December 17, 2001

HOW IT LOOKS FROM THE

HOW IT LOOKS FROM THE LONDON EYE: Matt Welch withdrawal, Fox News withdrawal, mixed drink withdrawal, Taco Bell withdrawal, Seinfeld re-run withdrawal. Otherwise, swell. There is at least one McDonald's on every block, sometimes two or even three. There is a sign on a wall near the British Museum that says "Bill Posters will be Prosecuted." There is an anonymous hand which tirelessly writes "Bill Posters is Innocent" underneath it each time it is replaced.

I could really use some of those military night-vision goggles since there are only about two and half hours of daylight and I've been sleeping through most of those.

The Quaintness Level in England is extraordinarily high. It usually clocks in at around 7 for London, 8 for most of the rest of the country (cf. San Francisco 5; Cleveland 2; Hoboken 4; Oakland, my home town, is somewhere around -37, even though we have Earl's Unique Cleaner's-- the Bowler's Friend.) At Christmas time, however, whoever is in charge of things turns the Quaintness knob to full capacity. Which is a pretty good policy in a country with nation-wide year-round seasonal affective disorder. You couldn't escape the Christmas Cheer even if you tried. It's best to give in. It's the Toys R Us time of year.

Posted by Dr. Frank at December 17, 2001 10:15 AM | TrackBack