Flexibility

There's something truly fascinating about language.

It's the way that a term can change in meaning, context to context - and how it can be used with multiple meanings at the same time.

I had a conversation yesterday that will remain with me for a long time. It involved the word "single".

Usually used to describe an individual object or unattached person.

In LARP used as SINGLE, a damage call that indicates a single point of damage, that typically can't be used more then once a second. So "Single....single...single" would be the slowest rate you could inflict damage.

Where as to me now (and to one other twisted individual) it now refers to something that should never happen. Which is beyond bad and wrong. And funny beyond belief.

And yet - and yet every time I now use the word, which will be almost every time I go LARPing I will be reminded of this conversation. And I will be smiling, no matter how inappropriate.

Language - possibly the greatest thing we've ever made. Certainly the funnyist.

There are some things I can't resist...

On my way to a LARP event last weekend I had to walk from a rail station to the bar - only a mile or two, not a bad walk.

With cloak flowing behind me.

As you would imagine, this changes the way people respond to you. They tend to give you more space - and you're definitely Seen. People really do look twice.

But sometimes...

In this case, not 100 yards from the station as I stormed along (why stormed? Because it feels good with the cloak) but was stopped by a startled family of tourists.

I knew they were tourists because there was a family, clearly from somewhere like to Japan, China or somewhere else in that area. Expensive cameras, very poor English...and they asked me in their fashion "Are you prince Harry?".

To the best of my knowledge, I look nothing like him. Nor do I know if he has a thing for black fantasy costumes and cloaks.

I should have said no. Or shaken my head. But I couldn't resist.

I was in LARP mode. I looked left...then right. Turning to them I put my finger to my lips and said but one word.

"Shhhhssh".

They were excited by this.

Online madness

I have a boredom threshold that varies between saint like patience and a three year old's - you may have noticed.

So there I was, having already done what the instructor wanted us to do - so I thought I'd have a look to see how much the last book in the wheel of time set would cost me.

Web browser, amazon.co.uk...and stop.

Because I'm looking at the list of recommended products - and it's madness.

The machine had no history with the site, no amazon user was logged in. And what did it recommend?

Windows 7 - How much did Microsoft pay for that??
Shoes - Nope, not what I'm after..
Jeans - I need some, but I'd much rather try them on first - fail.
Coats - No thankyou...
Dresses - Just no.
PC/video games - Possibly, but I've just not got the time.
Cutlery - What??
Lamps - WHY??!?

So of all the possible recommendations the could possibly suggest not one is that for which they are famous.

Books.

Mornings

Mornings

I'm not a huge fan of mornings - atleast, not if I have to be awake.

But I've found a reason to love them. Well, to not hate them.

Work have sent me off on a training course (which was kind of them) - then only catch is that I have to leave at 7am, probably not back till 7pm.

This tends to leave me just a tad tired. However...there is an upside. We're car sharing on the way down and because my car is so small, I can't drive us.

Under work terms and conditions, I can claim the additional travel time as time off in lieu.

That is, I can claim the time I spend sleeping in someone elses car on the way down as time off in lieu.

They're paying me to sleep.

Yay.
--

There will be mails and things to people tomorrow. I will write them on the netbook during the drive.

Self harming

I'd always thought that self harming was a thing people did on their own. Probably in private. It would appear that this is not the case...

Have a look here.

Royal Mail postal workers have voted to take strike action over job security and working conditions.

They voted three to one in favour of action, with 61,623 out of a total of 80,830 workers who voted saying they wanted to strike.

Now, given this is a service for which there are alternatives, does this strike you as a good idea? I mean, really?

Given that..

The company says the number of letters and parcels its core business delivers is falling by 10% each year

Do they really think that striking will in any way improve things? Have the regional strikes done anything but loose things (like, say, birthday things sent to Canada)?

Nope. Every strike will bleed the industry a little more.

Muppets.

Things not to say at work...

I was talking to someone on the phone at work, while waiting for something to happen. This isn't such a rare thing, as moving anything across the network can take a measurable amount of time.

So there we were, talking about the sort of thing you might say to someone you've never met and don't know. I've had some weird conversations like this - and this one turned to fitness.

She had just joined a gym, was very enthusiastic about it and tried to persuade me it would be a Good Thing to pick a goal and to run with it.

So I thought and said "Yes, I've got a goal. I want to be able to keep up with Katie"

Which lead on to why keeping up with Katie was so hard. "Well, she wears chainmail and plate armour and can run faster then I can - just carrying myself".

The silence on the other end of the line lasted for some considerable time...

(22:40 > )