Terminator: Genisys

I was debating with myself whether to watch the fourth film for a recap before viewing this one, but it turned out not to be necessary. The previous timeline of this franchise has been torn open completely with all manner of paradoxes taking place within the film; the exception being the conclusion of the previous one. I found myself wondering if this film is a tie-up of the recent TV series that I hadn’t seen, or whether it was an attempt to merge the two. I was also disappointed with the stunts. I found the unexpected appearance on the San Francisco highway a bit unrealistic as the humans nearly reacted like machines; and the helicopter take-off was incomprehensible. The appearance of John Connor resembled an antagonist straight away, so I wasn’t surprised to discover that he was the film’s villain. I was also disappointed by Matt Smith’s lack of screen time, and it would have been nice to see how the original timeline had concluded. The only character worth watching is Arnie; who brings his usual charm to the franchise as he does.

Meet the Guests

So who are my fellow visitors? Naturally we’re all jostling for the best views of the models and the tight opportunity, and you’re bound to get a picture of a stranger in the way just at the opportune moment. Unfortunately, fat people will tend to get everywhere wherever you go, but unless you’re actually going to eat them or them you then you’ve nothing to fear, unless they become paranoid with the fact that you’re taking their picture, which is thankfully rare. Most of the other guests seemed to be children accompanied by the odd bored parent or two, or perhaps the odd grandparent who’s just discovering what their little charge is really like. This also makes the build areas rather noisy and chaotic, but you’re limited to a specific session to avert overcrowding. Because it’s marketed as a play centre, you’re currently unable to visit without a child. There are select adult evening sessions but this excludes the magic bike ride. 

What to Recycle

There’s always some confusion over what should go in the bin, if at all. I often wonder if certain things could be recycled and it’s down to the local area; and has someone taken the decision to say that this can’t be recycled in the majority of cases, so we’ll print that it can’t on the packaging, but in some boroughs it can. Pringle cans are especially annoying. I’m certainly not going to call UPS to collect them. I now end up cutting or breaking waste and sneaking things into our general refuse because we’ve now got our local collectors rummaging through each recycle bin and refusing to take the contents if there’s anything that isn’t recyclable (though I’m not sure they’ve been doing it recently). Perhaps each council should issue a physical list to each household of what should and shouldn’t go in each bin, and occupants could fix it to the underside of the lid. It could even have a template of Greta Thunberg in the memo.

Lego New Street

It’s great to see more of the city being showcased; and of course, the train had to move too. I love the old cinema which I’ve still yet to visit, and there’s a great bit of self-indulgence as people are queuing to get in to see their movie too! On the far right is the city’s arena; and there’s even a miniature giraffe replica of the full-scale model outside the building! There’s a great social scene of people gathering outside the station while they wait for their train, but skateboarders never draw an audience. I’m not entirely sure as to why the builders chose to showcase the outskirts of a multi-storey car park; perhaps it was something that they had to include in order to retain accuracy. Everyone also seems happy, and apart from an odd exchange of a briefcase behind the bus shelter, there’s nothing mischievous going on, which is rare for a Lego diorama.

Social Distancing

Hello over there. Can you back up to your line so that I can come into the middle? No, it’s not line dancing; it’s the latest craze to hit our nation; the two-metre rule. It’s difficult for some people to get the hang of. It’s also awkward when you’re crossing someone on the pavement. If there’s no pavement on the other side, do I step out into the road? Do I turn and walk in the opposite direction? Or do I hit the ground and twist my body in an odd direction so that my face is two metres away from theirs? It’s also awkward in the supermarket. You used to be able to strike up a conversation with a stranger in the queue; now they’ll be terrified if you so much as open your mouth out at them. But I think that the best bit is when they introduce a one-way system in the aisles so that people don’t block you. I’ve been thinking that for years. 

Lego Brummies

There’s always something going on in Brum. Buskers and skateboarders aren’t really in abundance; you’re more likely to find a beggar. And that goes the same for street traffic as well since most of the roads are confined to the outskirts of the city. Road sweepers are also rare when you consider the amount of times that the city’s refuse collectors have gone on strike; though they’re always on hand to help keep the streets clean around the city hall. Street performers are also remarkably rare. But you can be sure that there’s always an abundance of stallholders and market tradesmen showcasing their wares. You also tend to see a lot of businessmen in suits carrying briefcases and mobile phones as you approach the station; especially during commuter times. The people also seem to be the same colour, which isn’t really a cross-representation of the city at all. And what’s with the bananas?

Heads Up #dreamdiary 87

I’m lying in bed staring at the window. It sits above our front porch and has a flat roof. Suddenly there’s banging and scraping. I can hear laughter and chuckles and people telling each other to be quiet. Three heads materialise at the window; one after the other. Each neck is slowly stretched to see over the windowsill. Each face is a Caucasian male sporting a black handlebar moustache and mod hair to match. As soon as they see me, they quickly withdraw. I’m tempted to peer over there but I’m too tired. A few moments later, a head surfaces again then vanishes. This carries on for a while in a sequence. It’s like one of those baby pop-up toys that you press and a hammer to whack each head back again. You could almost put some music to it. I guess that they’re trying to work out whether I’m actually asleep or not. Eventually, I climb up and peer over the windowsill. Three bare arses are shining back at me.