Archive for November, 2005

Dr Karl

Published on 19 November 2005 in Uncategorized. 3 Comments

Every Friday night M and I have our Date Night. We go into the city and do a bookshop crawl (our version of the pub crawl), eat junkfood (or proper food) and just generally spend time together. Those who of you who know us In Real Life might be wondering why we need to spend even more time together, given that we do lots of stuff together - live together (are married!), play games together, and even work for the same organisation. Date Night is just one of those rituals we have had together for a number of years now. We usually don’t have anything to do for the evening, other than indulge in things we enjoy and just enjoy each other’s company. Date Night is special!

Anyway. Last night’s Date was memorable in that we spoke to Dr Karl! We went to Dymocks to buy me Empires of the Word by Nicholas Oster, and when we went to pay for it ($75!1), Dr Karl was sitting there signing a stack of books, Dis Information and other Wikkid Myths: More Great Myths In Science. This is his new book, just out, I gather. For people unfamiliar with who I’m talking about, Dr Karl Kruszelnicki (Dr Karl for short), appears on radio and tv talking about science. This sounds awfully dry and dull, but Dr Karl is anything but. I guess you could call him a science populariser. He has a great show on Triple J every Thursday morning where people call in and ask all sorts of questions. Dr Karl often knows the answer to the most bizarre things, and gives the answers in a really engaging way, which is what makes him so good to listen to. I never get to listen because I’m at work, but I think I might subscribe to the podcast version of the show.

Anyway, M noticed first that it was Dr Karl. I didn’t recognise him at first, because my Celebrity Spotting Radar is underused (last time it worked was when I spotted Michael Stipe eating in the Universal Bar! That was years ago now). As soon as M pointed Dr Karl out to me I started frantically thinking of a question I could ask him. Of course, I couldn’t think of a thing to ask, but decided I had to at least talk to the Great Man, so I blurted out, “I can’t think of a thing to ask you!” The brief conversation we had:

CW: I can’ t think of a thing to ask you!
Dr K: Go on, you must have something you want to know.
CW: Nope, I can’t think of a thing…
Dr K: Oh well then I must sit at your feet and learn from you seeing as you know everything! [was he being sarcastic??]
At this point I laughed and told him I’m a librarian. (Or was it M who told him this?)
Dr K: Ahh, you’re one of the gatekeepers to knowledge in the 21st century!
CW: [Laughing again - Gee I must have come across like a simpering fan git] Ooh you’re making it sound a lot more exalted than it really is! [I’m not kidding, I said “exalted”! *Smacks forehead*]
M: [At the same time, in response to Dr K’s positive view of librarians] Isn’t that the role of Google??
CW to M: You’re sleeping on the couch tonight! [Jokingly of course, I was on a roll by now!]
At this point the Dymocks person finished processing my purchase, so we said goodbye to Dr K and left.

Thinking about this interchange still makes me giggle. If I could ask him a question now, I’d ask how he knows so much. What does he do to keep learning new stuff??

1Got a nice refund from the Tax Office and had to blow some of it on something. Not very frivolous though, is it??

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Fridayitis

Published on 17 November 2005 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

I was going to write about something I read in the 29 October issue of New Scientist this morning, but I am too tired at the moment. You know how some mornings you wake up and think ‘This must be a mistake, it can’t be morning yet…”? Well, this was one of those mornings. Thank goodness it’s the weekend tomorrow.

That 29 October issue was a special issue, with some really interesting articles on the nature of creativity. But, as I am feeling like a wrung out tea towel this morning, I am lacking enough creative juices to do a post on creativity any justice.

Hopefully the day is not too challenging. I have a fair amount to do today, including writing an agenda for a conference call, preparing to train my colleagues on blogging next week, scripting a podcast, and writing a presentation on ‘new’ technology and its impact on librarians libraries (Freudian slip, I do feel like something has impacted on me this morning, like a bus).


3:32pm. YAWN. I thought the day might improve as it went on and i got stuck into my to do list, but at the moment I am asleep with my eyes open. It doesn’t help that I am slowly and painfully trying to write a glossary at the moment. Time to do something else…

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Summer

Published on 16 November 2005 in Uncategorized. 4 Comments

Summer is definitely on its way. We had a first taste on Tuesday, when the temperature soared to 34 degrees Celsius (93 degrees Fahrenheit). Perth summers are usually extremely hot and dry.

Ten things I like about summer:

  1. The sun rises early (by about 5am; maybe earlier? I’ll have to observe).
  2. The sun sets late - around 7:30pm.
  3. The colour of the sky - clear clear blue.
  4. The sound of doves cooing in the early morning - they probably start cooing when they wake up with the sun, and now that I am up too, I hear them.
  5. The sound of cicadas in the middle of the day.
  6. All the weeds in the garden die off. (The grass and other things you planted also die off, unless you keep them watered, but that’s another issue.)
  7. No rain.
  8. Holidays. The University closes down for almost two weeks around Christmas, so we all get holidays.
  9. Barbecues. The Aussie barbie. The smells and sounds - cooking food, sizzle, smoke.
  10. Sitting and enjoying an ice-cold drink in the evening twilight.

Ten things I dislike about summer:

  1. 40 degree (104 Fahrenheit!) days. Especially when you get a few of them in a row. Being outdoors feels like standing in an oven. Having to wear sunscreen to take the laundry in.
  2. Mosquitoes. Flies. Midges. Flying cockroaches!
  3. You forget what clouds look like. The clear clear blue sky is usually cloudless.
  4. The sound of doves cooing. They never vary their coos. Ever.
  5. The sound of cicadas during the day. You can hear them all around you, but you never, ever see them…
  6. All the weeds and everything in the garden die off. Everything gets brown and dead.
  7. No rain.
  8. Holidays. At the hottest time of the year. With no airconditioning at home. Work is at least cool.
  9. Barbecues. You get sick of the burnt meat and the same old, same old.
  10. Sitting outdoors in the evening twilight. See reason number 2 for disliking summer.

I’m making myself wish for winter, already!

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