back of a spreadsheet; back of the net

On Book Memes We Have Book Memes

2021-03-23T09:31:10Z

I believe the idea is that you pick a number in the comments and I write about the book that fits the description.

1. A book that haunts you

2. A book that was an interesting failure

3. A book where you really wanted to be reading the "shadow" version of the book (as in, there are traces of a different book in the work and you would have much preferred to read that one)

4. A book with a worldbuilding detail that has stuck with you

5. A book where you loved the premise but the execution left you cold

6. A book where you were dubious about the premise but loved the work

7. The most imaginative book you've seen lately

8. A book that feels like it was written just for you

9. A book that reminds you of someone

10. A book that belongs to a specific time in your mind, caught in amber

11. A book that came to you at exactly the right time

12. A book that came to you at the wrong time

13. A book with a premise you'd never seen before quite like that

14. A book balanced on a knife edge

15. A snuffed candle of a book

16. The one you'd take with you while you were being ferried on dark underground rivers

17. The one that taught you something about yourself

18. A book that went after its premise like an explosion

19. A book that started a pilgrimage

20. A frigid ice bath of a book

21. A book written into your psyche

22. A warm blanket of a book

23. A book that made you bleed

24. A book that asked a question you've never had an answer to

25. A book that answered a question you never asked

26. A book you recommend but cannot love

27. A book you love but cannot recommend

28. A book you adore that people are surprised by

29. A book that led you home

30. A book you detest that people are surprised by

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On Quarantine Memes

2020-04-15T11:58:52Z

( Meme )

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On 50 Question Memes

2020-04-03T16:10:57Z

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On the Last Time Meme

2020-03-29T16:33:43Z

Last time I traveled abroad: I count England as abroad. So the last time I was abroad was my most recent trip to England which was about six months ago when I went to some training for work. My colleague and I stayed in country house golfcourse Hilton in Wiltshire or Gloucestshire. It was nice, nice late summer weather. Lots of elderly Americans playing golf. The training was slightly surreal. Last trip out of the United Kingdom for those who don't share my civic nationalist politics was to Amsterdaam last Easter. I liked Amsterdaam. It is on a very short list of cities that I would consider living in if I were to move from Edinburgh. to

Last time I slept in a hotel: The trip to England above. The Captain and I were going to go to Glasgow on a rugby tour but the tour was cancelled when several of the First XV of the host club self-isolated and the club closed down. So no Premier Inn breakfast for us.

Last time I flew in a plane: That trip to England, returning from.

Last time I took a train: Probably my last trip to London for a UD meeting but I'm not sure.

Last time I took public transport: Coming back from work the Monday before the quarantine kicked in. We were running a full company working from home test just on Tuesday which morphed in to the whole company just working from home.

Last time I had a house guest: Not for a while. We had visitors for the Scotland England game but they staying in a BnB with their pals. Bluebird and her Beau were up for the France game but I'm not sure family counts as a house guest. I can't remember.

Last time I got my hair cut: The Sunday before the quarantine. I could see which way the wind was blowing so I tried out a the new Turkish barber which has opened just up the street from me. Hair cut and a shave. Very nice. They are jollier than my usual chap but about the same price with a slightly different range of services. I'll try them again when we are allowed to go outside again.

Last time I went to the cinema: We went to the see the last Star Wars film when it was in the cinema. I am attempting to recreate the home cinema experience using a projector and 120" screen but so far no takers on actually watching a film. MLW and I might watch some of the Globe plays or the National Theatre productions. I'm looking forward the Twelfth Night with Tamsin Greig.

Last time I went to the theatre: I think the last time I was at the theatre was to the Rocky Horror Picture Show with mountainkiss and Joanne Clifton from Strictly. Mountainkiss was in the audience with me, Joanne Clifton on stage. One of the best staged shows I've ever seen, buzzing with energy. 5/7 would recommend. Ironically MLW bought me for Christmas some theatre vouchers.

Last time I went to a concert: My dad and I went to see MLW sing with her church chamber group a few months back. I think that was the last concert, whom failling James at the Ross Bandstand in August.

Last time I went to an art museum: Not for a while. Probably the Ashmolian when MLW, the Captain and I were in Oxford after visiting her brother.

Last time I sat down in a restaurant: Does KFC count as a restaurant? If not then depending on your definition of restaurant it was either with my best mate in a gastropub in the West End or with mountainkiss in a very nice French restaurant in the West End. We got window seat and ate very well and had a superb conversation. A delightful experience.

Last time I went to a party: I think the last party I was at was the old FD of the Scottish Parliament's retirement drinks in Holyrood. My mate and I went from there to a chic pentehouse cocktail bar over looking Waverley station and drank beer. I was there a few weeks later for a celebration with some friends but this time drinking cocktails.

Last time I played a board game: Yesterday, where the three of us played the cooperative boardgame, Forbidden Desert and lost.

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On a List of 40 Questions

2019-11-19T16:42:07Z

Some random set of questions - the answers to which should be taken with a pinch of salt, or indeed mustard.

1. Do you mustard?
I think what two or more consenting adults do in the privacy of their own home is a personal matter but, yes, I have done but not as much since the Captain was borne.

2. Choice of carbonated beverage?
I think it's polite to offer people a choice yes.

3. Do you own a gun?
I don't, but I do have part shares in a fleet of nuclear submarines.

4. Whiskey, tequila, or vodka?
None of those would make my top five drinks. Or even my top ten. Except at Lithmas when I do have some Lithuanian or Polish vodka with my fish.

5. Hot dogs or Cheeseburgers?
You can't call them hot dogs any more. They are dogs of an above ambient temperature.

But cheeseburgers.

6. Favourite type Of food?
Plentiful and properly cooked.

It really depends on what sort of mood I'm in what sort of style of cuisine I prefer - it that's the question.

7. Do you believe in ghosts?
I do not.

8. What do you drink in the morning?
Vodka and bitter regret. No, sorry, that's Marlon Brando. I drink gin and Claudia Schiffer's pussy juice.

9. Can you do 100 Push ups in a row?
Over what time period? How much am I being paid an hour?

10. Summer, Winter, Spring, Or Autumn?
Yes, unless Greta Thunberg is right in which case we probably get double summer but never Christmas.

11. Favourite hobby?
Is campaigning for democracy a hobby? That's what I seem to spend most of my spare time doing.

12. Tattoos?
The Edinburgh one is popular although I've never been.

13. Do you wear glasses?
Only for sex.

14. Fears?
Cowardice.

15. Nickname?
Satan.

Or Coco Monkey for sexual purposes.

16. Three drinks?
Bourbon Banana Flip.

A nice IPA that's not overly hopped, not like those IPA which *are* overly hopped which I don't like.

Claudia Schiffer's pussy juice.

17. Biggest downfall?
Berlin, 1945.

18. Rain or Snow?
Weather isn't a democracy and I live in Scotland, it's not like I get any choice.

19. Piercings?
One in each hand and one right through both feet.

20. Age?
Time isn't a democracy either.

21. Are you moody?
Yes! WHAT ABOUT IT?!?

22. Favourite vehicle ?
I'm quite patial to a ROU (Demilitarised) myself. Limiting Factor would be my top pick.

23. Kids?
Procreation isn't a democracy.

I have two. I tell both of them I have 5 in order to keep them guessing which one is inheriting the earldom and the castle.

24. Favourite colour?
Yellow

25. Employed?
A bit like Wimbledon Common, under, over, freely.

26. Can you whistle?
You just put your lips together and blow. At least that's what Claudia Schiffer tells me.

27. Where were you born?
I'm not entirely sure, roughly Bethlehem.

28. Favourite movies?
The Duelists, Love Actually for the line about Ant or Dec,

29. Ever Been Arrested?
The DA couldn't prove a thing.

30. Surgeries?

Only by appointment.

31. Religious?
Not in the least. Quite the contrary.

32. Shower or Bath?
I like Bath but there isn't as much to do their with the kids as you might think.

33. Like gambling?

A game of chance, usually played for money.

34. Are you reliable?
My whole life is have too.

35. Broken bones?
None currently, later depends on how much gin Claudia and I drink.

36. How many tv’s in your house?
See question 1.

37. Worst pain ever?
The bitter regret when I ran out of vodka.

38. Do you like to dance?
I dance like I've never been hurt before and love like nobody is watching.

Generally, somebody is watching.

39. Are your parents still alive?
To be honest I'm not entirely sure that my parents aren't both some procedurally derived dumb AI set to vex my siblings and me in mild rebuke by the stern but loving AI that secretly runs the planet.

40. Do you like camping ?
See question 1.

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A Question Meme in Lieu of a Friday Five

2019-01-25T17:00:03Z

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On Survey Memes

2018-05-21T10:12:01Z

1. Have you ever driven an electric car?

Sort of - I have been the "driver" of an electric autonomous car in a hardware in the loop simulated environment. That was cool,

2. Do you live in an area that is prone to tornadoes?

No, we get haar, but I was born in Birmingham which gets perhaps the most tornados of any city in the world.

3. How many closets does your house have?

We have 3 presses, a utility room, a "shed" and two large wardrobes.

4. When was the last time you saw someone you went to high school with?

A few weeks ago, my oldest friend happened to be in Edinburgh so we went for a coffee.

5. Have you ever eaten moussaka?

I have. I like moussaka.

6. What breed was the last dog you saw?

It looked like some sort of brown labrador - it was taking an interest in some other dogs and a tennis ball.

7. How long have your parents been together (or how long were they together, if they no longer are)?

I think they were married for 15 years.

8. What has been your most epic cooking failure?

An attempt to make some sort of fritter / scotch egg effort out of cous cous when I was a uni. It tasted okay but structurally it was a complete failure.

9. Do you read other people's survey answers on here?

I read survey memes.

10. What's your bedtime routine?

I don't really have a bedtime routine.

11. Do you agree with the saying 'distance makes the heart grow fonder'?

Not really - my observation is that long distance relationships are difficult and can be brittle.

12. Have you ever been to Mexico?

I have not been to Mexico - I consider this to be a small career win.

13. Do you have a bad temper?

No - I am affability personified. People are often surprised when I get cross.

14. When was the last time it stormed where you live?

We had some heavy rain and strong winds a few weeks ago - an of course the snow.

15. Do you ever fact-check the things you read on the internet?

Yes - often.

16. How long would it take you to walk to the nearest store?

From the house about minutes, from the office about 8 minutes.

17. What five words best describe your mother's personality?

Driven, loving, expansive, brittle, curious.

18. Do you know any transgender people?

To my knowledge I know one, but not very well.

19. What's your dream job?

Dictator of the World, faililng that an economist or someone who works in wood..

20. How old were you when you got your first smartphone?

32 I think.

21. Have you ever had a parrot sit on your shoulder?

No - and I never ever want to.

22. In the morning, do you eat breakfast first or brush your teeth first?

Breakfast first.

23. What's something you had to learn the hard way?

How to study effectively.

24. What sort of window coverings do you have in your living room?

Large, thermally lined gold curtains.

25.Has anyone in your life ever treated you abusively?

Yes. In the past - I don't let them near me anymore.

26. What's the weather like right now?

Warm, bright but a little over cast and humid.

27. How long has it been since your last breakup?

19 years.

28. Can you concentrate well while listening to music, or do you find it distracting?

I prefer not to have it on whilst I'm doing anything that requires concentration.

29. What's the name of the amusement park closest to your house?

I've no idea - it might be Alton Towers..

30. Do you like The Rolling Stones?

No, I dislike them very much.

31. What was the last single item you spent over $100 on?

A jacket I think or perhaps a birthday present for my wife.

32. What's something you've been struggling with lately?

Finding beads that are stackable and cheap.

33. What was the last caffeinated drink you had?

I had a cup of weak tea - that is my current warm offfice drink of choice since I gave up drinking coffee at work.

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Friday Five - Love

2018-03-23T16:24:11Z

1. What is the most important lesson you have learned from your love life?

That love and sex are very different things.

2. When it comes to love, are you an optimist or a cynic?

I am an optimist.

3. You see a long lost ex walking down the street. Are you more likely to approach him/her or just keep walking?

That really depends on the ex. There are a few I would like to catch up with and a few I would avoid.

4. Do you believe in the idea of a soul mate?

No, I think there are degrees of mutual compatability across a number of factors and you try to find someone who starts with a high degree of compatability on the factors you most value, who is similarly matched with you and who is prepared to work on increasing compatability or finding equitable work around.

5. Care to share any relationship stories?

No.

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On Technie Memes

2018-03-21T09:42:03Z

I'm going to answer this questions about the first time I started using things rather than how old I was when they started, because they started at the same time for everyone - unless you are part of the global poor in which case they didn't start then, they started later.

• Did you have a cell phone prior to your thirties?

I had a mobile phone in my mid-twenties. I know this because my current mobile phone number (which is my second) includes my age when I got it. I used to have one of those Nokia phones that was indestructable. Now I have a smart phone.

• Did they exist?

They did. One of my girlfriend's at university had one for work. The first person I remember having a personal mobile phone was a friend of mine on my MSc course who had some personal security concerns so had one.

• Did you have cable when you were a little kid?

I barely had a television when I was a kid. My mum would often decide that not watching television was good for us as kids so I spent many years without a television. In fact I once got in trouble at school for not being able to complete a maths assisgnment to do with charting television watching in my household.

• Do you know what 8-track tapes are?

I know the are a thing. I'm not sure I could tell you what they do except that they seem to be important to the Beatles and therefore a very important cornerstone of Western civilisation, along with Coca Cola and the Morecome and Wise Christmas Special 1977.

• How about cassette tapes?

I know what these are.

• When did you get your first DVD player?

The first DVD player that I owned was about 12 years ago when I was 30. It could record DVD's and had a hard drive too. It was a very nice machine.

• Did you learn to type on a typewriter?

I did. In fact I have the Australian equivalent of a Standard Grade in Secretarial Studies and, when my eye is in, I can touch type at 100 words a minute. On a typewriter. By co-incidence I was thinking about typing last night. There is a slight strain of dyslexia like symptoms in my family. I get b and d mixed up when I write, but not when I type.

• What was the first computer you owned?

We had a family Commodore 128 when I was a lad and the first computer I owned was a generic desktop that I bought when I was at university in 1998.

• What age were you when you first got e-mail?

I can't remember. Probably during one of my summer jobs at uni. That was in the day when not everyone in an organisation would have email. Maybe not until I started work.

• Was the Internet around when you were a kid?

I think the internet was around but the World Wide Web had yet to take off. I didn't use it much at university and not lots and lots until I got a smart phone. All the world's facts in your pocket, along with all the world's nutters shouting that the facts are wrong.

• What age were you when Facebook, Twitter, Livejournal, and Dreamwidth started?

I started using Dreamwidth about a year ago when LJ when all anti-gay for the pay. LJ, I'd been on for at least five years, maybe ten. Facebook and Twitter about the same. I've stopped using Twitter mostly now.

• What was the first printer you owned like?

No idea - it came with the Commodore 128.

• Collegiate papers: typewriter or computer?

We had to hand them in typewitten, the university authorities did not care how this was done.

• How old were you when streaming came into being?

I started using streaming when we got a smart TV about 4 years ago. I now mostly watch programmes on catch up.

• What age were you when you got your first MP3 player?

I have never owned an MP3 player.

• Did you own a record player, cassette player, CD player, or MP3 player as a teen?

We had a music centre in our family room that had a record player and a double tape deck. I had a CD player at uni when I was still 19 I think.

• At what age did you start blogging on the Internet?

About 2011 I think. I had a blog for a while and then moved to LJ.

• What age were you when the e-readers came out?

I've had a Kindle for about ten years I think. My first was a present from MLW. I'm now on my second after I lost my first one. I have a touch screeen one now. Which I like except for the way the forward and back functions work.

• How do you listen to music?

Rarely. I tend not to have it on in the background. My usual pattern when listening to music is to find a song I like and see how many cover versions I can find of it on Spotify and then see which bands I like from that.

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On Fives From Other People

2018-03-16T09:59:41Z

1) Who made you feel good this week, and how?

My personal trainer who encouraged me to reach several personal bests at the gym this week but more generally has really helped me get much, much fitter than I think I've ever been. I can lift more weight, run futher and faster, bend, stretch and reach more. My current favourite thing to do is to stand on one leg and bend over and touch the floor just in front of my foot. It's harder than it sounds and I couldn't have done it a year ago.

And my wife smiled at me which made me feel lovely.

2) What did you do this week that moved you closer to reaching your goals?

Kept working my to do list. I'm trying to really build in some new habits and practice about how to keep myself organised and on track. Went looking for some extra work from my boss - felt energised about work. I also spoke to my mum about lots of things - which is important because one of my most important goals right now is making sure that my family and each individual in it gets through the difficult twelve months we all appear to be having.

3) What did you most enjoy doing this week?

Playing rugby with the Captain. After our training session on Sunday we took a ball out on the Meadows and threw and kicked it around. It was the first warm and sunny day we've had for a while and we were having a nice time. I taught him how to do a torpedo kick which is something I learned when I moved to Australia and we got taught Australian Rules football.

4) What did you learn this week?

That environmental reporting is a seasonal activity driven by the requirements of the FTSE.

5) What’s the funniest thing that happened to you this week?

I had a chat with my mum and we made each other laugh - which was good for both of us. In parallel, the Captain is has been trying all week to stick his fingers in my belly button to see if it really does go to Australia and this has made him very, very ticklish.

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On a Flying Five

2018-02-09T14:00:13Z

1. Where did you go the last time you took an airplane ride?

I think the last flight I was on was to London City to go to a UD board meeting. There was a comic convention at the large convention centre that is on the Docklands Light Railway so the platforms and trains were full of kids in various costumes.

2. Are you a nervous flyer or a comfortable flyer?

I like flying. I fly lots. I used to fly monthly up and down to Bristol. I have perfected the art of a 45 minute power nap.

3. Window seat or aisle seat?

I prefer an aisle seat if I'm flying short-haul. I prefer the slightly more open feel and being able to disembark more quickly.

4. What is the worst experience you've had flying?

On an over night flight from Singapore to London. We'd been at a water park in Singapore during the day and I'd got some water in my ear. Taking off was really, really painful but the descent was agony and I sort of freaked out a bit and I may have knocked a glass of water out of the hands of a flight attendant as she passed it over me to MLW. I'm not sure I was in a lot of pain and panicking a bit. The worst bit was knowing that I had a fligth from London to Edinburgh almost immediately after.

5. What is the best experience you've had flying?

When my siblings and I flew from Australia to Scotland via Singapore. One the first leg we all got to go in the cockpit. One of mum's colleague's husband was an air traffic controller so he fixed it for us to go up front. I got to see several smoking volcanos from the cockpit. And on the second leg, landing in London, we got bumped up to First Class for the landing.

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