Massive stalking

I saw them at the end of July in Juan les Pins on the French Riviera, they missed me by a few days (well, weeks, should the truth be told) near San Francisco last week, and I’ll see them again this Sunday with Amy, at the Orpheum Theater in Boston.

I think Massive Attack are stalking me!

I look forward to being tomorrow evening 🙂

Worth knowing fact #68

[This post originally appeared in Dullicious, where I blogged as Barbie-dull for several years.]

Fact Worth Knowing #68:

WALKING. — To walk gracefully, the body must be erect, but not stiff, and the head help up in such a posture that the eyes are directed forward. The tendency of untaught walkers is to look towards the ground near the feet ; and some persons appear always as if admiring their shoe-ties. The eyes should not thus be cast downward, neither should the chest bend forward to throw out the back, making what are termed round shoulders ; on the contrary, the whole person must hold itself up, as if not afraid to look the world in the face, and the chest by all means be allowed to expand. At the same time, everything like strutting or pomposity must be carefully avoided. An easy, firm, and erect posture, are alone desirable. In walking, it is necessary to bear in mind that the locomotion is to be performed entirely by the legs. Awkward persons rock from side to side, helping forward each leg alternately by advancing the haunches. This is not only ungraceful, but fatiguing. Let the legs alone advance, bearing up the body.

From the excellent “Inquire Within for Anything You Want To Know or Over Three Thousand Seven Hundred Facts Worth Knowing” of 1858.

Airport *security*?

[This post originally appeared in Dullicious, where I blogged as Barbie-dull for several years.]

I missed my flight tonight. Now I’m writing this entry from the plane, which is a sure sign that things went well in the end. The flight was delayed. I was thankful for that. I have run all day, I was hardly ready to go at the scheduled time. I could have made it, it’s just that seeing the flight had a 25 minute delay, I left 25 minutes later than I intended.

Now the thing is that hold luggage should be checked in at the initially scheduled time. So the guy could not send my luggage in time. He asked if I had scissors or knives. Yes, I have a pair of scissors. I also had two smallish suitcases and a bag full of toiletries. The guy at the AF desk was almost willing to send me on the plane with all of my luggage. I said I couldn’t afford to lose them and would rather wait hours to be on a later flight than risk losing them to leave on time.

So he managed to book me on the next flight. It turned out I had to run because it was boarding pretty soon. He checked in my two suitcases and sent me with my bag full of toiletries and a pair of scissors. Sharp and pointy scissors. I thought the x-ray guys would stop me, look at me reproachfully, search for the scissors and take them from me.

Not at all. I also smuggled my entire collection of cigarette lighters and two matchbooks. That was for a Nice – Paris Orly flight. I don’t expect to smuggle these on the London Heathrow – Boston flight.

Update: I *did* smuggle them on the London – Boston flight too.

Visiting scholar

Because of:

  • “starbucks coffee caramel macchiato”
  • “the ping-pong table at the Stata”
  • “Ralph’s pretzel jar”
  • “clam chowder”

I am moving to Boston. Mmm… caramel macchiato, pretzels 🙂

I’ll visit for 3 months and I’m leaving tomorrow evening. I’ll be a visiting scholar at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. In effect, nothing will change but my physical location.

This will be so much fun! I’m really looking forward to it.