May - Part 2
Cruise News
osamahmd from Unsplash" title="Photo by osamahmd from Unsplash" />
Photo by osamahmd from Unsplash
An enjoyable bank holiday weekend was had afloat on the English Channel. Departing the country via seaport seems to always be less stressful than via airport and that was the experience I had in Southampton - walk through body scanner, show passport, board ship - none of the bollocks with facescanning autogates.
The ship was expansive. Lots of bling. Shiney walls and floors. Lots of twinkling. At times it was like being in a floating Live Love Laugh decoration.The other passengers were a mixed bag - parties made up of stags and hens, big age birthdays, weddings and families on a jolly. It was noisy, expensive and crowded but seasoned travellers we are, Mrs Gv2.0 and I stuck to our usual routine of finding somewhere quiet (our cabin), reading and falling asleep shortly after dinner while drinking tea (me) or water (Mrs G).
Stegzy Gnomepants (@stegzy@pixelfed.social)
Ginnel
pixelfed.social
Cherbourg was damp but it was fun to explore an empty French seaport on a Sunday when everything was closed. I always forget how close foreign countries are to the UK. I like how everything is slightly different but the same. Takes me awhile to get used to the crossing roads and doing the Green Cross Code in reverse and since the "incident" I always end up worrying about breaking some weird foreign law like not being allowed to eat lettuce on a Tuesday or something.
Mrs Gv2.0 was enamoured with the Hypermarket so our hour long trudge through the town was augmented by an hour long trudge around the supermarket looking at unfamiliar familiarities. Saw a large selection of Leffe beer which was my favourite tipple 20 years ago. While it made me sad to think of the times I'd chat shit with chums over a couple of glasses of the stuff, it also made me feel glad I'd not suffered the awful hangovers or terrible feelings of nausea.
We also visited the local aquarium - which was fun, and took a tour on a nuclear submarine and visited an exhibition about the Titanic. Since the supersaturation in media following the success of the Cameron epic Titanic I've often felt that the whole tragic incident has become a macabre money making tool. I hope that in the future theres not similar exhibitions for the World Trade Centre, Francis Scott Key Bridge or Herald of Free Enterprise where money generated goes to line someone elses pockets and not the families of those that fell victim to the tragedy.
Life on a submarine for a non-rated officer would probably have been most unpleasant and compared to life onboard a cruise ship. Going on a cruise, or indeed anything slightly merchant navy related, I recall the time in my youth were, had things been different and I was a bit less wet, I might have joined up in an accellerated officer scheme I once saw at a careers fair. I've not really been in many military navy things apart from the wrecks at Pearl Harbour so going on the submarine it really brought it home to me how being stuck in a noisy tube miles from anywhere in close quarters with smelly men with probably questionable hygiene and incompatible interests sets my OCD off. Especially as the only submarines until then had been the one Mrs Gv2.0 and I went on in Barbados and the Yellow one at the International Garden Festival 1984 - neither of which you would want to "live" on for months on end.
Not much room to live in this submarine
Media Consumption News
Books:
sanketshah from Unsplash" title="Photo by sanketshah from Unsplash" />
Photo by sanketshah from Unsplash
Dan Toombs' Curry Guy One Pot is a right treat. I've already made 3 "curries" from it, although the three I've made so far have just been spicy stews really. Still, Toombs writes well and his books always layout the basis for a good curry, how to build on the flavour as you get more adventurous and is very accurate in describing how something will taste when you eat it. They're really easy to follow so even if you're only good at making beans on toast, you still stand a chance of knocking up something Madhur Jaffrey wouldn't turn her nose up at.
Mrs Gv2.0 got me a signed copy of Kristin Hersh's Future of Songwriting which I'm also enjoying. Kristin has always been one of those artists I've revererd - that is to say not gone obsessive about but enjoyed like one might enjoy a fine cigar or a £30 bottle of wine so reading her mind dumps in prose is just like listening to her songs. Only without music.
Podcasts of note:
scottsanker from Unsplash" title="Photo by scottsanker from Unsplash" />
Photo by scottsanker from Unsplash
This month I've enjoyed listening to more Darknet Diaries but also the interesting trend in dead internet theory that seems to be doing the rounds again. I remember discussing dead internet theory back in 2009 with one of my media studies lecturers then again with my own students back in 2014ish before finally with a former work colleague who had aspirations of being an "influencer". Now with AI it seems to be actually becoming more noticable. A worrying trend but I suggest if you're interested in knowing more about it all try 404 Media Podcast's episode on the subject, Trashfuture or Better Offline podcast. As always, its always good to hear it from a cross section of viewpoints but it all comes down to Cory Doctorow's enshitification theory in the end.
Crucially though, the buzz across all podcasts this month seems to have been using glue on a pizza to keep your cheese on. It's delicious and adds extra chewiness. According to Google AI that is.
Music:
jefflssantos from Unsplash" title="Photo by jefflssantos from Unsplash" />
Photo by jefflssantos from Unsplash
Music this year has been slow for me. I've struggled finding tracks I like to add to my curated annual playlist on Apple Music which I also maintain on Youtube Music. Not sure why this is the case this year but my usual source of new music seems to also be struggling to find new stuff for herself too and keeps asking me if I have anything new. Meanwhile my new music twin, that I work with, does offer new stuff but it's not quite hitting the spot, moreover, most of the stuff suggested is stuff I already know, but its nice to share "new stuff to them" with them from my musical library/knowledge.
Health
By © Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3099425
I had a scheduled visit to the local juju woman today. She shook a handful of small bones over a dead chicken and that resulted in an increase to my statins (40mg from 20mg), an increase to my blood pressure tabs (from 8mg to 12mg) and an as yet to be notified appointment with a 24 hour ECG.
I had a 24 hour blood pressure thing a few years back and that was just an irritation more than anything else. The ECG, she assured me, was less intrusive and I should be able to do my bits and bobs in the day as usual without too much of a palavar. I'm so glad that I didn't have to kiss the snake or wear a beaded necklace with some eyeballs. Still, I guess theres always time.
osamahmd from Unsplash" title="Photo by osamahmd from Unsplash" />
Photo by osamahmd from Unsplash
An enjoyable bank holiday weekend was had afloat on the English Channel. Departing the country via seaport seems to always be less stressful than via airport and that was the experience I had in Southampton - walk through body scanner, show passport, board ship - none of the bollocks with facescanning autogates.
The ship was expansive. Lots of bling. Shiney walls and floors. Lots of twinkling. At times it was like being in a floating Live Love Laugh decoration.The other passengers were a mixed bag - parties made up of stags and hens, big age birthdays, weddings and families on a jolly. It was noisy, expensive and crowded but seasoned travellers we are, Mrs Gv2.0 and I stuck to our usual routine of finding somewhere quiet (our cabin), reading and falling asleep shortly after dinner while drinking tea (me) or water (Mrs G).
Stegzy Gnomepants (@stegzy@pixelfed.social)
Ginnel
pixelfed.social
Cherbourg was damp but it was fun to explore an empty French seaport on a Sunday when everything was closed. I always forget how close foreign countries are to the UK. I like how everything is slightly different but the same. Takes me awhile to get used to the crossing roads and doing the Green Cross Code in reverse and since the "incident" I always end up worrying about breaking some weird foreign law like not being allowed to eat lettuce on a Tuesday or something.
Mrs Gv2.0 was enamoured with the Hypermarket so our hour long trudge through the town was augmented by an hour long trudge around the supermarket looking at unfamiliar familiarities. Saw a large selection of Leffe beer which was my favourite tipple 20 years ago. While it made me sad to think of the times I'd chat shit with chums over a couple of glasses of the stuff, it also made me feel glad I'd not suffered the awful hangovers or terrible feelings of nausea.
We also visited the local aquarium - which was fun, and took a tour on a nuclear submarine and visited an exhibition about the Titanic. Since the supersaturation in media following the success of the Cameron epic Titanic I've often felt that the whole tragic incident has become a macabre money making tool. I hope that in the future theres not similar exhibitions for the World Trade Centre, Francis Scott Key Bridge or Herald of Free Enterprise where money generated goes to line someone elses pockets and not the families of those that fell victim to the tragedy.
Life on a submarine for a non-rated officer would probably have been most unpleasant and compared to life onboard a cruise ship. Going on a cruise, or indeed anything slightly merchant navy related, I recall the time in my youth were, had things been different and I was a bit less wet, I might have joined up in an accellerated officer scheme I once saw at a careers fair. I've not really been in many military navy things apart from the wrecks at Pearl Harbour so going on the submarine it really brought it home to me how being stuck in a noisy tube miles from anywhere in close quarters with smelly men with probably questionable hygiene and incompatible interests sets my OCD off. Especially as the only submarines until then had been the one Mrs Gv2.0 and I went on in Barbados and the Yellow one at the International Garden Festival 1984 - neither of which you would want to "live" on for months on end.
Not much room to live in this submarine
Media Consumption News
Books:
sanketshah from Unsplash" title="Photo by sanketshah from Unsplash" />
Photo by sanketshah from Unsplash
Dan Toombs' Curry Guy One Pot is a right treat. I've already made 3 "curries" from it, although the three I've made so far have just been spicy stews really. Still, Toombs writes well and his books always layout the basis for a good curry, how to build on the flavour as you get more adventurous and is very accurate in describing how something will taste when you eat it. They're really easy to follow so even if you're only good at making beans on toast, you still stand a chance of knocking up something Madhur Jaffrey wouldn't turn her nose up at.
Mrs Gv2.0 got me a signed copy of Kristin Hersh's Future of Songwriting which I'm also enjoying. Kristin has always been one of those artists I've revererd - that is to say not gone obsessive about but enjoyed like one might enjoy a fine cigar or a £30 bottle of wine so reading her mind dumps in prose is just like listening to her songs. Only without music.
Podcasts of note:
scottsanker from Unsplash" title="Photo by scottsanker from Unsplash" />
Photo by scottsanker from Unsplash
This month I've enjoyed listening to more Darknet Diaries but also the interesting trend in dead internet theory that seems to be doing the rounds again. I remember discussing dead internet theory back in 2009 with one of my media studies lecturers then again with my own students back in 2014ish before finally with a former work colleague who had aspirations of being an "influencer". Now with AI it seems to be actually becoming more noticable. A worrying trend but I suggest if you're interested in knowing more about it all try 404 Media Podcast's episode on the subject, Trashfuture or Better Offline podcast. As always, its always good to hear it from a cross section of viewpoints but it all comes down to Cory Doctorow's enshitification theory in the end.
Crucially though, the buzz across all podcasts this month seems to have been using glue on a pizza to keep your cheese on. It's delicious and adds extra chewiness. According to Google AI that is.
Music:
jefflssantos from Unsplash" title="Photo by jefflssantos from Unsplash" />
Photo by jefflssantos from Unsplash
Music this year has been slow for me. I've struggled finding tracks I like to add to my curated annual playlist on Apple Music which I also maintain on Youtube Music. Not sure why this is the case this year but my usual source of new music seems to also be struggling to find new stuff for herself too and keeps asking me if I have anything new. Meanwhile my new music twin, that I work with, does offer new stuff but it's not quite hitting the spot, moreover, most of the stuff suggested is stuff I already know, but its nice to share "new stuff to them" with them from my musical library/knowledge.
Health
By © Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3099425
I had a scheduled visit to the local juju woman today. She shook a handful of small bones over a dead chicken and that resulted in an increase to my statins (40mg from 20mg), an increase to my blood pressure tabs (from 8mg to 12mg) and an as yet to be notified appointment with a 24 hour ECG.
I had a 24 hour blood pressure thing a few years back and that was just an irritation more than anything else. The ECG, she assured me, was less intrusive and I should be able to do my bits and bobs in the day as usual without too much of a palavar. I'm so glad that I didn't have to kiss the snake or wear a beaded necklace with some eyeballs. Still, I guess theres always time.