Bernard Pivot's 10 Questions.

May 11, 2002

So the Friday Five is on its second week of hiatus, and Heather (former Blogger Insider partner) has pulled the comments links off of her web site because of some abusive posters who went and ragged all over her because they didn’t like what she blogged about (it was her kids. She talks quite a bit about her kids. And some arseholes bitched at her for it. And she got tired of the whole thing, and yanked commenting off of her blog. And the Friday Five kind of counted on commenting.) Sew ennihew, here’s another linking meme to play with. Feel free to do the same thing in your blog. You can find the questions here.

1. What is your favourite word?
Lethlogica. It describes that state wherein you can’t remember the word you want to use. Though what happens when you can’t remember the word to describe the state when you can’t remember the word you want to use? And how many times can it subreference before it times out the semantic loop?

2. What is your least favorite word?
It’s not a word, it’s three words: “No more coffee.” That one’s a total bummer.

3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
Being challenged —or more to the point, learning a new way of doing/thinking/being. I’m like a kid with a new toy. I’ve just got to show off!

4. What turns you off?
Being required to do substandard work when there is no reason not to do good quality work. Either that, or sitting idle for days at a time…which happens far too often in the tech industry.

5. What is your favorite curse word?
Bloodyhell. And yes, in my vocabulary, that’s a single word. My favourite insult is “oxygen thief”.

6. What sound or noise do you love?
Purring cats. It’s quiet, it’s soothing, and I hear it when my cats are curled up next to me.

7. What sound or noise do you hate?
Brendan Perry’s voice. In the eighth track of the Dead Can Dance album Aion, he manages to go sharp and flat in the same measure. That takes some doing — and I wish he’d not do it ever again.

Some days, I hate having perfect pitch.

8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
Some days, I think it would be interesting to be a professional writer: a columnist, or something. I do enough writing already, and get the occasional compliment hither and yon, so I’m entertaining others as well as myself.

9. What profession would you not like to do?
Parent. There is no formal recognized workplace structure in the first world, the benefits are wildly uneven and highly subjective, and the hours are lousy.

10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
“Oh hi, cool, okay, library’s off that way, the ailurophiles are meeting in a few, and yes there’s coffee and chocolate.”

Actually, it would be really nice to hear the same thing said to a lot of people as they enter Heaven: “You weren’t perfect, but you all tried, you really honestly tried to be good humans, and most of the time you were terrific humans. No one else knew, but you did, and that was enough. Do you know how many others’ lives you made better just by being a good human? Do you know how easy that is to screw up, how delicate a balance that is, and how few people realize that from moment to moment? You did good, you fell occasionally but you kept trying, now it’s time to come home.”

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The learning curve on the new job.

May 10, 2002

Starting a new job is always an interesting time. You’ve got to learn the unwritten unspoken dress code rules (jeans are okay on Fridays, almost everyone wears them, I may be the standout exception for this but hey I look snazzy); which is the really strong coffee brew (the one on the top left warmer, made special for the Russian programmer who doesn’t mind sharing—I like him rather a lot); what day is Bagel Day (Fridays); who are the office science fiction geeks (I found one of them yesterday; and I particularly like the customised Return of the Jedi poster in the department behind us); and where to find coffee mugs (bright yellow—ugh; but it holds coffee.)

And of course all that work-related stuff like when are the meetings, how do I get things done, and are email and keystrokes monitored.

Probably yes on that last one. Hi guys!

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Safety? Could have fooled me...

May 03, 2002

I’m almost completely moved in: my futon frame is put together; my computer’s set up and wired to the house network; my books are unpacked; my TV’s plugged in; all the big stuff. I got one of those chair mats the other day so that I wouldn’t hurt my back rolling my desk chair over the carpet, which is unruly enough. The last thing we need is for me to injure -=my=- back. Then just this morning I was walking to my desk, brought my sock-clad right foot down on the new plasticine chair mat, and slipped.

Uh-huh. And I got this thing why? To prevent injury?

Okay, right, that didn’t work well.

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...step through the looking glass...

May 02, 2002

This week’s edition of the Thursday Threesome is brought to you by the Lollipop Guild.

1some. Lions! Can a lion tame its mane? What about you? Tell us your worst hair memory.
My worst hair memory: my well-meaning mother shellacking my hair every morning, so that when the wind blew I looked like I was wearing a toupee. I have fine straight hair that won’t hold a style unless it’s very simple — which is fine with me. Comb and go, and I’m a happy camper. Poor mom: her only daughter didn’t like wearing frilly dresses or having curls.

2some. Tigers! Can a tiger change its stripes? Can people really change?
They can change, but only if they really want to. That’s the trick. So many people will change outward behaviours to make someone else happy; but because these changes aren’t internally driven, they don’t last. Then the changee feels betrayed, recriminations follow, and the really interesting ones end up on Jerry Springer.

3some. Bears! Who’s a grumpy bear? ‘Fess up — what makes you grumpy?
Cutesy-ass questions like this. If someone’s determined to get me in a better mood, give me coffee and leave it at that. Don’t try to cajole or jolly me like I’m a two year old child who will start smiling when I see the grownups smiling at me.

Actually, there are a number of things that will set me out of sorts. Luckily, they only really cause problems when I’m displeased to begin with. If I’m in a good mental place, I just brush them off.

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