2012.02.29 13:00 - The Assumption of St. Antwelm

The Guardian for this meeting was Storm Nordwind. The comments are by Storm Nordwind.

Storm Nordwind sits in for Fefonz... and enjoys the quiet.
Storm Nordwind: Hello Wol. :)
Wol Euler: hello storm
Wol Euler: nice to see you again
--BELL--

Spring and leap year day.

Storm Nordwind: How are you keeping?
Wol Euler: tolerably well, thanks :)
Wol Euler: much cheered by the advent of SP
Wol Euler: Spring
Storm Nordwind: Spring... ah yes. And it's leap day today
Wol Euler: mmhmm :)
Wol Euler: how are you spending it?
Storm Nordwind: Quietly, watching the last of the snow melt.
Wol Euler: ah :)
Storm Nordwind: No proposals? ;)
Wol Euler: alas no
Wol Euler: nor have I given any out
Wol Euler sighs.
Wol Euler: I don't know whether the Germans know that custom
Storm Nordwind: Right

Wol doll.

Storm Nordwind: This may be marginally interesting to you... but my wife is a professional artist at a local hospital, and she repaints dolls in her spare time. One of my favorites (that she hasn't sold) I have called "Wol" after you :)
Wol Euler: awwwwwww :)
Wol Euler: how sweet, thank you
Wol Euler: I'm assuming it isn't a voodoo doll :)
Storm Nordwind: There is something about it that reminds me of your avatar and probably always will now
Storm Nordwind: I haven't got the pins out
Storm Nordwind: yet
Wol Euler: heheheheh
Wol Euler: if I feel twinges in the night, I'll know who to call
Storm Nordwind: It'll be remote acupuncture - honest
Wol Euler nods.

Flowers and birds.

Storm Nordwind: So you are cheered by Spring. Anything in particular? Longer days? Warmer weather? People outside wearing less? ;)
Wol Euler: all of the above
Wol Euler: but the crocuses are also a large part of it
Wol Euler: they make me smile
Storm Nordwind: Ah yes. I miss those. Those and blackbirds.
Wol Euler: none in Denver?
Storm Nordwind: No. Not that I have seen.
Wol Euler: well, I am surprised
Storm Nordwind: Perhaps I just don't pay attention to the flowers!
Wol Euler: hello korel
Wol Euler smiles.
Storm Nordwind: Hi Korel
Korel Laloix: Heya
Storm Nordwind: And I would have heard a blackbird from a mile away I'm sure
Wol Euler nods.

Getting too high.

Wol Euler: perhaps it's too high for them
Wol Euler: whatever that might mean
Storm Nordwind chuckles
Korel Laloix: Too high for what?
Storm Nordwind: I'm assuming you don't mean the push to legalize marijuana locally, which will appear on November's ballot! ;)
Wol Euler: heheheh
Wol Euler: nice to know that not all parts of America are descending into fascism and madness
Wol Euler: oh, did I say that out loud?
Storm Nordwind: You did! There are pockets of sanity here and there. I'm lucky to live in and by some. :)
Wol Euler nods.
Wol Euler: what amazes me is the apparent popularity of it
Korel Laloix: The popularity of sanity? When did that start?
Wol Euler: how can the republicans dare to present these appalling proposals for so-called women's health issues, given that women are over 50% of the electorate?
Storm Nordwind: Beats me.
Wol Euler: why are they not afraid?
Wol Euler: of madness, korel
Wol Euler: hello aph!
Korel Laloix: Heya
Storm Nordwind: They are afraid. Of He who must be obeyed.
Storm Nordwind: Hi Aph
Aphrodite Macbain: Hi
Aphrodite Macbain: who he?
Aphrodite Macbain: and why must he?
Aphrodite Macbain: :-)
Storm Nordwind: Don't worry Aph. We're talking nonsense about people who act nonsensically.
Wol Euler smiles.
Aphrodite Macbain: oh well, I have nothing to do with them!!
--BELL--
Wol Euler: wise
Aphrodite Macbain: grins

The Assumption of St. Antwelm.

Wol Euler: when I become benevolent dictator, Feb 29 will be a statutory public holiday
Aphrodite Macbain: when we can all stand on public statues?
Korel Laloix: I have to go to a birthday party later.... every four year thing... smiles
Wol Euler: wow
Storm Nordwind: Like the party celebraing the Assumption of St. Antwelm?
Wol Euler: how old is the birthday-ee?
Aphrodite Macbain stares at Storm
Korel Laloix: Something like that.. one of my grandma's friends... she is turning 20.
Storm Nordwind assume Aph has never heard of St. Antwelm
Wol Euler giggles.
Wol Euler: yes, very much like that
Aphrodite Macbain thinks that Storm's assumptions are correct
Wol Euler: "St Antwelm had been, during his lifetime, a great and popular king who had made a great and popular assumption. What King Antwelm had assumed was that what everybody wanted, all other things being equal, was to be happy and enjoy themselves and have the best possible time together. On his death he had willed his entire personal fortune to financing an annual festival to remind every one of this, with lots of good food and dancing and very silly games like Hunt the Wocket. His Assumption had been such a brilliantly good one that he was made into a saint for it. Not only that, but all the people who had previously been made saints for doing things like being stoned to death in a thoroughly miserable way or living upside down in barrels of dung were instantly demoted and were now thought to be rather embarrassing."
Wol Euler: happy times
Aphrodite Macbain: We should look into "Hunt the Wocket." It may be something for our party
Aphrodite Macbain: who wrote that delightful expose?
Storm Nordwind: Douglas Adams
Storm Nordwind: In "Mostly Harmless"
Aphrodite Macbain: Brilliant
Storm Nordwind: The fifth book of the trilogy :)
Wol Euler nods.
Aphrodite Macbain: sounds British
Wol Euler: it's given pleasure to untold generations
Aphrodite Macbain: I dont know it. Makes note and underlines it
Storm Nordwind: Start with the first book
Wol Euler: worth reading, and also worth reading in order -- yes
Storm Nordwind: The first book is The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Aphrodite Macbain: ohhhh -him!
Aphrodite Macbain: OK
Korel Laloix: I tried tow watch part of that movie.
Wol Euler smiles.
Korel Laloix: Ouch.
Storm Nordwind: The movie is meh
Wol Euler: the books are better, as is often the case
Storm Nordwind: Try and ctach the original radio series if you can
Aphrodite Macbain: yes- more space for the imgination
Korel Laloix: I just sooo can't do Sci Fi...

Old and young.

Storm Nordwind: I heard the first one broadcast live - and I couldn't believe what I was hearing
Korel Laloix: Boring to me.
Wol Euler: it's only incidentally sci-fi, mostly just social humour
Aphrodite Macbain: yes- an observation of the present
Aphrodite Macbain: like Swift
Storm Nordwind: In 1978 it was completely groundbreaking
Wol Euler nods.
Aphrodite Macbain: yes- I remeber hearing the radio broadcasts
Aphrodite Macbain: and the sound effects
Wol Euler: I remember the excitement of reading the novels as they came out
Korel Laloix: 8 years before I was born.. no wonder I miessed that.... smiles
Wol Euler: heheheh
Aphrodite Macbain: giggles
Storm Nordwind: I had three kids by then
Aphrodite Macbain: lol
Wol Euler: heheheh
Aphrodite Macbain: you started young Storm
Storm Nordwind: I did. Took me a while to find out what caused them too.
Wol Euler: he's older than he looks
Storm Nordwind: I'm not as green as I'm cabbage looking

What the English are good at.

Wol Euler: the English have a knack for social satire disguised as [some other genre], don't they
Wol Euler: Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett ...
Korel Laloix: No idea on that one.
Korel Laloix: Some Monty PYthon is good though.
Wol Euler: well Pratchett is still writing, so you can't dodge out of that one by being too young :)
Storm Nordwind: One of their strengths, along with costume drama and being ridiculous
Wol Euler: yep
--BELL--
Storm Nordwind observes Downton Abbey even gets into xkcd
Aphrodite Macbain: RL calls
Storm Nordwind waves
Aphrodite Macbain: Bye
Aphrodite Macbain: Bye! for now
Korel Laloix: Ciao
Wol Euler: bye aph, take care

Winding up.

Wol Euler: ((in IM with a friend whose father is dying in a hospice ... count your blessing))
Korel Laloix: I seem to know a lot of people right now with that srot of thing goin on.
Storm Nordwind nods
Storm Nordwind: I find it a poignant reminder to get on with what's important
Wol Euler nods.
Korel Laloix: I have had a couple of things in my life recently thaat really reminded me to be thankfull.
Wol Euler smiles and nods
Korel Laloix: Back to work.
Korel Laloix: Thanks for the chat.
Storm Nordwind: Nice to see you :)
Wol Euler: bye korel, take care
Korel Laloix: Ciao all.
Storm Nordwind: Shall I leave you to your IM Wol? :)
Wol Euler: I think he's nearly finished, but I confess it's put a damper on my mood
Storm Nordwind: I understand. Let's call it a session then.
Wol Euler smiles and nods