Friday, September 29, 2006

 

Revisionist

Pakistan brought down the Berlin wall and ended the Cold War*… huh?

*I'm sure I heard this on the radio, but I can't seem to find a link to it.
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Non-Frizz

I'm thinking about being a traitor to the pro-Jewish hair lobby and buying a straightening iron.
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Attachment

OK the strap on my fairly new bag broke. I went to the shop thinking well I'll trade it in for another one, because it's just over three months old and I'm a little bored of it, I argued my case and then when the time came to hand it over I just couldn't do it, so it's being mended. At least I'm not fickle.
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Secret spaces

London never fails to surprise, there are so many different parallel universes that I can step in and out of... yesterday I was taken to this little space which exists in the most unlikely of places. A lovely evening with C and K.
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Jews & German cars

Sarah Silverman strutting her stuff - it's not PC.
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Wednesday, September 27, 2006

 

Noise about nothing?

Since I've had the new hard disk, my computer has become, relatively speaking, extremely noisy or is it the hard disk that's noisy? Can I complain about this? It was always so quiet before.

On the subject of computers, did you see this about toxic laptops, not something I usually think about, but potentially quite scary considering the time we spend in front of them. Although maybe they're not as bad as all that.

Labels:

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Tuesday, September 26, 2006

 

Hol Born?



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Monday, September 25, 2006

 

Little gems

John on being told that he couldn't go into the library, because he's got tonsillitis and A told him it wouldn't be fair to spread his germs:
"Mummy I won't kiss anyone at the library".
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Two experiences / Take two

It's late Saturday evening and I'm on the train again. In the seats across the aisle from me are a Middle Eastern family; mother, father, beautiful young daughter and grandmother. Facing me, are a couple of guys. Over on the seats diagonally across from me are four white thirty something's. From this party I can see and hear one woman clearly and she's talking about work, then she lowers her voice and says "they're Jewish, they all got off early, they make such a fuss" then she lowers her voice even more and says "I really don't like Jewish people" she continues on in this vein, about how much she has to work and dismisses her friends suggestion that her Jewish colleagues will work over Christmas… I really can't believe what I'm hearing – I stare at her… she has a clear view of me, but she manages to avoid eye contact. My mind whizzes with what I could or should do. Then the young girl sitting across from me wraps a scarf around her head like a turban (she's about 12) and the family are all laughing and I look over and laugh with them and they make eye contact and we all laugh together.
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Saturday, September 23, 2006

 

Happy New Year


new year card 06
Originally uploaded by Frizzworld.

Great card I was sent from Israel.

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Friday, September 22, 2006

 

Too wet to work

Hey, diggers don't work in the rain. They are resting.
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Buckets

Z and I were going to have a daytrip to the beach... but we need the rain.
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Thursday, September 21, 2006

 

Two experiences

The electronic sign on the station wasn't working, so I got on what I thought was the right train and asked a couple of people if it went to my stop. If you are not from London, you have to understand that this is like asking if Mars has six hats. They just ignored me, the mad woman. I looked around and noticed a woman who had been sitting next to me on the tube raise her head from her book and look at me blankly. I had to ask three times before I at least knew the train would go to the stop before mine. When we arrived there, the signs still weren't working; ironically the train driver had obviously decided that he too wouldn't let us know where the train was going. God I thought, I have to ask again, I was too tired to end up going in the wrong direction. I took a deep breath went to the other side of the carriage and this time a guy answered - I was on the right train – phew. As the train pulled up at my stop, I couldn't believe it, the woman who had stared at me blankly, put her book (Charlotte Bronte's Shirley) in her bag and stood up to get off.

As I was coming out of the station, imagining all the **** things I would say to the woman given half the chance, I heard a couple talking about Chinese food and remembering I needed to get a takeaway – no food in the fridge – I asked them if they knew a good place, we had a brief chat, they gladly recommended one and it turned out they really wanted some Indian food and I pointed them in the direction of a really good takeaway.
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Wednesday, September 20, 2006

 

LOL at the movies

Just back from seeing Little Miss Sunshine and am still laughing. Lovely film, wonderful story, great script and little gems of performances. Alan Arkin was hysterical. Real life beauty pageants for six year olds are just scary, it says something sad when mums want their kids to look like that. If you haven't seen it and need a laugh, I highly recommend it.
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Yummy



The real thing; Mozartkugel brought back from Salzburg by T. A little battered and bruised, but yummy all the same.

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Tuesday, September 19, 2006

 

Acupuncture

I got to lie down so I could only see the tops of the needles out of the corners of my eyes and I decided not to lift my head up to see anymore. It was an odd experience, it was quite painful when she turned the needles, the aching feeling was intense, but didn't last long. At one point a couple felt like they were needles sticking into me - is that supposed to happen? I hadn't known to eat anything beforehand, so she did less than she would have done; it can make you dizzy. I felt a little lightheaded afterwards and went to grab some lunch. I decided that I was fine to work so went off to an archive. There was a guy there, doing some family research in my field, so one of the librarians wanted to introduce us. I was able to make a few suggestions, but not much more. He wanted to know specifics, where they probably no longer exist. As he was leaving he held out his hand to shake hands and I thought it would be rude not to and we were in a library and he was a little hard of hearing, so we shook hands and he had one of those wonderful strong grips – firm and solid, but it didn't do my wrist any good, I held my breath for a few moments, the painful vibrations pulsing through my arm.
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Monday, September 18, 2006

 

Being moved


by Bob Dylan's Modern Times.
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Dinkytoys...



...I wish. The view from my window... A three year old boys idea of heaven... but not mine...
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A needle thing

I'm having some acupuncture tomorrow for the first time ever and I'm kinda apprehensive about it. It's for the wrist, which is still so screwed. The thing is I'm fine with needles just so long as I don't see them, that count's for blood tests and anything dental, which works out well, as it's usually just a quick jab. My dilemma with the acupuncture is should I look at the needles – I'm presuming they are going to be in for a while and I'm not sure I'm capable of keeping my eyes shut throughout, but if I open them midway I might go all squeamish.
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Street smart

Friends and I are always reminiscing about playing outside when we were children and what a shame it is that kids nowadays don't seem to be allowed out on their own. We'd be out in the morning, return for lunch and out again until dinner. We used to get up to all sorts, from snooping (quite harmlessly) in neighbours gardens to playing allsorts of imaginary games, on our own two feet, on bikes, roller-skates or skateboards. So I heard a scary conspiracy theory on the radio this morning, that the belief that it's not safe for children to play outside has been created in order to sell more toys/consumer goods, which they'll need to keep them entertained whilst they're stuck inside.
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Sunday, September 17, 2006

 

Big & little



Although this seems to me like I should have been at the beech, it's actually outside someone's house. I went to a couple more houses with Anna and the goddaughter. We stuck to Richmond and went to BOT House and another nearby. I liked the latter because they'd mixed old and new, so it was softer and more homely, and I would have been quite happy to hang around until they chucked us out.

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Saturday, September 16, 2006

 

Wythburn Place



And then it was time for something completly different. A newly converted Mews house with an 8 metre long glass roof.
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44 Berkeley Square



Described by Nikolaus Pevsner as "the finest terrace house of London" with "the grandest staircase and the grandest drawing room of any 18th century private house".

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Gilded Day - 44 Berkeley Square



This is where I hung out this morning. It's as stunning as you might expect and it's only a 'one bedroom' house - I couldn't get over that. The top three windows are fake allowing for a high second floor ceiling, but there are actually two more floors at the back. It was built by William Kent for Lady Isabella Finch in 1745 and cost £6,453. In the 1960's it was bought by John Aspinall and turned into a casino - no slot machines here, James Bond would fit in perfectly.
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Friday, September 15, 2006

 
Ali came down south for the evening and we went for a lovely walk - Sandy had been begging to be taken out all day so was ecstatic when she realized the park was actually going to happen. I was a little worse for ware after trying to file over 2000 emails, only 711 to go - don't ask.

Listening to Charlotte Gainsbourg 5-55

Recommending Curtis Sittenfeld Prep and Edwin Wintle Breakfast with Tiffany - gay uncle takes on 'going off the rails' niece.
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I just have to say that I'm working at my desk and using my books and I'm online and it's great. The only strange thing is that a builder is watching me. I was watching him before, but now he's taking a rest and watching me, although he could just be asleep.
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Have a snoop around

Just a reminder that Open House London is this weekend.
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Thursday, September 14, 2006

 

Synchronicity

Just came back from seeing The Niece get an award for academic progress - so proud. Hence the Einstein quote from earlier; I was looking up quotes for a card for her, (she wouldn't actually have appreciated the veggie one).

It was a whole evening; speeches, awards, music etc. The head teacher spoke so enthusiastically about the school and the students I was really impressed and all with fab 'animal print' heals on.

The guest speaker was Dame Judith Mayhew and a good part of what she said was on the importance and worth of taking up voluntary opportunities. I have been thinking about whether or not to go for such an opportunity that's come up recently, so it was as if she was talking to me, strange how sometimes that happens and things seem to point in a certain direction.
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Booker

Booker short list announced.
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Veggies rule

Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet. (Einstein)
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High tech!

I'm wireless... freedom. It was very easy to setup, although thanks are again due to R, for a little more help.
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Greener town

Spotted yesterday in town, a Brompton inside a G-Wiz; perfectly green.
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Monday, September 11, 2006

 

Truly missed



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Computer pickup

At the Mac store - computer in hand. Looks good. I came to pick it up on Friday, only to discover that they had dropped the corner of a screwdriver on the lid to add to the previous scratch, so now they have replaced the lid, the scratch has gone too.

It's quite surreal being here and seeing a row of people laptops open. I wanted to take a picture, but chickened out. Picture this...
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Saturday, September 09, 2006

 

In awe

Imagine turning up for a tutorial to find President Bartlet in your class...
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Re Superheroes

N says that she is most James Bondish, which I can really see - so forget horoscopes I think this has the potential to tell you far more about your state of mind.
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Light bulb

Strangest thing... I switched on the PC and went to brush my teeth. I came back to the PC with electric toothbrush doing its thing and looked at the screen which was sort of swimming up and down and I thought oh no another computer going wrong and then I switched off the toothbrush and the screen stopped moving...

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Friday, September 08, 2006

 

Superheroes

What to do without my work to hand... this is what, I turned out to be most Batmanish.
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Impatient

I know, call me inpatient, but it says "Status not Available" when I check out how the repair is going. I’m having to slum it on a PC of an unknown date...
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Thursday, September 07, 2006

 

Too hot...

...to handle - I couldn't resist. So I'm back at the Mac shop sans computer. Before it went in last time it had a hot water bottle heat thing going on, since I got it back it's had a scorching heat thing going on - so literally it's been too hot to handle. Oh and one of those annoying things; whilst it’s backside was facing me at the shop, I noticed a rather big scratch that I know wasn't there before, that'll teach me to grab and run without checking first.
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Wednesday, September 06, 2006

 

Questions and Answers

OK, forget Yahoo! Answers, instead get over to Ask MetaFilter - the original site. Thanks Stu.
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Borrow a bike

This sounds like a great idea, I hope it actually works. Apparently, it was tried in Cambridge and it only took one day for all the bikes to be stolen. Lets hope Londoners are a bit better.
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The eye



Not something I'd expected to see on my way to work.

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Blue sky



London this afternoon. It was a beautiful day.

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Tuesday, September 05, 2006

 

Book heaven

I had a lovely afternoon and evening on Sunday with friends. I love snooping around other people's books and it's reassuring, but also a bit, I don't know, perhaps disconcerting, when I see so many copies that are replicated on my own shelves. I guess there are books that a certain group of us will all have, a complement to our good taste and shared interests? This shouldn't be surprising, but when you think that about 2,000 books are published in the UK every week, it is.
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Monday, September 04, 2006

 

Free surfing

After a conversation yesterday, I've finally done it and am going wireless, this has been a big frustration over the last few months. Thanks to R for the recommendation.
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Whys and wherefores

Yahoo! Answers for UK and Ireland - just sign up and start spreading your knowledge - could be an ego booster.
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Radio 4 goes blogging

with a new series interviewing bloggers - listen again. It's going to be strange to hear some of the writers of the blogs I've been reading over the year. Blogs are fictional, so I'm wondering just how much their real voice will sound like their blogging 'voice'.
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Saturday, September 02, 2006

 

Nature



It's wonderful driving through the park at the moment with the deer grazing by the road. Quite impressed with myself having the camera to hand, luckily there was no one behind me.
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Friday, September 01, 2006

 

Nostalgia


It's been too long - I have a yearning to spend some time on a boat.
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Iconography



A bit of detail from the cathedral.
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Cheesy



We caught a bit of art too. This is by Vaast Colson. It kinda got to me.
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Seaside



We had a lovely day in Cromer - with more ice cream of course.

Met J's parents - his father was in the Air Force, picture David Niven in A Matter of Life and Death. During World War Two he flew 1200 sorties over Germany - I felt quite moved and would have liked to have heard some stories. When we were leaving he said "good luck to you".

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Looks like fun, although it wasn't that warm.
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Loved this little garden.
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Elm Hill


So English - the oldest street in Norwich.
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Norfolk



Finally uploaded the pictures I took when I was in Norfolk. Yummy ice cream made locally. It was lovely seeing N, J and little Zac - he'd grown so much since last year. N had taught him sign language before he could speak and he was still using some of it, which was very impressive and seemed to take the stress out of so many situations.
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