Right, this is it! The last Clear Blue Skies Bloghunt has arrived. More details in a moment but first, from yesterday's hunt, NiC scored another 7 points.
The last hunt is of the same type we've had over the last few Friday's; word association. Remember, you have to find a post that contains a word or phrase that's connected to the day's target but doesn't contain the target itself. Points will be awarded for how recent the post is, how obscure the connection to your search term is (while still making sense) and how unusual the search term is.
The target for this bloghunt finalé is, predictably enough, the word 'final'.
Good luck and happy hunting!
Friday, April 30, 2004
Under the Knife
L went into hospital this morning for a routine, scheduled operation. It's nothing serious and she should be out tonight (hence me being in work - they don't allow visitors on the day surgery ward).
She won't read this for at least a week (if then) but I want her to know that I'm thinking about her and I love her very much.
She won't read this for at least a week (if then) but I want her to know that I'm thinking about her and I love her very much.
Thursday, April 29, 2004
Epiphany
Last week I watched the BBC dramatisation 'Hawking', which portrayed the two or three years of Stephen Hawking's life when he was doing his PhD and having to cope with the increasing difficulties Motor Neurone Disease was causing him.
Obviously, as with all such dramatisations, it wasn't entirely factually accurate; there's no way they could know now exactly which conversations were held and what was said. However, because it was set in the relatively recent past, the major points in the film were done well. In particular, I thought the juxtaposition of the two themes of time (the fact that the universe, and hence time, had a beginning and the predicted foreshortening of Hawking's own life) was excellent. Benedict Cumberbatch was very good as Hawking and very convincingly portrayed a man struggling against a disease that meant he was wasting away in order to get something of extreme importance done.
The film contains a few of Hawking's moments of epiphany and these resonated quite strongly with me. I can't claim to have discovered anything momentous as the big bang but in finding a proof for some small mathematical oddity or the cause of a problem on the database at work I have at least had that feeling. It is a moment of pure clarity when the truth is revealed to you and with that clarity comes a feeling of achievement and satisfaction. It is the thing I like the most about my job.
For Hawking, gaining an insight into the beginnings of time must have been the most wonderful feeling in the world.
Obviously, as with all such dramatisations, it wasn't entirely factually accurate; there's no way they could know now exactly which conversations were held and what was said. However, because it was set in the relatively recent past, the major points in the film were done well. In particular, I thought the juxtaposition of the two themes of time (the fact that the universe, and hence time, had a beginning and the predicted foreshortening of Hawking's own life) was excellent. Benedict Cumberbatch was very good as Hawking and very convincingly portrayed a man struggling against a disease that meant he was wasting away in order to get something of extreme importance done.
The film contains a few of Hawking's moments of epiphany and these resonated quite strongly with me. I can't claim to have discovered anything momentous as the big bang but in finding a proof for some small mathematical oddity or the cause of a problem on the database at work I have at least had that feeling. It is a moment of pure clarity when the truth is revealed to you and with that clarity comes a feeling of achievement and satisfaction. It is the thing I like the most about my job.
For Hawking, gaining an insight into the beginnings of time must have been the most wonderful feeling in the world.
Penultimate Bloghunt
Yesterday saw Jo get off the mark with a post from everybody's favourite geezer and NiC put in his first entry for a couple of weeks. I think it's a little late for that comeback, NiC. Both get 7 points for their efforts.
For today's hunt, you're looking for posts that link to stories about Posh and Becks (just to finish off the link theme with a bit of frivolity).
Good luck and happy hunting!
For today's hunt, you're looking for posts that link to stories about Posh and Becks (just to finish off the link theme with a bit of frivolity).
Good luck and happy hunting!
Wednesday, April 28, 2004
Wembley
As I have said before, I go past Wembley Stadium on the train twice a day and it has been interesting trying to work out how the building work is going. There is a ring of tall cranes around the edge of the site and, though I haven't yet seen them lifting anything, I'm sure they do. At least there are obviously things happening there, as opposed to a certain other London renovation
About a month ago five new cranes appeared across the middle of the site. They are squat ones that make the others look like they would break under the slightest weight. Kind of like the comparison between a short, powerful circus strongman and a tall, willowy acrobat. These five cranes are of different heights with the tallest one in the middle and the shortest pair on the outside and it's not difficult to work out what they are for; soon we should be seeing the arch go up. More recently a ramp of girders has also appeared in front of the middle crane and I guess that's meant to help in raising the arch, too. It should be a fantastic sight once it's up.
I'll keep you all up to date with developments when I see them.
About a month ago five new cranes appeared across the middle of the site. They are squat ones that make the others look like they would break under the slightest weight. Kind of like the comparison between a short, powerful circus strongman and a tall, willowy acrobat. These five cranes are of different heights with the tallest one in the middle and the shortest pair on the outside and it's not difficult to work out what they are for; soon we should be seeing the arch go up. More recently a ramp of girders has also appeared in front of the middle crane and I guess that's meant to help in raising the arch, too. It should be a fantastic sight once it's up.
I'll keep you all up to date with developments when I see them.
17th Bloghunt
For the first time this month, we had two people coming up with the same post for yesterday's hunt. Since Gary was the first to enter it, he gets the points (all 7 of them) and NiC is left weeping with none. (Sorry mate)
With just three hunts left the competition is nearly over. For today's hunt you will need to find a recent post that links to a story about Blunkett's planned introduction of ID cards.
Good luck and happy hunting!
With just three hunts left the competition is nearly over. For today's hunt you will need to find a recent post that links to a story about Blunkett's planned introduction of ID cards.
Good luck and happy hunting!
Tuesday, April 27, 2004
Bloghunt XVI
Well, you didn't seem to find that too difficult, did you? Harriet, you scored 7 for your entry and Gary, you got 4 for yours.
Today's hunt is the same as yesterday's, though this time you are looking for links to stories about UK house prices.
Good luck and happy hunting!
Today's hunt is the same as yesterday's, though this time you are looking for links to stories about UK house prices.
Good luck and happy hunting!
New Project
Following on from my last month long event, flashblogging month back in October, I set myself a writing task and, not being one to alter an obviously winning formula (!) I'm going to do the same next month. Nothing quite so drawn out and painful as Pink Floyd month turned out to be, though.
One of the things I've noticed in my travels trough blogland is that bloggers generally fall into one of two camps when it comes to site design. There are those that have archives (like me) and those that have 'backblogs' instead. Same thing, different name. To me, though, there does seem to be a fundamental difference between the two words. Archive conjures an image of old things that have been put away for safekeeping but that aren't generally looked at anymore while backblog seems somehow more alive, more current. As though they are still being added to.
And that's the inspiration behind my new writing project - I am going to start writing my backblog.
To that end I am going to make use of blogger's wonderful date-changing feature to flesh out the past a little bit. I will be writing about the memorable and/or life-changing moments from my past and posting them in the appropriate place in my backblog. Unfortunately, the earliest date blogger will allow is the beginning of 1999 so I won't be able be able to write about me breaking my ankle while playing football in a park outside the Houses of Parliament when I was 16, for example, or the fight I got into on my twenty-first birthday but the last five and a half year have been pretty momentous so there should be plenty to write about.
I won't be writing one every day (I've learnt that if I'm that strict with myself I end up not enjoying it) but every now and again you'll probably notice a new month appears on my sidebar and the events of my life B.C.B.S. will start to take shape.
The Backblog Project starts here on May 1st.
One of the things I've noticed in my travels trough blogland is that bloggers generally fall into one of two camps when it comes to site design. There are those that have archives (like me) and those that have 'backblogs' instead. Same thing, different name. To me, though, there does seem to be a fundamental difference between the two words. Archive conjures an image of old things that have been put away for safekeeping but that aren't generally looked at anymore while backblog seems somehow more alive, more current. As though they are still being added to.
And that's the inspiration behind my new writing project - I am going to start writing my backblog.
To that end I am going to make use of blogger's wonderful date-changing feature to flesh out the past a little bit. I will be writing about the memorable and/or life-changing moments from my past and posting them in the appropriate place in my backblog. Unfortunately, the earliest date blogger will allow is the beginning of 1999 so I won't be able be able to write about me breaking my ankle while playing football in a park outside the Houses of Parliament when I was 16, for example, or the fight I got into on my twenty-first birthday but the last five and a half year have been pretty momentous so there should be plenty to write about.
I won't be writing one every day (I've learnt that if I'm that strict with myself I end up not enjoying it) but every now and again you'll probably notice a new month appears on my sidebar and the events of my life B.C.B.S. will start to take shape.
The Backblog Project starts here on May 1st.
Monday, April 26, 2004
Weekend
It was my Nan's 84th birthday on Saturday and, since my parents had a lunchtime do not far from here, we agreed to entertain her for the afternoon. Well, I say we but as L went into work to do some overtime, the entertaining was left largely to me. Still, her not being there meant I could do salmon for lunch, which is something she doesn't eat so I was happy.
Had the Olympics included a talking event, my Nan could have been a gold medallist many times over, so it was a nice surprise to find myself more than getting the odd word in edgewise. We chatted about the house (it was the first time she'd seen it) and our plans for it and the garden and we talked about how she's finding life in her new-ish flat and all sorts of other things and the time passed very pleasantly. There's only so much you can take of my Nan, however and it was just starting to become hard work when she happened to mention that she'd been watching a lot of the snooker last week. I had the television on in a flash and soon the conversation revolved solely around the green baize (the two weeks when the World Championship is on are among my favourite of the whole year, TV-wise)
L and my parents were back around 4 o'clock and the onus of entertainment could finally be shared around. They stayed for tea before taking Nan back home. All in all it was a very nice day.
Yesterday L and I decided to go out for lunch and took ourselves off for a stroll into the country. From our house it's barely two minute's walk to a footpath that skirts round open fields. It's only a few hundred yards long and ends at a lane that leads past some very expensive converted farmhouses down to the Grand Union canal. Where the lane crosses the canal we found a beautiful pub with a couple of dozen outside tables looking over the water. And it's just about ten minutes walk from here! Unfortunately, we didn't have a large amount of cash with us and they had some problem which meant we couldn't pay by card so we walked on, into Bourne End (to the west of Hemel) to another pub. After we'd eaten we walked back along the canal in the sunshine and laboured up the hill before collapsing in front of the TV. Very enjoyable indeed. I think we may well find ourselves walking out that way quite a lot in the months to come.
Had the Olympics included a talking event, my Nan could have been a gold medallist many times over, so it was a nice surprise to find myself more than getting the odd word in edgewise. We chatted about the house (it was the first time she'd seen it) and our plans for it and the garden and we talked about how she's finding life in her new-ish flat and all sorts of other things and the time passed very pleasantly. There's only so much you can take of my Nan, however and it was just starting to become hard work when she happened to mention that she'd been watching a lot of the snooker last week. I had the television on in a flash and soon the conversation revolved solely around the green baize (the two weeks when the World Championship is on are among my favourite of the whole year, TV-wise)
L and my parents were back around 4 o'clock and the onus of entertainment could finally be shared around. They stayed for tea before taking Nan back home. All in all it was a very nice day.
Yesterday L and I decided to go out for lunch and took ourselves off for a stroll into the country. From our house it's barely two minute's walk to a footpath that skirts round open fields. It's only a few hundred yards long and ends at a lane that leads past some very expensive converted farmhouses down to the Grand Union canal. Where the lane crosses the canal we found a beautiful pub with a couple of dozen outside tables looking over the water. And it's just about ten minutes walk from here! Unfortunately, we didn't have a large amount of cash with us and they had some problem which meant we couldn't pay by card so we walked on, into Bourne End (to the west of Hemel) to another pub. After we'd eaten we walked back along the canal in the sunshine and laboured up the hill before collapsing in front of the TV. Very enjoyable indeed. I think we may well find ourselves walking out that way quite a lot in the months to come.
Witch...
This one was going to be very easy to write up to the point the particular witch I was going to link to decided to cast a spell to make herself invisible. At that point I started to wonder what I'd write instead. I mean, how do you hunt for an invisible witch?
Thankfully, the spell wasn't a permanent one and is now starting to wear off. Hunting for a semi-invisible witch is a darn sight easier, let me tell you.
Anyway, I reckon I know the reason behind the blue one's recent reduced presence in blogland. There was a reference to a task that needed to be done in one of her posts last week and I've got an idea what that task might be. You've probably all thought it was something that needed to be done around the Coven but I say no. I think she's been to busy finalising the details of a certain 6-figure book deal that's been much publicised of late.
All those posts deriding the Guardian competition and criticising the winner were just pieces of classic mis-direction, if you ask me.
;-)
--- ¦ ---
By the way, I've now run out of ideas to write about for the first half of these hunt posts and it would be a shame to fall short of the end of the month by just 4 days so if you've got any suggestions I'd like to hear them. If you look back, all of the post titles make sense when followed by the word hunt but that's the only criteria.
As for Friday's hunt, only Gary's entry was valid (sorry Harriet) for which he scores the following: 7 for the post, 8 for the connection and 4 for the search term, giving him 19 in all.
Which means the current leaderboard looks like this:
Gary - 110 pts
Harriet - 78
e - 73
BW - 50
NiC - 36
Laura - 5
lemonpillows - 5
It was looking fairly close last week but with Friday's score Gary looks like he's now got the competition wrapped up. Will that last until the end of the week?
This week, the theme for the hunts will be links. You are still looking for blog posts but those posts must include a link to a news story that I specify each day. For instance, if the story was Arsenal winning the Premiership, you could link to one of DG's stories from yesterday. Got it?
Today's news story target is the recent spate of kidnapping in Iraq.
Good luck and happy hunting!
Thankfully, the spell wasn't a permanent one and is now starting to wear off. Hunting for a semi-invisible witch is a darn sight easier, let me tell you.
Anyway, I reckon I know the reason behind the blue one's recent reduced presence in blogland. There was a reference to a task that needed to be done in one of her posts last week and I've got an idea what that task might be. You've probably all thought it was something that needed to be done around the Coven but I say no. I think she's been to busy finalising the details of a certain 6-figure book deal that's been much publicised of late.
All those posts deriding the Guardian competition and criticising the winner were just pieces of classic mis-direction, if you ask me.
;-)
--- ¦ ---
By the way, I've now run out of ideas to write about for the first half of these hunt posts and it would be a shame to fall short of the end of the month by just 4 days so if you've got any suggestions I'd like to hear them. If you look back, all of the post titles make sense when followed by the word hunt but that's the only criteria.
As for Friday's hunt, only Gary's entry was valid (sorry Harriet) for which he scores the following: 7 for the post, 8 for the connection and 4 for the search term, giving him 19 in all.
Which means the current leaderboard looks like this:
Gary - 110 pts
Harriet - 78
e - 73
BW - 50
NiC - 36
Laura - 5
lemonpillows - 5
It was looking fairly close last week but with Friday's score Gary looks like he's now got the competition wrapped up. Will that last until the end of the week?
This week, the theme for the hunts will be links. You are still looking for blog posts but those posts must include a link to a news story that I specify each day. For instance, if the story was Arsenal winning the Premiership, you could link to one of DG's stories from yesterday. Got it?
Today's news story target is the recent spate of kidnapping in Iraq.
Good luck and happy hunting!
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