Things that have to go Beep

Why does something have to bleep all the time when it’s paused? It’s probably to remind you that you need to decide whether to turn it on or not, but if you know that you’re going to turn it on again in the next few minutes it can be slightly annoying. And even then it’s only to check whether some attention is required but you have to tell it that you’re listening. It’ll also tell you sone useless information that you don’t really want to know. It might be appropriate at other sites, but it doesn’t work well here. If you even say a word that it won’t recognise, it’ll try and translate it into something that it does rather than tell you that it doesn’t recognise it. And if it’s in a bad mood, it’ll just listen to itself rather than you so that it ends up answering itself. There’s better ways to operate.

The Dress #Titanabell 12

There was quite a bit of rubble surrounding the doorway as Titannabell had to pass her entire body through the narrow doorway. She went rear first so it would be less painful on the rest of her body, then she crawled her torso through. Her dress got a bit ripped in the process. She wondered if the door would still lock. She sighed. Finding a decent seamstress would take ages to repair the gown given the size of it. It would be something that she’d have to sort out in the morning. Not bothering to hang the gown, she threw it across the room. She wondered if the guards could find someone. She started to call one of them in before realising how exposed she was. It was a shame that she didn’t have any servants available to her. Perhaps the host was too intimidated to locate any. Different regions had different customs.

Gorgeous Beer Golden Bitter at the Park Gate, Bromsgrove

I have fond memories of the outside of this pub. As kids we used to come here with my Nan and sit in the beer garden on a wooden picnic bench with a Vimto and a packet of crisps for five minutes before rushing off to climb up a wooden triangle and descend on a metallic slide. There was also a metal climbing frame and a large bush that we could run around and chase each other. But I’m bigger now and I’m allowed inside! Despite the business changing hands into an Indian restaurant and turned back into a pub again, the garden itself hasn’t changed much. Inside the pub is a large canvassed stage area with room at the end for a few high tables to prop up on. There’s a nice cosy lounge with a pool table and sofas, and a long bar which used to host many hand pulls. On the other side of this bar is a local’s room with cosy seats and banquettes. The landlady is a bit of a miser though.

Did Public Trust in Science Fall during the Coronavirus Pandemic?

Not at all. The main problem was that Science wasn’t ready to respond to such a pandemic. There’s no point in making preparations for something that’s not going to happen. It’s just not profitable. That’s why we don’t spend all our public money on military stations to prepare the Earth against alien attacks because it’s very unlikely that it will happen. But when we witness something that does occur, it’s only then that it makes sense to use up resources to develop a vaccine. This isn’t reassuring to the first wave of people who fell to the disease, but it’s also basic health when it comes to survival of the fittest. We also had to resort to scientific advice to discover the best way to combat the disease. A few hundred years ago, all we could have done was sit around and pray. But now we have people wo try and take charge of how life develops. Sometimes it just doesn’t happen fast enough, especially when it affects us all.    

Gate on Fire

Fireworks at the pub. It seems a promising idea to get people in to sell pints. You pay your fee on the gate and get your hand stamped then head to the beer tent for refreshments. There’s not a lot of room to park. The pub is full alongside the layby next to it on the main road and people are also parking on the hill. In the end I decide to park in a free car park in the town centre and walk up. That way I can have a few beers and get some fresh air before returning to the car. At the pub, there wasn’t a great choice of beer at the tent but we always had the option to head back inside the pub. After the usual ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ we stuck around to see the bonfire and cheered as the stack of pallets that it was built on collapsed. Then my friend’s wife gave me a lift back into town, and I dropped another friend off at his house before returning home.

Make me a Sandwich

When you ask for a sandwich, you’re asking to be fed. You’re not interested in being insulted. You’re not interested in being called any name since you used a completely different verb. You’re not interested in a fairy floating over you granting you instant wishes to place you between two slices of invisible bread. All you want is to be fed. You’ve asked for help and now you have to make do with some imaginative nonsense all because someone though that it would be hilarious for an assistant to mishear you. You’d think that she’d at least call you an uber or connect you a delivery service. You haven’t specified what you want on your sandwich and maybe you’re not fussed. You might just want to know what’s available. What you don’t want is to be left short-changed. Obviously there’s still a bit of work to do with chain sandwich shop makers.

Keeping Everyone Happy

It’s difficult to get your charge to do something when you want to do something else, especially when there’s a limited amount of time to do it and you’ve already halved your burden by sharing it with someone else. I really wanted to check out the deals at the exhibition shop, but my niece really wanted to build a car and send it down the ramp. She struggled to find the pieces that she wanted, but I managed to find them for her so that she could build a car and have a go. I kept looking over at the shop, but each time I had to rebuild her car or improve it with better wheels and an improved chassis as we found better parts in the construction pit. I knew that I had to keep her happy. Unfortunately, time was called and we were ushered out by the steward. My niece understood, but I looked longingly at the stall that I never had the time to visit.

Cooking up Trouble

Quiet and tepid would be an accurate description of this man. He has a skinny frame and a bit of a nervous disposition, though you’d forgive him for doing any wrong. Confidence is key, and this man doesn’t have it. It’ll be a surprising day if he puts himself forward for anything first. If you can make him smile it’s a wonderful thing but it’s not his regular face. What he does have is a pair of glasses tucked beneath his dark overgrown hair that easily turns into a beard if he’s experiencing a care-free day. When he doesn’t, he tends to show his age in the form of a bald patch. If you have a conversation with him, it can get quite enjoyable but usually you have to take the first step. But be prepared for inside opinions on films, TV shows and video games but not much else. He is willing to learn though.

Fahrenheit 451 by Rad Bradbury

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

There’s quite a strange theme from this book and it’s odd that it’s not allowed to function in it’s current society. I found that some of the twists were quite shocking, though they became quite foreseeable towards the end, though they may have been revolutionary in their time. Some of the characters were led to be uncaring, and there’s some quite accurate anticipations of what the future could be. Is that the way that we are headed, dominated only by self? The only thing that I wasn’t sure about was what the war was for. If the book was longer, it would have allowed for better insights into some of the other characters. Instead, we just get the view from the protagonist, and we never establish where the most valued characters end up. There’s some mystery that could have been fulfilled and the reader’s left with a sense of just a passing tale.

View all my reviews

Banking with Blue

I’ve always stayed with the same bank for my day-to-day business. I’ve kept the same account for years. A few years ago, I thought about switching but then I won an iPad in a customer survey prize draw. The machine itself is becoming outdated now and some apps no longer work, but it’s still a handy thing to have. In a world where some banks are closing, they’ve always had a presence in our town so there’s no problem if I need to talk to someone, although they have reduced their hours and counter-service lately, and there’s often a queue for the paying machines. I’m not sure if they offer a deposit envelope service either lately, but you get a better piece of mind if you can see that the cash has been credited to your account anyway. I have looked at other places but some seem to gamble with your interest rates, offering a higher rate if a golfer wins a tournament. No thanks.

Chasing Chase

This dog looks he’s ready to listen to anything and everything, but he decides what should be acted on. He looks like he’s got the initiative to solve any problem you give him. His lone star portrays excellence, though you may expect that there’s others who outrank him. His harness indicates that he may be able to pull something if required, perhaps similar emergency vehicles with a star on them. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing since he’ll be able to pass tasks onto others if he can’t complete them or that they’re beyond him. His hat demonstrates that there’s an option to relieve him of duty if he so wishes it, though he may give up a fight if you take it off for him. He certainly looks alert and dutiful, and he’s someone who could get annoyed if you distract him from his task. We’ll have to watch him and see.

Lost in Travel #dreamdiary 143

I’m travelling with a friend. We’re due to travel to the other side of the country to begin a work contract, but she’s pretty keen on staying put in the bedroom of her new friends. Not wanting to miss my flight I make my departure. I can’t force her to come. It makes me wonder how many of these people deviate from their contract. I head into the town, but before leaving I decide that there’s something that I want to do, which is to see an exhibit and buy a souvenir. I find the building which is just closing its entrances, so I leave my things by the door. I make my way to an art gallery, where a clown is about to start his performance. I have to slip him a few coins to get directions from him. When I return to the doors, one of my bags is missing. 

Riding Zuma

So what do you expect of this character other than being able to travel really fast? Is she able to physically travel of her own accord or does she need a machine or mechanism to do this? Why does she need a helmet? Is she just safety-conscious or is she expecting to crash every time she travels? The emblem in her helmet suggest that she’s linked to something. It could be a specific service for broken Mercedes cars, or perhaps it’s to portray that she’s peaceful. She wears some sort of harness so maybe she’s expected to pull something. Is it so that others are able to track her? She looks very young but also determined and loyal to do your bidding, and she won’t recognise whether it’s for good or evil so long as she obeys. She could do with some boots to protect her paws though. It just seems cruel otherwise. 

 

The Line-Up

While many people reflected last week with silences, parades and tributes, there’s still a lot of work to be done. There’s survivors that need to be respected also so that their efforts will not have been in vain. People should struggle once and come over it instead of having to fight constantly. Otherwise it seems as if the effort never stops. It seems as if the former ministers have pushed their way to the front of the line to be on display for the camera. But are they really lining up to pay tribute, or are they standing together in a display of national shame for their past performance and they’re waiting for someone to throw the tomatoes? Some are looking down as if to say I’m too high up to go down there, while others stand defiant as if to say that they cannot be blamed for the current situation. 

Inside the Death Star

Now who lives in a house like this? Probably an egomaniac, but he has to have a giant entourage to accommodate his every need. It’s isolated up there in space, but even with the power of the force he can’t to it all. If he could, he wouldn’t need a giant death star in the first place. There’s a spacious garage at the end to store a spaceship in, but you’d need some kind of security system at home t man those guns if you went out, though I suppose you could have some kind of automated system. I’m trying to work out if that’s a heating system or a missile system on the top floor, or maybe it’s kept perpetually armed so it doubles as both. There’s no sign of any room for living quarters though. Hopefully it’s on the dark side of the death star. Failing that, they’ll have to bunk in the ship.

Dug Days

It looks like this was made in haste to keep kids happy during a pandemic. It features characters that we recognise exploring the perils of their own home, just as in real life. It’s strange to see how easily Carl has adapted back into suburban life after his adventure. There are occasions where the characters use their experiences to achieve goals, but we only witness the results rather than the events. It’s a shame that other characters aren’t referred to until the finale, and a lot more episodes could have been produced for the series, but perhaps the audience was underestimated. There’s also a celebrity cameo in the finale, though you’d struggle to recognise him since he’s mimicking an artificial voice. Overall, it’s entertaining for a few minutes but it doesn’t do the film justice other than offer a retirement plan for Carl, Dug, and probably the employees of Pixar.

Fire Point

What do you do at a fire point? Is it a place where you gather when there’s a fire? Is there an emergency telephone and a fire extinguisher alongside an evacuation kit? Do you need an alternative point in case this one’s on fire? Maybe it’s a place where people can gather to create a fire. You could get passers-by to point at it with their arm. It’s a place in the building where fires are actually permitted. Could it be a spot where employees must go to discover their fate? Or is a place where firearms can be discharged? In which case, do you stand at the fire point with your weapons or is it the place where all weapons must be targeted? In which case do I fire directly at the sign which I assume will be able to take the full force of the blast or in the general vicinity. Thank goodness it’s not an NRA convention.

 

"What is urgent is seldom important and what is important is seldom urgent."

Urgent stuff needs to be done as soon as possible but it’s not really a joy to do. Mostly, it tends to be an everyday activity that you must do, like put your trousers on in the morning. Important things don’t tend to happen often, but if you think about them too much then they tend to be there in the background so it seems like they’re happening all the time. Important things also need to be done, so you need to set some time aside to complete these once you’ve done the urgent stuff. You’ll probably be criticised for doing these things in the wrong order. However, if everything is seldom then there aren’t going to come up very often so there’s very few events that are actually important. But it’s not a good outlook for a world leader who has to decide whether or not war should be declared.

Hanging Out

The aircraft is waiting to depart. We’re just waiting for the runway to be cleared of stormtroopers before we can commence take-off. We could fly over them but the people on the balcony will then be at risk. As you can see by the departure board, they have a lot of flights booked today so I hope that they move soon. I’ve got the loudspeaker raised so I hope they can hear my request inside their helmets of theirs. It’s a shame that this thing doesn’t have a reverse. Still, the central laser is now armed so we may have to give them a few warning shots to make them scatter. However, we haven’t really got a view from the front centre of the ship so we’re relying solely on the cameras fed to us from inside the shuttle bay. That is unless there’s a room on the front underside which would be particularly vulnerable.

Stealth Fighters

Are you referring to a group of pilots flying in blackened triangular jets that are undetectable by radar but stand out like a sore thumb on a cloudless day? Are you focusing on the planes or the pilots themselves? Perhaps they go around towns when they’re off-duty to attack people from behind that they don’t like and they know that they can take their adversaries off-guard. Or maybe they do this anyway as part of their job as they have to enter a building undetected and fight the guards. But how does it work when they fight against each other? Surely it’s the fairer option rather than picking on someone who’s at a disadvantage. In a plane, it must be a case of who spots who in the sky first. You’d need a bright light you wouldn’t want to give away your own position. On the ground, you could have a boxing ring but it’d be difficult to see any action. Instead, you’d need an arena with body cameras connected to screens to work out the best combatant here. But beware, you could be aiming at thin air.

Queen of the Junkyard

People sitting high up in a raised seat usually get a relaxing view of what’s in front of them. It could be beautiful. But at the opposite side is a complete tip. It’s just a mixture of everything that’s an eyesore and a reminder of the tasks that are required. That’s what they’re trying to avoid. Hopefully, the view in front of them is inspiring enough to convince them to work on the back for the sake of everyone else. Then one day they’ll be happy enough to take a room at the back of the building, if only to admire their own personal achievement. Hopefully both views will be better. Or they could never look back, leaving it to the job of someone else. Perhaps someone else has only been contracted and they’re just focusing on their immediate territory. After all, the boundaries of bricks have to end somewhere.

What Trival Knowledge Might Save Your Life Someday

Look both ways before crossing the road. It’s instilled in all of us throughout our childhood because it saves lives and it should never be forgotten. It’s safer to just stop and take a second to look around you rather than venture out and rely on just one sense. There could be something else occupying that sense so it’s safer to use another one to make sure. If you’re on your phone or there’s something that isn’t usually right then it only takes a moment to check that it’s safe. You might assume that everyone else is following the rules and it’s nice and quiet but it only takes one idiot and a lack of focus to cause an accident. This doesn’t sound like any fact that you’d need to stow away in your memory to win a pub quiz though. It’s just common sense. But a lot of people are lacking this anyway.

Hozat?

What constitutes an attempt? What would be acceptable? It varies from person to person and how important the result is to the observer. You wouldn’t necessarily care about the quality of how clean the kitchen of a supermarket restaurant is compared to someone cleaning your own kitchen. It also depends on what you know about the existing skill level of the competitor. If you know them well enough, then you know how good their efforts can be when they try. But if you don’t, you can only compare them to their peers and their age level. You might believe that they can do it, but you may be disappointed by the results once they have established that they have completed the task. It’s just lucky here that we’re talking about Duplo rather than commissioning someone to build a house, but it’s a big gamble to take when it’s not a childplay situation. 

Breaking down the Language Barrier

It might be handy having a smart device to translate what you want to say into a different language. However, have you ever considered that it might translate what it wants rather than what you want. This means that you could get a different answer every time you asked the same question, and a different understanding of what is being expected. The result may make the receiver react in a way that you wouldn’t expect, and you’ve only got the smart device to find out why. There’s also the ability to control what should and shouldn’t be passed on. You could totally lie about not understanding what’s been said while using the information covertly against the speaker. Or you could be caught by surprise when your counterpart wants to make a friendly informal conversation when you’re not prepared for it. Even if you’re successful, you’re still having a conversation with two people rather than one. Let’s just hope that it gets everything right. 

Driving Blind by Ray Bradbury

Driving Blind by Ray Bradbury
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is an odd collection of short stories. Some are amusing, entertaining, and even turn out to be a fable. Others finish short and abruptly, and you wonder where the rest of the story has gone. It’s fine to ponder on musings, but you do feel a bit robbed, and perhaps sometimes an exercise to hone the writer’s craft shouldn’t really be published. It’s the little things that inspire you to write a story, and sometimes the truth needs to be exaggerated to make it entertaining and grip the reader, but there are some questions that remain unsolved. Still, it just goes to show that Bradbury takes a dab at everything from affairs to childhood heroes and even a bit of sci-fi. Whatever he writes, he manages to build up a little bit of suspense in each scene, and encourages the reader to think about the people living around them.

View all my reviews

Who's That Girl #Vampress 11

The people stepped back as the cliffs began to tumble into the land below. The stepping led to a stampede, and the next day the local constables had roped the road off to the clifftop for it was too dangerous for anyone to approach. Some of the local fishermen decided to take their boats out to spot it from the sea, but it seemed as if a second cliff had sprung up from nowhere, blocking the view beyond. Back in the village, there was a woman who’d never been seen before. No-one knew where she came from since the railway had not yet reached our town and the stagecoach was not due that day. People could only assume that she had wealth and her own horses. Wherever she went, she always wore a large round hat that cast a shadow all around her. Her glasses were also dark and no-one had the confidence to approach or even follow her about her business. 

On the Double

There’s quite a few mosaic displays around here, and I’m sure that some are from shows that I haven’t watched but I’m only aware of because I sell the toys at work. Because of this, I’ve been arguing with my five-year-old niece about the lyrics of Paw Patrol. I always seem to lose. And I also get into trouble for getting the names of the characters mixed up (and I don’t do it intentionally to wind her up). Luckily, she doesn’t get too frustrated by it and she likes to help me out. But at the end of the day, it’s a great show which recognises attributes of different characters who are all able to put aside their differences and come together to achieve something as a team. We certainly need those values at the moment. I’m also hoping that the people on the other side of the fence are also admiring our family fun and aren’t admiring something else.

Basketball #dreamdiary 142

There’s a new craze in town. It involves throwing a tiny ball into a full-sized basketball ring in a sports hall. Anyone can play it; all you need is to be able to move your arm. You can use any style of ball as long as it’s no bigger than the palm of your hand. Most people prefer to use soft sponge balls if they’re training or if there’s a lot of people on the court. If it’s a tournament game, they may use something a bit heavier similar to a miniature football or a rubber bouncy ball to see how many shots they can make in a minute. Each training session usually consists of a free-for-all throwing session at the start and a timed contest at the end. There’s no uniform but people are encouraged to wear tracksuit bottoms and a loose-fitting t-shirt. Matches are usually played outside and shots are taken simultaneously with the winner being the first to score ten baskets. 

Coral Life

Because we haven’t even attempted to explore the entirety of our ocean, there’s no telling what life is like down there. What we would see as crystalised rock could easily be lights of a miniaturised civilisation. There could be elements of disguise in the local terrain to make it difficult to distinguish between what’s been constructed and what’s occurred naturally. White plants could function as icicles or even snow frozen in the rocks that’s managed to adapt to a different atmosphere. Fish could be clouds in gigantic displays of colour, and their waste could act as a weather system. It will be interesting to see if this new species is able to share the environment around it. Will it attempt to spread its ideals or will it focus on preservation? Any of this could be reflected through any image since it’s entirely possible that any of this could take place.

 

Check Him Out

Fresh out of school, he’s a teacher with an intellectual public school voice and short, spikey blonde hair. He’s fairly tall and has a slim but confident build. He’s got dazzling white teeth and always wears shirt that are too tight for him together with tight trousers. He speaks slowly which is sometimes a bit irritating and makes him the centre of attention while at the same time is just a bit boring. But he does take in the opinions of others, even if he can’t relate to the experience. And if he can’t find anything in common, he’ll head back to school and try to entertain you with tale from the classroom. He’s never told one yet with disruptive kids though. He has many hobbies which include classic cars, live music, and real ale. He’s a bit of a ladies man and you have to question of the pictures he takes will actually meet anyone else’s eyes.