Fall

I think the first official day of autumn was last week, but it's only this week that it has really felt like it.  We've finally been hit by some truly autumnal weather - rain, wind and gloominess.  And with nights rapidly starting earlier and earlier, you can really feel the change in seasons.  Or perhaps I'm just afflicted by a particularly strong case of seasonal affective disorder.      

Roundabouts

Finally, it seems America has started to embrace roundabouts.  I've noticed that a few 4-way junctions around the neighborhood have been converted into roundabouts recently.  Obviously we don't have them here on anywhere near the same scale that you do in the UK, but this a welcome and long overdue development.  With one major drawback.  And that is that Americans don't know how to drive round roundabouts.  From the lack of signalling - a pet peeve of mine in American drivers - to not knowing who has the right of way, American driving habits causes all the efficiencies of having a roundabout in the first place to be lost.  Which is maybe why America shouldn't have them.  And maybe the priority should be teaching Americans to drive better.          

Superman

I'm sure there's a lot more important things I should be doing, but I just finished watching the most recent Superman film.  And what did I think of it?  It was... blah.  Not particularly bad, not particularly good, perfectly adequate and utterly unmemorable.  So pretty much like most Marvel/DC films.  I'm pretty tired of yet another superhero movie - especially a reboot of something that's already been rebooted multiple times (how many actors have played Superman now?  I don't even know the name of this one.).  But sadly whilst they continue to perform at the box office then the big studios will continue to churn them out - at the cost of more interesting and more original films.  I was going to give this one 2.5 stars - but the overuse of the stupid superhero dog knocks off a half star so 2 stars.   

Palace 2-1 Liverpool

I missed the game because I was out this morning, so imagine my surprise and delight to find out the score when I got home at lunch.  I caught some highlights - seems like we deserved to win, which is even more satisfying.  18 games unbeaten - what a run.  The only down side, now I think my chances of getting a ticket for Palace vs Bournemouth (currently 2nd vs 3rd) seem even less likely now. 

Ermm, what day is it?

Oops, I appear to have forgotten to post anything yesterday.  I don't know why it slipped my mind - admittedly I was tired.  It was a long day - I had an early meeting, and then was preoccupied with wrapping up a task at work during the day.  And in the evening, I guess I switched off - I don't even remember what I was watching on telly.  I don't think I fell asleep on the sofa, but I might as well have.  I feel like my brain is slowly turning into mush - the 3+ weeks I've got off work coming up can't come soon enough!

Jumping Through Hoops

I've decided that I would like to watch a Crystal Palace game when I'm back in the UK.  I can't call myself a real fan if I've never been to Selhurst Park.   It's also my own way of hono(u)ring the anniversary of my Dad's passing.  But getting tickets is not proving an easy task.  To go through the official team channels to get a ticket, you have to become a member.  So I've already had to shell out some money on basic membership.  And then even with that, the opportunities for buying a ticket are limited.  You kind of rely on season ticket holders unable to attend to resell their ticket.  I've checked many times, and normally there are no tickets available.  And the only few times I've seen a seat available, it is on the very front row which is not where I want to be.  I'm hoping more will become available nearer the date of the match, but there are no guarantees.  But what I do see are tickets available on StubHub.  I have no idea how legit they are, and I guess they might be a bit more expensive.  But going that route could be an option.  Alternately, I might wait until I'm in the UK next year (sometime around Easter?), and see if I can use my membership to buy a ticket for a game much more in advance.

More backyard action

I remembered to check my trail cam memory card recently - a lot of action over the last month or so.  Here are some of the better shots.

Hypocrisy

I just can't deal with the level of hypocrisy under the current administration.  It's unbelievable.  So many examples that I don't need to repeat here.  I'll just mention that unfortunately the local Seattle ABC affiliate is owned by Sinclair - one of the right-wing television conglomerates - and so is refusing to air Jimmy Kimmel's show tonight even though it has returned from suspension.  An obvious example of censorship and violation of free speech.  I'll try to catch what he has to say on YouTube.  I can't say I'm surprised - I totally refuse to watch the local news on this station, because of it's right-wing bias (even though it's supposed to be LOCAL news).  And apparently Sinclair also wants to buy out another TV station operator - which also happens to be the local Seattle NBC affiliate.  Soon enough it's going to be impossible to get unbiased news on the local broadcast networks here.  And with the public broadcasting budget slashed, PBS news is also being seriously compromised.  One of the first things that authoritarian leaders do is control the media - I think we're starting to see an attempt at that in real time.   

I Don't Like Mondays

O. O. Denny Park

It's been a while since I posted any photos from a hike I've done, but I took a few photos the other day.  It was a sunny day, so I took a lunchtime trek to O. O. Denny Park on the shore of Lake Washington.  It's not far away - maybe a 15 minute drive from home without roadworks (unfortunately, there seems to be roadworks everywhere at the moment), and it's somewhere I've been to before but not for a while.  And it's really a park of two halves.  You have the grassy area by the shoreline, which on a sunny day is pleasant to just relax and hang out at.  It's also a good place to catch the Christmas boat parade (which I did one year).  But on the other side of the road, there is a trail you can take into the forest.  It's not a particularly long trail, with detours you can still do the loop in less than 45 minutes, but it manages to fit in quite a lot of elevation change so is a decent workout.  The trail follows Denny Creek - which apparently is used by salmon, but certainly not at this time of year when there wasn't much water in the creek.  Another highlight is a massive 600 year Douglas fir called Sylvia.   

Cameo

Have you heard of Cameo?  It's a website where you can pay a "celebrity" to make a quick personalized video.  Well, a friend decided to send me a Cameo as a belated birthday present.  And which "celebrity" did I get a personalized 40 second video message from?  Well I say personalized, it's really only some basic info about me that my friend provided.  Well it pains me to say this, but it was Nigel Farage.  My friend thought it was funny.  Me, less so.  I did not like this idiot wishing me a happy birthday and telling me that Reform will turn Britain around and attract talent like me back to Britain.  And Make Britain Great Again.  Jesus.  And I can't say I'm particularly happy with my friend for giving money to this weenie.  My friend's birthday is in November, so I guess I'm supposed to return the favo(u)r by ordering a Cameo for him from ... scrolls through list of celebrities ... nope, I can't do this, it's just too sad.  I'll get him something else.        

Sports vs Sports Entertainment

My source of American sports news is typically ESPN.  I used to watch their flagship program SportsCenter every night.  But no longer.  The presenters have become increasingly bro-ey and obnoxious (as epitomized by Stephen A Smith - one of the highest-paid figures in sports media, and somebody whose presence I find unbearable), and I am increasingly indifferent to sports like baseball and American football.  Their 30 for 30 documentary series is excellent, but it's been ages since they had a new and decent episode.  And now ESPN has made a deal with WWE to show wrestling.  I have a major problem with this.  Wrestling - more specifically WWE wrestling - is NOT a sport.  It is sports entertainment.  There is a huge difference.  It's like comparing pantomime to Shakespeare.  And the issue is that since making the deal, WWE news is getting mixed up with real sports news.  Indeed, the main headline on the ESPN website earlier today - a website I often go on to check scores - was on wrestling.  Which is ridiculous.  You can't conflate these two entities.  It would be like the BBC News reporting on events in EastEnders as if they were real.  It just feels incredibly wrong.  Yet another example of an increasingly messed up world we live in.           

Current Affairs

Oh boy, got to be careful what I say in case the wrong person happens to read this.  But I have a lot of thoughts on current affairs when it comes to political assassinations (you only need to compare the responses when a Minnesota Democrat got assassinated versus a Republican "provocateur"), freedom of speech and the politicization of things that shouldn't be politicized (the local channel here is airing a Charlie Kirk tribute in place of a Jimmy Kimmel rerun...), a "historic"second state visit, and the general state of the US and the world.  On a more personal level, we were informed today at an all-hands meeting that no more layoffs in my department are planned this year.  So at least that's something.  However, then I found out that my current doctor's practice is no longer going to accept my health insurance - so now I'll have to find a new doctor when I come back from the UK.  Which is a pain in the ass, especially because I was hoping to start a GLP-1 medication before the end of the year.   And any thoughts of moving back to the UK permanently, and there have been a lot of thoughts recently, have been set back by news that lots of pharma companies are pulling investment from the UK.  With the sheer amount of layoffs and fewer job openings, whether it is in the US or the UK it is really tough for job seekers in my industry right now.  The prospect of getting laid off is a scary one, but I have to consider the many positives of taking a much-needed sabbatical.  Though the prospect of having to buy my own very expensive health insurance is definitely not a positive.     

Vaccinated

Well, I'm all up to date with my flu and COVID-19 shots for this winter.  And I got them even before the West Coast Health Alliance's guidance.  Was able to get the shots at the local pharmacy without any issues whatsoever.  It's an independent, locally-owned pharmacy that I should really support more.  But I actually pick up my medications and refills from a pharmacy attached to the supermarket I regularly go to, simply for the convenience.  But I might change that going forward.  This independent pharmacy is definitely geared towards an older crowd - with loads of knick-knacks available to buy that make great stocking stuffers.  But it does make you wonder how long they can remain in business.  We've already had one local pharmacy chain go out of business, with the subsequent closure of multiple stores.  And, somewhat controversially, a similarly independent, locally-owned and much loved garden center went out of business (or, more accurately, was forced out of business).  Much like British town centres, you get less and less of these kind of independent businesses and are just left with the same soulless chains.       

Heatwave

A very random day where the temperatures got into the 90's (mid-30's Celsius).  But only for one day.  It was 20 degrees cooler yesterday, and it will be 20 degrees cooler tomorrow.  Surreal.  It was too hot even to go for a lunchtime walk.  And we were under a severe weather alert today - a red flag warning.  Because of gusty winds, high temperatures and low relative humidity, the fire risk is very high.  Just last weekend I had put away my AC units for the year - perhaps I should have left them out for one more week.  It's going to be an uncomfortably hot night...   

A New Low

It's official, America is broken.  I just watched an advert - AN ADVERT - for ICE.  I have never seen this before.  I was shocked.  So shocked, I had to rewatch it and write down the words in the advert (imagine these being spoken over various militaristic and patriotic imagery):

"Attention Seattle law enforcement

You took an oath to protect & serve

To keep your family, your city safe

But in sanctuary cities you're ordered to stand down

While dangerous illegals walk free

Join ICE and help us catch the worst of the worst

Drug traffickers, gang members, predators

Join the mission to protect America

With bonuses up to $50,000 sign-on bonus & generous benefits

Apply now and fulfill your mission"  

My major issue with this, it's absolute bullsh*t.  ICE doesn't catch the "worst of the worst", nope it catches a whole load of innocent and decent people.  And when you join an agency where you cover your face in order to hide your identity, you are clearly not fulfilling a noble mission to protect America.  What an absolute farce.  This is where the billion dollars of tax-payer money earmarked for ICE goes to - sign-on bonuses for a bunch of racists.  Apparently the Trump administration have launched this massive recruitment campaign to hire up to 14,000 people in order to deport 1 million people a year.  If that quota is going to be met, then people like me are very much at risk.      

Windows

I don't like kowtowing to tech pressure, but with Windows 10 support ending soon I have reluctantly upgraded my laptop to Windows 11 today.  It didn't take me nearly as long as I feared to install the updates, but the proper test will be to see whether my laptop performance is affected by the upgrade.  The last time I updated Windows on a laptop, it effectively slowed down my laptop so much that it was useless and I had to buy a new one.  But at least I've been using Windows 11 on my work laptop for a while, so I'm used to the (somewhat minor) differences between Windows 10 and Windows 11.     

Extremism

I know things are bad here, but I didn't realize that things were equally bad in the UK.  I am of course talking about far-right extremism.  I have seen the headlines about 150,000 people attending a far-right rally in London today.  It's not so much that so many people hold these far-right views - I think that has always been the case.  But what I find more disturbing is that people feel emboldened to be open and proud about their extremism.  That is not right.  And you can definitely blame the internet and social media for normalizing these kind of opinions.  And it's not just that they allow it, they actively encourage it - as epitomized by Elon Musk speaking at the event.  I don't like the direction the world is heading in - one of extremism and nationalism, at the cost of common sense and decency.  We're already starting to see the affects of that in the US with the deadly acts of political violence.  Things are not going to get better any time soon (certainly while a certain president remains in charge).  These are dark times, which I fear could get even darker.    

More 1/1s

I've managed to acquire a few more unique 1/1 cards:

 

Of course, Baron Samedi is my favo(u)rite - from one of my favo(u)rite Bond films in Live and Let Die, which holds a special place in my heart as the first Bond film that I ever really remember watching.  Or at least as a youngster, the most memorable Bond film (which has apparently carried through to adulthood - it might be why New Orleans does not appeal to me, why I don't trust tarot cards, why I have a big fear of crocodiles, and why Sheriff J W Pepper might be one of my favo(u)rite characters in the franchise).   

Detour

I've been noticing a significant uptake in the amount of traffic on my road this week.  The reason is that one of the other local roads is closed for a few weeks due to replacing a culvert (one of the very many roadworks going on round here right now - it's crazy).  So the traffic that normally takes that road has been diverted along my road.  And I know there is nothing I can do about it, but it is frustrating.  I'm seeing a lot more bigger vehicles, a lot more cars speeding and I feel a lot less safe when I'm walking on the road e.g. to my mailbox.  But perhaps my biggest pet peeve is that the diversion shouldn't even go my way.  There is a t-junction in the detour where traffic should go right instead of left in order to head back towards the closed road.  But nope, traffic is instead directed left onto my road.  Absolutely nonsensical.  But at least only one more week to put up with this.

2026 World Cup

Less than a year now until the 2026 World Cup in the US, and I am determined to see at least one game in person.  And the first opportunity for purchasing tickets is coming up.  I entered the "Visa Presale Draw" today.  And in this convoluted process, if you are successful in the draw then you aren't even guaranteed to be able to get a ticket for the game or games of your choosing.  Instead you will be provided a timeslot for when you can purchase tickets.  With the extreme caveat of "subject to availability", plus I'm sure some other conditions.  Of course, I think thousands if not millions of people will be entering this draw - so I think my chances of being selected are slim to none.  All of this seems very strange when the World Cup draw hasn't even been made yet, so no one knows which countries will be playing in which games.  All I know is that there a couple of knockout games being held in Seattle, which I think are my first choice of games to go to.  My second choice, which may involve flying to a different city, is to see England play.  My third, and final, choice is to see a group game in Seattle.  There will be more opportunities to buy tickets - but with dynamic pricing in place for the World Cup, things could start to get very expensive.  And I worry about demand and how tough it might be to get a ticket for a meaningful game.  Of course, what the World Cup has really become about is making profit for the evil and corrupt cabal that is FIFA - at the cost to the quality of the game (as highlighted by the expansion of the tournament, without any consideration to player burnout and likely resulting in a whole bunch more of crappy games - which will probably be one of the games I end up watching).          

The Paper

I just finished watching the first season of The Paper.  I so really wanted to like this show - essentially a sequel to The (American) Office in the same deadpan mockumentary style.  It has it's moments, but what it felt like were episodes from one of the last seasons of The (American) Office.  Not so funny, well past it's best, and with one incredibly annoying new character.  Whereas the later episodes of The (American) Office only reminded you that this show used to be really good, The Paper instead makes you think that this could have been really good.  And whereas The (American) Office had Nellie, The Paper has Esmeralda.  Possibly the most annoying character on telly right now - both in character arc and portrayal - and whose presence made me actively dislike the show.  If you can't tell, I truly HATED this character.  HATED!  Both The (American) Office and Parks and Recreation started slowly, so I'm prepared to give this show a second chance (particularly it it gets rid of Esmeralda).  But I cannot recommend it right now.      

Unwelcome

First with the Club World Cup, and then this past weekend with the US Open - we've got a clear indication that Trump is going to be shoved down our throats during every major international sporting event in the US.  The very definition of cringe.  What do we have next?  We can expect an appearance at the Ryder Cup, definitely one at the World Cup (it somehow seems on brand that Trump has cozied up to the evil and corrupt cabal that is FIFA) and we've also got the Olympics in 2028.  If any of these are anything like the US Open, it's going to be an absolute shambles and I pity any fans trying to watch the same event as he is.  You know something is very wrong when the actual sporting event was delayed solely due to his presence, and you even feel some sympathy for people who shelled out thousands of dollars to watch a tennis match that they were then unable to get in on time.  And obviously Trump being booed at the US Open got censored from US TV - a classic authoritarian move.  I would hope and expect any "soccer" fans to boo him even more mercilessly than a tennis crowd.         

Football (American)

The American Football season started this weekend.  I didn't watch a minute of any game, and have absolutely no intention of doing so any time soon.  It is a sport I've become increasingly disillusioned with, and perhaps the worse sport to watch live with the constant interruptions and adverts.  I know that Seattle lost - and I'm not expecting them to have a good year.  I'd rather free up my Sundays for getting off my ass and getting outside.

Stains

Just this week, I've noticed some black marks on the front of my shorts.  And not just one pair, but two.  Not enough to ruin them, but enough to notice.  And I'm not entirely sure what is causing these stains.  My working theory is that they come from when I have the laptop on my lap and the colo(u)r from the base of the laptop is rubbing onto my shorts.  It's not a perfect theory, but I have nothing better at the moment.  Though that doesn't explain why only now.  I wondered if it might be dirt from my car, but that wouldn't explain the location.  And I really don't know what else it could be.  So, for the time being, I've put my laptop on a tray.  Let's see if that resolves the situation.  All I know is that these black marks are not coming out in the laundry very easily - might be time to get some new shorts.

Vaccinations

I'd like to get my COVID-19 shot before I come back to the UK next month, but I've got absolutely no idea whether it's possible.  And even if it is possible, I don't know whether my health insurance will cover the cost.  When you put a crazy anti-vaxxer in charge of American health policy, no wonder the situation is so confounding and shambolic.  I think Washington State is actually breaking with the FDA rules and recommending the COVID-19 vaccination to most residents.  I know Washington is one of the states to join the "West Coast Health Alliance" - which will provide science-based immunization guidance, and probably directly challenge the CDC's recommendations.  Expect contradictory advice.  Either way, I've scheduled a flu shot in a few week's time (previously I always got my flu shot at work, but obviously that is no longer possible) - and I'm hoping I can get the COVID-19 shot at the same time, but we shall see.      

Orange

One of those late summer days where wildfire smoke has blown into our region and the atmosphere was a vibrant shade of orange all day.  And it was another unpleasantly hot and humid day - on what has been a much warmer than normal end to summer.  That probably means we're going to have a shocking winter.

Tariffs

You don't need me to tell you how stupid tariffs are - all the increased costs are simply passed onto the consumer.  But there is a new US policy that went into effect last week that, as far as I'm aware, has not been discussed in the media too extensively but which directly impacts me and many others.  And that is that the US de minimis has been eliminated.  What does that mean?  Basically, before last week any items worth less than $800 were allowed to enter into the US duty and tax free.  Now all shipments into the US - regardless of value - are subject to duties and customs clearance.  As someone who occasionally obtains trading cards from UK, Canadian and Asian buyers - this is a major change that impacts me.  If you purchase any item that ships from outside the US, then you need to pay import fees.  And the cherry on top, you don't even know how much you will owe.  Which is ridiculous.  All kinds of factors can influence what you're charged - item type, value, country of origin.  Plus processing fees added on by the shipping carrier or US customs - which is just plain outrageous.  This is just a horrific change in policy, and open to all kinds of scams - think fake customs or delivery fee requests.  I encountered the new fees directly the other day for the first time when I bought a trading card from a Canadian buyer.  When I went to checkout, I wasn't expecting to see a message telling me "Due to US policies, import fees for this order will need to be paid to customs or the shipping carrier on delivery".  I'm not dealing with that - so I got around it by instead arranging delivery to the UK.  So apologies to my mum in advance if she starts to receive more packages addressed to me.  Blame the Trump administration. 

Renewal

I got sent a vehicle registration renewal notice by e-mail today.  Fine, if you have a car then you're expected to have a valid registration.  But the major issue I have with this notice is the timing.  My current registration doesn't expire until the end of November.  So they've sent me a renewal notice 3 months in advance.  Which seems excessive to say the least.  Almost makes me question whether the e-mail is spam.  But it looks legit - my car details are correct, and the amount due is not excessive (though probably still too much for the value of my car, but you can blame the regional transit authority tax for that - all vehicle owners have to pay for the light rail service that most of us don't use).  But I don't think I'm going to click on any of the links just to err on the safe side.  And I'm certainly not going to renew my registration until November.

Labor Day

Happy Labor Day!  A welcome day off work.  And the unofficial end of summer.  Though September is one of my favo(u)rite months of the year - still decent weather but less crowds.  Now if only I can make the most of it with some weekend excursions.  Then before you know it, it will be October and I'll be back in the UK.