...I think Wikipedia is the best thing since sliced bread!! (What did people used to say before sliced bread came along??)
:)
That will be all. Thank you.
Friday, 30 July 2010
Dante, Virgil, Dickens and Edgar Allen Poe, who is creepy!
I have recently been reading Dante's Divine Comedy. Mainly due to the fact that it came free with my little ebook reading gadgety thingumy, and I've never read it, which is a sacrilege! So I felt I really should. Besides, Virgil's in it, and I love Virgil :) It's my dream to learn Classical Latin properly and read the Aeniad. I have a lovely story attributed to Virgil about the Goddess Laverna, but that's a story for another post! But anyway, I would highly reccomend it. I've just gone past the bit with Charon (That's the ferryman, to those unfamiliar. Wiki him here, he's fascinating. Greeks used to place silver coins on the eyes/in the mouths of their dead to pay the ferryman for taking them 'across to the other side') The translation I've got seems pretty good, it's been layed out very nicely. Although I'm not sure how much of the original text may or may not have been sacraficed for the sake of aesthetics.
This has lead to a wonderful revelation. At last, I finally know, there are 9 circles of Hell. Not 7, as I always thought for some reason!
Not sure what I'm going to start on next. This little gadget is fabulous! It came from argos with "100 classics" on it already. Its got the complete works of Shakespeare! (Eek! I love Macbeth!) All of Dickens, including my favourite, Great Expectations. I've read that so many times I can recite bits of it...which is a little scary. Miss Havisham is positively fabulous! A very haunting yet slightly funny charactor. (That could just be my sense of humour though...) I've already finally read The Rime of the Ancient Marinier. Which is wonderful. Iron Maiden have a song about it, and I've got a recording of it somewhere where it's introduced as "What not to do if a bird shits on you" love it! hehe.
The Best Friend was fiddling with it recently and discovered The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe on it. Having once read something of his in my youth which has something to do with a bladed pendulum, I declared I couldn't stand the bloke because his writing's creepy. To which The Best Friend replied, "pah, nonsense" and proceeded to read it out. I've actually not read anything of his sinse the pendulum incident (I have no idea what that story is by the way) I've always been rather put off, and avoided him utterly! But The Best Friend read it beautifully, and it's actually a really nice paced gothic poem. The subject matter's slightly creepy, but not too much so. And it's well and truly made up for by the beautiful way it's written, and the beautiful rhythem of it when it's read aloud. Might explore some more of his work...maybe...if it's not too scary. (Un-scary reccomendations welcome by the way please!)
The one thing that I was very surprised isn't on it is "The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders" by Daniel Defoe. Which is a wonderful story! Very moral, but very intriguing. Well, it pretends to be very moral anyway! In my opinion, it's not all that convincing. I would have loved to have seen Newgate "in the flesh" so to speak, just to put a visual image onto this horrible place which is so hauntingly described. But I wiki'd it, and it's been knocked down now. Probably a good thing!
This has lead to a wonderful revelation. At last, I finally know, there are 9 circles of Hell. Not 7, as I always thought for some reason!
Not sure what I'm going to start on next. This little gadget is fabulous! It came from argos with "100 classics" on it already. Its got the complete works of Shakespeare! (Eek! I love Macbeth!) All of Dickens, including my favourite, Great Expectations. I've read that so many times I can recite bits of it...which is a little scary. Miss Havisham is positively fabulous! A very haunting yet slightly funny charactor. (That could just be my sense of humour though...) I've already finally read The Rime of the Ancient Marinier. Which is wonderful. Iron Maiden have a song about it, and I've got a recording of it somewhere where it's introduced as "What not to do if a bird shits on you" love it! hehe.
The Best Friend was fiddling with it recently and discovered The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe on it. Having once read something of his in my youth which has something to do with a bladed pendulum, I declared I couldn't stand the bloke because his writing's creepy. To which The Best Friend replied, "pah, nonsense" and proceeded to read it out. I've actually not read anything of his sinse the pendulum incident (I have no idea what that story is by the way) I've always been rather put off, and avoided him utterly! But The Best Friend read it beautifully, and it's actually a really nice paced gothic poem. The subject matter's slightly creepy, but not too much so. And it's well and truly made up for by the beautiful way it's written, and the beautiful rhythem of it when it's read aloud. Might explore some more of his work...maybe...if it's not too scary. (Un-scary reccomendations welcome by the way please!)
The one thing that I was very surprised isn't on it is "The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders" by Daniel Defoe. Which is a wonderful story! Very moral, but very intriguing. Well, it pretends to be very moral anyway! In my opinion, it's not all that convincing. I would have loved to have seen Newgate "in the flesh" so to speak, just to put a visual image onto this horrible place which is so hauntingly described. But I wiki'd it, and it's been knocked down now. Probably a good thing!
Women and Bikes and Balance
And no that is not the title of a slightly creepy porno!
It's balance that's the issue. On day one of “that time of the month” I get the dropsies. Really bad. Just about anything I pick up ends up on the floor. So of course, a machine with an internal combustion engine capable of speeds up to and including 174mph is not the best thing to pick up!! So I don't. I do have a car, but it is my humble opinion that I am far more dangerous with a ton of metal than a bike anyway, so I don't go near that either! Having only had my car license a few months, I still haven't quite got the hang of not driving into stuff yet. Fortunately no people or other vehicles have been harmed, but I can't say the same for trees, multi storey car park walls, bollards etc...Well, work is within walking distance, and All Social Activities Are Cancelled on that day anyway. So it's not too much of a problem. But it is a terrible nuisance! Particularly on the occasions it falls on a sunny sunday!!
It's balance that's the issue. On day one of “that time of the month” I get the dropsies. Really bad. Just about anything I pick up ends up on the floor. So of course, a machine with an internal combustion engine capable of speeds up to and including 174mph is not the best thing to pick up!! So I don't. I do have a car, but it is my humble opinion that I am far more dangerous with a ton of metal than a bike anyway, so I don't go near that either! Having only had my car license a few months, I still haven't quite got the hang of not driving into stuff yet. Fortunately no people or other vehicles have been harmed, but I can't say the same for trees, multi storey car park walls, bollards etc...Well, work is within walking distance, and All Social Activities Are Cancelled on that day anyway. So it's not too much of a problem. But it is a terrible nuisance! Particularly on the occasions it falls on a sunny sunday!!
Shherslongeee
As I have already mentioned, an Englishman's home is his castle. So this Englishman (well, englishwoman actually, but I really disagree with all this OTT Political Correctness nonsense that requires you to refer to Mankind as “Humankind” or “Wo/Mankind” Load of nonsense if you ask me. We all know the word Mankind refers to the whole lot, and not just men, so really, where's the problem?)
Anyway, yes, this Englishman was pretty pissed off to discover that the rather spoilt cats had decided that the lovely Union Jack couch in the corner of the living room would make a better litter tray than the one filled with litter in the bathroom. Does anyone have a recipe for Kitten Chow Mein I could try?? I had to throw the bloody thing out. But, on the bright side, I have bought a new one to replace it. It's a very Victorian Renaissance Romany looking thing. And I have been referring to it as a “Roman Lounging Chair” because as you can see from the title up there, I am neither able to spell or pronounce the correct name of the damned thing! Anyway, it's ever so nice, and I look forward to many hours relaxing on it with my books!
Anyway, yes, this Englishman was pretty pissed off to discover that the rather spoilt cats had decided that the lovely Union Jack couch in the corner of the living room would make a better litter tray than the one filled with litter in the bathroom. Does anyone have a recipe for Kitten Chow Mein I could try?? I had to throw the bloody thing out. But, on the bright side, I have bought a new one to replace it. It's a very Victorian Renaissance Romany looking thing. And I have been referring to it as a “Roman Lounging Chair” because as you can see from the title up there, I am neither able to spell or pronounce the correct name of the damned thing! Anyway, it's ever so nice, and I look forward to many hours relaxing on it with my books!
Shock Horror Panic and Drama!!
Christie's FI light has come on!! It's gone off again, but I am currently in an inconsolable state of panic! I shall have to take her back to the dealership and cry profusely until she's all mended. If anyone wants me, I shall be at the Motorbike Hospital!!
A Proposal
The sweetest thing has happened!! Some friends of mine are getting married. The proposal was the most dramatic thing... very over the top, but really sweet! They're bikers of course and the plan was to do it at the local bike cafe. It was all organised, (well, as well organised as our little group manage to get anything!!) She was pillion with him. The plan was, He would ring me from the petrol station round the corner because he was 'picking cigarettes up for me', he'd say “Which fags do you want?” and I'd say “we're ready! Get your arses here!” It went perfectly, albeit with me being a little panicky! (Why do I get asked to organise these things?? I mean, I love it, but I'm not very good at it!) The cafe in question has a road along the frontage which is forever being used by stunt riders for just generally showing off, wheelieing, stoppies, etc, you get the drift. He pulled onto this road and we had a bike stationed at the top which stopped the traffic straight after him. We had another bike at the other end which stopped traffic heading the other way as soon as he saw the first bike. So we got him an empty road and He pulls up right outside the cafe, smack bang in the middle of that road and gets off the bike leaving her on it. We had already arranged for a couple of girls to be holding a banner on the opposite side of the road with “[She] will you marry me? Love [He] xx” So He gets down on one knee, ring in hand, and just points to it! It was the sweetest thing!! Don't think she knew what to do! There was also a stunt rider who decided to do a donught and a few burnouts around them whilst all this was going on, which finished the whole scene off perfectly!
Oh, and She said I could be a bridesmaid.
Gonna have to wear a dress! Eek!
Oh, and She said I could be a bridesmaid.
Gonna have to wear a dress! Eek!
Monday, 19 July 2010
Bike Cover
I have a new bike cover! My ninja will now stay shiny and rainspot free! It cost me 25 bloody quid. If the cats piss on this one, I shall piss on them!! That will be all. Thankyou.
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