The weather in Bath has taken a nippy turn of late, with a temperature of around 4 degrees outside, and a relative humidity of 83%. Due to an efficient insulation system and dehumidification program, the temperature in this bedroom is 12.7 degrees, and humidity currently stands at a paltry 66%. In the mid-term, the weather looks set to improve slightly over the course of the next 4 days; at least if the BBC's forecast is anything to go by.
When quizzed on staying warm in cold conditions, Miss S Rance had numerous suggestions, but pinned down to two top tips volunteered: "Go outside with no clothes on, take a cold drink" and "Sit in a paddling pool for four hours". Whilst seemingly sound advice, when pressured for some evidence of authority within this field of research, she was not forthcoming with any response.
In short, wrap up warm folks.
(The titular pun is derivative of "Out of the frying pan, into the fire". What I've done is change frying pan for lake, and substituted fire for Bath. Bath can either be a proper noun here or just a regular noun - it's sort of a play on words.)
Sunday 30 November 2008
Thursday 27 November 2008
Only Connect
I am currently putting my broadband to good use by streaming (in high quality) a show that goes by the title 'Only Connect'. As the British Broadcasting Corporation put it, the programme is a:
"Quiz show presented by Victoria Coren in which knowledge will only take you so far, as patience and lateral thinking are also vital. It is all about making connections between things which may appear, at first glance, not to be connected at all."
Sounds exciting? Well it's not.
Episode number 11: Bankers vs. ICT Consultants.
My first problem lies with Victoria Coren herself. She has also presented a very dull and laborious show based on the idea of finding more information on words recently added to the dictionary. As far as I know my family were the only people who knew of the show's existance. It was aired on BBC4 about 2 years ago if you're interested.
Only Connect is very up-itself; during the first couple of rounds, the two teams pick their 'questions' (connection puzzles) from a choice of 6 Greek letters. I like to play my own little game with this part of the show by trying to guess which of the symbols represents the Greek letter chosen.
Morag Traynor was the third player for the ICT Consultants and, with thanks to her name, the most interesting part of the 29 minute (including credits and title sequences) episode.
This is the second episode I've seen (I was giving it another chance) and both have ended in a tie-break. At least there's some excitement?
Final Score: Bankers 14 - ICT Consultants 13
"Quiz show presented by Victoria Coren in which knowledge will only take you so far, as patience and lateral thinking are also vital. It is all about making connections between things which may appear, at first glance, not to be connected at all."
Sounds exciting? Well it's not.
Episode number 11: Bankers vs. ICT Consultants.
My first problem lies with Victoria Coren herself. She has also presented a very dull and laborious show based on the idea of finding more information on words recently added to the dictionary. As far as I know my family were the only people who knew of the show's existance. It was aired on BBC4 about 2 years ago if you're interested.
Only Connect is very up-itself; during the first couple of rounds, the two teams pick their 'questions' (connection puzzles) from a choice of 6 Greek letters. I like to play my own little game with this part of the show by trying to guess which of the symbols represents the Greek letter chosen.
Morag Traynor was the third player for the ICT Consultants and, with thanks to her name, the most interesting part of the 29 minute (including credits and title sequences) episode.
This is the second episode I've seen (I was giving it another chance) and both have ended in a tie-break. At least there's some excitement?
Final Score: Bankers 14 - ICT Consultants 13
Wednesday 26 November 2008
Cold as Ice
It was around 12 - 12:30 on Tuesday 25th November that we decided we would test the water in the lake by dipping our feet in and as we suspected, the water was marked by a sufficient lack of warmth.
However seeing how beatiful the lake was (here) we returned around 15:30 with Oli, for a swim. These are the results.
However seeing how beatiful the lake was (here) we returned around 15:30 with Oli, for a swim. These are the results.
Sunday 23 November 2008
Shower Curtain
In our 4 bedroom terraced house in Twerton, Bath, we are furnished with a water closet featuring a bath, a shower, a sink, a toilet, a bin and the boiler which is mounted to a wall and enclosed within a wooden cupboard. The bathroom is great for getting clean, and getting rid of the waste our bodies produce; as well as more aesthetic uses such as shaving, cleaning teeth or moisturising.
According to Wikipedia, a Wet Room is a shower within a bathroom with a barrier-free floor, and normally waterproof, with a foul air trap connecting the floor to the waste pipes.
Our bathroom is not one of these, use the fucking shower curtain.
Apparently the biggest manufacturer of "Hi-tech toilets" is a japanese firm entitled TOTO. Interesting innovations include:
The "Portable Washlet", Toto's portable hand-held bottom washer...
Artificial flush sounds, to mask noises such as body functions....
Urine and stool analysis, for medical monitoring. Matsushita's "Smart Toilet" checks blood pressure, temperature, and blood sugar.....
Digital clock, to monitor time spent in the bathroom...
Ridiculous.
According to Wikipedia, a Wet Room is a shower within a bathroom with a barrier-free floor, and normally waterproof, with a foul air trap connecting the floor to the waste pipes.
Our bathroom is not one of these, use the fucking shower curtain.
Apparently the biggest manufacturer of "Hi-tech toilets" is a japanese firm entitled TOTO. Interesting innovations include:
The "Portable Washlet", Toto's portable hand-held bottom washer...
Artificial flush sounds, to mask noises such as body functions....
Urine and stool analysis, for medical monitoring. Matsushita's "Smart Toilet" checks blood pressure, temperature, and blood sugar.....
Digital clock, to monitor time spent in the bathroom...
Ridiculous.
Friday 21 November 2008
Take that dyslexia!
Today could have been better.
Having spent in excess of £3 in Moorland road McColl's (The Booze Buster) on: 4 pints of Full Fat Milk, Maryland Cookies (2 for £1.30 (I got the original and double chocolate chip varieties)) and the Guardian newspaper, I later found out I could have bought Woolworths for £1... and still have had enough money to purchase the cookies and the paper.
I have also heard 'Dakota' by Sterephonics twice; once on We7.com in the process of research for a presentation due tomorrow on peer-to-peer services and how they can become legitimate, and secondly, on Series 22: Episode 8, of Never Mind The Buzzcocks, which I was streaming in high quality from BBCiplayer.
This show was OK at best, immediately dousing what was left of the fire in my spirit, by telling me Bill Bailey "never felt comfortable" on the show. He seemed such a happy man.
Buzzcocks also featured Mitch Hewer of Britania High (and Skins) fame. I had also seen more than I liked of said show (Britannia High) watching Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe, although Brooker was funny as ever. Simon Amstell's quip; "Take that dyslexia!", was a brighter moment, although did little to salvage the show which was now exuding through a layer of tediousness into complete monotony.
That-man-who-spoke-too-loudly-on-The-Hard-Sell:-Cigarettes-and-alchol-(narrated by Phil Jupitus another Buzzcocks star)'s Information Flash!
A good advert will have some of the following qualities:
Humidity Update: John's humidity reader displayed a reading of 83% after he returned home around 11:15pm. He subsequently turned the dehumidifier to 'ON'.
Having spent in excess of £3 in Moorland road McColl's (The Booze Buster) on: 4 pints of Full Fat Milk, Maryland Cookies (2 for £1.30 (I got the original and double chocolate chip varieties)) and the Guardian newspaper, I later found out I could have bought Woolworths for £1... and still have had enough money to purchase the cookies and the paper.
I have also heard 'Dakota' by Sterephonics twice; once on We7.com in the process of research for a presentation due tomorrow on peer-to-peer services and how they can become legitimate, and secondly, on Series 22: Episode 8, of Never Mind The Buzzcocks, which I was streaming in high quality from BBCiplayer.
This show was OK at best, immediately dousing what was left of the fire in my spirit, by telling me Bill Bailey "never felt comfortable" on the show. He seemed such a happy man.
Buzzcocks also featured Mitch Hewer of Britania High (and Skins) fame. I had also seen more than I liked of said show (Britannia High) watching Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe, although Brooker was funny as ever. Simon Amstell's quip; "Take that dyslexia!", was a brighter moment, although did little to salvage the show which was now exuding through a layer of tediousness into complete monotony.
That-man-who-spoke-too-loudly-on-The-Hard-Sell:-Cigarettes-and-alchol-(narrated by Phil Jupitus another Buzzcocks star)'s Information Flash!
A good advert will have some of the following qualities:
- Punch
- Humour
- Style
- Wit
- Immediacy
Humidity Update: John's humidity reader displayed a reading of 83% after he returned home around 11:15pm. He subsequently turned the dehumidifier to 'ON'.
Monday 17 November 2008
University Challenge
This second round fixture took place between Selwyn - Cambridge, and London School of Economics (where once I saw that most famous band Test Icicles).
Selwyn lost the match with LSE bringing home 270 points; double Selwyn's score.
As the half hour feast of intellectual stimuli transpired, I had achieved a success rate of approximately 8%. 7 questions correctly answered, all told. Copper. International Space Station. Hubble Telescope (starter question - 15 points). Dolly Parton.
Let it be known, Isaac Robson >= 8% genius.
Isaac's Player of the Quiz
Patel. Very quick on the buzzer. Several starter questions answered correctly well before Paxman had finished the question. The key player for LSE.
And it's goodbye from me, goodbye.
Selwyn lost the match with LSE bringing home 270 points; double Selwyn's score.
As the half hour feast of intellectual stimuli transpired, I had achieved a success rate of approximately 8%. 7 questions correctly answered, all told. Copper. International Space Station. Hubble Telescope (starter question - 15 points). Dolly Parton.
Let it be known, Isaac Robson >= 8% genius.
Isaac's Player of the Quiz
Patel. Very quick on the buzzer. Several starter questions answered correctly well before Paxman had finished the question. The key player for LSE.
And it's goodbye from me, goodbye.
Saturday 15 November 2008
Cube 2 - Hypercube
As I was trawling through the charity shop in Moorland road (Shaw Trust), I noticed a man purchasing the sequel of the film 'Cube'; 'Cube 2 - Hypercube'. On VHS no less.
Contained in the film's profile on IMDB, the "Plot keywords", marked with a spoiler alert, reveal the descriptions "Head ripped off, stranger, blood on shirt, kidnapping, stabbed in the chest".
John Cordy, who claims to have seen the film, says it's about people trapped in a four dimensional cube (a tesseract). On the subject of the cube's added dimension, he quipped "it added an extra dimension of fear". Exciting stuff.
Update: The "Plot Keywords" have changed since the post. Still marked with a spoiler alert they now read: "Dying during sex, split screen, surrealism, suicide attempt, sex". For an extensive list click here.
Contained in the film's profile on IMDB, the "Plot keywords", marked with a spoiler alert, reveal the descriptions "Head ripped off, stranger, blood on shirt, kidnapping, stabbed in the chest".
John Cordy, who claims to have seen the film, says it's about people trapped in a four dimensional cube (a tesseract). On the subject of the cube's added dimension, he quipped "it added an extra dimension of fear". Exciting stuff.
Update: The "Plot Keywords" have changed since the post. Still marked with a spoiler alert they now read: "Dying during sex, split screen, surrealism, suicide attempt, sex". For an extensive list click here.
Friday 14 November 2008
Food for thought: Democracy
As I digest a regular portion of chips from Twerton chip shop (voted number 1 in bath, although the portions from Herbie's are more substantial) I have some thoughts regarding Democracy. According to Wikipedia, at the core of democracy is the ideal that all members of society have equal access to power, and also enjoy universally recognised freedoms and liberties. From this, I ascertain that the statement "Everyone's opinions matter" could be derived. However, I put it to you that in a society where everyone's opinion is equal, no-one's opinion matters. Also, in this model, a majority's opinions can overrule a major minority's opinions, thus rendering this group's opinions invalid. As a result, we have to watch Speed, featuring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock on BBC1 instead of Jonathan Ross. Mental.
Current humidity reading:75%
Current humidity reading:75%
Thursday 13 November 2008
Double Olympic Silver Medalist
What has been going on in our neck of the woods?
Our local Co-op Scala was recently refurbished and re-opened by none other than Roger Black . (Amazing as he is, Roger Black did not refurbish the Co-op himself as that last sentence could seem to suggest. He may have given a hand carrying things around perhaps.)
We have also been trawling the local shops for some new attire and met a photographer today who will be working with us for the next couple of weeks. We expect to see the results by the end of November.
Pete's Top Tip no.1
If your shoes have gotten wet in the rain, stuff them with old newspaper. This will help soak up the water, leaving your shoes dry for next time you wear them.
Our local Co-op Scala was recently refurbished and re-opened by none other than Roger Black . (Amazing as he is, Roger Black did not refurbish the Co-op himself as that last sentence could seem to suggest. He may have given a hand carrying things around perhaps.)
We have also been trawling the local shops for some new attire and met a photographer today who will be working with us for the next couple of weeks. We expect to see the results by the end of November.
Pete's Top Tip no.1
If your shoes have gotten wet in the rain, stuff them with old newspaper. This will help soak up the water, leaving your shoes dry for next time you wear them.
Wednesday 12 November 2008
Humidity
John's latest humidity reading comes in at 66%. That's down from 78% after approximately an hour of dehumidification using his Argos Value Range 10 Litre dehumidifier.
John's two minute review of the dehumidifier:
"Not too noisy, gets the job done, weighs around 15 kilos so make sure you're prepared for the journey home upon purchase. Will give more details after use. Efficient manual. Well packaged."
It's also 16 degrees Celsius which he has been checking with his iRox Hygrometer.
Update: John's humidity is currently in a state of fluctuation between 65 and 66%, so he's living in exciting times.
John's two minute review of the dehumidifier:
"Not too noisy, gets the job done, weighs around 15 kilos so make sure you're prepared for the journey home upon purchase. Will give more details after use. Efficient manual. Well packaged."
It's also 16 degrees Celsius which he has been checking with his iRox Hygrometer.
Update: John's humidity is currently in a state of fluctuation between 65 and 66%, so he's living in exciting times.
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