ThursdayNext : www.jasperfforde.com
A discussion of all things Thursday !
Re: Finding something you really want to do...
Posted by: ben t (---.cache.pol.co.uk)
Date: August 31, 2002 10:58AM
<HTML>Urrrgh....
Bad hangover... Head hurts and the words are all fuzzy... ;(
Think I had a good night, probably best summed up by the text message I sent to my best mate - 'Met really nice girl but she went off me a little when I started snogging the girl in the wheelchair who ran over my foot on the way to the bar'. My sister assures me this is all true, and the hangover adds corroborating evidence. First time anybody's chatted me up by running over my foot though. If it works every time I'll have to get myself a wheelchair...
There are better numbers to judge the amount of fun one has experienced... ;D
Studying land use change and biodiversity. Or, in the words of song: <They tore down the trees and put up a parking lot...> It's what's known as Landscape Ecology, which is maps and computers and trees and birds and bees and...
A real world example would be that given a bit of information about the habitat, breeding pattern and an estimate of how far it can move, I can build a model that will give me some idea of how much the Iberian Lynx (don't know the Portugeuse name, sorry) will be buggered up by the Alqueva dam when it's filled. It can get quite complicated sometimes, especially when you start adding in more subtle elements - even a footpath through a forest can have a huge effect on, say, deer.
Only problem is that I'm supposed to be studying in Reading and Aberdeen, which aren't exactly near to each other...
Ex? Would ask you out on date, but see previous comments about distance! ;)</HTML>
Bad hangover... Head hurts and the words are all fuzzy... ;(
Think I had a good night, probably best summed up by the text message I sent to my best mate - 'Met really nice girl but she went off me a little when I started snogging the girl in the wheelchair who ran over my foot on the way to the bar'. My sister assures me this is all true, and the hangover adds corroborating evidence. First time anybody's chatted me up by running over my foot though. If it works every time I'll have to get myself a wheelchair...
There are better numbers to judge the amount of fun one has experienced... ;D
Studying land use change and biodiversity. Or, in the words of song: <They tore down the trees and put up a parking lot...> It's what's known as Landscape Ecology, which is maps and computers and trees and birds and bees and...
A real world example would be that given a bit of information about the habitat, breeding pattern and an estimate of how far it can move, I can build a model that will give me some idea of how much the Iberian Lynx (don't know the Portugeuse name, sorry) will be buggered up by the Alqueva dam when it's filled. It can get quite complicated sometimes, especially when you start adding in more subtle elements - even a footpath through a forest can have a huge effect on, say, deer.
Only problem is that I'm supposed to be studying in Reading and Aberdeen, which aren't exactly near to each other...
Ex? Would ask you out on date, but see previous comments about distance! ;)</HTML>
Re: Finding something you really want to do...
Posted by: Bea (---.telepac.pt)
Date: August 31, 2002 09:01PM
<HTML>
LOL
(why do all my posts now seem to begin with me laughing at something you said? ;))
But I don't even have a wheelchair! ;)
(and erm, there's something I should tell you... better in a mail though...)
We're kinda moving off-topic here, aren't we? eheheh
Anyway, it does sound nice your PhD, even though I'm not much of a biology and landscape person... funnily enough I was in the Alqueva dam a couple of months ago, and drove to the possible end of a road that finished by the water (the bit where I was must be all covered by now). Are you one of those that because of a small animal you stop building a whole road or do a million pounds cost detour? ;)
Strange thing about Reading and Aberdeen indeed!!! how does it go? 10am - 12am: Animal Behaviour, Reading; 12.30 - 2pm: English Geography, Aberdeen
They forgot to provide you with a "beam me up Scotty" device though, LOL</HTML>
LOL
(why do all my posts now seem to begin with me laughing at something you said? ;))
But I don't even have a wheelchair! ;)
(and erm, there's something I should tell you... better in a mail though...)
We're kinda moving off-topic here, aren't we? eheheh
Anyway, it does sound nice your PhD, even though I'm not much of a biology and landscape person... funnily enough I was in the Alqueva dam a couple of months ago, and drove to the possible end of a road that finished by the water (the bit where I was must be all covered by now). Are you one of those that because of a small animal you stop building a whole road or do a million pounds cost detour? ;)
Strange thing about Reading and Aberdeen indeed!!! how does it go? 10am - 12am: Animal Behaviour, Reading; 12.30 - 2pm: English Geography, Aberdeen
They forgot to provide you with a "beam me up Scotty" device though, LOL</HTML>
Re: Finding something you really want to do...
Posted by: ben t (---.cache.pol.co.uk)
Date: September 01, 2002 04:11PM
<HTML>No, not a tree hugger!
Development is always a case of balancing economic, social and environmental issues. Sometimes a road needs to be built, and certain sites will be threatened and people campaign to protect them and so pliticians cpaitulate and build a detour. Quite often, however, the damage is still done, because the pattern of the landscape is affected. In the case of Kielder Water, a reservoir in the UK, the population dynamics of the rodent population were completely changed, and its only recently anybody worked out why.
What's really funny about my subject is how you come to realise the conservation measures can sometimes be completely counter productive. My favourite example is Kent County Council, who decided to conserve 'rare' butterflies by tidying up a load of wasteland. The butterflies, UK-wide, weren't terribly rare; but in the process they made one insect extinct... It's also amusing to point out to smug environmentalists that a lot of the new forests that are being planted are never going to be as species rich as they ought to be unless they start cutting down patches of trees, to make sure that there are patches of light and trees of different ages. Just planting a load of trees is no good, it has to change over time.
I'd like to be able to influence people so that decisions are made with the best knowledge of the consequences, but at the moment I'm so excited by the fact that I take something extremely complicated, strip it into its components and then put it back together in a way that enables people to understand it; and that I can see into the future - and not just the future we will travel to, but the ones that we have rejected as well. I might never influence anybody, but at least I'll enjoy doing it.
Have just read my previous post, and realised a line got missed out: the song was "They teared down the trees, and they put up a parking lot..."
<Something I should tell you> ? Cool.... The weirder the better, please - it's my mission in life to accumulate as much weird @!#$ as possible! (just ask my counsellor!) ;-)
Commuting between Aberdeen and Reading would be an arse, I agree, although your suggestion of a ten o'clock start seems a bit optomistic - ten o'clock is largely hypothetical as far as my body clock is concerned. Fortunately it's 8 months of Reading then 4 of Aberdeen. plus I'm responsible for teaching myself, really. This means that many of my most valuble lectures will be held down the pub... One problem does rear up though - because it's pintless paying for twelve months rent to be there for 8 I'm going to commute from my parents' house and live there (they've just moved so I feel strange calling it 'home'). It's definitely odd to be growing older and still having to surrender my independence, but I suppose I'll cope.
Glad I make you laugh: I had to develop a sense of humour in order to attract girls, working on the basis that I need a girlfriend with a sense of humour 'cause my looks aren't going to get me very far... ;D</HTML>
Development is always a case of balancing economic, social and environmental issues. Sometimes a road needs to be built, and certain sites will be threatened and people campaign to protect them and so pliticians cpaitulate and build a detour. Quite often, however, the damage is still done, because the pattern of the landscape is affected. In the case of Kielder Water, a reservoir in the UK, the population dynamics of the rodent population were completely changed, and its only recently anybody worked out why.
What's really funny about my subject is how you come to realise the conservation measures can sometimes be completely counter productive. My favourite example is Kent County Council, who decided to conserve 'rare' butterflies by tidying up a load of wasteland. The butterflies, UK-wide, weren't terribly rare; but in the process they made one insect extinct... It's also amusing to point out to smug environmentalists that a lot of the new forests that are being planted are never going to be as species rich as they ought to be unless they start cutting down patches of trees, to make sure that there are patches of light and trees of different ages. Just planting a load of trees is no good, it has to change over time.
I'd like to be able to influence people so that decisions are made with the best knowledge of the consequences, but at the moment I'm so excited by the fact that I take something extremely complicated, strip it into its components and then put it back together in a way that enables people to understand it; and that I can see into the future - and not just the future we will travel to, but the ones that we have rejected as well. I might never influence anybody, but at least I'll enjoy doing it.
Have just read my previous post, and realised a line got missed out: the song was "They teared down the trees, and they put up a parking lot..."
<Something I should tell you> ? Cool.... The weirder the better, please - it's my mission in life to accumulate as much weird @!#$ as possible! (just ask my counsellor!) ;-)
Commuting between Aberdeen and Reading would be an arse, I agree, although your suggestion of a ten o'clock start seems a bit optomistic - ten o'clock is largely hypothetical as far as my body clock is concerned. Fortunately it's 8 months of Reading then 4 of Aberdeen. plus I'm responsible for teaching myself, really. This means that many of my most valuble lectures will be held down the pub... One problem does rear up though - because it's pintless paying for twelve months rent to be there for 8 I'm going to commute from my parents' house and live there (they've just moved so I feel strange calling it 'home'). It's definitely odd to be growing older and still having to surrender my independence, but I suppose I'll cope.
Glad I make you laugh: I had to develop a sense of humour in order to attract girls, working on the basis that I need a girlfriend with a sense of humour 'cause my looks aren't going to get me very far... ;D</HTML>
Re: Finding something you really want to do...
Posted by: ben t (---.cache.pol.co.uk)
Date: September 01, 2002 06:27PM
<HTML>Sorry, that last paragraph reads completely wrong and gives entirely the wrong impression. Can't think of a way to write it that makes me sound any less stupid and shallow and desperate. The reasons I'm glad I make you laugh and the reason I developed a sense of humour aren't connected. I'm glad I make you laugh 'cause I enjoy people laughing at me; even if I'm making a prat of myself at the time. I originally learnt to make people laugh as a flirting tool. Hope that sounds less, er, dodgy...
And probably more sensible. And a line got deleted where the ? mark is - I was trying to say that whatever you have to tell me is bloody intriguing. Think my computer is stupid when it comes to actually remembering what I wrote. Either that or I'm stupid, whcih to judge by the inane quantity of text above, is probably more accurate...</HTML>
And probably more sensible. And a line got deleted where the ? mark is - I was trying to say that whatever you have to tell me is bloody intriguing. Think my computer is stupid when it comes to actually remembering what I wrote. Either that or I'm stupid, whcih to judge by the inane quantity of text above, is probably more accurate...</HTML>
Re: Finding something you really want to do...
Posted by: Bea (---.telepac.pt)
Date: September 01, 2002 08:08PM
<HTML>ok, mail tomorrow :)
(Jasper might be getting angry at us for occupying his space ;))</HTML>
(Jasper might be getting angry at us for occupying his space ;))</HTML>
Re: Finding something you really want to do...
Posted by: ben t (---.cache.pol.co.uk)
Date: September 01, 2002 08:13PM
<HTML>Yeah, fair point. Better mention the books at some point then, although I think I've probably overdosed on telling people to read them... (Hope this keeps Mr Fforde happy!) ;-)</HTML>
Re: Finding something you really want to do...
Posted by: ScarletBea (148.177.129.---)
Date: September 02, 2002 10:54AM
<HTML>You have mail :)
And yes, I do the same, always telling my friends how great the books are :D
I don't think they're translated here though, I only tell my foreign friends...</HTML>
And yes, I do the same, always telling my friends how great the books are :D
I don't think they're translated here though, I only tell my foreign friends...</HTML>
Re: Finding something you really want to do...
Posted by: ben t (195.224.227.---)
Date: September 02, 2002 11:01AM
<HTML>I wouldn't like to have the job of translating them either... I read an interview with somebody who translates Pratchett books, and he reckoned the hardest part was the cultural references and the puns that don't translate directly. The skill is taking the English pun out and putting a new one in so that it still gets a laugh (or in the case of most puns, a groan).
Frankly though I struggle to translate my own thoughts into English, let alone from that into any other language... :-)</HTML>
Frankly though I struggle to translate my own thoughts into English, let alone from that into any other language... :-)</HTML>
Re: Finding something you really want to do...
Posted by: ScarletBea (148.177.129.---)
Date: September 02, 2002 11:12AM
<HTML>Yes, I always read my books in english (ie original language) just because of that.
I almost fainted one day when going through the translated version of a book I liked, it sounded so awful!!!!!
I'm almost more familiar with english puns and references and even history (I like to read middle ages historical fiction) than mine...
(you like Terry Pratchett too???? :D)</HTML>
I almost fainted one day when going through the translated version of a book I liked, it sounded so awful!!!!!
I'm almost more familiar with english puns and references and even history (I like to read middle ages historical fiction) than mine...
(you like Terry Pratchett too???? :D)</HTML>
Re: Finding something you really want to do...
Posted by: ben t (195.224.227.---)
Date: September 02, 2002 01:02PM
<HTML>Pratchett kind of lost its appeal for me after a while, although I'll occasionally pick one up. At one stage I owned the lot, but haven't bought any for a few years so behind the times now.
Try a guy called Julian Rathbone for some, er, interesting takes on history, including one scene at the battle of Hastings that has William the Conqueror saying "God for William, England and Saint... Odo, what's the patron saint of England, you're a f*@!ing bishop, you should know..."
The Wars of the Roses are similarly cursed with the outbreak of a football match.
How come you read so much English stuff? I assume its just because of the sheer volume, or is it partially to show off (pretty much the same reason I read Mallory's Morte D'Athur)?</HTML>
Try a guy called Julian Rathbone for some, er, interesting takes on history, including one scene at the battle of Hastings that has William the Conqueror saying "God for William, England and Saint... Odo, what's the patron saint of England, you're a f*@!ing bishop, you should know..."
The Wars of the Roses are similarly cursed with the outbreak of a football match.
How come you read so much English stuff? I assume its just because of the sheer volume, or is it partially to show off (pretty much the same reason I read Mallory's Morte D'Athur)?</HTML>
Re: Finding something you really want to do...
Posted by: ScarletBea (148.177.129.---)
Date: September 02, 2002 01:24PM
<HTML>On Terry Pratchett, I've only just discovered him through a friend, so I'm still starting (have 6 books, I think).
lol@that battle scene! I'll look for it then... although my historical fiction preferences aren't exacty related to humour ;)
About me reading english stuff: no, it's not to show off ;) I've always loved english, then I bought one book in english once, then I discovered they sounded much better in english, and were @#$%&, and you could find great ones that never got translated. :)
No, it's not the volume, because it's very hard to find books in english around here (although it's getting better) - I get the revenge by coming home with my lugagge full of new books when I go to england LOL
So I suppose it's just love :D
(info: I keep my diary in english...)</HTML>
lol@that battle scene! I'll look for it then... although my historical fiction preferences aren't exacty related to humour ;)
About me reading english stuff: no, it's not to show off ;) I've always loved english, then I bought one book in english once, then I discovered they sounded much better in english, and were @#$%&, and you could find great ones that never got translated. :)
No, it's not the volume, because it's very hard to find books in english around here (although it's getting better) - I get the revenge by coming home with my lugagge full of new books when I go to england LOL
So I suppose it's just love :D
(info: I keep my diary in english...)</HTML>
Re: Finding something you really want to do...
Posted by: ben t (195.224.227.---)
Date: September 02, 2002 01:56PM
<HTML>I don't keep a diary.
I would, but I suspect I'd only start to worry myself. And anyway, the stuff I'd like to remember is the stuff that i ofrget, whereas the really embarrassing moments stick for a lifetime such as the following conversation I had with the police once:
'Have you ever been arrested before, sir?'
'Er, once. In Poland.'
'What for?'
"I don't know, I don't speak any Polish except 'piwo' which means 'beer' and 'vodka', which is the universal code for 'I want to wake up to a massive hangover and a stolen traffic cone'."
"Well, what happened next?"
"Er, I woke up to a massive hangover and a huge fine."
"Pretty much like tonight then?"
"Er, yes officer."
;-D</HTML>
I would, but I suspect I'd only start to worry myself. And anyway, the stuff I'd like to remember is the stuff that i ofrget, whereas the really embarrassing moments stick for a lifetime such as the following conversation I had with the police once:
'Have you ever been arrested before, sir?'
'Er, once. In Poland.'
'What for?'
"I don't know, I don't speak any Polish except 'piwo' which means 'beer' and 'vodka', which is the universal code for 'I want to wake up to a massive hangover and a stolen traffic cone'."
"Well, what happened next?"
"Er, I woke up to a massive hangover and a huge fine."
"Pretty much like tonight then?"
"Er, yes officer."
;-D</HTML>
Re: Finding something you really want to do...
Posted by: ScarletBea (148.177.129.---)
Date: September 02, 2002 02:01PM
<HTML>
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
(how come english people love beer so much? ;))</HTML>
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
(how come english people love beer so much? ;))</HTML>
Re: Finding something you really want to do...
Posted by: ben t (195.224.227.---)
Date: September 02, 2002 02:13PM
<HTML>Genetic. Plus the English love language, and there is no end to the number of terms for getting sloshed, w**kered, pi**ed, nine sheets to the wind etc. We just want to enjoy every synonym and euphemism once in our lives, before dying a cirrhosis induced death... ;D
Plus I'm quarter Polish, so after the English part of me can't take any more the polish part starts demanding vodka...
It's not healthy, and I'm not proud.
Much... ;-D</HTML>
Plus I'm quarter Polish, so after the English part of me can't take any more the polish part starts demanding vodka...
It's not healthy, and I'm not proud.
Much... ;-D</HTML>
Re: Finding something you really want to do...
Posted by: ScarletBea (148.177.129.---)
Date: September 02, 2002 02:54PM
<HTML>eheheh
but then I'm talking like this because I can't stand the taste of anything with alcohol in it, which is *extremely* unusual ;)
The only thing I like is Bailey's, or lately, as introduced to me by a friend, Smirnoff Ice, which I know is a cissy type of vodka as it's only got 5% alcohol or something eheheh
Anyway, I always drive to places, so it's good I don't like to drink :D
It's funny in england with my friends, where they go round after round after round and me with my orange juice or coke LOL</HTML>
but then I'm talking like this because I can't stand the taste of anything with alcohol in it, which is *extremely* unusual ;)
The only thing I like is Bailey's, or lately, as introduced to me by a friend, Smirnoff Ice, which I know is a cissy type of vodka as it's only got 5% alcohol or something eheheh
Anyway, I always drive to places, so it's good I don't like to drink :D
It's funny in england with my friends, where they go round after round after round and me with my orange juice or coke LOL</HTML>
Re: Finding something you really want to do...
Posted by: ben t (195.224.227.---)
Date: September 02, 2002 03:13PM
<HTML>I drink ale when I'm out, 'cause I like the flavours and lager's too gassy. At home I'll drink wine or occaisionally mix a long-ish cocktail of one sort or another.
Drinks you might like:
Baby Guinness - in double shot glass pour 3/4 full of Tia Maria, then add Baileys, pouring it over the back of a spoon with the tip of the spoon just touching the Tia Maria, so that the drink layers.
Vodka Sunrise - same as Tequila Sunrise but with vodka - orange or pineapple juice, vodka, add a dash of grenadine so that it sinks to the bottom and adds a glow.
Non-alcoholic, try mixing orange and pineapple and then a shot of grenadine - but not too much as it can be quite sickly.
We've strayed off topic again, haven't we...
These older women are always leading impressionable young men astray... ;-D</HTML>
Drinks you might like:
Baby Guinness - in double shot glass pour 3/4 full of Tia Maria, then add Baileys, pouring it over the back of a spoon with the tip of the spoon just touching the Tia Maria, so that the drink layers.
Vodka Sunrise - same as Tequila Sunrise but with vodka - orange or pineapple juice, vodka, add a dash of grenadine so that it sinks to the bottom and adds a glow.
Non-alcoholic, try mixing orange and pineapple and then a shot of grenadine - but not too much as it can be quite sickly.
We've strayed off topic again, haven't we...
These older women are always leading impressionable young men astray... ;-D</HTML>
Re: Finding something you really want to do...
Posted by: ScarletBea (148.177.129.---)
Date: September 02, 2002 03:18PM
<HTML>Yeah, I suppose I could try those...
Let me tell you that there aren't many people why make me laugh out loud when I'm at work ;) I'm glad nobody's really looking and I'm hiding behind my screen...
(excuse me while I roll under the desk to laugh some more...)
And maybe we can create a topic called "let ben and bea act like crazy people and talk about anything they want, occasionally mentioning Fforde's magnificent work" :D</HTML>
Let me tell you that there aren't many people why make me laugh out loud when I'm at work ;) I'm glad nobody's really looking and I'm hiding behind my screen...
(excuse me while I roll under the desk to laugh some more...)
And maybe we can create a topic called "let ben and bea act like crazy people and talk about anything they want, occasionally mentioning Fforde's magnificent work" :D</HTML>
let ben and bea act like crazy people and talk about anything they want, occasionally mentioning Fforde's magnificent work
Posted by: ben t (195.224.227.---)
Date: September 02, 2002 03:33PM
<HTML>Sorry for any blushes I may have caused.
Actually, no I'm not - I'm a sadistic little sod like that. It's quite flattering though...
Just hope for the rest of the world's sake we never meet up in a pub, nobody would get a word inn edgeways... ;-D</HTML>
Actually, no I'm not - I'm a sadistic little sod like that. It's quite flattering though...
Just hope for the rest of the world's sake we never meet up in a pub, nobody would get a word inn edgeways... ;-D</HTML>
Re: let ben and bea act like crazy people and talk about anything they want, occasionally mentioning Fforde's magnificent work
Posted by: ben t (195.224.227.---)
Date: September 02, 2002 04:24PM
<HTML>Apologies, by the way, to anyone who started reading this string thinking that it loked like there was some sort of huge debate going on, due to the large number of messages. As you may ahve guessed by now, it's two sad Nextians with nothing better to do, and certainly not whilst they have free ent access at work.
Feel free to read it as some kind on Zen Soap opera with extra laughs, if you so wish...
;-D</HTML>
Feel free to read it as some kind on Zen Soap opera with extra laughs, if you so wish...
;-D</HTML>
Re: let ben and bea act like crazy people and talk about anything they want, occasionally mentioning Fforde's magnificent work
Posted by: ScarletBea (148.177.129.---)
Date: September 02, 2002 04:42PM
<HTML>
Nice one, Ben... that's why I wanted to create a truly separate thread with that title (that I hoped you copy-pasted instead of labouriously typing it all ehehehe). In that way no poor souls would fall prey of this time-warp where we find ourselves involved.... maybe Thursday's dad can save us? ;)
(btw, apparently I'll begin to have more work to do :( but I'll still pop in here once in a while during the day to check any new developments )</HTML>
Nice one, Ben... that's why I wanted to create a truly separate thread with that title (that I hoped you copy-pasted instead of labouriously typing it all ehehehe). In that way no poor souls would fall prey of this time-warp where we find ourselves involved.... maybe Thursday's dad can save us? ;)
(btw, apparently I'll begin to have more work to do :( but I'll still pop in here once in a while during the day to check any new developments )</HTML>
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