What October means to me

October is the month when the Catalonian people actually tried to break away from the rest of Spain and become a separate country. It is also the month when a deranged man fired hundreds of bullets into a large crowd of people in Las Vagas and caused the biggest single civilian gun assault in American and possibly world history. 

In the northern Temperate zone, October is the end of Autumn and the start of the colder winter months, here in the UK it ends with a scream because the last day is for Halloween. 

October 2017 is the month when the round Pound coin came to an end as legal currency in the UK, it was replaced by a twelve-sided almost round coin. If it is hard to choose between nickel or brass alloy then the problem is solved with the new coin because it was made with both; Nickel in the middle and brass on the outer edge. It is thinner and harder to forge than the old coin. The people that run machines that take cash were faced with challenges and lots of work. 

In my little world, it was the first time I saw the sun turn red when it was at full mast due to dust from a nearby storm getting in the way of the blue part of the light rays. I was very busy this month looking for a new home and dealing with certain issues. To me, October 2017 was being busy and shocked by the news. It is also the month when mainstream media heavily debated the outcome of Brexit, UK's exit from the European Union, a very annoying episode in British history for many people. No one wants to hear scary economy stories, no one wants to be told poverty could come and no one wants to hear the same boring story over and over again!!

I am grateful that November will be a happy month, It is not just my superstitious side thinking that, my logical side also thinks so. I am grateful for a new day every day when things can be better.

 

First Frost

This morning, the first frost came to my area. If you are reading this blog from a tropical country and have never seen frost or snow, let me explain. In the temperate regions of the world during winter, the air becomes so cold that the water vapor crystallizes directly out of the air and sticks to objects. Cars are very prone, they get covered in ice and the windscreens become opaque. I often wonder if we will ever stop the frost.

It has been a busy day so far. I hope for happy outcomes.

Catalonia Catastrophe

Yesterday I learned that the Catalonia region attempted to declare itself an independent country from the rest of Spain. The Spanish government has taken action and will halt the devolved government of the region and force the community to accept unity.

I have no view myself because I'm not Spanish and I believe it is none of my business. I only hope that this episode does not lead to a civil war, no one wants that. I don't know if it is just me but I noticed people that have a flag that contains both a star and stripes tend to resent imperial authority and have a rebellious nature.

Cheapest way to live

The cheapest way to live in the UK is to live in a remote town where living costs are low and commute to your job by Moped or motorbike.

Most two wheeled vehicles are about 3 times as fuel efficient as my small city car. My car burns about 1 litre of fuel every 15 kilometers on a good day with no traffic. Many two wheeled vehicles will travel close to 50 kilometers on one litre.

All two wheeled vehicles are dangerous and simply falling off your bike can cause life changing injuries or death.

The next cheapest way to live is the get a car with a similar engine to a motorbike, like a smart car. Smart cars are twice as fuel efficient as my small city car. Or to car pull. Take it in turns to drive a group of people into the Area. Each member of the group uses their own car.

I feel that it shouldn't be this way. Public transport should be the cheapest way to get around. But it is not. In fact it is more expensive then the car, even when the cost of insurance and road tax is considered. A typical season train ticket is around £500 per month. One liter of Petrol costs around £1.10 per litre in the UK.

I sense that profiteering and greed plays a role in the high costs of commuting in the UK.

What a road means to me

In my world and my time, roads are made of a black composite material called Asphalt. Asphalt is sand and small pebbles bound together by Bitumin, also known as Tar. Asphalt is not the best material to use for roads but it is a compromise between strength and cost. It is not too weak and not too expensive. Most of the ingredients of the roads are by-products of other industries, tar or bitumen is a by-product of the petroleum industry and the pebbles and sand particles are often waste aggregate from the building industry and Quarries that would otherwise have no use other than aggregate for cement in the concrete industry.

When I look at it I see a black resin with small stones embedded in it. It is black so all road markings are very clear. When it was first made it was heated so that it could be molded into a smooth surface using heavy rollers. In my opinion, the smell of a new road is very nice. It makes me feel relaxed when I breathe in the air around a new road surface. 

Asphalt has many weaknesses that I am very much aware of. It is very brittle so any ice crystals that can form inside it can shatter the road and make pot hols. If very heavy vehicles suddenly break when moving over it, a linear dent or two can appear in it. When it rains, it is largely waterproof so it becomes slippery and can trap puddles that can cause hazards on the road.

We have roads that are stronger than dirt roads and cheaper than solid granite pavements. I wonder what the roads would be like in the future. I'm sure that Asphalt won't be the surface of choice.

Red Sun

Yesterday a storm passed by and plowed into Ireland. The apron of the storm passed over me in England. The storm was carrying dust it picked up when it passed the Mediterranean area. It was carrying sand from the Sahara desert and soot from the Portuguese fires. The sun turned red because the blue part of the sunlight has a very short wavelength and can be blocked by dust particles but the redder part of the spectrum has a wide wavelength so it can pass around the dust particles. Although I know this, my superstitious side felt slightly concerned. My logical side had the last say.

Double negative

Yesterday, the radio journalist, Ian Dale asked Therasa May, the current PM leader of the UK if she would vote to leave the EU now if there was a second referendom. She said that she won't answer the question. In my view she gave a binary answer because if she refused to answer then she clearly would vote to remain. If she would vote to leave, she would be proud because she is supporting​ the will of the community.  We have a leader that is steering the UK away from the EU but does not think Brexit is the best outcome for the UK.

In my view she is only negociating to leave because she wants to support the will of the people. I often wonder what is in store for the 20s decade in the UK, our first decade on this side of the millennium as separate entity of the EU.

I also often wonder what would happen if Borris  took the Helm last year when Cameron quit as leader instead of Therasa because he is very much a brexiteer​ and actually believes it is best for the UK.

In my little world, I am looking for a new place to live and my phone is faulty. The battery can't hold a charge for more than 10 minutes. I intend to replace my phone soon and move to a new home.

Mike Pence walk out

Earlier in the week, Mike pence walked out of a sports game. Mike pence is the vice president of America. The reason he walked out was because some of the players refused to rise for the national anthem because they went on one knee to protest about racism. His walking out was a counter protest against the protest.

Some people are pleased that he walked out because they don't want their sport to be used as a political alter. They don't want people's political and ethical agenda pushed in their face. They are only there because they want to watch the game.

Others are pleased that the sports men are raising the issue and showing it by kneeling because they look up to them and are pleased they pay attention to the issue.

In my view, I try to keep my mind clear of these issues and of hate. I see my body as a vehicle that could take me to a happy place, like a boat heading for placid waters. I don't see my body as better or worse than any others. I just see it as a temporary ride. I seek wealth and happiness and joy. I have wonderful dreams. I think I am entitled to wealth and so is everyone. I have clean running water in my home and I think everyone else has it and I am pleased.

I am grateful for opportunity and I am reaching out for a life changing breakthrough and hope that hate will never infect my mind and take away joy from this short life I have.

Therasa may speech

I watched the Therasa May speech and thought that it was ok. The comedian came on and gave a p45 and I thought it was rude but funny. The speech I like the most is Borris Johnson. He is a funny guy and he is loyal to his leader.

The news this week was dominated by the worst shooting in American history. They have had a lot of bad luck with shooting incidents over there.

I have nothing else to talk about really.

Bang bang

Earlier in the week I saw that a restaurant had opened up in place of the old Yohan plaza in Colindale . It is called "Bang Bang". Really... That's​ what it is called... "Bang Bang".

I have a sense of irony because I saw  two groups of teenage kids just down the road in Kingsbury pointing lit Roman candle fireworks at their friends on the other side of the street and the fireworks were going "bang bang". A fun way to get second degree burns and loss of eyesight I guess.

"Bang bang", is a very catchy name. Repeating catchy sounds seems to be the way forward. "Fizz Fizz", "Pop Pop" , "Ring Ring".

Imagine a games consolidate called "Bang Bang". Very catchy.

October Chaos

Well... October has just got started and so much as happened already. Monarch airlines has gone bankrupt and closed down. Catalan voted to leave the rest of Spain and a crazy man fired hundreds of bullets at civilians in Las Vegas city. Utter chaos. Last month was tension and natural disasters. Now it is civil and business chaos.

The airline closing down was blamed on the devaluation of the British currency last year. I say that if our currency was properly gold backed, it would not devalue so easily. Slow action from the government didn't help much. The uncertainty was for too long.