Wordless Wednesday

Pulp Shakespeare

I saw a link on a friend's journal this morning, to the Pulp Shakespeare Project, which is a collaborative effort to translate "Pulp Fiction" into a Shakespeare play (using translate for want of a better word).

The concept seemed incredible before I had even read some of the translations, and having seen the beginnings that they have up on there I am very impressed. I would love to give it a go, but don't even know where I would begin. Both versions of Jules' dialogue with Jimmy on this page are great. I might have to think on this, another little writing project to go along with all of the other things to do in the next 1001 days...

Dost not thou see that my lips move?
I beg, sirrah, that thou try to recall
whether a sign-post haply struck thine eye
upon thy entrance hitherto, i'faith,
emblazoned with a legend, reading thus:
"Ye May Reposit Lifeless Moors Within"? (from the second version, here)

More soon.

Racing Entropy

The final, ordered list for my 101 things in 1001 days project was put up on Racing Entropy, and so I think I am pretty much done for the day! Also uploaded the URL of the list to the main 101/1001 site, but will take a few days for it to appear there.

Things are a bit calmer at home now; thanks to those who commented on Friday's entry. We're all doing as well as can be expected. Still mentally unpacking it all; don't know when the funeral is going to be yet, but I think it is looking likely that it will be early next week rather than the end of this week.

Leaving soon to go and buy a birthday present for my friend's daughter, who will be one this Thursday. I bought her a "Boo" doll (the character from Monsters, Inc) for Christmas, and her parents said that as soon as she tore the paper off she took the doll and hugged it... Have to try and find something of a similar high standard for the discerning one year old...

More soon.

Ups and Downs

My nan passed away last night in hospital, very peacefully with family by her side. It is a sad time, but my family and I are doing alright. There have been other stresses from other relatives, but it looks like these things have been put aside for now. I'm only in university now because I needed to do a few things, and also because I felt that I needed to get out of the house for a few hours. My sister has taken the day off work and has stayed home with my mum, who was sleeping (she's missed a lot of sleep this week). I stayed with her all of Wednesday night and yesterday day, so I'm a bit sleep deprived too, but not too bad.

More than ever, I am glad that I submitted my thesis last week... I have no idea how I would have coped if that was still ongoing.

A final thing before I sign off, a link to the blog I am going to keep for my "101 Things in 1001 Days" project. There's a placeholder entry there for now, I want to work on the ordering and ideas for layout over the weekend: Racing Entropy.

As ever, more soon.

Dreams, This and That

My dreams have been quite vivid lately. Early last week I dreamed that I was being shown around a McDonalds for a job there, and once they had concluded the tour of the (spotless) kitchen and food preparation area they proceeded to tell me that I couldn't have the job because I was wearing a t-shirt with the Kelloggs Corn Flakes rooster on it.

A few days later I dreamed that I met a beautiful woman at a party, and that we exchanged numbers at her suggestion that we should go out some time soon (I think the woman was Lena Headey, I've lately been watching the Terminator TV series which she stars in). Just as she was about to hand me her number she stopped and said, "There's something you should know: I have a son who is three and a half years old, and he has Downs syndrome." That's when I woke up, something jarring my subconscious to say, "You're dreaming."

Seriously, what's that all about?

Finishing my thesis is a great weight off my shoulders, and now am trying to figure out my approach to what I have to do next: write some papers, apply for some jobs, prepare for my viva and figure out when I'm going to take some proper down time.

Have about 90 things in my list of 101 things; depending on whether or not I visit my nan in the hospital this evening (I've been this afternoon, she is very poorly and my mum and aunt have been with her all day) I'm going to start sorting through them, grouping them together. One of the biggest sections by far is related to writing - I love to write, but very rarely do I push myself to actually get it done. I'm narrowing down possible names for the blog that I'm going to record the 101 stuff in (didn't want to clutter this one up - I'm not leaving writing here either).

Finally today I leave you with two interesting little things that I came across in the last few weeks. The first is an entry over at Superhero Sewing Circle, showing a re-dubbed part of an episode of Captain Planet (remember: the power is... yours!) that I thought was too funny not to share. The second is a page where you can read the first issue of a recently started comic, Gutsville. The concept is delicious: a community of people living in the belly of a beast (like Jonah's great fish), stranded inside for over 150 years and evolving their own kind of society. The artwork is a little grisly in places, and there's the occasional swear word, but if you're inclined to try new things then give it a read - the final page is a real jawdropper, rich with possibility.

More soon.

Section 44(2) Strikes Back

Regular readers might remember my recent encounter with the police, when I was stopped and searched under Section 44(2) of the Terrorism Act 2000. I've been thinking about this off and on ever since, and wondering about various aspects of it. I'm still not sure what I think about it, but my thinking about it has been brought to the fore again in the last few days, as on Wednesday I was stopped again in the same place (exiting Lime Street undergound station).

As I got to the top of the escalator I saw a policeman, and I don't know, maybe a look of "here we go" crossed my face, because I went to walk past him he put his hand on my arm (not forcefully) and said, "Could you come over here please sir, this will just take five minutes."

As I walked to the side with him, out of the way of those leaving the station (but still in full view, which is something that I do not like about this procedure, especially given the conditions/reasons for stopping a person, i.e., whatever they think) I said, "Is this a stop and search under Section 44(2)?"

He stopped and blinked twice, and then asked, "Have you been stopped before?"

"About a month ago."

He smiled, then laughed and waved me away: "On you go then, don't worry, it's just that you look shifty!"

I think I'm going to get off the train at a different stop from now on.

Submission

I submitted my thesis yesterday.

After a week spent basically correcting it, and then a day spent correcting the typesetting program that insisted the margins of the pages should do something completely nonsensical, it was a great relief when I finally bound my three copies yesterday afternoon and went over to the Foundation Building to hand them in.

It was, however, an anti-climax to have the member of staff receiving them greet my enthusiastic "I'm here to submit my PhD thesis!" with a disinterested "Do you have the right form?"

Still, the relief of getting it in (and slightly ahead of the deadline I gave myself) is great - although it's only really starting to sink in. I don't have any big celebratory plans over the weekend; my family and I were talking about going out for a meal, but it seems that there isn't a time over the weekend when all four of us are free. If they're all busy tomorrow afternoon I might go to the theatre actually, there's a production of Romeo and Juliet at the Playhouse that might be good. I also want to go and see Samuel Beckett's End Game which starts at the Everyman today...

I've not been to the theatre in a while, but seeing another Met in HD opera on Saturday has really put me in the mood. Now, if only I can persuade someone to go and see La Fille du Régiment...

More very soon, and from next week (probably) I'll be updating a new blog as well, chronicling my efforts to do 101 Things in 1001 Days...

Wordless Wednesday (on Friday)