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Print Story May be my treasure or the price I have to pay
Diary
By Dr H0ffm4n (Thu Nov 17, 2005 at 08:07:05 AM EST) (all tags)
So what has happened in the 2 months since I last diarised?
Cars, schools, hospitals, work, gaming, women.

Poll: When you were 11, how long did it used to take for you to get to school?
        And how did you get there?

[With thanks to B.A.D./BreakerBurst formatting.]


  • I am spotted loitering around several schools in the North London area. Give feeble excuse that I am checking them out for my daughter. Police ask if I know of a 'Gazbo' character they are seeking to help with their enquiries.
  • WPKAW gets a new car. Out goes the '92 Punto. Say hello to an '02 Corolla T-Sport. Car choice consultancy service kindly provided by H0ffm4n's Car Choice Consultancy Service. It was a wise choice on the part of WPKAW. But there's nowhere to plug in the iPod. We have to revert to CD's in the car! How 20th century retro we now feel.
  • Major Midget applies for Secondary Schools. Including one selective.
  • I get told that my contract will not be renewed at the end of October.
  • Played too much at the computer games. Especially Trackmania Sunrise.
  • Best. Online. Arcade. Racer. Evar.  There are over 30,000 people registered in the online league. And due to my addiction committment and mad driving using a keyboard skillz, I am in the top 100.
  • Leaning to the side around corners and lifting your feet to get over jumps is obligatory.
  • Got told that my contract was safe after all. They need my skillz.
  • WPKAW turns 30. Has two big parties.
  • WPKAW ends up in hospital the day after 30th birthday. Has to have emergency surgery under local anaesthetic.
  • I am allowed to watch :)
  • But not take photos or film :(
  • I get to pack the wound at home daily
  • That is not a euphemism either
  • No, my contract will not be renewed after all.
  • WPKAW goes back to work part-time.
  • Actually, it might or might not get renewed. They'll have to get back to me.
  • WPKAW gets made redundant.
  • My contract is renewed at twenty to five last Friday evening.
  • None of my accounts work Monday morning. Some are reactivated by Wednesday.
  • Major Midget fails to make the cut for the selective school. Probably lives too far away anyway. It would not have been fair to travel over an hour each way.
  • I read some books and watch some films and buy some CD's
  • My iPod fills up (40GB). I now have to start filtering what I actually load on there. First to go is New Order. Can't understand why (or if) I ever liked them. Buying a bigger iPod would mean replacing all of the docks around the house. And also replacing WPKAW's iPod as it would no longer fit in the new docks.
  • My ability to work from home takes longest to re-instate. But I 'work' from home anyway.
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Poll
How long did it take for you to get to school in the morning? And how did you get there?
- I lived in school 0%
- I lived next door to school 2%
- ~ 2 minutes 2%
- ~ 5 minutes 5%
- ~ 10 minutes 23%
- ~ 20 minutes 38%
- ~ 30 minutes 10%
- ~ 45 minutes 7%
- ~ 1 hour 12%
- ~ 2 hours or more 0%
- - 2%
- Walk 56%
- Bike 12%
- Bus 28%
- Car 15%
- Train 2%

Votes: 39
Results | Other Polls
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- Sunrise
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Trackmania Sunrise (PC) - Digital Jesters (0 comments)
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May be my treasure or the price I have to pay | 22 comments (22 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback
WIPO: When I was 11, I didn't pay attention by DesiredUsername (4.00 / 1) #1 Thu Nov 17, 2005 at 08:35:02 AM EST
to how long things took. However, the entire town was less than a mile across, so it couldn't have been too long. 10 minutes, maybe?

---
Now accepting suggestions for a new sigline


I used to get a bus by Dr H0ffm4n (4.00 / 1) #2 Thu Nov 17, 2005 at 08:55:40 AM EST
About 3 miles. I got in the habit of timing leaving school to get to the bus stop around the time the last bus I could catch was due. Often I watched it drive past as I walked up the road. Late detentions were a social club for those of us that were habitually late.

[ Parent ]

Late Detentions? by ambrosen (4.00 / 1) #3 Thu Nov 17, 2005 at 08:58:37 AM EST
Man, that's a school with discipline.

I had to walk a mile and a quarter, and left 15 minutes before start of school. I walk fast as a result of that. I never got marked as late, and anyway, detentions were given for far worse things than that at my school.

[ Parent ]

30 minutes every day by Dr H0ffm4n (4.00 / 1) #4 Thu Nov 17, 2005 at 09:10:15 AM EST
There were a core band of us that were there probably at least 3 days out of 5. Repetition of writing lines or copying passages out of books did nothing to make me want to get out of bed earlier the next day.

[ Parent ]

Stupid bloody school. by ambrosen (4.00 / 1) #5 Thu Nov 17, 2005 at 09:11:37 AM EST
That's useless behaviour.

[ Parent ]

We had late detentions too by komet (2.00 / 0) #6 Thu Nov 17, 2005 at 09:17:40 AM EST
I thought it was standard fare in those days. Did you have a late monitor? A 4th form kid would stand at the entrance and if you hadn't walked past him or her by so-and-so o'clock he would make a note of your name. I gave the late monitor a false name once. The name of a teacher. Noone ever found out it was me.

--
<ni> komet: You are functionally illiterate as regards trashy erotica.
[ Parent ]

m4d 1337 h4xx0r by Breaker (2.00 / 0) #20 Thu Nov 17, 2005 at 06:14:09 PM EST
You pwned mitnick!


[ Parent ]

Does the Corolla T-Sport have a cassette deck? by MohammedNiyalSayeed (2.00 / 0) #7 Thu Nov 17, 2005 at 10:19:36 AM EST

Or a radio? Because you could use one of those adaptor thingies, or one of those transmitter thingies. There's no reason to live like a barbarian, man! Also, I suggest a monthly rotation of the material on one's iPod. I have the 40gb one, as well, and it comes nowhere near holding my 187GB library, so I just rotate stuff out as necessary. And it is now necessary. GOODBYE, ENTIRE ARCHIVE OF SOMETHING OR OTHER!

Regardless of whether "packing the wound at home" was a euphemism, it is now. And, in fact, I do believe I will now go "pack the wound at home".


-
You can build the most elegant fountain in the world, but eventually a winged rat will be using it as a drinking bowl.


CD player. No cassette by Dr H0ffm4n (4.00 / 1) #10 Thu Nov 17, 2005 at 10:39:07 AM EST
We can buy an adaptor that plugs in and makes the iPod appear like a multi-CD unit to the onboard stereo. It can display on the central dash LCD screen and even be controlled from the steering wheel mounted stereo controls. But we haven't bought it yet. Hence CD's or radio only atm.

I want all of my music collection at my fingertips whichever room I'm in at home. What's the point of ripping all of your CD's if you then still have to go and load them onto your player as and when you need them?

I suspect I will be getting a media PC for films and musical playback and then get airtunes or whatever the technology is called. Might not work too well once the car goes out of range though...

[ Parent ]

Front room terminal. by ambrosen (2.00 / 0) #14 Thu Nov 17, 2005 at 11:11:01 AM EST
If you want a little less UI and a little cheaper, this will play everything from across your network. Wirelessly if you wish.

[ Parent ]

funtionality I'd like by Dr H0ffm4n (2.00 / 0) #16 Thu Nov 17, 2005 at 11:44:22 AM EST
I don't care where the music is stored. But the GUI on each terminal (or even better, remote) for browsing, searching, etc is essential. Each terminal must be able to play separately rather than just tune into a stream. I'd want all of my DVD collection ripped too, but seeing as I have only one TV that gets watched in the front room, it would make sense to plug the storage directly into the TV unless it was too bulky, ugly or noisy.

[ Parent ]

Sensible. by ambrosen (2.00 / 0) #19 Thu Nov 17, 2005 at 12:21:10 PM EST
I think the abovementioned thing browses the network, but it needs client software. Anyway, Breaker pronounced undying love for me for providing the link, so I thought I'd give it a try with you.

[ Parent ]

wrt: poll by lm (2.00 / 0) #8 Thu Nov 17, 2005 at 10:31:32 AM EST
Depending on my mood, I either walked, took the bus, or rode my bike. I was about 2 miles or so away and the trip took ~ 40, 30 or 20 minutes respectively.
There is no more degenerate kind of state than that in which the richest are supposed to be the best.
Cicero, The Republic


The intention of the poll by Dr H0ffm4n (2.00 / 0) #11 Thu Nov 17, 2005 at 10:42:43 AM EST
was related to Major Midget's potential school journey. You could do it in 20 minutes by bike. Was the weather severe enough to make that impossible in the winter?

[ Parent ]

If you're happy with the roads, by ambrosen (2.00 / 0) #13 Thu Nov 17, 2005 at 11:07:03 AM EST
then I should imagine there would be 4 or 5 days a year when there is too much rain to ride, and 4 or 5 where the wind is too strong, and everything else would work great.

And a 20 minute bike ride each way was excellent for me as a 6th form student, although a little further than an 11 year old's 20 minute ride.

[ Parent ]

Not too sure by Dr H0ffm4n (2.00 / 0) #17 Thu Nov 17, 2005 at 11:52:17 AM EST
Sending my Major Midget as an 11 year old with no cycling experience across the north circular at the great cambridge roundabout would not be wise.

Moot point though as she didn't get accepted for that school anyway.

[ Parent ]

I'd not want to either. by ambrosen (2.00 / 0) #18 Thu Nov 17, 2005 at 12:02:07 PM EST
I'm sure I've recently driven across the great cambridge roundabout, but I can't remember which one it is. However, I wouldn't feel happy sending an 11 year old across any part of the North Circular.

Safe Routes to School organises and publicises bike and walking routes to school. It's the only useful bit of Sustrans.

[ Parent ]

Only once that I remember by lm (2.00 / 0) #15 Thu Nov 17, 2005 at 11:25:02 AM EST
One winter we had a night long freezing rain. In the morning, the roads and sidewalks were all covered by a thin sheet of perfectly smooth ice. I made it about half way to school over a period of forty minutes and was covered by scrapes and bruises when my grandfather drove by and gave me a lift for the rest of the way.

Outside of that, me and my trusty, heavy duty bmx style racing bike never had a problem with inclement weather. Do invest in decent gloves and a face mask for the sprog.

There is no more degenerate kind of state than that in which the richest are supposed to be the best.
Cicero, The Republic
[ Parent ]

New Order by lm (2.00 / 0) #9 Thu Nov 17, 2005 at 10:35:37 AM EST
Power, Corruption and Lies was a magnificent album. For the life of me I can't recall a single song of theirs after that album. Most of their music after that stroke of brilliance was eminently forgettable.
There is no more degenerate kind of state than that in which the richest are supposed to be the best.
Cicero, The Republic


Technique was fantastic by nebbish (2.00 / 0) #21 Fri Nov 18, 2005 at 10:38:51 AM EST
Really captured the mood of the times. Power Corruption and Lies was their best though, you're right.

You know, Dr Hoffman is the first person I've ever heard say they don't like New Order. Everyone I know likes them, everyone I've met likes them.

Fair enough though.

--------
It's political correctness gone mad!
[ Parent ]

New Order are just dull by Dr H0ffm4n (2.00 / 0) #22 Wed Nov 23, 2005 at 11:51:38 AM EST
To my ears at least. They have one or two ok songs, but I have to switch them off pretty quickly.

In terms of people whose music is usually universally sanctified, I also can't stand Bob Marley or John Lennon. But that's ok as I'd never even contemplate buying anything by either.

[ Parent ]

Wipo by 256 (4.00 / 1) #12 Thu Nov 17, 2005 at 10:54:24 AM EST
two kilometer run and then hour and change bus ride, as detailed here.
---
I don't think anyone's ever really died from smoking. --ni


May be my treasure or the price I have to pay | 22 comments (22 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback

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