Canada was the first and as a tribute to the trailblazers I bring you this
Monday 12 October 2009
Birthday Girl
541 THC 08
Birthday Girl
A few weeks ending 3rd October 2009
Five for One – You read, at most, five, then you send me one reply.
All replies to 541THC@gmail.com or my facebook profile.
One-Line reply – Qualify, No reply - don’t fly.
THC – The Handkerchief Challenge – 52 flag hankys needed to complete it.
See www.thehandkerchiefchallenge.blogspot.com/ for details on the rules, under the post “The Challenge”
So Lindsay says “You were in my tummy” and Julie replied “Was there a door?” I think Marsha led the charge in the laughing stakes. Julie was told that there wasn’t a door but Lindsay didn’t elaborate.
I was outside in the back garden last Sunday with Julie when Neda passed us over the fence (I’ve just read that sentence and it makes it sound like we were floating over the fence and Neda happened to be floating faster than us and passed us) some Mr Men stamps. You put the cap on the stamp, it has a little sponge in it with some ink on, remove the lid then stamp what you want. Repeat this process ad-infinitum.
We had no paper so we used our bare legs (both wearing shorts). Julie had a whole leg full of red and blue circles with little figures in them. I too had a few. When the time came to wash them off I realised it wasn’t the best idea I had ever had.
This got me thinking – If a person has an armful of tattoos it’s called a full-sleeve. If they have a leg full of tattoos is that a full-sock or full-trouser-leg or full-pant-leg in North America?
Props
Paula Bergen hits back at my nemesis, Shane Townsend:
“As for the theory on it not being a Canadian Flag...one of your rules states:
1) Each handkerchief has to be a representation of a single country’s national flag.
So....therefore....it doesn't necessarily have to be the "CANADIAN FLAG" it has to be a representation of the country...which the red maple leafs represent along with the many "Canada's" written on it! ! I guess we are correct! It is 100% Canadian and personalized "Mack Daddy" at that!”
Go Girl!
Michael Riordan is a freaky sandwich eater, only more so:
“It's the very important question of how one eats a burger that's got me excited. I too will always eat a burger with the seeds on top (ditto the baguette); I think that's quite normal. But for some reason once I've taken a bite I always put the burger back on the plate upside down with the seeds on the plate; that's more eccentric, I think.”
This makes absolute sense to me, if the bun is standing on little sesame “legs” the bread will not absorb any contaminants from the plate or whatever it is sitting on. I may have to adopt this burger eating style.
He has an opinion on the handkerchief/bandana debate too:
“By the way, there is a very important size difference between the handkerchief and the bandana, despite their lexicographical roots. I think you need to be strict on this.”
I would like to use the handkerchiefs and I fear a bandana may make my pocket bulge in an obscene way.
Mark Thomas:
“Julianna, pointing to the ripened tomatoes in the garden:
“Too matey’s ready”
So does she default to : "tom may toe" or "to mar toe", I'm guessing the former, Ermintrude has been making throaty french sounds for a while, I often wonder what it's like for them being bought up Bi-Li, Tim had way more French as Marie was off work for the first two years of his life, even so Ermintrude has totally got the French noises down, it roxs.”
(Mark, I need a codename for “Ermintrude”)
So on Julianna’s Birthday as we were putting her to bed she turned to us and asked “will I be three when I’m sleeping?”
Project Mayhem Version 2.0 is still under way. Hopefully by the end of the Month we’ll be outta here and inna Witney. (Some say “Outta”, not many say “Inna” – I’m forging new ground here!)
Work is incessant at the moment, my padawan Nick looks absolutely knackered (even more than just busta-gut knackered!). I’m tired oot too (hey was that a palindrome?). Our new padawan Anthony is looking fresh-faced but a little perturbed having jumped out of a fire of ridiculous working hours into another fire….hmmm, it’ll all be over soon. If you see our beer “Volund’s Hammer” in any J.D. Weatherspoons pub in Britain at the end of October, know that we’ve been going above and beyond for it. If you’re thirsty, buy a pint maybe?
Hide the poo – no I’m not talking about a rambunctious male’s party game. Oh I mis-spelled it too, it’s Hide the Pooh. Julianna invented it. She has a 2foot high Winnie the Pooh teddy bear that she asks me to hide in the living room while she waits outside and then she comes in and looks for it. The best is when it’s her turn, she comes out into the hallway and says “He’s behind the couch, now you look for him ‘kay?”
Driving to work the other day I saw a homeless guy asleep in the bus stop in Streatley.
(www.goring-gap.co.uk )
I ask myself is he a high-class bum? Did he wake up, walk into Goring and have morning tea with George Michael? Maybe. It coulda been a modern version of “Down and out in Beverley Hills” (does anyone else remember that film? I’m pretty sure I was lured into seeing that film by a song video that was pretty much made up of clips from the film. I thought it was going to be something completely different to what it actually was – I was kinda disappointed).
We got Stubb’s youngest son (Message to Stubb – codename please) a stomp rocket for his birthday and Stubb reported that he had shot a rocket over his own house! Any idea what one of Julianna’s birthday presents was? She loves rockets….was it onof these? you got it! (or more accurately, she got it) A Stomp Rocket Junior with foam rockets – hours and hours of fun – we even played with it indoors. She likes the noise I make when she does a real wimpy stomp and it hardly goes anywhere.
www.stomprocket.com/
A week later I caught up with Stubb, Beck and co. and they had a gift for Julie – The Super High Performance Stomp Rocket. These little plastic beauties don’t go 100 feet, oh no! You can shoot them 400 feet! Woah! Four times the fun. When you stomp those things straight up in the air they almost disappear from view. Fear not, we had our bike helmets on.
Gotta keep it short – I need sleep.
Back to a more regular schedule soon – After Volund’s Hammer has dropped
52 to go!
Have a Great Week (or two)
The Daddy Mack
Birthday Girl
A few weeks ending 3rd October 2009
Five for One – You read, at most, five, then you send me one reply.
All replies to 541THC@gmail.com or my facebook profile.
One-Line reply – Qualify, No reply - don’t fly.
THC – The Handkerchief Challenge – 52 flag hankys needed to complete it.
See www.thehandkerchiefchallenge.blogspot.com/ for details on the rules, under the post “The Challenge”
So Lindsay says “You were in my tummy” and Julie replied “Was there a door?” I think Marsha led the charge in the laughing stakes. Julie was told that there wasn’t a door but Lindsay didn’t elaborate.
I was outside in the back garden last Sunday with Julie when Neda passed us over the fence (I’ve just read that sentence and it makes it sound like we were floating over the fence and Neda happened to be floating faster than us and passed us) some Mr Men stamps. You put the cap on the stamp, it has a little sponge in it with some ink on, remove the lid then stamp what you want. Repeat this process ad-infinitum.
We had no paper so we used our bare legs (both wearing shorts). Julie had a whole leg full of red and blue circles with little figures in them. I too had a few. When the time came to wash them off I realised it wasn’t the best idea I had ever had.
This got me thinking – If a person has an armful of tattoos it’s called a full-sleeve. If they have a leg full of tattoos is that a full-sock or full-trouser-leg or full-pant-leg in North America?
Props
Paula Bergen hits back at my nemesis, Shane Townsend:
“As for the theory on it not being a Canadian Flag...one of your rules states:
1) Each handkerchief has to be a representation of a single country’s national flag.
So....therefore....it doesn't necessarily have to be the "CANADIAN FLAG" it has to be a representation of the country...which the red maple leafs represent along with the many "Canada's" written on it! ! I guess we are correct! It is 100% Canadian and personalized "Mack Daddy" at that!”
Go Girl!
Michael Riordan is a freaky sandwich eater, only more so:
“It's the very important question of how one eats a burger that's got me excited. I too will always eat a burger with the seeds on top (ditto the baguette); I think that's quite normal. But for some reason once I've taken a bite I always put the burger back on the plate upside down with the seeds on the plate; that's more eccentric, I think.”
This makes absolute sense to me, if the bun is standing on little sesame “legs” the bread will not absorb any contaminants from the plate or whatever it is sitting on. I may have to adopt this burger eating style.
He has an opinion on the handkerchief/bandana debate too:
“By the way, there is a very important size difference between the handkerchief and the bandana, despite their lexicographical roots. I think you need to be strict on this.”
I would like to use the handkerchiefs and I fear a bandana may make my pocket bulge in an obscene way.
Mark Thomas:
“Julianna, pointing to the ripened tomatoes in the garden:
“Too matey’s ready”
So does she default to : "tom may toe" or "to mar toe", I'm guessing the former, Ermintrude has been making throaty french sounds for a while, I often wonder what it's like for them being bought up Bi-Li, Tim had way more French as Marie was off work for the first two years of his life, even so Ermintrude has totally got the French noises down, it roxs.”
(Mark, I need a codename for “Ermintrude”)
So on Julianna’s Birthday as we were putting her to bed she turned to us and asked “will I be three when I’m sleeping?”
Project Mayhem Version 2.0 is still under way. Hopefully by the end of the Month we’ll be outta here and inna Witney. (Some say “Outta”, not many say “Inna” – I’m forging new ground here!)
Work is incessant at the moment, my padawan Nick looks absolutely knackered (even more than just busta-gut knackered!). I’m tired oot too (hey was that a palindrome?). Our new padawan Anthony is looking fresh-faced but a little perturbed having jumped out of a fire of ridiculous working hours into another fire….hmmm, it’ll all be over soon. If you see our beer “Volund’s Hammer” in any J.D. Weatherspoons pub in Britain at the end of October, know that we’ve been going above and beyond for it. If you’re thirsty, buy a pint maybe?
Hide the poo – no I’m not talking about a rambunctious male’s party game. Oh I mis-spelled it too, it’s Hide the Pooh. Julianna invented it. She has a 2foot high Winnie the Pooh teddy bear that she asks me to hide in the living room while she waits outside and then she comes in and looks for it. The best is when it’s her turn, she comes out into the hallway and says “He’s behind the couch, now you look for him ‘kay?”
Driving to work the other day I saw a homeless guy asleep in the bus stop in Streatley.
(www.goring-gap.co.uk )
I ask myself is he a high-class bum? Did he wake up, walk into Goring and have morning tea with George Michael? Maybe. It coulda been a modern version of “Down and out in Beverley Hills” (does anyone else remember that film? I’m pretty sure I was lured into seeing that film by a song video that was pretty much made up of clips from the film. I thought it was going to be something completely different to what it actually was – I was kinda disappointed).
We got Stubb’s youngest son (Message to Stubb – codename please) a stomp rocket for his birthday and Stubb reported that he had shot a rocket over his own house! Any idea what one of Julianna’s birthday presents was? She loves rockets….was it onof these? you got it! (or more accurately, she got it) A Stomp Rocket Junior with foam rockets – hours and hours of fun – we even played with it indoors. She likes the noise I make when she does a real wimpy stomp and it hardly goes anywhere.
www.stomprocket.com/
A week later I caught up with Stubb, Beck and co. and they had a gift for Julie – The Super High Performance Stomp Rocket. These little plastic beauties don’t go 100 feet, oh no! You can shoot them 400 feet! Woah! Four times the fun. When you stomp those things straight up in the air they almost disappear from view. Fear not, we had our bike helmets on.
Gotta keep it short – I need sleep.
Back to a more regular schedule soon – After Volund’s Hammer has dropped
52 to go!
Have a Great Week (or two)
The Daddy Mack
Shame Townsend and Scott Singer
541 THC 07
Shame Townsend and Scott Singer
Fortnight ending 18th September 2009
Five for One – You read, at most, five, then you send me one reply.
All replies to 541THC@gmail.com or my facebook profile.
One-Line reply – Qualify, No reply - don’t fly.
THC – The Handkerchief Challenge – 52 flag hankys needed to complete it.
See www.thehandkerchiefchallenge.blogspot.com/ for details on the rules, under the post “The Challenge”
Major apologies, the Project Mayhem has been taking up a lotta time. Ahh, Bow-lecks! It’s the ridiculous house selling/buying game that we find ourselves in. My not wanting to jinx things by not mentioning it here in the 541 didn’t seem to work – we got gazumped! Can you believe that in this day and age? It happened.
We invested a lotta heart/thought/time into one place, the owners of which accepted our offer. We thought we had it, but NO! They had a higher offer and instead of coming back to us decided to go and accept that one. Harris!
Anyhoo, it appears I have a new nemesis – more on that in a moment.
Hey, do you have hundreds of messages in your facebook inbox? I don’t but I’ve been noticing a lotta people with high numbers next to their inbox when checking out facebook. This blows me away. I kinda thought with the lack of spam on the site that people would read their mail on a more regular basis. Saying that, I have about 80 group invitations and other requests.
So I’m round Stubb’s and a young Mr Shane Townsend was there. He doesn’t check his facebook inbox that much. So, even though the rest of us are up to date with the 541 THC, he hasn’t got a clue what it is all about!
(I know! I couldn’t believe it either! Everyone reads this don’t they? Oh wait, very few replies so far…inboxes with large numbers next to them. I’m not getting through to many am I? If you have read this I need a reply today (one line is cool) – you may not even be alive. I may not be alive! Hey yeah, that reminds me, I heard an interesting thought the other day – how can you prove to anyone you are alive and sentient? Oh, wait I can’t remember the fundamentals of this thought project. It intrigued me at the time but now I’m at a loss…ABORT! )
I tell Shane the whole concept (“I’m collecting 52 flag handkerchiefs and I’ve already got one!”) he seems kinda impressed so I use Stubb’s PC and show him www.thehandkerchiefchallenge.blogspot.com/
You know what he said?
“That’s not a Canadian flag”
Urinate on my bonfire why don’t you!
How dare he?
It hadn’t even arrived yet.
Gah! He’s right isn’t he? It isn’t a flag.
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
!
So what! A pack of cards contains 52 as well as a coupla jokers. This one is a Joker and what a beautiful Joker it is! It arrived yesterday (17Sep) and I’ve been saving it. Even the envelope just shines with beautifulness. The Mack Daddy, White Horse Brewery – smile inducing! Oh it gives me a tingle down my spine just looking at it.
The Bergens were the first and NO-ONE, not even Shane Townsend can take that away from us can he?
He ain’t gonna read this so I can say what I like about him – Regardez - Anyone know he’s got a campervan? Have you seen it? It’s amazing!
Wait, I’ve fallen at the first hurdle there. How do I dis the guy? Oh yeah, he had a go on Spoon’s BMX (currently at Stubb’s) and tried some flatland tricks – he was remarkably good!
Gah! Someone think of a dis for him please, oh wait, I’ve got it – He has never replied to a 541! Exactly! Can there be anything more shameful?
Shame Townsend, Shame on you!
As well as having Project Mayhem going on, orders at the brewery have ramped up somewhat. We are currently brewing nine-times a week. Two double brews and five singles, yes that means weekend brewing. Kinda sucking up time at the moment – hence this 541 is a round-up of two weeks.
Hey, we have to congratulate one of our own – the New York Times best selling Author Scott Sigler won a Parsec Award! About time too, I’m sure you’ll all agree.
Woulda been nice if they had spelled his name right though – Scott Singer indeed.
Oh, his book The Rookie arrived this week – with the following handwritten note:
“Mack from the defunct 541
play hard and leave it
all on the pitch”
Defunct? Scott, do you have triple figures in the brackets next to inbox on facebook or did you write that before the 541 THC kicked in?
Who cares, the book is awesome! It is something to (be)hold. The story is amazing too – American Football, gangsters, set in the future – in space, with alien races. That’s what we all want isn’t it? The podcasted form is what turned me on to the fella in the first place. Snap up a copy in hardback at www.scottsigler.com/therookie or put his name into itunes and try before you buy. You can listen to the book on your ipod (or PC/MAC/mp3 player of choice).
Congrats to Lisa Jean. Stoked for you and Gord.
Is it just me or do you have to have your sandwich the right way up to eat it? I can’t figure it out logically, it all gets mashed up into the same pulp before it goes down your gullet so why does it matter? If I have a baguette I have to eat it with the small nobbly bits on the bottom. Conversely if I eat a burger I have to have the knobbly bits (Sesame seeds) on the top. Am I normal? Are you the same?
Somewhere in the last two weeks I had to be the only White Horse Brewery representative for a Meet The Brewer at The William Morris pub in Cowley, Oxford. It was a pretty good gathering and I had many questions from the assembled crowd (hey, if three’s a crowd, this was more than three (12) so that counts doesn’t it?). I mainly just rambled on about brewing, our brewery, and sent around samples of malted barley “Please eat if you like” and hops “I’d only smell these, if I were you”
I did have one guy take me to task over our spelling of Wayland’s Smithy (an ancient burial mound near our brewery but also the name of one of our beers). We have spelled it wrong in the past (Wayland Smithy) but to be honest the two are interchangeable, aren’t they?
Just googled Wayland Smithy and found this:
http://www.wccsg.com/LatestCircles/May2009/WaylandSmithy/tabid/872/language/en-GB/Default.aspx
I think that jellyfish was on its way to our place for a large tank of Wayland’s Smithy.
By doing the Meet the Brewer I missed a lecture I had been invited to at the Oxford University Physics entitled “Can Beer be made in Space?”. I did get there after it had finished and chatted to the guy who did the lecture, a very interesting Aussie/former brewer.
(that sounds like I’m implying Australians and former brewers aren’t ordinarily interesting, take my friend Bill, he’s Australian and swears with such panache it is a credit to the English language)
So apparently nearly all the chemicals found in beer can be found in space (if spread out a little). Ethanol can be found in space! Something to bear in mind if you are heading out there.
All this led to me to carrying out the latest delivery I have ever made. I rocked up at the Bird in Hand pub at Henley-on-Thames at 10.10pm. Graham, the nicest landlord you could ever meet, was quite gracious and, would you believe it, grateful? He had a beer festival that weekend and reasoned the extra 13 hours would be good for the beer to settle. Oh yeah, I would like to state for the record, I did ring him before-hand to let him know I was going to be late.
Julianna, pointing to the ripened tomatoes in the garden:
“Too matey’s ready”
Julianna talking about Eeyore: “He was in a sad conition”
And finally, after eating a slightly under-ripe blueberry in the garden:
“It made my mouth pecker”
(pucker)
Props (To all who reply)
Bill may swear sometimes but there isn’t even a hint of it here:
“A typewriter is indeed a most evocative sound: it's reminiscent of newsrooms I've only seen in films, sagacious authors such as Dirk Bogarde, replete with cigarette ash on the keyboard (I'm told smoking was allowed in a bygone era), careful correspondents from an era when handwritten applications were preferred, the days when clerks had to be productive and, yes, I dimly remember them as an observer I hastily add. Not that I'd mind being considered a clerk, it's just that I can't imagine anyone would believe it if they thought it was I who was productive.”
Mark Thomas:
“The kids doing back flips off swings blows me away, a generation of Le Parkour is just around the corner, scaring old people.”
True, true
Andrew Bruce asks:
“what is the definition of a handkerchief as opposed to a bandana and what are the size requirment, as I'm guessing flag bandana would be easier to come by?”
David Oakwood answers:
“The origin of the word‘handkerchief’ is straightforward when you divide it into its two parts,‘hand’ and‘kerchief,’ both of which, of course, are distinct words themselves.
‘Kerchief’ descends from the Middle English word‘courchef,’ which in turn comes from the Old French word‘cuevrechief.’ Broken down further,‘cuevrechief’ is from the Old French‘covrir,’ meaning‘to cover,’ plus the Old French‘chief,’ which means ‘head.’
Originally‘kerchief’ meant exactly what you would expect,‘a covering for the head,’ and that is still its primary meaning today, referring specifically to the often decorative squares of cloth worn by women throughout the world as head coverings.
The kerchief has proved to be a versatile article of clothing over the years. As any former Cub Scout or Boy Scout can tell you, a kerchief can be worn around the neck, in which use it is sometimes known specifically as a‘neckerchief.’ Likewise, to differentiate between the square of cloth worn on the head and the square of cloth held in the hand for such tasks as face-wiping and nose-blowing, ‘hand’ was long ago simply added to‘kerchief’ to form ‘handkerchief,’ a word that was first recorded in the 16th century.
So there you go. Origins of your beloved handkerchiefs. But what i want to know is when or why women began taking them off there heads to blow there snotty noses on? Seems to me more of a male trait. But i also think this helps you in your quest for national flag hankies.... as surely neckerchiefs are the same thing (and so therefore are bandanaa... it is just that they have slightly different names incase anyone should accidentally blow snot into their head/neck gear. But iut is your call as to whether you will accept bandanas etc. your rules.”
No No, it’s OUR rules. We rule! I’m still trying to clarify this bandana/handkerchief debacle, need more of a consensus – more replies on this subject please.
Oh and wish the Oakstar luck on his forthcoming Spoken Word Competition in October.
52 to go,
Have a great week
The Mack Daddy
NB – Some of this was written on the 17Sep the rest was finished on 23Sep (Julianna’s three today – happy birthday my beautiful daughter)
Shame Townsend and Scott Singer
Fortnight ending 18th September 2009
Five for One – You read, at most, five, then you send me one reply.
All replies to 541THC@gmail.com or my facebook profile.
One-Line reply – Qualify, No reply - don’t fly.
THC – The Handkerchief Challenge – 52 flag hankys needed to complete it.
See www.thehandkerchiefchallenge.blogspot.com/ for details on the rules, under the post “The Challenge”
Major apologies, the Project Mayhem has been taking up a lotta time. Ahh, Bow-lecks! It’s the ridiculous house selling/buying game that we find ourselves in. My not wanting to jinx things by not mentioning it here in the 541 didn’t seem to work – we got gazumped! Can you believe that in this day and age? It happened.
We invested a lotta heart/thought/time into one place, the owners of which accepted our offer. We thought we had it, but NO! They had a higher offer and instead of coming back to us decided to go and accept that one. Harris!
Anyhoo, it appears I have a new nemesis – more on that in a moment.
Hey, do you have hundreds of messages in your facebook inbox? I don’t but I’ve been noticing a lotta people with high numbers next to their inbox when checking out facebook. This blows me away. I kinda thought with the lack of spam on the site that people would read their mail on a more regular basis. Saying that, I have about 80 group invitations and other requests.
So I’m round Stubb’s and a young Mr Shane Townsend was there. He doesn’t check his facebook inbox that much. So, even though the rest of us are up to date with the 541 THC, he hasn’t got a clue what it is all about!
(I know! I couldn’t believe it either! Everyone reads this don’t they? Oh wait, very few replies so far…inboxes with large numbers next to them. I’m not getting through to many am I? If you have read this I need a reply today (one line is cool) – you may not even be alive. I may not be alive! Hey yeah, that reminds me, I heard an interesting thought the other day – how can you prove to anyone you are alive and sentient? Oh, wait I can’t remember the fundamentals of this thought project. It intrigued me at the time but now I’m at a loss…ABORT! )
I tell Shane the whole concept (“I’m collecting 52 flag handkerchiefs and I’ve already got one!”) he seems kinda impressed so I use Stubb’s PC and show him www.thehandkerchiefchallenge.blogspot.com/
You know what he said?
“That’s not a Canadian flag”
Urinate on my bonfire why don’t you!
How dare he?
It hadn’t even arrived yet.
Gah! He’s right isn’t he? It isn’t a flag.
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
!
So what! A pack of cards contains 52 as well as a coupla jokers. This one is a Joker and what a beautiful Joker it is! It arrived yesterday (17Sep) and I’ve been saving it. Even the envelope just shines with beautifulness. The Mack Daddy, White Horse Brewery – smile inducing! Oh it gives me a tingle down my spine just looking at it.
The Bergens were the first and NO-ONE, not even Shane Townsend can take that away from us can he?
He ain’t gonna read this so I can say what I like about him – Regardez - Anyone know he’s got a campervan? Have you seen it? It’s amazing!
Wait, I’ve fallen at the first hurdle there. How do I dis the guy? Oh yeah, he had a go on Spoon’s BMX (currently at Stubb’s) and tried some flatland tricks – he was remarkably good!
Gah! Someone think of a dis for him please, oh wait, I’ve got it – He has never replied to a 541! Exactly! Can there be anything more shameful?
Shame Townsend, Shame on you!
As well as having Project Mayhem going on, orders at the brewery have ramped up somewhat. We are currently brewing nine-times a week. Two double brews and five singles, yes that means weekend brewing. Kinda sucking up time at the moment – hence this 541 is a round-up of two weeks.
Hey, we have to congratulate one of our own – the New York Times best selling Author Scott Sigler won a Parsec Award! About time too, I’m sure you’ll all agree.
Woulda been nice if they had spelled his name right though – Scott Singer indeed.
Oh, his book The Rookie arrived this week – with the following handwritten note:
“Mack from the defunct 541
play hard and leave it
all on the pitch”
Defunct? Scott, do you have triple figures in the brackets next to inbox on facebook or did you write that before the 541 THC kicked in?
Who cares, the book is awesome! It is something to (be)hold. The story is amazing too – American Football, gangsters, set in the future – in space, with alien races. That’s what we all want isn’t it? The podcasted form is what turned me on to the fella in the first place. Snap up a copy in hardback at www.scottsigler.com/therookie or put his name into itunes and try before you buy. You can listen to the book on your ipod (or PC/MAC/mp3 player of choice).
Congrats to Lisa Jean. Stoked for you and Gord.
Is it just me or do you have to have your sandwich the right way up to eat it? I can’t figure it out logically, it all gets mashed up into the same pulp before it goes down your gullet so why does it matter? If I have a baguette I have to eat it with the small nobbly bits on the bottom. Conversely if I eat a burger I have to have the knobbly bits (Sesame seeds) on the top. Am I normal? Are you the same?
Somewhere in the last two weeks I had to be the only White Horse Brewery representative for a Meet The Brewer at The William Morris pub in Cowley, Oxford. It was a pretty good gathering and I had many questions from the assembled crowd (hey, if three’s a crowd, this was more than three (12) so that counts doesn’t it?). I mainly just rambled on about brewing, our brewery, and sent around samples of malted barley “Please eat if you like” and hops “I’d only smell these, if I were you”
I did have one guy take me to task over our spelling of Wayland’s Smithy (an ancient burial mound near our brewery but also the name of one of our beers). We have spelled it wrong in the past (Wayland Smithy) but to be honest the two are interchangeable, aren’t they?
Just googled Wayland Smithy and found this:
http://www.wccsg.com/LatestCircles/May2009/WaylandSmithy/tabid/872/language/en-GB/Default.aspx
I think that jellyfish was on its way to our place for a large tank of Wayland’s Smithy.
By doing the Meet the Brewer I missed a lecture I had been invited to at the Oxford University Physics entitled “Can Beer be made in Space?”. I did get there after it had finished and chatted to the guy who did the lecture, a very interesting Aussie/former brewer.
(that sounds like I’m implying Australians and former brewers aren’t ordinarily interesting, take my friend Bill, he’s Australian and swears with such panache it is a credit to the English language)
So apparently nearly all the chemicals found in beer can be found in space (if spread out a little). Ethanol can be found in space! Something to bear in mind if you are heading out there.
All this led to me to carrying out the latest delivery I have ever made. I rocked up at the Bird in Hand pub at Henley-on-Thames at 10.10pm. Graham, the nicest landlord you could ever meet, was quite gracious and, would you believe it, grateful? He had a beer festival that weekend and reasoned the extra 13 hours would be good for the beer to settle. Oh yeah, I would like to state for the record, I did ring him before-hand to let him know I was going to be late.
Julianna, pointing to the ripened tomatoes in the garden:
“Too matey’s ready”
Julianna talking about Eeyore: “He was in a sad conition”
And finally, after eating a slightly under-ripe blueberry in the garden:
“It made my mouth pecker”
(pucker)
Props (To all who reply)
Bill may swear sometimes but there isn’t even a hint of it here:
“A typewriter is indeed a most evocative sound: it's reminiscent of newsrooms I've only seen in films, sagacious authors such as Dirk Bogarde, replete with cigarette ash on the keyboard (I'm told smoking was allowed in a bygone era), careful correspondents from an era when handwritten applications were preferred, the days when clerks had to be productive and, yes, I dimly remember them as an observer I hastily add. Not that I'd mind being considered a clerk, it's just that I can't imagine anyone would believe it if they thought it was I who was productive.”
Mark Thomas:
“The kids doing back flips off swings blows me away, a generation of Le Parkour is just around the corner, scaring old people.”
True, true
Andrew Bruce asks:
“what is the definition of a handkerchief as opposed to a bandana and what are the size requirment, as I'm guessing flag bandana would be easier to come by?”
David Oakwood answers:
“The origin of the word‘handkerchief’ is straightforward when you divide it into its two parts,‘hand’ and‘kerchief,’ both of which, of course, are distinct words themselves.
‘Kerchief’ descends from the Middle English word‘courchef,’ which in turn comes from the Old French word‘cuevrechief.’ Broken down further,‘cuevrechief’ is from the Old French‘covrir,’ meaning‘to cover,’ plus the Old French‘chief,’ which means ‘head.’
Originally‘kerchief’ meant exactly what you would expect,‘a covering for the head,’ and that is still its primary meaning today, referring specifically to the often decorative squares of cloth worn by women throughout the world as head coverings.
The kerchief has proved to be a versatile article of clothing over the years. As any former Cub Scout or Boy Scout can tell you, a kerchief can be worn around the neck, in which use it is sometimes known specifically as a‘neckerchief.’ Likewise, to differentiate between the square of cloth worn on the head and the square of cloth held in the hand for such tasks as face-wiping and nose-blowing, ‘hand’ was long ago simply added to‘kerchief’ to form ‘handkerchief,’ a word that was first recorded in the 16th century.
So there you go. Origins of your beloved handkerchiefs. But what i want to know is when or why women began taking them off there heads to blow there snotty noses on? Seems to me more of a male trait. But i also think this helps you in your quest for national flag hankies.... as surely neckerchiefs are the same thing (and so therefore are bandanaa... it is just that they have slightly different names incase anyone should accidentally blow snot into their head/neck gear. But iut is your call as to whether you will accept bandanas etc. your rules.”
No No, it’s OUR rules. We rule! I’m still trying to clarify this bandana/handkerchief debacle, need more of a consensus – more replies on this subject please.
Oh and wish the Oakstar luck on his forthcoming Spoken Word Competition in October.
52 to go,
Have a great week
The Mack Daddy
NB – Some of this was written on the 17Sep the rest was finished on 23Sep (Julianna’s three today – happy birthday my beautiful daughter)
Pranksterism and Weasel-Spivs
541 THC 06
Pranksterism and Weasel-Spivs
Five for One – You read, at most, five, then you send me one reply.
All replies to 541THC@gmail.com or my facebook profile.
One-Line reply – Qualify, No reply - don’t fly.
THC – The Handkerchief Challenge – 52 flag hankys needed to complete it.
See www.thehandkerchiefchallenge.blogspot.com/ for details on the rules, under the post “The Challenge”
Yeah, check the new Gmail!
Oooh YEAH! The tally has started. Handkerchief No.1 is in the offing. It’s been photographed and can be found at http://thehandkerchiefchallenge.blogspot.com/2009/09/numero-uno-in-canada.html how beautiful is that picture? If you zoom in (which you can if you click on the image) you can see some customisation, the words “The Mack Daddy”, doesn’t it send shivers down your spine? Doesn’t it bring joy to your world that something so great exists? Yeah, Me too – Fan-farking-tastic!
Canada Represent, eh!
Why is your national anthem “Oh Canada” and not “Eh Canada”? I’m trying to be funny, not offensive by the way. (Upon re-reading this I apologise for the hackneyed joke, more than likely said many times, by many people. I was tired)
I didn’t get a chance to put this in last week but it’s a corker from Spacey the Bard himself, Mr Shock-em and Smile, David Oakwood:
“Kitty just came to me asking for her potty.. she is doing really well with it. But as i am 'busy' trying to write to you i sent her off to find it... she returned excitedly telling me she had done a poo. Taking my hand she leads me to the puppies food bowl, where, in the middle she has deposited a nice Mr Whippy. Thankfully I found it before Ralf (the Scottie) did. He already has a preference for little girls knickers, which he likes to dig out of the laundry basket and run off with. Yack.......”
Yakety Yak! Take out the papers and the trash!
We so thought Project Mayhem was near completion this week and right at the last moment we were back to square two… More on this when I can talk about it. (In editing phase now - the latest is we’re back to phase one. Never trust a weasel-spiv).
Do you know sometimes, if I know someone is watching me and they think I ‘m unaware of this fact I like to do stupid stuff. I used to have to wait for a lift back to Newcastle when I worked at ICI in Billingham. I would be sat there on a wall next to the side of a busy road. Nearly everyone that passed by in their cars would stare at me. At first I kinda thought this was rude and wanted to pull faces at these drivers/passengers. Self-preservation sprinkled with a bit of the prankster allowed me to derive the following idea:
If I turn to them and pull a face they’ll be offended. If I already have a face on before they look and hold it in that pose as if it’s my default face…Bingo!
My cousin Greg is the king of pranksterism though, the amount of times you’ll look at him and he’ll be doing something stupid and then with mock surprise “realise” you are there. One year when I visited Canada I spent an evening with Greg and his mates driving around and stopping at intersections (crossroads) and getting a map out and pretending we were lost. If those guys had thought to have videoed their escapades they coulda been on TV or something.
Lisa Jean let me know of a good prank in this vein. When you cross the road via a zebra/pelican crossing the drivers waiting for you to cross always look at you, try this – swing your arms the opposite from normal, when your left leg moves forward, so does your left arm, when your right leg moves forward, you move your right arm forward - repeat. People wont realise why but they’ll think something is wrong
Do you have this (perhaps) media-generated idea that Jonny Depp picks his roles and all of them are top-notch? Wrong! I watched “Cry Baby” and “Summer Resort” this week. That’s three hours I wasted.
Props
Nathan Phelps wrote:
“I've been moved to respond, I thought THC was simple code for the ho chi minh trail and realised it lacked the M and the T to complete the set. Then it would be THCMT. I've never seen that acronym and since I've joined the AA I avoid them to avoid confusion. Who would've thought that the Alcohol anonymous group would share their initials with Anti acronyms?
I have jumped on board your magic bus and have felt quite elated with each update although very frustrated we haven't moved anywhere. I'm bored of this location.”
[You can drive, where are we going? - Mack]
“My son copies everything I do and say so when he's talking rubbish I only have to look in the mirror to tell myself to shut up. It then reverberates in miniature speak ten fold!
Why does he sleep on his head in the haunch position, when he wakes up it is like he is an unfurling fawn in the forest. (Alliteration is not a lost art with me). He normally asks for potatoes first then a story and that's coming straight from him, every time he wakes up from naps.
Naps are great but if they were a longer word maybe the sleep would be longer! I sometimes nap but mostly I'm listening with my eyes closed. It is a lot more relaxing. Blind people must be the most chilled. Maybe being blind from birth inspires a better imagination. I think i should close my eyes more regularly.
I'm going to continue responding and work on how I can get a hanky for you. I'm going to aim for Chile but will Scotland suffice? Also if a family member takes the picture in location does it still count?
Stay wild, founding member of the real AA”
Oh yes, oh yessss! A family member is cool, remember it’s a two degree of separation rule, I don’t have to know them but YOU have to know them. Chile? Awesome! Scotland however…
Glen Patterson:
“Ive been looking for a scotland hanky but i cant see a good one. Now if its bandanas yer want!”
Isn’t a bandana a neckerchief and hence a handkerchief by default?
On the Texas subject Konrad informs us:
“Did you know that since Texas was it's own country before the signing of the constitution, that it is the only state flag permitted to fly parallel to the US flag. All other states are required to fly beneath the US flag.”
Does that make a flagkerchief from Texas legal?
I’m keeping this next replier’s name anonymous but how cool is this?
“I am dyslecsic i cant even spell.
This is all to much for me to read
but i like it”
But I like it more that you expend the effort to read these inane babblings, Major props to you sir!
A coupla Julianna gems before I leave:
“Oooh! Brand New!” (in response to me opening the top of a dipping egg)
“Can I throw my bum bum out?” While holding a rubbish bin.
“…and she decided to throw herself out because she was old” The conclusion of a song she made up/sung.
Almost 51 to Go! (not here yet)
Have a great week,
The Daddy Mack
Pranksterism and Weasel-Spivs
Five for One – You read, at most, five, then you send me one reply.
All replies to 541THC@gmail.com or my facebook profile.
One-Line reply – Qualify, No reply - don’t fly.
THC – The Handkerchief Challenge – 52 flag hankys needed to complete it.
See www.thehandkerchiefchallenge.blogspot.com/ for details on the rules, under the post “The Challenge”
Yeah, check the new Gmail!
Oooh YEAH! The tally has started. Handkerchief No.1 is in the offing. It’s been photographed and can be found at http://thehandkerchiefchallenge.blogspot.com/2009/09/numero-uno-in-canada.html how beautiful is that picture? If you zoom in (which you can if you click on the image) you can see some customisation, the words “The Mack Daddy”, doesn’t it send shivers down your spine? Doesn’t it bring joy to your world that something so great exists? Yeah, Me too – Fan-farking-tastic!
Canada Represent, eh!
Why is your national anthem “Oh Canada” and not “Eh Canada”? I’m trying to be funny, not offensive by the way. (Upon re-reading this I apologise for the hackneyed joke, more than likely said many times, by many people. I was tired)
I didn’t get a chance to put this in last week but it’s a corker from Spacey the Bard himself, Mr Shock-em and Smile, David Oakwood:
“Kitty just came to me asking for her potty.. she is doing really well with it. But as i am 'busy' trying to write to you i sent her off to find it... she returned excitedly telling me she had done a poo. Taking my hand she leads me to the puppies food bowl, where, in the middle she has deposited a nice Mr Whippy. Thankfully I found it before Ralf (the Scottie) did. He already has a preference for little girls knickers, which he likes to dig out of the laundry basket and run off with. Yack.......”
Yakety Yak! Take out the papers and the trash!
We so thought Project Mayhem was near completion this week and right at the last moment we were back to square two… More on this when I can talk about it. (In editing phase now - the latest is we’re back to phase one. Never trust a weasel-spiv).
Do you know sometimes, if I know someone is watching me and they think I ‘m unaware of this fact I like to do stupid stuff. I used to have to wait for a lift back to Newcastle when I worked at ICI in Billingham. I would be sat there on a wall next to the side of a busy road. Nearly everyone that passed by in their cars would stare at me. At first I kinda thought this was rude and wanted to pull faces at these drivers/passengers. Self-preservation sprinkled with a bit of the prankster allowed me to derive the following idea:
If I turn to them and pull a face they’ll be offended. If I already have a face on before they look and hold it in that pose as if it’s my default face…Bingo!
My cousin Greg is the king of pranksterism though, the amount of times you’ll look at him and he’ll be doing something stupid and then with mock surprise “realise” you are there. One year when I visited Canada I spent an evening with Greg and his mates driving around and stopping at intersections (crossroads) and getting a map out and pretending we were lost. If those guys had thought to have videoed their escapades they coulda been on TV or something.
Lisa Jean let me know of a good prank in this vein. When you cross the road via a zebra/pelican crossing the drivers waiting for you to cross always look at you, try this – swing your arms the opposite from normal, when your left leg moves forward, so does your left arm, when your right leg moves forward, you move your right arm forward - repeat. People wont realise why but they’ll think something is wrong
Do you have this (perhaps) media-generated idea that Jonny Depp picks his roles and all of them are top-notch? Wrong! I watched “Cry Baby” and “Summer Resort” this week. That’s three hours I wasted.
Props
Nathan Phelps wrote:
“I've been moved to respond, I thought THC was simple code for the ho chi minh trail and realised it lacked the M and the T to complete the set. Then it would be THCMT. I've never seen that acronym and since I've joined the AA I avoid them to avoid confusion. Who would've thought that the Alcohol anonymous group would share their initials with Anti acronyms?
I have jumped on board your magic bus and have felt quite elated with each update although very frustrated we haven't moved anywhere. I'm bored of this location.”
[You can drive, where are we going? - Mack]
“My son copies everything I do and say so when he's talking rubbish I only have to look in the mirror to tell myself to shut up. It then reverberates in miniature speak ten fold!
Why does he sleep on his head in the haunch position, when he wakes up it is like he is an unfurling fawn in the forest. (Alliteration is not a lost art with me). He normally asks for potatoes first then a story and that's coming straight from him, every time he wakes up from naps.
Naps are great but if they were a longer word maybe the sleep would be longer! I sometimes nap but mostly I'm listening with my eyes closed. It is a lot more relaxing. Blind people must be the most chilled. Maybe being blind from birth inspires a better imagination. I think i should close my eyes more regularly.
I'm going to continue responding and work on how I can get a hanky for you. I'm going to aim for Chile but will Scotland suffice? Also if a family member takes the picture in location does it still count?
Stay wild, founding member of the real AA”
Oh yes, oh yessss! A family member is cool, remember it’s a two degree of separation rule, I don’t have to know them but YOU have to know them. Chile? Awesome! Scotland however…
Glen Patterson:
“Ive been looking for a scotland hanky but i cant see a good one. Now if its bandanas yer want!”
Isn’t a bandana a neckerchief and hence a handkerchief by default?
On the Texas subject Konrad informs us:
“Did you know that since Texas was it's own country before the signing of the constitution, that it is the only state flag permitted to fly parallel to the US flag. All other states are required to fly beneath the US flag.”
Does that make a flagkerchief from Texas legal?
I’m keeping this next replier’s name anonymous but how cool is this?
“I am dyslecsic i cant even spell.
This is all to much for me to read
but i like it”
But I like it more that you expend the effort to read these inane babblings, Major props to you sir!
A coupla Julianna gems before I leave:
“Oooh! Brand New!” (in response to me opening the top of a dipping egg)
“Can I throw my bum bum out?” While holding a rubbish bin.
“…and she decided to throw herself out because she was old” The conclusion of a song she made up/sung.
Almost 51 to Go! (not here yet)
Have a great week,
The Daddy Mack
Friday 4 September 2009
Chuff Chuff, Por Shame!
541 THC 05
W/E 28th August 2009
Chuff Chuff, Por Shame!
Five for One – You read, at most, five, then you send me one reply.
All replies to 5014mack@gmail.com or my facebook profile.
One-Line reply – Qualify, No reply - don’t fly.
THC – The Handkerchief Challenge – 52 flag hankys needed to complete it.
See www.thehandkerchiefchallenge.blogspot.com/ for details on the rules, under the post “The Challenge”
Let’s get things in order here first shall we? I didn’t put any props in last weeks’ 541. My apologies, so much good stuff there, like this:
“Time to name and shame Mr.Mack!
I'm hereby semi-officially banning the 541 THC (can't be a full ban if I'm reading them) until you reply to my earlier e-mail/letter and let me know if you ever received a package from me (sweater & a cd) sometime early this summer. If not Canada Post and the Royal Mail have made a serious mistake and earned themselves a lifelong enemy...that or you're addle minded and/or a lazy git. Which is it?
Basically the semi-ban means I will put no feelers out for snot-rags until I hear back from you...that and I'm switching to lager made by multi-national conglomerates, which will hurt me more than it hurts you, or however that saying goes.
Oh yeah and since I'm not responding to any 541 THC's, I also won't point out that hypermiling is also good for other car components such as brakes and shocks/struts as you are usually breaking at a lower speed and with less jarring than if you just jammed on the brakes from full speed after not paying attention to the traffic flow/situation around you.”
Wow eh? Such ire from one of the top repliers of the 541 501!
Justified I say. How dare I not reply to anyone’s email when I had been garnering 501 replies the year before, Right? Yes, exactly right!
But I need to explain something to all of you. I tend to spraff, I write on and on about this, that and anything that comes into my head. You might already be aware of this fact, some of you may just be reaching this conclusion. If I write to or reply to everyone I wanted to (bearing in mind the high spraff-factor) I would have to take it up full time. Consequently, if I’m not doing the 541 I am not writing to anyone.
I think it harkens back to writing to pen friends and trying to cram as much as I could on the two sheets and one envelope of airmail paper (so it cost the minimum amount). Same applies to postcards – “Having fun, wish you were here” sacrilege! A tree has been felled for this, make it count! Write the address first, put a box around it then the rest of the card is for writing, if the recipient has to take a stamp off to read your ramblings - all the better!
I know email is free (essentially, let’s not get into the cost of broadband, the electric etc.) but I think my brain has been wired by the frugality of latter years to spew forth as much blah blah blah, I’m boring myself here, ABORT!
Who knew hypermiling was good for the car too? Makes sense when you think abou ti though eh?
People are usually described as being half-full (optimistic) or half-empty (pessimistic), what if you are half-full, half of the time?
My sis Louise offered an explanation for why Julianna says nincompoop –
“we use the word "nincompoop" if that solves that mystery!
We stay at "Nincompoop farm" ..when [Special K] was small he wrongly re- named the camp site we were at ...Lincoln farm park.”
Alas the problem was solved by simply talking to my wife “It’s used in the book “Carmine , A little More Red” by Melissa Sweet (a re-working of Little Red Riding Hood).
I had to deliver beer to the Great Western Society this week. I rang the guy I was supposed to meet and he said he’d be outside the Didcot railway station with an orange hat on and, “you won’t miss me.”
I didn’t. He asked if I could help him lift the casks up the stairs and then offered to show me their operation. Sure do’s, I’m always interested in other peoples major passions in life. I have to admit one thing here – total ignorance. I kinda thought these guys who would turn up at the brewery periodically had an old steam train that they were trying to do up and get back on the tracks sorta thing. No siree! This is a major operation. If you don’t believe me check out their website:
http://www.didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk/index.html
It was great talking to Steve he was a veritable library of knowledge (pertaining to trains) I tried to impress him with my rather scant knowledge of rail gauges (the width between the rails): “Didn’t Brunel have something to do with the current gauge used?”
“Well, actually the broad gauge was Brunel’s design but in 1892 the nation was standardised to narrow gauge”
He was brilliant, I tried to impress him with the fact that my Granddad worked for GWR (Great Western Railway) in Swindon. His eyes brightened and he said, awe suffusing his voice “The headquarters! What did he do?”
“He was the bank manager, I think”
His eyes glazed over and he changed subject to the shed that they had moved from…
Having walked a mile and seen everything including their bar which was a converted railway carriage (it couldn’t really be anything else now could it?) complete with a beer cellar where the toilet used to be, I thought I’d better be getting back. Steve asked if I wanted to go back to the entrance on Tornado, Britain’s newest steam locomotive. “I might be able to get you a ride on the foot-plate. I’ll ask Ace”
Did I ever! Alas I had to use the carriage and slum it like a 1940’s first class customer, but I wasn’t complaining.
Oh yeah, Andrew, In answer to your question, yes we got a package with a beautiful knitted jumper, a blanket and two cd’s One of which was “Snack Time” by the Barenaked Ladies. The latter saved my sanity, nursery rhymes cds were petarding me something chronic, but Julie loved this one and still I can turn to her at any time and say “EEEEEE” and she’ll say “Raser”. Thanks a lot mate, it was remiss of me to not thank you, in all honesty I thought I had so put me down for addled-minded.
William Stavely wrote the following:
“Lena should be able to help if she can find either a Belorussian flag or a Russian flag, but she tells me it is considered profoundly unpatriotic to use the flag to wipe one's nose.”
I never want to offend people but why does that make me want a Belorussian or Russian one even more?
He goes on:
“Since I don't do patriotism -it can all too easily become jingoism - I would not be affronted at the mis-use of an Australian flag.”
And yet that doesn’t make me want an Australian flag hanky less.
Isn’t it great when kids sleep in the arms up “yey!” position?
I was keeping an eye on the pressure in the brew room the other day and was sad to see leaves starting to blow into the main shutters. Autumn’s a coming.
No comments on the pigeon toe debate yet and yet you are all doing the “name these soap stars” or the “name the 1980’s band” facebook apps. This is far more important, inward or outward?
I keep hearing the term feedback loop and I’m not really sure what it is. If you ring someone and the conversation goes like this:
“Hey – up Mack, how are you?”
“Pretty good thanks Gary, how are you?”
“Yeah, great, how are you?”
Have you entered into a feedback loop there?
We went camping last weekend along with Silke, Andrew and their daughter who was celebrating her 3rd birthday. Silke organised a lovely, long treasure hunt for the girls (including loadsa gifts for Julianna to find too) it was marked out by little sawdust arrows pointing the way. Cool as.
Lindsay and Marsha have been putting in the hours on Project Mayem and are absolute stars.
Parp Parp! Welcome aboard Doris Hakkila
My Padawan has a truss now, I’ve seen it!
Texas yey or Texas nay?
Julie Zielaskiewicz reckons yey:
“As a former resident of the Lone Star State (ages 1 to 13 - you can still hear an accent when I'm tired, mad or talking about Texas), I think that it would absolutely be appropriate to include a handkerchief of Texas in your collection (plus it might be much easier to get).”
Cousin Cath says nay:
“Texas doesn’t count unless you want to add all the states, and provinces for us Canadians”
And adds:
“Hats off to your Sandwich fairy. Can I make flag handkerchiefs or do they have to be bought?”
Nowt in the rules about them not being home-made but they do have to be photographed in the country they are representing by the sender or a friend of the sender.
Hmm..interesting idea.
Reading festival is taking place this bank holiday weekend and Marsha got a compliment from a young festival-goer while shopping in Tesco’s “Are you going to the festival?” he asked.
“No, I’m here from the States to visit my daughter and grand-daughter”.
I couldn’t understand why there were so many security guards in the car-park of Tesco’s until I watched for a while and saw group upon group meeting aforementioned guards, having to empty their trolleys (shopping carts) of the numerous crates of beer held within and carry them by hand back to the site (this supermarket being one of the closest).
Dizzy Rascal?
Lisa Jean says the following:
“Your dizzy game reminds me of one I made up when wrangling a slew of 5-8 year-olds for a TV show I was PA-ing. It was called the Sleeping Game. Everyone had to lie around in a confined area and pretend to sleep. If I caught any of them not pretending to sleep, they had to sit quietly off to the side while we finished playing. Unbelievably, they begged me to play it every day for a week. Made me very popular with the production team.”
I’m sure we played a game like this at birthday parties, I had no idea I was getting duped!
52 still to go
Have a great week,
The Mack Daddy
W/E 28th August 2009
Chuff Chuff, Por Shame!
Five for One – You read, at most, five, then you send me one reply.
All replies to 5014mack@gmail.com or my facebook profile.
One-Line reply – Qualify, No reply - don’t fly.
THC – The Handkerchief Challenge – 52 flag hankys needed to complete it.
See www.thehandkerchiefchallenge.blogspot.com/ for details on the rules, under the post “The Challenge”
Let’s get things in order here first shall we? I didn’t put any props in last weeks’ 541. My apologies, so much good stuff there, like this:
“Time to name and shame Mr.Mack!
I'm hereby semi-officially banning the 541 THC (can't be a full ban if I'm reading them) until you reply to my earlier e-mail/letter and let me know if you ever received a package from me (sweater & a cd) sometime early this summer. If not Canada Post and the Royal Mail have made a serious mistake and earned themselves a lifelong enemy...that or you're addle minded and/or a lazy git. Which is it?
Basically the semi-ban means I will put no feelers out for snot-rags until I hear back from you...that and I'm switching to lager made by multi-national conglomerates, which will hurt me more than it hurts you, or however that saying goes.
Oh yeah and since I'm not responding to any 541 THC's, I also won't point out that hypermiling is also good for other car components such as brakes and shocks/struts as you are usually breaking at a lower speed and with less jarring than if you just jammed on the brakes from full speed after not paying attention to the traffic flow/situation around you.”
Wow eh? Such ire from one of the top repliers of the 541 501!
Justified I say. How dare I not reply to anyone’s email when I had been garnering 501 replies the year before, Right? Yes, exactly right!
But I need to explain something to all of you. I tend to spraff, I write on and on about this, that and anything that comes into my head. You might already be aware of this fact, some of you may just be reaching this conclusion. If I write to or reply to everyone I wanted to (bearing in mind the high spraff-factor) I would have to take it up full time. Consequently, if I’m not doing the 541 I am not writing to anyone.
I think it harkens back to writing to pen friends and trying to cram as much as I could on the two sheets and one envelope of airmail paper (so it cost the minimum amount). Same applies to postcards – “Having fun, wish you were here” sacrilege! A tree has been felled for this, make it count! Write the address first, put a box around it then the rest of the card is for writing, if the recipient has to take a stamp off to read your ramblings - all the better!
I know email is free (essentially, let’s not get into the cost of broadband, the electric etc.) but I think my brain has been wired by the frugality of latter years to spew forth as much blah blah blah, I’m boring myself here, ABORT!
Who knew hypermiling was good for the car too? Makes sense when you think abou ti though eh?
People are usually described as being half-full (optimistic) or half-empty (pessimistic), what if you are half-full, half of the time?
My sis Louise offered an explanation for why Julianna says nincompoop –
“we use the word "nincompoop" if that solves that mystery!
We stay at "Nincompoop farm" ..when [Special K] was small he wrongly re- named the camp site we were at ...Lincoln farm park.”
Alas the problem was solved by simply talking to my wife “It’s used in the book “Carmine , A little More Red” by Melissa Sweet (a re-working of Little Red Riding Hood).
I had to deliver beer to the Great Western Society this week. I rang the guy I was supposed to meet and he said he’d be outside the Didcot railway station with an orange hat on and, “you won’t miss me.”
I didn’t. He asked if I could help him lift the casks up the stairs and then offered to show me their operation. Sure do’s, I’m always interested in other peoples major passions in life. I have to admit one thing here – total ignorance. I kinda thought these guys who would turn up at the brewery periodically had an old steam train that they were trying to do up and get back on the tracks sorta thing. No siree! This is a major operation. If you don’t believe me check out their website:
http://www.didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk/index.html
It was great talking to Steve he was a veritable library of knowledge (pertaining to trains) I tried to impress him with my rather scant knowledge of rail gauges (the width between the rails): “Didn’t Brunel have something to do with the current gauge used?”
“Well, actually the broad gauge was Brunel’s design but in 1892 the nation was standardised to narrow gauge”
He was brilliant, I tried to impress him with the fact that my Granddad worked for GWR (Great Western Railway) in Swindon. His eyes brightened and he said, awe suffusing his voice “The headquarters! What did he do?”
“He was the bank manager, I think”
His eyes glazed over and he changed subject to the shed that they had moved from…
Having walked a mile and seen everything including their bar which was a converted railway carriage (it couldn’t really be anything else now could it?) complete with a beer cellar where the toilet used to be, I thought I’d better be getting back. Steve asked if I wanted to go back to the entrance on Tornado, Britain’s newest steam locomotive. “I might be able to get you a ride on the foot-plate. I’ll ask Ace”
Did I ever! Alas I had to use the carriage and slum it like a 1940’s first class customer, but I wasn’t complaining.
Oh yeah, Andrew, In answer to your question, yes we got a package with a beautiful knitted jumper, a blanket and two cd’s One of which was “Snack Time” by the Barenaked Ladies. The latter saved my sanity, nursery rhymes cds were petarding me something chronic, but Julie loved this one and still I can turn to her at any time and say “EEEEEE” and she’ll say “Raser”. Thanks a lot mate, it was remiss of me to not thank you, in all honesty I thought I had so put me down for addled-minded.
William Stavely wrote the following:
“Lena should be able to help if she can find either a Belorussian flag or a Russian flag, but she tells me it is considered profoundly unpatriotic to use the flag to wipe one's nose.”
I never want to offend people but why does that make me want a Belorussian or Russian one even more?
He goes on:
“Since I don't do patriotism -it can all too easily become jingoism - I would not be affronted at the mis-use of an Australian flag.”
And yet that doesn’t make me want an Australian flag hanky less.
Isn’t it great when kids sleep in the arms up “yey!” position?
I was keeping an eye on the pressure in the brew room the other day and was sad to see leaves starting to blow into the main shutters. Autumn’s a coming.
No comments on the pigeon toe debate yet and yet you are all doing the “name these soap stars” or the “name the 1980’s band” facebook apps. This is far more important, inward or outward?
I keep hearing the term feedback loop and I’m not really sure what it is. If you ring someone and the conversation goes like this:
“Hey – up Mack, how are you?”
“Pretty good thanks Gary, how are you?”
“Yeah, great, how are you?”
Have you entered into a feedback loop there?
We went camping last weekend along with Silke, Andrew and their daughter who was celebrating her 3rd birthday. Silke organised a lovely, long treasure hunt for the girls (including loadsa gifts for Julianna to find too) it was marked out by little sawdust arrows pointing the way. Cool as.
Lindsay and Marsha have been putting in the hours on Project Mayem and are absolute stars.
Parp Parp! Welcome aboard Doris Hakkila
My Padawan has a truss now, I’ve seen it!
Texas yey or Texas nay?
Julie Zielaskiewicz reckons yey:
“As a former resident of the Lone Star State (ages 1 to 13 - you can still hear an accent when I'm tired, mad or talking about Texas), I think that it would absolutely be appropriate to include a handkerchief of Texas in your collection (plus it might be much easier to get).”
Cousin Cath says nay:
“Texas doesn’t count unless you want to add all the states, and provinces for us Canadians”
And adds:
“Hats off to your Sandwich fairy. Can I make flag handkerchiefs or do they have to be bought?”
Nowt in the rules about them not being home-made but they do have to be photographed in the country they are representing by the sender or a friend of the sender.
Hmm..interesting idea.
Reading festival is taking place this bank holiday weekend and Marsha got a compliment from a young festival-goer while shopping in Tesco’s “Are you going to the festival?” he asked.
“No, I’m here from the States to visit my daughter and grand-daughter”.
I couldn’t understand why there were so many security guards in the car-park of Tesco’s until I watched for a while and saw group upon group meeting aforementioned guards, having to empty their trolleys (shopping carts) of the numerous crates of beer held within and carry them by hand back to the site (this supermarket being one of the closest).
Dizzy Rascal?
Lisa Jean says the following:
“Your dizzy game reminds me of one I made up when wrangling a slew of 5-8 year-olds for a TV show I was PA-ing. It was called the Sleeping Game. Everyone had to lie around in a confined area and pretend to sleep. If I caught any of them not pretending to sleep, they had to sit quietly off to the side while we finished playing. Unbelievably, they begged me to play it every day for a week. Made me very popular with the production team.”
I’m sure we played a game like this at birthday parties, I had no idea I was getting duped!
52 still to go
Have a great week,
The Mack Daddy
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