Two Brain Cells

I need to buy one of those 25 ml spirit measure things, now that I’m calorie-counting everything that goes into my face.

Last night I found myself calibrating a measuring jug below 100 ml using an adjustable steady stream of water and a clock with a second hand.

Inspired by this talk about ideas, I have created the Idea Exchange Rate.

As the site explains, since British ideas are “ten-a-penny”, and US ideas are “a-dime-a-dozen”, we can calculate an accurate exchange rate between British ideas and US ideas. I anticipate this becoming a very important metric for pan-Atlantic intellectual property negotiations.

An idea I suggested in a Slashdot comment over a year ago goes on to win a Time Magazine Best Inventions 2006 award. Typical.

Yes, yes, I know, ideas are ten a penny, and the value’s in the execution not the concept. Still, I like to keep track of these little non-victories.

And I suppose if I don’t use this stuff, it’ll just go to waste.
Eh, what could you do.
You had a lot of stuff,
I didn’t realise.
Chopsticks and all.

Wow. Just got back from my trial flight lesson. I’ve been lucky enough to go on a lot of commercial flights, but it doesn’t even compare to actually being at the controls of a tiny two-seater plane. Sitting in one of those giant jet liners, you can pretty much forget that you’re flying.

I was surprised by how much you’re allowed to do even if you’ve never flown before. Obviously, in a thirty minute lesson, we could only cover the very basics. But I got to bank and turn a bit, and practice changing the plane’s level. Even having that small amount of control made me feel like the goddamn Batman.

It was an amazing experience, and I’d recommend it to anyone.

I’ll be taking to the skies tomorrow for a 30 minute trial lesson, in a Cessna 152. Apparently a redesign of the 150, which suffered from occasional ingestion by Frenchmen. Maybe they figured out that roast beef isn’t such a great construction material.

I’ll report back tomorrow, weather permitting.