable to take out three high-level targets and a couple of suicide bombers via drone attack, with the likelihood of a young innocent girl being killed in collateral damage.  What does it say about me that if I was making the film it would be a hell of a lot shorter - hell yeah, take them out.  This reminds me of the ethics behind the "trolley problem" - whose choice seems obvious to me...

Summer Picnic

Today was our company's summer picnic.  Really just an excuse to take an afternoon off work.  We're in a stretch of very good weather - with very high temperatures forecast for next week - so good to get outside on a day like today.  Though not really my thing - lots of families and family activities that don't really interest me, nor any particular desire to socialize with colleagues I don't care much for.  So I came for the food - and stuffed myself appropriately - and picked up my free gift before heading home.  The choice was between a hammock and a kite - and I plumped for a hammock.  That I'll probably never use.

It is unfortunate that the nice weather has corresponded with an increase in my workload, but I still manage to get out for the occasional lunchtime or early evening walk.

A Reminiscence

I’ve found it!  You can tell what is on my mind at the moment.  I believe this is one of the first Lego sets I owned as a kid – so many parts of this seem familiar to me:

 The details – it’s from 1980 (!), apparently a Weetabix Cereal Promotional Set (!!), and quite rare.  Though I don't expect you’d find many in good condition out there nowadays! 

A Must Get

It's official.

Yes, that is a LEGO Aston Martin from Goldfinger, complete with working parts e.g. an ejector seat.  I shall definitely be purchasing this.

Liar

Monday: “President Putin just said it’s not Russia, I don’t see any reason why it would be.”

Tuesday: “I would like to clarify, in a key sentence in my remarks, I said the word ‘would’ instead of ‘wouldn’t.’ The sentence should have been: ‘I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t be Russia,’”.

Tuesday: “I accept our intelligence community’s conclusion that Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election took place, could be other people also. A lot of people out there.”

Trump claims that he misspoke.  I don’t believe him for a second.  What he claims he should have said doesn’t even make any sense in the context of the original statement.  He also claims to have accepted the US intelligence agencies conclusions.  Again, I don’t believe him for a second.  In that statement, you can clearly see which part was prepared for him to say by someone else and which part was what he really thought.

LOCK HIM UP.

Treason

The Onion with a pertinent story today (and a little bit crude - you have been warned!):

Promising citizens that they would finally take action if the President crossed this new red line, GOP leaders announced Monday that they were moving their goalposts for opposing Trump to him being filmed masturbating on an American flag in Arlington National Cemetery. “After today’s attack on U.S. intelligence agencies, we have officially moved our line in the sand to President Trump being caught on video, vigorously pleasuring himself to completion amid the graves of fallen U.S. soldiers,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who claimed that in order for Republican officials to begin blocking Trump’s nominations or voting against his policies, the video must be at least a half hour of the president with his pants around his ankles, humming the national anthem, and giving the middle finger to the Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier. “Unless we see clear footage of President Trump looking into the camera, his face twisting in pleasure as he climaxes, we will refrain from taking any concrete measures to reel him in. If Trump is masturbating on a flag anywhere other than Arlington, or if he does not ejaculate directly on Old Glory, we will continue to stand behind him. And if fewer than 100 eyewitnesses see him engaged in the masturbation, we will dismiss it as hearsay. Of course, it goes without saying that if he claims it was a joke, all will be forgiven.” McConnell added that Republicans would stand firm on their new line for President Trump except in the extraordinary circumstance of another open seat on the Supreme Court.

Trash

I am fed up with picking up trash from the bottom of my driveway.  Today was a new low as I picked up an empty condom packet.  But this wasn't just at the bottom of my driveway, but actually some way up my driveway.  Almost as if somebody had pulled off the road and used the bottom of my driveway - still hidden from my house - for illicit activities.  That might also explain the strong scent of cigarette smoke that I smelt earlier today - but couldn't locate the source.  Maybe I should just be grateful that I didn't find a used condom.

Pique

In a fit of pique after England's defeat against Croatia (apparently we also lost to Belgium today, but I couldn't give a monkey's about that game - the only bit I saw was what was on the telly when I went to the barbers this morning), I cleared out my DVR.  Deleted all these films and TV series that had been sitting there unwatched for the best part of a year.  So from 75% full, I am down to about 5%.  Impressive.  Then I did the same thing with my podcasts - unsubscribing to a load of shows that I hadn't listened to for months.  No regrets - it was time to separate the wheat from the chaff, and I am guilty of watching and listening to far too much chaff.   

Volunteer Park Water Tower

A few photos from a long lunchtime walk where I ended up going up the water tower in Volunteer Park, not too far (but seriously uphill) from work.  Supposedly the best free views in Seattle - I would beg to disagree.  Maybe better during winter when leaves are not on the trees and views are not so obstructed.

Go Home You Wotsit-Faced Gammon

No Mr President, the UK does not love you – even if the UK might not be “treating you well with trades”.  No Mr President, most Britons do not even “like you a lot”.  No Mr President, they do not “agree with you on immigration” – especially the inhumane treatment of migrants on your very own southern border.  In fact, the vast majority of Britons think of you the same way as the vast majority of Americans.  Let’s just say you’re not regarded very highly.  The cost of this UK visit appears outrageous – especially if the UK has to foot the cost of security just so that he can play a round of golf at his course in Scotland.  And the cost is not just monetary, let’s see what other clueless and inflammatory statements he makes during his visit – I see that he has already said that he thinks Boris Johnson would make a great prime minister, and that the current Brexit plan might kill any trade deal.  I bet Theresa May loves that – for the love of god, STAND UP TO THIS BULLY like Canada/Germany/France and earn the respect of the nation and the world.  I think it’s a disgrace that the Queen has to meet with this racist and misogynist fool.  I was reading that they’ve had to book 750 hotel rooms for his entourage.  Unbelievable, especially since this is just supposed to be an “informal working trip” – seems suspiciously close to a full-on formal state visit since we have to suck up to this parasite thanks to Brexit.  I’m currently reading a book about how Russian-influenced his presidency is, and every statement and action he makes with regards NATO and Brexit seems to back that up.  The fact that he is having a private meeting with Putin next week is justifiably extremely alarming.

CRO 2-1 ENG

💩

FRA 1-0 BEL

Well, that was disappointing.  I had high hopes for this game - and went to a lot of time and effort to successfully avoid the score all afternoon at work.  And when I finally got round to watching the game this evening, it was entirely unmemorable.  For so many good players on the pitch, not that many moments of sublime skill - unless you count French defending.  Yet another set play goal deciding a game.  An underwhelming performance from the Belgian "golden generation".  Although France will be the favorites whether they are facing England or Croatia in the final, they are beatable. 

Brexocalypse

Brexit appears to be going as well as expected.  And right on the eve of Trump visiting – which of course is going to be a quiet, trouble-free, protest-free trip.  What a shambles.  Another general election?  Another Brexit vote?  At least my dollar looks as though it’s going to be worth even more by the time I come back!

Photographer's Eye

I realize I haven't posted any photos for a while, and I've not really been anywhere particularly photogenic for some time.  So in a belated effort to get in touch with my artistic side, I've started trying to take photos of otherwise mundane things at home or at work.

Holy Cow

World Cup semis?  Oh my.  I can't decide whether we were really good, or Sweden were really bad.  Their style of play did suit us a think - but I'm surprised by how much we actually controlled the game.  It was no Brazil-Belgium.  And I still don't feel we played particularly well, but our set plays looked a lot better than against Colombia which was critical.  Looks like I'll be taking more time off work next week! 

4th from last World Cup post

Only comment about today's games - Belgium rode their luck, and France did just enough - goodbye remaining non-European teams and good riddance to those irritating South American cheats Neymar and Suarez.

Yep, I'm sick of writing about football as well.  So here are some quotes I copied from an article I read online recently about American soccer trolls:

“I hate it so much, probably because the rest of the world likes it so much, and they riot over it, and they continually try to jam it down our throat.”

“I don’t care how good you are with your feet. God gave us these [hands] to separate us from the beasts of the fields.”

“Hands and opposable thumbs separate us from creatures of the wild.”

“You can’t use your hands in soccer. … What sets man apart from the lesser beasts, besides a soul, is that we have opposable thumbs.”

“Soccer kids can’t wait for soccer moms to pick them up at practice so they can go home and watch true-blue ’Mercan games.”

“Soccer is played by hundreds of thousands of American kids without the slightest enthusiasm—kids who can’t wait to bolt and get home to their skateboards and video games.”

“bland and monotonous”

the “Official Sport of Terrorism”

“The entire sport is predicated on guys hitting the deck and crying at the smallest hint of contact and coaches punching referees in the face and urine and blood bombs and riots.”

 “It eliminates the swiftest and the most powerful and takes for its physical standard the average European male”

“To say you love soccer is to say you believe in enforced equality more than you believe in the value of competition and the capacity of the human spirit”

“Every time I pull up behind a Ford Aerostar with a ‘#1 Soccer Mom’ bumper sticker, I feel like I’m marching in the wake of the Khmer Rouge.”

“The same people trying to push soccer on Americans are the ones demanding that we love HBO’s Girls, light-rail, Beyoncé, and Hillary Clinton”

“If more ‘Americans’ are watching soccer today, it’s only because of the demographic switch effected by Teddy Kennedy’s 1965 immigration law, I promise you: No American whose great-grandfather was born here is watching soccer.”

Yo-yo

When I had a decent yo-yo in my youth, I was proud that I was able to “walk the dog”.

Independence Day!

Happy Traitor's Day!  At least that is what someone texted me today.  It kind of sucks that July 4th lies on a Wednesday this year, otherwise I would probably have gone somewhere for a long weekend.  Instead, I'm back at work tomorrow.  Hopefully I won't get too disturbed tonight by my neighbors setting off fireworks - which they've already been doing during the day, even though it's illegal where we are.  But I expect I will be.  I thought about going into work this evening in order to watch the big fireworks show on Lake Union from our office roof, but too much hassle - you need to get there early before they close the streets to traffic, then you have to hang around for ages until the show actually starts, and then you're stuck for hours afterwards because the traffic getting out is apparently an absolute nightmare.  Maybe another year I might do it, but not this year. 

World Cup R16 Day 4

A "live" blog - as I write this whilst watching the England game.  Or not so much watch, as put through the emotional wringer.  I've once again contrived to have unreasonably high expectations for England, which will inevitably lead to nothing but massive disappointment and failure.  Too much focus on the potential games ahead, rather than the actual game right in front of you.  Mind you, I don't think Sweden pose much of a threat for whichever team wins this one.

- Harry Maguire looks like he could easily put on 20 stone if he didn't play football
- I've said it before, and I'll say it again, our national anthem absolutely sucks.  But presumably when the queen dies or steps down, then we'll have to change it right?
- Sounds like more England fans in Moscow than expected - though suspect they will still be in the minority
- I'm not going to comment on the quality of the American commentators, but I am going to mention how much I dislike the FIFA rules expert that they employ, Dr Joe Machnik.  Nope, not Joe Machnik but DOCTOR Joe Machnik.  Douchebag.
- I prefer England's red shirts to their white shirts.  I want to get a red shirt when I'm back in the UK (sadly, my current England shirt no longer fits me - obviously absolutely nothing to do with any potential weight gain in the last 15+ years since I got it, it must have shrunk in the wash)
- American ref?  Hmmmm
- Slow start to the game.  It seems like any England possession is going to be booed heavily.
- Set pieces - we need to capitalize.  First couple have been disappointing.  Doesn't bode well, since that is where all our goals come from
- First half-chance for Kane - nothing for Colombia yet.  I keep on spelling Colombia as Columbia.
- I get butterflies ever time we try to play out of defense
- I get the impression that most of the good-locking fans they cut to with camera shots are probably ringers put in there by the Russians
- First quarter - fairly open game with no real good chances yet.  I think Colombia are happy to sit back and counter.  We've got to try to break them down somehow, which might be tough.  Set plays are key.
- 4 corners - all disappointing so far.
- Don't slow the game down - England have the rested players and need to play with pace, we can turn their defenders
- Bit of a nothing game really so far - I can already feel the tension ratcheting up
- That should have been a RED CARD for a headbutt.  Why didn't they review that?  This free kick is ridiculous - the wall wasn't behind the line, and it's taking ages.  Jeez.  Some dirty games from the South Americans - no surprises there
- Tempers are getting raised - this could turn into a messy game
- End of the first half - this is nothing like England's first 2 games, going to be decided on a moment of skill or a moment of madness.
- American studio analysis of the game at halftime is as pathetic as it has been all tournament.  As much talk about the game as about Ronaldo possibly moving to Juventus.  Whatever.
- Weird start to the 2nd half - the ice dispenser on my fridge suddenly decided to spit out loads of ice.
- This has got 0-0 and penalties written over it so far.  Colombia almost playing for it with 40 minutes to go
- We need to think about subs - we're not breaking them down at the moment.
- Jeez, look at all the shenanigans on the corner - PENALTY
- And now all the shenanigans delaying the penalty - absolutely appalling.
- YEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.  Deserved after the attempted dirty mind games.
- Ref is totally losing control of this game.
- At least Colombia have to come out of their shell now.  They are playing extremely negatively - trying to provoke England.
- This is turning into a rugby game - someone is going to get sent off soon
- Whatever happens - Colombia deserve to lose this game.
- This is the first game in this tournament that I can recall that has devolved like this.  We won't be seeing any more American involvement in the tournament after this - the referee is having a shocker
- Colombia haven't posed any threat going forward, but I still feel like they're going to get a chance
- Could do with a 2nd just to make it a bit more comfortable
- 10 minutes to go - we should have counter opportunities.  Still don't feel Colombia are posing any real threat so far
- That was Colombia's chance - after ANOTHER Walker error.  Lucky.
- We cannot make mistakes.  That is the only way they will beat us.
- 5 minutes to go.  Tension almost unbearable
- England not spectacular today, but for the most part solid.
- Not impressed by Colombia - tried to play dirty, and played not to lose rather than to win
- 5 minutes injury time.
- This has been a not very pretty and not very memorable game,  To add to a comfortable game (against Panama) and a game we wanted to lose (against Belgium).  I don't remember a tournament like this before for England.
- OH NO.  Conceding from a corner.  Drama.
- How does England contrive to let Colombia back into it.  Totally undeserving yet somehow inevitable.
- Colombia acting like they've won the game.  If they get through this, absolutely depressing and undeserving.  Making me angry rather than despairing.  Especially with England having come so close to seeing out the game.
- Extra time - we need a David Platt-esque moment.
- I'm not sure I want to watch extra time.  I'm hungry - I haven't had lunch yet - and I fear the worst.  I'm going to stop blogging now, and will revisit the end of the game later.


Post-game addendum:

I couldn’t bear to watch extra time and/or penalties – instead I drove into work.  Just knew it was going to come down to penalties.  I stopped to get a sandwich on the way, and checked updates on my phone then.  I saw that we were down in the penalty shootout – but then someone near me in the store shouted yes.  I could see he was watching the shootout on his phone, but I couldn’t see the score.  A quick refresh on my phone – and miracle upon miracles, we’d won.  Talk about making things difficult, but it’s the result that matters.  I guess no more talk about the decision to rest players against Belgium.  I don’t think I would have been disappointed if we’d lost, I’d have been furious – the way Colombia played was a disgrace, with that head butt and their delaying tactics before Kane’s penalty in the 2nd half.  So I think it was the right result – and the fair result for the “beautiful game”.  And in this manner – that is surprisingly great “testicular fortitude” shown by England.  It’s the kind of result that makes you believe we could go further – I think we have to be favorites against Sweden, who I wasn’t particularly impressed with against Switzerland. 

World Cup R16 Day 3

Brazil and Belgium through today – to the surprise of absolute nobody.  Though neither were particularly convincing – should make for a good quarter final.  I still say Belgium regret beating England!  Though a bit ominous that apart from Spain all the group winners have won their Round of 16 games so far.  That is a bad omen for England.  I’ve decided to work from home tomorrow morning so that I can watch the game from there.  I’m a bit nervous – France and Belgium have shown that they are good enough to come back from adversity, but I’m not sure England can do the same.  I predict a nervy and tense encounter – but if we take our chances, we should win.  Most important match in a decade for England?  Damn straight.   

World Cup R16 Day 2

The most important thing I learned today - when you record knock-out games, make sure you extend the recording to cover the possibility of extra time and penalties.  The end of my recording of Denmark-Croatia got cut off - so I missed the agony and ecstasy of a 2nd penalty shootout.  We came this close to a Russia-Denmark quarter-final - who would have thought that?  Even though Croatia squeaked through, hardly convincing considering they are a much classier team than Denmark.  Not sorry that Spain went out - I hate their style of play which is slow, methodical and boring, and today about as incisive as Arsenal on a bad day.  But their exit opens up that side of the draw even more, which bodes well for England if - and it's a big if - they can progress further in the tournament.