Ghosts

With the writers' strike having disrupted their normal programming, network TV has had to find other ways to fill up their schedule.  Typically, this has been by a slew of terrible game shows.  Cheap to make, all the networks have been churning these out.  And I suspect that will continue even though the writers' strike has ended.  But there are alternatives.  For example, the network that airs the US versions of Ghosts has been filling in one of their half hour gaps by airing UK episodes of Ghosts.  You'd think that would be great, but there is a major problem.  Because the UK version airs on BBC, each episode is about 30 minutes long without ads.  But the 30 minute slot on American network TV has to include ads, so every single episode has to be edited down.  And not by a small amount - by nearly a third.  And some of the editing has been shockingly bad - making for some really disjointed episodes.  I've got no idea how successful these episodes have been on US TV, but I guess it's a good thing that the show is still on - unlike another UK show on another network.  They started airing Everyone Else Burns, a half-hour Channel 4 comedy, quickly announced it's been renewed for a second season, then just as promptly pulled it from the schedule after just a few episodes.  For no discernible reason.  This is the same network that did exactly the same thing with Taskmaster a few years ago.  Crazy.        

Seattle to London

Looks like there is going to be one less airline for me to choose from.  American Airlines has cut it's nonstop flight between Seattle and London for the duration of the winter season, and may not even bring it back for summer.  I don't think I've ever flown this route with American Airlines before - I always go with British Airways, apart from flying Virgin Atlantic one time.  But after years of an increasing choice of carriers to fly home with, this is the first indication that the market may be oversaturated.  And if my company's emphasis on reducing business travel expenses is any indication, perhaps the other tech companies based in Seattle (Amazon, Microsoft, etc.) are also dealing with tighter budgets - no longer making this route so profitable.  So that just leaves British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Delta left.  If you're reading this British Airways (unlikely) - if you upgrade me on my Christmas flights, then I promise to fly with you every time.          

TV Theme Tunes #57

For no discernible reason, I've been watching some reruns of this show recently.  For the most part, it holds up and remains quite enjoyably watchable.

Disabled

As part of my company's recent emphasis on accessibility, inclusion and diversity (i.e. woke culture) we were asked to update our personal information as it relates to disabilities.  At least that's what they told us, but a quick look at the form suggests that the real reason for updating the information is because the law requires companies to provide equal employment opportunities to qualified people with disabilities.  They've even attached a goal to this - of having at least 7% of workers as people with disabilities.  OK, can't say I agree with attaching a specific number to this but whatever.  I've never considered myself as disabled, so it shouldn't take long to provide the information.  And the form states a disability is "a condition that substantially limits one or more of your 'major life activities'".  OK, that doesn't sound like it applies to me.  But then they list some examples of disabilities, and one of them stands out like a sore thumb.  Diabetes.  Yes, diabetes is listed as a disability.  I have diabetes.  Therefore, am I disabled?  That's not something that has ever crossed my mind before.  Is this just a way to fudge the numbers, so that our company can say it employs more disabled workers than it really does?  Or is this real?  Can I get disability benefits?  Can I get a disabled parking placard so I can park in handicap parking spots?  A quick internet search reveals that diabetes is indeed considered a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act.  And, under certain conditions which I don't currently satisfy, I could be eligible for disability benefits.  But sadly I won't satisfy any of the qualifying conditions for disabled parking, at least based on diabetes symptoms alone.        

Bruised

We've had some really nice weather over this mini Thanksgiving break, so I've taken the opportunity to put up my outdoor Christmas lights.  Since I had the ladder out, I decided to also clean the gutters that I could reach.  This is a particularly unpleasant task - I don't enjoy having to deal with the disgusting concoction of tree debris and dirty rainwater that inevitably blocks the gutters.  I could probably have asked my landlord to do this, but whatever.  But what I didn't take into account is the fact that the clear skies we've been having have caused the temperatures to drop below freezing overnight.  So the disgusting concoction was frozen solid.  In some ways this was good - bit easier to dispose of a block of ice than a soggy mess.  But conversely, it took a lot of work to actually get the ice free.  So I ended up probably spending more time up the ladder than I should have done - and my legs are really sore and bruised because I think I was leaning too heavily into the ladder to maintain my balance and to get the purchase to be able to break the ice.  Whoops.  But at least the gutters are clear now and my Christmas lights are up.    

Flight Over London

It's a bit tenuous, but I did recently complete another Lego set to add to my "London" collection (some of which you may be able to see out of focus in the background):

Yes, this is really more about Peter Pan than about London - but nonetheless I have made space on my shelf for it.  And, as an added bonus, some of the pieces (the moon and the clock faces) glow in the dark.

Joke

How does Good King Wenceslas like his pizza?

Deep pan, crisp and even.

And this is why Christmas (or, in this case, Thanksgiving) crackers are not an American thing.  And the crackers that you can get here on Amazon are typically non-snap - which is just crazy.  I can easily buy a gun, but heavens forbid that I can buy a Christmas cracker with a pop.

Yard Sign

I came across this yard sign in my neighborhood, and I totally agree with it's message.  But I'm almost certain that if I was to buy something similar and leave it at the bottom of my driveway - where nobody, including me, can see it apart from people driving by - then it will either get stolen or vandalized.  Such is the vitriol that anything even remotely political can stir up in certain Americans.  I should know, because it's the same feeling I get when I see a Vote Trump sign or flag.

For Thanksgiving, I am thankful that there are still a few people out there who actually see common sense.

Blackout Wednesday

I think everyone knows that the Friday after Thanksgiving is called Black Friday.  But did you know that the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is called Blackout Wednesday or Drinksgiving?  I didn't.  It is supposedly the biggest night of the year in America for drinking.  Not really a surprise when nobody is working and nothing is open tomorrow.  It might be one of the rare midweek nights when even I have a drink.  

TV Theme Tunes #56

I encountered my first pro-Palestinian anti-Israel protest today.  Why they were protesting outside a small, quiet, suburban supermarket at 10 am this morning I don't know.  Very strange choice of time and location.  But it did make me think of this theme - the stereotype being that a lot of the protesters are like this.

Wordle Update

I seem to be going through a very rough patch with regards Wordle.  There are days when I forget to even do it, thus I'm totally incapable of putting together a decent winning streak.  And even when I remember, there have been maybe 2 or 3 occasions over the last few weeks where it's taken me the full 6 attempts to resolve it.  I consider anything more than 4 to be a failure.  I'm probably not helping myself by choosing an obscure word in my first attempt.  Perhaps this is my way of challenging myself, but in reality it's more like a long shot of my trying to get the word in 1 or 2 attempts.  And it's failing miserably.  I wouldn't say I've totally fallen out of love with Wordle just yet, but I can understand why it's popularity has slumped as it has gradually disappeared from my daily routine.      

60th Anniversary

This week will mark the 60th anniversary of JFK's assassination.  And so there have been lots of documentaries that have aired recently on JFK and the assassination.  And I have watched, or will watch, the best ones.  It's an important, and shocking, historical event.  And it is maybe the defining event of the 60's - certainly to Americans.  Unfortunately, I fear my main knowledge of it is through Oliver Stone's film JFK.  Which is generally debunked by historians.  Don't get me wrong, I think it's a great film.  Indeed, I think a collector's edition of the film is coming out next month which I'm tempted to get.  But I'd like to get a more accurate understanding of the events that took place - not clouded by the bunch of conspiracies espoused by the film.    

Wildlife Update

My trail camera caught quite a lot of action over the last month.  Here are some highlights (including a great shot of a coyote):

The Workplace

Some random photos I've taken on my regular neighborhood office walks:

Swag

We used to get loads of swag at work - but this seems to have evaporated over the last few years.  Now we rarely get anything.  I'm not even expecting to get anything at Christmas.  Is this a sign of the times?  Is this a concerted effort to cut costs?  Is this some new approach initiated by upper management?  Whatever the reason, it is very disappointing.  And is not exactly the best way to maintain employee morale.  We should be celebrating a drug approval or positive quarterly financials.  And we used to.  But not anymore.  And what is perhaps more telling is that even when we have a few opportunities to get some cheap swag - think things like pens and post-it notes and the like - I'm not interested.  I used to try to get as many of these as I could, but I no longer care.  I think that says a lot about how I feel about work right now.   

Six Decades of 007

I had advanced notice of this, but today the Royal Mint announced a new seven-coin collection to celebrate 60 years of James Bond.  So yep, that's more money down the drain for collectors like me.  I didn't go for the 2 oz gold proof set (which for the full collection would cost just over 37 thousand pounds), but have shelled out on a silver proof set.  Probably another unwise investment.  Maybe I should spend my money in better ways.  Like buying a home.  Whatever.   

TV Theme Tunes #55

Surprisingly I don't think I've featured this theme tune before, considering the show somewhat parodies James Bond.  And it is a classic.  Good grief.

The Neighborhood

Some random photos I've taken on my regular neighborhood walks:

e-Bay Snipers

A frustrating evening where I got outbid on a load of James Bond trading cards.  Most at the last second, so that you don't have a chance to make a higher bid.  Some comic book seller had acquired somebody else's collection, and was auctioning it all of.  So there was a lot of good stuff to be had - including lots consisting of a load of common cards but also some really nice rare cards in amongst them.  Unfortunately I wasn't the only one to spot these hidden gems.  And there was clearly a sniper, or multiple snipers, with much deeper pockets than me bidding huge amounts on these items at the last possible second (probably with some kind of sniping software).  So of the 13 auctions I was interested in, I only won one.  Admittedly most of these I was only interested in if I could get a good price.  But still, there were several that I really wanted that I didn't get.  Disappointing, but I will persist in filling out my collection at a reasonable price (which is probably still unreasonable to most people!).   

Happy Veteran's Day!

You call it Remembrance Day or Armistice Day or Poppy Day - but here in the US it is called Veterans Day.  It is recognized as a federal holiday, but I don't think we get a day off work for this one, which is a shame.  I always kind of wondered how Americans distinguish between Veterans Day and Memorial Day - according to Wikipedia it is that Veterans Day commemorates the service of all US veterans, whereas Memorial Day honors those who have died in military service.  I guess that's a subtle difference, with some significant overlap.  I've been wearing a poppy brooch all week - but absolutely nobody has acknowledged it.  Either Americans don't notice, don't understand or don't care about what the remembrance poppy stands for.       

Caramac

RIP to the Caramac, which Nestle have recently announced they are axing.  A bar which I quite liked, even if I didn't have it very often and not for a very long time.  Given my new scrutiny on sugar intake, it's not exactly something I'm going to miss a lot.  But I don't like the idea of my favorite bars starting to disappear from our shelves.  It's like losing some of your favorite childhood memories.  Perhaps I'm getting oversentimental because I know I'll never be able to enjoy these kind of treats to the same extent ever again (though I confess to having enjoyed some Halloween candy recently that people had brought into the office, without any untoward side effects, so perhaps I can still occasionally spoil myself!).    

Masters of the Air

I just found out today that there is a follow-up to Band of Brothers and The Pacific, called Masters of the Air, and that it's coming out in January.  That's great news, because both Band of Brothers and The Pacific were excellent - and I am a sucker for a quality war miniseries.  But then watching the trailer for Masters of the Air, I was struck by two major concerns.  Firstly, this looks to be another horribly American-centric view of the war.  This was also something of an issue with Band of Brothers, and I think is always going to be a problem when following an American unit in World War II Europe.  So I can probably live with it as long as the show remains historically accurate.  But the bigger concern - why the heck is this being shown on Apple TV+ and not HBO?  I don't subscribe to Apple TV, so am I going to have to subscribe just to watch this?  That's an expensive hassle.  Band of Brothers and the The Pacific were both on HBO, and I subscribe to HBO, so it's really disappointing that this isn't either.  If HBO showed it on Sunday evenings, I almost guarantee it would be a massive hit like loads of other successful HBO shows.  Apple TV's only successful show is Ted Lasso, which is almost the polar opposite to Masters of the Air, so that makes me nervous.        

Going into the office

I'm still being forced to go into the office 3 days a week.  And I hate it.  So I've set myself a few conditions.  I don't leave for the office until after 9 am at the earliest, when hopefully the morning traffic has eased up.  And I leave no later than 2.30 pm, to avoid the afternoon/evening traffic.  The only exception to this is when it's a nice day.  Then I might go for a long lunchtime walk, and stay in the office until late.  I did this today, but even leaving around 6.30 pm I hit a load of traffic and the commute home was horrendous.  But I don't generally want to stay late if it means driving home in the dark - which is why I hate the clocks going back.  And especially when it's dark and wet.  So unless someone has a problem with my hours in the office, that's the schedule I'm going to try to keep.  At the moment, I'm going into the office Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  But I'm thinking of changing that up as well - maybe to Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  Or maybe to no fixed days, so that I can play it according to weather, workload, meetings and my mood.  Ultimately, I'd rather just have the choice of going into the office as much, or as little, as I want - but sadly that's just not an option.   

TV Theme Tunes #54

I don't remember anything about this show apart from the concept and the theme tune (and that may be from one of the many spoofs, rather than the actual show).

Redmond Watershed Preserve

In a break between weather fronts, managed to go out for a hike at Redmond Watershed Preserve on Sunday morning.  Another of my semi-regular haunts, again this one is just a little bit too far to make it a practical lunchtime destination when I'm working from home.  But I have to remember that it is a worthwhile trip here to catch some fall colors.  I maybe missed peak fall foliage by a couple of weeks, but still made for a good trip - though it can get busy here, especially at weekends.  But this is one of the few places where the trails are dog-free (though that hasn't stopped me encountering a few especially entitled dog owners), and has the bonus of being near the British shop where I can stop to get a sausage roll on the way home.  I don't think I was on my A game when it came to taking some photos this time, but this particular trail doesn't readily lend itself to obvious photo opportunities.    

Festive Mood, Not

It's still incredibly early in November, but I'm already thinking about Christmas.  So much so, that I actually went to Home Depot today (UK equivalent: B&Q) and bought myself an artificial Christmas tree.  I'm sure I'll post a photo once I've put it together.  But my festive mood quickly soured when I got home and opened up a package that got delivered today - and discovered that the item wasn't what I ordered.  So got to see if that mess can get sorted out - what a pain, especially if I need to return their mistake. 

Winter Storm

After some clear, and very cold, days - the first fall storms of the season have started rolling in.   It has got warmer, but it has also got windier and much wetter.  Not major wind, but enough to knock out power for some people (not me fortunately).  Unfortunately, as it always the case with the first significant wind of the season, absolutely tons of tree debris has dropped in and around my house.  It's a nightmare to clear up, and invariably it gets inside my home.  Until we get a prolonged stretch of dry weather, there's no point using my leaf blower - so I'm stuck with a messy outside for the foreseeable future (not helped by Amazon delivery drivers unable to stay on my driveway, again).      

Ripped Off?

How come every time I take my car to get serviced, I feel like I'm getting ripped off?  Probably because I am.  My car is approaching 40,000 miles - and experience has taught me that that is when owning a car starts to get more expensive.  Sure enough, I've had to splash out on a couple of new tires recently.  And today, my car battery failed it's test so I needed to get a new one.  They also tried to get me to replace my 2 older tires, but I said no to that (if I really needed them, they would have said something at the tire shop when I got my 2 new tires).  And they also tried to get me to change my transmission fluid - but I also passed on that.  The last one is particularly galling, because this is something that the service monitor in my car will tell me when it needs replacing.  I'm already paying something of a premium by taking my car to a dealer to get serviced.  With all the new technology and electronics in cars nowadays, I feel obliged to do this rather than using an old school independent mechanic.  I guess I could save money by taking my car to get the oil changed somewhere else.  And I could probably have got the car battery somewhere else for a cheaper price as well.  But ultimately, what I really should do is get a new car.          

COVID Booster

I got my COVID booster shot today.  One of the very few people in the US to do so.  Despite the CDC recommending that everyone gets one, I read somewhere that only about 7% of Americans have gotten one so far.  And I suspect most Americans won't bother with getting the booster at all.  This doesn't surprise me.  For a start, it's a pain in the ass to get one - there are no mass vaccination sites any more, instead you typically have to go to a pharmacy.  And availability is extremely limited.  It's supposed to be free, but apparently a lot of places have been refusing medical insurance and making people pay out of pocket.  At least that's what happened to one of my colleagues.  Which is why I'm glad I went to a small family-owned pharmacy nearby, where I didn't have any issues and didn't pay anything.  An interesting pharmacy - I'd never been there before, and it doubles as a gift shop and had loads of potential Christmas gift ideas.  I will probably return.  But if they want to administer COVID shots in the same way that they administer flu shots, then a lot needs to change.  For example, I was able to get a flu shot at work - but I don't know why they didn't offer a COVID shot at the same time.  And there's also been very little advertising or promotion for getting the booster - which seems like something the US government has dropped the ball on.  I bet that will change when COVID hospitalizations and deaths start ticking up again.    

A Simple Fix

I have an outdoor light next to my driveway that I like to leave on overnight, for security reasons as much as the aesthetics.  The problem is that this light is controlled by an indoor light switch.  So every dusk I have to turn the switch on.  And every dawn I have to turn the switch off.  It's a pain, and can be problematic.  Sometimes I forget to turn the light off, so it stays on all day.  Other times I might get home late to a dark driveway.  And when I go on vacation, the light will stay on 24/7 for weeks.  Because of this, I seem to go through an abnormally high number of bulbs.  So, I need to find a solution.  Could I fit some kind of timer switch?  Nope, at least not without my landlord's help - I don't trust my lack of electrical DIY skills.  Something else I considered was a switch button pusher.  This works by being attached to one end of the switch, and you can set it to push and pull the switch on and off when you want.  However, you need a rocker switch for this to work and I don't have that (I have a toggle switch).  So how have I solved the problem?  Quite simple, I've bought some light bulbs that have light sensors.  So I can keep the switch on, and the bulb will turn on and off automatically.  Genius, and I don't know why it took me so long to get this.  I was worried it might not work through the shaded glass of the light fixture, but it works a treat.  Nice.