Thursday, September 29, 2005
A giant knitted pink bunny on a mountainside
Sadly the picture is only in the paper copy of The Guardian today and not with the website article, as far as I can see. The words 'giant' and 'pink' are very accurate..
I keep hoping I will think of something more intelligent to post about. Keep looking, it may happen!
Sadly the picture is only in the paper copy of The Guardian today and not with the website article, as far as I can see. The words 'giant' and 'pink' are very accurate..
I keep hoping I will think of something more intelligent to post about. Keep looking, it may happen!
Monday, September 26, 2005
Sunday Funday
Not my name for it- the Students' Union called it that. It was the staff-student rounders match, so the students prepared carefully:
and there was lots of running:
Not my name for it- the Students' Union called it that. It was the staff-student rounders match, so the students prepared carefully:
The umpire (in blue) gave them a serious talk about the rules but I am not sure they were all listening:
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The crowd watched intently:
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and there was lots of running:
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The students were very confident:
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But rain stopped play while the staff were ahead:
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So sad..
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Freshers
For many of my fellow bloggers this must be a parallel experience as we all respectively either welcome or get ready to welcome our new students, though maybe not quite like this. Tonight, as head bear in this bearpit, I went to our Freshers Dinner and then (by time honoured tradition over the past two years, three weeks) to the karaoke in the SU bar. This is an intriguing mix of past tradition and present. We start the dinner with the College grace (Non nobis Domine, the Byrd setting) which used to be used daily in College and is now used for Freshers Dinner, the student Christmas meal, and at graduation (oh, and the Old Students always sing it en masse). Then we leap to the SU bar and function room and come right up to date. The students eagerly peruse the list of songs and there is fierce competition for a karaoke slot. The SU exec tonight did Bohemian Rhapsody ( an interesting interpretation) .. a combination of music and drama students did Bob the Builder with great gusto. Bare stomachs seem to be fading from view. I am allowed to leave with dignity - and more importantly, without singing- after the college chant (ask me next time you see me) to finish the evening at my blog, a single malt and some chocolate at my side. Okay, I expect you are waiting for the point of all this. But that is it.. not even any photos. Just wanted to capture the moment.
For many of my fellow bloggers this must be a parallel experience as we all respectively either welcome or get ready to welcome our new students, though maybe not quite like this. Tonight, as head bear in this bearpit, I went to our Freshers Dinner and then (by time honoured tradition over the past two years, three weeks) to the karaoke in the SU bar. This is an intriguing mix of past tradition and present. We start the dinner with the College grace (Non nobis Domine, the Byrd setting) which used to be used daily in College and is now used for Freshers Dinner, the student Christmas meal, and at graduation (oh, and the Old Students always sing it en masse). Then we leap to the SU bar and function room and come right up to date. The students eagerly peruse the list of songs and there is fierce competition for a karaoke slot. The SU exec tonight did Bohemian Rhapsody ( an interesting interpretation) .. a combination of music and drama students did Bob the Builder with great gusto. Bare stomachs seem to be fading from view. I am allowed to leave with dignity - and more importantly, without singing- after the college chant (ask me next time you see me) to finish the evening at my blog, a single malt and some chocolate at my side. Okay, I expect you are waiting for the point of all this. But that is it.. not even any photos. Just wanted to capture the moment.
Monday, September 19, 2005
And what I was going to say today..
I have been thinking about online shopping, particularly since Victoria Carrington posted these links to amazing laptop bags. What would you buy online? I am not talking here about security and stuff like that, but what do you want to hold in your hand before you buy rather than just seeing on a website? My problem with the laptop bags is that I need to touch them and see them, maybe even smell them, and certainly try them on, to choose. Books I will risk online, also music- even without always having heard it- but bags, that just feels wrong.. Where do you draw the line?
I have been thinking about online shopping, particularly since Victoria Carrington posted these links to amazing laptop bags. What would you buy online? I am not talking here about security and stuff like that, but what do you want to hold in your hand before you buy rather than just seeing on a website? My problem with the laptop bags is that I need to touch them and see them, maybe even smell them, and certainly try them on, to choose. Books I will risk online, also music- even without always having heard it- but bags, that just feels wrong.. Where do you draw the line?
More dodgy humour
And because I emailed Ian and said I liked Downfall, he sent me this with this warning:
'Glad you enjoyed it, here's another. It's audio and contains a naughty word so if you play it at work make sure the volume is turned low.'
This one takes a while and I don't recognise quite all the people but you will get the general drift. Don't follow this link if you are a Bush fan though. You won't like it.
And because I emailed Ian and said I liked Downfall, he sent me this with this warning:
'Glad you enjoyed it, here's another. It's audio and contains a naughty word so if you play it at work make sure the volume is turned low.'
This one takes a while and I don't recognise quite all the people but you will get the general drift. Don't follow this link if you are a Bush fan though. You won't like it.
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Autumn Idyll.
Each morning (well, almost) I walk into Lincoln for a newspaper. It is often a very beautiful walk and last week, since the sky was particularly amazing, I took the camera. I saw the last rose of summer:
and the first leaf of autumn
Sometimes getting up early really is worth it.
Each morning (well, almost) I walk into Lincoln for a newspaper. It is often a very beautiful walk and last week, since the sky was particularly amazing, I took the camera. I saw the last rose of summer:
and the first leaf of autumn
I saw this amazing sunrise:
reflected in these cathedral windows:
and someone leaving on a jet plane over the pub roof:
Sometimes getting up early really is worth it.
Downfall of a great Western power..
Sent by our friend Ian- who says
'It's different every time. I find it kind of soothing, and addictive'- is this image called Downfall. Try it. I think you will also like it.
Sent by our friend Ian- who says
'It's different every time. I find it kind of soothing, and addictive'- is this image called Downfall. Try it. I think you will also like it.
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Captured- a great sporting moment.
No, not that one. Though I actually enjoyed the cricket too.
This is my alter ego winning a snail race at the college student fair last June. Picture donated by digital camera- mad student. Prize - as far as I recall- was a packet of sweets.
No, not that one. Though I actually enjoyed the cricket too.
This is my alter ego winning a snail race at the college student fair last June. Picture donated by digital camera- mad student. Prize - as far as I recall- was a packet of sweets.
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Getting back to blogging
It has been surprisingly hard to write anything here this week. I have been telling myself this is because I have been busy- and I have, as like all the other ESRC attendees last weekend I have struggled to catch up with email and post and all the routine work things. I am now blogging and working normally for the first time, having set up the Bearpit in the summer when although I was at work it was very quiet, whereas now I am back to normal with a list of things to do that is too long to find time to write down. But I think there has been more to it than that as I could have found a nook or cranny to post in.
Last weekend the blogosphere and meatspace came together in a very strange way and although I really enjoyed the whole thing and had to think very hard about ideas I find interesting, it was a bit strange being in the same room with the people who read my blog and whose blogs I read. It has made me a bit self-conscious about what I post. I have caught myself spotting interesting stories in the news and tucking them away in my mind to write about but kind of knowing at the same time I was not going to. I think seeing everyone and hearing them all saying such thoughtful things was quite scary really.
I think I am also feeling a similar anxiety about getting back to my own research. I have two writing days this week, that I kept clear on purpose, one for today to finish a paper about future developments at the college (kind of demanding but I knew what was needed) and one tomorrow to be for revising a paper and writing to Rebekah about the seminar series and stuff. I have spent all day on the work one and it isn't done, so a bit of tomorrow will go, and I think a bit of me has gone slow on purpose to avoid that getting back in the big pool with the real swimmers. Sooner or later someone will notice I have one foot on the bottom all the time..
It has been surprisingly hard to write anything here this week. I have been telling myself this is because I have been busy- and I have, as like all the other ESRC attendees last weekend I have struggled to catch up with email and post and all the routine work things. I am now blogging and working normally for the first time, having set up the Bearpit in the summer when although I was at work it was very quiet, whereas now I am back to normal with a list of things to do that is too long to find time to write down. But I think there has been more to it than that as I could have found a nook or cranny to post in.
Last weekend the blogosphere and meatspace came together in a very strange way and although I really enjoyed the whole thing and had to think very hard about ideas I find interesting, it was a bit strange being in the same room with the people who read my blog and whose blogs I read. It has made me a bit self-conscious about what I post. I have caught myself spotting interesting stories in the news and tucking them away in my mind to write about but kind of knowing at the same time I was not going to. I think seeing everyone and hearing them all saying such thoughtful things was quite scary really.
I think I am also feeling a similar anxiety about getting back to my own research. I have two writing days this week, that I kept clear on purpose, one for today to finish a paper about future developments at the college (kind of demanding but I knew what was needed) and one tomorrow to be for revising a paper and writing to Rebekah about the seminar series and stuff. I have spent all day on the work one and it isn't done, so a bit of tomorrow will go, and I think a bit of me has gone slow on purpose to avoid that getting back in the big pool with the real swimmers. Sooner or later someone will notice I have one foot on the bottom all the time..
