Bosch

I've become totally addicted to the TV series Bosch, watching it on Amazon.  I've watched all 4 seasons - 40 episodes, each about 45 minutes to 1 hour - over the last month, and I'm totally up to date now and looking forward to Season 5 next year.  I'm not really sure why I like it - it's not a particularly special or original detective show.  But it is reliably enjoyable and doesn't require deep concentration, which makes it very easily consumed.  Perhaps I've reached that age where I start to enjoy shows more that I can switch my brain off to.  Which is unfortunate.   

Petty

I was paying my bills today, and noticed that I had an additional charge on my trash collection bill for "An extra bag, bin or can".  I have NEVER left anything for collection that didn't fit in my bins, so I have absolutely no idea where this came from.  It was only an extra $5, but I don't want to pay this so let's see what they say to my e-mail about it.  There has been an occasion before where I noticed somebody left some of their rubbish in my bins - it looked like construction stuff, so some a-hole builder dumped their stuff in my bins overnight.  I guess that could have happened again - and if it didn't fit in the bins then that might have caused the charge.  But I shouldn't have to pay for that.  If anything, they should pay me for picking up all the litter that gets left by the road outside my place. 

Yet more photos of Lake Union

Since it was a grey, wet, miserable day today, here are a few photos from a sunset walk around Lake Union yesterday whilst waiting for the commute time from work to home to come down to a reasonable time (I've started having to leave later and later...)

End of Summer

Yesterday was the first day that I thought about turning on my heating again - so, sadly, that is officially the end of summer.  I managed to resist, but it's even colder tonight so I might have to welcome back enormous heating bills again soon.  It even snowed over the mountain passes this week - this doesn't seem indicative of the long term forecast of a weak to moderate El Nino this winter, which should mean drier and warmer conditions.

Presidential Alert

Yes, I was one of the millions today who received a presidential alert on their mobile phone testing a national alert system.  So if Canada or Mexico start a land invasion, or North Korea fires a nuclear missile in our direction – at least we’ll get some sort of advanced warning.  We can’t opt out of these alerts, so if Trump decides to start using this system to share his entirely coherent and rational twitter feed then I won’t be happy.   

Le Golf

A comment on the Ryder Cup has been requested.  Got to be honest, didn't watch any of it - I just cannot bear to watch golf live, it is so so boring, and the time difference didn't help things - but mightily enjoyed the result.  Especially satisfying to see Tiger Woods not win a single point - someone who I haven't liked for a long time (and hate the way the American media totally fawn over him), and the epitome of a total non-team player.  And even more satisfying to read about some of the fallout from the pasting - with American players finger pointing and getting in fights afterwards.  Hilarious and embarrassing.  I have quite a few friends out here who a big golfers, so very enjoyable to rub the result in their faces.     

Glory Box

It’s a sad state of affairs when I see a TV ad for the iPhone that uses music from one of my favorite mid-90’s bands, followed by a credit card ad that uses music from Prince.  Is no music too good now to use in advertising?  What a sellout – what a shame.