patrick.net

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

BBC changes Weather Map to fearmonger: Now Sunshine is a Deadly Radiating RED.

B.A.C.A.H. says

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.

I write cash on the tip line if I use the card. I try to pay all cash at restaurants in the hope that they won't claim the income and be taxed on it.

I hate it when the machine asks for and suggests a tip. Is almost as bad as the grocery store check out kiosk asking you if you want to add a buck or two to your total to "save children" or puppies or something.

I hate it when the machine asks for and suggests a tip. Is almost as bad as the grocery store check out kiosk asking you if you want to add a buck or two to your total to "save children"

They are clearly Antiabortion.

B.A.C.A.H. says

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.

Tipping is what is wrong with America. Prior to the Great Depression it was viewed as a sleazy thing done by rich people to get benefits or services they otherwise shouldn’t. Then during the Great Depression restaurants started encouraging the practice so they didn’t have to pay their employees, which is basically where we are at now today.

At this point it’s a confusing mess where I am prompted with tip screens for anything including dog kennels and the person at the stadium that hands me my $15 beer can. Nobody knows what the proper tip amount is, and we shouldn’t have to. There’s enough profit in a $15 beer to pay your employees, stop empowering these rich corps to screw you over further by being “generous”.

At this point I tip at only at places where I sit down and am served by the same person for an extended period and that’s it. And the few restaurants / bars in my area that have a no tipping policy I try to frequent because paying your employees properly and advertising your actual prices is the right thing to do.

"Whaddya mean you don't tip? I don't even know a Jew who has the balls to say that"

Mr. Pink don't tip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4sTSIYzDIk

People are very grateful when you leave them even a moderate tip by American standards.

I have to say it's nice that tax is included in everything, even if taxes are high. You don't have to guess what the final price of anything is in stores, restaurants, or even hotel rooms.

If you go to Tenby on the southern coast of Wales, consider Fuchsia restaurant, really excellent food. Tenby itself has a beautiful and dramatic setting on the coast, but it is absolutely mobbed with tourists, of which we are two of course. We started with two days in Pembroke, which is much smaller and a bit dumpy, but had a great castle with nice displays, and had a good time yesterday walking along the coast south of there, which is often closed for artillery and other military shooting practice. There's a lot of evidence of that in the earth, and bits of shrapnel. I even found a bullet on the trail yesterday, but left it.

Wife took a photo of a piece of shrapnel on the path, and some kind of shell.

pudil says

stop empowering these rich corps to screw you over further by being “generous”.

We're talking about giving someone cash for a service that they pocket, not funnel through their employer. If you don't like the price of the food, don't eat there, completely separate issue from leaving a tip.
This is the essence of free market, allowing employees to earn additional compensation by going above and beyond what's expected. And competition has always enhanced quality of service and goods.

If you pay using screens, I'd say that's your real problem. Learn to start using hard currency.

I got back on Wednesday, and found this excellent magazine in Heathrow called The Critic https://thecritic.co.uk/

In the magazine was an ad for a "Covid-19 Souvenir Plate":



Memories are, clockwise:
- campaign of fear
- imprisoning the elderly
- forcibly closing small businesses
- banning childhood & education
- arresting picknickers
- assaulting protestors
and in the middle "wine & cheese in westminster"

Plate is by https://dungbeetlebooks.com/

I love these guys!

Patrick says

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

And I expect they are on every kind of public assistance that exists.

NDrLoR says

And I expect they are on every kind of public assistance that exists.

Like Iranians in California. They are rich suckers escaped with big bank accounts, but they glory in exploiting every fraud handout and scam that sucker US and Cali have.

Patrick says

I got back on Wednesday, and found this excellent magazine in Heathrow called The Critic https://thecritic.co.uk/

They have articles by Titania McGrath

https://thecritic.co.uk/search/titania+mcgrath/

Double rapists can be ladies too
Only a bigot would deny Isla’s lived experience

Jesus Christ was a trans woman
It should have been obvious all along

Stop this fascist gaslighting
Without white progressives like me to supervise them, ethnic minorities are helpless and easily exploited