Meanderings of a Monkey Juggler

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There will be no updates to this site from now.  If you link to this site and wish to continue to link to my inane ramblings then please change your links to point at the website above.  I'll see you all there.

Have fun.

My bloody internet connection/router/something along the line keeps blocking off access to certain websites.  Including but not exclusively the BlogSpirit site.  This is usually remedied by restarting my router but this is irritating in itself.  Now it's reached new levels to the extent that I can get through to Blogspirit and type a new post but then it doesn't let me post it; rather it gives me a "Site not found" page that means I've just lost my post and have to start again.

I've lost 3 posts in this way in the last week.  So bollocks to it.  I'm stopping using this site starting very soon.

Have fun.

Just spent a lovely evening with Ruth and John.  These are the people who came to Bulgaria with us.  I nicked loads of the photos they took on their trip and a selection are now on my Care2 page  Click on the "My Photos" link to the left somewhere if you'd like a look.

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I've been in a few online discussions recently.  I've noticed there are some rules that seem to apply.  You may have heard of Godwin's Law.  This seems to be the apotheosis of internet discussion laws but there are lesser laws as well.

1. When you have no real comeback to someone you must insult their grammar.
2. When insulting someone's grammar you must make at least one grammatical error.
3. If you are American you must accept that any comments that slightly take exception to the US's foreign or domestic policy are indicative of the author's disgust and hatred of all things American.
4. Further to 3 - this means you must now embarrass yourself by a: stating this and b: mentioning that you "won the war" and "where's the gratitude?"
5. When stating anything that varies from received wisdom expect to be either ignored completely or flamed.
6. Even when you're right. (do I sound bitter?)

There are probably more but they'll do for now.

Have fun.

PS I would like to claim ownership of laws one and two.  I reckon "Beers' First and Second Laws" sounds quite dignified for such a ludicrous thing.

[edit] bollocks, too late: look here.

You must see this here.

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This isn't about methods of plugging DVD players into a telly, more a few thoughts about politics so switch off now if you aren't interested.

It has been said in the past that Greens are often socialists in disguise; this is the so-called "watermelon" hypothesis.  IE green on the outside covering a red centre.  Is it possible to add a bit of conservatism to the mix to create an RGB type?  I think it is.  And it probably describes me.  I just wrote a long meandering piece but it was basically rubbish so I binned it.  I'll have a think again later and see if I can put it into words.  I would guess though that this political make-up puts me firmly in the majority of people in the country.

Oh and this is my 300th post.

Have fun.

[edit 12/9/06]  Can you tell that I wasn't really thinking straight when I wrote the above?  What I basically mean is that most of us have pulls to various ends of the political spectra.  That's it really.

I'm in a really snappy mood today and I reckon it's entirely down to the patients I'm seeing today. 

Almost without exception they're whingy, whiny types who feel the world owes them everything 'cos they've got some pain.

Almost without exception they've been humourless drones with no sense of levity.  It's one of the redeeming features of even the chavviest Brit that there is humour in adversity.  Today I've had people looking like the world has ended and all because their foot aches a bit (after 2 hours standing at the tills yesterday) or their back hurts because they're stressed (and so am I now you've come to see me). Oh shut up!  I don't like the phrase "get a life" but please get a life.  These people seem to think that life is perfect and the slightest thing means the end of all that is good and holy. 

Without exception I've been short with them at best.  I must get a grip on it or I'll get disciplined if this carries on.

Have fun.

[edit]

I've just had a lovely patient but she told me a story that seriously hacks me off.  She was in a car crash and had a basic whiplash issue.  I assessed her but instead of the standard muscular problems she has a top rib problem.  A bit unusual but was probably pre-existing and hadn't given her trouble pre-RTA.  I checked all the usual suspects as well and concluded that it's definitely the top rib.  Apart from anything the thing gives her exact pain when you poke it; usually a good sign of accurate diagnosis.  So she goes to see a doctor after being asked by her solicitors.  "What? The physio thinks it's top rib?  Idiot.  It's your neck" says the doc.  So the poor patient doesn't know what to think.  One clearly says it's "this"; the other fundamentally disagrees.  I'm the one less likely to be believed 'cos I'm no doctor.  But I do know about necks and shoulders and ribs.  Luckily for me (and her) the patient believes me as I actually did an assessment of the problem rather than a terse attempt at convincing the patient that what I say is right without bothering to look properly. [growl]

Sometimes.

It's Sunday morning and 2 young scamps have just knocked on my door very loudly (hopefully not waking K who's just back from working overnight [edit - oh they have]).  This happens a lot round here and I usually ignore such events.  However they knocked again leading me to think that they'd lost a ball over my wall or some such.  I answer the door to these 2 young'uns and they blurt out "Do you know anyone who wants their car washing?"  This is unusual.  Firstly as I don't have a car at present and second for the act of kindness these children wish to impart.  It's also odd because there is a professional car cleaning outfit about 10m away from my house.  But these kids then don't want to believe that the car parked outside my house is not mine (it really isn't) and threatened me with giving the car a good kicking.  Oh they've gone and spoiled the image.  Still, no skin off my nose if they damage the car.  I think my stating "Go on then, it doesn't bother me, it's not mine, I've already told you" sort of called their bluff.  [edit - the car remains undamaged as far as I can see - false bravado in chav children?  Who would of thought it?]

I've also been struggling with my neighbour's kids.  They've recently taken to clambering onto my bin to get on the roof have my outhouse.  I'm not very fussed about this as they're not likely to cause any damage but it's really not a safe place to be; or more precisely it's not a safe way to get there.  I've told them not to a couple of times but I might even have to tell their mum if I catch them again.  How old do I sound?

Have fun.

Sometimes.

Good:  A friend I made on my "learn to teach English to foreigners" course was originally from Hong Kong and when she finished the course she disappeared back there to teach.  I hadn't heard from her for ages and then out of the blue she goes and phones me up yesterday.  Cue big smile on my face.

Bad: Me for not keeping in touch with people.  I need to make some long phone calls.

Good: My brother and his son Spike.  Bro phoned me a couple of days ago and handed the phone to young Spike.  Cue my longest conversation to date with the young un.  Looking forward to meeting them again soon.

Bad: A patient who has one of those "I'm a smug arrogant git" faces.  She comes in and says "My husband has to come with me".  I reply with "There's not a lot of room."  She says ""But he's disabled and needs to have an eye kept on him".  "But there's more chance of that in the waiting room where there are more people as we'll be in a tiny cubicle and he'll have to sit outside it whilst we get on with the business in hand."  She grumps and accedes to that view (to me).  Anyway I then get called in by my Senior who has been informed by the receptionist that the lady was very upset and was told "In no way would my husband be allowed in as there's no room" and she wanted to make sure that someone could properly watch him; not an official job for a receptionist (What's wrong with him so that he needs 24 hour observation anyway?).  I get bollocked for upsetting the patient and receptionist.  That's not what I said!  The bloody man can come and sit there on his own in a corner with no-one watching over him for all I care but I thought he'd get more care by being somewhere with more pairs of eyes around.  Apparently not.

Sigh.

Have fun.

PS Anyone around for larks and frolics this evening? (Friday)

This is a bit of a thing.  Isn't it weird when opinions shift?  I've said before that people generally make up opinions and then find things to justify their position.  I've also said that I'm not a fan of this.  So time to fess up.  I'm as guilty as anyone and something's happened recently to make me realise it.  It all happened very quickly (as these things are wont to do).

First off we'll use the example of Tony Cake, juggler extraordinaire.  I was a member of his forum and enjoyed reading and contributing to it.  A few people have had conversations there re his dislike of the site-swap system.  But his response, rather than a simple "look I don't feel it adds anything to my life so why should I bother", was a collection of rants about "samey" juggling on the site and then a video showing him doing a passable impression of a learning disabled lad doing siteswaps.  Another bit was his claim that he could do 8 clubs.  Most reckoned his skill level was high enough that this wasn't far-fetched at all.  One or two questioned him as there was no video evidence of him doing 8 clubs.  So his latest is a vid of him getting 8 clubs 3 times (apparently he did it more than that during that session).  No problem you'd think.  Ah but no, then he has to tack on an arrogant response to any critics at the end of the video.

Further to this:  He recently changed the look of his site.  It's now white on black and is certainly eye-catching.  Problem is I can't easily read it (white on black really doesn't work well for astigmatism).  Other regulars have the same problem.  We said so and asked if he could re-think.  Cue the response that we should all have eye-tests and it's staying as it is so ner.  I have no problem with someone designing their website in the way that they like but to basically insult regular, polite and friendly people (who like the site and want to use it) stating a preference is hardly the attitude you want.  [edit: he's now changed it to something much more, eye-friendly so this paragraph can be partially discounted]

So my attitude has changed and I can see where some other people are coming from re this guy's arrogance. 

And who is there to publically articulate the same view as me?  Luke B, that's who.  He posted on rec.juggling re the 8 club video and used the line

8 clubs is very impressive, but I almost felt sick seeing
Anthony's reaction and the way he presented it.

I can't disagree with that at all.  In fact in many of his recent posts (that I've seen) he's come across as one of the more thoughtful and insightful people on rec.juggling.  And his opinions have closely correlated with mine.

He followed this with a post that ended with the sig:

Luke Burrage - reportedly "arrogant"

I checked and found out that the site that comes out on top in Yahoo when you search for "Luke Burrage arrogant" is this very site you're reading now.  I think I owe him an apology.  Over the last year he's impressed me greatly (especially with the BYJOTY organising and presentation) and I really have no leg to stand on to stand by some of the comments I've put in writing on here (although at least one I can think of was rather tongue-in-cheek; but I'm not going back and re-writing them).  If you're reading this Luke then, Sorry boss, if I've ever been unfair.

Have fun.