Memorial Day

I am aching today.  It was Memorial Day weekend, and after a couple of days of not feeling very well and not doing very much I decided I’d better make the most of a rare bank holiday and go out and do something yesterday.  So I went out for a hike.  I did a part of the John Wayne Pioneer Trail through Iron Horse State Park, with an extension to Twin Falls.  That probably sounds a lot more impressive than it really was!  However, the John Wayne Pioneer Trail is a big one – it follows the old Pacific Railroad that goes all the way to Chicago.  Because it’s an old railroad, at least that means the trail is relatively flat – although it was quite a descent to get down to Twin Falls (with subsequent ascent).  My guidebook said that this was a 7 mile round trip to Twin Falls – a reasonable distance after a couple of days of inactivity.  However, the trail head at the start of the hike said it was a 9 mile round trip – but that wasn’t enough to put me off, so I did the hike.  Considering how tired I was by the end of it, I think it was closer to 9 miles than 7 miles – so if anything at least I got some good exercise!  I wouldn’t call this a particularly picturesque hike – just some peek-a-boo views of the Cascades mountain rage, some remnants of the old rail line plus the falls at the turn around point.  

But I was glad I had got there at 7.30am when the parking lot was almost empty, because by the time I got back at 11.30 the parking lot was full and there was a ton of cars parked (illegally?) on the sides of the road leading up to the trail head.  And naturally, encountered many more people on the return trip back to the car.  I’m glad I’ve started doing these hikes early rather than late – it means I can actually enjoy and appreciate the surroundings without being disturbed by the riff raff.

Game of Thrones S6E6

Unusually, I haven't read any recaps yet of last nights Game of Thrones episode, so there are my unbiased thoughts.  As much as I love Game of Thrones, and I think it might be the only current TV series I would consider recapping in this manner, last night's episode was underwhelming to say the least.  The confrontation in King's Landing was a massive anticlimax, it appears that Arya's adventures in The House of Black and White was just a massive waste of time, we are introduced to another dysfunctional family (with only a not subtle indication that the sword might be quite important), Danny has her dragon back (big whoop), and we have a new (and more articulate, therefore more exposition heavy) Hodor for Bran.  I'm getting inpatient with GoT - there's been more than enough setup, pieces and people moving into place, wheels turning - I want action, I want a payoff, I want to see things happen.  There's only 3 episodes left this season - we are running out of time.  Traditionally, the penultimate episode is the big one - but please let's have more than one big one this season.  I would say I would like to re-watch those series of images Bran saw - I'm sure there was some good stuff there.

Pharmaceutical Industry

Also in this week’s issue of Time, an article about rising drug prices, and the price-gouging carried out by some pharmaceutical companies that has been making the news recently.  And, unsurprisingly, my employer was one of the companies that got mentioned in the article.  It’s interesting working for an industry that is much maligned!  Both Trump and Hilary have said they will do something about it if they get elected (but that is unlikely to get much traction because of the lobbying power that the pharmaceutical industry has).  Even though my entire career has been in this industry, I’ve always remained skeptical of it.  Drug companies don’t want to cure diseases because it’s not profitable - much better to contain or prevent diseases though long-term treatment.  And frankly, the profits that companies like mine make are obscene.  However, what price can you put on developing new drugs that save lives and/or improve quality of life?  It’s a fine lead to tread - just another symptom of what is an extremely dysfunctional healthcare system in the US.  

Quote

From a quick take in this week's Time magazine:

"It's not just O.K. to be single for both men and women - it's wonderful to be single, and society needs to embrace singlehood in all its splendiferous, solitary glory."

Amen sister.

James Bond theme

A cool jazzy version.

Thanks YouTube, where I spend far too much time randomly finding music to listen to from all decades and genres (currently getting nostalgic over early 90's tunes)

Sleep, lack of

So, so tired today.  I fear I might be coming down with something – my ping pong game was off today and I got humiliated by my competitors.  I’m definitely suffering from a lack of sleep.  I already sleep with ear plugs in – I probably don’t need them where I live now (I only really notice noise from neighbors when I’m in the living room), but it’s something I’ve got used to over the years.  However, I think I’m waking up earlier as it gets light earlier – the blinds in the apartment are absolutely useless at keeping much of the light out.  So, for the last few days I’ve tried also sleeping with eye shades on (fortunately I kept hold of some from the various trans-Atlantic flights I’ve taken) – but without much success.  I don’t exactly know what I do when I’m asleep but I think I must move about a lot because both mornings I’ve woken up and my eye shades have come off and I’m sleeping on top of them.  Weird.  But it still seems that I’m waking up at dawn – and sunrise in Seattle at the moment is at the shockingly early time of 5.19am.  So I think the accumulation of short nights of sleep are starting to catch up with me.  In the past, work stress has also been a cause of my sleeplessness – but unless not enough work rather than too much work is a cause, then I don’t think this has anything to do with it this time.  And I don’t think I need a new mattress – although I’ve had it for a while (8 years?), it’s not uncomfortable and I’m not waking up with back pain or anything.  Could this just be another symptom from getting old?  I hope not, I’d like to get my full 8 hours of beauty sleep a night if I can…

Best TV shows of all time

Here is a list of my top 10 favorite TV shows of all time, in no particular order.  This is obviously very subjective and open to debate and to change, and only consists of TV shows that no longer air new episodes:

The Wire

The Sopranos

Deadwood

Lost

Breaking Bad

Mad Men

Band of Brothers

Battlestar Galactica

The Office (UK version)

Planet Earth

Honorable mentions to (and possible new entrants to the Top 10 on a different day):

The Good Wife

The Wonder Years

24

The Shield

Justified

Hannibal

Spaced

Star Trek: The Next Generation

The World at War

Banshee

And possible (and in some cases extremely likely) new entries once they finish up:

Game of Thrones

South Park

The Americans

Rectify

Homeland

Fargo

Silicon Valley

Black Mirror

Mr Robot

Better Call Saul

If I gave this more thought, I could probably come up with a whole new set of shows that I’ve momentarily forgotten about that should be in these lists.  What is interesting is that the majority of these are American dramas, with only a handful of comedies and British shows thrown in.  Is that why, or because, I moved to the US?  Curious.