Serendipitous Epiphenomena

$€®€NDIPIT©U$ (adj): being lucky in making unexpected and fortunate discoveries; €PIPH€N©M€NA (pl n): secondary phenomena that are by-products of other phenomena

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Shower dilemma

After building up a sweat pulling vines out of trees the other night, I took a quick shower. I was in a bit of a hurry, as Lost was about to start, and I wanted to give it a second chance, after watching one episode earlier (spoiler alert: I've now concluded it's boring, so I won't bother again). I switched off the water, and then it occurred to me: what is the optimal time to let the water just drip off you before you start towelling yourself dry? I realize there are all sorts of additional factors to take into consideration, but I am of fairly average build and my towels are of average absorption. We can assume room temperature and normal humidity for a bathroom.
This could save days or even weeks over the course of a lifetime...

Monday, June 12, 2006

Conversations with a colleague - part 2

HER: My boyfriend used to run for Northern Ireland...
ME: What did he run? Drugs? Guns?

Sunday, June 11, 2006

Argentina are the new Virtual World Champions

By beating the previous holders, the Ivory Coast (and what do you call someone from the Ivory Coast? an Ivory Coaster? and how about Trinidad? a Trinidaddy? Tobago? Tabogan? Potato Potato?), Argentina have become the new holders of the Virtual World Championship.

They will have to defend their title against Serbia and Montenegro on Friday 16 June at 14:00 BST. My money is on Argentina holding onto it, then losing it to Holland a few days later, where it will remain in perpetuity.

Saturday, June 10, 2006

Conversations with my girlfriend - part 2

HER: They're expecting trouble at the Germany - Poland match. Are you aware of any history between them?
ME: Yes, I've heard something about a war...

Conversations with a colleague

ME: Have you seen our boss's USB Fan?
HER: What, you just stick it in your computer and it blows you?

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Conversation with my girlfriend...

ME: I'm thinking of becoming a raw fooder.
HER: I won't be cooking for you.

Monday, May 29, 2006

Serendipitous Aphorism - XIV

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety

Benjamin Franklin

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Conversation with my son

HIM: What are you watching?
ME: tv...
HIM: What's that?
ME: A square box that beams pictures from somewhere else.

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Sex nudity anal nakedness felatio nakidity

Haha! Someone did a blogsearch for nudity and ended up at the post below. I'd've loved to've seen the look on his (I presume) face when presented with Bill's big drooping member.

Full frontal nudity

Platypus Bill lets it all hang out...

Sunday, May 14, 2006

Strawberry Fair

Strawberry Fair - Guiltfree Pleasure
Strawberry Fair: Midsummer Commons, Cambridge, Saturday 3 June 2006

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Shocking statement at White House press briefing

Monday, May 08, 2006

I'm so green I cycle

I forgot to mention, when David Jenkins, my local LibDem county councillor turned up to subject me to a loyalty test, he asked if I had attended the vote count at the county offices. I said I had thought of cycling over, but since there is actually no way to get to the new town of Cambourne on a bike (alive), I hadn't.
He looked at me oddly: 'You're that green, hey?'
Yes, councillor, I'm that green that even though I have a car, I don't make unnecessary car journeys, especially when it's a gorgeous day, preferring to ride my bike instead.

Friday, May 05, 2006

I'm a Liberal Democrat now...

See what power does to you? Even the remote prospect of power. As the district council result came in, I was glad, if not in the least surprised, that I had come last. But here's the rub: I was disappointed with the number of votes I received. Me, who doesn't believe in voting!
Anyway, the best part is yet to come. As I was cooking dinner, there was a knock on the door. It was my local LibDem county councillor, asking me if I would like to stand for them next time. To my eternal whatchamacallit I didn't laugh in his face. I told him there was about as much chance of that as there had been of me winning this election.
And anyway, I am expecting a call from Tony. i hear the environment post is still available...

Thursday, May 04, 2006

And now the anxious wait starts...

After much froing and toing, I finally went and voted for myself today. Why not? you ask. Well, I've been getting increasingly worried as election day drew closer (I know that's not good grammar but fuck it). See, I think I have an outside chance, up from no chance in hell. The tory vote is split, since one of them is standing as an independent, and the libdems are standing this snotty-nosed kids whose main talent seems to be to have his picture taken with sundry and all (the one who claimed that I had taken 1000 votes from them last time - typical libdem arrogance. as if I held them at gunpoint, gimme the votes orelse...) Labour isn't even standing. So you see, it might be close. I might not be last. I might even win. Aaaaah!
Honestly though, this morning I completely forgot it was election day. I walked past the polling station and wondered what all those people (well, a few anyway) were doing there, and then it hit me.
I might cycle up to Cambourne (if you can even get there on a bike) to see the vote count tomorrow. Else I'll have to worry until they put it on the web. I'm sure I'm fretting over nothing. Surely I can't win. Can I?

Thursday, April 20, 2006

Serendipitous Aphorism - XIII

You cannot be biased if you speak the truth...

Serendipitous Aphorism - XI & XII

The only way of stumbling upon novel truths is by being flippant.

You can't pluck the apples before the tree is blossoming.

I'm so fucking uninspired...

... that I feel like it/s time for a good rant. I went to my first, and I swear to high fucking heaven also my last Cambridge City Council meeting. It's so un-fucking-be-fucking-lievable quaint (y/all have to excuse me I/ve been listening to Bilbo Hicks right now). The mayor walks in carrying this big golden stick, like some fucking bishop, and all these medallions round his neck. All rise for the honourable mayor, or whatever. meeeh, all these councillors and onlookers rise like a flock of sheep, and I/m sitting there, what the fuck/s going on?
I finally decide to stand up, because I feel like I/m missing out on the action here, when the notary, or whatever, says, let/s say a prayer. Fuck that, I/m down on my seat again. I swear he's got this book, something like, vaguely non-denominational prayers to start council meetings, and starts reading.
What follows is utter tedium. The LibDems hold sway in the council with something like a two-thirds majority, and boy these arrogant bastards have got a swagger to their step, like they are masters of the universe. And, sorry you won't know who I/m talking about, I will have to get this off my chest, Colin Rosenstiel, a guy I used to work with and who got fired for being grossly incompetent, and this from a company that never sold anything, is the rudest, most arrogant, either disingenuous or stupid or quite possibly both, I was gonna say human being, but I don't wanna insult y/all by even putting you in the same bracket.
Some members of the public were allowed to ask some question, and this fat LibDem arrogant prick turns around in the middle of the question and starts chatting to they councillor behind him. 'Excuse, me, could you please listen when I/m talking to you!' Haha, the guy was embarrassed, and rightfully so. Didn't take him long to regain his pompous composure though.
So after about two hours all that had happened was that a bunch of old people who had been promised that their council housing would be safe had been screwed out of their homes.
I don't know where I/m going with this, but I just had to get it off my chest, where it was sitting like a lead anvil. There, that's better, I can breathe again now.
And to think I am standing for the district council. My biggest fear is that only three people turn up and two of them will vote for me. I had already decided to cast a blank vote myself.