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I have a plan. Though I say "science", it'll probably just end up with a few of us larking about.
What are you guys doing over the Easter weekend - Good Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday (2nd-5th April).

Inspired by OK Go's latest music video, I wish to make a Rube Goldberg machine.

I have the space in which to build it - there's an old pigeon house at the back of my garden. Currently I'm storing junk in there (old furniture, an exercise bike)

My rough plan is to have the first 2 days for ideas and testing small sections, the next day to build in full and deploy, with the final day as contingency. Come and go as you please, no minimum or maximum duration. Come with some bits that you want to use and a rough idea how you'll lay them out.

This is all likely to evolve as I find out numbers of people. I'll also need someone to film the japery for uploading to youtube.

Who's up for it? (Leave me contact details if you think I'll need them)
ETA:
House details:
Location HA8. (Details at http://mattp.livejournal.com/231680.html - let me know if you need access to that)
I have two cats.
Sleeping space for 2 can be provided (spare bed and a sofa).

Rather late to the party, but I signed up to FormSpring last week. - ask me stuff. (No one has asked me anything yet; the one I've answered was supplied on sign-up)

I bought a DC power connector with which to make a cable to replace the one for my laptop which failed yesterday. I have made said replacement cable.

I have fiddled with email filter/spam settings.

I have eaten only some grapes. This is about to be remedied.

Does anyone have any photos of me taken since 2005? That's not exactly a high bar to reach, but I realise that I don't have anything more recent. (I feel that it is time I updated my userpics)

It's coming up to my journal's 9th birthday (1 days after my 30th, incidentally) but I've only just got around to writing 1000 entries - this being that one. There'll be nothing introspective in this entry; I'll ave that for another time.

This entry in tubestories made me think about foreign languages, and in particular communicating with people without a common language. For the sake of this post, I'll paraphrase my comment on that post:

About six weeks ago I was on a Northern line platform north of Camden[1] when a guy asks me where Kings Cross station is - but I had no idea which language he was using. (I just picked out the words "Kings Cross"). I still managed, through a combination of sign language and tracing the route with my finger on a large wall map, to convey that he needed to take the second train.

What interactions have you had with people not using a shared language?
[1] Here's a map for the benefit of those not familiar with the underground system in London

Today I set up a Compaq ProLiant DL320 to run Windows 2000. The installation CD wasn't able to access the SCSI disks, so I downloaded a driver CD and used that, only to find out that you can use the CD directly - instead you have to boot from it and create floppy drivers. I did that, only to find that the BIOS can't be flashed until you flick a jumper on the motherboard. Power down, flick switch, flash the BIOS, power down, flick switch, insert windows CD, add driver, reboot. (Pray)

When was the last time you used a floppy disk?

ETA:
Heh. The OS installed was so old that Windows Update wouldn't run. We fixed it manually though.

Now that I've got your attention, this was the shout which emanated from behind us as xugglybug and I walked arm-in-arm out of Kings Cross station on our way to bmovie last night. It was only after we'd taken half a dozen steps that I worked out not only what had been said, but also that it was directed at us.

That's right, folks. Someone thought I was a lesbian.

It's perhaps a little understandable because I was in my long black coat which looks a little like a corset from the back due to the lacing.

bmovie itself was its usual vibrant self and it was great to catch up with the many people that I'd not seen for far too long.

* * *

Today was polyday and though we didn't make it there until midday it was a fab day. In the afternoon we played a few games of Fluxx and wandered off with flirtydaz to the south bank to go on the London eye. We'd been queueing for something in the order of 20 minutes and were about half way round when the bulding was evacuated. I suspect this was due to a bomb scare, but due to apathy we didn't hang around long enough to ascertain exactly why.

Whilst on this train of thought, I came up with the perhaps Draconian idea that leaving one's bags unattended should be a criminal offence. I hesitate because I don't quite agree with punishing forgetfulness, but I think that people would take more care if it were a crime. At the very least it might help recoup some of the losses. What do people think?

We wandered back via a cafe type place and got a bite to eat, but left due to fatigue around 1930-2000.

Sorry to those of you with whom I didn't get much of a chance to speak. I count myself lucky that I have such a large and friendly community in which there isn't the time to catch up with everyone.

I can remember the plot of a film, but the film from which it comes eludes me. Can anyone shed any light?

Jealous ex-boyfriend / husband takes revenge on his beloved and her partner by locking them in the basement and building a load of tunnels with wood paneling in the house. He lets them out of the basement into the array of tunnels, then traps them in a dead end and buries them alive.

English language, American made. Post 1970, I'd say, based on the picture quality.

Unfortunately I can't remember any of the actors, else I'd try searching via IMDB.