Seeing Clearly

Why would you want glass in a cooking appliance? Surely the shell would shatter at some point? It’s good to see if the water is boiling but I would have hoped that the steam is a giveaway. There’s noting in the description that says it’s shatterproof, so things could very ugly and messy pretty quickly. One of its features boasts a 360° base, but don’t most things do? We’re also told about a removable filter, but we don’t se any evidence of this coming out at all. Wouldn’t it be easier to list it as circular? The listing also boasts cord storage, but we only get a brief glimpse of the cord in the picture. And how can it have a plastic accent? It doesn’t talk to you, unless it’s a boiling sound and I have to learn a sensitive language. Why stop with a one-cup feature? Whynot add a second and save up to 33% energy?

Ticket to Leave #dreamdiary 155

I’ve been riding a bus to the town centre. I can’t remember where I’ve been but my next port of call is a ten-minute walk home. There seems to be groups of people wearing pink hi-vis vests at every exit. They seem to be asking for people’s tickets. When I boarded the bus I wasn’t issued with one because I got on at a stop in the countryside where the bus’s card reader didn’t get enough reception to read my card so the driver just waved me on. I don’t really want to walk past them without explaining that I haven’t paid for a ticket, then I wonder if they actually saw me get off a bus. As it’s a public throughfare they can’t stop me leaving, especially if I’m a pedestrian browsing in the shops above the bus station. I leave and explain that I’ve eaten in one of the fast-food restaurants upstairs and they let me through. Hooray for half-arsedness. But as I walk down the next road there’s a woman in a pink hi-vis vest who just won’t let me past despite me reciting my earlier reasons. Is she on to me? And just where does her jurisdiction end? 

Forever Blowing Bubbles

One day, there will be a gazillion of something and we’ll need that number. Until we work out what it is, it’s there waiting for us in the wings. The idea of it is just floating away, just like these bubbles. It’s amazing to think that there’s someone in Vietnam creating this and I’d like to know why we can’t make it here. Do we not have the right climate to grow bubbles? Is the water cheaper there? Is there a part of the manufacturing process that’s illegal in this country or gives off a toxic reaction? It’s always disappointing that price outweighs local resources. It’d also be good to know how much mixture is needed to make a ton of bubbles, that sounds quite impressive. I hope the customer’s expecting good weather as it’d be quite disappointing to use this inside a flat, and that they have a sturdy hand so it doesn’t empty quickly.

Screenringer

With a name like that, you’d expect it to be a discussion site about things seen on a screen, most notably the movies or at least something on TV. Even its tagline suggests that it’s an insight into life behind your favourite topics. But with the internet, even the smallest topic can be put up on a little sheet of glass in front of you. So it now seems that any news snippet can be put up in the form of a post for discussion. It’s become more of a gossip column, although some of it is very poor clickbait to other websites. There’s some feelgood fables accompanied by some very strange screenshots which is a good way of gathering other people’s experiences by encouraging them to leave a comment. You do get an insight into other people’s lives who may not have the same privileges or resources that you do.

Desperado

When the first thing you see is a row of outhouses built just to host wheelie bins, you know this area hasn’t been thought through. Dig deeper and you’ll see signs of arson. I wonder how many times those doors have had to be replaced. Further down, there seems to be a shortage of outhouses and dumpsters have begun to appear. I’d hate to think what it would be like inside these dark corridors leading to the homes or what the residents must be like. The council must be constantly cleaning up after these people. Some of them have been entrusted to houses rather flats. Head deeper in and some have made the effort to build their own garage and garden. At least there’s a large green space outside for children to play on without the worry of drivers using the greenspace as a roundabout, and the council keeps the grass trim on a regular basis.

The World's End

The opening was a bit of an eyesore. Once you got past the history, it became that it was a group of people who had gone their separate ways but were curious for an escape. I like the dig that the second pub looked the same as the first, and it’s a shame that they didn’t weave that into the plot any further. A variety of drinks were also mentioned, which would easily explain why the mission wasn’t completed on the first attempt. The introduction of the protagonists was quite inventive and original, and their design was unique too. It did seem quite obvious from the discovery that one of the characters had disappeared, though I suppose I wasn’t drinking along with them. It was great to see a lack of combat skills for once. The film is accompanied by a great rebellious soundtrack. It’s an interesting concept, but it lacks the fun of its predecessors.

A Pint with Parliament

Redditch and Bromsgrove CAMRA members sat down with Bromsgrove MP Sajid Javid in May to discuss CAMRA’s current campaigns. The meeting was held at Clent Club which is just outside the village of Belbroughton, and licensee Michelle was on hand with some excellent Wye Valley beers and discussed the facilities and events that the club offers to the community. CAMRA members Andy Checketts, Gez Quinn, Paul Richards, and Tim Craig addressed the sharp price of rising energy bills for pubs and clubs and the difficulties that they are facing as they attempt to recover from the pandemic restrictions and asked for more support for local publicans so that local communities don’t lose their valued pubs. Mr Javid recognised the importance of CAMRA’s work in the community and commented on his time as Economic Secretary when he was influential in abolishing the beer duty escalator. He thanked the CAMRA volunteers for a good discussion on how he can continue to support local businesses.