i wasn't bored today or anything, but:

the witching hour

they call this the witching hour. the time when all good boys should be tucked up in bed. not so for me, and i find myself back in 311, pondering questions of life, the universe, and high redshift galaxies (specifically z=2.2, and with a strong Ha line). ESO deadline looms, and there have been problems galore in WFCAM reduction and analysis. yet i think it's close. nearly done.

took a break with norris to the Howlands pub quiz -- we were joined by noam later. we didn't win, though we didn't do badly. the beer round was ours -- a small victory in a sea of defeat. i appreciate john putting on hounds of love by kate bush -- somehow i knew it would be on the music round. i put it down to ESP, and our discussion in 311 about the futurehead's cover of it.

nostalgia

thinking of old adverts... i have to share this with you: http://www.completeshite.com/davethewave-adverts/

adverts that please

by now you will know how i feel about adverts, but i thought i'd share this gem with you as an example of an advert that pleases. it meets most of my stringent criteria. it is, of course, the recent Strongbow (cider) campaign. there are a couple of variants on a common theme, but i'll discuss my favourite. so, the gist:

• a mobile phone ringing with an intolerable tone (a clear and witty social reference to the 'Crazy' Frog ringtone which has been annoying me of late)
• two Strongbow arrows zip in and impale the phone, shattering it completely. of course the tone is no more. we are informed that Strongbow hits the mark.
  

you see? just two points. the whole advert is no more than 10seconds long... brevity is wit i say. the advert conveys a powerful message to me: (a) never leave home without a hunting bow, and (b) drink cider. this advert is in a league of its own, and harks back to the days of Thompson's roof sealant ("got a flat roof? let's face it - its gonna leak."). brilliance. sheer brilliance.