I might be some time [toybox journal] (Aug 20, 2012)
Thanks to everyone
For everything you've done
But now it's
Time to go

You know it's hard
We've had some fun
But now the moment's come it's
Time to go

Who could ask for more?


Click here to discuss this
(11 replies, Latest reply: Aug 23, 2012)

From Shakespeare to Dan Brown [toybox journal] (Apr 17, 2012)
The game is to go from one wikipedia page to another just by following wiki links.

I have just played this, starting with Shakespeare intending to reach Dan Brown. Why these two Entries? Well, because it looked easy enough to do and I didn't have too much time to spend. (And easy it was: I got to the second page in only five links!)

In any case, that was an entertaining way to pass time with the internet.

Next time I'll try to go backwards -- from Dan Brown to Shakespeare. Or from Coffee to Theorem. Or from Puffin to Muffin. Possibilities are infinite
Click here to discuss this
(5 replies, Latest reply: Apr 17, 2012)

Shall I invoke a cabaret singer again? [toybox journal] (Mar 12, 2012)
French scientist Fred Monsonnec has carried out an experiment in his bathtub, in order to confirm the theorem of Kutta-Jukowski. (Never mind what the theorem is, this has no bearing on today's journal.)

So he made a short video about it (1:18) and posted it on youtube. Here it is, if you are interested:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVAA_ZYS9dk

Actually, even if you aren't interested, please do visit it.

Didn't work? Chances are you are living in Germany then.

Thank you GEMA for protecting the interests of the Isley Brothers Also thank you for supporting my scientific curiosity

So I will rush out and buy a CD now eh, will I? Scratch it, I'm not even supposed to know whose music was used as a soundtrack. At least I do know what experiment was being carried out

I will sleep well tonight, with the knowledge that the world is a safe and happy place.



The video was linked from Dr Goulu's post on why things can fly:
http://drgoulu.com/2012/03/11/portance-pourquoi-ca-vole/ [fr]

And the cabaret singer from the journal title is Sid der Liedermacher:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT9phCvoy1Q [de]

Click here to discuss this
(No replies)

The Voice of Gender Bias [toybox journal] (Mar 5, 2012)
Do you know the TV show The Voice? It's a variation of a Dutch reality singing competition, which was adapted in several countries over the world. Contestants try and convince four "coaches", themselves popular performing artists, to train them (contestants) in their (coaches) group. Talents are selected in blind auditions, where the coaches cannot see, but only hear the singers.

So far so good.

I did notice an intriguing pattern though. In most of the international versions, female coaches are outnumbered by male ones*. And this puzzles me. I mean, it's not like there is any shortage of women pop singers, or is there?

I'm quite aware that we cannot get a representative cross-section of pop singers condensed in just 4 people. Still, isn't it revealing of a general gender bias in the media? (The same sort which is brought to light by the Bechdel test A44922486, which cropped up again recently along with the Academy Awards.)



* Unless I have made a mistake:

1 woman / 3** men: Australia, Flanders, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, UK, Ukraine, US.

2 women / 2 men: Albania, Denmark, Poland, Wallonia.

Thailand and Vietnam are planning to air the show, but haven't announced the cast yet.

** or four, like in Germany where one coach is actually a team of two.


Click here to discuss this
(4 replies, Latest reply: Mar 6, 2012)

Jump into hyperspace [toybox journal] (Oct 17, 2011)
I feel like Arthur Dent must have felt when he woke up in that vogon ship.

Except the place around here look familiar, that is.

Welcome back! Help yourself to the electron buffet:





And a big round of and to everyone who made the move possible, and in the smoothest fashion too!
Click here to discuss this
(9 replies, Latest reply: Oct 18, 2011)

Toybox journal - Why are you crying? Did you think I was immortal? (Jan 24, 2011)
Ach crivens, the news of BBC "disposing of" h2g2 is quite a blow. Even though they won't shut it just abruptly and will ease any transition to wherever it is we are heading and so on. (In which case I have to complain that "disposal" is a most unfortunate choice of word.)

I don't really believe it will be saved and go on as before, not anymore. I have the (unmotivated) feeling that h2g2 survived Rupert because of the novelty of online communities and strong presence of Douglas Adams, and in those times there were plenty of members with energy and time on their hand. Nowadays, there are enough alternatives around where you can keep in touch with hootooers, and some of us got old and busy with less time or resources to devote to keeping this wonderful site afloat.

I mean, 51 members are currently logged on h2g2. I know it doesn't mean the Community is only 51 persons strong, but still: can we hold the weigh of the Guide on our shoulders?

Some Researchers believe we can, and I admire them for it: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A80173361
so a big round of and to you all.

And I want to believe this will work out. But just now, I cannot quite brush up much optimism.

Regarding the Subject line, you may have recognised Louis XIV's last words. Let's hope they won't be hootoo's.
Click here to discuss this
(7 replies, Latest reply: Oct 17, 2011)

Toybox journal - inspiration, compression, power, exhaust (Dec 20, 2010)
Ooh, look at that: thanks again to Bel, I have submitted something for the Christmas Competition. The categories are Christmas Poetry, Christmas Prose and A Vogon Christmas. All entries can be found at A78464000.

I submitted to Poetry Anyone who suggests I should have sent it to the Vogon Christmas will receive a broadside of



But let not the competition make us forget the rest of this week's fine edition of <./>thepost</.>. Share and enjoy!
Click here to discuss this
(2 replies, Latest reply: Dec 20, 2010)

NaNoWriMo 2010 (Nov 26, 2010)
So it seems I am now officially the author of a 50000 words novel

Now all that's left is to write about the whole experience
Click here to discuss this
(10 replies, Latest reply: Dec 15, 2010)

Sad and unexpected (Sep 20, 2010)
I just found out that Terri / zendevil has suddenly passed away.

I remember meeting her virtually quite early in my hootoo days, just after visiting the Birmingham meet I think. At that time she was still living in Angouleme

While we only had occasional contact, I felt it was always quite intense. She seemed always a very spirited and open person. The feeling was confirmed when I finally met her in the flesh, a few months ago during the German Meet in Mannheim. For the first and only time.

Do not shake me, I am full of tears.

Rest in peace Terri

U208370

Click here to discuss this
(6 replies, Latest reply: Jan 25, 2011)

An evening on the Reeperbahn (Sep 8, 2010)
So I went to see a concert of Eels in Hamburg (in Große Freiheit, in the middle of the animated district of Sankt Pauli). The band is quite energetic on stage! So I had a very nice time
Click here to discuss this
(7 replies, Latest reply: Sep 8, 2010)

Don't shake me, I am full of tears (Jun 27, 2010)
Should have spent the evening at a concert in Hamburg -- Charlotte Gainsbourg

Instead of that, some guy jumped* under our train and we had to spend 3 hours in the middle of nowhere, so I arrived in Hamburg well after the concert started. I took the first train back home.

In a nutshell: not only did I miss the concert (and I had good seats, too), but I also spent a particularly boring evening. In an even smaller nutshell: I am sad, bitter and disappointed.

* or was pushed: the Kripo (criminal police?) came there at some point, apparently. Although we left within 10 minutes of their arrival.
Click here to discuss this
(7 replies, Latest reply: Jun 28, 2010)

And another one! (Jun 7, 2010)
Another Entry, that is:
interview with an artist http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A69402125

If I'm not careful, I may get a regular contributor
Click here to discuss this
(4 replies, Latest reply: Jun 8, 2010)

Goodness gracious! (May 12, 2010)
I got a job interview in two weeks

Plus, I'll go and see a theatre play after Bukowski on Friday, called Terpentin on the rocks
Click here to discuss this
(40 replies, Latest reply: May 29, 2010)

Back from the German Meet (Apr 25, 2010)
Came back earlier from the German Meet. Read up a detailed account in some of the other participants' journals (and probably next week's &lt;./&gt;thepost&lt;/.&gt<SMILEY TYPE='winkeye' H2G2='Smiley#winkeye'/>!<BR /><BR />Having combined this with a work trip and, of course, ignoring all sorts of transportation devices in favour of driving twice 900km, this means I'm pretty nackered, and rather unsure I make sense. Even less than usual, that is.<BR /><BR /><SMILEY TYPE='weird' H2G2='Smiley#weird'/><BR /><BR />So, I was happy to meet again --<BR /><BR />Sho, TC, Bel, Stunningfrenchie<BR /><BR /><BR />and it was a delight to see for the first time --<BR /><BR />Wandrin' Star, Gnomon, Zendevil and MazinMadFiddler (who kindly provided a <SMILEY TYPE='towel' H2G2='Smiley#towel'/> for the head-in-the-clouds like me who didn't carry one <SMILEY TYPE='yikes' H2G2='Smiley#yikes'/>)
Click here to discuss this
(12 replies, Latest reply: Apr 29, 2010)

Wow, what a dream! part 3 (Mar 28, 2010)
Now you may or may not know that I am learning DGS (German sign language). So...



It's the first time I used DGS in a dream!

Unfortunately it was too realistic*, which means I was only able to tell the other guy that I didn't understand what he was saying because I was just a beginner. But still.

* in a dreamlike sort of way
Click here to discuss this
(15 replies, Latest reply: Mar 30, 2010)

My very first Post entry! (Mar 8, 2010)
Here it is - Jean Michel Jarre in concert A64473960

You can thank B'Elana who kindly asked me to write up this report for <./>thepost</.>


Click here to discuss this
(23 replies, Latest reply: Oct 10, 2010)

Chilly, isn't it? (Dec 22, 2009)
Well, it's snowing all over Germany, roads are freezing, rain turns to ice and generally

Is it really sensible to undertake a 900km* drive to France tomorrow? As far as I know, except the source and target cities it's highway only. And a little shortcut through a village in Belgium, which I may skip.

Oh, and one single giant Baustelle between Hamburg and Bremen

* 560 miles
Click here to discuss this
(19 replies, Latest reply: Jan 20, 2010)

Concert tickets (Nov 9, 2009)
I just received my ticket to Jean Michel Jarre in Hamburg
Click here to discuss this
(19 replies, Latest reply: Mar 5, 2010)

Manhattan or Berlin, not even a pussycat on the pavement (Nov 2, 2009)
I went to a dancing lesson today


Click here to discuss this
(23 replies, Latest reply: Nov 17, 2009)

Haggis ingredients (Sep 16, 2009)
Mmmh, I recently bought some haggis, and here is what was written on the back of the tin:

Ce produit contient le gluten
La recette ne contient pas des écrous
Produit dans une usine d'écrou librement
Ne peut pas garantir l'écrou librement

Which is translated from:

This product contains gluten
Recipe does not contain nuts
Produced in a nut-free factory
cannot guarantee nut-free.

Only, "écrou" is this sort of nut: http://www.fasteners-cn.fr/3_nut/3_nut_b.jpg

I bloody well hope the product is nut-free
Click here to discuss this
(24 replies, Latest reply: Oct 3, 2009)

Wow, what a dream! Part 2 (Jun 9, 2009)
I was reading Proust, finding it very easy and entertaining. I couldn't understand why people say it is heavy reading and full of long sentences; the ones in my book were of regular length.


Click here to discuss this
(16 replies, Latest reply: Jun 13, 2009)

shocking news (Apr 23, 2009)
When I casually looked at my personal space yesterday one new conversation caught my eye.

PHELOXI DIED 19 APRIL -- F64198?thread=6507944

I could barely believe it. Even now it still seems like a bad dream.



I met Pheloxi online quite early in my days, and even though we never had very long discussions it was always a very uplifting contact. He was amongst the researchers who are on my 'meetup grail' list -- those I secretly hope to meet some day, who fully represent some aspect of h2g2. To me Pheloxi embodied peace and friendship, as symbolised by A703126. It is difficult to express what I mean.

At 2949 days as a Researcher pheloxi went off toddling into thin air. This will be a dark cloud above h2g2's 10th Birthday celebrations. On that day I will make sure to have some (if my memory doesn't fail, he once mentioned how much he liked them. That, and Jean Michel Jarre too.)

It is still difficult to realise that he has died so soon, so suddenly.

There is a pheloxi-shaped hole in hootoo.

So to answer his final question -- is it time to wear a hat? No, it is time to draw it. Hats off to you my friend.


Click here to discuss this
(3 replies, Latest reply: Apr 23, 2009)

Wow, what a dream! (Mar 24, 2009)
Tonight I dreamt that I spoke about Commissaire Maigret with Jean-Paul Sartre.


Click here to discuss this
(8 replies, Latest reply: Mar 25, 2009)



Back to Researcher's Personal Space