Flying Plastic
Paul acquired - which is to say, bought - a frisbee recently. It's pretty expensive for that sort of thing (about a tenner, I think). This, it turns out, is because we are talking about a frisbee of a higher calibre than that typically found in seaside shops alongside bucket & spade sets, shrimp nets and really awful hats. This disc can fly.
So, naturally, we've been taking excursions to Brockwell Park to casually chuck the thing around, finding a compulsive beuty in the search for a perfect flight. Putting on just the right curve or flight time to get the frisbee to its destination is nothign to sniff at. It's seriously addictive. We've even been doing some of the fancy catches. You know, behind the back, under one leg, that sort of thing.
One major impediment to the pursuit of the elaborate catch, other than sudden gusts of wind, is Adam, who appears to think we are engaged in a competition to see who can throw the frisbee the hardest.
"But," he protests, "A hard throw is the easiest way to get it to fly straight."
Well, yes. But it's not necessarily the best way. Also, quite apart from the change in emphasis from "How shall I catch this?" to "Should I try to catch this or just dodge it?", when a speeding frisbee goes the wrong way, you have to run a fair distance to pick it up. And let us not forget the danger of braining a small child in the park with an errant fling of 'Angelina' (as Paul has been known to call her-- I mean "it").
One of the interesting things about the frisbee is that once you take one down to the park, everyone wants to play with you. Dogs, small children, you name it. All right, basically just dogs and small children. But it's still pretty cute. Until the dogs start barking at you for being too slow in making the next throw.
It's not enough to make one run in fear, mind you, which is handy because frisbeeing turns out to be rather more exhausting than you'd expect. Despite the seemingly gentle nature of passing a platic disc back and forth in the fresh air, we've all found ourselves with a variety of interesting muscular aches. The frisbee is deceptively sedate.
Except when Adam throws it at your knee.
Wednesday, May 26
Thursday, May 20
Unexpectedly Interesting
Every so often, a web forum post seems worth preserving. Even if I'm not sure exactly why.
This one was by someone talking about what it is to fall in love.
" Personally, it pissed me off. I was laboring under the belief that I could be a completely-fulfilled person on my own, and maybe I could have if I had never made this connection. But once I realized that there would always be a void without her, there was no turning back.
I think what made it most plain for me was that the realization wasn't all about flowery romance and swelling music. It was a frightening realization, to be so dependent on another being."
Every so often, a web forum post seems worth preserving. Even if I'm not sure exactly why.
This one was by someone talking about what it is to fall in love.
" Personally, it pissed me off. I was laboring under the belief that I could be a completely-fulfilled person on my own, and maybe I could have if I had never made this connection. But once I realized that there would always be a void without her, there was no turning back.
I think what made it most plain for me was that the realization wasn't all about flowery romance and swelling music. It was a frightening realization, to be so dependent on another being."
Tuesday, May 18
Monday, May 17
From Mark Shea's Comments Box
"You took the words right out of my mouth.
But I'm getting a bit disillusioned with the Church, doncha know? I heard we were keeping stockpiles of weapons in the basements of all our churches, just waiting for when the Pope gave the orders to rise up and destroy American constitutional liberty, but nobody's ever shown them to me. I even joined the Knights of Columbus and everything, but every time I ask when I get to start firearms training, they stare at me and pretend they don't know what I'm talking about."
"After reading the Jack Chick tract about how the Jesuits managed to create both the Bolsheviks and then the Nazis to destroy the Bolsheviks, I thought to myself, "Man, I better get on their side.""
"Oh, shoot, the crackdowns . . . how could I forget the crackdowns.
Well, I tell you, there's nothing so exhilirating as to join my pals in the Knights of Columbus' Papal Pronouncement Enforcement Division when we raid when of these so-called "liberal parishes." Guitar necks are broken; banners are snatched from the walls; liturgical dancers are banned, women are told to get pregnant and FAST; banners are snatched from walls; offending music is ripped from hymnals; disobedient priests, religious, and liturgists are packed off on reeducation "retreats," etc. In short, Papal authority is enforced with an iron fist. At the end of each operation, we pile up on the offending materials--banners, guitars, liturgical dance costumes--and using Marty Hauger sheet music for kindling, it all goes up in a glorious bonfire.
SEB| 05.07.04 - 12:27 pm "
"Sometimes, I'll be out walking by myself on a cold, clear night, and I'll look up at the stars so far away and almost be overwhelmed by the sense of my own insignificance.
But then I remember how I'm helping to keep dark-skinned foreigners poor, ignorant, and wretched by supporting priests to teach them pagan superstitions, and I feel a lot better about myself."
"I think we can also take pride in being defended by a Swiss army. One can only imagine the paralyzing fear engendered in the hearts of our enemies at the sight of grown men in short, puffy, striped pantaloons bearing poleaxes."
"My favorite event in Catholic history was the nefarious introduction of the Latin Mass by Pope Gregory the Great, who wanted to confuse the Roman people with prayers in an unknown tongue. Prior to that time, all Romans spoke English."
"I enjoy going to Catholic weddings and sitting in the front rows.
Suddenly I stand up and everybody imitates me...some people say it's ignorance, but I say it's solidarity."
"I'm a convert to Orthodoxy, but I can still say that I love venerating icons; I always wanted to worship wood and paint, and now I have a clever rationalization - I can worship wood and paint and pretend that I am honoring those depicted on the wood, by means of the paint. I mean, damn, all those passaged in the Old Testament about people blowing down before rocks, wood, gold and so on made it sound so cool. And now I get to do that, too."
"I like knowing I don't really believe what I say I believe.
I like being afraid of science and logic.
I like our plan to put cameras in everyone's bedroom.
I like the new church the Masons invented for us in 1962."
"You took the words right out of my mouth.
But I'm getting a bit disillusioned with the Church, doncha know? I heard we were keeping stockpiles of weapons in the basements of all our churches, just waiting for when the Pope gave the orders to rise up and destroy American constitutional liberty, but nobody's ever shown them to me. I even joined the Knights of Columbus and everything, but every time I ask when I get to start firearms training, they stare at me and pretend they don't know what I'm talking about."
"After reading the Jack Chick tract about how the Jesuits managed to create both the Bolsheviks and then the Nazis to destroy the Bolsheviks, I thought to myself, "Man, I better get on their side.""
"Oh, shoot, the crackdowns . . . how could I forget the crackdowns.
Well, I tell you, there's nothing so exhilirating as to join my pals in the Knights of Columbus' Papal Pronouncement Enforcement Division when we raid when of these so-called "liberal parishes." Guitar necks are broken; banners are snatched from the walls; liturgical dancers are banned, women are told to get pregnant and FAST; banners are snatched from walls; offending music is ripped from hymnals; disobedient priests, religious, and liturgists are packed off on reeducation "retreats," etc. In short, Papal authority is enforced with an iron fist. At the end of each operation, we pile up on the offending materials--banners, guitars, liturgical dance costumes--and using Marty Hauger sheet music for kindling, it all goes up in a glorious bonfire.
SEB| 05.07.04 - 12:27 pm "
"Sometimes, I'll be out walking by myself on a cold, clear night, and I'll look up at the stars so far away and almost be overwhelmed by the sense of my own insignificance.
But then I remember how I'm helping to keep dark-skinned foreigners poor, ignorant, and wretched by supporting priests to teach them pagan superstitions, and I feel a lot better about myself."
"I think we can also take pride in being defended by a Swiss army. One can only imagine the paralyzing fear engendered in the hearts of our enemies at the sight of grown men in short, puffy, striped pantaloons bearing poleaxes."
"My favorite event in Catholic history was the nefarious introduction of the Latin Mass by Pope Gregory the Great, who wanted to confuse the Roman people with prayers in an unknown tongue. Prior to that time, all Romans spoke English."
"I enjoy going to Catholic weddings and sitting in the front rows.
Suddenly I stand up and everybody imitates me...some people say it's ignorance, but I say it's solidarity."
"I'm a convert to Orthodoxy, but I can still say that I love venerating icons; I always wanted to worship wood and paint, and now I have a clever rationalization - I can worship wood and paint and pretend that I am honoring those depicted on the wood, by means of the paint. I mean, damn, all those passaged in the Old Testament about people blowing down before rocks, wood, gold and so on made it sound so cool. And now I get to do that, too."
"I like knowing I don't really believe what I say I believe.
I like being afraid of science and logic.
I like our plan to put cameras in everyone's bedroom.
I like the new church the Masons invented for us in 1962."
Friday, May 14
The Plan
I got this from A earlier:
"right here's my plan for the evening:
we make our way to Soho having a large fatty-boom-batty on the way so that
by the time we arrive we're completely mullered, we then locate to a
standard indie-based pub where we sit and drink for a few hours until we
hopefully wind up laughing like Tw*ts (bloody language checker). We then
relocate to a standard high street pub with a quality jukebox where we
continue to drink until we a)fall over
b)puke
or c)fall over and puke.
Sorted! "
I mentioned we'd bought Spaced recently, right?
I got this from A earlier:
"right here's my plan for the evening:
we make our way to Soho having a large fatty-boom-batty on the way so that
by the time we arrive we're completely mullered, we then locate to a
standard indie-based pub where we sit and drink for a few hours until we
hopefully wind up laughing like Tw*ts (bloody language checker). We then
relocate to a standard high street pub with a quality jukebox where we
continue to drink until we a)fall over
b)puke
or c)fall over and puke.
Sorted! "
I mentioned we'd bought Spaced recently, right?
I Stole This From Robert Anton Wilson
AMBER ALERT
U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft was visiting an elementary school. After speaking for 15 minutes, he said, "I will now answer any questions you have."
Bobby stood up and said: "I have four questions:
1. How did Bush win the election with fewer votes than Gore?
2. Why haven't you caught Osama bin Laden?
3. Why are you using the American Patriot Act to destroy civil liberties?
4. Where are the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq?"
Just then the bell went off and the kids were sent out to play. Upon returning, Mr. Ashcroft said: "I am sorry we were interrupted. I will now answer any questions you have."
A little girl named Julie stood up and said: "I have six questions:
1. How did Bush win the election with fewer votes than Gore?
2. Why haven't you caught Osama bin Laden?
3. Why are you using the American Patriot Act to destroy civil liberties?
4. Where are the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq?
5. Why did the bell ring 20 minutes early?
6. Where is Bobby?"
AMBER ALERT
U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft was visiting an elementary school. After speaking for 15 minutes, he said, "I will now answer any questions you have."
Bobby stood up and said: "I have four questions:
1. How did Bush win the election with fewer votes than Gore?
2. Why haven't you caught Osama bin Laden?
3. Why are you using the American Patriot Act to destroy civil liberties?
4. Where are the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq?"
Just then the bell went off and the kids were sent out to play. Upon returning, Mr. Ashcroft said: "I am sorry we were interrupted. I will now answer any questions you have."
A little girl named Julie stood up and said: "I have six questions:
1. How did Bush win the election with fewer votes than Gore?
2. Why haven't you caught Osama bin Laden?
3. Why are you using the American Patriot Act to destroy civil liberties?
4. Where are the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq?
5. Why did the bell ring 20 minutes early?
6. Where is Bobby?"
Birthday
Good grief, I'm 23.
Shortly the "quarter of a century" comments will kick off, and from here on out it's just one long futile struggle against failing eyesight, diminishing mental capacity and the warm appreciation of tartan slippers.
Pretty soon I'll be driving at 40 mph regardless of the actual speed limit and grossly overestimating the simplicity of spheres of endeavour outside my immediate experience ("Oooh, they're making another Star Wars film at Pinewood! Maybe you can get in on the script-writing!"*).
On the upside, I'll be able to just make up 'facts' without fear of contradiction and annoy restaurant staff by ordering anything but what's on the menu.
Gah.
* Best response: "What script?"
Second best response: "Yes, Grandpa."
Good grief, I'm 23.
Shortly the "quarter of a century" comments will kick off, and from here on out it's just one long futile struggle against failing eyesight, diminishing mental capacity and the warm appreciation of tartan slippers.
Pretty soon I'll be driving at 40 mph regardless of the actual speed limit and grossly overestimating the simplicity of spheres of endeavour outside my immediate experience ("Oooh, they're making another Star Wars film at Pinewood! Maybe you can get in on the script-writing!"*).
On the upside, I'll be able to just make up 'facts' without fear of contradiction and annoy restaurant staff by ordering anything but what's on the menu.
Gah.
* Best response: "What script?"
Second best response: "Yes, Grandpa."
Thursday, May 13
Gematria
Apparently, this blog is 52% good and 48% evil.
At least, according to this site.
Whereas my main page is only 34% evil, leaving 66% good.
Apparently, this blog is 52% good and 48% evil.
At least, according to this site.
Whereas my main page is only 34% evil, leaving 66% good.
Tuesday, May 4
Le Voyage de Penelope
I am supposed to be writing a research report. This is partly..... this is entirely my own fault since I volunteered the idea myself. Nonetheless, come on. Who in their right mind would actually want to write about the marketing opportunities afforded by online data provision companies?
Exactly.
So, what did I do over the Bank Holiday weekend? Glad you asked. Firstly, I had a really really really painful throat. It still hurts a fair bit. I dosed myself with painkillers -- ibuprofen, in fact, on Paul's advice. he had some very well thought-out reasons why ibuprofen should be the drug of choice and, fair play to the man, it worked. Trouble is, it would start to wear off a bit in the latter stages of any one dose (and you're not meant to take too much). Crashing on....
On Saturday morning, Paul and I watched Conan the Barbarian. Henry was also around, but was meant ot be writing essays, so didn't get involved in the shenanigans and goings-on that were shortly to occur.
Post-Conan, it was realised that when Adam came back from up north on Monday afternoon, he'd make some sarky comment about us doing nothing all weekend, and possibly smirk. this could not be allowed to happen. and what better way to achieve something in 48 hours than to create a trip-hop chart-topper and its accompanying urban cool video?
This necessitated a good eight hours solid on Paul's very expensive music software, first of all. Having knackered myself out by 1 a.m. (ibuprofen, remember?), I retired to my chambers. the next morning after church, I returned to the house to collect Paul and the camera.
We set off to get slightly cool but melancholy transport/walking around London footage. It took about three buses before we could get an upstairs window seat, but we eventually bagged some good stuff going over westminster Bridge and around Parliament Square. Also a very fortuitous bit of timing on Whitehall came in handy.
Anyone pointing out that "slightly cool but melancholy...London footage" makes up a sizable proportion of raison d'etre a) is right and b) can fuck right off. You try coming up with something more inventive than that in under three hours, you decadent philistines.
Anyway, after that (and a moment of weakness in HMV in Covent Garden leading to me now owning every episode of Spaced on DVD) we went back and logged the footage onto my computer. Then followed a good ten hours of editing, including a bit I rather like, where we sped up some tube footage just enough so that the objects on the tunnel wall go past in synchronisation with the beat. It's just like a Michel Gondry video! But cheaper! And much less good!
We decided to abandon a subplot that had Paul's character meeting a Lego person in Trafalgar Square, because we didn't have any Lego. And have you seen the price of Lego these days?
We were really keen to get the finished video DVD-encoded so that we could show it to all and sundry on the big screen and in surround-sound in the lounge, but it wasn't to be. Still, mission accomplished.
Then on Monday we watched Spaced. All of it.
I am supposed to be writing a research report. This is partly..... this is entirely my own fault since I volunteered the idea myself. Nonetheless, come on. Who in their right mind would actually want to write about the marketing opportunities afforded by online data provision companies?
Exactly.
So, what did I do over the Bank Holiday weekend? Glad you asked. Firstly, I had a really really really painful throat. It still hurts a fair bit. I dosed myself with painkillers -- ibuprofen, in fact, on Paul's advice. he had some very well thought-out reasons why ibuprofen should be the drug of choice and, fair play to the man, it worked. Trouble is, it would start to wear off a bit in the latter stages of any one dose (and you're not meant to take too much). Crashing on....
On Saturday morning, Paul and I watched Conan the Barbarian. Henry was also around, but was meant ot be writing essays, so didn't get involved in the shenanigans and goings-on that were shortly to occur.
Post-Conan, it was realised that when Adam came back from up north on Monday afternoon, he'd make some sarky comment about us doing nothing all weekend, and possibly smirk. this could not be allowed to happen. and what better way to achieve something in 48 hours than to create a trip-hop chart-topper and its accompanying urban cool video?
This necessitated a good eight hours solid on Paul's very expensive music software, first of all. Having knackered myself out by 1 a.m. (ibuprofen, remember?), I retired to my chambers. the next morning after church, I returned to the house to collect Paul and the camera.
We set off to get slightly cool but melancholy transport/walking around London footage. It took about three buses before we could get an upstairs window seat, but we eventually bagged some good stuff going over westminster Bridge and around Parliament Square. Also a very fortuitous bit of timing on Whitehall came in handy.
Anyone pointing out that "slightly cool but melancholy...London footage" makes up a sizable proportion of raison d'etre a) is right and b) can fuck right off. You try coming up with something more inventive than that in under three hours, you decadent philistines.
Anyway, after that (and a moment of weakness in HMV in Covent Garden leading to me now owning every episode of Spaced on DVD) we went back and logged the footage onto my computer. Then followed a good ten hours of editing, including a bit I rather like, where we sped up some tube footage just enough so that the objects on the tunnel wall go past in synchronisation with the beat. It's just like a Michel Gondry video! But cheaper! And much less good!
We decided to abandon a subplot that had Paul's character meeting a Lego person in Trafalgar Square, because we didn't have any Lego. And have you seen the price of Lego these days?
We were really keen to get the finished video DVD-encoded so that we could show it to all and sundry on the big screen and in surround-sound in the lounge, but it wasn't to be. Still, mission accomplished.
Then on Monday we watched Spaced. All of it.
Geek Observation
Have you ever noticed that the people who put photos of themselves as their avatars on web fora or Livejournal comment posts are very very often exactly the sort of people who really shouldn't be parading their likenesses around where impressionable or easily scared children might see them?
Have you ever noticed that the people who put photos of themselves as their avatars on web fora or Livejournal comment posts are very very often exactly the sort of people who really shouldn't be parading their likenesses around where impressionable or easily scared children might see them?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)