18 October 2024 (Friday) - Early Shift

I was wide awake and raring to go far too early this morning. I got up and as I scoffed my brekkie I watched some utter drivel on Netflix about some West Indian family living in London in the 1980s. I doubt I shall watch any more.
 
I got dressed in the dark and went off to find my car. Having no idea where I'd left it yesterday I was rather pleased to find it right outside the house. I set off, and immediately did the first of the many emergency stops I did this morning.
Back in the day when I cycled to work (which I did for about fifteen years) I had lights on the front and back of my bike, and I wore a bright yellow hi-vis vest. An hour before dawn this morning I lost count of the amount of half-wits on bikes that I nearly ran over. Not one had any lights on their bikes, all were clad entirely in black, and all had those stupid ear buds in preventing them from hearing anything; least of all me shouting at them.
 
As I drove the pundits on the radio were interviewing one of the head honchos at Netflix who was talking about the popularity of one of their subscription packages. If you take this deal you don't get bombarded with adverts. Apparently they've done research and found that the general public doesn't like adverts and tend to fast-forward through them. If the public can’t fast-forward through them then they go to toilet during the adverts or make a cup of tea, and it turns out that if the public are forced to watch an advert for a particular product then they are more likely to buy whatever it is from a competing company.
How long had it taken them to realise this?
And there was news from the Middle East. The Israelis have killed the boss of Hamas but intend to continue the war anyway. I can remember an interview on the radio about the situation in Gaza about five years ago. People from all sides of the conflict were harping on about grievances that happened twenty years before any of them were born. All admitted that no one was prepared to give an inch, and all admitted the fighting would continue indefinitely. The people being interviewed at the time all but admitted the hatred they had for each other was so strong that they really would rather have war than peace. And (as always) it is the little people that suffer.
I would say that five years later nothing has changed, but today's interview on the matter was with someone whose accent was so think I couldn't make out a word he was saying. I wish Radio Four would sort out their phone interviews. They always go one of three ways.
The phone line keeps dropping out.
The interviewee mumbles and stutters.
The interviewee barely speaks English.
 
I got to work and did my bit. Today was rather busy. I don’t dislike work, but it is seriously getting in my way. I spent much of today looking out the window at rather good weather thinking about what I might be doing in my garden.
But an early start meant for an early finish. I came home, and saw my screws and drill bits and new wellies had arrived. I was rather pleased about that. I then took the dogs out to the garden to do the “feed the fish” ceremony. Treacle particularly likes “feed the fish”; she gets very over-excited about it. As I feed the fish I give the dogs some fish food. Are a few dried rice flakes really that good? The dogs certainly seem to think so.
Mind you, Treacle was limping a bit… perhaps she needs to take it easy? She’s getting rather old. And grey.
 
“er indoors TM sorted some ribs for dinner which we scoffed whilst watching The Completely Made Up Adventures of Dick Turpin on Apple TV. It was rather good; yet another show which seems to have slipped past most people. But what with Sky and Amazon Prime and Apple TV there’s far too many channels to watch.
“er indoors TM said I could scoff a box of choccies she had for her birthday. Last year. Their best before date was a year ago, but I scoffed them anyway.
I feel rather sick now.

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