The War Between the Land and the Sea

This was an interesting series apart from the name; I wonder if it’s going to be a series of spin-offs with UNIT at the helm. The protagonist was involved through the strangest of blips and it’s astonishing how far along he infiltrated considering that this was a military operation. It’s a shame that we don’t get to see much of their world, especially during the descent. I would have expected that the vessel used for this would be more of a craft rather than a giant yo-yo. There were lots of special effects, but I felt that it was a bit drawn-out at the end with character development. It also wasn’t clear as to what Barclay has been injected with, and he could be the virus. There’s vague attempts at humour, but it’s sometimes too serious. It’ll be interesting to hear about what the Doctor has to say of this encounter and whether he’ll have to battle Stewart to save humanity.

Man, Where's My Car? #dreamdiary 212

I’ve parked my car for the day in a multi-storey car park. It was up on the second floor alongside other cars and I couldn’t see any signs saying that access was restricted for the day. But when I returned to the site, the whole building was sealed off with barrier fencing and white sheeting saying that the sign was closed for maintenance. I’d understood if this was for an emergency but this seemed to be for scheduled work as there was no-one around working. I started to get annoyed as the parking ticket would expire soon. I decided to go through the adjacent shopping centre to see if I could enter the building from the other end. At least if I could get to my car I might be able to unbolt the fence from the inside. I head through some double doors and there’s an armed guard in riot gear stood in the corridor by the lift.

The Scarecrow's Wedding

This was a cute little animation story made for the Christmas period. I don’t think it needed a narrator and before the scarecrows met, I wasn’t sure if speech was needed either. It’s a very colourful production with some lovely colours, and the clumsiness made it more realistic, though at one point it did look like the scarecrows were drunk as they took each step. It’s nice to see that the scarecrow didn’t become a bridezilla and hunt down a cake for her guests. The animals were very cute, but I’m not sure that a pimp in a white suit was realistic and appropriate enough to be introduced as a rival in a children’s production, if only for a short while as a plot development. There might be too much smooching for younger children, and perhaps some of the items could be sought out by some of the animals rather than sending the scarecrow further and further away.

Wednesday Club #dreamdiary 211

I’m on a night out at a club. There’s a group of us in designer suits with a few happy fillies and I’m not the designated driver tonight. The club is one of those large spaces that’s designed for the weather. It takes ages to get to the bar. It’s at the end of a long corridor of shrubbery. I think about ordering a beer then think that this place is a bit more designer so I have a mojito instead and it comes in a tumbler layered up like rainbows. I’m vaguely aware that someone thinks that I owe them money but I’ve already paid them off. I just hope that they can remember. At least I can take them on if necessary. We ascend a metal staircase to a rooftop garden where I see a group of shops opposite. I feel like I have to hit those at some point.

Indian Odyssey #dreamdiary 210

I’m in an Indian city. There’s much to explore. We’ve just had our breakfast and we’re exploring an old library. There’s a vertical concrete cone that just goes down below, at the bottom is a giant ceramic vase. It looks as if it’s a set-up for a video game and that I should attempt to slide down the cone to see what’s inside. Adjacent to this is a staircase for an ancient library. Inside, we buy souvenir mugs which aren’t wrapped but placed into a plastic bag. We ascend the stairs to see a balcony of colour. It’s the rooftops of a modern marketplace, of which there are beautiful decorations adorned and painted with idols of the Hindu gods. I drop my carrier bag in amazement. I peer inside and one of the mugs is smashed into pieces. There’s not much I can do about that other than purchase another one on the way back. We spend the rest of the afternoon browsing souvenir shops and restaurant menus.

Floresta Apartments

A nice but busy place to stay, but at times it was a bit of a battery farm. Reception was clean but we could have been aided by a second receptionist to check us in. Our room was surprisingly spacious and comfortable, but it took us a while to open the prison-style steel door. We were lucky enough to have a sea view, but our ground floor patio didn’t seem to be fenced off. The wi-fi was also limited during busy periods. We had just enough time to take dinner on arrival where protective staff patrol the area and are more concerned with guarding tableware and cleaning rather than welcoming newcomers and explaining how everything works. It’s touch and go on how hot the food is depending on when they brought out the trough, but there’s a microwave at the end to reheat your mound if desired. There’s also restaurant theme nights with cuisine from aro7nd the world as well as regular staples to cater for everyone. The pool was beautiful but it’s a shame that people reserve their sunbeds before breakfast, and as we didn’t do this on the first day we missed out. The bar is small but service is quick and most of the cocktails are pre-prepared in large plastic bottles. The pool bar food, although limited, is cooked fresh to order. There’s a great variety of evening entertainment which we tried to keep our younger party members awake so that we could see it. And there’s also a daytime activity programme for both adults and kids, though the mini golf seems to be a rushed addition. We’d probably stay again for the peaceful convenient location and amenities but might go half board instead to enjoy more of the island.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

This was an interesting film, but I can’t help but think that it was based on  a book owing to a decision to Americanise the protagonist. It’s got a good gothic style, but a bit more thought is required for plot development. Each of the characters had a hidden past and it would have been interesting to learn a bit more about how Miss Peregrine came to be. There’s no shortage on special effects though, and there’s good involvement in the real world. The list of powers suddenly seems endless, and it’s a shame that Jake’s power is a bit dull and nothing else develops, though it probably explains how he’s kept in human society. It’s enjoyable, but it’s hard to keep track of what’s what. It’s a shame that more time wasn’t spent investigating the lops since these featured heavily in the conclusion, and that Jake’s father is suddenly abandoned and forgotten about.

Have you been to Yorkshire?

A useful response would recommend places to go and explore, or at least look up. A less useful response would be to give a reply in an attempted accent that’s just insulting to the Yorkshire people. Or it could be honest and just say no, but it always was interested in going. I get two single sentences that I have no idea what was just said. It might be useful to Yorkshiremen but not to anyone else. Hopefully there’s a few more phrases that can be deciphered without the aid of Google (which defeats the purpose of an AI if you have to use another one to look it up), or a Yorkshireman, which I unwisely do not have on retainer. I got a positive answer the second time around, but I’m still not sure what the follow-up phrase was. In my final attempt I got three phrases. Well, actually, it was the first two phrases repeated (possibly) with a third added that I did understand.

Battle of the Waves

It’s frustrating how it works. Some devices adapt to it quicker than others and will still be connected. You never know if you’re online all of the time, or if it’s fed through in predicted spurts. You have to use and check different devices to determine if your device or the connection that’s experiencing difficulties. Maybe someone else is using your network which is slowing it down. There must be a way to view how many devices are connected and what they are. Then you have to wonder who else is watching you. And that’s when the paranoia begins. You might get emails which take intelligent guesses and try to extort you. And it’d be great to fight back, but most people don’t have the right tools or know what they’re doing. Will you expose more loopholes that they can hold you hostage to? You need a bit more kit, or alternatively some kit that you don’t mind getting compromised.

Maduro says he is "a decent man and is still President of my country".

I don’t know much about Venezuela and how it’s governed. I can only just about spell it. It’s on the other side of the world so it’s of little concern to me. It might seem kind of selfish but I can’t keep track of everything. I’ve got no idea of the history of the south-west. There might be military dictators but that could be prejudiced because of what I’ve watched in the media. I honestly don’t know if this president deserved to be expedited. I haven’t been given any background of what he’s supposedly done. Wrenching a leader away from his home turf kind of seems like a war crime. Will there be repercussions? Will his country prove their loyalty by appealing for protection, defence and aid until their leader is returned to them? Who will be next on his list and will the rest of the world just let him do what he wants?

Mad About the Wi-fi

It seems such a waste when you walk into a residential area and you get hit by at least five different wi-fi networks, very few of which you’re able to get onto. But everyone has a different package. One log-on code should get you onto the network no matter what; providing that you’re eligible and you have an account with a ridiculously long password that’s difficult to try to work out how to personalise, so you get this little slip of paper that you always have to hand out to your guests. Some operators let you use their network regardless of who owns it, unless the user has paid for tighter security. When you’re mobile, you have to rely on the same signal as everyone else, though you can’t always get a signal. Sometimes you have to register, and it’s easy to kick off and it’s also difficult for these servers to remember your devices.

Demping Around

She’s one of those people who you’ve heard of from somewhere but you’re not sure know how they know you or you them. She’s suddenly appeared on my phone. You probably wouldn’t recognise them if you saw them. You’ve clicked on them as a friend on social media. Occasionally something would pop up that was shared, liked or an event attended and tagged, but very few personal posts were posted. She’s a friend of a friend. She might have even been the partner of someone. I think she’s bit butch and muscular with grey whitish short hair. Tank tops and tattoos are pictured. It doesn’t sound great, but I’m not entirely sure if she’s with us anymore. I think we had a connection through beer but we didn’t really engage with each other. I got the impression that she liked to travel and had family commitments and didn’t want to get too involved in running things. 

Heading it Up

The idea seems cool but you need a lot of expensive kit to make it work, including a console  well as a TV and space to play. The console costs as much as the headset but it’s new technology so people have saved up or have sought out credit deals to get their hands on one. You do get a lot of cables to give you many charging options. Some people thought that you just needed the headset and tried to return it on that basis. There were also people who had headaches from using it and thought that that enough was a good excuse to qualify them for a refund. It looks like something that you’d use for curling. I wonder if anyone has ever tried that instead of trying to resell it. Other manufacturers have given up on this idea, although in the last few years someone’s developed one without the extra equipment.

Only in the darkness can you see the stars

-Martin Luther King Jr. 

There’s an exception to this rule. You can see one star in the daylight, unless it’s covered by cloud as it’s our sun. But then again, the quote is plural. And you might not be able to spot them in cloud at night either, but you can always see them on a screen, though some would see it as cheating as you’re not looking directly at them and you’re protected from the twinkle. It’s odd because you know that they’re there in the day, and you can even see the moon sometimes. In the future you might be able to wear special viewing glasses that filters out the daylight. But for now, you have to wait until nightfall to see the stars, and hope that it’s a clear night with no light pollution, road lights, air traffic or international space stations. And that your eyes are open, unless your head is spinning.

The Truth about Loss

There’s lots of different types of loss. The more significant it is, the harder it is to cope. It all depends on how much you rely upon the item or person that’s lost. And the effort required to replace it or them and if that’s possible. It might be a handy item or tool that you’ve misplaced in the house. You might not need it at this particular moment but you’d like to find it or know where it is for next time. In the meantime, you can put the task off completely, use a different tool or borrow or purchase another one. Then there’s important things like keys, phones and wallets. Again, there are ways around these and they can also be replaced but you really want to find them for your piece of mind. Panic can set in if you don’t know where they are as they could have been taken from you. And you’ll have to undertake a series of tasks to secure or replace them.

Sharp's Doom Bar at the Red Lion, Alvechurch

The lounge has a very traditional layout with wood-panelled walls while the dining room is very contemporary with lots of different tables and shelves designed to create a large open-plan room with sections. I was a bit disappointing to see just the one beer on offer on this visit, but these were different circumstances to usual. We were led to the lounge as we’d booked and the table were wide with banquette seating. We didn’t get a good look at the bar owing to the restrictions but I think it’s been given a better paint job compared to the pallet-coloured pine state that it used to be in. There was a pre-printed menu which seems to be personalised as to what was on offer at the time. The chef was named and the dishes listed felt like they were his creations. This could be a pub that’s easy to redecorate very quickly in stages.

Backend of a Heist #dreamdiary 209

I’m at a social club on a motorbike. I’ve had to buy tickets for my mother who wants to attend a charity quiz night. On the way home, I notice two teenagers on the dual carriageway who are also on motorbikes racing each other. I decide to catch up with them to see if I can beat them. There’s something happening as a lorry has pulled onto the hard shoulder and two cars are coming at me on the wrong side of the road. Once I’ve got around the hazards, I accelerate where the wind somehow catches up with me and lifts me up, and I manage to land in an adjacent field. My belongings are scattered about a bit, and I notice that the police have arrived to pick up bits of paper. Upon examining them, I realise that they’re £20 notes. I try and cram some into my wallet, then when I’m spotted gathering them up, I bring the ones that I’m holding in sight over to the police officer. 

A Warming Return

Here, we followed a footpath north-east alongside the river Arrow where it began to get a bit muddy. The path carried along the banks before reaching a mill pond. We continued until we reached the main road marked by a tile, then turned left. We continued along the road until we reached the roundabout, then took the first eft which took us straight back into the village. This wasn’t the most imaginative way to get back, but it was the driest. Fortunately, we had dry clothes back at the car. Heading south, we passed back underneath the motorway until we entered an area of modern built-up detached housing. Some of it was separated by hedgerows. We passed the school then arrived back outside the pub. We were shown inside to the lounge where two tables had been set aside for us to be socially distant while remaining in the same room.

Is life in the UK as bad as people are saying? I've heard of so much negativity about it, and I don't know why. Some people make it sound like hell and keep claiming that the UK has become just like a third-world country.

It depends upon who you talk to. Inflation is never-ending which makes it hard for independent businesses to thrive. We’re on an island which relies on a lot of imports including food because the global market is cheaper than the cost of creating our products. People who have seen all of these problems evolve over the years are naturally going to compare it to how things were. There’s a lot more people and there’s the same number of resources. Too many different people are trying to make changes and it’s not working out. There’s a lot of people struggling to cope with rates rising. But it’s not exactly a war-torn country. Some people are still able to do very well out of it. People can get stuff paid by the taxpayer, especially if they’ve made it across by boat and have a family. But there’s still some beautiful and unique places to see.

Ambling Around Alvechurch

This was a short winter walk that we did to attempt to battle the elements. We went for a Christmas meal afterwards, but got a bit muddy in the process. We parked not at the pub itself, but at the back of the pub at the end of the lane since it’s the village’s own free public car park. Heading east, we followed the footpath through the fenced thicket which brought us out onto the pub’s car park. We crossed the main road and headed north-east down a narrow lane past a series of terraced cottages. At the end of the lane was a small, gated car park with some playing fields. We followed the path around the field to the northern corner where it trailed east to meet with a road. Here, we turned left and followed the road to the next corner and continued north onto a footpath via a stile on the right-hand side of a cottage.

Next Year Fail @jdvance

Is this guy serious or is this guy just going along for the comical journey and filling in the important bits that his boss leaves behind? Is he supporting a project or leading it? It’s not clear when he’s lounging around on a sofa talking to a radio host. Does his boss know what he’s getting up to? Or is he subtly waiting for him to make a mistake so that he can step in? It seems like that he’s the man in charge of making it happen. The trouble is that the video is heavily edited so that you can’t get the full context. It’s as if he’s being made to look like an indecisive slacker. But he recognises the lack of power in people’s lives and wants to do something about it. But you’ve got to take the power away from someone else who’s not going to like it.

Gotcha

 In a time where nothing is certain, it feels great to obtain something that’s so high in demand. This was the latest games console that everyone was trying to get their hands on for Christmas. My cousin who’s a nurse was trying to get one for her son, and I was drafted in so see if I could help out. I had to keep an eye on the stock that we could order in as well as when reserved ones expired. I was lucky enough that one did. I had to check with my manager to ensure that I wasn’t exploiting my position, and she had to check the order history. But it was a genuine cancellation so I was able to make the purchase. I sent a teaser picture to my uncle, who sent my cousin to my doorstep to collect it and gave me a small gift as a token of her appreciation.

Costa Luz

This seemed to be a restaurant of convenience rather than a specialised cuisine. It was on the rooftop of a block of bars and we were recommended to go there to keep things neighbourly, though many of the locals came from there for takeaway pizzas so that’s probably what we should have stuck to. We were slightly disappointed as we were hoping for something a bit more authentic since it was our first venture out of the all-inclusive hotel. Our paellas were well presented in skillets but looked a bit dry and didn’t seem to have any vegetable stock included. We also ordered a burger which came as a huge tower of food but looked slightly overdone. The garlic prawns were delicious but could have been bigger. The pizzas were nice and fresh which was the best part of the meal. We weren’t presented with a dessert menu; instead we got complimentary shots with lollies for the children (I’m guessing they wanted to call time on a late Thursday night).

Masked Santa

I bought this as part of a bundle for my family to remind people that it’s still a certain season however things get. I was a bit worried that they wouldn’t arrive in time, and the seller was concerned too. At least when they did arrive, they were of high-quality material, though I never got any feedback from the fam. Perhaps they weren’t medical grade enough. But they were stretchy and elasticated enough and I don’t know how they worked when it came to washing them. If I had a cold, I wouldn’t spread it, but I would certainly need changing. But it was making an effort to obtain what wasn’t available in stores, and I was disappointed that no-one asked where I got them from. There were different designs for both men and women. I think one of them was a white snowflake design on a red background. Another was plain black with a graphic picture of Santa.

Under Pressure #nuclearmermaid 25

It would only take a few swipes to release some more of this red fluid. It felt warm, rich, and fruity, and she sucked it dry. Then the arm turned soft and white ad it was soft enough to sink her teeth into. There was a bit of a hard bit in the middle though. She sated herself until the whole room was dry. Then she felt the swelling as her skin started to expand and she became heavier. The shiny platform that she was balancing started to tilt, so she decided to slide off it. She managed to push it to the side of the room simply by exerting force through her scales. There was a loud screech as the metal began to bend and slide across the floor. Cracks began appearing on the other side of the wall as her bodyweight was leaning upon it. Suddenly, the wall caved in and she fell through it.

The People you'll meet

You never know what kind of people you’ll meet when you’re out on a walk. Some you just want to acknowledge with a friendly hello as you pass. They might give advice of the route in the direction that you’re going, like if there’s any troublesome livestock in the next field or the amount of mud that’s coming up. Others might want to chat and be glad of a rest. But sometimes you have to drop the hint to keep moving. You might have to get back to beat the time you’ve put in at the car park. You might have to be back at the pub for your booked reservation before they close for lunch. Or you might just be standing around in the cold and you need to keep warm. But keep talking, and one of you might end up looking like this, chilling on a boat while needing the odd push around.

Hallow Road

This was a short and suspenseful piece of drama that didn’t require much in its execution. The terror all came from what you heard rather than what you could see. There was a bit of backstory that was revealed perfectly, and it even had an element of unrealism stemming from the unknown. You could sense the suspense and tension in the actors and there were just enough developments to keep things interested. There’s a touch of folklore and something of evil lurking within a plotline that you’d expect in a soap to keep it away from that genre. They don’t call it Hallows Road for nothing. The characters were young enough to keep people interested but old enough to have the experience. How far would you go to protect your child? It also allows you to draw your own conclusions, though you have to wonder if there could be a sequel which would be even more thrilling.

Dem Bones

We should have carried straight on the road back to the main road, but I wanted to explore and make the walk longer. There wasn’t much of significance, but I was in area that I hadn’t explored before. So we turned round and took the next right at the farm, which saw us walk down a stone track. We then turned right onto a footpath and headed west until we reached a treeline alongside the King’s Norton Rugby Club. There was a bit of activity here and I wondered if we were going to get moaned at for trespassing as we were very close to the pitch but I was sure that we were on a footpath and it turned out that the caretaker just wanted to come over for a chat. At the south-west corner, we headed south through a line of trees which brought us to the motorway services station. We decided this wasn’t the best route back, so we headed backed to the club.

Will You Marry Me?

Will wedding bells ring? Will she detect any passion in my voice? Is the answer honest? Is the answer based on my relationship with her? I’ve asked her to shut up a few times when she goes on so she may not like me. She might change her mind every time I ask. Maybe she’ll send me a link to look at wedding rings. Should I get down on one knee when I pop the question? She’s got no eyes though. Rather than a one-line answer, a series of questions are put to me to assess how well I know it. I’m asked to answer one or two questions but I’m actually asked three. I manage to achieve two out of three, but she didn’t accept my proposal. However, I have got the option of asking again. I’m even asked if I’ve enjoyed these questions, and I’m thanked for playing. I’m asked about animals and pizza preferences. On my second go, I get all three questions right (two were repeated), but she still didn’t accept my proposal. It’s probably because of how I treat her.

From Bone Damage to Solar Radiation -inside the lab trying to protect the astronauts of the future

I understand what solar radiation is but I’m not sure how it has bones. Perhaps the presence of the astronauts affects it. I shouldn’t think this is a major problem as there’s not that many astronauts. However, the last thing we want is to poke more damage into the greenhouse effect. If we could reduce solar radiation through bone dame, it’s probably one of the first things that we should do. But the article focuses on how to survive space. It’s a bit ambitious as most of us won’t get there in our lifetime, but there’s a few spoilers of what mankind’s plans are that way. But I suppose it’s good to be prepared. It’s difficult to determine when you’re going to be free of the laws of gravity. Exercise is very important, and you’ve also got to watch out for natural light s it’s not filtered by the ozone. I wonder what factor you’d need. But if the whole process is so dangerous, why go there in the first place?

Golden Bridge

We started this walk to complete the last section of the canal that we hadn’t completed between Birmingham and Hopwood. Our plan was to park at the pub, but because of it being shut the car park was locked up so we parked on the small road on the other side. From here, we followed the towpath east until it bent to the north. Along the way, we passed under a bridge where the sunlight and leaves touched the embankment just enough to look like everything was golden. A few miles later, the canal gets swallowed up into the tunnel towards Birmingham. Climbing the embankment, we turned left and walked uphill heading north along a road until we found a footpath on the righthand side. Crossing the stile, we headed south down a steep hill with beautiful views of the shire. At the bottom, we returned to  a road and turned left.

Back to the Backpack #dreamdiary 208

I’m passing through some woods with a backpack. A lot of schoolchildren like to camp here with their friends and it’s my job to make sure that they’re OK. I call into a small tent with interconnecting entrance tunnels and a living quarters in the centre. A young girl is in the centre setting up her sleeping quarters. I ask if she’s OK as I crawl through. She just stares at me. I presume there’s another child in the wood gathering fuel and water. I wonder what’s going through her mind, ‘Who is this person and what right does he have to climb through the tent?’ I scramble out and head to the outside of the woods where my bike awaits. I decide to cycle uphill to the next town, which takes me through a set of roadworks. I overtake queuing traffic on the hill, aware, that they’ll have to overtake me at the red light. I reach the lights and I realise that I’m blocking the driver’s view of the lights so I edge forward past them. Then, when they do turn green, I struggle to pull off up the hill. Once I’ve exited the roadworks, I realise that I’ve left my backpack at the edge of the woods where I collected my bike.

Grass v Concrete

It’s a British version of Central Park, only it’s before the buildings surrounded the trees. Here they are lining up to do battle against the city. Some of the buildings even have heads, or they just could be giant cameras. They’ve just marched down the hill, and it’s taken all this time to line up in formation against the buildings. But there’s already some infiltrators on the left. Though they’re not a tall as their generals, they’ve managed to insert themselves amongst the enemy. They might have even fenced them in with a crude piece of rope so that there’s no turning back. They’ve even drawn lines in the sky. We’ve got no idea what those are connected to. On the left, you can see that there’s a bit of land left to conquer. Perhaps this is where nature will be rallying on rock formations that the builders cannot reach or cut through the trees.

Mopsy

At first glance, she doesn’t give the best of impressions. She’s got grey hair that sticks out like a mop and it hasn’t been combed in a long while. At the same time, she’s got the ace of a ditzy blonde that doesn’t take in her surroundings properly. And the dress sense doesn’t help. She’s always wearing thick coats, even in the summer. But when she speaks, it’s quite confident and she’s not afraid to make sure that she’s heard and make suggestions. Sometimes she doesn’t realise what we can and can’t do, but she’s participating and making an attempt, even if it’s easy to shoot down or she doesn’t realise the work that’s required with the request. She’s got a phone but sometimes needs help with the technology. I’m quite baffled with how she got engaged and wonder if anything’s going to happen in the near future, especially when I witness the odd argument.

Elf in a Bag

I filmed this for my friend who is absolutely mad about this film. I was wondering if I was going to get a message back to save it for her. I’m not sure if I even got a thumbs up. I don’t know why I couldn’t get the sound and the audio in the same frame. I suppose I needed both hands to hold the toy and pull the cord. The sound quality is actually quite good and it’s a shame that I only recorded the one phrase. Perhaps the hands are in the wrong place. They do look a bit constipated. I wonder if the arms are posable. You don’t get the full effect while it’s wrapped in plastic, but for some reason the packers have opted to put small punch holes in it. Is it to convince kids that it needs to breathe? I haven’t seen them on the shelves lately.

" A strong, positive self-image is the best possible preparation for success"

-Joyce Brothers

If you take the time to look the part, people will do their best to help you. It’s a projection of confidence and people will be able to trust you. Even if you haven’t prepared a speech, people will be willing to listen if you have a good excuse and they’ll help you out if they’re not eying up the competition or are open to a little negotiation. You may not have to show muscles, but you do need to portray strength, confidence, and the willingness to get things done, and you need to form a bond. Even if you’re late, you might be able to get away with it by a little smile to show that you genuinely respect them. If you don’t prepare, and you believe that you can’t do it, then people may not even want to take a look at you, and they’ll want to form a relationship with someone else instead.

Little Tits

We’re back for a wander around Earlswood. It’s a winter’s day and there’s a lot of frost but we’ve come to attempt to walk around the lake. We’ve found a nice car park that’s free that has a small footpath directly to the lake via a small footpath through some woodland. Once we’re lakeside, there’s a stream of water emptying out into the lake. Turning right, we follow the path alongside the lake until we pass through some woodland. In this section, the ground is quite dry and there’s plenty of bird and bat boxes mounted upon the trees. It’s a great spot to see wildlife in action. As we approach the boatyard, it gets muddier. We try  to swap tip with fellow walkers upon their approach about what the route is like ahead. But in the end, the only way forward is to put your feet in front of you and go for a good squelching.

The Truth about Competition

It can be healthy for you. It will encourage you to do more, not just for profit, but to improve your practices. It can also encourage you to work hard for those extra sales. But in some instances you can be forced to work too hard and if you haven't got everything in place then it can have a detrimental effect, especially if you're struggling. It also depends if there's a team involved and whether everyone wants to share your goal of being top dog. So you have to watch what everyone is doing and react accordingly so that there's an opportunity to overtake your competitors if you can afford it. If you're leading the way, you'll naturally be the first choice, but you have to bear in mind that sometimes people will want to give your competitors a go, especially if there's a promotion on. There's a lot of work involved to keep your top spot.

A Walk Around the Windmill

I’m back for another wonder around the windmill. We’re roughly doing the same walk but with less pubs. We’ve crossed over the railway and we’re just about to get to the canal when someone trips over a root. Panic sets in as we’re quite away from an urban area, though we’re not far from a line of cottages. It’s not going to be easy to get an ambulance here. I’d have to leave her to get the car or maybe find a stranger to help. I might even have to get the air ambulance, though it would need someone to land. Luckily, I manage to help her onto her feet and she’s able to stand. After a little rest, she’s able to walk quite normally and we’re able to finish the route as planned without even mentioning it. But for a moment, we were down. Then we got back up again and got on with it.

I fired an employee for eating a hamburger during his lunch break. Was I within my rights?

There’s lots of questions at stake here which requires context. If you work with hamburgers, it can be seen as theft. If your firm doesn’t have anything to do with hamburgers, there may be a bit of a problem. You can’t tell people what they can’t eat, and employees are legally able to do what they like on their time off including rest breaks on site. You might not like it and it might be contrary to your beliefs but your employee has the right to be free too. You need to provide a space for them to do this so that it doesn’t interfere with your other activities, or have a policy for them when they leave site so that it doesn’t affect your business. But if they’ve eaten somewhere in an area that they’re not supposed to like a preparation room then that does give you grounds for dismissal no matter what time of day it is.

The Future of Pints?

This isn’t liquid inside a plastic bag sent as emergency alcohol. They’re actually paper wipes. I know that there’s some high alcohol content in these disposable sanitising wipes, but I never would have thought that they’d attempt a beer-flavoured one! You can smell the alcohol but you probably wouldn’t want to taste it. Perhaps it’s designed as a new dispense method that you would inhale or maybe even tear up and chew. You might even be able to absorb it through the skin. I wonder if they’re partial to making it as a stout? But its immense ABV would actually reclassify it as a barley wine or old ale. But unfortunately it’s some sort of chemical compound which takes all the fun out of things. Still, it might be a cheaper relief for those addicted to alcohol. It might warn them off the stuff, especially with how it’s administrated. Unless they’re going to absorb it into their skin…

Rancho Texas

 It cost us a fair bit of dosh to come here. We were relieved to see that our transfer was included in the price, but we were concerned that we might be losing time and wouldn’t fit everything in after all the pickups but we needn’t had worried. Upon arrival, a friendly staff member handed us a map and directed us to a queue to have our online tickets scanned; though I did wonder if it was quicker pay on the door.

We made straight for the dolphin arena to get a seat for the show, stopping to look at creatures along the way. Upon arrival, we did manage to get seats near the back but the viewing and performance area looked quite large and the dolphins seemed to be happy and well cared for. We then wandered around the rest of the zoo section. The ponies didn’t seem to be in any shade, but the enclosure for the white tiger was huge with plenty of viewing angles once you’d worked out where he was. We also enjoyed watching the lynxes chase each other. Then we had a go at the canoeing, though we were disappointed to pay a surcharge for this and the experience would have been better if you did a lazy island style circuit with optional rapids than paddle down a u-shaped bend to a dead end with some bushes. We dried off by walking around the reptile house, though I did wonder if the amphibious crocodile-shaped tortoise had enough room.

After some interesting xxx antics from the tortoises, we observed the bird show from the hill, but they did indeed seem to be tied up when not flying. We then headed down to the fast food restaurant for lunch. The portions and freshness were reasonable for the price, and staff were happy here. We shared a pizza and some baguettes with fries and onion rings between six of us before heading to the sea lion show which was also good fun with some great photo opportunities.

Onto the water park. We hired a locker for our valuables then found some sunbeds and grabbed some inflatable rings. There was a bit of confusion about where to queue for the lower slide, but the wait wasn’t long (I wondered how busy it gets at weekends when the locals come along). I think it’s a shame that you have to take these tyres up yourself and perhaps a ramp could be devised. The hidden valley was also a bit of a disappointment; I was expecting a lazy river style circuit that you could swim or float through rather than a waterfall around a corner. But me and the young ones happily spent the rest of the afternoon sliding down on the rings; we did try the larger wave slide once but lost count of how many times we went down Wild Canyon and the Gold Rush.

I had a quick visit to the gents by the gift shop and was surprised to see into the parrot enclosure; the parrots could literally watch you pee! Then it was onto the transfer bus which was waiting for us at the exit and we were directed by more friendly staff. We weren’t the last ones on but we had booked; it appeared that a seat shortage was caused by those who hadn’t booked the transfer and came earlier via taxi. No-one seemed to check us on as we embarked. A few little ones ended up on laps to make room.

Although admission was slightly expensive, we all had a great time as there was a lot to see and do. Hopefully there will be new exhibits to tempt us back and we may be braver to try some of the faster water slides!

Fast Forward

 We must be moving forward through a time loop very fast so that our eyes can’t keep up. Everything’s getting shook up because the world is ageing quickly. We’re moving so fast that others are fading from view. Either that or everything is being spun around. It could even be the same person. The silhouette in the background could be another body with a smaller head from a different dimension. Or it could be a body of things yet to come. It could be a teenage top with a late adult waistline below. Is it all going to fade away? And I’m not sure if those are chocolate flakes, hot dogs or bullets hurtling past her. She seems to have dodged them at any rate, unless they’ve hit her in the mouth which has made her teeth crooked. She could also have something a bit adult in there like a cigarette which has caused this whole mess.

Whitbread Wipeout

They’re a company out there who’s just sitting on assets wanting to get rid of them. They’ve just given up and the place is shut. They’ve still got tables, chairs and equipment in them. Why would you suddenly restrict the use of your property to a certain clientele just because they’re spending less money? At the end of the day, you’re still turning a profit. Restricting your trade just for convenience isn’t going to win you over with the locals who will visit frequently. Instead you’re just forking on money just for protection. You won’t even give it a chance to sell it to someone who wants to keep the place going. Instead you’re just going to sit there and wait for a change in the policy to cash in. Instead, you’re just forcing abandonment which won’t give it much of a lease in life as people will become used to it.

The Graduate

This is a great film with some brilliant comic moments and a great soundtrack to match. Even the cinematography has some great transitions to flick quickly between scenes. I enjoyed Hoffman’s nervousness of trying to get his own way while also doing the right thing, especially when he has to demonstrate a family gift in front of his family’s friends. It’s a strange time as independent women are still hard to come by, yet if there’s a generational gap they can easily command younger people out of respect as they push by through the door. It’s only when pressure is put on by his parents that he begins to question his motives to get what he wants, and there could have been some more scenes slipped in. Some scenes are cut to the point to save time and you could be forgiven for thinking it’s the same scene. You just have to wonder what happens next.

Head Goes Pop

This head’s just popped up, but how long have we been waiting for it? What about all those times when we haven’t seen that smile? The head might as well have been trapped underneath the coat. But just beyond there is something green. It looks as if it’s ready to grab it and pluck it from the coat like a cabbage. It could be a claw or talon of something that’s about to swoop down and get a grip. It’s accompanied by a grabber on its left. Is that to take out the both of them? Then the head will be boiled and the hair will be served up on something’s dinner. It might get the little sister first. If they’re quick, they can grab the ropes and poles while the other one may be able to help. Will she notice and get the harpoon out to rescue her? Maybe it won’t be long until it grows back again.

Pack up your Troubles #dreamdiary 207

I’m at a works conference. It’s in a giant arena in what used to be one of the company’s premises in a  shopping centre structure. There’s an outline of what we’re supposed to achieve over the next year and the tasks we must complete to achieve that. Rather than having us leave the building, lunch is provided for us which forces us to mingle in the auditorium to collect it. Having been stuck inside all day, I fancy some fresh air and the opportunity to  see some daylight. I head into a corner where I calculate that if I head behind a propped noticeboard, I can squeeze through a gap in the chicken wire and head outside. It’s a huge airfield only instead of planes it’s a car park. There’s hangers for the company to store its wares. It’s as if we’re being forced into packing up  the company’s property to ship elsewhere, leaving us jobless in the process.

Pranksters

They’re no longer best friends. The little one doesn’t get on with the big one and the big one doesn’t like it. They will argue over anything, and the little one will always overact to the slightest bit of jest. She’s not sleeping well at the moment so it doesn’t take much to set her off. You have to wander if they’re going to play any pranks on each other, which would be much more entertaining than trying to stop them from fighting all the time. They need to put a bit more thought and planning into their activities rather than just taking things off each other. Perhaps they could build a trap that falls onto them when they enter a room. They might even see the funny side of it, especially if they film each other. It does take a bit more prep and thought though. They’ll have to get googling.

Filling a Hole #empress 25

The empress was mountainous. All that she wanted to do was to lay across the landscape while teams of seamstresses worked to attempt to create clothing, nightwear, and blankets to fit. What happened underneath the blanket wasn’t exactly private. Probably the whole region could witness and hear her. It usually served as a warning to evacuate the area or face her wrath in the morning, accompanied by some very large craters where the ground had been pounded and cracked. Though people went missing, there were never any sightings of blood. It was usually the males that got entranced, though the odd lady also got involved occasionally. In its wake, people would often leave flowers as a memorial that the empress had graced their land, if they could find any. They also used the remaining rubble to construct a temple to remind them what they had lost. It was a miracle and a tragedy at the same time.

Shipmates

This could be a playground, but this could also be the rig of a ship that’s just come into harbour which explains the trees. The ropes lead up to the crow’s nest. The hoist on the right could be the bell to bring the crew to attention. The crew are excited to be home after a wet voyage at sea. They’re celebrating their safe return with a selfie that they can send to their families to let them know that they’ve docked and are looking forward to seeing them. Or they could be looking forward to setting off for an adventure. It’s the excitement of seeing things that they haven’t seen before, but they’re ready to share it as a team. There might be a nippy breeze but the sun is out to warm up the route ahead. But it’s an easy ship to restrict and invade once it’s in harbour. 

 

Sing a silly song

I’m not convinced by the tagline on this. Is it going to be one repetitive song that constantly gets on my nerves? Will there be a different song each time I ask? Will I have heard of it and join in? Will there be accompanying music and rude words? Or will it just be the usual monotone voice? I get a male voice starting off a song that’s not dissimilar to a Green Day lyric, but it’s a children’s rhyming song that I haven’t heard of before about how no-one likes me and wanting to spend the day eating worms. Not a great motivational tool, but at least it’s not aimed at me. It’s the second song that’s the irritating one, but at least it’s only one verse and it’s not played on a loop. And then we’re back to the first one. I don’t think I’ll bother any more.

Circle Suspenders

It’s a turret on the end of a stick. It might have a nozzle in front of it to shoot something out. It could be pointed at the back of the girls’ head, or it could be aimed at a platform that she’s standing on which could cause her to plummet to her death if it collapses. You never know which part is an eyepiece to enhance magnification for targeting or if it’s a spare round installed. It could even be an earpiece. It can move at any moment and might be looking at more than one place. It might even be able to adjust its height. But has someone lassoed it into place to prevent it from moving, or is it in the process of spitting something out? It might even be chewing up the ropes that the kids are standing on. Maybe they can pull it back down by jumping.

Raft of tax hikes expected in budget today -here's what we know

We don’t know what’s going to happen until it’s revealed. Until then, we can only have an expert guess. There’s been hints of what’s going to be raised, and how these will affect prices, rates and wages, but then there’s also been a change of plan. It’s a worrying time, and it’s rare that things are going to be able to go back to the way that they were. It’s just going to get more expensive and it’ll discourage some people from continuing their current paths. Is it right to compare it to a raft? Is there a hint of blaming the illegal immigrants in the story to fill the gaps in the budget? The experts all seem to agree that it’s not going to be good news. Of course, what the press really want is a big leak so that they get all the attention first for their article.

Tower Defenders

The square is the strongest until it’s folded in two. They’re not the most natural of shapes and they can be very artificial. Sometimes they can wobble without support. It depends on how they’re stacked. They can also be pierced easily. You’d need a lot of them if you are to win the day. If you’re fortifying, you’re also going to need some patience and the right tools if you want them to stick around. If you have enough of them, you can make something that’s hard to move, but it’ll cost you more in materials and you have to watch out for the saggy bits. Most people don’t bother. They realise that it’ll need rebuilding anyway so it’s better to be mobile. But you can also use them as art forms to make interesting shapes and cut off any corners or bits that you don’t need. You could even use these as decorations.

Wellness

She’s a big girl with a bit of meat in the right places. She’s blonde with brown eyes and glasses that look a bit thick and a short ponytail. She’d be better off in contacts or a different style entirely. She might bat for the other team. She always has a strange odour about her. It’s as if she doesn’t use deodorant. She likes heavy metal when she’s not employed and she’ll be in as much skimpy black as she can. She can be very heavy-handed and she often looks for the easy way out or for an excuse to avoid the task. But she speaks and walks quite confidently. She knows how to get away with things and is happy to ask questions. She might even get in touch via Facebook or be happy to come along to social events with a friend. You can’t think of a reason not to invite her, but at the same time…

Invasion of the Triangles

They’re sharp and pointy and perfect for piercing things. They hang in the balance, but they support many things and are very aerodynamic. There’s more of them than squares. In fact, they’re made up of them so they outnumber them by at least two to one if they’re smaller, and if they’re bigger they can make holes with their corners. They’re ready to invade. They may cut everything up which might be a good thing if you want to start over or make some repairs. But they can also be quite nasty. Luckily, it looks as this one’s covered with curvy plastic so any unexpected face plants will slide right off without piercing or grazing any skin or eyes. This one’s in an angry pose though, so it could do some damage with a bit of force. Has it already taken some hair? Hopefully it’s just a threat to leave the area.

 

Positivity Always Wins

-Gary Vaynerchuk.

You can do it if you think positively! It’s a nice thought that might keep you fighting, but there are some things that can’t go your way however hard you’re thinking them. Laws of physics when you’re standing on the roof of a tall building for example. But you never know if you don’t try. You need to feel that you can do it otherwise you’re not going to be able to spur yourself on. If you have a feeling of doubt, then it’s easy to give into it. You’ll also be disappointed with yourself if you don’t achieve it, and it’ll be harder to get up to the same or better standard again. What’s meant to be a sound of encouragement comes out as a war cry as a desperate attempt to convince yourself. Most people want you to succeed, providing that they’re not competing at the same time.

White Teeth

Check out those front gnashers! They look so cute, but also a bit thin and wobbly. I hope they’re not liable to snap off if caught in an apple. It’ll feel a bit painful. I wonder how long they’ll stay white for. They might get caked in sugar but at least they won’t be dipped in booze. Hopefully they won’t be stained with yellow. The gums look very delicate. They’re all pink and slimy. I hope they’ve got some resistance. There’s also something in the eyes. It looks like little white flakes. That could be a reflection or a digital distortion. It doesn’t seem to bother her. Some of her most vulnerable parts are on show. There’s also a few cute freckles unless it’s a bit of mud from the playground. I wonder how long they’ll last. Perhaps it’s skin that hasn’t properly developed yet. Either that or it’s the tougher stuff.

The Truth about Differences

Differences are exciting. When you meet someone new, you wonder what they look like and how you will get on with them. Will you click with them? Will you both like the same stuff? Will they be different to the point that you can’t stand them or will you ask each other questions to learn about cultures and values? If everyone and everything was the same, life would be boring and everything would be the same. It’s the spice of life! Then there’s differences of opinion. Sometimes it causes conflict, usually over matters of ownership. Then there’s stereotypes of these opinions which are deemed to be bad and can also lead to hatred without the right context or knowledge, or sometimes war. It depends on how you view them. Some people just want conflict and nothing else. They enjoy the struggle of watching other people suffer. Others are bound by rules, usually under employment. But it’s what we do or choose not to do that counts. Sometimes you can tell how things end up, at other times you’ll be surprised.

What if a cruise worker gets fired during the cruise?

I’d imagine there’d be restrictions just as if someone had committed a crime. It would depend on the severity of the offence. Ideally, you’d want to hand papers to the employee while the ship is in port, preferably at the end of the voyage or have arrangements made to take the employee back to the point of embarkation. It depends if you can trust them enough to continue with their duties until you reach port, or have them assigned to a different set of tasks. Access to their work areas would be secured with a new keycard and the employee could be secured in the room if necessary with room service only. You’d be short staffed while the employee is out of action unless you can ask someone else to work an extra shift or put more time in. It would put more stress on the other employees. They may have to pay a fare out of their salary.

Siloed

It would be cooler if the playground was a hideout for something much more. Perhaps it’s used to host a secret silo for a missile. After all, no-one would want to purposefully bomb an innocent children’s space unless they were intentionally declaring a terrorist threat or act of war. These areas are well-guarded by children playing during the day, and they’re maintained at night which is why the park gates are always locked at night. The whole area is already barricaded off and well-fixed playground equipment could just drop down on a trapdoor to reveal a pit below. You could even have half a rocket protruding from the ground for children to play in with an engine and payload below held by a launch pad disguised as a slide and a climbing frame. It would probably need a bit of maintenance and cleaning especially with self-sealing doors. But perhaps they don’t all have to work at once?

Resturante Italica

This restaurant was a nice spot by the sea. We were placed at the rear of the restaurant and if it wasn’t for the mixing desk in sight I would have thought that the music they played was live. The staff were friendly and insisted on taking our picture when we arrived, but perhaps they needed a little more practice in clearing dishes and preparing drinks as some vessels were scattered, but they were quick in cleaning it up. They were well presented, especially with the wine selected for us. We ordered cheesy garlic bread as starters which were very moreish. The traditional lasagne and mixed pasta was very nice and the kids enjoyed the spaghetti. I opted to try the chicken Corden bleu but was disappointed to receive chips instead of potatoes and it was without sauce. The mussels were well presented and there were plenty of them. We then moved onto dessert, the kids enjoyed their brownies, and I chose the tiramisu which was a huge piece. I was slightly disappointed that we weren’t offered a complimentary shot given the amount spent.

Temporary Accomodation

 So could a kid live in a playground like this? Not really as there’s not much in the way of shelter. They could shelter under the slide but they’re going to have to put walls up and build a fire to keep warm. Having a rubber floor isn’t a great thing near a flame. They’re also going to need food, although an ice cream truck probably has a weekend residency and the café across the stream would also be worth a visit. How to fund these visits? Well, if you can’t charge other kids to enter your playground (which would also put the wellbeing of your property and risk); you’ll just have to be evil and mug them. Unfortunately; with or without crime, you’re going to be spotted very quickly as a resident by a grownup who might just have something to say about that or pass on a tip to the authorities.

Surviving the Axe

I’m not sure how this place will survive. It’s a lone small building in the middle of a building site that hopes to cash in on the passing rail travel when the HS2 terminal is finally complete. There’s an upstairs function room with extra seating and there may be a second bar there too but even then, it’s going to be a bit cramped with its central bar and small rooms. I don’t think that it’ll be able to cope with crowds. There’s overspill areas with picnic tables but people still need to get inside to order. At the moment it’s being fuelled by students and real ale fans. It’s going to be difficult to market as a destination pub with a limited capacity. It’s great that it’s being preserved but it’s going to be a tough one and prices will inevitably have to increase unless they can knock through.  

Roped Off

I suppose it’s good practice should they decide to take up life at sea as they’ll be good at climbing the rigging. But there’s not much use of that if the town’s in the centre of the island though. The next use is for practice should they want to join the circus. They can practice hanging and swinging like monkeys to build up their stamina, though not at height. And with the gained confidence in height training, they might want to stop at nets and focus on rooftops to see what other areas they can reach. Are we causing them to develop for the wrong reasons? Where does it stop? They might be enjoying themselves now, but they could have an accident if they attempt to apply their newly acquired skills to a different environment, especially if they attempt to reach places that they’re not supposed to get to. Hopefully they’ll get bored and try to interact with something else.

Futurama (Season 13)

Although short, this series had something to satisfy everyone. It was well-written without fear of cancellation again, with most of the stories being independent of each other. New abilities are backed up with well thought-out processes. Sometimes you wish things to be a bit bigger. Inventions and animation processes are well-thought out which contribute to the plot together with hints of past adventures for continuity. Yet some things haven’t changed and have taken trends into account like media streaming overtaking the cinema. At other times they’ve thought of everything incorporated into a character’s design and issues that are totally relevant that still haven’t been solved a thousand years later. But once again, while it tries to make jokes out of maths and science with a hidden agenda of how we can attempt to safeguard our future, there’s a few characters and plots that have been left out of this series.

Knotted Up

There’s a lot of rope involved to hold these playgrounds together. It all encourages kids to become acrobats and stretch their bodies in ways that they normally wouldn’t when on the ground. They’ll hang upside-down and try to touch the ground and they’ll learn about their body’s capabilities and be able to pull themselves back up again. There’s still a bit of wiggle room so that they get a bit taut when weight gets put on them. Nowadays they use metal rather than thread so that they don’t decay and they’re harder to strip apart. Unless of course, you strip the whole cable away. You could make a ladder in your own backyard. I suppose that there’s special locks installed to stop that from happening. Either that or no-one’s that heartless to attempt to saw through it and leave a playground abandoned. They used to in the olden days. Unless that was in parks that were less frequented. 

 

Exceeding Occupation #dreamdiary 206

I’m back at one of my old family holiday haunts. I haven’t been there in a while. I’ve walked on the beach and I’m following an old trail back to the hotel. It’s a bit overgrown. There’s grass everywhere and I have to push through, but the plants and branches are soft and haven’t hardened in the heat. Then I emerge onto concrete and a wave of humanity hits me. There’s people everywhere gathered around sunbeds on the pool, and there’s children dressed in swimsuits sitting on towels on the floor. The pool itself is also busy, and though there’s places to stand there’s nowhere to swim. There’s hardly a space that isn’t occupied, and the only route to the hotel’s reception is one drawn from my memory. It’s clearly the result of an increased population. I look back at the trail that I’ve left and all I see is a wall of hedge. I wonder if anyone knows if it’s still there.