I left my soul in south Essex.
Dec. 19th, 2002 12:02 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
zotzI've just been down to The Big Shed In The Middle Of Nowhere and come back with Billy. Billy is, of course, a bookcase, as are his friends Billy, Billy and Billy. Benno, on the other hand, is CD holder. Thisseems to match my unofficial survery of Ikea customers : most of what everyone bought was Billy bookcases, although a few people bought other odds and ends also. It is basically a bookcase shop with pretensions. Exactly why it has pretensions to being a disused aircraft hangar I've no idea, but hey - everyone needs a hobby.
A friend of mine said a while back that a particular visit to Ikea was the gayest thing that had ever happened to him. It must have been a different Ikea, because if being gay was anything like my experience this evening (and that on my previous visit some months ago) you'd all have killed yourselves long since.
Still, I managed to get it all home without obviously breaking anything. Next I have to put the things together and get all the books and boxes of detritus onto them.
Friday: B-movie. Good. In a notable reversal of recent clubbing outings, I noticed several songs we'd played at the Calling three days earlier. Since then . . . hanging about doing not much. Ventured into town yesterday to start the Christmas shopping, and went to WUS in the evening, which was nice and relaxing. Listened to some Colorblind James Experience in the early evening. I got asked about a Canadian punk band Called My Dog Popper while out, and was told they had a song called We're Old We're Fat And We're Slow, which Dave at work's mentioned a few times. He didn't know who it was by, so now I can tell him. Apparently they're worth chasing up, which means that I might need to track down a copy of their album that I saw advertised in MRR in the late eighties - 668 - The Neighbour Of The Beast. I should also probably find We Are The Support Act by I, Ludicrous (still going, fact fans), which also sounds worth a listen.
Unlike several of my friends, I haven't seen The Two Towers yet. I will, though. And not in a filthy hobbit-fancying sense either.
I notice that various sets of plans have been proposed for redeveloping the site of the World Trade Centre. More than one would involve building the world's tallest skyscraper. Nice to see that humility's on the agenda. It'll be interesting to see whether the New York Fire Department once again argues the difficulty of fighting fires at those heights, and it'll be even more interesting to see whether they are again overruled by the men carrying the chequebooks. Last time, the owners of the site - the Port Authority - were their own planning authority, which put them in a fairly cushy position. They have a problem this time, in that people will actually be paying attention. They may (and that's "may", not "will") have to do it properly this time.
And thank you to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
dennyd for pointing that last one out.
A friend of mine said a while back that a particular visit to Ikea was the gayest thing that had ever happened to him. It must have been a different Ikea, because if being gay was anything like my experience this evening (and that on my previous visit some months ago) you'd all have killed yourselves long since.
Still, I managed to get it all home without obviously breaking anything. Next I have to put the things together and get all the books and boxes of detritus onto them.
Friday: B-movie. Good. In a notable reversal of recent clubbing outings, I noticed several songs we'd played at the Calling three days earlier. Since then . . . hanging about doing not much. Ventured into town yesterday to start the Christmas shopping, and went to WUS in the evening, which was nice and relaxing. Listened to some Colorblind James Experience in the early evening. I got asked about a Canadian punk band Called My Dog Popper while out, and was told they had a song called We're Old We're Fat And We're Slow, which Dave at work's mentioned a few times. He didn't know who it was by, so now I can tell him. Apparently they're worth chasing up, which means that I might need to track down a copy of their album that I saw advertised in MRR in the late eighties - 668 - The Neighbour Of The Beast. I should also probably find We Are The Support Act by I, Ludicrous (still going, fact fans), which also sounds worth a listen.
Unlike several of my friends, I haven't seen The Two Towers yet. I will, though. And not in a filthy hobbit-fancying sense either.
I notice that various sets of plans have been proposed for redeveloping the site of the World Trade Centre. More than one would involve building the world's tallest skyscraper. Nice to see that humility's on the agenda. It'll be interesting to see whether the New York Fire Department once again argues the difficulty of fighting fires at those heights, and it'll be even more interesting to see whether they are again overruled by the men carrying the chequebooks. Last time, the owners of the site - the Port Authority - were their own planning authority, which put them in a fairly cushy position. They have a problem this time, in that people will actually be paying attention. They may (and that's "may", not "will") have to do it properly this time.
And thank you to
dennyd for pointing that last one out.
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no subject
Date: 2002-12-18 04:10 pm (UTC)have to say, that rather amused me (in a that's-not-very-funny kind of way) when i first read it. the buildings were an icon for capitalism and were destroyed with massive loss of life, an event which was seen as a wonderful victory by those who perpetrated it - and they're wanting to put an even taller building its place? what're they going to do next, distribute passenger aircrafts complete with engraved invitations?
eh, sorry. bah humbug. and grrrr. and so forth.
no subject
Date: 2002-12-18 04:36 pm (UTC)Write "KICK ME" in huge letters down one side.
Billy & Bilbo
Date: 2002-12-18 04:29 pm (UTC)Since moving to Wales, I've only been back to Ikea twice, once for a pair of Billy bookcases and once for a pack of extra shelves for 'em. Need another two Billys though so I will be back again soon.
I do tend to stock up on low-energy lightbulbs, tealights, and pickled herring when I go, too, but I admit the big draw is Billy.
Bilbo, OTOH, I am saving for my birthday in a fortnight. Saw the new Harry Potter tonight, which was good. I have to say I'm looking forward to The Two Towers far more than I was looking forward to Fellowship. I don't much like Tolkien, but Peter Jackson has actually managed to pluck out the decent story buried somewhere in LotR and make it visually fantastic too. . .
BTW, in a completely tangential manner, do you know any good astrophysicists? I have a top-notch idea for an SF novel but I need someone who knows the Kuiper Belt inside out. At least, as far as that is possible.
Re: Billy & Bilbo
Date: 2002-12-18 05:06 pm (UTC)I need someone who knows the Kuiper Belt inside out.
I think that
Re: Billy & Bilbo
Date: 2002-12-19 03:00 pm (UTC)Fluffymark does indeed sound like the right person to talk to -- I don't know him, but I may mail him on your recommendation. Thanks!
Re: Billy & Bilbo
Date: 2002-12-19 03:16 pm (UTC)Thinking back . . . yes, that's entirely possible.
Fluffymark does indeed sound like the right person to talk to
I'd guess so. More than anyone else I can currently think of. He described his work in a news post earlier in the year - google archived here.
Re: Billy & Bilbo
Date: 2002-12-19 03:59 pm (UTC)I also know some people who got some Billy bookcases recently. The number of people acquiring these things is getting worrying IMHO.
Re: Billy & Bilbo
Date: 2002-12-19 04:26 pm (UTC)Worrying? Billy is not worrying! The ability to hold 40kg of books without bending or buckling is one to be praised, not worried at!
Of course now I have read Fight Club I know that Ikea are part of the problem rather than part of the solution. However I can't help but feel I'd rather trust my books to Billy than to the various pieces of MFI crap I've had over the years that are now in smaller pieces in skips somewhere.
Re: Billy & Bilbo
Date: 2002-12-19 04:40 pm (UTC)Re: Billy & Bilbo
Date: 2002-12-19 04:58 pm (UTC)Re: Billy & Bilbo
Date: 2002-12-19 05:06 pm (UTC)Re: Billy & Bilbo
Date: 2002-12-19 04:56 pm (UTC)Snow Crash leads one to the same conclusion. Bloody franchises . . . which is also the reason they don't do online ordering, I suspect.
Re: Billy & Bilbo
Date: 2002-12-20 05:32 am (UTC)Re: Billy & Bilbo
Date: 2002-12-20 06:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2002-12-20 09:01 am (UTC)Re: Billy & Bilbo
Date: 2002-12-20 12:42 pm (UTC)Otherwise you're looking at steel workshop shelving -- www.screwfix.com probably have it.
Re: Billy & Bilbo
Date: 2002-12-29 03:54 am (UTC)What do you need to know about the Kuiper belt? It not exactly my field of expertise, as i deal mostly with planetary systems, but it's close. However if I don't know the answer you need, I certainly know people who will. My college (as far as I know) is the only place in the UK doing Kuiper belt research, and were in the newspapers a couple of weeks back about the possible discovery of 'Planet X' lurking within the Kuiper Belt.
no subject
Date: 2002-12-18 05:23 pm (UTC)aw, I live just down the road from Ikea and I don't have a Billy....I feed deprived.
And I really *neeed* a Billy...the boxes of books in my room are pissing me off, and generally getting in the way.
Or -- Argos?
Date: 2002-12-19 03:59 am (UTC)Re: Or -- Argos?
Date: 2002-12-20 04:22 am (UTC)The thing I like about them (presuming I'm buying the same ones) is that the shelves are only as deep as a paperback, more or less... which means I can't accumulate junk in front of them which is otherwise pretty inevitable.
Re: Or -- Argos?
Date: 2002-12-20 06:39 am (UTC)i, ludicrous!
Date: 2002-12-19 04:21 am (UTC)And: mmmm, pervy hobbit fancying.
Re: i, ludicrous!
Date: 2002-12-20 07:01 am (UTC)We're Old We're Fat And We're Slow
Date: 2002-12-20 09:37 am (UTC)