patrick.net

Standing on the corner of Chad and Simp.

Brother of CHAZ, the patron saint of anarchy and mayhem.

I hope you get a chance to make it out to town while you're there. If the laws were different I'd definitely consider returning to my ancestral homeland and living in the English countryside.

King Billy Day!

We are going to Wales soon, because it's scenic and Celtic. I'm also kind of interested in the Welsh language, which seems to be surviving much better than Irish.

Yesterday was part of a heatwave, but that means high 80's. Fortunately it's quite overcast so that at least provides some protection from the sun.

Walked though the British Museum, which is very impressive and free, though they nag you to donate.

I haven't noticed anything Irish at all yet, no accents, no Irish flags or Irish pubs. They must be around somewhere.

Patrick says

Walked though the British Museum, which is very impressive and free, though they nag you to donate.

I hate that setup. There are museums in Chicago that do the same. Don't say it's free and then try and sell me to donate. Most large museums are funded by rich people as a tax write off at some gala or to get their name/business on/in the building somehow.

Have fun, but I have zero interest in ever visiting Europe. Greece or Spain are about the only ones that I'd think about and that's at the far bottom of bucket list travel I'd do. And yes, I know it's not about me, but I just don't have any interest in it and I'm surprised when people say they're going to Europe.

Patrick says

Yesterday was part of a heatwave, but that means high 80's.

You forgot to mention that they don't have air conditioning there.

zzyzzx says

Patrick says

Yesterday was part of a heatwave, but that means high 80's.

You forgot to mention that they don't have air conditioning there.

Even low 90's is not hot. I like sweating to be honest as long as it not at a wedding or formal event. Sweat my ass off golfing yesterday. Probably lost a pound and it was fun.

Problem is I can't smell much anymore. I'm sure I got covid at some point and my sense of smell is mostly gone still. But I did a quick armpit sniff and I'm pretty sure I was the stinky guy yesterday. Oh well. As long as you're hydrated heat is a good thing. Humidity and dew point is the bitch though here. 90º can feel like 102º. You'll just stand there and sweat.

Patrick says

I'm also kind of interested in the Welsh language, which seems to be surviving much better than Irish.

Yes, the Welsh never stopped speaking their language. Back in the early 90s. the wife and I spend a couple days in Aberystwyth, staying at a local B&B. I remember riding an old steam train through some valleys, and how green everything was and the plethora of sheep. Nice seashore as well. For some reason, real estate in Wales is considered undesirable despite its beauty and priced much cheaper than in England. Mwynhewch eich arhosiad.

zzyzzx says

Patrick says

Yesterday was part of a heatwave, but that means high 80's.

You forgot to mention that they don't have air conditioning there.

True. That's kind of annoying, and "cold" drinks are only barely cold, even in the store refrigerators.

Saw two more homeless people, but it's still minimal. Certainly no tents or encampments.

People don't seem to expect tips, but then service is not as good as in the US.

HeadSet says

For some reason, real estate in Wales is considered undesirable

Probably because there are no jobs there.

Patrick says

People don't seem to expect tips, but then service is not as good as in the US.

Most of western Europe as well as Canada have tips "built-in" to the prices of food & drink at restaurants, bars, etc. They used to love Americans because they would tip anyway.
Don't tip when you're in Europe or Canada.

Patrick says

I haven't noticed anything Irish at all yet, no accents, no Irish flags or Irish pubs. They must be around somewhere.

Finally walked by an Irish pub. I plan to have a beer there later.

Surprising number of security cameras everywhere.

Another oddity: when getting on the plane in SF, they knew who I was before I presented any ID. They did it via facial recognition, which was creepy.

Patrick says

Another oddity: when getting on the plane in SF, they knew who I was before I presented any ID. They did it via facial recognition, which was creepy.

Or:
You are a well-known celebrity.

WookieMan says

Have fun, but I have zero interest in ever visiting Europe

Britain is not part of Europe.

And I'm not referring to the EU, though Britain is no longer part of that, either.

If you find yourself in Britain you can mention in casual conversation with locals who are not immigrants from continental Europe, about their island being part of Europe.

They will politely correct you, sometimes with indignation, but always politely, that they ARE NOT EUROPE. They are British. I learnt this by accident in the 1980's but like to do it over the decades when traveling there to hear their response.

I've been politely corrected by Scottish nationalist-leaning folks in the Highlands down to the most anti-Brexit county of Kent and places all between.

stereotomy says

Don't tip when you're in Europe or Canada.

It's OK to tip generously, though, except in some Asian places where it's considered an insult.

I make it a habit to be a generous tipper. You can call me a stupid fool, I don't care. It's sort of a karma thing.

Patrick says

Surprising number of security cameras everywhere.

Really? You know in England they have cameras in newborns homes to monitor the parents. It's one of the most repressive countries in the world. No coincidence that Canada and Australia(and by proxy New Zealand), have fared the worst during the scamdemic era. All actively pledge allegiance to the throne.

B.A.C.A.H. says

I make it a habit to be a generous tipper. You can call me a stupid fool, I don't care. It's sort of a karma thing

I've noticed that about money. What comes around goes around. When you are generous with the world, the world is generous with you.

NuttBoxer says

All actively pledge allegiance to the thrown.

We know what you meant.

The Commonwealth countries have been the most fascist.

Very few people are wearing masks, maybe one in twenty. That's nice. Far less than in the bay area.

We went to the rooftop garden at 120 Fenchurch Street in The City and got a big brownie from their cafe. They gave us a wooden knife to split it, and I noticed that the knife was made in Tuliszków, Poland. This is odd because that is my grandmother's native village, only about three thousand people.

London? If you can't cut off somebody's head with it in 20 seconds flat, it ain't a knife.

Onvacation says

B.A.C.A.H. says

I make it a habit to be a generous tipper. You can call me a stupid fool, I don't care. It's sort of a karma thing

I've noticed that about money. What comes around goes around. When you are generous with the world, the world is generous with you.

The difference between a 20%+ tip and a 15% tip is usually only a few dollars. If you like the service, over-tip and make someone's day.

Patrick says

Very few people are wearing masks, maybe one in twenty. That's nice. Far less than in the bay area.

Jesus. 1 in 20???? Even that's fucking nuts. I see 1 in 100 now at best. You cats need to get out of CA and not visit Britain. You're kind of scorned now wearing a mask here in my part of IL and get some side eye action like would have happened pre-covid.

zzyzzx says

HeadSet says

For some reason, real estate in Wales is considered undesirable

Probably because there are no jobs there.

Perhaps because dating in Wales involves sheep, not womyn...

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/may/05/david-mitchell-racism-insults-wales

NuttBoxer says

The difference between a 20%+ tip and a 15% tip is usually only a few dollars. If you like the service, over-tip and make someone's day.

I'm 20% no matter what unless the service really sucked. I'll usually do one big tip at a restaurant just after Thanksgiving if the service was good and depending on our communication and learning about them if it gets to that. Maybe $100-$300 for a $100 meal for the family. Or $100 tip for a solo meal. You can make a lot bartending/serving, but it's so inconsistent and weather dependent in many locations. Plus a lot is cash, so you skip the tax man.

WookieMan says

You cats need to get out of CA

Ahem, it's not California: it's the Left Coast. Just go deep inland (ie, not Sacramento which is an extension of the Bay Area) and you might as well be in Flyover Country. Last summer in Redding and Weaverville I didn't see anyone wearing a mask.

Until I got to Lassen National Park which is chocked full of mainly tourists from the Bay Area.

WookieMan says

Plus a lot is cash, so you skip the tax man.

I only ever use cash for tips.

If I pay for restaurant or other service bill with plastic, I always write ZERO on the tip line, and give the tip in cash instead.

Whoever looks at the receipt probably thinks I am a cheapskate, but I don't care.

B.A.C.A.H. says

Whoever looks at the receipt probably thinks I am a cheapskate, but I don't care.

If they work or have worked in the industry long enough they actually appreciated the cash tip. But I get what you're saying if a passer by sees it, "that guy is a cheapskate." I just don't like carrying cash. I lose it. Or spend it. Or both. I just hate fumbling around with it. But if someone digs it, do you. I just prefer credit and a tiny wallet. And pay it off of course.

Patrick says

We went to the rooftop garden at 120 Fenchurch Street in The City and got a big brownie from their cafe. They gave us a wooden knife to split it, and I noticed that the knife was made in Tuliszków, Poland. This is odd because that is my grandmother's native village, only about three thousand people.

It's actually Produced in China FOR British and Polish company.

Yesterday got flight transfer through London Heathrow. I almost forgot how messy this airport is. Running miles, driving around terminals by bus, everywhere long line, some places without air condition. Have impression like Indian population manage all airport. Have to take hours for transfer not like other places, minutes.

On another trip has been in British Muzeum. Big with a lot of stuff displayed. However, after digesting everything, got impression that was a big warehouse of worldwide stollen treasure.

REpro says

big warehouse of worldwide stollen treasure.

LOL! Pretty much. They have had to return a good bit of it and replace it with dupes, like the Elgin Marbles.

That's just what I thought when I saw the British Museum, fantastic place, but it looked like plunder from everywhere in the world.

Of course, European and world history is pretty much about rich psychopaths stealing treasure from each other. The Swiss have tunnels full of treasure, a lot still from divested people from WWII. The Vatican was all about wealth accumulation, also has tunnels full of treasure. Apparently, some of the Vatican's tunnel loot was liberated by US and some internationals when the Vatican declared war on USA by participating in election fraud, and Trump decided to take his own reparations while still in office. That was when the Vatican went dark for a couple of months.

There are an amazing number of Arabs. The women with their burkas and similar getups are very visible, often pushing a stroller. I think a lot of them are Saudi because I watched a street performance, and one of the performers was asking the crowd where they were from. When he said "Saudi Arabia?" it seemed like half the crowd cheered.

I bet a lot of them are supported here by Saudi oil money. Maybe even most of them.

REpro says

It's actually Produced in China FOR British and Polish company.

Thanks @REpro I hadn't noticed that.

WookieMan says

I just don't like carrying cash. I lose it. Or spend it. Or both. I just hate fumbling around with it. But if someone digs it, do you. I just prefer credit and a tiny wallet. And pay it off of course.

Every transaction you make on a credit card is recorded and used against you.

You're basically abandoning your privacy. You have no concept of what kind of data analysis is used. You have no clue. You're part of the problem, you're dragging the rest of society down with you, because of (minimal) convenience.

It's like people that have an Alexa defending it for how convenient it is. It's literally a spy device. Talk about the new puppy or kitten you're NOT about to get, and see what shows up in your advertisements. People think the device ONLY is active when they activate it, it's active all the time. People like this are making the telescreen from 1984 acceptable. It is exclusively used against you. You've abandoned your privacy because "I have nothing to hide" - yeah, we'll see.

We try to warn you. Amazon, Google, Twitter - they may as well be the government itself. The USSR would have loved to have such devices available to them. If you don't realize at this point that big business is in bed with the government, OR is the government itself, you're just naive. You're acting like an animal begging to be exploited.

When NEST was purchased by Google, I knew engineers that worked for the company that OPENLY expressed that the reason they were bought out was to spy on the dipshits that bought the device. It's not an environmental control system, it's a spy device.

https://www.theblaze.com/unleashed/google-nest-microphone

I have worked a long time in consumer electronics. We reduce the cost of any device to the minimum to maximize profit. A microphone would NOT be included in the device if it was inactive because it reduces profit. This microphone was ALWAYS active. No corporation includes useless devices on a board unless they are used, ever. I'm well acquainted with this field, but who believes us? It's fucking frustrating that we can tell you the truth, and you just don't believe it. WE KNOW. We built the devices and we did the software, we KNOW.

The vast majority will listen to the propaganda called "news" and will never listen to the people who actually do know. We do not have news, we have propaganda, and no matter how many times the whistleblowers scream out, you will ignore them, because we will never be on teeeeeveeeee.

The national museum in London is amazing. I could spend months in there I actually got only about six hours and could have gone all day long.

I liked this pub quite a bit. One of the bartenders refused my tip. Food was good, beer was great, history is just amazing.

https://yelp.to/Fgt8JlQkGrb

Other notes:

Emission standards are very low, with truly horrible diesel ruining the air nearby regularly.

Men frequently wear so much Cologne that it also ruins the air.

Cafes don't seem to open until 10am, which is sort of missing the point of coffee. Otoh, espresso is everywhere and very good.

No one wears a hat, even when the sun is beating down.

Busses may not run on Sunday.

The train from London to Swansea in Wales was fast and efficient, but the trains in Wales are slow and prone to breakdowns.

Patrick says

Emission standards are very low, with truly horrible diesel ruining the air nearby regularly.

That's true - there is top notch diesel tech out there leaving close to zero particles, but somehow London always smells a bit of exhaust fumes. Great towns, but England in general is not a very wealthy or healthy environment, life seems to be a tad bit tougher there for the average joe