How to get into the United Nations

Dude, those big doors, the ones with the signs reading “Pull”? Pull on them next time, don’t push.

Feral Travel Tip #237: traveling with a tin whistle

Traveling with a tin whistle: When traveling by air with a tin whistle in your carry-on baggage – for example a Clarke Original Tin Whistle, do be sure and place the whistle at the top of the bag, where it is easily accessible so that when the bag goes through the X-ray machine at the airport and the man at the machine thinks he sees a gun inside, the man searching your bag finds the whistle right away, and doesn’t have to remove every last thing from the bag, including smelly socks, etc, piling them up there on the steel table covered with the green indoor-outdoor carpeting, as everyone watches and you stand there trying to look innocent and friendly and harmless. On the other hand, the man does pack the bag back up himself, so if you are a lousy packer there is also an advantage to having him remove every last thing, because then when you arrive home and unpack, your wife remarks on how neatly you packed this time. Pros and cons to everything, I guess.

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Gift of time

Another one of those nights, with cat on head, sweaty sick child snoring in one’s ear, wife hogging covers. Finally wake up before alarm, wrecked, check clock there in dark: six o’clock! I’m a half hour late! Why didn’t the alarm go off? Pretty tired for six, but I’ll be able to function, I think. Run downstairs, go to bathroom, start to make coffee in kitchen, look at wall clock: 12.30 at night. I’d gotten the big hand mixed up with the little hand in the dark.

Five hours left to sleep! What a wonderful feeling!

Vote early and often

Feel as you will about the Bloggies (weblog awards), it’s voting time again. As a good Internet citizen, here are a few voting recommendations:
1. Best site for unintentional humor: the weblog review.
2. Site nominated in the most categories, don’t ask me why: the fact that – unbeknownst to Wil – I am currently working on a script for a Wil Wheaton vehicle, sort of a silent B/W Creature of the Black Lagoon remake, with Wil cast as a Creature (heavily pierced with fishing lures) who falls in love with a girl prevents me from voting for him in this category, since it would look like a conflict of interests. So vote your conscience in this category.
3. Go there now. It’s your democratic duty.

Just what is that supposed to mean?

Father: When playing the harp, maybe if you try sticking your tongue out a little during the hard parts, it would help you concentrate.
Daughter: [in a snide, yet off-handed manner] I’m not a cellist.

Made a useful discovery last night: Gamma falls asleep faster if I’m practicing cello at her bedtime. I used to miss practices because we thought it would keep her awake. That bodes well for the future. Likewise, while practicing a tune last night, I occasionally heard notes that sounded like *cello* and not *strangling warthog*.

London

Anything interesting happening in London this weekend?