October 28, 2003

Fun Fun Fun

Yes your honour, we’ve had a thoroughly fun day

Posted by Nicklas at 11:55 PM

October 21, 2003

A few notes at the end of yet another Tuesday.

It’s ironic that the eternal battle between Monkey and Robot is the only thing that keeps us humans alive.

Had the polar opposites joined forces to defeat mankind, we would have been long gone - but now - thanks to the struggle showing no signs of an imminent or not so immenent end, we are safe.
Phew.

Zooming in on more domestic matters, I should really be Ironing my Shirt and Shaving right now, it’s a big day tomorrow, I have to be presentable, as they say. The good suit, then.
Not the 60’s tweed one with the green lining, the three piece one, that makes me look like Captain Furillo, although no-one seems to se the resemblance.

mrT was three yesterday. Happy Birthday & Ha den äran.

The weather: Icy black rain, 3 degrees and a howling wind from the north-northwest.

Posted by Nicklas at 11:44 PM

September 17, 2003

À la recherche du temps perdu

mrO ate his weight in Ravioli yesterday.
Like Marcel Proust, I was reminded of my youth, where we used to hold Ravioli Eating Competitions in the school diner.
The trick was to look inconspicuous when you approached the dinner-ladies for your 12th portion, and then just keep eating and eating.
My record of 89 raviolis was beaten by the guy in my class who ate 112.
He later became the regional line-dancing champion, and made it to the back pages of the local paper.

Posted by Nicklas at 10:15 AM

September 09, 2003

Searching for Tweed and Monkeys

I’ve been using Google’s news alerts for about three weeks now, searching for stories on Tweed and/or Monkeys
Usually the news alerts are dull reports on developments at New Haven Regional Airport, or an update on the latest capers of the “Nairobi State House Monkeys”.

Not Once, Not one time, I tell you, has a news alert brought tidings about both tweed and monkeys. Is that really too much to hope for?

This is clearly not Google’s fault, they are doing a swell job trawling news stories.
I’ll always call a spade a spade, and Lazy Journalism is what I call this.

Posted by Nicklas at 11:16 PM

September 08, 2003

Fever

I’ve been away.

After I came back from my holidays, I went almost straight into a very strange few days spent turning around in bed, floating a couple of inches above my body in a feverish cocoon-like state.
I spent almost two solid days sleeping, making up for some of that time that the last three years has deprived me of.

Now I’m back. and hopefully I should be a little bit more regular.
When it comes to writing.

Posted by Nicklas at 11:15 PM

August 12, 2003

Conversation Starter

It’s great weather we’re having, isn’t it. Record temperatures. Over 100 degrees there the other day so it was. No, Fahrenheit. You have to divide and then subtract 38.
Oh, I don’t know. It’s the Global Warming, so it is. We’re getting Malaria next year, so we will. No, it’s tan from a bottle.

Posted by Nicklas at 12:00 AM

June 12, 2003

My personal spammers

The Librarian writes:

I’ve also been thinking of compiling a list of names attached to the spam I’ve been getting lately. Some are simply absurd (Barry Mound) others are interestingly of indistinct ethnicity or gender. Perhaps this could turn into a tool for novelists?

Here’s a selection of people that recently have enriched my inbox with their promises of increased stamina and low interest loans, Ned Beaver is a current favourite, just behind the all time leader - Vasja Pupkin Jr, who made me exclude all .ru domains from my server, through sheer persistence.

the list:

Benita Aldrich
Ned Beaver
Carol Dewitt
Jesus Zamora
Eddie Lloyd
Andy Pickens
Robert Lee
Pat Carpenter
Lilia Velazquez
Rene Herring
Luisa Dillard
Frederick Mullen
Naomi Crane
Calvin Mckinnon
Rosanna Ash
Maria Luisa Facio
Joel Short
Octavio Kirkpatrick
Chelsea Price
Eric Blevins
Miriam Gee
Leah Arthur
Nola Whalen
Shannon Hawk
Irene Morris
Christa Sellers
Fredrick Bonds
Jane Brooks
Delmer Madden
Sarah Williams
Ora Dodd
Daryl Sweet
Maria Clara Biancetti
Ezra Merritt
Marian Pitts
Cecelia Hancock
Ruby Cuevas
Albert Madison
Patty Hilton
Daren Whitney
Aileen Cervantes
Jeanine Owen
Joseph Sisolo.
Tanya Rushing
Jefferson Kendrick
Jacob Mcgrath
Mariano Oliva
Julie Scott
Frances Celestine
Maximiliano Aleman
Clara Pita
Sherrie Lusk
Francisco Hidalgo
Effie Holcomb
Adele Malissa
Luisa Cossio Maderna
Christian Roussier
Adella Frape
Merlyn Knappe
Josefina Lexica Clar
Merna Brouthillier
Chanda Asawa
Carola Cavanagh Browne
Thanh Battiston
Stacey Changes

Posted by Nicklas at 07:43 PM | Comments (1)

May 14, 2003

Go Faster Stripes, where can I get them?

I am in the process of giving takete.com a small makeover.
Working at my current pace we should see something resembling a beta version sometime around the middle of August.

I have also made a firm commitment that mylittlerobot will be finished before my youngest son starts College.

I have commenced a correspondence course in the art of kicking myself up the arse.

Posted by Nicklas at 12:11 AM

April 26, 2003

A moment of clarity (in vino veritas)

I have it figured out.
At least for a while the big question seems to have an answer.
The meaning of life is physical and intellectual stimulation

Read more books. Do more pushups.

Posted by Nicklas at 09:53 PM

April 22, 2003

A month of sparse writing

It has been hard to write the last few weeks.
I have found my tolerance level for trivial and not so trivial matters decrease toward an all time low recently.

I curse loudly at inane television ads. I put down newspapers after having read just a few opening paragraphs, wanting to chastise the journalist for being so stereotypically lazy. I assaulted a teenage boy who dropped his half-eaten burger on the ground making me swerve to avoid getting mustard on my shoes. I am generally unpleasant to be around.

And I don’t write everyday like I used to. I can’t create anything to please my standards, so I’ve surrendered.

This morning when I woke up after a full nights sleep, however, I felt inclined to re-commence my publishing efforts.
Perhaps the discipline of writing everyday will make me more balanced. Maybe I’ll even stop shouting at the TV.

Posted by Nicklas at 07:56 AM

April 10, 2003

This months "What's Up and What's Down" list fails to surprise the judges.

Going Up
* Black droopy wrinkles under your eyes
* Television is the new Meditation
* Sleeping in snappy 20 minute segments
* Starting early, getting down late
* Neglecting your friends and neighbours

Going Down:
* Fitness regimes
* Thinking
* Feeling at all well
* Relaxation and fulfillment
* Human interaction

Posted by Nicklas at 09:21 PM

April 01, 2003

My favourite April Fools joke ever

Umeå, Sweden, April 1, 1981
Mother:
Nicklas. There’s an Elk looking in through our kitchen window.

Posted by Nicklas at 12:59 AM

February 13, 2003

The meditative aspect of household chores

I find peace in washing dishes.

Ironing fills me with a divine calm.

I tried to determine what it is about these specific chores that satisfies, and came to the conclusion that the process of turning the unorderly object (the wrinkly shirt, the dirty cup) into an orderly one by manipulating it with my hands for a short period of time, combined with the repetative nature of the undertaking creates a ritual in which chaos is defeated over and over, in a tightly defined realm where victory is a possible, indeed even a likely outcome.

Elswhere in life the constraints are wider, the permutations more plentiful. There are no certain outcomes. The safe haven of the perfectly framed and confined scene where steam fights both grime and wrinkles must be sought to be replicated in spheres outside the kitchen.

Only then can I safely become one with everything

Posted by Nicklas at 11:47 PM